February 8, 2016

Helen Mirren/Budweiser commercial was great.

Loved it.

February 3, 2016

I am just flabbergasted at a couple of these responses

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511125317

WTF?

February 1, 2016

W.H.O. Declares Zika Virus an International Health Emergency

Source: NYTimes

"The World Health Organization on Monday declared the spread of the Zika virus an international public health emergency, a rare move that signals the seriousness of the outbreak and gives countries powerful new tools to fight it."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organization.html?_r=0

January 19, 2016

Trump and Palin ticket?

January 10, 2016

BBC4 - Fascinating talk with Scott Atran about ISIS as revolution - Sobering

Talk is about 5 minutes on The World This Weekend - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vjjmz - Listen at the 21 minute mark to hear Scott Atran, a research fellow who has interviewed many terrorist sympathizers who believes we are underestimating the strength of this movement - we have "miles and miles of grief to go." (News segment right before was about anniversary of Charlie Hedbo attack.)




http://artisresearch.com/scott-atran/

Scott Atran is Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford and Co-Founder, Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict at Oxford. He is tenured as Research Director in Anthropology at France’s National Center for Scientific Research, Institut Jean Nicod-Ecole Normale Supérieure, in Paris. He also holds positions as Presidential Scholar, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York; and Visiting Prof., Psychology and Public Policy, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Scott has experimented extensively on the ways scientists and ordinary people categorize and reason about nature, on the cognitive and evolutionary psychology of religion, and on the limits of rational choice in political and cultural conflict. He often briefs members of government on the The Devoted Actor versus the Rational Actor in Managing World Conflict, on the Comparative Anatomy and Evolution of Global Network Terrorism, and on Pathways to and from Violent Extremism. He has been engaged in conflict negotiations in the Middle East, and in the establishment of indigenously managed forest reserves for Native American peoples.

January 7, 2016

Company Behind Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Sues U.S. Government

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/06/462192886/company-behind-keystone-xl-oil-pipeline-sues-u-s-government


"TransCanada also plans to file a $15 billion claim under the North American Free Trade Agreement, arguing it had every right to expect the Keystone XL would be approved because the U.S. had approved similar projects."TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline, is suing the U.S. government because President Obama struck down the next step in the pipeline plan in November. The company says Obama's rejection exceeded his authority under the Constitution, NPR's Jeff Brady reports."

...

And mentions NAFTA as giving them a right to sue! ARRRGGHH

January 5, 2016

Sexual assaults on New Year's Eve in Germany

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35231046

The scale of the attacks on women at the city's central train station has shocked Germany. About 1,000 drunk and aggressive young men were involved.

City police chief Wolfgang Albers called it "a completely new dimension of crime". The men were of Arab or North African appearance, he said.

Women were also targeted in Hamburg.

...



The people in Europe are going to revolt if their leaders don't get a handle on their immigration problem. Letting in so many young men - many with extreme sexist and misogynist views about women - nothing to do, no jobs....UGH These guys need classes in modern culture and the rule of law asap!

With an ocean separating the U.S., we're able to vet our refugees and prioritize families with children. Thankfully!

Also, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/01/04/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-sex-assaults.html?_r=0

January 2, 2016

Update on UNT student who was shot in Denton

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/01/01/unt-student-hurt-in-denton-shooting/

7:15 PM Update: Sara Mutschlechner has passed away according to Denton Police.

December 11, 2015

Malala's Father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, can be heard on BBC4 Podcast. Worth listening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/programmes/a-z/by/Ziauddin%20Yousafzai/player

I heard this yesterday, I think, and it was well worth listening to. (If you think you have have already heard this, I believe it is a repeat.) Malala obviously learned the courage of her convictions at the knee
of her father who has been such a strong supporter of the rights of girls and women for years.

December 4, 2015

If the terrorists moved up the date and changed the target

because he was angry with a coworker and decided to make a work celebration their first target, it's not terrorism?

Is that the meme?

The denial is fascinating in a weird sort of way.