Friday, February 15, 2013

@9:58, 2/14/13

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1
Opinion

Neo-Classical Republicanism

The Republican Party should go back to its beginnings as the party of freedom.
Blacks; Minorities; State of the Union Message (US); Education (K-12); Labor and Jobs; Discrimination; 

This is not stupidity.
This is ignorance.
 
2
Opinion

Barbarians at the Gate

Germany's harsh asylum law reveals its lingering discomfort with "ausländer," or foreigners.
Asylum, Right of; Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; Immigration and Emigration; Refugees and Displaced Persons; 

Why would anyone expect different behavior?
 
3
U.S.

North Carolina Approves Steep Benefit Cuts for Jobless in Bid to Reduce Debt

In a debt-reducing effort, the Republican-controlled legislature voted to cut maximum weekly benefits to $350 from $535, a 35 percent drop.
Unemployment Insurance; Labor and Jobs; Unemployment; 

"Beatings will continue until morale improves".
Advertisement
4
Health

Life, Interrupted: Crazy, Unsexy Cancer Tips

Every few weeks I host a "girls' night" at my apartment in Lower Manhattan with a group of friends who are at various stages in their cancer treatments. But one topic that doesn't come up as often as you might think -- particularly at a gathering of women in their early 20s and 30s -- is sex.
Cancer; Friendship; Women and Girls; 

You should tell me how much of this subject I need to know.
 
5
Business Day

TV Show Mirrors a Japanese Battery Maker’s Bind

The plot of the Japanese television series “Made in Japan” underscores the hopes the country has pinned on technologies like lithium-ion batteries.
Batteries; Television; Lithium (Metal); 

Possibly the lithium ion technology does not scale as expected.
This reads as though there needs to be a reconsideration of the engineering.
 
6
Opinion

Try a Little Tenderness

Philosophers have written tomes on love. So why have they, and most of us, left tenderness - that blossom of love - out in the cold?
Emotions; Love (Emotion); Philosophy; 
Philosophy is inherently poetic  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetics
 What this man wants is noetic:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noema

The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (Live) - OFFICIAL

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXGsPBUV5g

7
World

Russian Parliament Ethics Chief Steps Aside Over Reports of Undisclosed Properties

The chairman, Vladimir A. Pekhtin, is the owner of expensive real estate, including an oceanfront apartment in Florida and property in Russia that was not listed on disclosure forms.
Legislatures and Parliaments; Luxury Goods; Ethics (Institutional); Corruption (Institutional); Real Estate and Housing (Residential); 

I do not read minds.  
Considering recent reports Pekhtin is probably dirty.

8
Science

Could Hearing Loss and Dementia Be Connected?

Katherine Bouton talked about her own struggle with hearing loss, as well as new research that has found an association between hearing loss and dementia.
Ears and Hearing; Dementia; Hearing Aids; Deafness; Books and Literature; Research; 

Yes.
 
9
World

Sports Illustrated's New Swimsuit Issue Rouses Ire Over 'Ethnic Props'

Sports Illustrated's swimwear issue has long drawn rebuke from some for objectifying and sexualizing women. But is this year's, photographed around the world, also using non-westerners as "ethnic props"?
Bathing Suits; Discrimination; Magazines; Race and Ethnicity; Women and Girls; Women's Rights; 

Sports illustrated is selling pictures of pretty girls to bored sports fans.
There are no surprises here.
 
10
World

In High-Tech Japan, the Fax Machines Roll On

The reluctance to give up fax machines offers a revealing glimpse into an aging nation that can often seem quietly determined to stick to its tried-and-true ways.
Computers and the Internet; Japanese Language; Economic Conditions and Trends; Telephones and Telecommunications; Small Business; Banking and Financial Institutions; Elderly; 
Literacy is important and formal. 
The ideographic concept permeates the culture and the interfaces of technology.  I think of it as "button mad". 
It is just that bit more difficult to loose a fax and the record is a bit more stable.
Finally, they like it.

11
Business Day

The 1040 Blues

To an accountant, questions about tax liability are straightforward, but their answers may surprise people who are not used to such calculations.
Income Tax; Federal Taxes (US); High Net Worth Individuals; Taxation; Personal Finances; 

Read the article through and find an adviser who listens to your situation.
If none are well recommended by family or trusted friends, ask your lawyer or your local banker for a recommendation of an adviser who charges a fee.
They do get paid and their interest is with the payment.

12
U.S.

Anxiety Grows as Thousands Remain Stranded and in the Dark After Storm

Emergency crews in the Northeast continued to work Sunday to restore power to the region and to clear highways after a storm dumped more than three feet of snow in some areas.

This storm was not significant here. 
We had about ten inches down.
We have had rain.
The snow is two thirds gone.

13
Business Day

Health Officials Urge F.D.A. to Limit Sweeteners in Sodas

Led by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the group says the scientific consensus is that the level of added sugars in soft drinks is unsafe.
Soft Drinks; Corn Syrup and Sweeteners; Obesity; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; 

People should know better.  They do not.
First get the subsidy off sugar.  
Then we may need a steep tax on fructose.

14
N.Y. / Region

After Storm, Commuters Navigate Slick, Slushy Roads

Public transit systems were operating close to normal Monday morning, but the streets could be perilous, especially in Connecticut and on Long Island.
Roads and Traffic; Weather; Commuting; 

It has not been that long since we had a heavy snow.
This should not be an emergency.
 
15
Opinion

My Family’s Papers

Millions of American citizens live with an undocumented immigrant. In my family, I am that undocumented immigrant.
Illegal Immigrants; Immigration and Emigration; Filipino-Americans; Families and Family Life; 

Eventually we will get immigration sorted out.
We need the immigrants as we have needed them from the beginning.
 
16
World

E-Mails of Reporters in Myanmar Are Hacked

Several journalists who write about Myanmar have received warnings from Google that their Gmail accounts may have been hacked by “state-sponsored attackers.”
News and News Media; E-Mail; Cyberattacks and Hackers; 

President Obama possibly has problems reminiscent of these.
 
17
World

A Volatile Brahmaputra River Will Grow Only More So

The impact of climate change on the river and its tributaries will be dramatic, scientists predict.
Floods; Global Warming; Irrigation; Monsoons; Rivers; 

Note:  Magic does not work.
 
18
Business Day

R.B.S. Executives Testify in Rate-Rigging Case

British politicians sharply questioned current and former executives of the Royal Bank of Scotland on Monday about the management failures that led to the rate-manipulation scandal.
Fines (Penalties); Libor (London Interbank Offered Rate); Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; 

London banking is growing toxic.  This is messy and will get more messy.
 
19
Business Day

Silicon Valley and Immigrant Groups Find Common Cause

Silicon Valley executives, who have long pushed for more visas for foreign-born experts in math and science, are joining forces with immigration advocates.
Immigration and Emigration; Visas; Foreign Workers; United States Politics and Government; Computers and the Internet; Illegal Immigrants; 

Good skilled help at relatively low cost is always in demand.
Moving the work overseas is an empty threat.  
They have tried the project and found it unsatisfactory.


20
U.S.

Passengers Face Two More Days of Squalor on Carnival Ship Stranded in the Gulf

Grim reports from the ship were relayed to relatives, two days after a fire knocked out the ship’s propulsion system.
Power Outages and Blackouts; Cruises; Travel and Vacations; Maritime Accidents and Safety; 

A highly skilled and motivated engineering staff is vital.
Diesel electric. 
I find no note on the crewing.

Flagged in the Bahamas
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/us/carnival-cruise-line-ship-triumph-towed-into-port.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Cruise_Lines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Cruise_Lines#Accidents_and_Incidents

The builder looks to be skilled.  Italian.  Builds in multiple countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fincantieri

@11:30


15
U.S.

Menendez Backed Donor on Port Security Plan

Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey discouraged any government gift of port security equipment to the Dominican Republic, citing concern for a company run by his friend, a major campaign contributor.
Security and Warning Systems; Campaign Finance; Conflicts of Interest; 

You can poke at this one.  
Chris Christi needs a job. 

@15:15

6
Technology

Former BlackBerry C.E.O. Sold All Company Shares

Jim Balsillie, the former co-chief executive and co-chairman of BlackBerry, has sold all of his shares in the struggling company he co-founded, a regulatory filing indicated on Thursday.
Blackberry (Handheld Device); Smartphones; Wireless Communications; 

Balsillie is finance.  Technical is still there.  This is a vote of no confidence.
The stock is doing better today.  Watch it for another week.  $15.07, up a buck.


17
Science

Gender Gap Widens

Letters to the editor.
Gender; Tests and Examinations; 

We know.   Illiteracy should not be permitted.
 
18
World

Executions as a Matter of Opinion

The hanging of Muhammad Afzal has raised a disturbing question: Is the Indian justice system competent, consistent and fair enough to grant the state the moral authority to terminate a human life?
Capital Punishment; Courts and the Judiciary; 

Always.  I am glad I did not get to say.  
As presented, the case was too thin.
19
Science

Treating Addiction (2 Letters)

Letters to the Editor.
Drug Abuse and Traffic; Addiction (Psychology); Medicine and Health; 

Doing better can be far from doing well and yet further from in recovery.
Drug free is not the same as addiction free.
 
20
N.Y. / Region

In Connecticut Replay, Storm Comes, Power Goes

President Obama signed a disaster declaration for Connecticut for the fifth time in three years, continuing a wearying loop of natural chaos and tragedy.
Snow and Snowstorms; Disasters and Emergencies; Power Outages and Blackouts; Hurricane Sandy (2012); Newtown, Conn, Shooting (2012); 

Do what you can.  These storms happen.  This was a bad one.






























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