http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29765623
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Scratches to Sketches
Friday, 31 October 2014
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Hungary’s crazy-expensive Internet is driving people to throw their computers into the street - The Washington Post
Hungary is fast losing its democratic freedoms. Its history is not encouraging? Watch as corruption takes over democracy...
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
How we beat the 1 percent: This is how the moneyed classes get dethroned - Salon.com
"His answer: the free market. This was a lightbulb moment for Bastiat, a glimpse of the complexity that can develop from a simple starting point. All those fundamental needs supplied, all those goods bought and sold, all those provisions transported at the expense of cash and effort and ingenuity, all those transactions made, and all of it constituting a mechanism that functions so effectively that the good citizens of Paris don't even notice how dependent they are on it—and the whole mechanism created just by allowing people to trade freely with each other. Economists have a shorthand reference to this epiphanic insight into the power of markets: they call it "Who feeds Paris?"
Dennis Gartman: ‘We’re witnessing the end of the oil era’ | Financial Post
"But Gartman's central point is that things look absolutely terrible for crude oil, and while Gartman was reticent to commit to his $10 a barrel call, he added that "it doesn't really matter" where oil prices go exactly, except that they are definitely going lower."
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Welcome To IANS Live - SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY - NASA captures largest sunspot in two decades
Washington, Oct 25 (IANS) NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has spotted an image of a gigantic sunspot - the largest in last 24 years.
The flare erupted from a particularly large active region dubbed as AR 12192.
http://ianslive.in/index.php?param=news/NASA_captures_largest_sunspot_in_two_decades-450511/SCIENCE%20and%20TECHNOLOGY/36iPad Pro Release Date Delayed to 2015 Due to iPhone 6, Could Apple Outrun Samsung and Microsoft with its Super Tablet? - Crossmap Christian News | Tech & Biz
The iPad Pro remains as a concept or prototype at best, as Apple has never confirmed its existence. "Inside Apple, another project aimed at professionals is an iPad with a jumbo screen, according to two employees who spoke on condition they not be named because the product is not yet finished, nor is it considered official yet," The New York Times reports.
Norway's 'killer robot' technology under fire - The Local
The partially autonomously controlled missiles, or so-called "killer robots", will be used for airborne strikes for its new fighter jets and have the ability to identify targets and make decisions to kill without human interference.
The Norwegian Peace League, for one, believe the technology may violate international law, wanting a parliamentary debate about the move.
Alexander Harang of the Norwegian Peace League (Norges Fredslag) demands discussion . He is also a member for the international "Campaign to stop killer robots".
Norway is one of many countries developing weapons that can operate without human control or surveillance.
Russia-Norway tensions at liberation ceremony - The Local
Yet Solberg also took the opoortunity to renew her criticism of Russia's actions towards Ukraine.
"We are not the ones needing to improve our relationship to Russia. It is Russia needing to improve their relationship to the rest of the world and to respect international law," Solberg said to NTB.
"Russia must abstain from giving more support to the separatist movement and the rebels in parts of Ukraine," Solberg added.
Global warming is a big fat lie and the science behind it is fake: John Coleman : SCIENCE : Tech Times
"The ocean is not rising significantly. The polar ice is increasing, not melting away. Polar bears are increasing in number. Heat waves have actually diminished, not increased. There is not an uptick in the number or strength of storms (in fact, storms are diminishing)," says Coleman. "I have studied this topic seriously for years. It has become a political and environment agenda item, but the science is not valid."
Oh that is so so so great? Means we can continue polluting everywhere?
Swiss Banks Ask U.S. to Amend Proposed Tax Amnesty Deals - Bloomberg
Swiss banks seeking to avoid U.S. prosecution by disclosing how they helped Americans evade taxes asked the Justice Department this week to back off a dozen demands, including that they cooperate with other nations.
Lawyers representing 73 Swiss banks wrote on Oct. 21 to object to terms of a proposed non-prosecution agreement that spells out how banks can achieve amnesty through a disclosure programannounced last year. The 11-page letter says the agreement "presents substantial obstacles" and suggests a wide range of changes to the model accord, including a requirement that banks "cooperate fully" with "any other domestic or foreign law enforcement agency" in any investigation.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-23/swiss-banks-ask-u-s-to-amend-proposed-tax-amnesty-deals.htmlThe deficit will kill the property bubble - FT.com
I have a friend who has been trying to sell a central London flat for eight months. Another has had a large house on the market for six months. They can't understand why these one-time money machines aren't selling. What happened to the hot London housing market, the one in which you could sell any dark noisy mini-Victorian conversion for a million quid?
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e1e05608-5b5c-11e4-a674-00144feab7de.html#ixzz3HBMTrPUk
NSA Analyst Proves GOP Is Stealing Elections | UK Progressive
"When Duniho applied a mathematical model to actual voting results in the largest voting precincts, he saw that only the large precincts suddenly trended towards Mitt Romney in the Arizona primary – and indeed all Republicans in every election since 2008 – by a factor of 8%-10%. The Republican candidate in every race saw an 8-10%. gain in his totals whilst the Democrat lost 8-10%. This is a swing of up to 20 point, enough to win an election unless a candidate was losing very badly.
Since sifting through and decoding massive amounts of data was his work for decades on behalf of the National Security Agency, he wanted to understand why this was ONLY happening in large precincts."
http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/breaking-retired-nsa-analyst-proves-gop-is-stealing-elections/article20598.htmlPutin’s Coup: How the Russian leader used the Ukraine crisis to consolidate his dictatorship | UK Progressive
Sikorski is formerly a glamorous figure in Brussels who played a leading role in shaping the European Union strategy toward both Russia and Ukraine. European leaders, intimidated by his charisma and outspoken views on Russia, chose not to appoint him as Europe's high representative for foreign affairs earlier this year. Today Sikorski is the hawkish speaker of the Polish parliament, and he says that the West has been so distracted by the crisis in Ukraine it has missed the more important developments further east.
"What is happening now is the full embrace of neo-imperialism," Sikorski says. "They have exploited every post-Soviet and neo-Soviet atavism and made it real because an alarming proportion of the population believes it. This is how they have refueled their regime."
ISIS-- Largest, Richest $2Billion Terror-Based Enterprise: Financial Sophistication Rivaling Wall Street
" Once the groups are on their feet, they are perfectly capable of raising funds through other means, like; kidnapping, oil smuggling, selling women into slavery… According to intelligence official; any outside funding represents a small fraction of ISIS's total annual income… The largest source of cash now is oil smuggling along the Turkish border, with ISIS leaders willing to sell oil for as little as $25 a barrel, a quarter of the going world price. Since other previously lucrative sources, such as; kidnapping for ransom… is not as profitable as it once was."
Ukraine set to vote for pro-Western future - Yahoo!7
His Petro Poroshenko Bloc was forecast to emerge as the biggest party in the 450 seat legislature, although without an absolute majority, meaning he will have to form a coalition, probably with harder-line nationalists.
For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party was not expected to enter parliament, symbolising what Poroshenko, elected president in May with 55 percent of the vote, hopes is an irreversible political shift.
Polls show a majority of Ukrainians support economic and democratic reforms -- especially a crackdown on corruption -- leading eventually to European Union.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/25349489/ukraine-set-to-vote-for-pro-western-future/Alleged Russian intelligence agent caught outside Kyiv claiming to be FSB general (PHOTOS)
"Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) says on Oct. 23 it apprehended a high-level Russian intelligence agent and a commissioned military officer who has been continuously coordinating separatist activity inside the country since January.
Captured on the outskirts of Kyiv, he was identified as Nikolai Grechishkin of Moscow and was allegedly using journalistic cover as the deputy chief editor of Rossiyskiye Novosti (Russian News), according to an SBU statement released on Oct. 24."
https://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/high-ranking-russian-intelligence-agent-caught-outside-kyiv-claiming-to-be-fsb-general-photos-369280.htmlFriday, 24 October 2014
Swedish 'Cold War' thriller exposes Baltic Sea nerves over Russia | Reuters
"Whether it was caused by paranoia or a secret naval mission, Sweden's biggest military mobilisation since the Cold War over the last three days has underscored growing concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions in the Baltic Sea region.
In just over a month, an Estonian intelligence officer has been reported abducted by Russian forces, Finland has complained of Russian interference with one of its research vessels, and Sweden has lodged an official protest over a "serious violation" when Russian warplanes entered its air space.
With shades of Frederick Forsyth, the maritime mystery has fired the imagination of the region. Moscow has denied it has any submarine in mechanical trouble in Sweden's waters, but nervous governments fear that the Baltic Sea could become the next flashpoint with Russia after Ukraine."
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/20/uk-sweden-deployment-idUKKCN0I91QV20141020Sweden gets two new sightings, as hunt for undersea intruder goes on | Reuters
"Swedish military is working on two new observations that could be evidence of suspected "foreign underwater activity" near the country's capital, a senior naval officer said on Tuesday.
Swedish forces have been scouring the sea off Stockholm since Friday, after what the military called three credible reports of activity by foreign submarines or divers using an underwater vehicle."
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/21/uk-sweden-deployment-idUKKCN0IA29A20141021Polish ex-minister quoted saying Putin offered to divide Ukraine with Poland | Reuters
"Sikorsky, who until September served as Poland's foreign minister, was quoted telling U.S. website Politico that Putin made the proposal during Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's visit to Moscow in 2008 - although he later said some of the interview had been "overinterpreted".
"He wanted us to become participants in this partition of Ukraine ... This was one of the first things that Putin said to my prime minister, Donald Tusk, when he visited Moscow," he was quoted as saying in the interview dated Oct. 19."
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/20/uk-ukraine-crisis-poland-sikorski-idUKKCN0I925D20141020Thursday, 23 October 2014
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Monday, 13 October 2014
Monday, 6 October 2014
Pentagon program delivered Humvee, rifle and kayak to Arkansas coroner | World news | theguardian.com
"Grätzel was selected for his research in development of a new solar cell termed the Grätzel Cell, which imitates photosynthesis converting light energy into electric energy that can be used for electrical propulsion, or to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, a process useful for fuels. The cells have the highest efficiency in using solar energy, and are much cheaper than normal solar cells."
ISIS Will Try for Tunisia Next - Op-Eds - Arutz Sheva
"For the last two years, a group of Jihadists in the border areas between Tunisia and Libya are sporadically destroying Tunisian army vehicles and killing a good many of their occupants. This group calls itself – charmingly – "The Uqba ben Nafi Brigade". Its Jihadist agenda has been known from the first, as has its ability to recruit fighters, equip itself with varied weapons and sow fear and trembling in its ever-widening surroundings. The Brigade is seen as part of the widespread and familiar "Al Qaeda of the Islamic Magreb" – Al Qaeda's North African branch."
Israel Ready as 'Global Leader' in Alternate Fuels - Technology & Health - News - Arutz Sheva
"Grätzel was selected for his research in development of a new solar cell termed the Grätzel Cell, which imitates photosynthesis converting light energy into electric energy that can be used for electrical propulsion, or to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, a process useful for fuels. The cells have the highest efficiency in using solar energy, and are much cheaper than normal solar cells."
News is bad for you – and giving up reading it will make you happier | Media | The Guardian
"In the past few decades, the fortunate among us have recognised the hazards of living with an overabundance of food (obesity, diabetes) and have started to change our diets. But most of us do not yet understand that news is to the mind what sugar is to the body. News is easy to digest. The media feeds us small bites of trivial matter, tidbits that don't really concern our lives and don't require thinking. That's why we experience almost no saturation. Unlike reading books and long magazine articles (which require thinking), we can swallow limitless quantities of news flashes, which are bright-coloured candies for the mind. Today, we have reached the same point in relation to information that we faced 20 years ago in regard to food. We are beginning to recognise how toxic news can be."
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Resisting nationalist polarization and Russian invasion Building a Democratic Left Party; A leftist feminist point of view - International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine
"Nina Potarskaya is one of the leading Ukrainian leftist feminists, founder of the feminist squadron at Maidan, and member of the Left Opposition, which helped organize three successive conferences of left forces in Kiev, in November 2013, March 2014, and September 2014. The most recent conference decided to build a new democratic Left party, which is the first electoral effort of its kind in Ukraine. She was interviewed in Geneva by Jean Batou, with the help of Kirill Buketov, for solidaritéS."
Saturday, 4 October 2014
The Koch Brothers’ War on Transit | BillMoyers.com
"Transit advocates around the country were transfixed by a story in Tennessee this April, when the state chapter of Americans for Prosperity made a bid to pre-emptively kill Nashville bus rapid transit. It was an especially brazen attempt by Charles and David Koch's political network to strong-arm local transportation policy makers. But it was far from the only time the Kochs and their surrogates have taken aim at transit."
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Housing bubble will force Bank of Canada to renew rate hike warnings soon, Pimco says | Financial Post
What do bad governments do to stay in power pretending they have a growth economy?
"The Bank of Canada will be forced to renew warnings of the possibility for higher interest rates in order to halt a "bubble" from forming in the housing market, according to Pacific Investment Management Co.'s Ed Devlin."
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Apple Upgrade and Backup a complete disaster
The Moscow Times about rich Russian dads and their sons being in America
Not a very happy individual, nor all that friendly...
Jailing Climate Deniers » EcoWatch
" Last week, that canard leapt from the wingnut echo chamber into New York magazine, which reported, under Jonathan Chait's by-line, that "Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. shares the opinion that climate denial should be criminalized."
It's Official: Plastic Bags Banned in California » EcoWatch
"California Gov. Jerry Brown added his signature this morning and made it official: single-use plastic bagsare being banned from many of the state's retail establishments. SB 270, passed by the legislature and sent to Gov. Brown's desk for final approval in late August, phases out the bags, starting with large grocery stores and pharmacies in July 2015, and in convenience and liquor stores one year later. California is the first state to ban the bags, although many cities across the country have done so. This came despite heavy lobbying and spending from "Big Plastic," led by out-of-state bag manufacturers."
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Sketches from scratches is a provocative blogspot that has grown out of the Wuh Lax experience. It is eclectic, which means that it might consider just about anything from the simple to the extremely difficult. A scratch can be something that is troubling me or a short line on paper. From a scratch comes a verbal sketch or image sketch of the issue or subject. Other sites have other stuff that should really be of interest to the broad reader. I try to develop themes, but variety often comes before depth.
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