 | "There's Justice In The Universe" |
Posted 11/5/2009 12:20 PM CST This year, Austin Energy profits will pay about $150 million for city services not related to the utility's operations... parks, firefighting, libraries, 311 call center, city economic development office and other general government services. My Comment: If these monies had always been appropriately fed into energy conservation programs & renewable energy development, just think how much better off we'd all be -- energy wise. At the same time, no bond issue(s) has ever been in any sort of jeopardy / and is thus also funded indirectly through our utility bills aka "Robbing Peter to pay Paul". Read: http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/11/05/1105energy.html |
Posted 10/30/2009 5:10 PM CDT An exploding star’s burst of light traveled 13 billion years, from the early days of the universe to the present day, before being detected by astronomers here on Earth. Researchers say this exploding star is the most distant blast ever seen. The light from the distant explosion, called a gamma-ray burst, first reached Earth on April 23. Gamma-ray bursts are associated with the formation of star-sized black holes as massive stars collapse. The explosion happened just 630 million years after the Big Bang during a period of time known as the "cosmic dark ages". In that era of primal darkness, the first generation of stars were born. The earliest stars are thought to have been massive, short-lived balls of hydrogen and helium, whereas their offspring incorporated heavier elements formed in the first generation’s explosive demise. Because the recently viewed blast resembles more recent gamma ray bursts, researchers say the star was probably part of the second or third generations of stars. Read: www.tinyurl.com/MostDistantBlast http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8329865.stm |
Posted 10/28/2009 1:46 PM CDT "What if we could see back to the beginning of the universe? We can -- since it takes the age of the universe for light to cross the universe. Peering at distant objects, therefore, tells us about how the universe used to be, even near its beginning. Since telescopes are therefore also time portals, observations of distant clusters can be used, for example, to investigate when and how these huge galaxy conglomerations formed. Previously, the redshift record for a galaxy cluster was about 1.5, corresponding to about nine billion light years distant. Recently, using data including X-ray images from the orbiting Chandra X-Ray Observatory, a new farthest cluster was identified. Shown, JKCS041 is seen to be nearly one billion light years farther than the previous record holder. The hot X-ray gas that confirmed the apparent galaxy grouping as a true cluster of galaxies is shown above in diffuse blue, superposed on an optical image showing many foreground stars. JKCS041 is seen today as it appeared at only one quarter of the present age of the universe." View: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091028.html |
Posted 10/17/2009 2:56 PM CDT "Stupid Is As Stupid Does" says Forrest Gump http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/383167 We all have egos [defined as 'self': your consciousness of your own identity]. The healthier the ego, the more resilient the personality --- which allows one to experience life's conflicts without feeling overly threatened. Some people, however, when confronted with troubling information immediately rationalize the evidence away in order to eliminate 'cognitive & emotional dissonance'. "Ideologues" feel especially threatened when their existing beliefs are put in jeopardy by factual evidence. Their unhealthy ego structure is rigid and entrenched to the point that they'd rather be dead than admit that they could be 'dead wrong' about some things. Their lack of "intelligence & adapatability" does not allow them to learn.  For complete view: www.tinyurl.com/yzvjuy4 |
Posted 10/15/2009 1:41 PM CDT After Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Day War (when Israelis drove back massed troops from Egypt, Syria and Jordan), they gained control of the West Bank and Gaza -- and soon began establishing Jewish settlements both as a military buffer against its Arab enemies and to solidify its hold on disputed territories. Religious Zionists even believe that the establishment of a 'greater' Israel will fulfill a biblical mandate and hasten the coming of the Messiah (hasten the 'Second Coming' for Christian fundamentalists). Though 1/3 of the Jewish settlers are secular, all benefit from tax subsidies and enticements. The biggest settlement is home to 30,000+ Jews -- with 300,000 living in a total of 121 West Bank settlements [Rem: Gaza was evacuated in 2005]. Though the U.N. deems these illegal, Israel (out of self-defense) will keep them as a 'bargaining chip' until such time as the Palestinians and other Arab states renounce terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist. [My Translation: never going to happen this side of Armageddon.] http://www.theweek.com/article/index/101045/The_struggle_over_Israels_settlements My Comment: When the Hebrews crossed the Jordan, they did so as their god's "chosen people". They strengthened this identity during The Exile in Babylon while advancing to the belief in the 'One and Only God". Their Jewish identity was further enhanced during the Diaspora. Then the Holocaust propelled their return to Israel (Zionism). Now Muslim anti-Semitism further solidifies their resolve to preserve their identity as a "people chosen by God". And now that Ahmadinejad's Jewish roots have been revealed, it seems ironic that a Persian "Jew" is potentially in position to play the part of the Great Satan in a 'nuclear' holocaust. |
Posted 10/13/2009 4:29 PM CDT The New Great Game is a term used to describe the geopolitics in Central Eurasia as a competition between regional and great powers for "influence, power, hegemony and profits in Central Asia.... as a reference to "The Great Game", the political rivalry between the British and Russian Empires in Central Asia during the 19th century. This new "game" centers around regional petroleum politics. Now, instead of competing for actual control over a geographic area, "pipelines, tanker routes, petroleum consortiums, and contracts are the prizes of the new Great Game". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Great_Game Why else is Afghanistan so important? A glance at a map and a little knowledge of the region suggest that the real reasons for Western military involvement may be largely hidden. Afghanistan is adjacent to Middle Eastern countries that are rich in oil and natural gas. And though Afghanistan may have little petroleum itself, it borders both Iran and Turkmenistan, countries with the second and third largest natural gas reserves in the world. (Russia is first.) Read more: www.tinyurl.com/yhymkbx Map (click on boxes at bottom): http://www.newgreatgame.com/excerpts.htm |
Posted 10/12/2009 2:11 PM CDT We cannot allow resurgent Taliban to regain power and turn Afghanistan into a safe haven for 'al Quida'. This said, look at the fact that tribally organized 'Pashtuns' (mostly Sunni Muslims) make up 45% of the Afghan population & 100% of the Taliban. So, we have to co-opt them the way we did the Sunnis in Iraq by "buying, renting, or bribing" them and even cutting some deals with some Taliban to lay down their arms. Though this cynical approach does not address the poverty, corruption and dysfunctionality of the nation, it will keep it out of the hands of Islamic extremists. We need to recognize that the critical areas of Afghanistan will remain in the hands of the Pastuns no matter what & that, though all Taliban are Pashtuns, not all Pashtuns are Taliban. Read: The Week; 10/09/2009 Issue Note: About 85% of the 6.2 million Afghan refugees who fled to Iran and Pakistan and around the World due to the Russian invasion and the war that followed it are Pashtuns. To many of them, we're just another Western invader. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashtun_people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Game |
Posted 10/11/2009 11:39 AM CDT I first read this in Paul Harevey's book "The Rest of the Story". The way he told it was far better than anything I could find on the internet, but follow along for a most remarkable true story: When a Nebraska church exploded in 1950, no one was injured because every member of the choir was late arriving for practice that evening. As unbelievable as this story is, it did happen. Despite the explosion's taking place five minutes after choir practice was scheduled to begin, not one of the fifteen people who should have been present had yet arrived when the building collapsed.... Read more: http://www.snopes.com/luck/choir.asp http://www.guardianangel.in/ga/127-GuardianStory--This-is-an-act-of-God-.html Search with parameter: west side baptist church + beatrice nebraska + march 1950 |
Posted 10/3/2009 6:59 PM CDT A photograph of the Iranian president holding up his identity card clearly shows his family has Jewish roots. A close-up of the document reveals he was previously known as Sabourjian – a Jewish name meaning cloth weaver. The short note scrawled on the card suggests his family changed its name to Ahmadinejad when they converted to embrace Islam after his birth. The Sabourjians traditionally hail from Aradan, Mr Ahmadinejad's birthplace, and the name derives from "weaver of the Sabour", the name for the Jewish Tallit shawl in Persia. The name is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior. Experts last night suggested Mr Ahmadinejad's track record for hate-filled attacks on Jews could be an overcompensation to hide his past... Read more: www.tinyurl.com/yzxy7e7 |
Posted 10/2/2009 12:09 PM CDT
Condoms: Weapon Against Anthropogenic Era
The world’s population is projected to jump to 9 billion by 2050, with more than 90 percent of that growth coming from developing countries…. In countries with access to condoms and other contraceptives, average family sizes tend to fall significantly within a generation. Until recently, many U.S.-funded health programs did not pay for or encourage condom use in poor countries, even to fight diseases such as AIDS.
Read:
www.tinyurl.com/mame9z
www.tinyurl.com/y9qn8ys
Support:
www.ippf.org/en/About/
The world’s population is projected to jump to 9 billion by 2050, with more than 90 percent of that growth coming from developing countries…. In countries with access to condoms and other contraceptives, average family sizes tend to fall significantly within a generation. Until recently, many U.S.-funded health programs did not pay for or encourage condom use in poor countries, even to fight diseases such as AIDS.
Read:
www.tinyurl.com/mame9z
www.tinyurl.com/y9qn8ys
Support:
www.ippf.org/en/About/
