Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Root Of Many Evils!

I saw this being tossed around the internet and thought it was very apropos:

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:9-10

Go ahead, give it a try!

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Trade in Services Agreement - Wikileaks Press release!

WikiLeaks releases today 17 secret documents from the ongoing TISA (Trade In Services Agreement) negotiations which cover the United States, the European Union and 23 other countries including Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, Taiwan & Israel -- which together comprise two-thirds of global GDP. "Services" now account for nearly 80 per cent of the US and EU economies and even in developing countries like Pakistan account for 53 per cent of the economy. While the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has become well known in recent months in the United States, the TISA is the larger component of the strategic TPP-TISA-TTIP 'T-treaty trinity'. All parts of the trinity notably exclude the 'BRICS' countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The release coincides with TISA meetings at the ministerial level at the OECD in Paris today (3–5 June). The 'T-treaty trinity' of TPP-TISA-TTIP is also under consideration for collective 'Fast-Track' authority in Congress this month.

The TISA release today follows the WikiLeaks publication of the secret draft financial services annex of the TISA negotiations on 19 June 2014 showing the aim to further deregulate the financial sector, despite widespread consensus that lack of oversight and regulation was the main cause of the last global financial crisis of 2008. Today's release confirms the ongoing determination to deregulate. Furthermore, standstill clauses will tie the hands of future governments to implement changes in response to changing environment.

Today's release is the largest on secret TISA documents and covers numerous previously undisclosed areas. It contains drafts and annexes on issues such as air traffic, maritime, professional services, e-commerce, delivery services, transparency, domestic regulation, as well as several document on the positions of negotiating parties. WikiLeaks has also published detailed expert analysis of the topics covered in today's release.

Browse the TiSA documents published by WikiLeaks here.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Other Phobia: Christianophobia

A freedom to choose or privately express your own religion is a trait commonly seen in nearly all developed countries or colonies. Though, there are still areas of the world in which unfair biases still exist which may lead to an intense hatred or avoidance of religions outside of their own. This can even lead to violent outbreaks or unfair treatment of those with opposing viewpoints. Christianophobia deals with the extreme fear of Christians or the Christian faith. While not commonly seen in the United States, this phobia has been fairly predominant throughout the rest of the world.

Symptoms of Christianophobia

There are several ways to spot someone who may be christianophobic. If you or someone you know experience one of the following viewpoints, consider seeking professional therapy or external help in dealing with the situation:
  • Conflicting religious views that lead to an intolerance of other religions outside of their own.
  • An irrational fear that Christians are conforming together to take over the majority of the world.
  • A fear that if Christians are not “stopped” they will do the same to their own religion.
  • Avoidance of Christians
  • Radically violent or complete intolerance of the Christian religion.

Read the Full Page: Christianophobia – Symptoms and Facts about Christianophobia
AllAboutCounseling.com

Friday, May 29, 2015

Whose Eyes Do You Trust - Carly Fiorina Or Hillary Clinton?

We Trust Brown Eyed People More Than Blue - Except...

People view brown-eyed faces as more trustworthy than those with blue eyes- unless the blue eyes belong to a man with a broad face, according to a new paper in PLOS ONE.

The psychologists (and an anthropologists) attempt to answer a big question: What makes us think a person's face looks trustworthy?

To find out, they asked college students (142 females and 98 males) to rate facial photographs of 40 female and 40 male students and rate them for perceived trustworthiness based on two features: eye color and face shape.  The 80 photos were rated for trustworthiness (dominance/attractiveness) on a ten-point scale where 1 means very trustworthy and 10 very untrustworthy.

A significant number of participants found brown-eyed faces more trustworthy than blue-eyed, whether the faces were male or female. More rounded male faces, with bigger mouths and larger chins, were perceived as more trustworthy than narrow ones, but the shape of a female face did not have much effect on how trustworthy it appeared to the respondents. 

Source: http://www.science20.com/news_articles/we_trust_brown_eyed_people_more_blue_except-100646#ixzz3bYWxJFxZ

Thursday, May 21, 2015

The 26 Unemployment Week Limit!


Perusing the daily news this morning I saw the headline "40 percent of unemployed have quit looking for jobs". Reminding myself of my own employment roller coaster over the past few years, this naturally resonated with me....but not in the way you might expect. I am asking myself how can so many people be out of work? There are plenty of jobs out there. In fact, my current job was birthed out of time spent on Craigslist, of all places. Note: There are many online "job shoppers" out there and I'm sure some are good, but many send you a slew of useless junk email, each and every hour. For me Craigslist connected me with people who were actually desperate for...employees. Sure, you have to weed through 90% spam and other worthlessness, but every once in a while you can really strike employment gold.

So here's the rub as I see it. Many people today are not so much unemployed as they are under-employed. Many folks simply do not want to "condescend" to take a job which is beneath their dignity or whatever the excuse. Eventually you have to do what you have to do for your family. There should be little excuse to reach the 26 week limit of unemployment compensation without finding something, unless you are sick or injured. Would you believe that some folks with chronic illnesses actually continue to work because they have to? Then there are others who stay on the unemployment doll waiting for a job to become available in the field they have been trained in only to be met with disappointment 26 weeks later. I cannot comprehend how people can do this, not with all the local and nationwide jobs I see on Craigslist.

If the three of you who read this happen to be looking for work, don't give up. Consider any job that will help pay the bills and get you through this temporary season. Things will eventually turn around. They always do.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Ode to Rush...the rock band!

In The Garden a Working Man toils in the shadows of the Available Light. Our life is more than a Dreamline when we Test for Echo at Lakeside Park. I grew up a cast out within the Subdivisions, a misunderstood misfit, a Natural Science nerd living in a La Villa Strangiato. Escape! Escape! My Red Barchetta wisk me away to Fly By Night up the mountain road where I would park and stare at Cygnus X-1 in the sky. As The Camera Eye watches, I dance to Different Strings. Their music has become Second Nature and a Prime Mover in my life. My Mission is to see this band one more time. The concert hall will be my Xanadu, when the show-lights go dark I will bask in the Afterimage and My Body Electric will hum. Lessons to those who may see my Tears and think I am Losing It, they are not from Scars of pain, but from an air of Joi De virve, music. Their music, it lies Closer To The Heart than any other. Part Grand Design with a dash of Bravado and always pure Chemistry. Their Mystic Rhythms beat in my soul like the pulse in my Vital Signs.

A Far Cry from what the Neurotica called them, a Something For Nothing band going nowhere. I (we) knew better. It has been a Ghost Of A Chance that this band, who placed its Secret Touch on my heart at 15 and still sends chills through my 50-year-old body continues, stronger. What a Sweet Miracle! My love of this band has been a Marathon and In The End I dream that Time Stands Still this tour. And as the Caravan of cars leaves the stadium, I will be filled with joy as it has been one more night of Making Memories. We Hold On to Hope and put on our Bravest Face while we Resist the thought this tour is a Farewell to Kings. But if it is so, I Wish Them Well.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Flashback 2007: Press Secretary Dana Perino on Personal White House Email Use

Mar 28, 2007
Acting White House Press Secretary Dana Perino says White House staffers may use external email systems to insure compliance with the Hatch Act.

The Hatch Act of 1939, officially An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a United States federal law whose main provision prohibits employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president, vice-president, and certain designated high-level officials of that branch, from engaging in some forms of political activity. The law was named for Senator Carl Hatch of New Mexico. It was most recently amended in 2012.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Discovery Lab Demos Telebot Prototype for Miami PD!

In two years, Miami might be home to the first on-duty robocops. FIU Discovery Lab engineers demonstrate the capabilities of their telebot prototype, designed to aid disabled police officers. Standing six feet tall and weighing about 80 pounds, TeleBot is equipped with a 360-degree camera that allows it to collect and transmit live data to the controller, or TeleOperator. This input is received through an Oculus Rift, a virtual-reality headset that gamers commonly use in their homes.
To learn more about TeleBot, visit discoverylab.cis.

Keanu Reeves gives up his seat on NYC Subway!

Keanu Reeves proves he's a gentleman by giving up his seat to a young lady during a subway ride. It appears as though she did not recognize him. Video footage captured several years ago during Matrix filming.

Valentine's Roses Falling From the Sky in Luxembourg!

Just to add a romantic touch, a drone wanders into town and strategically deposits roses near bystanders. Love is in the air in Western Europe! 


Video courtesy: http://www.lessentiel.lu/fr/

Friday, February 13, 2015

Boston Snow Turning Neighbor Against Neighbor!

BOSTON (CBS) — In Boston, the never-ending snow is turning neighbor against neighbor. More than 5,600 complaints over snow removal have been filed in the city about people who have not done their due diligence when it comes to shoveling. There are complaints about neighbors, businesses and even the city for leaving roads and sidewalks snow-covered. “I think everybody should do their part,” said one Boston resident who lives on a street with many unshoveled areas. “As you can see, it’s like a ski resort.” (Video boston.cbslocal.com)

The Rise of the Megadrought!

Originally published on Sep 4, 2014: After reviewing computer weather models, the researchers forewarned that the chance of a decade-long drought in the U.S. is as likely as the flip of a coin. "For the southwestern U.S. Potential Megadrought would make the Dust Bowl of the 1930s look meager in comparison....

Yesterday, CBS Sacramento published a story entitled: 
Megadroughts: A Future Reality For Much Of Western United States 
SAN JOSE, California (AP) – As bad as recent droughts in California, the Southwest and the Midwest have been, scientists say far worse “megadroughts” are coming – and they’re bound to last for decades.... http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/02/12/study-megadroughts-a-future-reality-for-much-of-western-united-states/

Friday, February 6, 2015

Rachel Maddow By The Numbers!

The current ratings for the Rachel Maddow show according to tvbythenumbers continue to be dismal to say the least.....








Megyn Kelly's viewership is roughly three times greater on average than Ms. Maddows. Now just for fun, I tuned into MSNBC the other night in the off chance I would actually hear news devoid of reckless opinion. Sadly, it was not to be. Ms. Maddow is hardly magnanimous towards anyone she happens to disagree with. Most of the "personalities" who host a segment on MSNBC tout the accepted left-leaning progressive agenda; show in and show out. To be fair, the hosts on Fox News are generally right leaning by their own admission. Both networks claim to be more or less fair and balanced. Both also claim that the opinions they offer are within the parameters of the "mainstream". Yet MSNBC faces a perpetual conundrum of anemic ratings, month after month, year after year. To coin a Vulcan phrase, logic would dictate that either the messenger is not clearly communicating the message or the message itself is flawed and unpalatable. 

Personally, I have always thought Rachael has the potential to be an interesting person to hang out with ideologically. She is reasonably intelligent and has a attractiveness about her that lies dormant within a outer shell of unrelenting, condescending opinion. The average person should accept the fact that she, like the rest of us mere mortals, has her own point of view. This is really not the issue for me. In fact, opposing points of view can be of great benefit in the endless decision making opportunities we contend with every day. I'm afraid what really disturbs me is the patronizing superiority exhibited whenever she discusses matters of political/ ideological opinion. It's almost as though she is cryptically disseminating information that, if the rest of us were smart enough, would allow us to realize that what she is telling us is already common knowledge within the minds of the enlightened. We simply need to accept it without question.

What I believe draws abundantly more people to Fox News, rather than to MSNBC (other than Megyn Kelly's mesmerizing eyes, that is) is the confidence in knowing that the average viewer will experience multiple opinions from pundits and elected officials from all political persuasions. In fact, very often the same panel of guests discuss, debate, and argue over the very opinions which MSNBC refuses to even marginally engage, for whatever reason. Perhaps rather than perusing a thought provoking conversation, it's simply easier for MSNBC hosts to voice their uninterrupted opinions, without fear of rebuttal or correction. Most people would either appreciate a qualified, balanced opinion or a simple reading of the news. Sadly, Rachel's detached opinions are simply not cutting it.   

It is the very definition of insanity to keep doing the same thing repeatedly only to expect the same result after continued attempts, over and over, without end. My suggestion to Rachel is this: Terminate your contract with the rapidly sinking MSNBC, repent of your condescending ways, embrace opposing opinions, return to the days of being an attractive, charming blonde and maybe, just maybe Fox will hire you on as a panel guest. Just to be sexually inclusive, Anderson Cooper is blonde but he's a guy and unfortunately for him, possesses significantly less mental acumen as his ratings reflect. Therefore it's appropriate for him to stay with MSNBC.

Close this deal Rachel and everyone wins!












James

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

The World According To Americans!

With the possible exception of the "AIDS" label that's covering half of Africa, some of these American stereotypes of the rest of world are surprisingly lacking in wickedness. I would have expected less superficial ignorance, and more low blows from the country that claims to be the best at everything. I mean, even my grandma had an arsenal of colorful words to describe Japan, and all of them were way better than "Toyota". Alaska is "Hockey Moms," not "Evolution Stopped Here"? India is just "Curry," instead of "Curry-Scented American Jobs"? Greece is "Democracy," over "Please enter at rear"? Could we maybe get a Trey Parker and Matt Stone revision of this map? Source

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

I-75 Overpass Collapse, Cincinnati, Ohio, January 19, 2015!

Dramatic on-site photos from 10:30 p.m to after sunrise!! An old bridge on Interstate 75 was undergoing demolition late Monday when it collapsed, killing a construction worker and shutting down a stretch of the interstate for what could be days. Prayers go out to the families of those injured and killed. Story:
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/01/19/bridge-collapse-75-south/22031429/

Dramatic photos below:

Friday, January 16, 2015

Ten Reasons To Legalize Marijuana!

For years, people have been force-fed the idea that marijuana is absolutely awful for them, and they will burn in hell for using it. Now, I’m exaggerating of course, but many people view marijuana the same way they view meth. It’s a drug. Well, shoot. If that’s the case, caffeine is a drug. And we let our kids get addicted to that! But seriously, if you step back and really look at the situation, you will find that there is no good reason why cannabis or marijuana should be illegal. Not a single one. (Stewart Cowan)
YouTube Video Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KNERbLdKkg

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

How Matt Drudge Made A Fortune With Good Snooping!


(Video Above) "So, in the famous words of another newsman, Horace Greeley, I, still a young man, went West, out to Hollywood. And I do mean Hollywood, not Beverly Hills, not the Palisades, no 90210 for this kid. It was the part of Hollywood they always promised to clean up and they never do, a part of Hollywood you see on Cops. (Laughter.) Where you twinkle and then wrinkle and people forget about you. That's where I'm from.

I swung into another clerk job, this time at CBS. I folded T-shirts in the gift shop, dusted off 60 Minutes mugs. Occasionally after hours I had conversations with those ghost of Bill Paley. It was during one of these wee-hour chats that he reminded me the first step in good reporting is good snooping.

Inspired, I went out of my way to service the executive suites. I remember I delivered sweatshirts to Jeff Sagansky, at the time president of CBS.

Overhearing, listening to careful conversations, intercepting the occasional memo, I would volunteer in the mail room from time to time. I hit pay dirt when I discovered that the trash cans in the Xerox room at Television City were stuffed each morning with overnight Neilsen ratings, information gold. I don't know what I did with it; I guess we, me and my friends knew Dallas had got a 35-share over Falcon Crest, but we thought we were plugged in.

I was on the move—at least I thought so. But my father worried I was in a giant stall. And in a parental panic he overcame his fear of flying and dropped in for a visit. At the end of his stay, during the drive to the airport, sensing some action was called for, he dragged me into a blown-out strip on Sunset Boulevard and found a Circuit City store. "Come on," he said desperately, "I'm getting you a computer." "Oh, yeah, and what am I doing to do with that?" I laughed.

And as they say at CBS studies: Cut, two months later. Having found a way to post things on the Internet—it was a quick learn—Internet news groups were very good to me early on—I moved on to scoops from the sound stages I had heard, Jerry Seinfeld asking for a million dollars an episode, to scoop after scoop of political things I had heard from some friends back here.

I collected a few E-mail addresses of interest. People had suggested I start a mailing list, so I collected the E-mails and set up a list called "The Drudge Report." One reader turned into five, then turned into 100. And faster than you could say "I never had sex with that woman" it was 1,000—(laughter)—5,000, 100,000 people. The ensuing website practically launched itself.

Last month I had 6 million visitors, and I currently have a daily average larger than the weekly newsstand sales of Time magazine. Thank you, Sidney Blumenthal. (Laughter.)

What's going on here? Well, clearly there is a hunger for unedited information, absent corporate considerations."

Address Before the National Press Club
Matt Drudge | June 2, 1998

Monday, January 12, 2015

This Week in Petroleum!

Recent rapid growth in U.S. production of light tight oil has raised interest in understanding how U.S. refineries, many of which are configured to process heavier crude oil, might accommodate increased volumes of domestic light crude. The U.S. refinery fleet, which is distributed across Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs) as shown in Figure 1, varies both within and across regions in capacity, quality of crude oil inputs, utilization rates, and sources of crude supply.
http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/weekly/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQYVKYhpFT0

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