Thursday, May 29, 2014

@10:00, 5/28/14

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1
World

For Middle East, Region of Religious Conflict, Pope Suggests a Respite in Prayer

Betting on breakthroughs, or even positive developments, is always perilous in the Middle East, but Francis exhibited a deft touch during his visit.
Palestinians; Jews and Judaism 

Pope Francis was elected specifically to deal with matters of sexual abuse by priests.
I speculate that he has found that matter too "hot" to deal with in public.
Peace between the Israelis and Palestinians is an attempt at an effective distracter. 
Pedophilia by priests will not cease.  
Public attention will return to the problem.
 
2
World

South Sudan: U.N. Shifts Focus of Its Mandate

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Tuesday that shifts its peacekeeping operations in South Sudan toward safeguarding civilians.
Deaths (Fatalities); Refugees and Displaced Persons 

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47902#.U4Yv6K6lrtQ
The move appears necessary to me.
The politics of the extension are not shown. 
 
3
World

Low-Cost Water Is Hard Sell in Delhi Colony

In a resettlement colony on the outskirts of New Delhi, “water A.T.M.s” provide clean drinking water around the clock, but residents would rather wait for the free tankers that come once a day.
Infrastructure (Public Works); Poverty; Solar Energy; Water 

Water supply in India has not been rationalized.
Though called low cost one cent a pound means fifteen cents a low volume flush and about fifty cents a shower. 
It is a significant cost.
 
4
N.Y. / Region

Etchings at 9/11 Memorial Are Called Both Anguished Tributes and Vandalism

After reports of messages being scratched into the panels containing the victims’ names, a memorial spokesman said that the surfaces must be constantly checked for graffiti.
September 11 (2001); World Trade Center (Manhattan, NY); Graffiti; Monuments and Memorials (Structures) 

The bones of the dead of Waterloo were sold as fertilizer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Way_of_Death
 
5
N.Y. / Region

Hacker Who Helped Disrupt Cyberattacks Is Allowed to Walk Free

Hector Xavier Monsegur, who prosecutors said helped the F.B.I. take down an aggressive group of hackers, was given a greatly reduced sentence of time served.
Cyberattacks and Hackers 

Hector Xavier Monsegur earned his release.
 
6
U.S.

Alaska: Rain May Help Quell Huge Fire

Officials said that rain forecast for this week may help crews gain control over a large, wind-whipped wildfire that forced dozens of people to flee to shelters.
Wildfires; Rain; Fires and Firefighters 
Man caused.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenai_National_Wildlife_Refuge 
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/AKKKS/2014-05-21-1432-Funny-River-Fire/picts/2014_05_28-14.09.20.498-CDT.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funny_River_Fire
https://www.facebook.com/ALASKAIMT?ref=br_tf
/index.html?appid=11ad635ae1b94b718b5a3558cd248dea
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1674464286800520568#editor/target=post;postID=5333502010877811504
http://dec.alaska.gov/air/am/smoke.htm
http://fire.ak.blm.gov/predsvcs/intel.php
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/2/
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/maps/2/ 
An ugly fire.
It does not look like a human disaster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_fires_of_1988
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_fires_of_1988#Vegetation_and_wildlife
7
Opinion

Leadership on Transgender Civil Rights

If New York is to fill a gap in its civil rights protections, the governor will have to work on the recalcitrant State Senate.
Transgender and Transsexual; Civil Rights and Liberties; Discrimination; Law and Legislation; Editorials 

I wish Andrew Cuomo were different than he is.
I do not expect him to change.
Cuomo is a skilled politician.
The bill should be passed and signed.

8
Sports

Sterling’s Wife Meets With Clippers’ Suitors

Rochelle Sterling, who owns the Los Angeles Clippers with her husband, Donald, through a trust, is said to have met with a former Microsoft executive and others about their interest in buying the team.
Basketball 

I just don't care about the Sterlings  fights.
I am happy not to be involved in such fights.
The NBA has probably acted properly.

9
The Upshot

Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say

The pay gap between college graduates and everyone else rose to a record high last year, suggesting there are too few graduates.
United States Economy; Wages and Salaries; Colleges and Universities; Income Inequality 

The proper question should be is the base price of tertiary education excessive.  I believe it is.  I am thinking about the knowledge acquired and ignoring the social contacts and class markers.
 
10
U.S.

Army Ousts Commander of Hospital After Deaths

The commander of Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, N.C., was ousted and three top deputies were suspended after two patients in their 20s who visited its emergency room died unexpectedly.
Emergency Medical Treatment; Deaths (Fatalities); Surgery and Surgeons 

The Republican strategists seem to lack the concept of "Moral Hazard".
They have been demanding governmental austerity and yelling about the results of extreme cost saving measures.

11
U.S.

Defining Blight in Detroit

More than a fifth of Detroit’s properties are plagued with blight, according to a report by the Blight Removal Task Force.

Not enough information to understand the problem.
Detroit is a ghost town.  No, a zombie city. 
12
World

Prison Terms in Iran Hint of New Reins on Internet

Eight users of Facebook were sentenced to long prison terms in one case, and the company’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was ordered to testify in another case.
Sentences (Criminal); Suits and Litigation (Civil) 

The revolution may not be dead.
 
13
U.S.

Justices, in 2 Cases, Side With Law Enforcement Officials

A pair of unanimous decisions favor police officers on a chase in Arkansas and Secret Service agents protecting President George W. Bush in Oregon.
Automobile Safety Features and Defects; Decisions and Verdicts; Suits and Litigation (Civil) 

I am not shocked.
 
14
N.Y. / Region

In Expanded Program, Officers Across New York City Will Carry Antidote for Heroin Overdoses

An expansion of a program on Staten Island, paid for by the state attorney general’s office, would give kits to those most likely to come into street-level contact with overdose victims.
Heroin; Drug Abuse and Traffic; Opium; Naloxone (Drug); Pain-Relieving Drugs 

It would be better to pass out sealed kits in the needle exchange programs.
This is still better than nothing.
 
15
Technology

Daily Report: Technology Companies Push for Privacy Reforms in Washington

Cloud computing companies fear that a Reagan-era law governing access to email and other data is causing an image problem in the United States and hurting business.
Cloud Computing; Electronic Communications Privacy Act; Law and Legislation; Privacy; Surveillance of Citizens by Government 

There is no way to enforce electronic privacy.
We can do unbreakable encryption but the meta data must be available for the routers.  
A broadcast cipher can work if the one time pad is available at both ends. 
A letter in a sealed envelope sent through the mail is as close to private as we have. 
There is no one here but me to read the mail now.

16
Business Day

Draghi Expresses Concern Over Lasting Low Inflation

Mario Draghi, the European Central Bank president, said that he was mindful of the danger of low inflation in the euro zone and was committed to bringing it back to more tolerable levels.
Inflation (Economics) 

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/26/european-green-lanterns/

"Sitting in a room listening to EU officials reacting to the European Parliament elections — and it seems to me that they’re deep in denial. Barroso just declared that the euro had nothing to do with the crisis, that it was all failed policies at the national level; a few minutes ago he said that Europe’s real problem is a lack of political will.
This is quite amazing, in a really bad way.
Sorry, but depression-level slumps didn’t happen in Europe before the coming of the euro. And we know very well what happened: first the creation of the euro encouraged massive capital flows to southern Europe, then the money dried up — and the absence of national currencies meant that the debtor countries had to go through an extremely painful process of deflation. How anyone could deny any role for the currency …
And if there’s one thing Europe has, it’s political will. All across the southern tier, governments have dutifully imposed incredibly harsh austerity in the name of being good Europeans. What should they have done that they haven’t?
I guess the notion is that if the Greeks, or the Portuguese, or the Spaniards really, truly committed their all-powerful wills to reform and adjustment, their economies would boom despite deflation and austerity. The possibility that things are so bad — and radicals have been empowered — because the policies are fundamentally misguided just doesn’t seem to be considered."

The European Central Bank is not able to inflate the euro.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/cheap-climate-protection/
17
Business Day

A Bet on Florida Pays Off

The state’s economy is on the rise because of low prices for land and contractors, and tourism driven in part by a new Harry Potter attraction.
Economic Conditions and Trends; Labor and Jobs; Building (Construction); Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Amusement and Theme Parks 

It would be nice if it were true.
 
18
N.Y. / Region

Assembly Backs Use of Marijuana for Illnesses

With less than a month left in the legislative session, and Senate Republicans balking, enacting a bill may be difficult.
Law and Legislation; Marijuana; Medical Marijuana; State Legislatures; Drug Abuse and Traffic 

The bill is guaranteed to burn time and attention at the end of the session.
 
19
Opinion

As Congress Sleeps, More People Die

The father of a victim in Friday’s shooting rampage in Isla Vista, Calif., has a message for his elected representatives: “Get to work and do something.”
Gun Control; Mental Health and Disorders; United States Politics and Government; Law and Legislation 

Our deaths are not worth their offices.
 
20
Opinion

Climate Change Doomed the Ancients

Global conflict fueled by climate change goes back 3,000 years.           
Bronze Age; Global Warming; Drought; Famine; Defense and Military Forces; Shortages 

We are committed to climate change.
I do not know and will not guess the fate of civilization.
We must preserve literacy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

@19:22

1
U.S.

U.S. Asks Court to Censor More Parts of Targeted-Killing Memo

The Obama administration said the passages in the memo, which cleared the way for a drone strike in Yemen that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, discussed classified information.
Targeted Killings; Classified Information and State Secrets; Drones (Pilotless Planes) 

The legal reasoning is the important part.
 
2
Automobiles

Wheelies: The Maybe Someday Edition

DeltaWing released an image of what its four-door passenger sedan might look like; G.M. and Ford both made announcements on safety belt technology.

A three wheeler will not pass certification.

3
4
Opinion

Polar Vision

Instead of blaming politics for the Supreme Court we have, perhaps we should place on the court some of the blame for our politics.
McCutcheon v Federal Election Commission (Supreme Court Decision); Campaign Finance; Voting Rights Act (1965); Prayers and Prayer Books 

"But I’m finding it impossible to avoid the conclusion that the Republican-appointed majority is committed to harnessing the Supreme Court to an ideological agenda. The evidence is everywhere: from the way the court invited and then accepted a fundamental challenge to public employee labor unions in Harris v. Quinn, a case argued in January and due for decision any day; to its brick-by-brick deregulation of campaign finance; to its obsession with race and with drawing the final curtain on the civil rights revolution."

" I wonder whether the Supreme Court itself has become an engine of polarization, keeping old culture-war battles alive and forcing to the surface old conflicts that people were managing to live with. Suppose, in other words, that instead of blaming our politics for giving us the court we have, we should place on the court at least some of the blame for our politics."


5
U.S.

Defining Blight in Detroit


A zombie city.

6
U.S.

Holder Hints Reporter May Be Spared Jail in Leak

The Justice Department might choose not to jail a New York Times reporter who refused to discuss his confidential sources, the attorney general suggested Tuesday.
Suits and Litigation (Civil); News Sources, Confidential Status of; News and News Media; Subpoenas; Attorneys General; Classified Information and State Secrets; Books and Literature; Freedom of the Press; Freedom of Speech and Expression 

It may be that not all of the Justice Department got the memo.
 
7
Opinion

The Shrinking Death Penalty

8
U.S.

Senate Democrats Turn Focus to Local Issues for Midterms

If Republicans are trying to make the 2014 midterms a referendum on the president, vulnerable Democratic senators are going local, doubling down on issues specific to their home states.
Elections, Senate; Political Advertising; United States Politics and Government 

Panic is dangerous.
 
9
Sports

Duke Holds Off Notre Dame to Win Third Lacrosse Title in Five Years

A face-off victory late in the game was critical in helping the Blue Devils’ John Danowski become the ninth men’s lacrosse coach to win three N.C.A.A. Division I championships.
NCAA Lacrosse Championships; College Athletics; Lacrosse 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham,_North_Carolina
I don't want to live there.  The culture is better than it was.
Tobacco is still too central.
 
10
Opinion

Gov. Christie’s Pipeline

The governor is pushing for a natural gas route through New Jersey’s Pinelands, but his state would be the loser.
Pipelines; Natural Gas; Editorials; Environment 

Just get rid of Cristie.
 
11
World

Prison Terms in Iran Hint of New Reins on Internet

12
U.S.

Army Ousts Commander of Hospital After Deaths

13
Business Day

Regulators Set New Rules for Companies' Revenue Accounting

Accounting for revenue will be significantly changed in 2017, the two boards that set accounting standards for companies in most major countries around the world announced on Wednesday.
Accounting and Accountants; Company Reports; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry 

Just noise as far as we are concerned.  
The difference is a few cents on the stock price.
I am not deciding on short one time jumps.
 
14
N.Y. / Region

New York Assembly Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

 
A waste of time.
 
16
Opinion 

‘A Climate Crisis Is Also a Health Crisis’

Dr. Linda Rudolph of the Public Health Institute responds to a news article.
Global Warming; Water Pollution 

"Who will bell the cat?"
There is no mitigation possible.
We could adapt but that would require changes to established water rights.
Outright rationing of available supplies would be a first step.
17
World

President’s Choice for South Korea Premier Steps Aside

The former justice’s decision, after a string of revelations that tarnished his image, is a blow to the beleaguered government of President Park Geun-hye.
Maritime Accidents and Safety 

The opposition is gunning for President Park.
 
18
Opinion

Climate Change Doomed the Ancients

19
N.Y. / Region

As Ballot Count Nears, City’s Teachers Debate Whether to Ratify Contract

With less than two weeks before ballots are counted, details about health care and retroactive pay are the biggest concerns among New York City teachers.
Education (K-12); Organized Labor; Teachers and School Employees; Wages and Salaries; Health Insurance and Managed Care 

I do not know.

20

Pregnant Pakistani Woman Is Beaten to Death by Her Family

The woman, 25, who was killed on a busy street in LaLahorehore, had enraged family members by marrying a man who was not their choice for her, the police said.
Honor Killings; Murders and Attempted Murders; Marriages 

I do not get to have an opinion for publication.

Lynchings are not acceptable behavior in my culture.
 
 
I must sleep now.
 
 
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