By Nathan Barton

Good morning.  Just a short column today, after being slow on writing for a couple of days., due to travel and many distractions.  But here we go.

Canaanite front: Israel accepts truce plan; Hamas balks.  The Hamas rejection came just minutes after Israel’s security cabinet decided to embrace terms set forward late Monday night by Egypt’s military-backed government.  If it isn’t one side, it is the other.  Neither side is telling the truth, without a doubt.

Stupid government tricks: Peace Corps announces major changes to application, apparently desperate for more suckers to con. Volunteers for service abroad will be able to apply for specific locations; agency hopes for more diversity.  And more money stolen from taxpayers and given to them by Congress.

Afghan front: In the Taliban’s birthplace, a fragile victory over insurgents. Panjwai was the war’s front line. Now it’s peaceful, but without a state presence, those gains are in danger.  These people cannot fathom the idea that people can live in peace and with prosperity without a government.

Politics 2014:  Progressives turn from Obama to embrace Warren. The firebrand populist excites the Democrats’ base as she stumps for liberal Senate candidates.  Of course, remember, this is the woman who lied and lied about her past and her ancestry and other items.  Amazing how quickly liberals forgive things like that.

Culture wars:  Survey gives U.S. wide-ranging data on sexual orientation. Less than 3 percent of the population identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, the CDC reported.  If we are to believe these numbers (and actually, if they were truly bogus government numbers, the claim would almost certainly be much higher), these “abused” minorities are miniscule and hardly worth the effort spent to buy their votes or their business.  I am sure that we will find the claim made that these numbers are too low because they are still so afraid of being attacked or killed, that they cannot come out of the closet and so lie.  But business and politicians would frankly do better to suck up to alcoholics and druggies!  There are more of them.

The fearmongers are at it again.  A fairly common occurrence in Yellowstone National Park, asphalt-paved roadways which get too hot due to geothermal conditions, is being touted as more evidence “we’re all gonna die” by too many people who should know better, just like the bogus fear of a massive eruption and bison fleeing based on a video that actually shows bison in high spirits racing TOWARDS Yellowstone, was big news a few months ago.  Come on, (and this applies to Lew Rockwell.com) people, GET A LIFE!

The Fix (WaPo): It’s official: Americans say Mitt Romney was pretty much right about Russia A poll shows Americans now see Russia as the biggest threat to the United States.  It is amazing what a steady diet of propaganda can do to change people’s attitudes.

A small space firm, Firefly, has a new, small-payload orbital launch system in the works which will save time and money and headache getting 800-plus pound cargo into low earth orbit.  Good for business AND for fighting against tyranny.  Here’s to their success!