7/3 - The downing of Iran Air 655 by the USS Vincennes
~~ Typical 290 Passenger F-14 Fighter Aircraft
The USS Vincennes shot down a commercial airliner, Iran Air 655, on this day in 1988
Iran Air Flight 655 was an Iran Air regularly scheduled passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai. The Airbus A300 flying on this route was shot down by the USS Vincennes killing all 290 people on board. The attack by the US warship took place in Iranian airspace, over Iran's territorial waters while the plane's IFF was actively squawking in a mode identifying it as a civilian aircraft. Though some of the ship's crew lied about it, the ships combat system verified the squawk mode.
Unable to claim that they thought it was on drugs or reaching for a gun, the US instead claimed that the captain and crew thought that the 290 passenger airliner climbing to cruising altitude at a few hundred knots was really a vastly smaller F-14 Tomcat diving directly at the ship at around Mach 2 with intent to attack it. This preposterous idea was, of course, to be believed because of the "Tonkin Gulf" syndrome. This is the mind set common to US police in black neighborhoods and US troops in the vicinity of non-allied nation states whereby the task isn't to ascertain what is going on, but merely to conjure up any remotely possible justification for launching an armed attack, regardless of how implausible it might be.
(It must be remembered that we were trying to support our good buddy and ally Saddam Hussein in his war against our hated foe Iran, which had had the temerity to oust the brutal fascist rat-bastard that we had hand picked to run their country when we overthrew their elected government.)
[File with: "indespensible, standing tall, seeing further."]
On this day in history:
1035 – William the Bastard became the Duke of Normandy
1767 – Pitcairn Island was discovered
1819 – The first savings bank in the US opened
1839 – The first state normal school in the US opened
1844 – The last pair of great auks was killed
1848 – The slaves were freed in the Danish West Indies
1886 – Karl Benz first displayed the Benz Patent-Motorwagen
1886 – The New-York Tribune became the first paper to use a linotype.
1898 – A US naval squadron won the Battle of Santiago de Cuba "freeing" Cuba from Spain
1952 – The Constitution of Puerto Rico was approved by the US Congress.
1979 – Carter signed the first directive for aid to the opponents of the Afghan government, you know, feuding warlords, Bin Ladin, Al Qada, the Taliban, whoever.
1988 – The USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 killing all 290 people on board
2013 – Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by a military coup.
Some people who were born on this day:
The map is not the territory
~~ Alfred Korzybski
~~ Your model is the only reality you'll ever have ~~ enhydra
1518 – Li Shizhen, physician and mineralogist
1530 – Claude Fauchet, historian and author
1683 – Edward Young, poet, dramatist and literary critic
1878 -- George M. Cohan, singer, dancer, actor and songwriter
1879 -- Alfred Korzybski, mathematician, linguist, philosopher, inventor of general semantics
1883 -- Franz Kafka, author
1893 -- Mississippi John Hurt, singer, guitarist, and songwriter.
1901 – Ruth Crawford Seeger, composer
1908 -- M. F. K. Fisher, author, foodie, founder of Napa Valley Wine Library
1913 -- Dorothy Kilgallen, journalist and game show panelist
1922 -- Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo, aka Corneille, sculpter and painter
1926 -- Johnny Coles, trumpet player
1930 -- Pete Fountain, clarinetist
1930 -- Tommy Tedesco, guitarist and member of The Wrecking Crew, most recorded guitarist ever
1935 – Cheo Feliciano, singer and songwriter
1937 -- Tom Stoppard, playwright and screenwriter
1940 -- Fontella Bass, singer and songwriter
1941 -- Gloria Allred, civil rights lawyer and activist
1943 – Judith Durham, folk-pop singer, songwriter, and musician (seekers)
1946 -- Johnny Lee, singer & guitarist
1947 – Dave Barry, journalist and author
1948 -- Paul Barrere, guitrist, singer & songwriter (Little Feat)
1949 -- Johnnie Wilder, Jr., singer
1951 -- Jean-Claude Duvalier, Baby Doc, despot beloved of Reagan and other US honchos.
1952 – Laura Branigan, singer and songwriter
Some people who died on this day:
Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.
~~ Jim Morrison
1672 -- Francis Willughby, ornithologist
1795 -- Antonio de Ulloa, scientist, explorer, general, politician, astronomer, co-discovered platinum
1863 -- Little Crow, Mdewakanton Dakota chief betrayed by the US.
1904 -- Theodor Herzl, one of the fathers of modern day zionism.
1969 -- Brian Jones, guitarist, songwriter and producer
1971 -- Jim Morrison, singer and songwriter buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery
1986 -- Rudy Vallee, singer, saxophonist & actor
2007 -- Boots Randolph, sax player
Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
It really ought to be Gregor Samsa Day, but it isn't
Today's Tunes
Karl Benz and the Benz Patent-Motorwagen
George M. Cohan
Mississippi John Hurt
Ruth Crawford Seeger
Johnny Coles
Pete Fountain
Tommy Tedesco has a zillion gold records, all headlined by other groups and singers
Fontella Bass
Judith Durham
Johnny Lee
Paul Barrere
Johnnie Wilder, Jr.
Laura Branigan
Francis Willughby, heh
Brian Jones
Jim Morrison
Rudy Vallee
Boots Randolph
Bonus:
Mississippi John Hurt
Brian Jones et al,
Tommy Tedesco
The other side of Boots Randolph and ...
Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?
Cross posted from http://caucus99percent.com
Open Thread,Iran Air Flight 655, Korzybski, Kafka, Baby Doc, Little Crow, Mississippi John Hurt, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Boots Randolph, Karl Benz, Tommy Tedesco
Comments
Quite the story of the Iranian aircraft
Almost as arrogant as inviting Iran's General to peace talks and then killing him.
We're off to B'ham to gather with the family and eat BBQ. Happy holiday to all!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning LO. Thanks for reading.
Enjoy your gathering and the BBQ.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good Morning, Lookout, I have the fourth of July
y.
in my woods in Germany at a quarter to nine in the morning.
Just wanted to tell you to be grateful for having a family.
So, it is an open thread, so I tell you what I don't like about you.
You always say, we live in interesting times. I know it's just some 'saying'. But each time you say it, I glide into my 'pissed off' state of mind.
What is so INTERESTING about our TIMES?
If I learned something here at c99p, then it is, that nothing is so difficult as to understand sarcasm of another country than your own native country you are born and raised in. If I don't get the many sarcastic remarks that float around on this side, I just try to imagine how you would try to understand the sarcastic remarks of our local German TV anchor men.
Ok, as you can see I am in my silently pissed off mental state of mind. And I will watch our many great documentaries on our German Public TV Channels (ARD, ZDF, Phoenix). Then I go back to sleep.
15 years ago my son escaped to the island of his dreams, ie Hawaii. I think what he enjoys in Hawaii is what most of you enjoy too. the nature, the hiking, the gardening, the music he makes with other music buddies.
So let's enjoy the good stuff the fourth of July means to us all.
And I wanted to thank you all for you patience and good will you have expressed to me over the last years. You are the best. Happy fourth, JtC. I just wished I could live on the same continent as you and my son live.
It is a saying..but is what's happening...
I find it interesting that the center of global power is shifting. Seems to me as momentous as when the US declared independence, but it is the global south and Asia ringing the liberty bell.
We both sit in a failing western empire. We can be bitter, but I'm interested and intrigued. It is my nature.
Keep a good thought sister and be well!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I try to keep good thoughts, but if you would be exposed to
images, and all the documentaries, I am exposed to, it would be hard, even for you, to keep good thoughts. But I promise I will try.
Prost! What do you drink to celebrate 4th of July?
Great tunes you have for us!
Thanks for all the memories and enjoyment your songs bring me. Having been to the wonderful Pere LaChase cemetery in Paris, the Jim Morrison tomb has caused the desecration of many of the other tombs around. There was graffiti with his name in many places. Regardless, it was a great place to wander around in looking at all the crypts and tombs as well as the greenery. Cemetery wandering is a great way to get a feel for some of the older cities in Europe.
Have a great 4th! Will probably watch the fireworks from the comfort and safety of my balcony!
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
Good morning jb. Glad you like the tunes and thanks for
reading. Cemetery wandering is also a good way to get a feel for various locales in the US, including places that aren't really there anymore except for the cemetery.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Monday Monday
la da da, la da da,
Hi all, Hey EL, Hope all are well!
Got a long hard day of work ahead, so am here screwing around.
Oh, the Great Auk. What a loss. The northern hemisphere's 'penguin' courtesy of convergent evolution. I presume generously they must have thought there must be lots of islands with them, not just Funk Is. They went back multiple years until they got them ALL!?!?
When someone reports some crazy bird, suggest something to the effect of 'that should be given all the credibility of a seawatch report of a flyby Great Auk'.
Speaking of crazy reports how 'bout that Red-headed Woodpecker at Land's End in San Francisco right now yesterday and today? Sixth CA state record, first since 1999.
I suppose I was predisposed to like any song named Ornithology. I bet I would like ones named Herpetology, Ichthyology, and Entomology too.
I have always been disgusted by the Vicennes shootdown, as it seemed another Tonkin incident to me all along, being an aviation buff. Jacking a bunch of youth up about war, what could go wrong?
Who couldn't love Brian Jones? Besides himself. I love all the Jones Stones.
Hope your feelin' better EL!
Thanks for the OT!
Have great days all!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Good morning Dysto, thanks for reading. Also feeling
much better, thanks. I figured that you'd be partial to Ornithology
Not about to run over to Land's End on this weekend, not at my age, thanks anyway.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
True, but really the attitude is toward most white people also
"This is the mind set common to US police in black neighborhoods..."
Given my own family's experience, American police treat literally everybody as a potential criminal who simply has not been caught or exposed. There is the motto for cops "protect and serve" is really "interrogate and arrest" regardless of innocence.
I watched a few cop/citizen videos on YouTube and very clear that cops don't know basic rights and try to turn interactions into arrests (and yes, some are very much racial profiling). Probably the only people who get off easy are rich white people who have the resources to fight back, and which the cops know. BTW the YT algorithm now presents me bunches of these videos. Not easy to watch many.
But if anybody is curious I would recommend two channels.
Civil Rights lawyer a practicing lawyer specializing in lawsuits against cops/state
https://www.youtube.com/@thecivilrightslawyer/videos
Lackluster. A normal guy showing abuse videos.
https://www.youtube.com/@LackLusterMedia/videos
There is a Auditor the Auditor which looks at real incidents and dives heavily into the law about various parts of arrest, interrogation, trespass, jails, etc. One among many things I learned is that if you refuse to answer questions, then very clearly invoke to right to remain silent. Not enough just not to say anything.
There is a group of people called "First Amendment Auditors" who take video while on public property of police stations, city halls, etc. Purpose is to see of the police and people understand the Constitutionality while filming in public. Many of them are very educational on what cops can and cannot do during a stop.
I would say enjoy, but these are not really enjoyable.
yeah, though some areas persecute people of color to a
greater degree, they also harass the hoi polloi of any race or ethnic background. Watching too much of that shit can be depressing and induce paranoia.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Great bunch of musical artisans today
thanks for the OT!
Thanks, glad you like them
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Are there facilities in the US where
elderly people, who need care, can rent a one bedroom apartment of a kind of public housing building complex and then are cared for til they die?
Yes.
If you're wealthy enough. It's also possible with medicare and medicaid but none of the current ones I know of provide it totally with just payment of rent.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
I'm pretty sure, more or less, though the quality of care is
highly varied from one to another.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
HI Mimi, this is a late reply...
But I am looking for such care and housing for my parents right now. I live in the PacNW of the USA, outside of Seattle. There are quite a few places which offer such housing and services. They are called 'independent living' facilities, or 'assisted living' facilities. Assisted living facilities offer more services (and cost more) than independent living facilities. Quality of care and living vary, but the places I've looked at around here are basically pretty good. Hope this helps!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Thank you, Sima, I am looking for myself, on both continents,
I would prefer if I find something that I can afford to pay on the same continent where my son lives.
I haven't seem my son since 2014, but we talk on the phone daily.
I don't want to talk and think about it. It is all bad, sad and fucked up enough already.
How many of you can receive and watch European TV channels
while you are living in the US?
With exceptions
VPN (Virtual Private Network)allows me to watch free tv in most countries worldwide. You must have a fairly fast internet speed though.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Hi mimi. As far as I know I can't. Maybe folks with satellite
TV can.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
The Sun Sets On Richard N. Haass's CFR Career
CFR = Council on Foreign Relations - the granddaddy of all stink tanks.
Well, at least he grew a conscience.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/the-sun-sets-on-richard-n-haasss
" he grew a conscience"
Nope. Never has.
Never will.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.