Heart Matters

Reverse things

2012-02-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

A compilation of common & odd activities in reverse. Made with algebraically cool friends who have mathin' fantastic imaginations.

Blossom Dearie - Someone To Watch Over Me

2012-02-18T21:00:00.001-05:00

Source: You Tube

Margrete Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and remembered for her girlish voice. One of the last supper club performers, she performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years.

A race to the bottom

2012-02-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Inthesetimes

"President Barack Obama admitted it when in his State of the Union address he said jobs are returning because “it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China.” Economists at the Boston Consulting Group underscored it when in August they said employment growth is happening because rising Chinese wages are “eroding China’s cost advantages” while the United States “is becoming a lower-cost country” as American wages decline. And GE Consumer & Industrial CEO James Campbell reiterated it when he recently told The New York Times that “making things in America is as viable as making things any place” because domestic labor costs are now “significantly less with the competitive wages”–read: far lower wages–now accepted by American workers.

Now that this consensus is finally out in the open, the real question for America is simple: Do we accept an economic competition that asks us to emulate China?

If our answer is yes, then we should support current state legislative proposals to reduce child labor protections; back federal legislation to eliminate all environmental, wage and workplace safety laws; and applaud corporations that crush unions and further reduce wages in America. We should also probably encourage our fellow countrymen to follow Apple Inc.’s Chinese workforce by simply accepting $17-a-day paychecks, 12-hour workdays and six-day workweeks. Indeed, if we accept this race-to-the-bottom style of competition, then we’re basically saying Chicago should look more like Chengdu; our heartland should look more like the poverty-stricken interior of China; and 21st century America should look more like late-19th century America."

Think about this: http://www.inthesetimes.org/article/12758/will_we_choose_a_chinese_future/

He is so colorful

2012-02-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Mongabay.Com

"Researchers have discovered a new species of lizard in the Peruvian Andes, whose males sport beautiful colors, according to a paper in ZooKeys. The highest-dwelling known species of the genus Potamites, the new lizard, dubbed Potamites montanicola, was found in forest streams at 1,500 to 2,000 meters (4,900 to 6,500 feet). The species was discovered as apart of a biodiversity monitoring program by COGA, a Peruvian fossil fuel company."

Read all about it: http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0213-hance_newlizard_andes.html#ixzz1mTaXKf3f

It’s simple: Look at who is voting, a nation unto itself

2012-02-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: New York Times

"Yes, we know Republicans don’t like their choices; it’s a meh primary. But still, in some states, this election could be happening in a ghost town. Less than 1 percent of registered voters turned out for Maine’s caucus. In Nevada, where Republican turnout was down 25 percent from 2008, only 3 percent of total registered voters participated.

This is not majority rule by any measure; it barely qualifies as participatory democracy."

Read this analysis at: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/the-electoral-wasteland/?ref=opinion

Mexico's Baluarte River Bridge

2012-02-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Baluarte Bridge Wiki

Now that its completed, the Baluarte River Bridge is not only be the highest bridge in North America but the highest cable stayed bridge in the world surpassing the Millau Viaduct in France. It is the crown jewel of the greatest bridge and tunnel highway project ever undertaken in North America.

You should know this: http://highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Baluarte_Bridge

Privacy for children who use mobile apps

2012-02-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Christian Science Monitor

App stores and developers are lapse in helping parents protect the privacy of a child using smart phones and tablets. A Federal Trade Commission report finds that from Google to Apple clear information is needed to assist parents.

Find the full piece at: http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2012/0217/Privacy-for-children-who-use-mobile-apps?

Rosemary Clooney - I"ll Be Seeing You

2012-02-17T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly due to problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1974, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. She was the aunt of Academy Award winning actor George Clooney.

Behold the glory of Carina Nebula

2012-02-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: The Guardian

"Lying 7,500 light years from Earth, the Carina Nebula buzzes with activity. Countless stars are being born among the glowing clouds of dust and gas and, over several million years, this nebula – which was named after the keel of the mythical ship Argo – has created some of the most massive stars known to astronomers."

Go read this piece at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/feb/08/carina-nebula-revealed-glory#

Is Santorum running for president or pope?

2012-02-17T17:00:00.001-05:00

Source: Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune's Bill Press is perplexed by the popularity of Rick Santorum among Republicans in Michigan:

Which prompts me to ask my Republican friends: What are you smoking? Are you seriously considering picking Rick Santorum to be the Republican Party's nominee in 2012? He'd be worse than Newt Gingrich.
Santorum brags about his electability. But, remember, this is the man who, after two terms in the Senate, lost his 2006 bid for re-election in blue-collar Pennsylvania by 18 points. Why? Because he was so extreme on the social issues -- and still is.
Look at today. With all the serious challenges facing this country -- on jobs, housing, health care, immigration, education, Iran, Syria -- what is Rick Santorum talking about? Birth control! He was quick to support Catholic bishops in their opposition to President Obama's policy of providing all women access to contraception, free of charge. Because he, like the bishops, believes contraception is morally wrong, no matter who pays for it. And he argues that states should have the power to ban contraception. That's right, to make birth control illegal.
[...]
Welcome to the emerging Republican Party platform for 2012: No birth control. No sex outside of marriage. And no sex inside of marriage, except for the purpose of procreation. Now, it's perfectly acceptable for Rick Santorum to hold and preach those beliefs about sexuality, no matter how medieval. But he's running for president of the United States, not for pope. Is that what the American people want to hear? And is that really what Republicans want to campaign on?"

At least Santorum has yet to call for a "morality police" as they have in Saudi Arabia. Find the full piece at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/sns-201202161600--tms--bpresstt--m-a20120216feb16,0,950410.column

Point Piper House Sydney, Australia

2012-02-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Trend Hunter

"The Point Piper House by POPOVbass Architects is a beautiful and eco-friendly home in Sydney, Australia with a stellar view of the water in addition to a pool in the back.

The site presented challenges to architects due to the existence of large homes on either side, which make natural light only available from the east and above the house; the plot is also oddly shaped and located on a serious vertical drop of three stories. To address this, the architects installed solar panels and gas boosters to facilitate pool heating, hot water and to heat the home with the use of hydronic, trench-heating technology. Rain water is also collected and used for the toilets."

There is more to see at: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/point-piper-house-by-popovbass#!/photos/138619/1 and at: http://www.popovbass.com.au/

At the POPOVBASS website search for Point Piper house 3 under residences.

'No More Weapons!'

2012-02-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Yahoo News

"President Felipe Calderon on Thursday unveiled a "No More Weapons!" billboard made with crushed firearms and placed near the U.S. border. He urged the United States to stop the flow of weapons into Mexico.

The billboard, which is in English and weighs 3 tons, was placed near an international bridge in Ciudad Juarez and can be seen from the United States.

Calderon said the billboard's letters were made with weapons seized by local, state and federal authorities.

[...]

Before unveiling the billboard, Calderon supervised the destruction of more than 7,500 automatic rifles and handguns at a military base in Ciudad Juarez."

Americans want Mexico to stop the smuggling of drugs into the U.S. However, so long as we continue to arm the druglords, the chances of the Mexican authorities defeating the smugglers is minimal. The sales of weapons is a major U.S. industry not likely to stop. Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/no-more-weapons-billboard-placed-us-border-053553960.html

Same issue, new approach

2012-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Chicago Sun Times

Do you sometimes feel as if we have gone back to the early 1960s. Well...we have. However, today's theocratic conservatives have taken their cue from the Taliban, who used governmental force to impose their beliefs on the governed. That differs from the early 1960s. For example, during the Chicago City Council's discussion of contraceptives back then, as Neil Steinberg points out:

During testimony, one commissioner quoted Boston’s Richard Cardinal Cushing:

“I as a Catholic have absolutely no right in my thinking to foist through legislation or through other means, my doctrine of my church upon others,” the cardinal said, backing — incredibly — a similar policy in Boston, adding, “It is important to note that Catholics do not need the support of the civil law to be faithful to their religious convictions.”

Fifty years ago, both the faithful and church leaders were at least occasionally thinking about the rights of others. Now they are pressing institutional rights while disregarding the needs of people who work for them, opposing health care, one of the church’s historic strong suits. It seems to be working in the short term. The long term is a different story, and if you look at the arc of history, you know how this will end.

Connect "Over Coffee" worldwide

2012-02-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Webwire.Com

"After months of idea generation and website development, a new social network called “Over Coffee” has finally gone live. Built from the basic principle that “anyone can sit over a cup of coffee, and anything can happen,” a growing number of people from all over the world are starting to get to know each other via Over Coffee. While the online community is just starting out, it’s already attracting diverse individuals, from college students, coffee shop owners, to writers and backpack travelers. With members currently hailing from the United States, Canada, Switzerland, England, Israel, Palestine, Nepal, and the Philippines, Over Coffee plans to continue to expand and in the near future, open up a bricks and mortar coffeehouse to bring the online activity, personalities, and stories to life."

Go read more while you sip: http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=152824

Vanessa Mae - Contradanza

2012-02-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson (born 27 October 1978), known professionally as Vanessa-Mae (in Chinese: 陳美, Chén Měi), is an internationally known British violinist. Her music style is self-described as "violin techno-acoustic fusion", as several of her albums prominently feature the techno style. A former child prodigy, she became a successful crossover violinist with album sales reaching several millions, having made her the wealthiest young entertainer in the United Kingdom in 2006.

It's the money stupid!

2012-02-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: International Business Times

"Following the lead of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, other states have passed tough measures intended in part to discourage illegal immigration by making it prohibitively difficult for immigrants to find work. Mitt Romney produced a symphony of scoffs when he described his immigration policy of "self-deportation," but he was articulating the same basic philosophy.

But those crackdowns have wreaked havoc on states' agriculture industries. Farmers in Georgia and Alabama have been unable to harvest their crops because of a lack of the immigrant workers they had come to rely upon. Some are planning to scale back the amount of crops they plant to accommodate the diminished labor pool.

[...]

Representatives of Kansas' agriculture industry are taking the opposite approach. With the backing of Kansas Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman, an influential coalition of business interests is pushing to create a state-sponsored program that would allow businesses with a proven labor shortage to recruit undocumented immigrants.

[...]

A draft of the legislation stipulates that undocumented immigrants who have clean criminal records and have lived in Kansas for at least five years would be eligible to work for businesses that the governor certifies as having labor shortages. States do not have the authority to grant immigrants legal status, so Kansas would ask the federal government to grant qualified immigrants work authorization rather than detaining or deporting them."

Kansas ranchers say their livelihood rests on passage of this bill. Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/292721/20120203/kansas-immigration-law-illegal-meat-packing-arizona.htm

Rose Petals Repositories

2012-02-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Trend Hunter

"This beautiful and futuristic-looking building is the Dalian Library, a contemporary structure located in Dalian, China, that was designed to mimic the shape of a rose petal.

The Dalian Library was designed by Andreas Frauscher, Patrick Herold, Richard Klinger, Martin Schorn, Kurt Sattler and Fei Tang of Architects Collective. Set in the middle of a park with a wide glass center for the roof, this elegant structure provides a place where the public can read, contemplate and come together, says the designers. The Dalian Library shown here is the Pulian branch, and there will be several other library branches made, with each one symbolizing a petal to form a complete rose. This is because the ‘Monthly Rose’ is the city flower of Dalian."

More at: www.trendhunter.com/trendsw/dalian-library and http://www.architectscollective.net/projects/all/38/

Got arsenic?

2012-02-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: WebMD

"Organic brown rice syrup, a popular sweetener in organic and gluten-free foods -- including some formulas made for toddlers -- is a source of the toxin arsenic, a new study shows.

Experts say regularly eating foods that use organic brown rice syrup as a main ingredient could expose a person to more arsenic than the government allows in drinking water, raising the risks for cancer and heart disease. In young children, chronic arsenic exposure has been linked to lower IQs and poorer intellectual function.

“This seems to be quite strong evidence,” says Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md.

“I would personally not buy formula made of brown rice,” says Navas-Acien, who studies the health effects of arsenic exposure. She was not involved in the current research.

Manufacturers insist that their products are safe."

Find the full piece at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120216/common-organic-sweetener-may-boost-arsenic-levels-in-foods?src=RSS_PUBLIC

We can't handle the facts

2012-02-16T11:50:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Source: The Daily Show

Time Magazine's American issues feature soft cover stories, while their international issues offer hard-hitting world news.

Julie London - Sway

2012-02-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Julie London (September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress. She was best known for her smoky, sensual voice. London was at her singing career's peak in the 1950s. Her acting career lasted more than 35 years.

And parents always blame technology

2012-02-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: WebMD

" It is a common complaint of our modern age that kids and teens don’t get enough sleep.

Video games, TV, social media, and other trappings of our increasingly tech-centric lives are often blamed, but a new study shows that long before Facebook or PlayStation 3, kids were sleeping less than experts said they should.

When researchers in Australia reviewed sleep recommendations and actual sleep times among children over the past century, they found that kids consistently slept about 37 minutes less than recommended at the time.

Each time, new technological marvels -- be it the light bulb in the early 1900s, TV in the 1950s, or computer gaming systems and social networking today -- were blamed for declining sleep times.

“The message that children don’t get enough sleep has been the same for over 100 years,” says researcher Tim S. Olds, PhD, of the University of South Australia."

Find the full piece at: http://children.webmd.com/news/20120213/kids-lack-sleep-nothing-new-about-blaming-modern-life?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Pin it on Pinterest

2012-02-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: The Huffington Post

Have you heard of Pinterest? Its a new social website, focused on sharing images, that is growing by leaps and bounds:

The two-year-old, Palo Alto-based photo-sharing site allows users to "pin" images they find while browsing the Web or pictures they snap themselves onto a virtual bulletin board for friends to peruse and enjoy. It recently reached the 10 million monthly visitors mark, the fastest of any standalone site to do so. It already sends more traffic to other sites than LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+ combined.

Tech pundits attribute Pinterest's rapid ascent from merely popular to phenomenon to its emphasis on images and ease of use. Napkin Labs CEO Riley Gibson calls it as the "Apple of social networks." Indeed, it "just works," to borrow a Steve Jobs phrase. Sure, these elements are crucial, but that alone can't explain Pinterest's uptick. There are a slew of other simple social sites chock full of beautiful images, such as Instragram, Tumblr, Path and even Flickr.

What sets Pinterest apart and makes it so appealing is its focus on who we want to be -- not on what we're doing, where we've gone, how important we are or how beloved. While much of the content shared on existing social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare screams, "Look at me," Pinterest posts urge, "Look at this." At least for now, the site offers a refreshing haven away from the boosterism and boasting that plague so many sites.

Food myths debunked

2012-02-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: The Age

Nutritionist Nicole Senior debunks seven popular food myths in a recent article in The Age:

The most famous fall guy for the obesity epidemic is dietary fat and we are still living with the legacy of the ''low-fat'' mantra. Just look at the abundance of ''low-fat'' and ''light'' foods in supermarkets.

Weight loss is the result of eating fewer kilojoules and exercising more. The trick is to maintain a high nutrient intake in fewer kilojoules - this is where food choice is paramount.

Choosing the most nutrient-dense foods from all food groups will ensure you stay well-nourished at the same time as burning body fat. A fat-free diet does not contain enough essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, and leaves a massive flavour black hole.

Keep reading. Go to:http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/cuisine/healthier-nuts-to-that-20120211-1svps.html

Best time for coffee? There's an app for that!

2012-02-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Science Daily

"Caffeine Zone, a software app developed by Penn State researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns. The software takes information on caffeine use and integrates it with information on the effects of caffeine to produce a graph of how the caffeine will affect the users over time.

"Many people don't understand how caffeine levels in their bloodstream go up and how they go down," said Frank Ritter, professor of information sciences and technology, psychology, and computer science and engineering. "It's important to understand the effect that caffeine can have at these various levels."

Go here to learn more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121856.htm

Ketty Lester - Love Letters

2012-02-14T21:00:00.001-05:00

Source: You Tube

Ketty Lester (born Revoyda Frierson, August 16, 1934) is an American singer and actress, who is best known for her 1962 hit single, "Love Letters", which reached the Top 5 of the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Love’s Philosophy

2012-02-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

The fountains mingle with the river

And the rivers with the ocean,

The winds of heaven mix for ever

With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;

All things by a law divine

In one spirit meet and mingle.

Why not I with thine?—

See the mountains kiss high heaven

And the waves clasp one another;

No sister-flower would be forgiven

If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth

And the moonbeams kiss the sea:

What is all this sweet work worth

If thou kiss not me?

By Percy Bysshe Shelley

Shelley ( 4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically
regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his
association with John Keats and Lord Byron. The novelist Mary Shelley (née Godwin) was his second wife.

Basque Culinary Center

2012-02-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Trend Hunter

"Like a stack of misshaped pancakes a class of cooking students would fry up in a jiffy, the Basque Culinary Center has a towering aesthetic that is both unique and delicious. The latter is appropriate considering the purpose of this building. Of course, the purpose and aesthetic work hand in hand to bring up such scrumptious comparisons.

Designed by architecture and design studio Vaumm Arquitectos, the Basque Culinary Center is as much a pleasure to walk through as it is to look at. Inside it has an industrial quality that is clean and simple. Nevertheless, there are tons of details that really spice the interior up, more so than any real spice could actually do."

Read and see more of this marvelous structure at: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/basque-culinary-center#!/photos/136810/4

and, http://www.vaumm.com/principal.html

Google's Motorola bid approved by US & EU

2012-02-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: BBC

"US regulators have approved Google's $12.5bn (£7.9bn) bid for phone maker Motorola Mobility, hours after it won clearance from European authorities.

The European Commission ruled the deal would not raise competition issues in the market for operating systems for devices like mobile phones or tablets.

Regulators in the US agreed, although both authorities vowed to monitor the company and rivals' use of patents.

Approval from China, Taiwan and Israel is needed before the deal is completed.

Motorola split in two last year, prompting Google to bid for the section that makes phones and tablet computers in a bid to gain access to more than 17,000 of Motorola Mobility's patents."

Find the full piece at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17021933

Moving from "reality" to "actuality" TV

2012-02-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Omnipotent Poobah

The Omnipotent Poobah is on a rant about American reality TV. The Grand Maven of all things media says:

TV producers make these shows because they’re cheap. Following Americans’ general disregard for written communication, they don’t need writers … or sets … or anyone to create and maintain a plot. They have about as much regard for true reality as Glenn Beck – who has only a nodding acquaintance with truthfulness and who turns out programming that is a sort of steroidal reality show based on frequent mental breakdowns and outrageous lies does.

Do we really need three shows about tow truck drivers and two about self-described “hillbillies” who catch giant catfish with their hands? Or two about people who make millions buying crap from storage units? How about a plot based on an “extreme exterminator” or a meter maid.

The winners in my book are the Real Housewives of (Fill in the Blank) – from New York to Rabbit Hash, KY. They star as outrageously jealous trophy wives who dress like middle aged Barbies, have very bad plastic surgery, and have the charm and disposition of drunken, pill-popping, pit vipers. No weave is safe from being snatched from a head and there are plenty of complaints at swanky restaurants about how their diamonds just don’t sparkle as they should. They bleep out the word, “****” a lot too.

Find the full piece at: http://omnipotentpoobah.com/2012/02/13/reality-tv-making-you-feel-superior-every-day/

Vampire bats have a safety net

2012-02-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Boston Globe

"In 1983, a biologist studying vampire bats in the forests of Costa Rica made a remarkable discovery: Bats that spent the night gorging on blood returned to their caves and routinely fed fellow bats that didn’t find enough to eat. The story of how well-off bats care for their hungry brethren by regurgitating into their mouths made vampire bats the darling of scientists who ponder why - in a world shaped by “survival of the fittest’’ - so many creatures help each other, even at a cost to themselves.

Lately, I have been wondering what these bats mean for American politics, at a time when the very idea of helping needy fellow Americans has come under assault. Newt Gingrich routinely attacks President Obama as a “food stamp president.’’ Rush Limbaugh calls the safety net for the poor “one of the biggest cultural problems we have got.’’ A Tea Party Express audience yells “yeah!’’ when Wolf Blitzer asks if an uninsured man in a hospital should just be left to die. As I watch all this, I can’t help but wonder: Are we are really less generous than bats that suck blood?"

Think about it: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/02/14/vampire-bats-and-american-politics/BfUlneh2XAprFm4jQkwa5L/story.html

Casablanca - As time goes by

2012-02-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

"As Time Goes By" is a song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became most famous in 1942 when it was sung by the character Sam (Dooley Wilson) in the movie Casablanca. The song was voted #2 on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs special, commemorating the best songs in film. It was used as a fanfare for Warner Bros. Pictures since 1998.

Will France move to the left?

2012-02-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

Source: The Guardian

François Hollande, Frances's leftwing candidate in April's presidential elections, has built up a commanding lead in the polls by attacking big finance. The man once derided by opponents as Monsieur Flamby ("Mr Pudding") – a reference both to Hollande's weight and a perceived flabbiness in his political opinions has become the man of the moment. Belatedly, French company directors, investment bankers and market movers are waking up to the growing popularity of a presidential candidate who promises to raise taxes on rich individuals and big business in order to boost growth.

Hollande is no revolutionary. But according to Geoffroy Clavel, political editor at the French Huffington Post, he is hitting the right notes as the French economy languishes, austerity bites and youth unemployment reaches 25%. "The Le Bourget speech was a huge success," said Clavel. "The economic crisis has changed politics and people were ready to hear a message of social justice and equity. They're ready to hear that everyone, including those at the top, is going to pay what they should pay."

[...]

Pledges include raising the top rate of income tax to 45%, capping tax breaks for wealthy individuals at €10,000 (£8,375) and significantly hiking capital gains tax. The biggest companies in France will also be taxed at a higher rate, while smaller companies will pay less."

French voters want to go swim against the austerity current that is sweeping Europe and is touted by conservatives in America. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/11/francois-hollande-presidential-election-sarkozy

Beating the war drums

2012-02-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

Source: BBC

"Israel's foreign minister is in Washington. There's a lot to talk about.

Politicians and diplomats can be surprisingly coy about asking direct questions, even in private. So, "are you going to plunge us into a war in an election year?" may remain unspoken.

The drumbeat of war has grown louder in the past few days.
The Washington Post reported that US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta believes Israel could attack Iran as early as this spring."

Let us hope that the hounds of war are not let loose again: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16937613

Court places Scranton in tough place

2012-02-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

"Scranton Mayor Christopher Doherty is blunt when asked about a court order forcing his Pennsylvania city to pay about $30 million in wages withheld from police and firefighters under a state-approved fiscal recovery plan.

"I don't have the money," said Doherty, 53. As for the chance of borrowing the cash, more than half of the city's projected general-fund revenue, he added, "there's no financial institution that's going to give me $30 million to pay it."

The effect of a state Supreme Court ruling that put contract-arbitration awards ahead of fiscal recovery plans under Pennsylvania's Act 47 law may reach beyond Doherty's city of 76,100 by removing a tool for communities in distress. The order probably will mean higher taxes, said Brian Jensen, whose nonprofit group counsels local governments. The decision also underscores the difficulty U.S. cities have in handling mounting labor costs without resorting to bankruptcy protection."

As we all know, there are several cities now under Act 47 in our state. Get the scoop on Scranton: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/02/13/bloomberg_articlesLZ4YDP0YHQ0X01-LZ7CK.DTL

PA drilling law overrides local zoning

2012-02-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Philly.Com

"When legislators agreed last week to charge impact fees for the natural gas industry, generating millions of dollars, the money came with a catch.

The measure also imposed statewide zoning and land-use rules for pipelines and wells - summarily killing off dozens of local land-use ordinances in the process.

Gov. Corbett had pushed hard for the measure, saying the industry needed standardized rules to flourish. The governor wrote a Jan. 31 letter to top legislators saying some communities had actually banned drilling, depriving citizens of "jobs, income and the enjoyment of their property rights."

Corbett also noted that the states surrounding Pennsylvania already had taken steps to preempt local laws and centralize control of zoning rules for the natural gas industry.

Find the full piece at: http://articles.philly.com/2012-02-12/news/31052332_1_zoning-ordinance-land-use-rules-impact-fee

Mystery illness kills thousands

2012-02-13T12:00:00.001-05:00

Source: The Christian Post

"A mysterious illness has spread across Central America, killing more than 24,000 people in El Salvador and Nicaragua since 2000.

The illness has caused extremely high rates of chronic kidney disease, which have not been seen at such a rate in almost anywhere else in the world. The new disease has been reported as far south as Panama and as far north as southern Mexico.

Last year the epidemic got so bad in the area, that El Salvador's health minister, Dr. Maria Isabel Rodriguez, pleaded for international assistance, saying the epidemic was weakening the country's health system. "This is a disease that comes with no warning, and when they find it, it's too late," she said.

The majority of those affected are sugar cane workers or manual laborers that cover the majority of the coastal lowlands. Scientists therefore speculate that the disease may be caused from dehydration, working in extremely hot temperatures and not staying hydrated."

Read the full piece at: http://www.christianpost.com/news/mystery-illness-sweeps-across-central-america-69329/

Mireille Mathieu - Blue Bayou

2012-02-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Mireille Mathieu (born 22 July 1946) is a French chanteuse, and pop singer. Hailed in the French press as the successor to Édith Piaf, she has achieved great commercial success, recording over 1200 songs in nine different languages, with more than 120 million records sold worldwide.

Conservatives welcome White Nationalists

2012-02-12T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Right Wing Watch

Conservatives are no longer closet bigots and racists. They are coming out this election year.

Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, along with several Republican senators and congressmen, are set to appear at the American Conservative Union’s Conservative Political Action Conference, but the GOP brass aren’t the only ones set to be at CPAC. As we’ve previously reported, CPAC will play host to anti-gay groups such as the Family Research Council, the birther leader of WorldNetDaily, and the Apartheid-nostalgic Youth for Western Civilization.

But that isn’t all.

Following speeches from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Rep. Michele Bachmann, CPAC is hosting the panel “The Failure of Multiculturalism: How the pursuit of diversity is weakening the American Identity” with Peter Brimelow, the founder and head of VDARE.com.

VDARE is a White Nationalist website, run by Brimelow, which frequently publishes the works of anti-Semitic and racist writers and is named after Virginia Dare, who is believed to be the first child of English parents born in the Americas. Brimelow, an immigrant from Great Britain, expresses his fear of the loss of America’s white majority, blames non-white immigrants for social and economic problems and urges the Republican Party to give up on minority voters and focus on winning the white vote. He also said that a New York City subway is the same as an Immigration and Naturalization Service waiting room, “an underworld that is not just teeming but also almost entirely colored.”

Is this the Grand Old Party? Well, yes, sadly. Disgusting. More: ttp://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/cpac-
set-host-white-nationalist-leader

Image via: http://washingtondcfocus.blogspot.com/2009_09_30_archive.html

"Slavery by Another Name"

2012-02-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Hillman Foundation

"Slavery By Another Name debunks the cherished assumption that slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation. In fact, as Blackmon and Pollack show, the enslavement of black Southerners persisted under the guise of convict labor from the end of Reconstruction to the beginning of World War II. This new kind of slavery wasn't a necessarily a life sentence, and it didn't pass from generation to generation, but it was every bit as brutal and arbitrary as the old system.

The polite term for the new slavery was "convict leasing." Southern states criminalized the slightest infractions by black people, real or imagined. It was a crime to be unemployed, or to be employed and look for a better job without permission. Unauthorized black job-seekers could be sent back to their employers to work off their "debt" as convict laborers. Walking along the railroad tracks or speaking loudly in the presence of white women could also condemn a black person to a term of hard labor.

Strictly speaking, debt peonage was against the law. So, a farmer couldn't force a black person to work to pay off a private debt; if he did, the U.S. Department of Justice might step in. However, the state could force black people to work to pay off fines levied against them; and the state could sell that labor to factories and farms. The Justice Department couldn't do anything about that. A loophole in the 13th Amendment abolished slavery except as a sentence for a crime."

Read more about this program which starts February 13 on PBS: ttp://www.hillmanfoundation.org/blog/sneak-
preview-slavery-another-name

Image via: http://www.slaverybyanothername.com/the-book/

Clouds over Florida

2012-02-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: MSNBC

"Helicopter pilot Mike Schaeffer was wrapping up a tour when he spotted this incredible weather phenomenon along the coast of Panama City Beach, Fl. on Sunday. As soon as he landed, he alerted Panhandle Helicopter owner JR Hott of the "cloud form waves," and together they went up for a better view. They moved quickly knowing that it is only in very specific weather conditions that this beautiful effect occurs..."

See images at: http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/10/10375026-spectacular-cloud-tsunami-rolls-over-florida-high-rise-condos

$5 gas this year

2012-02-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: CNBC

Here is how I see it. Israel threatens to bomb Iran. Oil companies get nerves. The price of crude goes up. The price at the pump goes up. Higher gas prices lead to an Obama defeat in November. Who wins?

Get ready to pay $5 a gallon for gasoline this year.

John Hofmeister, founder of Citizens for Affordable Energy and the former CEO of Shell Oil’s U.S. operations, warned that there is a “better than 50 percent chance” the price of gas will spike on continued heavy demand in emerging markets and weak public policy at home.

He also sees West Texas crude prices touching “the midteens to $120 a barrel some time this year.”

Hofmeister, a CNBC contributor, spoke Friday, the same day the International Energy Agency cut its oil growth demand forecast for a sixth straight month because of the weak global economy. He disagreed with the IEA, saying “demand is still growing” at a time when East Coast refineries are closing because of declining margins and the uncertainty in the Persian Gulf heats up.

More at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/46342617

Neanderthal cave paintings discovered in Spain

2012-02-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: New Scientist

"Cave paintings in Malaga, Spain, could be the oldest yet found – and the first to have been created by Neanderthals.

Looking oddly akin to the DNA double helix, the images in fact depict the seals that the locals would have eaten, says José Luis Sanchidrián at the University of Cordoba, Spain. They have "no parallel in Palaeolithic art", he adds. His team say that charcoal remains found beside six of the paintings – preserved in Spain's Nerja caves – have been radiocarbon dated to between 43,500 and 42,300 years old.

That suggests the paintings may be substantially older than the 30,000-year-old Chauvet cave paintings in south-east France, thought to be the earliest example of Palaeolithic cave art."

Find the full piece at: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21458-first-neanderthal-cave-paintings-discovered-in-spain.html
Image: Nerja Cave Foundation

Adele - Rolling In The Deep

2012-02-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins[2] (born 5 May 1988), better known mononymously as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. In 2009, she was nominated for four Grammys and won two of them; Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Conservatives follow Leninist strategy

2012-02-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: L A Times

"For three decades, conservatives' proposals for dramatic changes to the programs have reflected a divide-and-conquer strategy inspired by the Leninist movement.

[...]

Let's go back to the original strategy brief by Stuart Butler and Peter Germanis. Their piece, "Achieving a 'Leninist' Strategy," appeared in the Cato Institute's Cato Journal for fall 1983. Anguished over President Reagan's failure to exploit Social Security's 1982 fiscal crisis to privatize the program, they concluded that the reason was the program's strong support among the powerful voting bloc of seniors.

The answer, they concluded, was to "neutralize" elderly voters while continuing to undermine confidence in Social Security among the young. Their model was the Leninist movement's "success in isolating and weakening its opponents."

Any plan to change Social Security, they wrote, "must therefore be neutral or (better still) clearly advantageous to senior citizens ... the most powerful element of the coalition that opposes structural reform."

Read more about the conservatives divide and conquer strategy: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20120113,0,442443.column

Collapsing cooling towers

2012-02-11T17:00:00.001-05:00

Source: You Tube

From a group pushing ecotricity in the UK. Enjoy.

Main considers tough Medicaid cuts

2012-02-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Stateline

Maine provides a first class example of how conservatives operate to the benefit of the rich and the detriment of the poor. First you enact a tax cut that reduces state revenues. Then you declare the state does not have the money to help the old and poor. Program cuts are needed, they announce. In Maine the victim is Medicaid.

Medicaid spending is a matter of urgency almost everywhere in the country right now, but in few places is the urgency as palpable as it is here, where the governor refers to the federal-state health insurance program for the poor as “welfare,” says it’s necessary to eliminate coverage for 65,000 adults, and wants to stop paying room and board for some 2,000 elders who live in group homes.

Click the link to learn how its done in the state with the oldest population in the country. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=629736

Alzheimer's brain plaques 'rapidly cleared' in mice

2012-02-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: BBC

"Destructive plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients have been rapidly cleared by researchers testing a cancer drug on mice.

The US study, published in the journal Science, reported the plaques were broken down at "unprecedented" speed.

Tests also showed an improvement in some brain function."

Read the full piece at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16945466

Maya Angelou - Caged Bird

2012-02-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Source: The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (Random House Inc., 1994) http://mayaangelou.com/bio/

Peggy Lee - Black Coffee

2012-02-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Peggy Lee (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002) was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. She wrote music for films, acted, and created conceptual record albums—encompassing poetry, jazz, chamber pop, and art songs.

Pennsylvania's purple squirrel back in the wild

2012-02-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Accuweather

An unusual purple squirrel that a Pennsylvania couple trapped last weekend is back in the wild. Percy and Connie Emert, of Jersey Shore, Pa. caught the unusual animal when trying to keep birds safe from the rodents.

Why purple? Click on the link that follows for all the theories. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/purple-squirrel-found-in-penns/61308

Desperate times for the Greeks

2012-02-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: The American Prospect

"The measures agreed on are draconian. They include a 22 percent cut in the monthly minimum wage, reducing earnings from 751 euros to 586 euros per month. For people under 25, it will be even lower, down to 511 euros, and any increase before 2016 is ruled out. In addition, further reductions to the minimum wage may take place in July. Meanwhile, all automatic wage increases that are included in collective-bargaining agreements will be frozen until unemployment falls below 10 percent (it is currently at 20.9 percent). Employers are also considerably strengthened in their bargaining position vis-à-vis the unions through changes in arbitration regulations and a contraction of the time period (from six to three months) during which an expired wage agreement continues to be valid. The responsibility of employers to maintain pensions are also reduced in order to further lower the cost of hiring. There will likely be more cuts in primary pension benefits in the next few months. On the public-sector side, state employee rolls will shrink by 150,000 people by 2015, including 15,000 by the end of this year.

It should be noted that the Greek budget for 2012 was premised on a projection of a 2.5 percent contraction in gross domestic product (GDP). According to the draft document of the agreement, the recession is now forecast to reach 4 percent to 5 percent this year—the fifth consecutive year in which Greece’s income shrinks. Given the death blow to domestic demand that the new wave of austerity will produce, this could turn out to be too optimistic: The Greek economy, already seriously depressed, will grind to a halt.

[...]

On March 20, Greece needs to repay 14.4 billion euros it currently does not have to its creditors or go into default. Everything must be settled before then. Time is running out."

This is a situation we must closely follow. Find the full piece at: http://prospect.org/article/greeces-desperate-measures

Hispanic unemployment down to 10.5%

2012-02-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

"The unemployment rate for Hispanics dropped to 10.5 percent in January, down from 11 percent in December. The rate has now dropped 1.7 percentage points since the Hispanic jobless rate peaked at 13.2 percent in November 2010. The overall unemployment rate dipped from 9 percent in December to 8.3 percent in January, the lowest level since February 2009.

[...]

The drop in the jobless rate was fueled by the creation of 257,000 jobs in the private sector. Government continued to shed jobs, 14,000 gone in January, which makes the total nonfarm payroll employment gains 243,000. Job growth in five key sectors -- construction, health care, leisure/hospitality, manufacturing and transportation/warehousing -- accounted for 61.4 percent, or 157,000 of the new jobs."

More at: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2012/2/3/hispanic_jobless_rate_tumbles_to_105.htm

Imagine four years of this horse manure!

2012-02-10T13:00:00.001-05:00

Source: You Tube

Herman Cain: "I counted the stupid people!" Tallying up his votes, I see...

Poll says 20% of Republicans may vote for Obama

2012-02-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Politicus USA

"A major freak out is occurring on the right as a new poll released by a Republican polling company has found that 20% of Republicans are more likely to vote for Obama.

The poll done by Republican polling firm Wenzel Strategies for World Net Daily found something similar to my own recent analysis of state polling data that the 2012 election is beginning to look like a replay of 2008. The Wenzel/WND poll turned up the surprising statistic that no matter who the Republican nominee is, one fifth of the Republican voters surveyed are leaning towards voting for President Obama.

The only Republican candidate who doesn’t lose at least 20% of GOP voters to Obama is Ron Paul, and he loses 19%. The poll found that 54% of those surveyed believed that Obama had exceeded or lived up to their expectations, and 47% said that he had not. Sixty percent of Independents thought Obama has met or exceeded their expectations as did 52% of moderates. In the head to head match ups with all voters polled Obama leads Romney, 48%-41%, Gingrich, 50%-36%, and Santorum, 49%-34%. Ron Paul fares best against Obama and he trails the president, 44%-40%."

If 20% of Republicans vote for President Obama, he will be re-elected. But why would they cross parties? Could it be because the party and its candidates plan to undo all of the progress of the 20th century?

Read more at: http://www.politicususa.com/en/republicans-support-obama

Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth - Storms in Africa

2012-02-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

A scene from You Were Never Lovelier set to Enya music. Think valentine!

Funeral business in midst of big changes

2012-02-09T20:00:00.000-05:00

Source: The Awl

"The funeral industry is in the midst of a transition of titanic proportions. America is secularizing at a rapid pace, with almost 25% of the country describing itself as un-church. Americans, embracing a less religious view of the afterlife, are now asking for a "spiritual" funeral instead of a religious one. And cremation numbers are up. Way up. In liberal, secular states, specifically in the Pacific Northwest, cremation rates have steadily increased to more than half of disposals, up from the low single digits in 1990. The rest of the nation had also experienced steady gains in cremation since 2000 (except in the Bible Belt, where cremation rates remained relatively low). The rate of cremation has skyrocketed as Americans back away from the idea that Jesus will be resurrecting them straight from the grave. And so in the past twenty years, funeral directors have had to transform from presenters of a failed organism, where the sensation of closure is manifest in the presence of the deceased body, to the arbitrators of the meaning of a secular life that has just been reduced to ash. Reflecting this trend, this year's NFDA conference was, for the first time in its history, held jointly with the Cremation Association of North America (CANA)."

Here is a story about a service we will all use, but prefer not to discuss. If you are a boomer, go read this story: http://www.theawl.com/2012/01/what-remains-conversations-with-americas-funeral-directors

Stop paying for texbooks

2012-02-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Inside Higher Education

"But soon, introductory physics texts will have a new competitor, developed at Rice University. A free online physics book, peer-reviewed and designed to compete with major publishers’ offerings, will debut next month through the non-profit publisher OpenStax College.

Using Rice’s Connexions platform, OpenStax will offer free course materials for five common introductory classes. The textbooks are open to classes anywhere and organizers believe the programs could save students $90 million in the next five years if the books capture 10 percent of the national market. OpenStax is funded by grants from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the 20 Million Minds Foundation and the Maxfield Foundation."

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/07/rice-university-announces-open-source-textbooks#ixzz1lnqN124R

PA House votes sweetheart deal for big oil and gas

2012-02-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Penn Future

(Harrisburg, PA – February 8, 2012) – Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) condemned the passage of the so-called "compromise" drilling bill, House Bill 1950, in the Pennsylvania House today, which passed by a 101 to 90 vote. The bill was fast tracked to near warp speed, moving through the process from a secretly negotiated deal to passage in both houses in just days.

"This bill proves the adage, 'money talks,' as the governor and the General Assembly adopted everything the deep pocketed drilling interests wanted, to the detriment of the citizens, their public health, local representation, the environment, and nearly every sector of our economy except drilling," said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of PennFuture. "Big campaign contributions and full court press lobbying won the day against the rights and liberty of Pennsylvanians.

"The bill adopts one of the nation's lowest extraction fees, contains weak environmental protections over drinking water and our streams and wetlands, confers special stature on the drillers over other businesses in Pennsylvania, and destroys local rights to use zoning ordinances to manage drilling and withholds funds from any municipality that attempts to use those rights," said Jarrett. "Pennsylvania citizens will get little in return.

"Some accepted this deal for the little environmental funding proposed, but no sound thinking person would accept 30 pieces of silver for this awful deal," continued Jarrett. "We will live with the damage caused by drilling for decades, just as we still live with the damage from abandoned coal mines and shallow oil and gas wells across the Commonwealth. And once again, the citizens of Pennsylvania will be stuck with the tab for cleaning up the mess.

"It's clear why the governor and the Republican leadership needed to ram this bill through," said Jarrett. "It violates the rights of the citizens, and the wishes of more than three-quarters of the voters.

"We had the opportunity to do this right, but the General Assembly squandered that opportunity," concluded Jarrett.

http://pennfuture.org/media_pr_detail.aspx?MediaID=1414&Home=Y

The Sistine Chapel of the Andes

2012-02-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Flickr user Gusjer

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

"Perched on a central square in the Andean village of Andahuaylillas, Peru, the whitewashed church of San Pedro Apóstol seems unremarkable at first. But inside is an eye-popping kaleidoscope—a dazzling display of colorful murals, a coffered painted ceiling and an ornate gold-leaf altar—earning it the moniker of “The Sistine Chapel of the Andes.” The Spanish began constructing the Baroque church in the late 16th century, as they cemented their conquest over the Inca Empire."

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/The-Sistine-Chapel-of-the-Andes.html

Let's get rid of time off for lunch

2012-02-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Think Progress

"New Hampshire’s GOP legislature has come up with all manner of absurd bills recently, including a proposal making public school curriculum optional, another to prevent police from protecting domestic abuse victims, and even a measure mandating that new laws be based on the Magna Carta. Some of the Granite State’s GOP lawmakers have even proposed doing away with the law that requires employers to give their workers time off for lunch, under the rationale that all employers will simply grant lunch breaks out of the goodness of their hearts: “This is an unneeded law,” (Republican state Representative Kyle Jones) said."

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/02/08/421510/new-hampshire-gop-repeal-lunch/?mobile=nc

Dust of Snow

2012-02-08T23:00:00.000-05:00

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

[Robert Frost, 1923]

Jo Stafford - You belong to me

2012-02-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917 – July 16, 2008) was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s. She was also the first woman to have a No 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

"You Belong To Me" was originally composed during WW2 by Chilton Price but was reworked and promoted by Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart afterwards so Chilton ceded some of the writing credit to them. The first popular recording of it was by Sue Thompson in the late 1940's followed by a cover from Patti Page, but it was this August, 1952 version by Jo Stafford that captured everyone's ear vaulting the song to #1 in both the US and UK.

Brazilian teenagers required to study philosophy because

2012-02-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

it is ‘necessary for the exercise of citizenship.’

Source: Boston Review

I was moved by the account of teaching philosophy in Brazil's public schools. I reminded me of my own introduction to the subject while a junior in high school. I clearly recall the writings of William James Durant, specifically The Story of Philosophy, and classroom discussions about "the ship of state" and Plato's "allegory of the cave". I believe these types of introductory courses can spark an interest in political philosophy, as it did in me, plus prepare the student for the responsibilities of citizenship.

Getting out of the cave and seeing things as they really are: that’s what philosophy is about, according to Almira Ribeiro. Ribeiro teaches the subject in a high school in Itapuã, a beautiful, poor, violent neighborhood on the periphery of Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia in Brazil’s northeast. She is the most philosophically passionate person I’ve ever met.

Most of the four million slaves shipped from Africa to Brazil were sold in Salvador, the first residence of Portugal’s colonial rulers. It’s still Brazil’s blackest city. In Ribeiro’s neighborhood, children play football or do capoeira, pray in Pentecostal Churches or worship African gods. Many are involved with drugs; “every year we lose students to crack,” she tells me. And they study philosophy two hours each week because of a 2008 law that mandates philosophy instruction in all Brazilian high schools. Nine million teenagers now take philosophy classes for three years.

[...]

That’s not surprising, considering that the 2008 law is above all a political project. In 1971 the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985 eliminated philosophy from high schools. Teachers, professors in departments of education, and political activists championed its return, while most academic philosophers were either indifferent or suspicious. The dictatorship seems to have understood philosophy’s potential to create engaged citizens; it replaced philosophy with a course on Moral and Civic Education and one on Brazil’s Social and Political Organization (“to inculcate good manners and patriotic values and to justify the political order of the generals,” one UFBA colleague recalls from his high school days).

Find the full piece at: http://www.bostonreview.net/BR37.1/carlos_fraenkel_brazil_teaching_philosophy.php

Homeless go underground in frozen Poland

2012-02-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Raw Story

While we in the eastern U.S. enjoy a rather mild winter, Europe and Asia have seen a big freeze. The homeless in Poland have gone underground to stay warm.

Night-time temperatures have plunged to a bone-chilling minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) here this week. But five metres underground, in this huge concrete cavern covered by a maze of hot water pipes, it’s a cozy 20 degrees Celsius.

The 58-year-old is among the Polish capital’s several thousand homeless people. Some live underground in the heating ducts criss-crossing the city and pumping hot water from communist-era coal-fired central heating plants to homes and offices.

This is a fascinating read: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/04/homeless-go-underground-to-survive-deep-freeze/

Recommended for great images: http://oddstuffmagazine.com/worlds-winter-of-2012.html

Puerto Rican fisherman survives three weeks adrift

2012-02-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Public Opinion Online

"A Puerto Rican fisherman spent nearly three weeks adrift in the Caribbean, surviving on raw fish and trapped rainwater, before reaching the Colombian island of San Andres.

Jose Luis Mendez of Mayaguez tells The Associated Press a stiff wind blew his 16-footer (5-meter launch) out to sea on Jan. 15 and he was trying to return to land when he had engine trouble, then ran out of gas.

The 40-year-old fisherman said Monday after being released from the hospital that he lost more than 40 pounds (20 kilograms) and had to dump his entire catch.

He would end up drifting about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers). The doctor who treated him said he was dehydrated and malnourished upon arrival but is now in good health."

Mormons and coffee

2012-02-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Indeed Coffee

"Have you noticed that most followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) commonly called Mormons, don't drink coffee or tea? You'll see them enjoying herbal teas (tisanes), hot cider, and many true believers even drink caffeinated soda. The casual observer may jump to the conclusion that this is 1) a law, 2) must have something to do with caffeine. Neither is accurate. This article goes into detail to explain the historical significance, context, and modern interpretation of the prohibition/exhortation against coffee and tea for Mormons.

Followers of the LDS church believe in a book of scripture called The Book of Mormon, and the concept of continuous revelation. They believe that the Holy Spirit continues to communicate with humans. Thus, the prophet Joseph Smith received a spontaneous manifestation of God's insight for living correctly on February 27, 1833. This insight was written down and incorporated into the Doctrines and Covenants of the Church; specifically, these insights are referred to as the Word of Wisdom. It may be an apocryphal story, but it is said that Joseph Smith was moved to ask for God's insight on the matter of tobacco, and the revelation that resulted included guidance related to the use of tobacco, "warm drinks","strong drinks", wine, meat, herbs and grains."

Read more at: http://www.ineedcoffee.com/08/mormons-coffee/

Who is taking Pete Hoekstra's jobs?

2012-02-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Source: Daily Kos

Pete Hoekstra’s campaign knew its edgy Super Bowl ad would agitate Democrats. What they didn’t expect was the fierce public backlash from members of their own party. The message of the ad — that China is a continuing threat to American job creation — isn’t as much of an issue as the fact that Hoekstra’s camp seized on stereotypes to drive home its point. Actually...here is how American jobs end up in China.

3D printer provides woman with a brand new jaw

2012-02-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: New Scientist

"An 83-year-old Belgian woman is able to chew, speak and breathe normally again after a machine printed her a new jawbone. Made from a fine titanium powder sculpted by a precision laser beam, her replacement jaw has proven as functional as her own used to be before a potent infection, called osteomyelitis, all but destroyed it.

The medics behind the feat say it is a first. "This is a world premiere, the first time a patient‐specific implant has replaced the entire lower jaw," says Jules Poukens, the researcher who led the operation at Biomed, the biomedical research department of the University of Hasselt, in Belgium. "It's a cautious, but firm step."

Until now, the largest 3D-printed implant is thought to have been half of a man's upper jawbone, in a 2008 operation in Finland."

Finish the story and see the video at: http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/02/3d-printer-provides-woman-with.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

Mexico’s first female presidential candidate

2012-02-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: NBC Latino

"So far there have been six women Latin American presidents, and the seventh is perhaps on the way. For the first time in the country’s history, Mexico’s ruling party chose a woman, former Congresswoman Josefina Vazquez Mota, to run as their candidate for president.

“I will be the first woman president of Mexico in history,” Vazquez Mota, 51, told cheering supporters. (AP)

On Sunday night, an estimated half a million Mexicans turned out to vote in the National Action Party’s primary, and 55 percent voted for Vazquez Mota. Her closest rival, Ernesto Cordero, took 38 percent.

Political analyst Carlos Rajo says it’s a historical factor in Mexican politics."

More: http://nbclatino.tumblr.com/post/17175066229/mexicos-ruling-party-picks-first-woman-presidential
Image: http://www.josefina.mx/noticia.php?noticia=1572

Orchestras and audiences get more Asian-American every year

2012-02-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Slate

"What do symphony orchestras and cigarette companies have in common? It’s the age problem. How do you stay in business when your customers keep dying?

[...]

But there is one group that still likes classical music and, what’s more, pays to hear it performed: Asians. Of Asian-Americans ages 18-24 responding to the same survey, 14 percent reported attending a classical concert in the past year, more than any other demographic in that age group. Despite classical’s deserved reputation as the whitest of genres, Asian attendance rates match or surpass the national average up through the 45- 54 age range. To put it one way, the younger the classical audience gets, the more Asian it becomes. To put it another, the only population that is disproportionately filling seats being vacated by old people dying off is Asians."

Fascinating story. Read more: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2012/02/can_asians_save_classical_music_.html

Catholic graduate not idle in 'Idol'

2012-02-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

And one of the millionaires gave us the finger!

2012-02-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Simply Left Behind

From the blogger at "Simply Left Behind", comes the following observation:

So, I'm led to understand that last night, one group of talentless millionaires defeated another group of even less-talented millionaires, thus earning hundreds of millions of dollars for a cartel of socialist-billionaires. Even deeper irony is that the entire nation stopped for four hours (or more) to watch this spectacle, which included "entertainment" by yet another passel of millionaires on a broadcast that featured hundreds of millions of dollars spent not on improving the country, but on trying to segregate your pocket, green from white.

And the deepest irony? The talentless millionaires all perform under the aegis of the least-powerful sports union and performed in a state that hates them for their union. This is something along the lines of a black gospel choir putting on a performance in Mobile, Alabama at a Klan headquarters in the 1950s.

I might have been able to stir up some respect for the game if even one player had made mention of this irony even once during the week, and then vowed to do something about it.

But it's a joke. And so are Americans for watching a spectacle involving people who have no concept of what a real job entails (having been prepped and pampered all their young lives) playing for a meaningless trophy in a "sport" that requires no talent and is centrally controlled by a bunch of old white men who "coach" players into executing a game plan that they themselves implement and woe betide the player who doesn't follow the playbook!

There is more. Go read it at: http://simplyleftbehind.blogspot.com/2012/02/bread-and-circuses.html

Greeks don't take kindly to austerity

2012-02-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: USA Today

"Police said some 10,000 people took part in an otherwise peaceful march to Parliament under heavy rain, organized by the country's two biggest labor unions. A separate demonstration by about 10,000 Communist unionists ended without incident.

A general strike against the impending cutbacks stopped train and ferry services nationwide, while many schools and banks were closed and state hospitals worked on skeleton staff.

Meanwhile, Greek party leaders will meet to seek a long-delayed agreement on harsh cutbacks demanded to avoid looming bankruptcy, amid intense pressure from its bailout creditors to reach a deal, a general strike disrupting public services and thousands of protesters taking to the streets of Athens.

Heads of the three parties backing the interim government will confer with Prime Minister Lucas Papademos on new salary cuts and job losses, which Greece's eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund are demanding to keep the country's vital rescue loans flowing."

Find the full piece at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-02-07/greece-strikes-finance/52996296/1?

There are more people in US prisons now than were in Stalin's gulags

2012-02-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Democratic Underground

The Caging of America
Why do we lock up so many people?
by Adam Gopnik
The New Yorker

Excerpt: Texas alone has sentenced more than four hundred teen-agers to life imprisonment,

Excerpt: In truth, there are more black men in the grip of the criminal-justice system—in prison, on probation, or on parole—than were in slavery then. Over all, there are now more people under “correctional supervision” in America—more than six million—than were in the Gulag Archipelago under Stalin at its height.

Facts: The accelerating rate of incarceration over the past few decades is just as startling as the number of people jailed: in 1980, there were about two hundred and twenty people incarcerated for every hundred thousand Americans; by 2010, the number had more than tripled, to seven hundred and thirty-one.

No other country even approaches that.

In the past two decades, the money that states spend on prisons has risen at six times the rate of spending on higher education.

Very good read, recommended.

Find the full piece at: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/01/30/120130crat_atlarge_gopnik

What Breast Cancer is, and is not!

2012-02-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Frankly speaking!

Thoughts on the U.S. "kill list"

2012-02-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

Source: LA Times
Image: Wired

"When it comes to national security, Michael V. Haydenis no shrinking violet. As CIA director, he ran the Bush administration's program of warrantless wiretaps against suspected terrorists.

But the retired air force general admits to being a little squeamish about the Obama administration's expanding use of pilotless drones to kill suspected terrorists around the world — including, occasionally, U.S. citizens."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mcmanus-column-drones-and-the-law-20120205,0,876903.column

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008/10/deadliest-kille/

Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song

2012-02-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music. Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" won the 1973 Grammy Record of the Year and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" won the same award at the Grammy Awards of 1974. She and U2 are the only artists to win the award in consecutive years.

Fractures and memory problems are heart failure risks

2012-02-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: WebMD

"Two new studies shine a light on some lesser known consequences of heart failure: fractures and memory problems.

About 5 million people in the U.S. have heart failure, according to the American Heart Association. A chronic and progressive condition, heart failure occurs when the heart muscle can no longer pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Symptoms may include swelling in the feet, ankles, and legs, tiredness, and shortness of breath. It is usually treated with medications aimed at relieving symptoms and helping the heart do its job.

One new study shows that people with heart failure are also at a 30% increased risk for major fractures. As a result, they may benefit from screening and treatment to make sure their bones stay strong. This study appears in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The second report shows that people with heart failure may have memory problems and a loss of grey matter in their brain. These changes may make it more difficult for people with heart failure to take their medications as directed. The findings appear in the European Heart Journal."

Find the full piece at: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/news/20120202/new-heart-failure-risks-fractures-memory-problems?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Russian VDV (airborne) veterans anti-Putin song

2012-02-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

The most popular protest song in Moscow today comes from burly men in blue berets, unlikely heroes of a peaceful middle-class movement challenging the strongman rule of Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Vistitsky, a 45-year-old veteran of the elite force, wrote the lyrics after attending one of the first big anti-Putin demonstrations in late December.

Lyrics:

If you're a good citizen, if you're the President
there's the Law and there are some restrictions that apply to you:
You may not steal nation's money, and you should not ever lie to your people
Be open to the public, be accountable for what you say

Had 8 years as a President, but now you're a candidate again!
Now look into our eyes, and drop your nomination now!
We trusted you, but you lied to us for so many years, using your old KGB tactics

[CHORUS]

You are just like me - a man, not a God
I am just like you - a man, not some low-life
We won't allow any more lying to us
We won't allow any more stealing from us
We are Freedom's Airborne troops, Motherland is behind us

You are just a typical state official - not a Czar, not a God!
This country's Good Citizens are evil "bandar-logs" in your own eyes
White colour of pro-freedom ribbons is everyone's pride here
But to you it only reminds of some 'condoms' **

I look around and see your portraits everywhere
You keep lying to us, and your henchmen also do
We are tired of witnessing our nation's shame:
Next to poor countryside there are your princely castles

You've weakened our national defence, ruined the Army
Forgotten about the soldiers, dismissed the officers
We won't forget everything that you've done
We demand peacefully: Down with the Tyrant!

[CHORUS]

Remember our grandfathers, who battled the 'SS', remember our brave Airborne Guardsmen
Battles of Berlin and Afghanistan are still in our hearts
But for the ruling Party officials there are no other values, except money

In them honour is so scarce, as there is not much human dignity in them, it's only bullion's splendour that appeals to them
Their luxury cars, fancy clothes, obsession with consumptionism
Such is your corrupt System's cynicism!

Nation's culture is in decline, so is education, and there's even trading of college diplomas
Bribery permeats everything, an old man here can't get his medical care
Now your corrupt System has arrived to it's dead end

[CHORUS]

Turning books into sculpture

2012-02-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Honestlywtf.Com

"Artist Brian Dettmer alters pre-existing books one page at a time using knives, tweezers and surgical tools. He begins by sealing the books edges, creating an enclosed vessel full of unearthed potential. Nothing inside the old encyclopedias, medical journals, illustration books, or dictionaries is relocated or implanted, only removed. His precision is unreal!"

Click the link that follows to see more: http://honestlywtf.com/art/book-doctor/

A pink handgun to promote cancer awareness

2012-02-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Wisconsin Gazette

"Discount Gun Sales has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to offer a pink version of its popular Walther P-22 handgun in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Komen Foundation, which sponsors pink-ribbon walks and other events to raise money for breast cancer research, is embroiled in controversy following its decision to defund Planned Parenthood.

An undisclosed portion from the sale of each Walther P-22 “Hope Edition” will be donated to the Seattle Branch of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The gun retails for $429.99."

Read more at: http://www.wisconsingazette.com/breaking-news/komen-foundation-offers-pink-handgun-to-promote-breast-cancer-awareness-month.html

Cesaria Evora - Besame mucho

2012-02-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Cesária Évora (27 August 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a Cape Verdean popular singer. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing without shoes, she was also the "Queen of Morna".

Russians drilling Lake Vostok are not reporting in

2012-02-04T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Fox News

"The world holds its breath, hoping for the best after six days of radio silence from Antarctica -- where a team of Russian scientists is racing the clock and the oncoming winter to dig to an alien lake far beneath the ice.

The team from Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) have been drilling for weeks in an effort to reach isolated Lake Vostok, a vast, dark body of water hidden 13,000 ft. below the surface of the icy continent. Lake Vostok hasn't been exposed to air in more than 20 million years.

The team’s last contact with colleagues in the unfrozen world was six long days ago, and scientists from around the globe are unsure of the fate of the mission -- and the scientists themselves -- as Antarctica’s killing winter draws near.

“When you’re outside, it’s extremely cold -- minus 30, minus 40,” microbiologist Dr. David A. Pearce told FoxNews.com. “If you left your eyes open the fluid in them would start to freeze. Your nostrils would start to freeze. The moisture in your mouth would start to freeze,” he said.

Pearce heads a team from the British Antarctic Survey on a competing mission, set to plumb the depths of Lake Ellsworth, one of a string of more than 370 lakes beneath Antarctica that may soon see light for the first time since well before Fred Flintstone’s ancestors roamed the planet. But time is running out for the Russian scientists."

Remember "The Thing"?

Find the full piece at: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/02/03/missing-scientists-mystery-deepens-in-frozen-antarctica/?intcmp=trending
Image via: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/06/antarctica-may.html

Puerto Rico to kill iguanas for meat exports

2012-02-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Huffington Post

The government of Puerto Rico is planning to kill iguanas and export their meat as part of an effort to eradicate an imported species that has long vexed residents and entertained tourists.

Galan and other government officials, including Gov. Luis Fortuno, said killing the iguanas for export is a novel solution that economically benefits an island in its fifth year of recession.

Puerto Rico's Department of Health has approved letting Galan's agency finalize a plan to train volunteers to capture live iguanas and bring them to a processing center for slaughter and distribution to the U.S.

Demand for iguana meat is high in U.S. states with large populations of Latino and Asian immigrants, said Galan, who anticipates having the plan finalized by May. It would then have to be reviewed by several government agencies before it's approved.

Galan said numerous people have contacted his department to participate in the iguana roundup, although officials are still looking for a company that would help process and export the meat, which can be sold for up to $6 a pound.

100 years of style in East London

2012-02-04T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

100 years of East London style in 100 seconds. What is the year, dance, style, background, and music? Enjoy!

And now, a heartless man; no not me!

2012-02-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Digg.Com

"Doctors from the Texas Heart Institute have successfully replaced a patient’s heart with a device that keeps the blood flowing, thereby allowing him to live without a detectable heartbeat or even a pulse. Here’s how it works:

The turbine-like device, that are simple whirling rotors, developed by the doctors does not beat like a heart, rather provides a ‘continuous flow’ like a garden hose.

Craig Lewis was a 55-year-old, dying from amyloidosis, which causes a build-up of abnormal proteins. The proteins clog the organs so much that they stop working, according to NPR.

But after the operation, with the ‘machine’ as his heart’s replacement, Lewis’ blood continued to spin and move through his body.

However, when doctors put a stethoscope to his chest, no heartbeat or pulse can be heard (only a ‘humming’ sound)—which “by all criteria that we conventionally use to analyze patients”, Doctor Cohn said, he is dead."

More including a video at: http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/the_world_s_first_heartless_man

Carmen Cuesta - While my guitar gently weeps

2012-02-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Carmen is a Spanish-born singer and songwriter who splitz her time between the U.S. and Spain. For a complete biography, click here.

Electric fold-up car for crowded cities

2012-02-03T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: ABC News

"The modern automobile sets us free and ties us down all at once. It takes us wherever we want to go -- but it gets caught in traffic, is a pain to park if you live in a city, and pollutes the air.

Which is why a team at the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology tried inventing a car for city use. They call it Hiriko, and built a prototype with seven small firms from the Basque region of northern Spain. They've now shown it off with help from European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso."

It's so cute. Read all about it: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/citycar-hiriko-fold-car-future/story?id=15472566#

Plasma gasification turns trash into gas

2012-02-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Wired.Com

"From the highway, one of the biggest landfills in the US doesn’t look at all like a dump. It’s more like a misplaced mesa. Only when you drive closer to the center of operations at the 700-acre Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington, Oregon, does the function of this place become clear. Some 35,000 tons of mostly household trash arrive here weekly by train from Seattle and by truck from Portland.

[...]

There is, in fact, value in trash—if you can unlock it. That’s what this facility in northern Oregon is designed to do. Run by a startup called S4 Energy Solutions, it’s the first commercial plant in the US to use plasma gasification to convert municipal household garbage into gas products like hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can in turn be burned as fuel or sold to industry for other applications. (Hydrogen, for example, is used to make ammonia and fertilizers.)"

You have to read this piece: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/01/ff_trashblaster/

If you don't have anything positive to say, just . . .

2012-02-03T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: ABC News

"Here’s all you need to know about the Florida campaign: amidst the blizzard of campaign ads there was only one positive pro-Romney ad — a single Spanish language TV ad.

That’s right. Mitt Romney and his allies spent more than $15 million on TV ads — only one was positive and it was in a foreign language. It ran a total of 15 times statewide.

The TV advertising data was compiled by Kantar Media’s CMAG, which closely tracks campaign spending. The group reported today that 92% of the political ads run this past week in the Sunshine state were negative. Less than 0.1 percent of the ads in Florida were positive Romney ads."

Read more at: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/the-statistic-of-the-campaign-romneys-single-positive-ad-in-florida/

Pink Ribbons, Inc.

2012-02-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

In pretty bizarre timing, the film Pink Ribbons Inc. opens this week even as the pink-swathed, big-business Susan G. Komen Foundation succumbed to right-wing pressure and outrageously voted to cut its support for Planned Parenthood clinics - and thus its annual 750,000 breast cancer screenings. The new Canadian documentary takes an unsparing look at how effectively the fundraising giant fights - and profits from - breast cancer. More to make you mad. Trailer.

First they went after ACORN

2012-02-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Mercury News

"The Susan G. Komen Foundation revealed its true colors Tuesday, and there wasn't a hint of its trademark pink in sight. Komen put red-state, right-wing politics above low-income women's health, pure and simple, with its decision to stop giving money to Planned Parenthood to pay for breast cancer screenings.

It could be the most cowardly act by a health foundation in U.S. history.

[...]

Komen CEO Nancy Brinker, sister of the late Susan G. Komen, asserts that the decision wasn't political. Give us a break. Brinker is a major Republican donor who was ambassador to Hungary in the George W. Bush administration. The foundation's relationship with Planned Parenthood was never warm. Then, in 2010, Brinker hired Karen Handel as senior vice president for public policy. When Handel ran for governor of Georgia, she won Sarah Palin's support by describing herself as "staunchly and unequivocally pro-life."

Read the complete opinion at: http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_19879960

Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

2012-02-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. In 2006 she became the first British female to win five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Insurance companies do more than talk about the weather

2012-02-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: L A Times

"Insurance companies don’t care if you believe in climate change or not: Your premiums are going up anyhow.

NPR reported Monday that home insurance premiums are going up across the board in response to the record number of tornadoes, floods, fires, blizzards and other heavy weather that hit the country in 2011.

The piece features insurance executives at major firms such as Allstate and State Farm saying they are raising rates as much as 10%."

Read more at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-insurance-rates-driven-up-by-global-warming-npr-reports-20120116,0,3679812.story

Letter "to my old master"

2012-02-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Lettersofnote.Com

"In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdan Anderson, and requested that he come back to work on his farm. Jourdan — who, since being emancipated, had moved to Ohio, found paid work, and was now supporting his family — responded spectacularly by way of the letter seen below (a letter which, according to newspapers at the time, he dictated)."

This is a letter you should read. Go do so at: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html
Image via: http://uta18february2011plantationlife.blogspot.com/

A Swarm of Nano Quadrotors

2012-02-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Since at least 2010, researchers at GRASP Lab at the University of Pennsylvania have been working with nano quadrotors, managing to get them to fly aggressively, build a tower structure and now — fly in perfect formation.

New Orleans was an early coffee hub

2012-02-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source: NOLA.com

"New Orleans was the port of choice for Latin American coffee planters for most of the 19th and 20th centuries, and coffee brands, companies, roasters and distributors have been here for decades.

In the early 19th century, Rose Nicaud, who had earned her freedom from slavery, set up a portable coffee stand near the French Market that was so successful that many more free women of color set up their own stands, serving their own coffee blends. This was the beginning of the New Orleans coffee stand, in a city still dotted with independently owned coffee shops."

Get the entire account at: http://www.nola.com/175years/index.ssf/2012/02/coffee_the_times-picayune_cove.html

Image via: http://www.myneworleans.com/Blogs/New-to-New-Orleans/January-2010/Chicory-Chick/

Women musicians benefit from blind auditions

2012-02-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Source: News at Princeton

"The study by Cecilia Rouse, an associate professor in Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the economics department; and Claudia Goldin, a professor of economics at Harvard University, seems to confirm the existence of sex-biased hiring by major symphony orchestras and illustrates the value of blind auditions, which have been adopted by most American symphonies. Their report is published in the September-November issue of the American Economic Review.

[...]

Using data from audition records, the researchers found that blind auditions increased the probability that a woman would advance from preliminary rounds by 50 percent. The likelihood of a woman's ultimate selection is increased several fold, although the competition is extremely difficult and the chance of success still low."

Find the full piece at: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/A94/90/73G00/

Astrud Gilberto - The Girl from Ipanema

2012-02-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

Source: You Tube

Astrud Gilberto (born March 30, 1940) is a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer. She is well known for her performance of the Grammy Award-winning song "The Girl from Ipanema".

Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200

2012-02-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

Source: The New Yorker

"Mass incarceration on a scale almost unexampled in human history is a fundamental fact of our country today—perhaps the fundamental fact, as slavery was the fundamental fact of 1850. In truth, there are more black men in the grip of the criminal-justice system—in prison, on probation, or on parole—than were in slavery then. Over all, there are now more people under “correctional supervision” in America—more than six million—than were in the Gulag Archipelago under Stalin at its height."