Monday, June 9, 2014

@15:35, 6/8/14

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2
Opinion

Stopping Bike Thieves

Brent Sverdloff of San Francisco SAFE responds to a letter, “Baiting Bike Thieves.”
Robberies and Thefts; Bicycles and Bicycling; Police 

It is entrapment.
The practice should end.  So should the thefts.
Law enforcement is being lazy
3
U.S.

Under Obama, a Chill on Press Freedom

This administration has prosecuted more whistle-blowers for leaks and gone after more journalists than any of its predecessors.
News and News Media; Classified Information and State Secrets 

The Federal prosecutors office has a history at least as long as a civil-service career.  
Bloomberg writes for the financial industry.
4
Fashion & Style

Shoe Companies Show a Red Card to Black Soccer Cleats

For the tournament in Brazil, major shoe companies have planned a veritable parade of pigments for cleats.
Soccer; World Cup 2014 (Soccer); Shoes and Boots; Fashion and Apparel 

Fashion drives sales.  
Sell the shoes without the cleats for street wear.
5
Science

In Some States, Emissions Cuts Defy Skeptics

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/the-war-on-coal-already-happened/


6
Opinion

Gov. Christie’s Money Troubles

The decision to skimp on scheduled payments to pension funds for state workers adds another stain to the governor’s résumé.
Budgets and Budgeting; Pensions and Retirement Plans; Credit Ratings and Credit Rating Agencies 

Soft in the middle.
7
Automobiles

General Motors Recalls 105,500 Vehicles in 2 Actions

The automaker said some recent G.M. pickups and S.U.V.s may have inoperative door chimes and other models may have a problem with an air bag.
Automobile Safety Features and Defects; Sports Utility Vehicles and Light Trucks; Small Cars (Compact, Subcompact and Microcars); Recalls and Bans of Products 

http://www.wunderground.com/severe.asp

Click on a colored region of the map for details.

8
Fashion & Style

In a Small Bag, She Packed All Our Hopes

Love doesn’t afford us the luxury of caring, or not caring, only about ourselves.
Love (Emotion); Dating and Relationships; Sex; Modern Love (Times Column); Marriages 

Sooner is better.  As soon as you can is best.
9
U.S.

Peter Glaser, Who Envisioned Space Solar Power, Dies at 90

Dr. Glaser’s concept for harnessing solar energy was deemed credible enough for the government to spend $20 million studying it, only to conclude it was too expensive.
Space and Astronomy; Solar Energy; Deaths (Obituaries) 

We may yet do orbiting arrays for power and shade.
They will not be done soon.
We will miss the man who dreamed them.
10
World

Syria: Drought Adds to Woes, U.N. Says

The supply of safe water in Syria is now one-third of the level it was before March 2011 when the civil war began, Unicef officials said.
Drought; Water Pollution; Clean Water Act 

There has not been much agriculture for several years.
The immediate impact will be small.
11
N.Y. / Region

Higher Minimum Wage Gains Support

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said he would support raising the state minimum wage — currently $8 per hour — and he might also support an even greater wage for high cost-of-living areas like New York City.
Minimum Wage; Wages and Salaries 

It would help.  It is still not enough.
12
World

Libya: Swiss Red Cross Worker Is Killed

Gunmen in the central Libyan city of Surt fatally shot a Swiss man working for the Red Cross on Wednesday, the humanitarian group said in a statement.
Murders and Attempted Murders; Humanitarian Aid; Foreign Workers 

The government is failing,

http://www.juancole.com/2014/03/community-libyas-chaos.html

“Libya has been sitting on the international community’s back burner as the country has slipped into near chaos,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Unless the international community focuses on the need for urgent assistance to the justice and security systems, Libya risks the collapse of its already weak state institutions and further deterioration of human rights in the country.”

13
U.S.

GTT ★

Our quirky, discerning picks for the most interesting things to do around the state this week.
Poetry and Poets; Rodeos; Movies 

Yes, a pivotal year.
14
U.S.

Though Not Quietly, Kentucky Moves to Cut Reliance on Coal

Despite cries of a “war on coal” that echo through mining country in eastern Kentucky, the region is already taking hardheaded steps toward a post-coal economy.
Coal; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Electric Light and Power 

Lots of political noise.  
Kentucky will not suffer excessively.
15
Opinion

Belatedly, Europe Takes On Low Inflation

The Central Bank has taken some steps, but they need to be matched by government actions if the economy is to recover.
Interest Rates; Inflation (Economics); Credit and Debt; Government Bonds; Banking and Financial Institutions; Euro (Currency); Editorials 

"Ideally, governments would provide stimulus with increased spending on public services. Yet most euro countries are doing the opposite. They are cutting spending and increasing taxes to conform with the austerity policies demanded by Germany and the European Union. Until those policies change, there is little hope for a vigorous economic recovery in the euro zone."
16
Business Day

A Gas Cache, Now Under Shaky Ground

The Groningen field in the Netherlands has provided energy for decades, but a series of earthquakes have damaged property and rattled residents.
Natural Gas; Earthquakes; Drilling and Boring; Energy and Power 

Usually 5 on the Richter scale is considered the lower limit of damage.  Groningen has not gotten near it.  
North West Germany has a similar field.
 
17
Opinion

When the Landline Is a Lifeline

The new Internet-based phones still haveIdeally, governments would provide stimulus with increased spending on public services. Yet most euro countries are doing the opposite. They are cutting spending and increasing taxes to conform with the austerity policies demanded by Germany and the European Union. Until those policies change, there is little hope for a vigorous economic recovery in the euro zone. some major flaws.
Telephones and Telecommunications; Internet Telephony; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry 

The digital system remains a common carrier system.
The F.C.C. should declare it so and be done with these attempts to game the system. The local analog system here links to digital fiber trunk lines. I have DSL service along with analog phone service.
Service has been good recently.

18
World

In Britain, Child’s Weight Leads to Parents’ Arrest

The police called it a rare step when they arrested the parents of a 210-pound, 11-year-old boy on suspicion of neglect and child cruelty.
Child Abuse and Neglect; Obesity; Parenting 

General insanity.
19
U.S.

Researchers Race to Save Coral in Miami

With dredging set to begin this weekend in the Port of Miami, researchers are scrambling to salvage a much larger than expected trove of corals.
Reefs; Coral; Ports; Building (Construction); Ships and Shipping; Engineering and Engineers; Fish and Other Marine Life 

The money is small change for these projects.
The Army Corps local commander in Miami should be reassigned.
The scientists have work to do.
20
World

Spain: Citizenship Plan for Sephardic Jews




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

@17:50 (11:50)


1
Sports

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Says Polluted Bay Won’t Be Clean

2
World

Pope Holds Vatican Prayer Summit With Israeli and Palestinian Leaders


3
U.S.

Under Obama, a Chill on Press Freedom

4
Opinion

Gov. Christie’s Money Troubles

5
Automobiles

General Motors Recalls 105,500 Vehicles in 2 Actions

6
Fashion & Style

In a Small Bag, She Packed All Our Hopes

Love
7
World

Syria: Drought Adds to Woes, U.N. Says

8
N.Y. / Region

Higher Minimum Wage Gains Support

9
World

Libya: Swiss Red Cross Worker Is Killed


Libya is falling further into chaos.

10
U.S.

GTT ★

11
12
Business Day

A Gas Cache, Now Under Shaky Ground

13
Opinion

When the Landline Is a Lifeline

14
World

In Britain, Child’s Weight Leads to Parents’ Arrest

15
U.S.

Researchers Race to Save Coral in Miami

16

An act of war.

17
Opinion

Belatedly, Europe Takes On Low Inflation


pointless

18
N.Y. / Region

A Lifetime of Guiding Young Scholars in Harlem

Since 1964, Edouard E. Plummer has taken promising poor and minority children and, in one intense year, given them the tools to get into — and thrive at — the nation’s leading schools and beyond.
Education (K-12); Minorities; Segregation and Desegregation 

The what and the how are known.  
The lack of action must be intentional.

19
Business Day

Shifts in Wireless Market May Sway a Sprint Deal

By EDWARD WYATT | Jun 5th 2014The two companies say their merger would add a strong competitor to a market now dominated by AT&T and Verizon.
Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues; Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures; Wireless Communications 

The internet and its servicers are common carriers.
Regulate them as such.
20
World

Bear Rescue Plan Delayed by Permit Problems

A plan to transport 28 of the sickest animals from a bear bile farm to a rescue center in Sichuan Province cannot go forward without a government permit for the transfer.
Animal Abuse, Rights and Welfare; Bears; Veterinary Medicine 

Trouble shooters earn their cut.
Someone wants to be paid and is not on the list.



Enough for tonight.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

@10:15, 6/8/14

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1
World

In South Sudan, a Ghost of Wars Past: Child Soldiers

 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannon_fodder
 
2
Opinion

How to Beat Malaria, Once and for All


Sadly no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria
Five species of plasmodium and animal reservoirs 

3
Sports

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Says Polluted Bay Won’t Be Clean

Mayor Eduardo Paes of Rio de Janeiro said the city would fail to keep the promise of cleaning the polluted Guanabara Bay for the 2016 Olympics.
Olympic Games (2016); Olympic Games 

A big project.
It would require a "cultural revolution".
I am not going to learn Portuguese.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanabara_Bay

4
Health

Losing Weight May Require Some Serious Fun

Volunteers who were told to exercise by walking a mile consumed more calories afterward than those who were told to have fun while completing the same workout, a provocative new study found.
Calories; Exercise; Medicine and Health; Psychology and Psychologists; Weight 

Body image is all in the head.
Having active fun fights fat.
 
5
Fashion & Style

Shoe Companies Show a Red Card to Black Soccer Cleats

For the tournament in Brazil, major shoe companies have planned a veritable parade of pigments for cleats.
Soccer; World Cup 2014 (Soccer); Shoes and Boots; Fashion and Apparel 

Fashion drives sales.
 
6
Your Money

When a Shared ID Leads to a Grim Predicament

Apple’s new family sharing program will come too late for those embroiled in disastrous situations because of inadvertently shared private messages.
Privacy; Consumer Protection; Cloud Computing 

I began this story with trepidation. Relief came quickly.
 
7
Fashion & Style

In a Small Bag, She Packed All Our Hopes

Love doesn’t afford us the luxury of caring, or not caring, only about ourselves.
Love (Emotion); Dating and Relationships; Sex; Modern Love (Times Column); Marriages 

Sooner is better.  As soon as you can is best.
 
8
U.S.

Outside Money Floods Alaska in Senate Race

Political ads fill the airwaves in Alaska, which has become a giant receptacle for money from super PACs fighting for control of the United States Senate.
Political Action Committees; Political Advertising; Campaign Finance 

I think its an attack add. 
I am unsure what group paid for it.
 
9
Business Day

Wind? Biofuels? Get Real, a Contrarian Says

A new book by a “climate agnostic” offers contrarian views on energy policies, arguing that the world needs a revival of nuclear power.
Global Warming; Nuclear Energy; Alternative and Renewable Energy; Wind Power; Natural Gas 

I agree with Robert Bryce on the facts.
I don't like it. 

10
Automobiles

Wheelies: The Z06 Power Edition

Chevrolet announces specifications for the 2015 Corvette Z06; Mercedes-Benz says it will double its urban sales locations.
Automobiles; Electric and Hybrid Vehicles; Organized Labor 

Consider it commercial art.
 
11
World

Saudi Arabia and Iran Reach Out Tentatively

With the Persian Gulf region still in tumult, there have been surprising signs that Tehran and Riyadh are looking to temper their destructive rivalry.
Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); International Relations 

Iraq may yet enter exhausted silence.
There is enough oil and gas escaping the conflict to fuel the continuing civil war.
 
12
Opinion

Detroit’s Fight Against Blight

A census of the city’s demise shows how many buildings must be torn down, but that would be just the starting point for a real rescue effort.
Abandonment (Property); Demolition 

Detroit is a zombie city.  Dead but artificially animated.
If it is brought back to life it will be a Frankenstein's monster.
 
13
World

Vietnam Says Video Shows Chinese Ship Intentionally Sinking Boat

Vietnam has released video of a clash at sea last month that it says shows a Chinese vessel in disputed waters intentionally ramming and sinking a smaller Vietnamese fishing boat.
Boats and Boating; Offshore Drilling and Exploration 

Acts of war are a good sign.
We may yet get a U.N. resolution.
 
14
Business Day

Lara Logan Returns to Work on ’60 Minutes’

Ms. Logan and a producer had been placed on leave after a discredited report about the attacks on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya.
Television; News and News Media; Benghazi Attack (2012) 

Working is a good idea.
Anyone can be deceived.

15
Opinion

Attitudes About Work

Readers discuss some of the factors that make people love or hate their jobs.
Labor and Jobs; Happiness; Social Conditions and Trends 

Yes.
 
16
Business Day

Shifts in Wireless Market May Sway a Sprint Deal

17
World

$21 Million for Selling Parts to Iran

Fokker Services had been accused of more than 1,150 violations of American sanctions on Iran and Sudan through the illicit sale of aircraft parts.
Embargoes and Sanctions; Military Aircraft; Defense Contracts 

A cost of doing business.

A step on the way.

Spain’s cabinet on Friday approved a bill allowing descendants of Jews forced into exile centuries ago the right to dual citizenship.
Citizenship and Naturalization; Jews and Judaism 

The campaign in Berlin is successful it appears.
 
19
Opinion

In Kurdistan, democratic ideas in young minds.
Kurds; Iraq War (2003-11); Colleges and Universities 

No.  No real hope.
 
20
 
U.S.

Peter Glaser, Who Envisioned Space Solar Power, Dies at 90

Dr. Glaser’s concept for harnessing solar energy was deemed credible enough for the government to spend $20 million studying it, only to conclude it was too expensive.
Space and Astronomy; Solar Energy; Deaths (Obituaries) 

Regrets and condolences.   
This is practical fusion power.


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@13:12



1
Sports

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Says Polluted Bay Won’t Be Clean

2
Opinion

Stopping Bike Thieves

 
Entrapment.
Law enforcement is not doing their job.
Petty theft is damaging.
 
3
U.S.

Under Obama, a Chill on Press Freedom

This administration has prosecuted more whistle-blowers for leaks and gone after more journalists than any of its predecessors.
News and News Media; Classified Information and State Secrets 

I note that the executive branch is not simple in organization.
 
4
Automobiles

Wheelies: The Z06 Power Edition

Think art 

5
Fashion & Style

Shoe Companies Show a Red Card to Black Soccer Cleats

6
Business Day


15
Opinion

Attitudes About Work

16
Business Day

Shifts in Wireless Market May Sway a Sprint Deal

17
World

$21 Million for Selling Parts to Iran


20
U.S.

Massachusetts: Details Emerge on Fatal Jet Crash

The crew of the Gulfstream IV jet that crashed in Bedford on Saturday night made comments about aircraft control before the plane exploded, killing all on board, federal investigators said.
Aviation Accidents and Safety; Airlines and Airplanes; Deaths (Fatalities) 

No useful information yet.
It looks like a human failure so far.
 
 
 
 
 
|

@16:31, 6/7/14

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1
The Upshot

Affordable Housing That’s Very Costly

What is known as inclusionary zoning lets developers build more housing units if they charge much lower rents for some of them.
Affordable Housing; Zoning; Area Planning and Renewal; Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Real Estate (Commercial); Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates); Rent Control and Stabilization 

I did not follow the argument.
The conclusion that housing on Manhattan is and will continue to be very expensive is comforting to the realestate mob.
 
2
World

In South Sudan, a Ghost of Wars Past: Child Soldiers

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) estimated last month that 9,000 children had been recruited into armed forces or other groups to fight in the South Sudan conflict.
Child Soldiers; Draft and Recruitment (Military) 

Echo perhaps.  Not a ghost.  
The pattern is the same. 
The people are new.

Societies have little invested in boy children.
The girls are the next generation of recruits.
Without the girls there will be no more boys.
The M-16 is much lighter than the AK-47.
They could peel a year or two off the cycle.

3
Opinion

Gov. Christie’s Money Troubles

The decision to skimp on scheduled payments to pension funds for state workers adds another stain to the governor’s résumé.
Budgets and Budgeting; Pensions and Retirement Plans; Credit Ratings and Credit Rating Agencies 

Unsurprising as Christie is all bluster and meanness.

4
Opinion

How to Beat Malaria, Once and for All

We have to shift from controlling the disease to eliminating the parasite.
Malaria; Parasites; Medicine and Health 

A faint hope.
There is more hope in the uninfected carriers.
How do they avoid disease?
 
5
Opinion

Calls for Rebirth, Not Demolition, in Detroit

The president of the National Trust and an architect suggest alternatives to demolition.
Historic Buildings and Sites; Demolition; Area Planning and Renewal; Architecture 

It will be a long time before Detroit needs a new building.
Detroit needs"foreign exchange". 
Money to pay for all those things that not made or grown locally.
The built environment is a burden rather than a benefit.
At this point the city will spare any structure that pays taxes.
The homeless need to be warm and fed.

6
U.S.

State and Local Officials Vow to End Homelessness Among Veterans

Michelle Obama, an active supporter of service members and their families, emphasized that a goal set by the administration in 2010 to end homelessness among veterans was achievable.
Veterans; Homeless Persons; Mayors 

The veterans could be offered a bus ticket to Detroit, food stamps and a heat subsidy along with the right to work in Detroit.  They might go but would not stay.
 
7
Business Day

Performing Without Net: Stars of YouTube Take to the Stage

As YouTube personalities grow in popularity and prove more than flashes in the pan, traditional media businesses, particularly concert promoters, are rushing to capitalize.
Video Recordings, Downloads and Streaming; Computers and the Internet; Social Media; Teenagers and Adolescence; Music 

I have heard for as long as I have been aware that what performers need most is a place to be bad while they learn to be good.

8
Automobiles

Wheelies: The Z06 Power Edition

Chevrolet announces specifications for the 2015 Corvette Z06; Mercedes-Benz says it will double its urban sales locations.
Automobiles; Electric and Hybrid Vehicles; Organized Labor 

Disabled dancing hamster fraudulent!
9
World

For Afghan Lovers, Joy Is Brief, Ending in Arrest

Mohammad Ali, 21, was captured by six of his male in-laws and dragged to a police station where he is being accused of kidnapping his wife, Zakia, 18, who he had married for love.
Honor Killings; Tajiks (Ethnic Group); Hazaras (Ethnic Group); Marriages; Kidnapping 

Court cases do resolve.  In Afghanistan it is not my tradition.
10
World

Saudi Arabia and Iran Reach Out Tentatively

With the Persian Gulf region still in tumult, there have been surprising signs that Tehran and Riyadh are looking to temper their destructive rivalry.
Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); International Relations 

Their war has been by proxies.
11
Business Day

The Chatter for Sunday, June 8

Notable quotes from business articles that appeared in The New York Times last week.

Two truths of our times:  The zero lower bound and child care is full time.
 
12
Automobiles

General Motors Recalls 105,500 Vehicles in 2 Actions

The automaker said some recent G.M. pickups and S.U.V.s may have inoperative door chimes and other models may have a problem with an air bag.
Automobile Safety Features and Defects; Sports Utility Vehicles and Light Trucks; Small Cars (Compact, Subcompact and Microcars); Recalls and Bans of Products 

Quality control does not get the attention it needs at G.M.
 
13
U.S.

Senate Candidate Arrested After G.O.P. Primary Loss in South Dakota

Annette Boswort, who lost with 6 percent of the vote, was charged on Wednesday with several counts of perjury and filing false election documents.
Perjury; Primaries and Caucuses; Elections, Senate 

Infighting.
 

14
Fashion & Style

In a Small Bag, She Packed All Our Hopes

Love doesn’t afford us the luxury of caring, or not caring, only about ourselves.
Love (Emotion); Dating and Relationships; Sex; Modern Love (Times Column); Marriages 

A small bag; a short stay.
 
15

Untrue.

16
Science

In Some States, Emissions Cuts Defy Skeptics

At least 10 states have already met President Obama’s goal of a 30 percent reduction in power plant emissions by 2030, without the economic damage that critics have warned would occur.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; States (US); United States Economy; Electric Light and Power; Carbon Dioxide; Natural Gas; Coal; United States Politics and Government; Air Pollution 

Small investments in pipelines are a start.

The War on Coal Already Happened


I’m trying to pull together some thoughts about interests and ideology in the fight over climate policies, and found myself wondering what exactly is at stake in the supposed “war on coal”. And the answer is, surprisingly little — at least as far as jobs are concerned. Here’s total employment in coal mining (the earlier numbers are from Historical Statistics of the United States, Millennial Edition; the later from the FRED database):
There used to be a lot of coal miners, but not any more — strip mines and machinery in general have allowed us to produce more coal with very few miners. Basically, it’s a job that was destroyed by technology long ago, with only a relative handful of workers — 0.06 percent of the US work force — still engaged in mining.
So what is this fight about? There’s capital invested in coal and coal-related stuff, hiding behind the pretense of caring about the workers. And there’s also ideology, of which more soon. But the war on coal already happened, it had nothing to do with liberals and environmentalists, and coal lost."

17
The Upshot

More Fathers Who Stay at Home by Choice

A shift reveals a structural change in gender roles in family and at work underway in the United States.
Work-Life Balance; Parenting; Gender; Men and Boys; Labor and Jobs

Child care is worth more than low wage work.
 
18
World

International Criminal Court to Focus on Sex Crimes

For the first time, the court’s statute included rape, sexual slavery, and other forms of sexual violence as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity; Sex Crimes; Human Trafficking 

A higher prosecution rate would be better.
 
19
Opinion

Children on the Run

The rising influx of young unauthorized immigrants crossing the border with or without parents has become a humanitarian crisis.
Illegal Immigration; Children and Childhood; Refugees and Displaced Persons; United States Politics and Government; Asylum, Right of; Editorials 

"The administration’s first task is to meet the pressing needs of these traumatized children: to shelter them, reunite them with families when possible, give them legal representation and properly assess the chances of seeking refugee status or asylum, while working with the governments abroad to solve the root causes of violence and instability. This emergency requires a compassionate and reasoned response, commensurate with its complexity."

20
Opinion

Obama on Obama on Climate

The president explains in an interview why the new E.P.A. rules on carbon are so pivotal.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Global Warming; Weather; Alternative and Renewable Energy; Carbon Dioxide; Environment 

President Obama is doing his job.
 


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Saturday, June 7, 2014

@9:40, 6/7/14

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1
Education

Two States Repeal Education Standards

The governors of Oklahoma and South Carolina signed bills within the past week repealing the Common Core state standards, guidelines for children’s achievement in reading and math between kindergarten and high school graduation.
Education (K-12); Governors (US); States (US) 

I distrust red state governors and their legislatures.
2
Technology

Internet Giants Erect Barriers to Spy Agencies

Internet companies like Google and Facebook are working to keep governments and especially their spy agencies out of their servers after revelations from Edward J. Snowden that they had been invaded.
Surveillance of Citizens by Government; Computers and the Internet 

Every bit helps.
Actions at the server farms are mostly window dressing.
It is easy to insert prearranged triggers in otherwise innocent messages.  "Reading the mail" is an overwhelming task even with machine help. What the N.S.A. and G.C.H.Q. have done is collect and organize the meta-data from the internet.  They can know which machines communicated and the size of the communication. If the fact of the communication is interesting to an annalist the content can be examined and in all probability read.  This is done "in house".
The cooperation of the net operating companies is not required.
Annalists, hackers and police are curious. It is a requirement of the jobs they do.  They poke at things to see what can be learnt.  
What has been learned is how public the internet based communication system is.  Advertisers and copyright holders have made a business of privacy violation. 
Violations of privacy have commercial value.  The violations have become property that is bought and sold.
 
3
Health

Losing Weight May Require Some Serious Fun

Volunteers who were told to exercise by walking a mile consumed more calories afterward than those who were told to have fun while completing the same workout, a provocative new study found.
Calories; Exercise; Medicine and Health; Psychology and Psychologists; Weight 

"Lost appetite" is often based in perception.

4
Opinion

Israeli-Palestinian Collision Course

With the recent collapse of peace talks and the reconciliation of the feuding Palestinian factions, it is time for all sides to think hard about where they are headed.
Palestinians; International Relations 

Israel cannot recognize a Palestinian state without destroying itself.

5
Opinion

Family-Friendly Tax Reform and The Poor

Does reform conservatism’s proposed child tax credit leave the poor out in the cold?
Families and Family Life; Payroll Tax; Poverty; Tax Credits, Deductions and Exemptions 

Impossible.
6
Fashion & Style

Shoe Companies Show a Red Card to Black Soccer Cleats

For the tournament in Brazil, major shoe companies have planned a veritable parade of pigments for cleats.
Soccer; World Cup 2014 (Soccer); Shoes and Boots; Fashion and Apparel 

Yes. Soccer has become a fashion vehicle.
7
Fashion & Style

In a Small Bag, She Packed All Our Hopes

Love doesn’t afford us the luxury of caring, or not caring, only about ourselves.
Love (Emotion); Dating and Relationships; Sex; Modern Love (Times Column); Marriages 

Yes
8
Opinion

Shared Fight Against Terror

A reader writes that the United States is but one of Al Qaeda’s targets.
Terrorism; September 11 (2001); United States International Relations 

I agree.  
Getting there is much more difficult than it could have been.
Terror is a clumsy tool.
We should not give it up.  
We should use it sparingly and with careful consideration.
The fight is not with terror as such but with the assumption of special privilege in some perceptions of Islam.
That fight so easily becomes religious war.
Police action was attempted and, I believe, refused.
The next step was a test we failed.
9
Opinion

Day of Reckoning for N.C.A.A.

An antitrust trial begins Monday that could upend big-time college sports.
Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues; College Athletics; Suits and Litigation (Civil) 

I have taken the assumption of professionalism.
The athletes are employed.
10
The Upshot

More Fathers Who Stay at Home by Choice

A shift reveals a structural change in gender roles in family and at work underway in the United States.
Work-Life Balance; Parenting; Gender; Men and Boys; Labor and Jobs

Yes, by choice.  
Ms Miller has not demonstrated her gender role assumption.  
She is closer to showing an economic incentive for the observed changes.
11
World

Video: Aquino on China’s Move in Disputed Seas

President Benigno S. Aquino III of the Philippines criticized China for moving ships capable of reclaiming land around the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
International Relations; Law of the Sea (UN Convention); Law of the Sea Convention 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/world/asia/philippines-reports-chinese-ship-movement-around-disputed-reefs.html

Nothing short of military force or significant domestic disorder
on the scale of revolt will remove the Chinese presence.
Both are equally probable.
We are building forces in the area.  
The Chinese will veto action in the UN security council.
I do not see us taking action without a U.N. sanction.
12
The Upshot

The Supreme Court Blunder That Liberals Tend to Make

Democrats and Republicans have split the last 14 presidential elections, but Republicans have appointed 12 of the last 20 Supreme Court justices
Appointments and Executive Changes; Liberalism (US Politics); Conservatism (US Politics) 

The liberals must win the next presidential election and the congressional elections.  
The conservatives have all but destroyed themselves.  
Unfortunately they are the opposition in distressing times.
Vote against the David Dukes.
13
Automobiles

Wheelies: The Z06 Power Edition

Chevrolet announces specifications for the 2015 Corvette Z06; Mercedes-Benz says it will double its urban sales locations.
Automobiles; Electric and Hybrid Vehicles; Organized Labor 

The business of automobiles is dominant.
14
World

International Criminal Court to Focus on Sex Crimes

For the first time, the court’s statute included rape, sexual slavery, and other forms of sexual violence as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity; Sex Crimes; Human Trafficking 

An hopeful development.
15
The Upshot

Europe’s Central Bank Gets Serious About Fighting Deflation

The bank’s president signaled on Thursday that he was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Continent’s economic malaise.
Deflation (Economics); European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Quantitative Easing; Banking and Financial Institutions 

Look at the numbers.  They are not being effective.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/timid-analys

Timid Analysis (Wonkish)

I referred to this briefly in today’s column, but here’s more.
I just left the Brookings Panel meeting (yes, I’m finally back in the US), which included a paper on Abenomics; the two discussants were me and some guy named Ben Bernanke. Part of my discussion involved an issue I’ve worried about for a long time, which I think I’ve been able to formulate a bit better. Here goes:
If you look at the extensive theoretical literature on the zero lower bound since my 1998 paper, you find that just about all of it treats liquidity-trap conditions as the result of a temporary shock. Something – most obviously, a burst bubble and/or deleveraging after a credit boom – leads to a period of very low demand, so low that even zero interest rates aren’t enough to restore full employment. Eventually, however, the shock will end. So the way out is to convince the public that there has been a regime change, that the central bank will maintain expansionary monetary policy even after the economy recovers, so as to generate high demand and some inflation.
But if we’re talking about Japan, when exactly do we imagine that this period of high demand, when the ZLB is no longer binding, is going to happen? Even in the US, we’re talking seriously about secular stagnation, which means that it could be a very long time before “normal” monetary policy resumes.
Now, even in this case you can get traction if you can credibly promise higher inflation, which reduces real interest rates. But what does it take to credibly promise inflation? Well, it has to involve a strong element of self-fulfilling prophecy: people have to believe in higher inflation, which produces an economic boom, which yields the promised inflation.
But a necessary (not sufficient) condition for this to work is that the promised inflation be high enough that it will indeed produce an economic boom if people believe the promise will be kept. If it isn’t, then the actual rate of inflation will fall short of the promise even if people believe in the promise – which means that they will stop believing after a while, and the whole effort will fail.
Here’s the picture I put up this morning:
On one side we have a hypothetical but I think realistic Phillips curve, in which the rate of inflation depends on output and the relationship gets steep at high levels of utilization. On the other we have an aggregate demand curve that depends positively on expected inflation, because this reduces real interest rates at the zero lower bound. I’ve drawn the picture so that if the central bank announces a 2 percent inflation target, the actual rate of inflation will fall short of 2 percent, even if everyone believes the bank’s promise – which they won’t do for very long.
So you see my problem. Suppose that the economy really needs a 4 percent inflation target, but the central bank says, “That seems kind of radical, so let’s be more cautious and only do 2 percent.” This sounds prudent – but may actually guarantee failure.

A different topic.

The War on Coal Already Happened


I’m trying to pull together some thoughts about interests and ideology in the fight over climate policies, and found myself wondering what exactly is at stake in the supposed “war on coal”. And the answer is, surprisingly little — at least as far as jobs are concerned. Here’s total employment in coal mining (the earlier numbers are from Historical Statistics of the United States, Millennial Edition; the later from the FRED database):
There used to be a lot of coal miners, but not any more — strip mines and machinery in general have allowed us to produce more coal with very few miners. Basically, it’s a job that was destroyed by technology long ago, with only a relative handful of workers — 0.06 percent of the US work force — still engaged in mining.
So what is this fight about? There’s capital invested in coal and coal-related stuff, hiding behind the pretense of caring about the workers. And there’s also ideology, of which more soon. But the war on coal already happened, it had nothing to do with liberals and environmentalists, and coal lost.

16
Opinion

Book Fight: Amazon vs. Publishers

Readers discuss Amazon’s hardball actions and the publishing marketplace.
Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues; E-Books and Readers; Book Trade and Publishing; Books and Literature 

Cut out these middle men and sell direct to the reader.
17
N.Y. / Region

Watching the World’s Game, in the World’s City

Passion for soccer runs deep in New York. There are 32 teams, in eight groups; we have chosen one nation from each group and provided a local prism to view the games through.
World Cup 2014 (Soccer) 

I can wait that long.  Issue an invitation.
18
World

Saudi Arabia and Iran Reach Out Tentatively

With the Persian Gulf region still in tumult, there have been surprising signs that Tehran and Riyadh are looking to temper their destructive rivalry.
Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- ); International Relations

Saudi and Iran are carrying on the Shia Sunny fight.
Iran may be winning the diplomatic war.
 
19
Business Day

Germany Leans Toward Allowing Fracking

Pressure has increased to end the country's reliance on Russia for natural gas and to find new fuel sources.
Natural Gas; Hydraulic Fracturing; Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline

Germany and France will buy their gas from Libya.
They are waiting for the pipelines.
 
20
U.S.

State and Local Officials Vow to End Homelessness Among Veterans

Michelle Obama, an active supporter of service members and their families, emphasized that a goal set by the administration in 2010 to end homelessness among veterans was achievable.
Veterans; Homeless Persons; Mayors

It is a noble goal.
Efforts in that direction have fallen short repeatedly.