Though the Dog Days of Summer are traditionally quietest for media, the world turns too fast to wait for Autumn. So far in July: the second great flotilla to Palestine has embarked and been thwarted by Israel and her American ally; bombs are falling again on Gaza, and innocent citizens of that benighted Strip felled by assassins of the Israeli Defence Force; that same Jewish State, the "sole democracy in the Middle East," has enacted a law criminalizing speech critical of the increasingly powerful, and extremist, settler communities of the Occupied West Bank; and, the fledgling Quisling government of Libya has been recognized by the European Union and the United States, (sort of) as the legitimate representative of the people, even as they bomb the civilians of Tripoli. Makes one wonder what the Fall will bring?

Jon Elmer is a freelance Canadian photojournalist, living in and reporting from Occupied Palestine. Elmer has, over the last decade, published scores of pictures and filed numerous stories from Palestine for the Interpress News Service, Al Jazeera, and other, online publcations, and is the author of the site, JonElmer.com. Jon is also this program's singlemost appearing authority on the Middle East.

Jon Elmer and Palestine in the heat of Summer in the first half.

And; Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall it makes no difference to the mysterious operators of the unmarked planes likely flying overhead wherever you are now. The Chemtrail "conspiracy" has been around for at least a decade now, but surprisingly few people seem to know about it, and fewer still are the figures in authority, nominally charged with protecting the health and safety of the citizenry, willing to come out publicly and question, "Just what are they spraying us with?"

Sylvain Henry is long-time, Montreal-based activist for peace, health, and social justice. He is the founder of the online networked groups, 'The Purpose of Nations,' and 'Canadian Spartacus,' Henry says the networks are for all who are, quote: "interested in achieving social progress by peaceful, intelligent, and the most effective means."

Sylvain Henry and looking to the skies above in the second half.

And; Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will join us live from the winding down of the Vancouver Folk Festival at the bottom of the hour to bring us newz of that and other things. But first, Jon Elmer and strange days under the Dog Star in the Middle East.

Some past guests include: M. Junaid Alam, M. Shahid Alam, Joel Bakan, Maude Barlow, David Barsamian, Mark and Rhoda Berenson, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, William Blum, Luciana Bohne, William Bowles, Mordecai Briemberg, James J. Brittain, Vincent Bugliosi, Helen Caldicott, Noam Chomsky, Michel Chossudovsky, Diane Christian, Juan Cole, David Cromwell, Ezili Danto, Murray Dobbin, Jon Elmer, Yves Engler, Reese Erlich, Anthony Fenton, Jim Fetzer, Laura Flanders, Chris Floyd, Connie Fogal, Glen Ford, Susan George, Stan Goff, Amy Goodman, Robert Greenwald, Denis Halliday, Chris Hedges, Sander Hicks, Julia Butterfly Hill, Scott Horton, Robert Jensen, Dahr Jamail, Chalmers Johnson, Diana Johnstone, Malalai Joya, Kathy Kelly, Naomi Klein, Brewster Kneen, Betty Krawczyk, Anthony Lappe, Frances Moore Lappe, Jason Leopold, Jeff Leys, Dave Lindorff, Jim Lobe, Jennifer Loewenstein, Stephen Marshall, Linda McQuaig, George Monbiot, Loretta Napoleoni, John Nichols, Kurt Nimmo, Ken O'Keefe, David Orchard, Riki Ott, Greg Palast, Mike Palecek, Michael Parenti, Robert Parry, John Perkins, John Pilger, Kevin Pina, William Rivers Pitt, Justin Podur, Lila Rajiva, Jack Random, Sheldon Rampton, Paul Craig Roberts, David Robb, Paul de Rooij, John Ross, David Rovics, Danny Schechter, David Schindler, Vandana Shiva, Tim Shorrock, Norman Solomon, Jean Saint-Vil, Starhawk, Grant Wakefield, Harvey Wasserman, Paul Watson, Bernard Weiner, Andy Worthington, Mickey Z., Howard Zinn and many others.