Monday, June 2, 2014

@16:16, 6/1/14

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1
World

3 Kidnapped Missionaries Are Freed in Cameroon

By ADAM NOSSITER | Jun 1st 2014
The two Italian priests and a Canadian nun were held for nearly two months near Cameroon’s border with Nigeria in a region rife with Boko Haram militants.
Kidnapping; Priests; Nuns; Missionaries

Killing a population for their faith has not been approved of for several hundred years.
The echos of the Spanish Inquisition are still with us.
It was a measure against Islam and Judaism.
It did change the culture of the Iberian peninsula.
2
U.S.

On Win Streak, Mainline G.O.P. Takes Tougher Stance Toward Tea Party

By JONATHAN MARTIN | May 31st 2014
After the party’s establishment wing won a series of primaries this year, its leaders are considering tough tactics to head off further attacks from the Tea Party.
Tea Party Movement; United States Politics and Government; Elections, State Legislature; Presidential Election of 2016 

The G.O.P. is suffering a schism.
3
Technology

Dark Side to Internet of Things: Hacked Homes and Invasive Ads

By NICK BILTON | Jun 1st 2014
While the connected home will offer plenty of conveniences in the operation of locks, lights and appliances, there likely will also be problems around privacy and other concerns.
Computer Security; Cyberattacks and Hackers; iPad; iPhone; Privacy; Smartphones 

Use a manual override. 
The automated system runs off an operating on a read only memory.
The day instructions are in a volatile memory.  the unit has a phone number.
an uninteruptable power supply and a mechanical off switch outside the door.  The door unlocks on power off.

Better just to lock the door with a mechanical key.  
4
World

China Accuses U.S. and Japan of Incitement

By HELENE COOPER | May 31st 2014
A senior Chinese military official’s remarks followed speeches by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Japan’s prime minister faulting China for maritime disputes with its neighbors.
Defense and Military Forces; United States International Relations 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/02/25/world/asia/claims-south-china-sea.html

China is overreaching.  
We must find something they want more.
Last time it was opium.

5
N.Y. / Region

Police Search for Upset Teenager Who Sank Into the Hudson

By ASHLEY SOUTHALL and ALEX VADUKUL | May 31st 2014
Omotayo Adeoye, 17, was seen crying and wading into the river fully clothed on Thursday after she was confronted by a teacher who believed she was cheating on a test.
Teenagers and Adolescence 

It is always a risk when people are pushed beyond their limits.
Parsons and Pratt lose several every year.
My imaginings are not facts.
6
U.S.

The Lasting Appeal of the Nonpolitician Politician

By ALBERT R. HUNT | BLOOMBERG VIEW | Jun 1st 2014
Benjamin Carson, a retired physician at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, has become a favorite of the political right as he weighs a run for the Republican presidential nomination.
Doctors; United States Politics and Government; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010); Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships; Presidential Election of 2016 

Just wrong.
On all political counts.
7
Opinion

Confronting Who We Are

By SERGE SCHMEMANN | May 30th 2014
For the West, it was a week of self-searching.

A less than stellar review of where the world stands.
The leadership of Europe has been hiding from their voters.
It will take another election to decide the issues.
 
8
Opinion

How Book Publishers Can Beat Amazon

By BOB KOHN | May 30th 2014
They may have to control their own online marketplace.
E-Books and Readers; Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates); Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues; Book Trade and Publishing; Suits and Litigation (Civil) 

I can't follow Bob Kohn's logical argument.
I think I am reasonably skilled at that.
I think my inability to follow is not with me.
The marginal cost of a downloaded eBook is little more than the royalty to the author.  The rest of the price is cost of the sale and profit.
9
Opinion

How to Get Girls Into Coding

By NITASHA TIKU | May 31st 2014
Educators believe that computer games can be the gateway — and female mentors are the X factor.
Women and Girls; Computers and the Internet; Science and Technology; Education (K-12)

This article keeps crashing firefox.
In so far as I can read, it assumes that the virtual world, a world built of code, is enough.
My virtual world interacts with the real world.  It is not gender linked.
Wishing things so is only the beginning.

10
The Upshot

There’s Nothing Wrong With Being a Banker

By JOSH BARRO | May 31st 2014
My job helped me develop skills that have served me well outside finance.
Banking and Financial Institutions; Careers and Professions; Labor and Jobs; Real Estate (Commercial); Work-Life Balance

True.  There is much good luck in the tale.
There are also predatory banks without scruples.
"Lloyd's insists there are no bad risks. There are bad premiums."

11
U.S.

G.O.P. Senate Hopeful in Iowa Enlists a Familiar Face

By ASHLEY PARKER | May 30th 2014
Joni Ernst’s unconventional campaign for the Senate in Iowa has included running ads highlighting her farm experience castrating hogs and being introduced at rallies by Mitt Romney.
Endorsements; Tea Party Movement

"Mr. Romney’s record in Iowa is less than stellar. He lost the Republican presidential caucuses in 2008, then appeared to win in 2012, only to finish second when the official count was certified. He then lost the state to President Obama in the election, as Senator John McCain and Ms. Palin did in 2008."

Joni Ernst does not look to have a winning strategy.

Iowa was not my favorite place and never my choice.
12
U.S.

Environmental Groups Focus on Change by Strengthening Their Political Operations

By MICHAEL WINES | May 31st 2014
Environmental groups are raising and spending more money than ever to mount a revitalized climate-change campaign that looks nothing like failed past efforts.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Global Warming; Environment; Political Action Committees

Global warming and sea level rise are not going away.
We seem to be committed to ten feet in the next ten years.
There is not enough time to save the cities.
On that time scale cutting carbon dioxide by thirty percent will have no effect on the sea.  It will make us feel better.
13
U.S.

Texas Beer Finds Home in the Heart of New York

By ADAM CHANDLER | May 31st 2014
By the time Shiner Bock entered the New York market last year, the craft beer already had fans in patrons of some city bars, as their owners bought cases from other states.
Beer; Bars and Nightclubs; Seasons and Months

I have not run across it.
It reads as something I would like.
14
Sports

Around Seattle, Ballmer’s Other Title Is Superfan

By NICK WINGFIELD | May 30th 2014
The former Microsoft chief, who has a well-known competitive streak, is a boisterous presence at youth sports events in the Seattle area.
Basketball

He will not miss his investment.
15
Opinion

Full Screed Ahead

By FRANK BRUNI | May 31st 2014
Be it the Isla Vista rampage or the transition at The Times, the event is mere prompt for the exegeses.
News and News Media; Isla Vista, Calif, Massacre (2014); Social Media; Social Conditions and Trends
16
Health

Google Glass Enters the Operating Room

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR | Jun 1st 2014
Surgeons and other doctors are experimenting with the devices, recording and streaming procedures and looking up data.
Hospitals; Medicine and Health; Surgery and Surgeons; Wearable Computing 

Google glass is on the way to being a useful tool.  
The objections seem trivial.  
Minor adjustments in the software and hardware.
17
Opinion

This Fugitive Life

By ALICE GOFFMAN | Jun 1st 2014
For many poor black men, the threat of capture and confinement looms.
Blacks; Crime and Criminals; Drug Abuse and Traffic; Men and Boys; Prisons and Prisoners 

The solution is paid work at a comfortable rate.  
Get the money flowing from the bottom and many of the problems go away.

18
World

Britain’s New Immigrants, From Romania and Bulgaria, Face Hostilities

By KIMIKO DE FREYTAS-TAMURA | May 31st 2014
The European Union extended full employment rights to Romania and Bulgaria this year, sparking unfounded fears in Britain of a flood of desperate immigrants.
Immigration and Emigration; Foreign Workers 

Yes
19
Technology

Apple Monitors for Health and Home

By BRIAN X. CHEN | Jun 1st 2014
Apple is expected to introduce mobile apps that will track a user’s health and fitness routine, and smart home devices.
Smartphones; Mobile Applications; Home Appliances; Computers and the Internet; Software; iPod 

Specialized devices would do the jobs better.
There is plenty of capacity.  The risk of loss is high.
I see why the in-house team would  write the code.
I do not see the market or the advantage.

A better product would be a baby toy.
A blue tooth link would allow additions and updates.
Such a gadget does not need or want a real time net link.
20
U.S.

Philadelphia Inquirer Co-Owner Among 7 Killed in Massachusetts Plane Crash

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and ASHLEY SOUTHALL | Jun 1st 2014
Lewis Katz, an owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, died along with six other people when a private jet erupted into a ball of fire as it took off outside Boston.
Aviation Accidents and Safety; Deaths (Fatalities); News and News Media; Private Aircraft; Newspapers 

There will be an investigation and a report.  I will read it or all about it.

"Mr. Schiada said the N.T.S.B. would post a preliminary report about Saturday’s crash on its website in 10 days."

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

@18:50


1
World

Three Kidnapped Missionaries Are Freed in Cameroon

By ADAM NOSSITER | Jun 1st 2014
The two Italian priests and a Canadian nun were held for nearly two months near Cameroon’s border with Nigeria in a region rife with Boko Haram militants.
Kidnapping; Priests; Nuns; Missionaries
2
U.S.

On Win Streak, Mainline G.O.P. Takes Tougher Stance Toward Tea Party

By JONATHAN MARTIN | May 31st 2014
3
Opinion

Sisi and the Palestinians

By ALI JARBAWI | Jun 1st 2014
In the past, a strong and stable Egypt has meant more support for Palestine in the region and abroad.
Palestinians; Elections; International Relations

A profound misperception of the situation.
Palestine is not sovereign.

4
Technology

Dark Side to Internet of Things: Hacked Homes and Invasive Ads

By NICK BILTON | Jun 1st 2014

Use a key.

5
N.Y. / Region

Police Search for Upset Teenager Who Sank Into the Hudson

By ASHLEY SOUTHALL and ALEX VADUKUL | May 31st 2014
Omotayo Adeoye, 17, was seen crying and wading into the river fully clothed on Thursday after she was confronted by a teacher who believed she was cheating on a test.
Teenagers and Adolescence

There is nothing to be done but fish out the body.
 
6
Business Day

Lewis Katz, Co-Owner of Philadelphia Inquirer, Dies at 72

By RACHEL ABRAMS | Jun 1st 2014
7
U.S.

The Lasting Appeal of the Nonpolitician Politician

By ALBERT R. HUNT | BLOOMBERG VIEW | Jun 1st 2014
8
World

China Accuses U.S. and Japan of Incitement

By HELENE COOPER | May 31st 2014
9
Opinion

How to Get Girls Into Coding

By NITASHA TIKU | May 31st 2014
10
The Upshot

There’s Nothing Wrong With Being a Banker

By JOSH BARRO | May 31st 2014
11
U.S.

G.O.P. Senate Hopeful in Iowa Enlists a Familiar Face

By ASHLEY PARKER | May 30th 2014
12
Opinion

Confronting Who We Are

By SERGE SCHMEMANN | May 30th 2014

13
Opinion

How Book Publishers Can Beat Amazon

By BOB KOHN | May 30th 2014
14
U.S.

Texas Beer Finds Home in the Heart of New York

By ADAM CHANDLER | May 31st 2014
15
Sports

Around Seattle, Ballmer’s Other Title Is Superfan

By NICK WINGFIELD | May 30th 2014
16
Opinion

Full Screed Ahead

By FRANK BRUNI | May 31st 2014
Be it the Isla Vista rampage or the transition at The Times, the event is mere prompt for the exegeses.
News and News Media; Isla Vista, Calif, Massacre (2014); Social Media; Social Conditions and Trends

Let us start with the facts.
17
Business Day

News From the Advertising Industry

By STUART ELLIOTT | Jun 1st 2014
Account assignments, executive appointments and miscellaneous news from advertising agencies.
Appointments and Executive Changes; Advertising and Marketing; Political Advertising; Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; Online Advertising

I don't know enough to comment.
Do they?
18
Business Day

StoryCorps to Collect Gays’ Oral History

By ELIZABETH JENSEN | Jun 1st 2014
OutLoud, which will begin on June 28, the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, will focus on young and minority gays and those who lived before the riots.
Homosexuality and Bisexuality; Stonewall Riots (1969); Transgender and Transsexual

http://www.wnyc.org/story/70797-storycorps-on-wnyc/
19
Opinion

Obama’s Foreign Policy Book

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN | May 31st 2014
Here are a few working titles for the president’s consideration.
United States International Relations; Kurds; Afghanistan War (2001- )

Wait for the Presidents book.
 
20
Arts

Library Reveals Details and Costs of Upgrade Plan

By ROBIN POGREBIN | Jun 1st 2014
The New York Public Library’s revised renovation plan is expected to cost about $300 million.
Libraries and Librarians; Restoration and Renovation; Architecture

Just leave the library as a great research tool.
Midtown can be well served by the public spaces in the Arnold Constable building.
 A great architect knows when not to build.




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Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, June 1, 2014

@13:45, 5/31/14

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1
Magazine

Life in the Valley of Death

By SCOTT ANDERSON | May 29th 2014

1
Magazine

Life in the Valley of Death

By SCOTT ANDERSON | May 29th 2014

We held her burrial 5/17/14
There is no "estate of" as yet

2
Dining & Wine

Video: Asparagus Soup With Ricotta Crostini

Jenny Woodward | May 30th 2014

I can and will cook it for you.
3
World

Pakistan Killing Has a New Twist

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 29th 2014
4
N.Y. / Region

New Jersey Reaches Deal on Hurricane Sandy Aid

By PATRICK McGEEHAN | May 30th 2014
5
U.S.

Medicare to Now Cover Sex-Change Surgery

By RONI CARYN RABIN | May 30th 2014
6
Business Day

The Chatter for Sunday, June 1

May 31st 2014
Notable quotes from business articles that appeared in The New York Times last week.
Data-Mining and Database Marketing; Consumer Protection

I do not believe Florida Realestate  has recovered.
There is no online privacy.
Streaming music is a good imitation of radio.
People are not going to explore downloads "blind".
7
U.S.

Amid Moves on Shield Laws, Journalist Tells of a 2011 Subpoena Fight

By CHARLIE SAVAGE | May 30th 2014
A reporter’s story of being asked to reveal his sources adds a chapter to the administration’s crackdown on unauthorized leaks.
News Sources, Confidential Status of; News and News Media; Freedom of the Press; Television

The fights are won and the law is changing.
 
8
U.S.

More Emergency Centers Are Gearing Up to Receive 911 Texts

By CATHALEEN QIAO CHEN | May 30th 2014
Texas is at the forefront of a national initiative to modernize the call system to accommodate situations in which a voice call may be risky or impossible and to be more accessible to the deaf community.
Disasters and Emergencies; Text Messaging

A minor addition.
 
9
U.S.

New Mexico: Toxic Waste Removal Will Miss Deadline

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 30th 2014
Los Alamos National Laboratory will not be able to meet a deadline for getting toxic waste from decades of building nuclear bombs off its northern New Mexico campus before wildfire season peaks, the Department of Energy said Friday.
Hazardous and Toxic Substances; Nuclear Weapons

A political problem.
10
Business Day

Drug Saves Fertility for Women With Cancer

By ANDREW POLLACK | May 30th 2014
The new treatment would be a less invasive way to safeguard a woman’s chances of having babies than the current method.
Breast Cancer; Clinical Trials; Drugs (Pharmaceuticals); Pregnancy and Childbirth

A good thing if needed.
 
11
Arts

Artifacts With a Life All Their Own

By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN | May 29th 2014
12
U.S.

Colorado: Search Is Called Off for Three Missing in Landslide

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 27th 2014

Common sense.
 
13
Science

A Wisconsin Farm Fights Warming, With California’s Help

May 29th 2014
14
Opinion

Template for the South China Sea

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | May 29th 2014
An accord between Indonesia and the Philippines suggests a path to peace.

China is the problem.

15
U.S.

Florida Court Overturns Murder Conviction of F.B.I. Agent

By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS | May 28th 2014
The court ruled that the judge in the trial of John J. Connolly Jr., who had been convicted in a 1982 killing, had allowed the prosecutors to improperly enhance the charge.
Murders and Attempted Murders; Prisons and Prisoners; Sentences (Criminal); Statutes of Limitations; Firearms; Organized Crime; Decisions and Verdicts

Temporary.

16
Business Day

Unlocking Secrets, if Not Its Own Value

By QUENTIN HARDY | May 31st 2014
Palantir Technologies’ intelligence software is gaining fans worldwide, and some investors want to cash in.
Computers and the Internet; Software; Initial Public Offerings

They can't go public.
The system will work in data rich environments.
I can only think of "Riding the tiger".
Like the N.S.A. telecommunications file, how can we know they have stopped?  We can't because the operators would have to tell us and they can lie.
They also point out that they do not control all their systems. 
Their systems are not hardware specific so they can be copied and "shared".
I bought a two terabyte drive for about a hundred bucks retail. 
The data files are not so big that they would pose a barrier.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"

17
Business Day

Not Walking the Walk on Board Diversity

By GRETCHEN MORGENSON | May 31st 2014
From two companies, unfulfilled promises about diversity among directors.
Boards of Directors; Shareholder Rights and Activism; Women and Girls; Minorities

Explain how women and minorities on the board increase profits and the desired changes will rapidly come.

18
U.S.

Sensing Tea Party Weakness, Mainline Republicans Flex Their Muscle

By JONATHAN MARTIN | May 31st 2014
After the party’s establishment wing won a series of primaries this year, its leaders are considering tough tactics to head off further attacks from the Tea Party.
Tea Party Movement; United States Politics and Government; Elections, State Legislature; Presidential Election of 2016

I welcome bitter splits in the Republican party.

19
World

American Businesses in China Feel Heat of a Cyberdispute

By EDWARD WONG | May 31st 2014
Following the Justice Department’s indictment of five members of the Chinese Army on economic cyberespionage charges, Chinese government agencies are reviewing their use of IBM servers — an example of the growing threat of retaliation against U.S. companies.
Cyberwarfare; Computer Security

I have been noticing that there is no privacy in the digital world.
I hope I am getting better control of my desktop.
Put no secrets on line is a good rule.
20
Technology

The iPhone 6 Rumors Heat Up

By NICK BILTON | May 31st 2014
The Apple rumor mill is in full swing, talking about a larger iPhone 6. It is expected to come in two sizes. But do customers really want a bigger iPhone?
Android (Operating System); iPhone; Rumors; Smartphones

Wait for it.  We do not know what they have done now.
You will know more when you try to use one.
2
Dining & Wine

Video: Asparagus Soup With Ricotta Crostini

Jenny Woodward | May 30th 2014
3
World

Pakistan Killing Has a New Twist

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 29th 2014
4
N.Y. / Region

New Jersey Reaches Deal on Hurricane Sandy Aid

By PATRICK McGEEHAN | May 30th 2014
5
U.S.

Medicare to Now Cover Sex-Change Surgery

By RONI CARYN RABIN | May 30th 2014
6
Business Day

The Chatter for Sunday, June 1

May 31st 2014
7
U.S.

Amid Moves on Shield Laws, Journalist Tells of a 2011 Subpoena Fight

By CHARLIE SAVAGE | May 30th 2014
8
U.S.

More Emergency Centers Are Gearing Up to Receive 911 Texts

By CATHALEEN QIAO CHEN | May 30th 2014
9
U.S.

New Mexico: Toxic Waste Removal Will Miss Deadline

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 30th 2014
10
Business Day

Drug Saves Fertility for Women With Cancer

By ANDREW POLLACK | May 30th 2014
11
Arts

Artifacts With a Life All Their Own

By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN | May 29th 2014
12
U.S.

Colorado: Search Is Called Off for Three Missing in Landslide

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | May 27th 2014
13
Science

A Wisconsin Farm Fights Warming, With California’s Help

May 29th 2014
14
Opinion

Template for the South China Sea

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | May 29th 2014

15
U.S.

Florida Court Overturns Murder Conviction of F.B.I. Agent

By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS | May 28th 2014
16
Business Day

Unlocking Secrets, if Not Its Own Value

By QUENTIN HARDY | May 31st 2014

A monster better left alone.

17
Business Day

Not Walking the Walk on Board Diversity

By GRETCHEN MORGENSON | May 31st 2014
  
Show them how to profit.

18
U.S.

Sensing Tea Party Weakness, Mainline Republicans Flex Their Muscle

By JONATHAN MARTIN | May 31st 2014

Shards are better.

19
World

American Businesses in China Feel Heat of a Cyberdispute

By EDWARD WONG | May 31st 2014
20
Technology

The iPhone 6 Rumors Heat Up

By NICK BILTON | May 31st 2014
Posted by at No comments:

@20:13, 5/31/14

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1
U.S.

More Emergency Centers Are Gearing Up to Receive 911 Texts

By CATHALEEN QIAO CHEN | May 30th 2014
2
Magazine

Life in the Valley of Death

By SCOTT ANDERSON | May 29th 2014
3
U.S.

Amid Moves on Shield Laws, Journalist Tells of a 2011 Subpoena Fight

By CHARLIE SAVAGE | May 30th 2014
A reporter’s story of being asked to reveal his sources adds a chapter to the administration’s crackdown on unauthorized leaks.
News Sources, Confidential Status of; News and News Media; Freedom of the Press; Television 

"Mr. Holder has since revised the department’s regulations to make it harder to subpoena for a reporter’s notes, testimony or phone records in a leak case. He also endorsed reviving efforts to pass a media-shield law."

4
Business Day

Drug Saves Fertility for Women With Cancer

By ANDREW POLLACK | May 30th 2014
The new treatment would be a less invasive way to safeguard a woman’s chances of having babies than the current method.
Breast Cancer; Clinical Trials; Drugs (Pharmaceuticals); Pregnancy and Childbirth

I have no opinion on the treatment of breast cancer.
 
5
Technology

The iPhone 6 Rumors Heat Up

By NICK BILTON | May 31st 2014
The Apple rumor mill is in full swing, talking about a larger iPhone 6. It is expected to come in two sizes. But do customers really want a bigger iPhone?
Android (Operating System); iPhone; Rumors; Smartphones 

There are no decisions to be made as yet.  
I will buy you your choice of hardware.

6
U.S.

On Win Streak, Mainline G.O.P. Takes Tougher Stance Toward Tea Party

By JONATHAN MARTIN | May 31st 2014
After the party’s establishment wing won a series of primaries this year, its leaders are considering tough tactics to head off further attacks from the Tea Party.
Tea Party Movement; United States Politics and Government; Elections, State Legislature; Presidential Election of 2016 

Fragmentation of the right is a good thing.
 
7
Dining & Wine

Ben’s Cream Cheese: A Favorite Wrapped in Mystery

By JEFF GORDINIER | May 27th 2014
Want the recipe for for this culinary obsession? Good luck.
Cheese; Jews and Judaism 

Apparently it must be purchased.
There is no other information here.
 
8
World

Iran: Supreme Leader Pushes Fertility Campaign

By REUTERS | May 27th 2014
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for a population increase, an edict likely to restrict access to contraception.
Population; Birth Control and Family Planning 

Babies are not made by fiat.
 
9
The Upshot

Everything You Need to Know About Thomas Piketty vs. The Financial Times

By NEIL IRWIN | May 30th 2014
A review of the controversy over issues a newspaper took with an influential book about economic inequality.
Income Inequality 

There is nothing "natural" about the drift.  It is pure artifice.
The Upshot pulls its punches.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/31/that-old-time-inequality-denial/

"Brad DeLong links to the now extensive list of pieces debunking the FT’s attempted debunking of Thomas Piketty, and pronounces himself puzzled:
I still do not understand what Chris Giles of the Financial Times thinks he is doing here…
OK, I don’t know what Giles thought he was doing — but I do know what he was actually doing, and it’s the same old same old. Ever since it became obvious that inequality was rising — way back in the 1980s — there has been a fairly substantial industry on the right of inequality denial. This denial didn’t rely on any one argument, nor did it involve consistent objections. Instead, it involved throwing many different arguments against the wall, hoping that something would stick. Inequality isn’t rising; it is rising, but it’s offset by social mobility; it’s cancelled by greater aid to the poor (which we’re trying to destroy, but never mind that); anyway, inequality is good. All these arguments have been made at the same time; none of them ever gets abandoned in the face of evidence — they just keep coming back.
Look at my old article from 1992: every single bogus argument I identified there is still being made today. And we know perfectly well why: it’s all about defending the 1 percent from the threat of higher taxes and other actions that might limit top incomes.
What’s new in the latest round is the venue. Traditionally, inequality denial has been carried out on the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal and like-minded venues. Seeing it expand to the Financial Times is something new, and is a sign that the FT may be suffering from creeping Murdochization."
10
World

An Island Marred by a Ferry Disaster and Sustained by Dogs

By CHOE SANG-HUN | May 29th 2014
Before a deadly ferry sinking in April, the South Korean island of Jindo was known largely for one thing: its dogs, famous for their loyalty and homing instinct.
Dogs; Ferries; Maritime Accidents and Safety 

Another breed to consider.
 
11
The Upshot

When Union Membership Was Rising

By ALAN FLIPPEN | May 29th 2014
Not long after The Times reported an increase in the percentage of workers belonging to unions, the trend turned firmly in the other direction.
Organized Labor; Labor and Jobs; Government Employees 

Yes.   
Collective bargaining and "closed"shops are important.
Management will always try to drive down wages.

12
The Upshot

Elections Put Europe’s Centrists on Notice

By NEIL IRWIN | May 27th 2014
Gains made by extremist parties in the European Parliament are likely to have little practical effect, but they are still important.
European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Elections 

You know I have been expecting the end of the euro.
This election will not do it.

13
Opinion

Disoriented Baby Beaver Meets Midstream Kayaker...

By ANDREW C. REVKIN | May 31st 2014
A disoriented baby beaver swims to a kayak, with a good outcome the result.
Animals; Environment; Kayaks; Mammals; Rivers 

Interesting.  
Beaver can be a nuisance.  Otters are more interesting.
I would miss them if they were not there.
I boil or filter my water in the woods.
  
14
U.S.

Video: Obama Announces Counterterrorism Plan

May 28th 2014
President Obama pledged $5 billion for a network of partnerships to help train countries in the Middle East and Africa to carry out operations against extremists.
Terrorism; Benghazi Attack (2012); Nairobi, Kenya, Westgate Mall Shootings (2013); September 11 (2001); United States Politics and Government 

A sketch rather than a detailed plan.
He has good intentions.
 
15
Home & Garden

Diffa Marks 3 Decades of Designers Fighting AIDS

By PENELOPE GREEN | May 29th 2014
At its latest fund-raiser, a panel including Ruben and Isabel Toledo and Terrence McNally spoke of how the disease had affected their industries in the early, terrifying years.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Organizations, Societies and Clubs 

I missed all of this.  
The gays were closeted in my cohort.  
It was an education to return to the game in 2000.

16
N.Y. / Region

Latest Port Authority Roadblock Delays Legislation, Not Traffic

By MATT FLEGENHEIMER | May 30th 2014
A news conference on a “historic agreement” on transparency at the New York and New Jersey agency was abruptly canceled.

There is no action ready at this time.

17
Magazine

Who Made That French Press?

By DANIEL ENGBER | May 30th 2014
No, not the biceps exercise. The other one.
Inventions and Patents; Coffee 

I bought one in 1972.  I learned to make good coffee.
I use a paper filter drip maker without automation
 
18
N.Y. / Region

Video: Turning Sturgeon Into High-Tech Sensors

Stephen Farrell | May 29th 2014
Sturgeon in the Hudson River are being fitted with transmitters to see if noise from pile driving and construction on the new Tappan Zee Bridge is harming imperiled Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon.
Sturgeon (Fish)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/nyregion/in-tappan-zees-construction-zone-keeping-an-eye-on-sturgeon.html

I am glad the sturgeon populations are recovering.
 
19
Magazine

Morning’s Glory

By SAM SIFTON | May 28th 2014
Rather than rushing through breakfast, take time to make a French toast that’s worth waking up for.
Cooking and Cookbooks; Families and Family Life 

“ ‘When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,’ said Piglet at last, ‘what’s the first thing you say to yourself?’
“ ‘What’s for breakfast?’ said Pooh. ‘What do you say, Piglet?’
“ ‘I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?’ said Piglet.
“Pooh nodded thoughtfully. ‘It’s the same thing,’ he said.”

Waffles, pancakes and crepes got to be my habit.
Eaten with cottage cheese and raspberry jam.
I found that separated eggs and whole wheat flour with a glug of canola did the pancakes and waffles.  Crepes needed dry milk at double strength with the egg and flour.  Do not forget a touch of salt.

20
U.S.

On Death Row With Low I.Q., and New Hope for a Reprieve

By LIZETTE ALVAREZ and JOHN SCHWARTZ | May 30th 2014
After a ruling that says states can no longer rely on a fixed I.Q. cutoff to decide intellectual competency, the likelihood increased that some inmates will have a chance to avoid execution.
Intelligence and Intelligence Tests (IQ); Capital Punishment; Sentences (Criminal); Supreme Courts (State) 

Close counts here also.  
"Close only counts in hand grenades and horse shoes".


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