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News from Around the World[/caption]

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Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today I am going to share an article series that has been strangely absent from this blog. ‘News From Around the World’ made its first appearance, earlier this year, then vanished recently. Fact of the matter is, between my battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, my (thwarted) attempt to raise the support I need to fight my cancer, and my ongoing battle with pain? I just paired down the number of articles I publish within a given week, and ‘News From Around the World’ found itself on the chopping block.

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Last week, in this spot on my blog, ‘The Horror in Smithville’ made its appearance. However, I am still working out some edits for ‘Part 14-B’ so our tale of the adventures of Timmy & Archer will reappear in its old slot tomorrow, Friday. My sincere apologies to all of you, My Dear Readers, which are fans of ‘The Horror…’ for bumping this week’s ‘Part –B’ to Friday. However, fear not you will have another entertaining and exciting episode right here tomorrow afternoon. Here’s a little teaser. In tomorrow’s episode we learn the fate of on Barry Gartuska after he pounds the daylights out of (our hero) Timmy! Let’s just say that… well, his much deserved trek to county lock-up is… derailed, by a rather ‘tall’ character. ;)

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For now, it’s on with the show for ‘News From Around the World’! Our first stop is still within the bounds of America. It seems that ‘the South’ takes, yet another, hit in the ‘bad living conditions’ genre! “My apologies” to all of My Dear Readers that live down South, but I only calls them the way I ‘sees’ them. It appears that an extremely rare “brain-destroying amoeba”[1]was found in the drinking water supply of 12,577 residents of; Reserve, Garyville and Mt. Airy Louisiana. The Naegleria fowleri bug was confirmed, today, within the drinking water supply to the above named parishes. A representative for ‘St. John the Baptist Parish, one Paige Falgoust, released an extremely intelligent statement.

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That, in part, warned all 12,577 residents to “avoid allowing water to go up your nose while bathing or swimming in a pool," [2]

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I am certain that all 12,577 residents will ‘get right on that’ by wearing those wickedly pink ‘nose squishers’ (from the 50’s and 60’s) whenever they; take a bath, take a shower, go swimming (outside the bayou), run through sprinklers, or play with their water-wiggles. They are, just now, adding chlorine to the water (something most states and major cities have been doing for the better part of the 20^th century). Could this be a ‘partial explanation’ of the popularity of Fox ‘News’ in the South? Moving on!

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NEWS from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) said, in a news release this Tuesday, that the current outbreak of the ebola virus “could eventually infect more than 20,000 people - more than six times as many as doctors currently know about”[3] OK, so.. like, 600% MORE victims of this ‘please turn my blood into water’ virus? (ebola is a hemorrhagic pathogen that destroys your body’s ability to clot blood, resulting in profuse bleeding from; ears, nose, eyes, and ALL mucus membranes[4])

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For those that entertain their impulses to, well, panic at the slightest provocation? This would be a really god reason to bring out your panic button and your Xanax scrip! All we, here in America, need is for, let’s say, a half-dozen people in, well, a half-dozen airplanes to disembark in six major cities while in the initial stages of this virus. Once, here in America, this pathogen could spread faster than a wildfire in Texas or California. ‘Worst Case Scenario’ would be that the six planes with the six ebola infected passengers would land at; LAX (Los Angeles), LaGuardia (New York), Hartsfield/Jackson (Atlanta), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston), Denver International Airport (Denver), and MIA (Miami International Airport) and America could see the biggest outbreak of a deadly pathogen in the history of our nation. Groovy!

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In better news on the ebola front? The National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) has just announced that “human clinical trials” of “an ebola vaccine” will start… wait for it… … … this fall[5]. Let’s all just hope that they can get that vaccine through trials and into production before those planes land. Am I right, or what? That news would have to fall into the better late than never category. Moving on!

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Now, to move out from these United States and into news from the Middle East. It was reported today that yesterday “"During a period of increased fighting beginning yesterday between armed elements and Syrian Arab Armed Forces within the area of separation in the Golan Heights”[6]

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That “43 peacekeepers from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) were detained early this morning by an armed group in the vicinity of Al Qunaytirah,"[7] That was the quote from the news release from the United Nations press office. I have nothing more on the status of these peacekeepers, their current whereabouts, or the condition of the captives. However, I will do my best to keep you, My Dear Readers, apprised of this situation as it unfolds. This is a terrible situation, when militant combatants refuse to honor the safety of U.N. peacekeepers and commit these kinds of war crimes. My heart goes out to the friends and families of all the 43 that have been taken hostage.

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In lighter news, and back here on the home front. Scientists have finally unraveled the mystery that is the “Mystery of Death Valley's Moving Rocks”! If you have Netflix, and like to watch obscure scientific documentaries, then you will have heard of the ‘Sailing Rocks of Death Valley’. I was made aware of these mysterious and intrepid travelers a few months ago. I was wandering through the voluminous collection of documentaries at Netflix when I ran across a whole documentary about these sailing stones.

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“For a century, these eerie rocks and their long, graceful trails have stumped visitors and scientists. The boulders of black dolomite appear to move on their own, sliding uphill across the playa's flat lakebed. The trails are the only evidence the rocks move. No one has ever seen them set sail.”[8]

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That is until now! I am going to provide you, My Dear Readers, with a link to the video that shows how these rocks… “sail”. However, I am going to break the news to you, right now. It appears that these sailing stones’ are actually gliding on soggy soil as they are pushed by sheets of ice!

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“Jagged plates of thin ice, resembling panels of broken glass, bulldoze the rocks across the flooded playa, the scientists reveal today (Aug. 27) in the journal PLOS One. Driven by gentle winds, the rocks seem to hydroplane atop the fluffy, wet mud.”[9]

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Wow what a let-down! You see, My Dear Readers, when I was watching the documentary? It occurred to me that, like, ice and wet soil was/is the answer. I am so relieved that my grasp of basic science encompasses the mundane. JOY!

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OK… we ‘did’ hemorrhagic fever outbreak (POSSIBLE)… we did the ‘sailing stones’… we did the upcoming clinical trials of the vaccine for the hemorrhagic fever… What’s left, My Dear Readers? Oh, YEAH! It ‘seems’ that “hackers in Russia” have successfully hacked; J.P.Morgan Chase, and four others “major financial institutions”… “last month”![10]

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‘They’ are not sure if; personal account information was stolen, pin numbers where stolen, account IDs were stolen, account numbers where stolen, and/or if (basically) ALL your personal account information was stolen during a huge hack of some of the top financial institutions in America. ‘They’ “think” that it orioginated from Russia… and they “wonder” if it is “retaliation for the sanctions lead by President Obama against Russia…” What is ‘their’ advice for us; account holders, credit card holders, and Debit Card holders? “Report any suspicious activity to your bank…” BRILLIANT or what? I was, like, on the edge of my seat, till the end, with that one!

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Now, for our final story of the day, I stay here on the domestic front (things are just all too, like, bloody and violent outside America…). Just when Governor Chris Christie thought it was ‘safe to come out and solicit donations’ he gets bonked ‘back into the box’ with “all new subpoenas” in the ‘BridgeGate’ investigation. For those of us that have, like, moved on from news from months ago? This is the ‘Debacle on the George Washington Bridge’ where, it is alleged, that Gov. Christie used shutting down all the lanes inbound to New York as some sort of ‘political revenge’ on a Mayor that was ‘not playing ball’ with the Governor’s office the way they wanted.

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These new subpoenas are requesting “a month of data, including text messages, sent or received by Regina Egea”[11] It seems that, while under oath, Regina testified that she “texted the governor her thoughts about December testimony on the bridge probe but later deleted the messages.”[12]

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If this is true, it could be a possible lead directly to the Governor’s office. Governor Christie has adamantly denied, from the very beginning, of any knowledge of ‘Bridgegate’ prior to… him seeing it on television… to him giving instructions to his staff to not talk about it… to “sometime earlier this year, I do not remember exactly when”. Yeah, I just love all the gray area in the Governor’s statements. See, the thing is? Nobody has, yet, to put Governor Christie under oath!

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Now, I am just a little old blog writer but until we get Governor Christie sworn in and under oath? The ‘goal posts’ on the ‘truth’ are just going to keep moving with the headlines. I am old enough to have seen this all before, and until the ‘Fat man sings’ nothing has really been learned. I think that, before the Republican Presidential Primary, that should happen! The American people deserve the truth, and the Republican party needs the truth! This man could be a viable alternative to Hillary. However, that will never happen with this hanging over his head. He needs to get under oath, answer all the questions and put this behind him and the Republican party!

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Well, My Dear Readers, that brings us to the end of this edition of ‘News From Around the World’! I hope that you all have enjoyed your stay, learned a little bit, and had a few laughs. I know I have. As always, it brings me great joy to share time with you, My Dear Readers, and to share some of the stories ‘that you might have missed’ right here at ‘The Other Shoe’. I look forward to seeing you all, right here, tomorrow for ‘The Horror in Smithville – Part 14-B ‘. Already, I have given a bit of a teaser about what is to come, tomorrow. That is all you are going to get until you, My Dear Readers, return tomorrow!

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In closing, My Dear Readers, I am never ‘one to judge the actions or inaction of others’. However, I will be quite frank in telling you, My Dear Readers, that I am… well, a bit discouraged by the... well, lack of support I can’t help but see. See in the lack of donations to my Danny’s Cancer Treatment Fund @ Indiegogo [13].

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I do not want to ‘judge’ anyone. It is not anyone’s responsibility to help anyone… else. Yet, I had hoped for… well, better. I know that My Dear Readers are not ordinary people. You are, by virtue of reading my blog, a better cut of cloth. I know that you long for better news, information, stories, and content. That is what brought you to ‘The Other Shoe’. As well, that is what keeps you coming back. Maybe I am ‘jumping the gun’ too much. We are only ¼ of the way through the campaign. Yet, My Dear Readers, the financial drain is already here. As well, and I admit this with great hesitancy… I am scared. Scared that, well, the treatment is within reach… but that the means for me to obtain the treatment? Is not. Aye, there’s the rub!

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I want you all to know, that it is with great trepidation and hesitation that I make this request for assistance. I do not take your readership or being “My Dear Readers” lightly. I respect you, and do not want to do anything that would offend you, My Dear Readers. I just need this help, and I do not know of any other way of getting the assistance I direly need. Again, I apologize for interrupting your time, here at this blog. However, if it were not for the thin line that separates me for my goal? I would not be asking for your time and help.

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Go and follow the link below to my campaign at Indiegogo. Go and check out and read Danny’s Cancer Treatment Fund. Then, decide. Decide if you can donate, do I deserve to get the cancer treatment that will (ultimately) save my life. If you go there and read. Once, having read that you, My Dear Readers, decide that I have ‘made my case’? Then, donate. Then and only then… Donate.

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But… PLEASE… Give me THAT chance. K?

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Adieu!

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Thank YOU!

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