So a little early to have writers block. Well, maybe not, but just some random stuff to talk about. Not the MAJOR headlines, keep in mind. Not looking at catastrophic flooding in South Carolina, Clinton, Trump, gun control, Planned Parenthood, or anything line that. Just some things that caught my eye today.
After the VW scandal, the second most space I have seen in the automotive scans the last couple of days concerns something that should be of no surprise to ANYONE who knows anything about insurgent warfare. The U.S. Government has apparently asked Toyota is the company knows anything about how/why ISIL drives so many of their trucks. Duh. The Hilux is vehicle of choice for rebel and terrorist groups worldwide. All the government had to do was perform a basic web search, maybe they would have found this old 2010 Newsweek piece: http://www.newsweek.com/why-rebel-groups-love-toyota-hilux-74195
Meanwhile, in the big theater part of the world, Putin continues to flex his muscles in the form of newer and drastically improved hardware. In the air, on the high seas, and on land. NATO and the U.S.A., for the last twenty or so years used to only worrying about a “potential” threat from China, suddenly has much bigger and potent fish to keep an eye on. On the same day Russia started dropping bombs on Syria, he started pulling heavy weapons out of the Ukraine. It is likely he hopes that sanctions, which only hinge on the ceasing of combat in the Ukraine, might be lifted, while the actual gains on the ground for pro-Russia factions there remain unchallenged. Also on that day, Putin pulled back, for the third year in a row, the pension savings for his citizens. That money will probably go to fund additional combat gear.
And just popping up in headlines tonight–smugglers may have actually attempted to barter nuclear materials to ISIS and other terror groups. Interesting times indeed.
Some lighter news. A recent study has shown that animal populations in the Chernobyl zone, which covers thousands of square miles around the nuclear reactor that suffered a catastrophic meltdown in 1986, are apparently thriving. Diversity, a full prey / predator balance, healthy herds, everything looks good for wildlife. Apparently, humanity is worse than a major radioactive disaster in terms of environmental damage that can be caused.
If you missed it earlier this summer, NASA swung past Pluto with the New Horizon’s probe. This week they released another batch of photos from the visit–they keep getting better. I encourage you to browse the mission page: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html
“The Martian”, directed by Ridley Scott and staring Jason Bou — er, Matt Damon, opened big last weekend. If you haven’t had a chance to read the novel by Andy Weir, read it. If you haven’t seen the movie, go see it.
Top new shows on TV in our house this year? Blindspot on NBC and Limitless on CBS. Check them out. Especially Jamie Alexander, whom I have had a thing for since she put on Asgardian armor as Lady Sif in Thor.