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progressoid
progressoid's Journal
progressoid's Journal
October 27, 2016
Donald Trump howled in agony and demanded a flask of serpent’s milk to help him recover some strength after the destruction of his first Horcrux on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame yesterday.
Trump, whose unusually-styled hair is believed to hide a face on the back of his head, is understood to have concealed fragments of his soul in multiple receptacles in an attempt to protect himself from defeat in the forthcoming election.
Fragments are believed to be hidden in places as diverse as the fabric of Trump Tower, a pussy he grabbed without warning in 2003, and Mike Pence’s unnaturally shining white head of hair.
...http://newsthump.com/2016/10/27/destruction-of-walk-of-fame-star-leaves-donald-trump-down-to-his-last-six-horcruxes/
Destruction of Walk Of Fame star leaves Donald Trump down to his last six Horcruxes
Stabbing a copy of The Art Of The Deal with a Basilisk’s tooth is the next step to eliminating Donald Trump, according to experts this morning.
Donald Trump howled in agony and demanded a flask of serpent’s milk to help him recover some strength after the destruction of his first Horcrux on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame yesterday.
Trump, whose unusually-styled hair is believed to hide a face on the back of his head, is understood to have concealed fragments of his soul in multiple receptacles in an attempt to protect himself from defeat in the forthcoming election.
Fragments are believed to be hidden in places as diverse as the fabric of Trump Tower, a pussy he grabbed without warning in 2003, and Mike Pence’s unnaturally shining white head of hair.
...http://newsthump.com/2016/10/27/destruction-of-walk-of-fame-star-leaves-donald-trump-down-to-his-last-six-horcruxes/
September 4, 2016
Robots won’t just take jobs, they’ll create them
https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/13/robots-wont-just-take-jobs-theyll-create-them/
Technology and Automation Create, Not Destroy, Jobs
http://www.innovationfiles.org/technology-and-automation-create-not-destroy-jobs/#disqus_thread
Machines Reshape More Jobs Than They Destroy
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/12/07/machines-create-more-stem-jobs-than-they-destroy-study-saysRobots won’t just take jobs, they’ll create them
https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/13/robots-wont-just-take-jobs-theyll-create-them/
Technology and Automation Create, Not Destroy, Jobs
http://www.innovationfiles.org/technology-and-automation-create-not-destroy-jobs/#disqus_thread
April 29, 2016
...
10,000 frames later, the Paris show ended very late. Curfew laws meant that the stage lights in the stadium went out at 11pm, to prevent the concert from continuing. Prince, though, simply continued to play in the dark. They eventually turned the lights back on, and he finished with an amazing rendition of “Purple Rain.” Afterwards, he played an un-announced after party in Paris which lasted till 4AM.
Prince didn’t have time to review my photos from Paris until the next show, in Gdynia, Poland. I was nervous, but I had my edit ready. Before the show, Prince walks into the production office and says, “Hi, I’m Prince. You have something to show me?”
Normally, when showing an edit, I have things in chronological order, but for some reason, 20 seconds before he walked in, I re-arranged the 200 picture edit to bring my favorite five frames to the beginning. I said, “Yep!” and clicked to the first frame, the shot which I thought encompassed all of what Prince is about—an epic wide shot from behind the stage, Prince facing me, the audience at the Stade de France sprawling out behind him, Prince with his Hohner guitar caught by a spotlight seemingly a mile away. My finest moment. I thought. Kiran, Prince’s manager at the time, said, “Wow.”
Prince stared at the picture for 15 seconds, then stood up, and walked out of the room.
I turned to Kiran and said, “What does that mean?” She said, “I don’t know, he’s never done that before.” We waited for about two or three minutes in silence, then Prince walked back in, with the entire band trailing behind him. He pointed at the screen, smiled, and stood back. The band broke into multiple “Ooohhh’s” and “Ahhhs” and “WOWs!” Prince turned to Kiran and asked, “Where did you find this guy?” I said, “Queens.” Prince laughed out loud, and from then on, we seemed to have a great understanding of each other.
~~~
My days and nights went like this typically: Wake up at noon, eat, relax for an hour by going for a walk in whatever country we were in, then start gathering and inspecting my gear. I was at the venue around 4PM for a 9PM show, often reviewing last night’s pictures for ideas on how to shoot differently. Unlike other performers I have photographed, with Prince, there is no “set” show. Everything is different every single night. The band has to know 300+ songs, ready to go at the drop of a hat. And let’s talk about those band members. The absolute best, the cream of the crop. Maceo Parker needs no introduction, but the other members were the best musicians I have ever seen, night after night. You have to be, if you are working with Prince.
See some of Ach's photos of Prince on his site.
On Tour with Prince: A Photo Story and Remembrance
June 21, 2011. “You want to shoot Prince’s European Tour? Need to know ASAP.”...
10,000 frames later, the Paris show ended very late. Curfew laws meant that the stage lights in the stadium went out at 11pm, to prevent the concert from continuing. Prince, though, simply continued to play in the dark. They eventually turned the lights back on, and he finished with an amazing rendition of “Purple Rain.” Afterwards, he played an un-announced after party in Paris which lasted till 4AM.
Prince didn’t have time to review my photos from Paris until the next show, in Gdynia, Poland. I was nervous, but I had my edit ready. Before the show, Prince walks into the production office and says, “Hi, I’m Prince. You have something to show me?”
Normally, when showing an edit, I have things in chronological order, but for some reason, 20 seconds before he walked in, I re-arranged the 200 picture edit to bring my favorite five frames to the beginning. I said, “Yep!” and clicked to the first frame, the shot which I thought encompassed all of what Prince is about—an epic wide shot from behind the stage, Prince facing me, the audience at the Stade de France sprawling out behind him, Prince with his Hohner guitar caught by a spotlight seemingly a mile away. My finest moment. I thought. Kiran, Prince’s manager at the time, said, “Wow.”
Prince stared at the picture for 15 seconds, then stood up, and walked out of the room.
I turned to Kiran and said, “What does that mean?” She said, “I don’t know, he’s never done that before.” We waited for about two or three minutes in silence, then Prince walked back in, with the entire band trailing behind him. He pointed at the screen, smiled, and stood back. The band broke into multiple “Ooohhh’s” and “Ahhhs” and “WOWs!” Prince turned to Kiran and asked, “Where did you find this guy?” I said, “Queens.” Prince laughed out loud, and from then on, we seemed to have a great understanding of each other.
~~~
My days and nights went like this typically: Wake up at noon, eat, relax for an hour by going for a walk in whatever country we were in, then start gathering and inspecting my gear. I was at the venue around 4PM for a 9PM show, often reviewing last night’s pictures for ideas on how to shoot differently. Unlike other performers I have photographed, with Prince, there is no “set” show. Everything is different every single night. The band has to know 300+ songs, ready to go at the drop of a hat. And let’s talk about those band members. The absolute best, the cream of the crop. Maceo Parker needs no introduction, but the other members were the best musicians I have ever seen, night after night. You have to be, if you are working with Prince.
More from behind the scenes here...http://petapixel.com/2016/04/28/shooting-prince-photo-story/
See some of Ach's photos of Prince on his site.
April 11, 2016
I just had chicken for dinner!
“Eating Chicken Can Make Your Kid's Dick Small.”
PETA Just Made A Very Bizarre Claim About What Eating Chicken Will Do To You
People become vegetarians for many reasons: concerns about animal welfare, concerns about the environment, and even simply concerns about their health. Well, how about anxieties about your unborn child’s penis?
That’s the message PETA posted to Facebook in a video called “Eating Chicken Can Make Your Kid's Dick Small.”
According to their video, phthalate – a family of chemicals used in plastics, paints and packaging – leads to male children being born with a smaller penis. The video goes on to say that these phthalates have been found in chicken flesh. In their words: “The more chicken consumed, the smaller the dick.”
The study PETA is referring to is a 2008 report by the National Institute of Health. The report manuscript itself doesn’t make any explicit link between chicken and a child's penis size, or in fact any reference to chicken at all.
...
Ben Williamson, senior international media director at PETA, told VICE: “PETA’s humorous new video is simply trying to warn potential new parents about the link between eating chicken and stunted penis growth. Chicken flesh has been shown to cause higher levels of the phthalate Mono(2-ethylhexyl), or MEHP as it’s better known. That’s a fancy name for a chemical that can shrink the penises of unborn children.”
He concluded, “Our new ad is simply trying to help people who are concerned about the development of their unborn child. It’s a humorous video with a serious message.”
...
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/peta-claim-eating-chicken-can-make-your-kids-dick-small
People become vegetarians for many reasons: concerns about animal welfare, concerns about the environment, and even simply concerns about their health. Well, how about anxieties about your unborn child’s penis?
That’s the message PETA posted to Facebook in a video called “Eating Chicken Can Make Your Kid's Dick Small.”
According to their video, phthalate – a family of chemicals used in plastics, paints and packaging – leads to male children being born with a smaller penis. The video goes on to say that these phthalates have been found in chicken flesh. In their words: “The more chicken consumed, the smaller the dick.”
The study PETA is referring to is a 2008 report by the National Institute of Health. The report manuscript itself doesn’t make any explicit link between chicken and a child's penis size, or in fact any reference to chicken at all.
...
Ben Williamson, senior international media director at PETA, told VICE: “PETA’s humorous new video is simply trying to warn potential new parents about the link between eating chicken and stunted penis growth. Chicken flesh has been shown to cause higher levels of the phthalate Mono(2-ethylhexyl), or MEHP as it’s better known. That’s a fancy name for a chemical that can shrink the penises of unborn children.”
He concluded, “Our new ad is simply trying to help people who are concerned about the development of their unborn child. It’s a humorous video with a serious message.”
...
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/peta-claim-eating-chicken-can-make-your-kids-dick-small
I just had chicken for dinner!
April 5, 2016
More with links at the source http://www.science20.com/news_articles/near_20year_high_beepocalypse_postponed_again_until_2017-169496?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
Cross posted in Env and Energy http://www.democraticunderground.com/112799371
Near 20-Year High: Bee-pocalypse Postponed Again, Until 2017
Despite the hype, there’s still no bee-pocalypse. Two weeks ago, the U.S. Department Agriculture released its latest count of commercial honeybee hives, and although the figure dipped 2.9 percent from the 20-year record-high set in 2014, the overall count of 2.7 million hives in 2015 remains strong. You wouldn’t know it from the news coverage.
~~~
This is where the bait-and-switch comes into play. It’s absolutely true that there were more managed honeybees in the 1940s. Bees were part of the war effort, producing wax used to coat guns and ammunition. So when the war ended, subsidies were introduced to prop up the beekeeping industry.[3] Thanks to Uncle Sam’s support, bee populations peaked at around 5.5 million in the 1950s, then gradually dropped to around 2.6 million in the mid-1990s.
None of that drop can be attributed to neonics, because they only came on the market in the mid-1990s, and didn’t exist in that five decade period of decline.
Now, the national bee numbers did decline at bit around the year 2005 -- to 2.4 million. That was the year in which colony collapse disorder (CCD) struck. The term that describes the unexplained death or disappearance of a hive’s adult bees.
As USDA puts it, “No scientific cause for CCD has been proven.”[4] Activists see the lack of a clear cause as a wide-open opportunity to come up with their own explanation. So they blame neonics.
Calmer minds reflecting on the evidence conclude that the CCD phenomenon existed long before the scientists who invented neonics were even born. Indeed, the November 19, 1868 edition of the Louisville Democrat described CCD-like symptoms with the headline: “Extraordinary exodus of honey bees—They abandon their winter stores and disappear.”[5] Throughout history, CCD has come and gone, and right now, it has gone. There hasn’t been a case in four to five years.[6]
Pesticide seed treatments didn’t exist in the middle of the 19th century, but disease did ravage hives, just as it does now.[7] The USDA has already identified the primary suspect that has been spreading disease: “The parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains the single most detrimental pest of honey bees.”[8] This blood-sucking creature latches onto young bees, injecting over a dozen types of debilitating viruses that can devastate entire hives.
~~~
This is where the bait-and-switch comes into play. It’s absolutely true that there were more managed honeybees in the 1940s. Bees were part of the war effort, producing wax used to coat guns and ammunition. So when the war ended, subsidies were introduced to prop up the beekeeping industry.[3] Thanks to Uncle Sam’s support, bee populations peaked at around 5.5 million in the 1950s, then gradually dropped to around 2.6 million in the mid-1990s.
None of that drop can be attributed to neonics, because they only came on the market in the mid-1990s, and didn’t exist in that five decade period of decline.
Now, the national bee numbers did decline at bit around the year 2005 -- to 2.4 million. That was the year in which colony collapse disorder (CCD) struck. The term that describes the unexplained death or disappearance of a hive’s adult bees.
As USDA puts it, “No scientific cause for CCD has been proven.”[4] Activists see the lack of a clear cause as a wide-open opportunity to come up with their own explanation. So they blame neonics.
Calmer minds reflecting on the evidence conclude that the CCD phenomenon existed long before the scientists who invented neonics were even born. Indeed, the November 19, 1868 edition of the Louisville Democrat described CCD-like symptoms with the headline: “Extraordinary exodus of honey bees—They abandon their winter stores and disappear.”[5] Throughout history, CCD has come and gone, and right now, it has gone. There hasn’t been a case in four to five years.[6]
Pesticide seed treatments didn’t exist in the middle of the 19th century, but disease did ravage hives, just as it does now.[7] The USDA has already identified the primary suspect that has been spreading disease: “The parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains the single most detrimental pest of honey bees.”[8] This blood-sucking creature latches onto young bees, injecting over a dozen types of debilitating viruses that can devastate entire hives.
More with links at the source http://www.science20.com/news_articles/near_20year_high_beepocalypse_postponed_again_until_2017-169496?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
Cross posted in Env and Energy http://www.democraticunderground.com/112799371
January 19, 2016
More photos at: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/monkey-orchid-japan-exhibit?context=tag-photo
Crowds Flock to Japan to View Orchid Species Resembling a Monkey's Friendly Face (pics)
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, February 8th, 2016 will mark the start of the Year of the Monkey and one Japanese aquarium's celebrating in a floral fashion. The Aquamarine Fukushima recently opened up an exhibit featuring the rare Dracula simia flower—which is also known as a Monkey Orchid. Within its vibrant petals, visitors can observe features that strikingly mirror those that can be found on a primate's face. Certain Monkey Orchids even display a furry appearance, a brown coloration, and a tail-like structure, making the resemblance even more uncanny!
Monkey Orchids most commonly grow in parts of Ecuador and Colombia, which adds an extra element of uniqueness to the Japan-based exhibit. Up until January 12th, the Aquamarine Fukushima will continue to delight visitors with these apish flowers as they pay homage to the upcoming Year of the Monkey.
Monkey Orchids most commonly grow in parts of Ecuador and Colombia, which adds an extra element of uniqueness to the Japan-based exhibit. Up until January 12th, the Aquamarine Fukushima will continue to delight visitors with these apish flowers as they pay homage to the upcoming Year of the Monkey.
More photos at: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/monkey-orchid-japan-exhibit?context=tag-photo
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