A “Lib Dem” minister just told Sky News he was approving new nuclear power stations to promote green jobs. If anybody ever votes for these lying bastards again I shall be disconsolate.
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Anything is possible now, anywhere.
eg
Yes, we can close schools: Rahm Emanuel’s cash crisis in Chicago
More than 10 per cent of city’s elementary facilities shut down by Obama’s former right-hand man
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/yes-we-can-close-schools-rahm-emanuels-cash-crisis-in-chicago-8546523.html
‘More than 10 per cent of Chicago’s elementary schools are facing closure under plans to tackle the city’s $1bn education budget deficit – the largest mass shutdown of public schools in the United States in recent memory.
School officials have announced plans to close 53 elementary schools and a high school. In all, 61 school buildings will be shut down by the beginning of the next academic year in August, the country’s third-largest public school district has said.’
Apostoli, thanks for that link.
I agree with Frank Serpico when he says ”Whistleblower’ is not my favourite term. It has a negative connotation. I try to refer to us as lamp-lighters.”
A very perceptive, if bleak, take on the condition of the modern American man though it could apply to any member of the corporate class in any post-industrial country in the West.
American Book of the Dead: The Possessed
by Beau Cephalus / March 22nd, 2013
http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/03/american-book-of-the-dead-the-possessed/
We live in a competitive world Fred. It is the system. Survival of the fittest.
It doesn’t have to be that way of course. In fact we have to evolve, we have to welcome, embrace the makeover, cradle the opportunity, for our own survival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EewGMBOB4Gg
When Obama was making his speech to young Israeli university students on Thursday, one of his drones killed people in N Waziristan.
Pakistan Says U.S. Drone Strike Kills 4
By ISMAIL KHAN and SALMAN MASOOD
Published: March 22, 2013
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Four people have been killed in northwestern Pakistan in an American drone attack on a vehicle, government officials said on Friday.
The officials said missiles fired late Thursday night from a drone operated by the Central Intelligence Agency hit a moving vehicle in Datta Khel Bazar in the North Waziristan tribal region, which is a redoubt of local and foreign militants. “Four men inside the vehicle were killed,” a tribal official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The nationality of those killed was not immediately clear. The vehicle exploded after it was hit by two missiles, leaving the bodies charred and beyond recognition.
/..
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/world/asia/pakistan-says-us-drone-strike-kills-4.html?ref=world&_r=1&
His speech
‘Obama mainly discussed three topics in his speech: security, peace and prosperity’
What a hypocrite.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/22/world/middleeast/students-respond-obamas-speech.html
Please sign through the link below to help this girl:
“It’s hard to believe, but a 15-year-old rape survivor has been sentenced to be whipped 100 times in public! Let’s put an end to this lunacy by hitting the Maldives government where it hurts: the tourism industry.”
“The girl’s stepfather is accused of raping her for years and murdering the baby she bore. Now the court says she must be flogged for “sex outside marriage”! President Waheed of the Maldives is already feeling global pressure on this, and we can force him to save this girl and change the law to spare other victims this cruel fate. This is how we can end the War on Women – by standing up every time an outrage like this happens.”
“Tourism is the big earner for the Maldives elite, including government ministers. Let’s build a million-strong petition to President Waheed this week, then threaten the islands’ reputation through hard-hitting ads in travel magazines and online until he steps in to save her and abolish this outrageous law. Sign and forward this email now to get us to a million:”
http://www.avaaz.org/en/maldives_global/?bVONxdb&v=23290
Normally, any new technology is scavenged by mil-types to adapt to weaponry. It’s nice to know military contractors themselves might actually engineer another byte-by-byte step toward a Quantum Leap.
” a powerful new type of computer that is about to be commercially deployed by a major American military contractor is taking computing into the strange, subatomic realm of quantum mechanics. In that infinitesimal neighborhood, common sense logic no longer seems to apply. A one can be a one, or it can be a one and a zero and everything in between — all at the same time.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/technology/testing-a-new-class-of-speedy-computer.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
It all sounds corrupt there. To think it is a wedding and honeymoon destination and a tourist hotspot. I believe it is threatened by rising seawater levels and ‘having an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4ft 11in) above sea level, is the planet’s lowest country. It is also the country with the lowest natural highest point in the world, at 2.4 metres (7ft 10in). Forecasts of Maldives’ inundation are a great concern for the Maldivian people’.
‘On 7 February 2012, Waheed assumed the presidency following the disputed resignation of President Nasheed, who asserted that he was forced to resign at gunpoint in a coup d’état. A week later, protesters led by Waheed’s London-based brother, Naushad Waheed, accused Mohammed Waheed of complicity in the alleged coup.[5] Waheed and his supporters, however, state that the transfer of power was voluntary and constitutional,[6][7] and have agreed to launch an independent review of the events surrounding Nasheed’s resignation.[8]
BBC News reported that Waheed’s subsequent appointment of several ministers associated with the former president Gayoom “raised eyebrows”, and that “most believe other forces were at play” behind the protests that chased Nasheed from office.[9] On 11 February, Waheed offered a unity cabinet, but this offer was rejected by Nasheed’s supporters.[10] On 19 February, Waheed appointed Gayoom’s daughter Dhunya Maumoon to his cabinet, prompting a new round of criticism, but also appointed Shaheem Ali Saeed, who is “considered progressive”.[11]
In the weeks following the alleged coup, Nasheed requested that the Commonwealth of Nations threaten the Maldives with expulsion unless new elections are held. The Commonwealth has supported Nasheed’s call for early elections, calling on both Nasheed and Waheed to enter talks to arrange new polls before the year’s end. Waheed said that early elections could be possible, but that “the conditions have to be right to ensure there will be free and fair elections”.[12]
On 1 March, Waheed was blocked from opening the Maldivian Parliament by Nasheed supporters, who accusing him of breaking a promise to set a date for a new election.[6] On 19 March, he attempted to open parliament again and was once more blocked by hundreds of pro-Nasheed demonstrators, who were tear-gassed. Four opposition MPs were also removed from the building when they tried to physically assault Waheed during his speech.[13] Waheed responded with a speech calling for national unity.’
The March dates refer to 2012.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Waheed_Hassan
Villager @ 7:43
Michio reminds me of Carl Sagan. His ability to explain and entertain is a rarity for engineer/scientists.
Did you read the Lilly interview with OMNI? He said some similar things with regard to our primordial selves.
We have about a century before we escape the medulla, but we never completely ascend. Like the Krell, we will continue to be haunted by the ghosts of the sub-conscious.
“We live in a competitive world Fred. It is the system. Survival of the fittest.”
No, the system now is survival of the fattest.
“Man just can’t make a solar energy collector and storer more efficient than a tree.”
Fred, hi again. Sadly (?no) Plants and trees are relatively inefficient photosynthesizers in respect to technical power generation. They reflect and convert to local heat 98-99% of the light energy which falls on them. They only convert to fuel some visible red and blue wavelengths (which is why they are mostly green) and do not capture any invisible wavelengths. Overall plants appear to photosynthesize at a surprisingly uncompetitive rate.
Photosynthesis in nature does not seem to be like the craven energy supply system which people have conceived it as, it seems more like a signal to activity rather than an enabler. Many plants get most of what we understand as working energy from their soil. Peoples model may be but plants aren’t “energy” centric, they limit themselves according to some other anciently evolved systems/relationships. Else there would be a few plants in the world, they would all be super efficient synthesisers and growers and reproducers and predators.
Faced with mans demands for simple energy, unmoderated by whatever it is that moderates the ambition of plants (soon to be hacked up by GM) ,
–an acre of solar cells can easily protect 10 acres of forest from being chopped and burned early, for industrial purposes. Even in the current economic mess, the solar cells would increase the supply and reduce the price of energy, making the forest cheaper to protect and keep and use as a forest.
Wind farms can economically protect forests while being built right on top of them, even physically protect them a little by reducing the local intensity of wind. Also solar plants can create oasis in deserts.
It is such a good idea to protect and employ forests with other power generation technology, some will say nuke and coal plants should do that, ignoring in one bright swoop all the grave problems known to come with those.
UK’s national parks are quite bald and desolate since deforestation in previous centuries, they could be carpeted with forest and orchard and wind turbines benignly working above them. This should have happened in 1950s along with, or instead of, Britains little aerospace boom, we could have made windturbines then quite as well as we can today.
The efficiency rate of plants is harmonious and moderate, our efficiency rates are haplessly competitive.
Are you sure about the Maldives story?
Propaganda;
What a wrong situation. Surely the large majority can see that situation is insane.
We are being conditioned to accept insanity. It really needs addressing.
Ben and Villager
<blockquote"Michio reminds me of Carl Sagan."
Michio represents to me everything that is bad about television science documentaries. Carl Sagan must be rolling in his grave.
Watch the first 4 minutes of this clip from his documentary about time. Michio shows an ‘experiment’ where a volunteer is put in a stressful situation to see if “time can slow down”. The volunteer judges his own threshold of visual perception, then is dropped freefall from a tower to see if it speeds up under these circumstances. After two inconclusive results, Michio declares “This is the first demonstration that time really can slow down”.
It’s not science. It is a demonstration of what science is not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjlpamhrId8
“It’s not science. It is a demonstration of what science is not.”
Just like AGW denialism, possibly less subtle but not confusing such a grave issue.
Oh, Crab.
Why? Really, why did you write that?
Dont act dumb Node, you know why i wrote that to you. I want you to reconsider your feelings about AGW denialism, with regards to that example of scientific misinformation.
Another rag-bag of Saint Mary’s “musings” at 11h50 :
“The Cypriot President and the party leaders are off to Brussels for corrective treatment, ie a sharp blow to their heads with the big stick.”
No, they are going to Brussels to present their proposals and negotiate.
*****
“Obomber concudes his trip to the ME which turned out to be just a tourist trip ending at Petra. God knows how much fossil fuel was consumed by Air Force One transporting him and his vast entourage and cargo planes conveying the limos from Washington to Tel Aviv.”
Quite a few European newspapers of record don’t agree with your judgement on the purpose of Obama’s trip.
Relevance of your squib on fossil fuel? (Your own vapourings probably produce a lot more CO2)
*********
“I noticed that King Abdullah, who is somewhat vertically challenged,…”
Was that an attempt at humour? If so, rather juvenile. If not : relevance?
**********
“There was a big farewell to the old Television Centre last night by ex DG Michael Grade and all the old has-beens like Forsyth and Parkie.”
Ageism from Mary? If so, how about this for you : old trout?
********
“Wogan. http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/article-1711915/How-rich-Terry-Wogan.html
…his first job was as a bank clerk with the Royal Bank of Ireland handling wads of cash and coins. That was 50 years ago, when Sir Terry routinely lugged bag loads of banknotes and coins in a bus across Dublin to the bank’s headquarters. Today he would struggle to carry his own vast stash, which reports suggest is now worth well over £20m.”
Do you have a retirement job as a gossip columnist? If not : relevance?
**********
On re-reading, I withdraw the word “musings” and replace it with “confused, irrelevant and boring ravings”.
***********
La vita è bella, life is good!
I know what you’re referring to, Crab. I asked you why you wrote it. You’re being petty, irrelevant, inaccurate, intolerant and vindictive.
This is not the time to revisit the subject. Leave it.
P.S if anybody cares why I am not a climate denier (and so what if I was?) and wants proof that Crab is irrational on the subject, check out our long and futile argument here:
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/02/now-is-the-winter-of-our-disinterment/comment-page-4/#comments
Do plants photosynthesise to get carbon? It’s tricky to move carbon up from the soil, isn’t it?
And I thought I read somewhere that photosynthesis is a quantum process; the photons enter the leaves as a wavefront thingy, but their wave-functions collapse into localised photons just where needed to make the chemistry happen… Anyone?
Oh fuck, look who’s arrived.
Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky found dead
Boris Berezovsky Mr Berezovsky had made his fortune importing Mercedes cars into Russia in the 1990s
The exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has been found dead at his home in Surrey.
The circumstances of the death of Mr Berezovsky – a wanted man in Russia, and an opponent of President Vladimir Putin – are not yet known.
A former Kremlin power-broker whose fortunes declined under Mr Putin, Mr Berezovsky emigrated to the UK in 2000.
Last year, he lost a £3bn ($4.7bn) damages claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.
Mr Berezovsky claimed he had been intimidated by Mr Abramovich into selling shares in Russian oil giant Sibneft for a “fraction of their true worth”.
The allegations were completely rejected by the London Commercial Court judge, who called Mr Berozovsky an “inherently unreliable” witness.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19435227
Found dead in his bath according to the Telegraph. He had a big legal battle with Abramovich last year which he lost. Some of these Russian oligarchs who stole the wealth of the people seem to come to a sticky end.
Boris Berezovsky has been found dead in his bath in Surrey.
So he won’t be making himself heard any more at the Litvinenko inquest, where last week his lawyers were alleging that the British and Russian governments were cooperating to withhold evidence.
In particular, he won’t be giving any evidence himself, for example in connection with the traces of polonium found in his London offices.
This may be convenient for both governments, not just the British one, which has harboured this notorious Israeli-passport-holding mafia boss, friend of the royal family and leading Tories.
It will be interesting to see who goes to his funeral.
And for that matter, it will be interesting to see whether his funeral will be in England or Israel.
Quick update on gas. Both the Langeled and Bacton pipelines are operational and are flowing towards the UK. the flow on the Bacton pipeline (the one that failed yesterday) has reduced a bit – don’t know if that is a sign of a problem or not.
With both pipelines running at or close to capacity we should just struggle through. National Grid have disabled the daily summary report I linked to yesterday but flow and storage info is still available. Long Range Storage is in an even more dire state and anyone who can do simple arithmetic can work out the bleeding obvious. If one pipeline stays off, with LRS virtually depleted already, we are in deep trouble If two go down with the weather this cold then what follows is unthinkable. I’d imagine that is concentrating a few minds somewhere. At least I hope it is.
I appreciate Mary and others informative and anchoring newsfeeds, while conversations bubble around attachable topics.
Ok Node, just sayin’
Rhubbarb grows happily in the dark, i expect the similar mechanisms occur in many plants. The efficiency (or importance?) of photosynthesis in different plants varies greatly, and is always a fraction of what is achievable in simplified terms with technological means. Like they arent really pushing the potential of sunlight capture very hard.
That is one awfully crappy report from the BBC. Berezovsky did not make his fortune importing Mercedes in the 1990s. It was obvious his star was waning after the Abramovich case. Abramovich is a friend of both governments. Berezovsky was only a friend of the British elite, for example of the royal family and leading Tories.
And what’s that crap about him being ‘Russian’?
If you mean the 5.38pm post Clark then LOL. Thought I would give a news round up!earlier, expecting a riposte but it took nearly six hours for the ball to be kicked back into play and that is mostly ad hominem stuff. Pathetic.
Note no comment on the US drone killing of four people though.
@ Tom (17h53) :
“And what’s that crap about him being ‘Russian’?”
What an intriguing comment. Could you please explain further?
Clark @ 5:41
You need to bone-up on your science….
Read the words of another American Icon;
“Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.” — Ronald Reagan, 1981
There has been a large response to the Syria DEC appeal. Palin is now followed by other celebs making the appeal to camera.
The hypocrisy of the BBC and their double standards are outlined here
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1364030530.html
and here
http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/03/the-bbc-impartial-reporting-or-pro-israel-bias/