Posted 6/25/2011 11:29 PM CDT
For the first time, more than half of the children under age 2 in the U.S. are minorities ... with racial and ethnic minorities becoming the U.S. majority by mid-century. By contrast, whites make up the vast majority of older Americans — 80 percent of seniors 65 and older and roughly 73 percent of people ages 45-64. Many states with high percentages of white seniors also have particularly large shares of minority children, including Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas and Florida. Much of the race change is being driven by increases in younger Hispanic women having more children than do white women, who have lower birth rates and as a group are moving beyond their prime childbearing years.
[Doesn't that mean that there won't be any majorities anymore -- at least for a while? For a bit, we'll all be minorities -- especially the groupings of offspring of mixed racial couples (the epitome of "the melting pot") and the hopeful future of mankind. ]
http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/census-shows-whites-lose-us-majority-among-babies-1556453.html?cxtype=rss_ece_frontpage&viewAsSinglePage=true
[Doesn't that mean that there won't be any majorities anymore -- at least for a while? For a bit, we'll all be minorities -- especially the groupings of offspring of mixed racial couples (the epitome of "the melting pot") and the hopeful future of mankind. ]
http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/census-shows-whites-lose-us-majority-among-babies-1556453.html?cxtype=rss_ece_frontpage&viewAsSinglePage=true
| Posted 6/25/2011 8:38 AM CDT Well, it certainly seems that there are some constants in the universe, and Republican Joe Barton (6th congressional district) and senior member of the House's 'Energy and Commerce Committee' is one of them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Barton This time he's done gone and introduced a bill to allow online poker gambling. http://tinyurl.com/6eycv3u And this is as if the current levels of destruction of families from people addicted to gambling weren't enough. Gambling will increase proportionately to the degree forms of gambling are made 'easy' access. Shucks, no more having to raid the cookie jar where the 'mad money' is stashed to have a poker night with friends now. One can simply fund what can easily become an addiction for gambling by using a credit or debit card from behind closed doors. Never mind that it's a formula for financial disaster that's going to take a heavy toll on some. But, ah hell, this country has had bouts of gambling fever before and survived. It's just that I thought public servants were there to protect and serve the people (and families) they represent -- which I guess, in this case, is really the gambling interests. http://tinyurl.com/66p32wn |
| Posted 6/24/2011 10:46 AM CDT 50%+ of the world's population lives within 60 miles of the sea. Now, consider that during previous interglacial periods, the sea level rose to 20+ feet above the present sea level [look at the coral reefs from the last interglacial period in Florida sitting high and dry on land 15 feet above sea level]. That puts most of these people along present day coastlines around the world under water (or at least on beach front property where you can't raise food). With overpopulation driving incrementally increasing greenhouse gas emissions that are amplifying what naturally occurring climate change brings, we'll gradually see higher sea levels than existed even during past interglacial periods. And it isn't a question of 'if' sea levels will rise -- rather, it's a question of how fast they will continue to rise. [Note: Coastlines have never been stable over the eons of time. The edge of the 'continental shelf' (flooded margins of the continent) is actually indicative of the most stable and long-term coastline -- it was the shoreline during the preceding Ice Ages.] http://www.savethesea.org/STS%20ocean_facts.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_shelf Of course, our species will adapt to a warmer world. But billions of people will be displaced -- famine and pestilence will blossom, It will not be a pleasant situation to have to be a part of [remember the large unstable population south of our border]. It would be better to reduce our reproductive rates now and, thus, automatically reduce our rates of resource consumption and competition (why do you think we're so heavily involved in the Middle East). But you and I both know that's not the way 'naked apes' operate. Note: The primary cause of overpopulation is poverty [Poor people have poor ways]. Lack of education, deficiencies in health care and family planning, the low status of women, and lack of government policy are secondary reasons -- that contribute to poverty, environmental pollution, domestic and international disputes, refugees, starvation and malnutrition, and absence of "social security" (which, for the poor of the world, takes on the form of having as many babies as possible in hopes that at least one will survive to care for the parents in their old age). This is a vicious cycle that can only be broken by first improving the position of women in the societies of developing countries / which is where the overpopulation is the worst. http://www.unfpa.org/public/ In the meantime, if you're looking at really 'looonngg' term real estate investments, stay away from Houston -- unless you're wanting beachfront property for your surviving descendants. http://coastalchange.ucsd.edu/st4_climatechange/sealevel.html |
| Posted 6/21/2011 5:00 AM CDT "9-11" (Pause) As soon as you see or hear "9-11", you have an emotional reaction that occurs before you can even think. EEGs show that we react very quickly to stimuli from our environment. It's a basic human survival skill. Our 'fight-or-flight' reflexes depend on it. Unfortunately, however, we apply this not only to predators and other dangers, but also to data (new information) as well. So, instead of changing our mind set and applying new learning to situations, we fail to adapt and threaten our own survival. In other words, we become our own worst enemy. Example: Of Republican partisans who originally believed that Saddam Hussein and al Quida secretly collaborated to attack the WTC, only 2% have changed their minds in the intervening years -- despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary (even Bush said it wasn't true). [Since political beliefs are rooted in emotions, the facts are often irrelevant.] Psychologists use the term "Motivated Reasoning" to define what I call simple "Pigheadedness". When this malady primarily only causes the afflicted one to suffer, I can feel some sympathy -- but, not when their wrong thinking puts me and mine in jeopardy. Such as the belief that second hand smoke isn't a danger; or that texting while driving is socially acceptable; or that flushing toxic substances into the sewer system is none of my business. Such abnormal thinking is abysmal and reflective of deep seated dysfunctionality. When groups share a general lack of common sense, we all suffer. Note: I'm not talking about healthy skepticism, which is the opposite of 'motivated reasoning'. http://www.skepdic.com/motivatedreasoning.html Note: People more readily count someone as an expert when that person endorses a conclusion that fits their predispositions. For example, if you wanted a Hierarchical-individualist to consider new evidence, present it in a context that doesn't trigger a defensive, emotional reaction. For example, if evidence relating to the science of climate change were the subject, instead of titling it as "Scientific Panel Recommends Anti-Pollution Solution to Global Warming”, use “Scientific Panel Recommends Nuclear Solution to Global Warming". — Hierarchical individualists would be much more open to considering that humans could be causing global warming because it had been written into a narrative that appealed to those with a pro-industry worldview. http://theweek.com/article/index/215257/made-up-minds |
| Posted 6/21/2011 4:52 AM CDT Hierarchical-individualist vs. Egalitarian-communitarian Say what?! Hierarchicalists prefer a social order where people have clearly defined roles based on stable characteristics such as class, race, or gender. Egalitarians want to reduce racial, gender, and income inequalities. Individualists expect people to succeed or fail on their own, while Communitarians believe that society is obligated to take care of everyone. Generally speaking, Individualists tend to dismiss claims of environmental risks because they fear such claims will be used to fetter markets and other arenas of individual achievement. Hierarchicalists tend to see claims of environmental risk as a subversive tactic aiming to undermine a stable social order. In contrast, Egalitarians and Communitarians dislike markets and industry for creating disparities in wealth and power. In fact, they readily believe that such disparities generate environmental risks that must be regulated. [That's enough for now. I had to get this in writing so that I could get a better grip on it. Next will be 'motivated reasoning' aka 'pigheadedness'.] http://reason.org/news/show/everyone-who-knows-what-theyre http://theweek.com/article/index/215257/made-up-minds |
| Posted 6/21/2011 12:05 AM CDT As 'climate change' advances, some groups are are making adjustments in advance. For example, British Columbia's government is moving 250,000 Larch seedlings http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larch up to 200 miles outside of its native range. Milder winters have boosted the 'pine beetle' population and have devastated tens of millions of acres of forest. Summer droughts have destroyed many more. Tree mortality rates have quadrupled 4 times since the 1970s. [Note: In the 70s, I remember reading how the native Alaskans were having to go further and further north to collect the berries they liked & the permafrost was melting to greater depths (such that tombstones of old timers were tipping over because the permafrost no longer held them upright). Discover Magazine; June 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4OdKPy9rM As for myself, I am gradually letting my St. Augustine grass gradually die out to be replaced by Bermuda grass (requires minimal moisture and tolerates full sun)) and Zoysia japonica (requires more moisture than Bermuda, but less than St. Augustine & tolerates deep shade where the carpet grass is being shaded out). Both of these grasses spread to my yard from neighbors down the street. In my backyard, I'm not doing any watering at all on half of the area (where there is no shade) -- am using Live Oak leaves (given to me by a friend, who despises them) as ground cover (2-3" depth). In this area, I don't need grass sod established for erosion control like I do everywhere else because it's flat and level. Note: The birds (especially the White-wing Doves and Bluejays) love the deep leaves for the life forms they sustain. |
| Posted 6/20/2011 11:20 AM CDT This is a propaganda film that chronicles the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, which was attended by more than 700,000 Nazi supporters. The film contains excerpts from speeches given by various Nazi leaders at the Congress, including portions of speeches by Adolf Hitler, interspersed with footage of massed party members. The overriding theme of the film is the return of Germany as a great power, with Hitler as the 'True German Leader' who will bring glory to the nation. Triumph of the Will was released in 1935 and rapidly became one of the best-known examples of propaganda in film history. Techniques, such as moving cameras, the use of long focus lenses to create a distorted perspective, aerial photography, and revolutionary approach to the use of music and cinematography, have earned Triumph recognition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_of_the_Will#Wehrmacht_objections Triumph of the Will: Part 1 of 2 - 1935 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftdQHnOBoI8 Part 2 of 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFuLV8mW0B4&feature=related In the above, Hitler speaks in Part I at 49:00;then part 2 -- at 02:52, again at 16:00, and finally again at 42:50. In part I, his underlings speak: 28:45+... especially 'foreboding' is 31:15 & 31:33, when one remembers that the Prussian driving force mentality derived from the Teutonic Knights code of absolute loyalty to the 'One' man designated as leader. Also, we need to remember that there are no real Prussians -- the Teutonic Knights destroyed the original Prussians totally and moved in their own people [sound familiar?]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum |
| Posted 6/19/2011 5:29 PM CDT The fact that 'bin Laden' was able to live comfortably for years within walking distance of the Pakistan Military Academy confirms what U.S. officials have suspected since 9/11: that Islamabad has been quietly nurturing and offering sanctuary to terrorists while pretending to be a strategic partner of the USA... which is why we chose not to brief Pakistan ahead of time about the bin Laden raid. While it's 'possible' that "no one in authority" knew about bin Laden's hiding place, in such case we need to impress upon the Pakistani government and public just how much they need our help to fend of terrorist extremists. The Week; May 20, 2011 What Pakistan really needs is a shift of power from the ruling elite and the military to the "civilian middle class". So let's deliver our future aid in the form of trade deals and tax breaks for Pakistani businesses. That would do far more to enhance Pakistan's stability, and to ensure its friendship, than the billions that America now pays like a ransom in military aid. The New Yorker; Lawrence Wright |
| Posted 6/17/2011 9:27 AM CDT The singular mistake that accelerated Japan's defeat was an aerial navigation error made during the 'Battle of Midway' (the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II). The June 4, 1942 Japanese attack on our installations on Midway Island had been only partially successful and their planes were returning to their aircraft carriers to be refueled and rearmed. It was only then that they realized the US Navy was in the area when a Japanese scout plane reported sighting a US large naval force. After a delay, it was confirmed that there were American aircraft carriers in this force. What sealed the fate of the Japanese was the misinformation given to Japanese Admiral Nagumo by his scout plane -- that the American force was further away from the Japanese fleet than they really were. Nagumo thought he had enough time to rearm his planes with torpedoes instead of bombs. In reality, he did not. The Americans had already launched their strike force and were soon upon him. His flight decks were strewn with both bombs and torpedoes when American dive bombers arrived and sank 3-of-4 Japanese carriers within five minutes / the fourth carrier was sunk later that day. Yamamoto had promised the Emperor six months of victories. He came within three days of keeping that promise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_midway.htm [To me, this is one of the most thrilling singular events in the history of mankind.] |
Posted 6/17/2011 9:25 AM CDT
On the evening of August 24, 1940 an seemingly small event occurred because of an aerial navigational error that eventually helped cost Germany the war. At the height of the air war referred to as the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe, while night bombing London's docks, accidentally dropped bombs on central London. It was in defiance of Hitler's strict instructions that "central London should not be attacked". Winston Churchill was outraged and RAF Bomber Command retaliated. Hitler was thus forced to retaliate with strikes on non-military targets, thus taking just enough pressure off of the RAF (which had been extremely close to a critical collapsing point) to allow them time enough to recover enough strength to finally prevent Hitler's 'Operation Sea Lion', an amphibious and airborne invasion of Britain.
This meant that Germany should not have attacked Russia because it meant a two-front war. Though there were many arrogant blunders that Hitler made, the accidental bombing of central London set events in motion that cost Germany the war.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_attacks_raf_fighter_command
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain#The_Luftwaffe_targets_RAF_airfields
This meant that Germany should not have attacked Russia because it meant a two-front war. Though there were many arrogant blunders that Hitler made, the accidental bombing of central London set events in motion that cost Germany the war.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/germany_attacks_raf_fighter_command
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain#The_Luftwaffe_targets_RAF_airfields
