Brave New World
In an attempt to square the circle, scientists came up with a new map of the world. A revolutionary, double-sided disk map that minimizes all six types of map distortions. Great! Terry Pratchett sends his regards.
Image: J. Richard Gott, Robert Vanderbei and David Goldberg. ^[1]

Are you confused by all the conflicting messages that rush at us daily? You are not alone.

But be aware that this also happens to less educated people (like me) who are even less able to understand what interests are behind these messages.
Many people feel more and more helpless or ignore the obvious and run to the next strong man.
How can this be avoided in the future?

Education could help. Give the next generation a better chance. Teach them critical thinking, make them understand the connections.



 

The Heart Breaking News
Organic life on Earth will bite the dust if we do not stop feeding the planet with greenhouse gases. Sorry, there is no beautiful clean coal or clean petrol - only if it stays where it is.


Biodiversity Crisis
Scientists have calculated that by the end of this century at least 550 animal species will follow in the footsteps of the mammoth and the sabre-toothed cat and will become extinct because humans exert an immense predatory impact on the animal kingdom. (Science Advances)


Japanese pollution
According to media reports, Japan is about to release 1 million tons of radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. (DW)

 

Deadly typhoons in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, devastating wildfires in Australia, Siberia, and the United States, hurricanes are making land-fall with disastrous consequences, and poisonous pollution all over the planet. The oceans suffocate from plastic waste, and madmen promote beautiful clean coal, and they want to sell their "Black Gold" -- oil.

This is our world, thanks to you. Because you can't get enough. There is your limitless greed. My houses, my cars, my boats, my stocks, my women, but it's not enough for you. You want your neighbors' houses, and cars, and boats, and stocks, and wives. And it's still not enough. You just can't get enough.

More, more, more, give it to ME.
You want it all, and you want it now. And you don't give a damn sh..t about others, or your country, or about the environment, or about the children of others. You cheat and twist the facts until they are no longer recognizable, and you ruin others just to satisfy your appetite for more power and influence. You wear expensive fashion brands and ignore that they are made by indentured laborers in a faraway land. You ship your garbage to Third World countries, but you couldn't care less about the fatal consequences for the people there. You ignore the fact that it is ultimately these people who make your luxury life possible.
But this has to stop. And if you get in the way when people try to save the planet, you could get hurt, not necessarily by other people but by the consequences of your behavior. Air and water no longer support life; fires, floods, landslides, tornadoes, devastating hailstorms will come ever closer to your luxurious home with its golden faucets and five cars in the garage. And one day, it will be too late to run away.

 

BLM - a tribute to Black Music
Why is it that people with darker skin color are still victims of racial discrimination, harassment, and violent attacks?
See our (incomplete) list of black musicians, singers, and songwriters, intended to remind us how much they have influenced the fabric of our global culture.

 

COVID-19
The number of cases is frightening, but it could get much worse; only 0.6% of the world population is affected by COVID-19 today. The virus took only three months to spread around the world and the number of cases is still rising.



 No-UPDATE  - (Lack of reliable data - and the pandemic is rampant)
According to Johns Hopkins University, the worldwide number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is now more than 135 million.
See a map of the world with all countries with confirmed cases and more information about the virus outbreak (from April 2020).


The countries with the most cases (in million) are USA (31 M), Brazil (13.5 M), India (13.4 M), France (5.1 M), Russia (4.5 M), United Kingdom (4.3 M), Turkey (3.8), Italy (3.7 M), Spain (3.3 m), Germany (3.0 m) (April 2021)
Source: Johns Hopkins University

Global Travel Warnings. Many countries have initiated or strengthened border controls, introduced visas, and quarantine obligations or closed borders completely.


 

Dictionary
The meaning behind the words

Liberal - Origin from the French libéral < Latin liberalis = liberal; bountiful; noble, to: liber = free
translate to enlightened; free-thinking; free-spirited; tolerant; liberal; unprejudiced; unbiased; and informal.

Democratic - based on the principles of democracy, acting according to the principles of democracy; striving for democracy; liberal, and non-authoritarian. Origin from Greek dēmokratía = People's power, a system of government by the whole population.

Radical - relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough. Origin from late Middle English (in the senses 'forming the root': from late Latin radicalis, from Latin radix, radic- 'root.'
As such, a radical democrat is someone striving thorough for democracy.

Progressive - relating to, or characterized by progress.
Synonyms are avant-garde; emancipated; developed; progressive; moving with the times; modern; trend-setting; groundbreaking; contemporary. Origin from French progressive, to: progrès = the progression < Latin progressus =progress, progression

Antifa - an anti-fascist action and left-wing political movement in the United States and Europe. The origin of the term was the opposition to (Nazi) fascism in Germany during and immediately after the Second World War. (German, shortened from Antifaschismus)

Fascist - a person who is extremely right-wing or authoritarian.

Fascism - a form of right-wing extremist, authoritarian, extremely racist and nationalist government. Fascism is characterized by the dictatorial exercise of power through the violent suppression of the opposition, freedom of the press, and freedom of expression, and strict regulation of society.

Dictator - a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has gained control by force, suspending civil liberties and eliminating political opposition.


Quote
Inspirational Quote of the Week
Anyone who lies for a living is dangerous.
Alastair Reynolds - Chasm City


The advice of the time
Don't trust anyone who says that "everyone knows this".


Basic rules
The Big Bang was a soundless and dark affair, the universe is flat, the earth is a sphere (kind of), and gravity works around the clock.

 

99+ of the world's most amazing countries

Check out the top up-and-coming travel destinations for 2021.

Maybe you should reconsider your travel plans for the rest of the year. If you can't travel, at Nations Online Project, you will find a plethora of information about any country on the planet.


All Countries of the World

 

 

Thanks to all those who have made their photos available to the public and thus also to Nations Online Project.

Images credit: Sri Lanka - High Contrast; Hong Kong - Timon Studler; Mexico - Daniel Schwen; Nicaragua - Phayne; Ghana - Stig Nygaard; Bangladesh - NASA; Saudi Arabia - Aiman Titi; Kenya - Key45; Ireland - Joachim Kohler; New-Zealand - Gobeirne; United Arab Emirates - ykeiko; Egypt - Diego Delso; Argentina - Gavieiro Juan M; Spain - Bernard Gagnon; South Africa - Mike Peel; Philippines - Eric Montalban; Japan - Midori; Nigeria - Ulf Ryttgens; Canada - Saffron Blaze; Pakistan - Ali Mujtaba; Indonesia - Heaven's Army; Brazil - Donatas Dabravolskas; China - J. Patrick Fischer; Australia - Pavel Špindler; France - Michelle Maria; Russia - Grechkina Nadejda; USA - MadGrin; UK - Diliff; Italy - Wolfgang Moroder; Bahamas - Bahamas Government; Chile - visit-chile.org; South Korea - Alexandre Chambon; Israel - Martin Furtschegger; Angola - L. Willms; Switzerland - Chnebelhäx; Norway - Motif Räsänen; Venezuela - Paolo Costa Baldi; Mauritius - Sofitel So Mauritius; Bolivia - Haceme un 14; Benin - Marc Auer; Madagascar - Frank Vassen; Netherlands - Tarod; Fiji - American; Algeria - Zinou de Batna; Costa Rica - Arturo Sotillo; Romania - Calatorinlume; Qatar - Francisco Anzola; Denmark - Sculptor: Edvard Eriksen; Slovenia - Neven Krcmarek; Jordan - David Bjorgen; Bahrain - Wadiia, Panama - Ron Reiring, Papua New Guinea - Anselmo Lastra, Malta - Berit Watkin; Morocco - Annabel Symington; Federated States of Micronesia - Garrett W; Guyana - amanderson; Ecuador - Simon Matzinger; Greenland - Dave Stanley; Belize - Seann McAuliffe; El Salvador - Ramon;
All others images by kk nationsonline.org