NEW THINGS

Monday, January 5, 2015

@15:30, 1/3/15

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World

In Sweden, the Land of the Open Door, Anti-Muslim Sentiment Finds a Foothold

By MELISSA EDDY | Jan 3rd 2015

Amid the relentless stream of migrants to Europe that has fueled a backlash against immigrants, directed most viciously at Muslims, arson is suspected at mosques in three Swedish cities over the last 10 days.

ARSON; MOSQUES; IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus_of_Sweden

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years%27_War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire

Your Money

Time to Assess Your Financial Fitness

By RON LIEBER | Jan 3rd 2015

To track your finacial progress, here are some personal markers you can turn to this year, and every year.

SAVINGS; RETIREMENT; DISABILITY INSURANCE; TAX CREDITS, DEDUCTIONS AND EXEMPTIONS

Good advice for the one percent.

The one percent should be a bigger fraction.

Magazine

The Art World’s Patron Satan

By CHRISTOPHER GLAZEK | Jan 4th 2015

Stefan Simchowitz has supported dozens of emerging young artists. Why do so many people hate him?

ART

"Reputations in the art world are forged over many years across countless fairs, openings, reviews and dinners. Although laypeople may look at a $30 million Richter and compare it to splatters from a second grader, Richter’s prices are determined not by chance but by the elaborate academic, journalistic and institutional infrastructure the art world has built to mete out prizes and anoint the next generation of cultural torchbearers. The collector class has traditionally come from the very top of the wealth spectrum and has included people looking to trade money for social prestige by participating in the art world’s stately rituals. Over the last few years, though, a new class of speculators has emerged with crasser objectives: They are less interested in flying to Basel to attend a dinner than in riding the economic wave that has caused the market for emerging contemporary art to surge in the past decade."

There is nothing new in "debt slavery".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_bondage

(Redirected from Debt slavery)

I am curious if his aesthetic sense is cultural or genetic.

It would be considered antisemitic to call it Hebrew or Arabic.

It is not Celtic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_art

Style

The Unending Anxiety of an ICYMI World

By TEDDY WAYNE | Jan 4th 2015

The “in case you missed it” sentiment has a way of haunting us. In the Internet age, there is simply too much readable, viewable and listenable data for anyone to stay abreast of.

COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET; SOCIAL MEDIA

I prefer experience to the record of others experience.

"Art for arts sake."

The Upshot

What 2,000 Calories Looks Like

Dec 22nd 2014

Even as restaurants talk about smaller portions, they continue to serve a full day's worth of calories in a single meal — or even a single dish.

CALORIES; DIET AND NUTRITION; FAST FOOD INDUSTRY; RESTAURANTS

I cook for myself.

I do not use sugar.

Eating out is nearly impossible.

Fast food is post war.

N.Y. / Region

Many Identities of New York Officers’ Killer in a Life of Wrong Turns

By KIM BARKER, MOSI SECRET and RICHARD FAUSSET | Jan 3rd 2015

Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who killed two police officers in New York last month, seemed to be a grandstander at the end of his tether, homeless, jobless and hopeless.

MENTAL HEALTH AND DISORDERS; DEPRESSION (MENTAL); ATTACKS ON POLICE; SUICIDES AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes_Booth

Without the family, the money, the target or the cause.

U.S.

Fight on Guns Is Being Taken to State Ballots

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER | Jan 3rd 2015

The gun control movement, facing mounting losses in federal elections, is tweaking its name, refining its goals and using the gay-marriage movement as a model.

GUN CONTROL; STATES (US)

We must suppress guns or madness.

I would like to suppress both guns and madness.

There are few problems a gun will solve.

Opinion

Hillary Versus History

By GAIL COLLINS | Jan 3rd 2015

With only 55 weeks until the New Hampshire primary and seven months until the Iowa straw poll, there is much presidential history to contemplate.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2016; PRESIDENTS AND PRESIDENCY (US); UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

History will belong to her.

N.Y. / Region

Dying in the E.R., and on TV Without His Family’s Consent

By CHARLES ORNSTEIN | Jan 4th 2015

Months after her husband was hit by a truck, Anita Chanko watched him die again on “NY Med,” a medical series. But she hadn’t given permission for those moments to be aired.

TELEVISION; EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT

Use the footage as story board.

Present fiction.

U.S.

More Sanctions on North Korea After Sony Case

By DAVID E. SANGER and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT | Jan 3rd 2015

The Obama administration doubled down on its allegation that North Korea’s leadership was behind the hacking of Sony Pictures.

EMBARGOES AND SANCTIONS; UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

I do not want to know enough to have an opinion.

Arts

20 Shows to Watch

By MIKE HALE | Jan 2nd 2015

The winter is high season for the serious TV watcher, from a “Breaking Bad” spinoff, to the return of “Broadchurch,” to the final season of “Justified.”

TELEVISION

I steal time for broadcast television. I have seven channels of PBS. There are about two channels of programing. I miss a lot.

Arts

Donna Douglas, the Fairest ‘Beverly Hillbilly,’ Dies at 82

By DAVID STOUT | Jan 3rd 2015

Ms. Douglas played the shapely daughter of the mountaineer Jed Clampett on the wildly popular television sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

TELEVISION

Rest in peace.

My world is less decorated.

Opinion

Twin Peaks Planet

By PAUL KRUGMAN | Jan 2nd 2015

Our current global setup isn’t working for everyone. What consequences from that are ahead if we don’t do something about it?

INCOME INEQUALITY; ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND TRENDS; FRINGE GROUPS AND MOVEMENTS; INCOME; POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Read it and look at the picture.

Opinion

The Abortion Stereotype

By RAZIB KHAN | Jan 3rd 2015

Think of it less as a “war on women,” and more as a war among them.

WOMEN AND GIRLS; ABORTION; RELIGION AND BELIEF; UNITED STATES POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

"All this has important consequences for a pluralistic society in which politics aspires to be the art of persuasion. Abortion is arguably the most polarizing social issue in the United States, and despite the data at our fingertips, many succumb to caricatures of their opponents.

A greater engagement with the facts would enable those who support abortion rights to consider why so many women do not, rather than dismissing their political opponents as motivated by misogyny or false consciousness. Equally, looking at the skewed racial demographics of abortion might encourage conservatives to reconsider the idea that reproductive justice is purely a concern of privileged white feminists.

We live in a world with a surfeit of information at our service. It is our choice whether we seek out data that reinforce our biases or choose to look at the world in a critical, rational manner, and allow reality to bend our preconceptions. In the long run, the truth will work better for us than our cherished fictions."

I insist that child bearing, like sex and marriage, must be voluntary.

Travel

8 Ways to Save on Travel in 2015

By SETH KUGEL | Jan 4th 2015

Tips on how to save money by better using tools you already know.

BUDGET TRAVEL; TRAVEL AND VACATIONS

Yes, planning ahead helps.

Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.

Opinion

A Republican Ruse to Make Tax Cuts Look Good

By EDWARD D. KLEINBARD | Jan 3rd 2015

“Dynamic scoring” is the wrong way to estimate government revenues.

FEDERAL TAXES (US); BUDGETS AND BUDGETING; UNITED STATES ECONOMY

"Simply cutting taxes against the headwind of structural deficits leads to lower growth, as government borrowing soaks up an ever-increasing share of savings."

"Crowding out" does not happen.

The proposed change is a disaster.

The presented here argument against it is false.

Arts

‘Downton Abbey’ and History: A Look Back

By KATHRYN SHATTUCK and HUBERT MANDEVILLE | Dec 31st 2014

“Downton Abbey,” which returns for its fifth season on PBS on Sunday, weaves a surprising amount of authentic historical context into its plots. A multimedia timeline explores the show’s period details, and how those events have been covered in The New York Times.

TELEVISION

The producers try hard to get it right.

I do not intend to live that mannered existence even if I could afford it.

Travel

A Crash Course in Airbnb

By STUART MILLER | Jan 4th 2015

Tired of generic motels, a family tried the vacation-rental website and had memorable, if not always cozy, experiences.

TRAVEL AND VACATIONS

Make a plan.

Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.

U.S.

Gay Marriage Prompts Call for Clergy to Shun Civil Ceremonies

By MARK OPPENHEIMER | Jan 3rd 2015

A pledge taken by some pastors not to sign state marriage licenses has stirred a debate in the conservative Christian world over the church’s connection to culture and government.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, CIVIL UNIONS AND DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS; CLERGY; MARRIAGES

I will participate in any ceremony you wish.

Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.

Practical details must get resolved.

Usually there are signatures and fees along with at least one ring.

Opinion

The Age of Bibi

By DAVID BROOKS | Jan 2nd 2015

Bellicose in words yet cautious in action, Benjamin Netanyahu is a man of contrasts, and he is subtly reshaping Israel.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Israel must give the Palestinians justice.

No more, no less.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice

There is a political problem in that

I am going to be preoccupied from the evening of the eleventh to the morning of the fourteenth.

I will be away from my terminal and land line tomorrow afternoon and evening.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

@21:00, 1/3/14

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World

In Sweden, the Land of the Open Door, Anti-Muslim Sentiment Finds a Foothold

By MELISSA EDDY | Jan 2nd 2015

A few bigots are enough.

Automobiles

Carmakers Take a Hint From Tablets

By JOHN R. QUAIN | Jan 1st 2015

The driver should not be distracted.

U.S.

Republicans Try to Fix Damage Scalise’s 2002 Speech Could Do in 2016

By JONATHAN MARTIN and JACKIE CALMES | Dec 30th 2014

Speaker John A. Boehner issued a statement supporting Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 3 Republican in the House, who confirmed that in 2002 he addressed a group of white supremacists.

Fringe Groups and Movements; United States Politics and Government

The effort just calls attention to the problem.

Opinion

Radical Islam, Nihilist Rage

By KENAN MALIK | Jan 3rd 2015

Jihadism fills the void left by failed political ideologies.

Muslims and Islam; Terrorism; School Shootings and Armed Attacks

Jealousy has many forms.

Technology

Uber Suspends Operations in Spain

By MARK SCOTT | Jan 2nd 2015

The Upshot

A Closer Look at the Colorado Senate Race

By NATE COHN | Jan 2nd 2015

How turnout and shifting loyalties affected one of the closest Senate races of 2014.

Midterm Elections (2014); Voting and Voters

I am always surprised at how people vote and fail to vote.

U.S.

Supreme Court, in Big Leap, Plans to Put Filings Online

By ADAM LIPTAK | Dec 31st 2014

Opinion

Denied Entry to Egypt

Jan 2nd 2015

Opinion

A Weary Greece Considers Its Options

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | Jan 3rd 2015

Voters, battered by misguided austerity policies, are looking beyond mainstream political parties.

European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010- ); Elections

Germany will not allow the euro to inflate.

Greece must inflate its currency.

Greece or Germany must leave the euro.

Business Day

Start-Ups Rise to Close a Gap for Farmers

By STEPHANIE STROM | Dec 30th 2014

Small businesses are stepping in to help farmers connect with their local markets with marketing, transportation, logistics and other services.

Agriculture and Farming; Local Food; Small Business; E-Commerce; Start-ups; Venture Capital

An interesting service.

Opinion

Rapprochement With Russia?

By HANS BINNENDIJK, CHRISTOPHER S. CHIVVIS and OLGA OLIKER | Dec 30th 2014

The ruble's plunge offers the West a chance to resolve the Ukraine crisis and re-engage with Putin.

Ruble (Currency); Politics and Government

No rapprochement with Russia as yet.

Moscow is not in pain.

N.Y. / Region

Exit Alarms in the Subways Are Silenced by the M.T.A.

By MATT FLEGENHEIMER | Dec 31st 2014

Acknowledging that the emergency sirens on gates had done little to discourage fare evasion, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it was disabling them at all of its stations.

Subways; Stations and Terminals (Passenger); Security and Warning Systems

More people in the stations would be better.

Science

Gene Linked to Obesity Hasn’t Always Been a Problem, Study Finds

By CARL ZIMMER | Dec 31st 2014

The relative importance of certain genes may shift over the years as our environment changes, the study suggests.

Genetics and Heredity; Obesity; Research

The very wealthy have been pictured as obese from the beginning of wealth.

"In America even the poor are fat"

"You can't be too thin or too rich"

The study is reaching for a way to dodge personal responsibility for dietary excess.

N.Y. / Region

Soothing the Aged With Verse, a Lawyer Takes a Road Less Traveled

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS | Jan 1st 2015

Marvin Wexler, a commercial litigator, also cultivates another side of himself, reading poetry to a room full of elderly and disabled residents at a nursing home.

Elderly; Poetry and Poets; Nursing Homes; Elder Care

When the demented lose language, I include iconography, the end is near.

Opinion

Brazen Attempts by Hotels to Block Wi-Fi

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | Jan 3rd 2015

The Federal Communications Commission should not allow Marriott and others to prevent guests from using their own wireless Internet devices.

Computers and the Internet; Wireless Communications; Hotels and Travel Lodgings; Telephones and Telecommunications; Law and Legislation

The process would be to block cell phone service.

The theaters have litigated the problem.

The answer was and is no.

Cell signals are now digital and encrypted.

Signal interception is easier in wi-fi.

Wi-fi networks are also closed by packet addressing.

The hotel reasoning is false.

U.S.

F.B.I. Employees With Ties Abroad See Security Bias

By ERIC SCHMITT | Jan 3rd 2015

An F.B.I. program aimed at reducing internal threats is said to be penalizing employees hired for their foreign-language skills by subjecting them to higher scrutiny.

Espionage and Intelligence Services; Surveillance of Citizens by Government; Terrorism; Muslims and Islam; Arabic Language; Language and Languages

Security people are paranoid. It is a condition of employment.

Their question is: "Are we paranoid enough?"

The F.B.I. has a long standing management problem.

Business Day

Cage Law Expected to Push Up Egg Prices

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Jan 1st 2015

Getting eggs out of the deflation trap will be a good thing.

Competition on price should be limited by the quality of life of the producers.

Quality of life problems are the driver of social justice programs.

Social justice programs are Marxism. socialism, unionism and the political left.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice

I did not know the formalism of the term.

World

Video: Officials on AirAsia Flight 8501 Debris

AP | Dec 30th 2014

The Indonesian president, the chief executive of AirAsia and the country’s rescue chief offered condolences to those who lost loved ones in the AirAsia plane crash and discussed the recovery efforts.

Aviation Accidents, Safety and Disasters; Airlines and Airplanes; Rescues

It is work for the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

There is no medical emergency.

Aid in body recovery must be requested by the local authorities.

The F.A.A. is concerned about the air frame.

N.Y. / Region

New York City Requiring Flu Shots for Preschoolers

By SHARON OTTERMAN | Jan 2nd 2015

The new rule applies to about 150,000 children in city-licensed day cares and preschools, covering those from 6 months to 5 years of age.

Vaccination and Immunization; Influenza; Children and Childhood; Education (Pre-School)

I had a flu shot.

The city has taken responsibility for healthful conditions by licensing child care institutions. The demand for vaccination is covered by the license.

Business Day

A Record Year for Auto Recalls

By GREGOR AISCH and WILSON ANDREWS | Dec 30th 2014

More vehicles, including old models, have been recalled in the United States in 2014 than ever before. Explore the size and scope of the recalls, and find out if your car has been affected.

Automobile Safety Features and Defects; Automobiles; Recalls and Bans of Products

I see the service.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

@4:00, 1/2/14

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World

Three Al Jazeera Journalists Remain in Jail After Egyptian Court Orders a Retrial

By KAREEM FAHIM | Jan 1st 2015

The television reporters, jailed on charges of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, will remain in custody while awaiting a new trial.

Freedom of the Press; News and News Media

No religious autocrat permits dissent.

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Opinion

A Vital Nuclear Agreement, at Risk

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | Jan 1st 2015

Russia needs to know that defiance of arms control treaties will come at a cost.

Nuclear Weapons; Arms Control and Limitation and Disarmament; Treaties; Editorials; United States International Relations; Missiles and Missile Defense Systems

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phased_array
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Fylingdales
There was a project to put such an installation in Poland.
It gave the Russians fits. Construction: 2000?
Let the State Department do its job.

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Travel

Home Exchange 101

By AMY VIRSHUP | Jan 2nd 2015

Lending your home in exchange for someone else’s is kind to your budget and offers a chance to act like a local.

Travel and Vacations

I can't do such a lovely tour.
I am not in a condition to abandon my baggage.
To much needs attention;dusting, picking up, washing or throwing out.
If opportunity offered I would notify my siblings, lock up and go.
I would have to get a passport.

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Automobiles