Thursday, January 3, 2013

@10:00, 1/2/13

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1
Opinion

Who Pays for the Right to Bear Arms?

By DAVID COLE | Jan 2, 2013
Any effort to address gun violence must focus first on the inner city.
Urban Areas; Gun Control; Poverty; Blacks; Race and Ethnicity; 

Whine.
First deal with the well ordered militia.
We must either deal with the nuts who think a gun helps or with the guns.
If we are to have armed bands there should be no limit on the arms.
 
2
Business Day

Malls Blossom in Russia, With a Middle Class

By ANDREW E. KRAMER | Jan 2, 2013
While malls appear to be past their peak in the United States, in Russia they are luring shoppers with money to spend and investors like Morgan Stanley.
Shopping Centers and Malls; Foreign Investments; Shopping and Retail; 

I don't like the mall way of existence.
It feels like the company store.

Its a mall world after all       To the tune of "Its a small world after all"

3
N.Y. / Region

What to Expect in New York in 2013

By THE NEW YORK TIMES | Dec 30, 2012
The Times’s Metro reporters predict next year’s news in the city and region.
Budgets and Budgeting; Hurricane Sandy (2012); Politics and Government; Environment; Economic Conditions and Trends; 

Just more of the same.

It could be you will spend time in the city.  
I would like a visit.
 
Advertisement
4
U.S.

10 Feet Below Waters Off Midway Atoll, a Famous Flying Dud

By ERIK ECKHOLM | Jan 2, 2013
The discovery of the rare wreckage of a Brewster Buffalo in the Midway lagoon has rekindled interest in the aircraft and a record that seems as colorful as tragic.
United States Defense and Military Forces; World War II (1939-45); Aviation Accidents and Safety; Archaeology; 

The Brewster Buffalo, a design destroyed by management meddling.

5
Opinion

The Worse, the Better

By MASHA GESSEN | Dec 31, 2012
I'd long thought that the more cruel the crackdown, the sooner Putin's regime itself would crack. But I hadn't anticipated feeling so much despair in the meantime.
Adoptions; Law and Legislation; Legislatures and Parliaments; 

There is a group of Red Baiters  in the congress and Putin is the closest thing they have to a red.
Revolutions of rising expectation was the rule I learned as a child.
Things can get terrible and people just dig in.

6
Business Day

Rig Runs Aground in Alaska, Reviving Fears About Arctic Drilling

By JOHN M. BRODER and HENRY FOUNTAIN | Jan 2, 2013
There are no signs of spilled fuel, but that remains a concern as long as the Shell Oil vessel is stuck; the Coast Guard hopes to get salvage experts aboard to assess the damage.
Accidents and Safety; Offshore Drilling and Exploration; Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline; Ships and Shipping; 

The full power of the North Pacific.  
It can be pulled out of there. 
The effort will not be trivial.
It is not a real danger to anything as yet.

7
Health

Vegan Phô With Carrots, Noodles and Edamame

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN | Jan 2, 2013
A phô without some traditional ingredients is still very much phô.
Soups; Noodles; Veganism; Recipes; Diet and Nutrition; Medicine and Health; 

I can do this.  
Conditions are not tropical here at this time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_noodles

8
Opinion

Japan Can Champion Women’s Rights

By MARY M. McCARTHY | Jan 2, 2013
An official apology on “comfort women” is unlikely. But Japan can help consign sexual servitude to history.
Sex Crimes; World War II (1939-45); Women's Rights; Women and Girls; Human Trafficking; 

When the culture changes attitudes will change.
Sex selection will change the culture.
The change will not be graceful.
Mary McCarthy will just irritate the powers there.
Put the problem aside for another fifteen years or so and it will solve itself.
 
9
N.Y. / Region

Answers to Questions About New York

By MICHAEL POLLAK | Dec 30, 2012
Questions about a seemingly dangerous merging of bike and turning lanes, and rush-hour green lights.
Bicycles and Bicycling; Automobiles; Traffic Accidents and Safety; 

Bicycles are doing better in the city.  They are not great.
10
Opinion

America’s Retreat From the Death Penalty

Jan 2, 2013
More lawmakers and voters are facing up to the costs and mistakes of capital cases.
Capital Punishment; Murders and Attempted Murders; Decisions and Verdicts; 

Ritual murder has no place in a just society.
There is the problem of dealing with the mad.
 
11
Opinion

Why the Economy Needs Tax Reform

Dec 30, 2012
Fixing the tax code could be a defining legacy for President Obama’s second term.
Tax Credits, Deductions and Exemptions; Federal Taxes (US); Income Tax; Reform and Reorganization; 

There is no question that tax reform is needed.
A progressive income tax will be most of it.
Scaling is a big question that will be hotly debated for years.
Social engineering is an aspect that cannot be neglected
 
12
Fashion & Style

Three Mothers, One Bond

By JENNIFER HAUSEMAN | Dec 30, 2012
She said she had picked us, in part, because she had read that lesbians have the longest wait for adoptions of all, and she wanted to right that wrong. How could we not love her?
Babies and Infants; Adoptions; Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships; 

A very sweet story.
If we are to undertake such a project we had best get started.
 
13
Arts

Game Theory: The Year of Antisocial Gaming

By GAVIN PURCELL | Dec 30, 2012
They say 2012 was the year of the social game. Don't believe them. This was actually the year of the antisocial game.
Computer and Video Games; Friendship; 

I don't know.  
The very few times I tried social gaming it did not hook me.
 
14
N.Y. / Region

Billions in Aid for Hurricane Victims Appears in Jeopardy

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ | Jan 2, 2013
A bill to provide federal aid to states pummeled by Hurricane Sandy was in danger of dying on Tuesday night as the House seemed headed for adjournment without taking up the legislation.
United States Politics and Government; Law and Legislation; Hurricane Sandy (2012); Federal Aid (US); 

The GOP will do its best to not spend on Democrats.

15
World

Bahrain: 2 Sentenced in Beating Death

By REUTERS | Jan 1, 2013
Two police officers have been sentenced to seven years in prison for beating to death a Shiite opposition activist in custody during last year’s crackdown on protesters.
Deaths (Fatalities); Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); Sentences (Criminal); 

Justice is unavailable.
 
16
Business Day

In Europe, Focus Begins to Shift to the Speed of a Nascent Recovery

By JACK EWING | Dec 31, 2012
The probability of catastrophe in the euro zone has fallen substantially because of a fundamental change in the way European leaders are dealing with the debt crisis.
Euro (Currency); European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); 

The austerity fans are seeing things.  Pink Elephants.
 
17
World

Afghan Camps Receive Winter Aid, but Officials Say It Isn’t Enough

By ROD NORDLAND | Dec 31, 2012
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Sunday distributed emergency cold weather supplies to families in a refugee camp where two days earlier a 3-year-old child died of exposure to the cold.
Refugees and Displaced Persons; Weather; 

If it were enough, the story would not run.

18
Real Estate

A Nod to New Amsterdam

By CHRISTOPHER GRAY | Dec 30, 2012
19 South William Street is the sober sister on a block of flamboyant beauties.
Restoration and Renovation; Architecture; 

As noted, these were built as toy buildings.  
Dutch New Amsterdam disappeared  in several fires.  
Thatched roofs do not do well in cities.
There is no note of the 1820 flooding.

19
Opinion

Haiti’s Long Road

Jan 2, 2013
Three years after the earthquake, recovery is distant and progress slow.
Foreign Aid; Earthquakes; Refugees and Displaced Persons; 

Haiti may be run by a kleptocracy.  
The suspicion has jammed the process of reconstruction.
A solution would be a coup by a group sworn to personal poverty.
That is not a high probability.
More likely is a population crash.
Conditions will continue as they are.

20
Magazine

Adrienne Rich’s Kind of Language

By CHERYL STRAYED | Dec 30, 2012
The poet who wrote from the heart and the mind; from the gut and the crotch.
Poetry and Poets; Language and Languages; 

"We are, I am, You are".


     @20:00 @20:00 @20:00 @20:00 @20:00 @20:00 @20:00 @20:00 @20:00 



1
Science

Beyond the Myth: The Bounteous Mekong

By JEFF OPPERMAN | Jan 2, 2013
At first glance, the river may seem a near-wilderness. On closer inspection, the Mekong and its banks are more like an unruly linear farm.
Christmas; Economic Conditions and Trends; Electric Light and Power; Fish and Other Marine Life; Levees and Dams; Rivers; Weather; 

We have and he knows our history with dams and rivers and the creatures that build and use them.
The faithful do not learn.
I would strongly advise against dams.
 
2
N.Y. / Region

What to Expect in New York in 2013

By THE NEW YORK TIMES | Dec 30, 2012
The Times’s Metro reporters predict next year’s news in the city and region.
Budgets and Budgeting; Hurricane Sandy (2012); Politics and Government; Environment; Economic Conditions and Trends; 

All of this is easily predicted.
There is no prediction of the GOP refusal to vote the recovery money.
Reworking N.Y. will not be easy.
 
3
Style

Talking to Other Parents About Guns

By HOLLY KORBEY | Jan 2, 2013
There are no guns in this house. There, I said it, and now you know - but how do I ask others the question I just answered?
Children and Childhood; Gun Control; Newtown, Conn, Shooting (2012); Parenting; School Shootings; 

I will think about this if there are children in my home.
I know of no way to keep children and guns apart.
Early and through instruction is a mitigation though not a solution.
Ignorance and guns is our problem.
 
Advertisement
4
Opinion

America’s Retreat From the Death Penalty

Jan 2, 2013
More lawmakers and voters are facing up to the costs and mistakes of capital cases.
Capital Punishment; Murders and Attempted Murders; Decisions and Verdicts; Editorials; 

I do not regret the action.
 
5
Opinion

Rape, Lies and Videotapes

By SHMUEL ROSNER | Jan 2, 2013
The rape of an elderly woman in Tel Aviv revives Israelis' fears about African immigrants -- just in time for the general election.
Elections; Illegal Immigrants; Immigration and Emigration; Sex Crimes; 

The faithful do not learn, anywhere.
One or more migrants?
 
6
World

A Library Joins a Drive for Veterans' Success

By JAMES DAO | Jan 2, 2013
The Single Stop Veterans Initiative, a collaboration by three groups, helps veterans reintegrate into civilian life with counselors at the Mid-Manhattan Library and six other locations around New York City.
Libraries and Librarians; Nonprofit Organizations; Veterans; 

A step in the right direction.
The GOP hates to pay for things.
 
7
Business Day

Investigative Firm Started by Krolls Acquires Private Watchdog

By PETER LATTMAN | Jan 2, 2013
K2 Intelligence, the investigative business started by Jules Kroll and Jeremy Kroll, has acquired Thacher Associates, a leading player in the niche business of overseeing large-scale real estate development projects on behalf of governments and developers to ferret out corruption in the construction process.
Building (Construction); Infrastructure (Public Works); Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; 

This is the prime contractor's job.  If the prime contractor cannot be trusted to do it that contractor should be replaced.  If the prime contractor does not do its job, they are sued, bankrupted, and the insurance company pays for the repair or replacement.
That such a business can find work says that the regulatory agencies need overhaul and re-budgeting.
8
Business

Andrew Sullivan Leaving Daily Beast to Start Subscription Web Site

By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY | Jan 2, 2013
The prolific blogger wrote that he thought that "the only truly solid future for online journalism'' is to get readers to pay for content, and eschewed advertising revenue because it was "distracting and intrusive.''
Blogs and Blogging (Internet); Computers and the Internet; Online Advertising; 

Good luck to him.
I do not expect to miss his work.
 
9
N.Y. / Region

Answers to Questions About New York

By MICHAEL POLLAK | Dec 30, 2012
Questions about a seemingly dangerous merging of bike and turning lanes, and rush-hour green lights.
Bicycles and Bicycling; Automobiles; Traffic Accidents and Safety; 

The Bicycle will not do well in the city until it will keep the rider dry in the rain and have places it can be safely parked.
 
10
Opinion

Haiti’s Long Road

Jan 2, 2013
Three years after the earthquake, recovery is distant and progress slow.
Foreign Aid; Earthquakes; Refugees and Displaced Persons; Editorials; 

Giving money to thieves is not charitable.
  
11
U.S.

How the Deal on the Fiscal Cliff Affects Financial Aid

By TANYA ABRAMS | Jan 2, 2013
Mark Kantrowitz, an expert on paying for college, explains how the new legislation affects financial aid for current and prospective college students.
Colleges and Universities; Federal Budget (US); Federal Taxes (US); Financial Aid (Education); Law and Legislation; Student Loans; Tax Credits, Deductions and Exemptions; Tuition; United States Economy; 

Interesting.  There is nothing here for me.

12
Fashion & Style

Three Mothers, One Bond

By JENNIFER HAUSEMAN | Dec 30, 2012
She said she had picked us, in part, because she had read that lesbians have the longest wait for adoptions of all, and she wanted to right that wrong. How could we not love her?
Babies and Infants; Adoptions; Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships; 

A sweet story.
If we are to take action in this direction, we should start as soon as possible.
 
13
Arts

Game Theory: The Year of Antisocial Gaming

By GAVIN PURCELL | Dec 30, 2012
They say 2012 was the year of the social game. Don't believe them. This was actually the year of the antisocial game.
Computer and Video Games; Friendship; 

I agree that the computer does not improve relationships.
Sometimes it makes them possible.
 
14
N.Y. / Region

Billions in Aid for Hurricane Victims Appears in Jeopardy

By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ | Jan 2, 2013
A bill to provide federal aid to states pummeled by Hurricane Sandy was in danger of dying on Tuesday night as the House seemed headed for adjournment without taking up the legislation.
United States Politics and Government; Law and Legislation; Hurricane Sandy (2012); Federal Aid (US); 

The GOP likes revenge and hates to pay.
 
15
World

Bahrain: 2 Sentenced in Beating Death

By REUTERS | Jan 1, 2013
Two police officers have been sentenced to seven years in prison for beating to death a Shiite opposition activist in custody during last year’s crackdown on protesters.
Deaths (Fatalities); Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); Sentences (Criminal); 

I can find no way to justice in this.
 
16
Business Day

In Europe, Focus Begins to Shift to the Speed of a Nascent Recovery

By JACK EWING | Dec 31, 2012
The probability of catastrophe in the euro zone has fallen substantially because of a fundamental change in the way European leaders are dealing with the debt crisis.
Euro (Currency); European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); 

A tissue of  lies.

17
Real Estate

A Nod to New Amsterdam

By CHRISTOPHER GRAY | Dec 30, 2012
19 South William Street is the sober sister on a block of flamboyant beauties.
Restoration and Renovation; Architecture; 

Old fiction is still fiction.
 
18
Business Day

When the Deficit Will Be Fixed

By BRUCE BARTLETT | Jan 1, 2013
It's difficult for members of Congress to agree to take a political hit for raising taxes and cutting into popular programs when the benefits will be realized only by their successors, an economist writes.
Credit and Debt; Federal Budget (US); Federal Taxes (US); Government Bonds; Interest Rates; United States Economy; 

The deficit will not need fixing until the economy recovers.

19
Sports

Piazza, the Marlin, And a Shared Fixation

By KEN BELSON | Jan 1, 2013
Mike Piazza played five games for the Marlins, in 1998, but his Marlins baseball cards remain objects of desire for a lawyer in California and a student in Miami.
Baseball; Collectors and Collections; 

Collectors set the price of art. 
They are not artists.
 
20
Opinion

Why the Economy Needs Tax Reform

Dec 30, 2012
Fixing the tax code could be a defining legacy for President Obama’s second term.
Tax Credits, Deductions and Exemptions; Federal Taxes (US); Income Tax; Reform and Reorganization;

We need a progressive income tax.

A Willy Sutton tax policy is the only way to keep the bonds paid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Sutton

Sutton is known, albeit apocryphally, for the urban legend that he said that he robbed banks "because that's where the money is".

Time to cook supper.







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Posted by at No comments:

@13:46, progressing

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. . .

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Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

@19:55, 1/2/13

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I will check the list in a moment.











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Posted by at No comments:

@3:43, 1/1/13

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"Rabid Ferrets" to the rescue.



1
Technology

Disruptions: The Real Hazards of E-Devices on Planes

By NICK BILTON | Dec 30, 2012
If the Federal Aviation Administration does not re-evaluate its ban on device use during takeoff and landing, someone will be hurt, but not because of interference with the plane's avionics.
AIRLINES AND AIRPLANES; HANDHELD COMPUTERS; IPAD; SMARTPHONES; TABLET COMPUTERS; 

Panniced  fellow passengers is the best he can do.

2
Opinion

Brewing Up Confusion

By PAUL KRUGMAN | Dec 31, 2012
Starbucks spreads nonsense about budgets and bipartisanship.
FEDERAL BUDGET (US); FEDERAL TAXES (US); 

This may be moot.  I will look again.

3
U.S.

Clinton’s Blood Clot Is Located Near Her Brain, Doctors Say

By HELENE COOPER | Dec 31, 2012
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton did not suffer any neurological damage, and her physicians said they expect she will make a full recovery.

This looks to be a minor event that is being resolved.

4
U.S.

Tentative Deal Is Reached to Raise Taxes on the Wealthy

By JONATHAN WEISMAN | Jan 1, 2013
The Senate moved toward a vote to allow taxes to rise on the affluent and put off cuts in spending, but the House would not consider any deal until Tuesday, meaning Congress missed its deadline on the so-called fiscal cliff.
UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT; FEDERAL BUDGET (US); FEDERAL TAXES (US); 

The House has not yet voted on the bill.  
 
5
Sports

In Starting Over, No Time to Lose

By JUDY BATTISTA | Jan 1, 2013
Even by the tumultuous standards of the end of an N.F.L. season, this season’s Black Monday stood out: a total of seven coaches and five managers were fired.
FOOTBALL; COACHES AND MANAGERS; SUSPENSIONS, DISMISSALS AND RESIGNATIONS; 

I am not knowledgeable enough to care about the games owners play.

6
Opinion

Let’s Give Up on the Constitution

By LOUIS MICHAEL SEIDMAN | Dec 31, 2012
Our history is filled with constitutional disobedience. What’s kept our country stable isn’t parchment, but institutions and the sense that, as one nation, we must work out our differences.
CONSTITUTION (US); CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS; LAW AND LEGISLATION; FEDERAL BUDGET (US); 

The Supreme Court is the final judge of the permissibility of actions by the congress and the administration.  We need a court that is not blind to the situation of the nation.  At this time we do not have such a court.
When we get one, things will progress.
It is fear of the arbitrary judgement of this court that has us frozen.
 
7
N.Y. / Region

Troubled Past for Suspect in Fatal Subway Push

By MARC SANTORA and ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS | Dec 31, 2012
Erika Menendez, charged with shoving a stranger to his death under a train in Queens, has a long history with New York City’s law enforcement and mental health establishments.
MENTAL HEALTH AND DISORDERS; MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS;

The mental health system of the City of New York is broken as it has been for many years.
 
8
U.S.

A Showdown Long Foreseen

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER | Dec 31, 2012
The struggle over how to reach a broad Congressional tax agreement is not just the latest partisan showdown but rather the culmination of two years of escalating fiscal confrontations.
UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT; FEDERAL BUDGET (US); FEDERAL TAXES (US); 

This will go on for two years or more.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/as-swing-districts-dwindle-can-a-divided-house-stand/
 
9
U.S.

Lure of Green Cards Brings Big Investments for Remote Resort in Vermont

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE | Dec 31, 2012
Developers with big plans for Jay Peak and nearby Newport have got millions in financing under a program that gives foreigners a green card in exchange for a $500,000 investment.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS; IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION; 

I am not comfortable with this scheme.
I would want to see the books of last year at Jay peak before I put money into this project.  Are they fully booked and do they draw repeat customers would be my first questions.
The odor of fraud is strong.
 
10
Health

What You Think You Know (but Don't) About Wise Eating

By JANE E. BRODY | Dec 31, 2012
Joe Schwarcz, a scientist at McGill University, sets the record straight on a host of widely circulated nutritional falsehoods.
DIET AND NUTRITION; FOOD; MEAT; NUTS; ORGANIC FOODS AND PRODUCTS; SEAFOOD; SUSTAINABLE LIVING; TRANS FATTY ACIDS; VITAMINS;

I want more content.

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1
Opinion

Coal Giant Drops Claim That it is 'the Global Leader in Clean Energy Solutions'

2
Opinion

America in 2012, as Told in Charts

3
Health

Really? Dieting Is a Short-lived New Year's Resolution

4
Crosswords/Games

A Roman Numerals Puzzle

5
Science

Clock Time and Sun Time

6
N.Y. / Region

What to Expect in New York in 2013

7
Multimedia

The Human Toll of Europe's Economic Statistics

8
Health

Texas: Judge Approves Cuts to Planned Parenthood

9
Health

Warm Lentil Salad With Balsamic Roast Squash

10
Health

Employers Must Offer Family Care, Affordable or Not

11
Health

Knowing You Carry a Cancer Gene

12
Opinion

How Many Slaves Work for You?

13
N.Y. / Region

Woman Sought After 2nd Fatal Shove Onto Subway Tracks This Month



14
Science

Light Absorption Speeding Arctic Ice Melt

15
N.Y. / Region

Manhattan Couple Stored Bomb-Making Items, Police Say


16
Health

The Confusion of Pill Coloring

17
Multimedia

Israel's Flourishing Russian Culture

18
Opinion

A Broken System for Tracking Guns

19
Science

Birds Found to Have Emotional Reactions to Song

20
U.S.

Lure of Green Cards Brings Big Investments for Remote Resort in Vermont

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE | Dec 31, 2012
Developers with big plans for Jay Peak and nearby Newport have got millions in financing under a program that gives foreigners a green card in exchange for a $500,000 investment.
Foreign Investments; Immigration and Emigration; 

U.S.

Lure of Green Cards Brings Big Investments for Remote Resort in Vermont

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE | Dec 31, 2012
Developers with big plans for Jay Peak and nearby Newport have got millions in financing under a program that gives foreigners a green card in exchange for a $500,000 investment.
FOREIGN INVESTMENTS; IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION; 

I am not comfortable with this scheme.
I would want to see the books of last year at Jay peak before I put money into this project.  Are they fully booked and do they draw repeat customers would be my first questions.
The odor of fraud is strong.



@21:53  @21:53  @21:53  @21:53  @21:53  @21:53  @21:53  @21:53  @21:53 



1
Opinion

Coal Giant Drops Claim That it is 'the Global Leader in Clean Energy Solutions'

By ANDREW C. REVKIN | Dec 29, 2012
A giant coal company drops its Web claim that it is the global leader in clean energy.
Air Pollution; Coal; Mines and Mining; Peabody Energy Corporation; 

 "Clean coal is a dirty joke".
 
2
Opinion

America in 2012, as Told in Charts

By STEVEN RATTNER | Dec 31, 2012
Nine charts tell the story of the United States in 2012.
Federal Budget (US); Federal Taxes (US); Income Inequality; Labor and Jobs; National Debt (US); Recession and Depression; United States Economy; 

A dramatic presentation.


3
Health

Really? Dieting Is a Short-lived New Year's Resolution

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR | Dec 31, 2012
A study of Google searches on diet-related keywords indicates that people are more likely to consider dieting in December and January, but interest drops off sharply thereafter.
New Year; Obesity; Weight; 

Exercise and diet are important.  Key is appetite control.
There are two ways to do that. 
An unvaried diet or multiple tiny meals.
I have seen both work.

4
Crosswords/Games

A Roman Numerals Puzzle

By GARY ANTONICK | Dec 31, 2012
Celebrate the new year with this Roman numeral challenge.
Christmas; Creativity; Gifts; Mathematics; Puzzles; 

Not tonight.  I have a headache.


5
Science

Clock Time and Sun Time

By C. CLAIBORNE RAY | Jan 1, 2013
Any time plan can be adopted by human beings, but whether year-round daylight saving time would achieve its chief goal — saving energy — is another question.
Daylight Saving Time; Energy Efficiency; Seasons and Months; 

I find myself putting in two days per day.
I am usually moving by ten in the morning.
It is all just habit.  Late evenings are not interrupted.
 
6
N.Y. / Region

What to Expect in New York in 2013

By THE NEW YORK TIMES | Dec 30, 2012
The Times’s Metro reporters predict next year’s news in the city and region.
Budgets and Budgeting; Hurricane Sandy (2012); Politics and Government; Environment; Economic Conditions and Trends; 

Just filler.

7
Multimedia

The Human Toll of Europe's Economic Statistics

By JAMES ESTRIN | Dec 31, 2012
Europe's sovereign debt crisis has largely been a story told through numbers. Telling that story photographically, however, has required looking beyond common depictions of demonstrations or evictions - at how Europeans actually live the crisis.
European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Gross Domestic Product; Labor and Jobs; Photography; Unemployment; 

This was supposed to be impossible in our time.

8
Health

Texas: Judge Approves Cuts to Planned Parenthood

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Jan 1, 2013
A state judge ruled Monday that Texas can cut off financing to Planned Parenthood’s family planning programs for poor women.
Decisions and Verdicts; Birth Control and Family Planning; Women and Girls; 

There is an opportunity here for a  bus service.
Texas wants to source the adoption business.
9
Health

Warm Lentil Salad With Balsamic Roast Squash

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN | Jan 1, 2013
A lentil salad with a cumin-scented vinaigrette.
Lentils; Squash (Vegetable); Recipes; Veganism; Diet and Nutrition; Medicine and Health; 

Reads as good.
 
10
Health

Employers Must Offer Family Care, Affordable or Not

By ROBERT PEAR | Jan 1, 2013
The Obama administration said Monday that employers must offer health insurance to employees and their children, but will not be subject to any penalties if family coverage is unaffordable to workers.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010); Health Insurance and Managed Care; 

This is a non starter.  Low income workers pay very little income tax.
No tax, no tax credit, no insurance.  
 
11
Opinion

How Many Slaves Work for You?

By LOUIS P. MASUR | Jan 1, 2013
We need a new Emancipation Proclamation to free the millions still held in servitude worldwide.
Human Trafficking; Slavery; Blacks; 

We can and must act within our borders.

12
Health

Knowing You Carry a Cancer Gene

By EMMA PIERSON | Dec 31, 2012
If you carry a gene mutation that greatly increases your risk of cancer, when does knowing about it become too much to handle?
Breast Cancer; Cancer; DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid); Genetics and 
Heredity; 

We all roll the dice every day.
So far there are no immortal people.
Human life is a terminal condition.

13
N.Y. / Region

Woman Sought After 2nd Fatal Shove Onto Subway Tracks This Month

By MARC SANTORA and SARAH MASLIN NIR | Dec 29, 2012
A woman in her early 20s is blamed for shoving a man, identified as Sunando Sen, to his death at an elevated subway station in Queens.
Subways; Railroad Accidents and Safety; Transit Systems; 

The mental health system is broken.
 
14
Science

Light Absorption Speeding Arctic Ice Melt

By FELICITY BARRINGER | Dec 31, 2012
A new study in Geophysical Research Letters, based on a first-of-its-kind survey, reports that the ocean beneath Arctic ice is absorbing increasing amounts of solar energy.
Ice; Solar Energy; 

Where is the rest of this report?  I want the technical details.
 
15
N.Y. / Region

Manhattan Couple Stored Bomb-Making Items, Police Say

By WENDY RUDERMAN | Jan 1, 2013
The police charged a young couple with criminal possession of a loaded firearm and criminal possession of an explosive substance after a search of their Greenwich Village apartment.
Search and Seizure; Bombs and Explosives; 

Early reports.  
Eight grams is a sample quantity.   
A shotgun shell has much more explosive power.
There may be more to this story.

16
Health

The Confusion of Pill Coloring

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR | Dec 31, 2012
Researchers tracking prescriptions for anti-epileptic drugs found that compared with patients whose pills remained the same, those whose pills' color was changed were 53 percent more likely to stop buying them.
Color; Drugs (Pharmaceuticals); Medicine and Health; 

Yes.
 
17
Multimedia

Israel's Flourishing Russian Culture

By JAMES ESTRIN and DAVID FURST | Dec 31, 2012
Oded Balilty thought he knew Israel, the country he grew up in, pretty well. But when he photographed Israel's Russian-speaking immigrant community, he learned he had a lot to learn.
Immigration and Emigration; Jews and Judaism; Photography; 

Yes
 
18
Opinion

A Broken System for Tracking Guns

Dec 31, 2012
The agency charged with stopping illegal firearm sales needs leadership and new rules
Gun Control; Editorials; Series; 

The GOP is at the bottom of it.

I see that the Fiscal Deal has passed the house.

19
Science

Birds Found to Have Emotional Reactions to Song

By SINDYA N. BHANOO | Jan 1, 2013
Female white-throated sparrows were found to respond to the songs of male sparrows in the same way as humans listening to pleasant music.
Birds; Research; Music; 

Hard wired.
 
20
Health

Inflammation Byproduct Linked to Stress

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR | Dec 31, 2012
Danish researchers found that the C-reactive protein, a byproduct of inflammation in the body, was associated with a greater risk of psychological stress and clinical depression.
Anxiety and Stress; Depression (Mental); Mental Health and Disorders;


We do keep learning.  Progress is slow.


Time to sleep for me.


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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

@11:20, 1/1/13

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Happy New Year



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atat%C3%BCrk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atat%C3%BCrk#Modernization_efforts.2C_1926.E2.80.931930

Modernization efforts, 1926–1930


In the years following 1926, Mustafa Kemal introduced a radical departure from previous reformations established by the Ottoman Empire.[73] For the first time in history, Islamic law was separated from secular law, and restricted to matters of religion.[73] Mustafa Kemal said
“ We must liberate our concepts of justice, our laws and our legal institutions from the bonds which, even though they are incompatible with the needs of our century, still hold a tight grip on us.[74] ”
On 1 March 1926, the Turkish penal code was passed. It was modelled after the Italian Penal Code. On 4 October 1926, Islamic courts were closed. Establishing the civic law needed time, so Mustafa Kemal delayed the inclusion of the principle of laïcité until 5 February 1937.
Ottoman practice discouraged social interaction between men and women in keeping with Islamic practice of sex segregation. Mustafa Kemal began developing social reforms very early, as was evident in his personal journal. He and his staff discussed issues like abolishing the veiling of women and the integration of women into the outside world. The clue on how he was planning to tackle the issue was stated in his journal on November 1915;
“ The social change can come by (1) educating capable mothers who are knowledgeable about life; (2) giving freedom to women; (3) a man can change his morals, thoughts, and feelings by leading a common life with a woman; as there is an inborn tendency towards the attraction of mutual affection.[75] ”
Mustafa Kemal needed a new civil code to establish his second major step of giving freedom to women. The first part was the education of girls and was established with the unification of education. On 4 October 1926, the new Turkish civil code passed. It was modelled after the Swiss Civil Code. Under the new code, women gained equality with men in such matters as inheritance and divorce. Mustafa Kemal did not consider gender a factor in social organization. According to his view, society marched towards its goal with men and women united. He believed that it was scientifically impossible for him to achieve progress and to become civilized if the gender separation continued as in Ottoman times.[76] During a meeting he declaimed:
“ To the women: Win for us the battle of education and you will do yet more for your country than we have been able to do. It is to you that I appeal.
To the men: If henceforward the women do not share in the social life of the nation, we shall never attain to our full development. We shall remain irremediably backward, incapable of treating on equal terms with the civilizations of the West.[77]		 ”

Islam has remained the religion of the Turks.
After about eighty years the leadership again sees Islam as the way to power.

The politics of the Levant will be messy as long as this is true.
The sects of Islam are struggling for dominance.
Peace comes when religion becomes irrelevant.


Only exhaustion has done that in the past.


















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Posted by at No comments:

@22:12, 12/31/12

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Nothing up at this time.

Earlier:


1
Health

What You Think You Know (but Don't) About Wise Eating

By JANE E. BRODY | Dec 31, 2012
Joe Schwarcz, a scientist at McGill University, sets the record straight on a host of widely circulated nutritional falsehoods.
Diet and Nutrition; Food; Meat; Nuts; Organic Foods and Products; Seafood; Sustainable Living; Trans Fatty Acids; Vitamins;

A good start.  I want more.
2
World

Will Turkey Squander Its Opportunity to Lead?

By DAVID ROHDE | Dec 30, 2012
Turkey should be assuming a place of leadership in the wake of the Arab Awakening, instead the reactionary impulses of Prime Minister Erdogan could mean Turkey retreats rather than leads.
Constitutions; Freedom of the Press; Human Rights and Human Rights Violations;

There is little we can or wish to do in a religious war we are not part of.
There is no liberal faction in Islam.
 
3
Health

U.S. Clears DNA Firm’s Acquisition by Chinese

By ANDREW POLLACK | Dec 31, 2012
The controversial purchase of a Silicon Valley-based DNA sequencing company by a Chinese firm has raised concerns about American competitiveness in a field that is becoming a big business.
Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid); Genetics and Heredity;

The Chinese need to do their own work.  Let them.
4
Business Day

Instantly Yours, for a Fee

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD and CLAIRE CAIN MILLER | Dec 28, 2012
Fear of Amazon.com has pushed a variety of stores to embrace delivery within hours as a must-have promotion, even though it’s costly and logistically complicated.
Delivery Services; Shopping and Retail; Computers and the Internet; E-Commerce;

Browsing a book store has been one of my pleasures.
I usually don't know what I want beyond the knowledge of what is available.
Plastic money is a problem at the moment.   Another task waiting.
5
World

U.S. Group Raises Funds for Syrian Scholars

By D. D. GUTTENPLAN | Dec 31, 2012
A New York-based organization coordinates efforts to help students and academics left stranded by the conflict.
Education; Colleges and Universities; Financial Aid (Education);

I have no problem with this. 
We should stand clear of their civil war.

6
Opinion

Views of Global Warming in 1992 and Now

By ANDREW C. REVKIN | Dec 31, 2012
A look back at global warming, as described 20 years ago.
Global Warming; Hurricanes and Tropical Storms; Museums;

We do keep learning.  
7
Business Day

William Baer Confirmed as Justice Department Antitrust Chief

By PETER LATTMAN | Dec 30, 2012
William J. Baer is expected to continue what has been widely seen as the agency's reinvigorated enforcement of antitrust laws after a period of lax oversight during the Bush administration.
Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues; Appointments and Executive Changes; Law and Legislation; Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; United States Politics and Government;

I hope he is effective.
 
8
Style

12 New Year's Resolutions for Happier Families

By KJ DELL'ANTONIA | Dec 31, 2012
Keep a "to-don't" list. Give warm greetings and farewells. Create more art together. Bribe more creatively.
Families and Family Life; New Year; Parenting; Writing and Writers;

Communication helps.  Do it any way you can. 
Sooner is better.  As soon as you can is best.
  
9
Health

Vegan Pantry Dinners for the New Year

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN | Dec 31, 2012
Cleaning out your pantry, fridge and freezer to make healthy, hearty meals is a good way to start the New Year.
Veganism; Quinoa; Recipes; Parties (Social); Medicine and Health; Diet and Nutrition;

Why not?
I try to keep things simple.
 I will have to shop soon.  Bread is a staple here and I am out of flour.

10
N.Y. / Region

Woman Posed as Aunt of Newtown Victim to Commit Fraud, the F.B.I. Says

By MARC SANTORA | Dec 28, 2012
The authorities said that Nouel Alba of the Bronx had solicited donations online, falsely claiming that she was related to one of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Newtown, Conn, Shooting (2012); Frauds and Swindling; School Shootings;

Always a risk.
 
11
U.S.

9 Are Killed in Bus Crash in Oregon

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Dec 31, 2012
About 20 others were injured in the crash, including the driver of the bus, owned by a Canadian company.
Buses; Traffic Accidents and Safety; Deaths (Fatalities);

No information yet.
 
12
Technology

Ryan Block: Why I'm Quitting Instagram

By RYAN BLOCK | Dec 31, 2012
Ryan Block, the co-founder of Gdgt, explains why he is quitting Instagram.
Privacy; Social Networking (Internet);

Reasonable.
13
Business Day

Questcor Finds Profits, at $28,000 a Vial

By ANDREW POLLACK | Dec 30, 2012
After pricing its once-obscure drug, Acthar, in the stratosphere, Questcor gained many fans on Wall Street. But the company has also drawn some doubters.
Drugs (Pharmaceuticals); Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates); Babies and Infants;

What the traffic  will bear has always been the rule in trade.
I do not like this company but it is doing its job.
14
Business Day

Partial Agreement With Union Averts a Strike at 14 Ports

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE | Dec 29, 2012
Shipping companies and dockworkers reached a deal on their main dispute, and the longshoremen’s union agreed to drop its threat of a strike this Sunday.
Strikes; Organized Labor;

This does not look like an agreement except to keep getting paid for a bit longer.  There are no other details.

15
Opinion

The 2012 Sidney Awards, Part II

By DAVID BROOKS | Dec 28, 2012
What did you think of the first round of winners of the best essays of the year? Well, here are the rest!
Magazines; Schizophrenia; Liberalism (US Politics); 

These seem mostly to be interesting but misleading.
I can distract myself.  I do not need help to be distracted.
16
World

In Germany, Merkel’s Main Rival Appears to Stumble From Gaffe to Gaffe

By NICHOLAS KULISH | Dec 31, 2012
The Social Democrats’ candidate for chancellor, Peer Steinbrück, finds himself facing questions about speaking fees and a comment that Angela Merkel has the advantage of a “women’s bonus.”
Elections; European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Politics and Government; 

Ms Merkel will fall.  She will not be displaced by a more powerful politician.
Germany is in an unsustainable economic position.  The howls of pain will build over the next few months.  Where in the Euro the break will come may be unknown.  That there will soon be a break is a certainty.
17
N.Y. / Region

A Portrait of Interfaith Giving

By STEPHEN HARMON | Dec 28, 2012
Metropolitan Diary: A Sikh man in Jackson Heights was thrilled when a stranger who had taken his picture returned with a framed copy for him.
Christmas; Gifts; Jews and Judaism; Sikhs and Sikhism; 

It is very nice when it works.  
Faiths have almost nothing to do with the actions.

18
Opinion

Time to Confront Climate Change

Dec 28, 2012
President Obama has the tools to reduce gas emissions significantly. He should use them.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Coal; Law and Legislation; Air Pollution; Editorials; Series; 

The first step must be to remove corporate money from politics.
We know that and they know that. 
Any move to change the current power structure will cause an existential fight.   
The pain of the present structure must grow unbearable Before there can be real large scale change.  
Individuals can and must act locally starting at their homes.

19
U.S.

Medicaid Waiver Presents Structuring Challenges

By BECCA AARONSON | Dec 30, 2012
A Medicaid transformation waiver could transform aspects of Texas’ health care, if hospitals and providers can figure out how to create a system that will reap the benefits.
Health Insurance and Managed Care; Hospitals; Reform and Reorganization;

Texas is infamous for cheap race prejudice.
I suspect this is another example.
Managed care where it has been tried was found to be a failure at cost reduction.
Doc in the box is a better option.
20
Education

Philadelphia School District Plans to Close Dozens of Schools

By JON HURDLE | Dec 31, 2012
Facing deep financial problems, Philadelphia’s school district proposed an unprecedented downsizing and other changes that would affect 17,000 students.
Education (K-12); Shutdowns (Institutional);

This is the result of an intentionally established viscous cycle.
It did not need to happen.
To reverse it, get rid of charter schools or reincorporate them in the city system.
A voucher system invests public money in private education.







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