Welcome! "The Evening Blues - Weekend Edition" is a casual community diary (published Saturday & Sunday, 8:00 PM Eastern) where we hang out, share and talk about news, music, photography and other things of interest to the community.
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This evening's music is brought to you by guest VJ NCTim and features the New Orleans based Chicano R&B roots rock band The Iguanas. Enjoy!
The Iguanas - Back In The Limelight Again
For us, the world was full of beauty; for the other, it was a place to be endured until he went to another world.
Chief Luther Standing Bear
News and Opinion
Bombs Continue to Fall On Yemen As Arab States Announce New Military Force
At conclusion of Arab League Summit, leaders vow that attack will continue until rebels surrender
The attack on Yemen will continue until Shiite Houthi rebels in that country "withdraw and surrender their weapons," a coalition of Arab leaders announced Sunday at the conclusion of the Arab League Summit, held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh this weekend.
Leaders of the 14 member states—which include the Gulf States, Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, Algeria, Palestine and Somalia—also agreed to the formation of a joint military task force. According to an unnamed source, the task for "would be tasked with intervening in Arab states at their request to protect them against 'danger,' without specifying what kind of threats could lead to the taskforce’s deployment," the Middle East Eye reports.
Opening the final session of the summit, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El-Araby stressed an "absolute need" to confront all threats to the national security of Arab states, Egypt's Al Ahramreports.
Focusing specifically on Yemen, which since Thursday has withstood ongoing bombings by a Saudi-led coalition, El-Araby said, "We will continue to fight the Houthi rebels until they surrender and hand over their weapons."
Conflict in Yemen: Who is Getting the Upper Hand?
The international coalition led by Saudi Arabia along with ten other Sunni states on March 26 launched a military operation against the Houthi rebels that are controlling the better part of Yemen. In the first three days the conflict in the of Aden claimed the lives more than 60 people and, according to statements being made in Riyadh, the bloodshed shall be carried on. This operation followed the conclusion of the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting where Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar pledged to respond to the request of the Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi who urged them to “protect the legitimate authorities of Yemen.” The Gulf states coalition was joined by Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan and Sudan. However, as it was stated by Pakistan’s Minister of Defence of Pakistan Khawaja Asif, Islamabad is prepared “to defend the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia whatever the cost” , but has no plans of intervening in Yemen, to fight the Shiite militia forces of the Houthis.
Riyadh authorities were extremely content for the fact that Pakistan would embark on their military venture due to the fact that it’s the only Muslim country in the coalition that possesses nuclear weapons, which, according to the Saudi monarchy, will not only be a deterrent, but may also play a decisive role in the unfolding crisis in the Middle East Without a glimpse of a doubt, the step that was taken by Islamabad was a predictable one, due to the fact that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan share close economic ties, with Riyadh providing considerable funding to its ally in return for the military training supervised by Pakistani officers.
At the same time, Pakistani authorities understand that their interference in the Yemeni conflict may provoke a negative reaction from Iran. The Islamic Republic is looming over Pakistan’s borders and it has has the ability to influence 40 million Shia Muslims living in Pakistan. Additionally, in recent years the Pakistani army has been busy fighting the Pakistani Taliban in the north-west part of the country, since they have been presenting a major threat to the country’s national security. That is why Pakistani authorities were particularly careful in their wording, stating that Islamabad is not willing to affect the spread of the conflict that is now bringing the Muslim world apart directly, choosing diplomacy over brute force.
Nevertheless, the ongoing conflict in Yemen has been set aflame, putting the stability of the whole Middle Eastern region to the test. The regional ambitions of the “Shia arc” are now being suppressed by the missiles of the Sunni coalition, and the actions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard deployed in Syria and Iraq are to be answered by 150 thousand Saudi soldiers mobilized for the operation in Yemen. Those soldiers would be supported by tens of thousands of new recruits from the countries of the Sunni coalition . Regional players have immediately abandoned their previous political “alliances” along with the common enemies like Al Qaeda and ISIL. The steps Iran took against the Islamists and the fact that the Houthis themselves were fighting ISIL is of little interest to the West and Saudi Arabia now.
Arab League agrees to create joint military force
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
The heads of Arab League countries meeting in Egypt have agreed to create a joint Arab military force.
The League has been meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh amid a crisis in Yemen and the threat of jihadists who have made major gains in Iraq, Syria and Libya.
However, establishing the make-up and remit of the force could take months, analysts say.
A 10-nation, Saudi-led coalition is currently carrying out air strikes against rebels in Yemen.
The strikes are in support of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who fled after gains by the Shia Houthi rebels.
Obama leashes the Saudi war dogs
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
The international dimension to the conflict in Yemen has surged dramatically. This is not surprising because the fact of the matter is that the civil war in that country is entangled with global challenges and big-power relations, notwithstanding the simplistic perception that it is yet another manifestation of Saudi-Iranian rivalry. There is no denying that terrorist groups are operating in Yemen; Yemen is a strategically located country; Saudi Arabia’s security is affected; energy security could get disrupted; Shi’ite empowerment is a crucial template of regional stability; the impulses of the Arab Spring are from exhausted; and, the prestige of the United Nations is under challenge in Yemen.
President Barack Obama spoke with King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia on Friday and “emphasized the United States’ support” for the Saudi air attacks on Yemen. Obama “underscored” the US’ commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security. Thereupon, they agreed on “our collective goal” to steer Yemen through a “negotiated political solution facilitated by the United Nations and involving all parties as envisioned in the GCC Initiative” so as to achieve “lasting stability.”
The Saudi ambassador in Washington has also acknowledged that the US has been “very supportive” of the operation in Yemen not only politically but logistically as well and that Riyadh is “very pleased” with the level of military and intelligence coordination with the US. The National Security Council spokesperson separately confirmed in Washington that Obama has authorized the provision of logistical and intelligence support for the Saudi-led military operations. Other reports mention that the US is establishing a Joint Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia and that the US Navy handled a rescue operation involving two Saudi pilots.
From the above, It is tempting to rush to a facile conclusion that Obama is leading from behind the Saudi operations in Yemen. But such a conclusion will be judgmental. The key expressions in the White House readout on Obama’s conversation with King Salman are: “lasting stability” and “a negotiated political solution”. The formulation suggests that Obama recognizes the imperative need of a power-sharing arrangement in Sana’a that would also accommodate the Houthi demand for an inclusive government. (The ousted president Hadi was a Saudi puppet for all purposes — something that the Houthis (and Iran) have militated against all along.)
The Middle Eastern Metternichs of Riyadh
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
Gaming the demise of the Saudi monarchy has been a flourishing industry on the think-tank circuit for the past dozen years. Not long ago I sat in private conclaves of US national security officials with a sprinkling of invited experts where the head-shaking, chin-pulling consensus held that the Saudi royal family would be gone in ten years. A premise of the “realist” view that American policy in the region should shift towards Iran was that the Saudi monarchy would collapse and Sunni power along with it. All of us misunderestimated the Saudis.
Now the Saudis have emerged at the top of a Sunni coalition against Iran–limited for the moment to the Houthi insurgency in Yemen, to be sure, but nonetheless the most impressive piece of diplomacy in the Sunni world since Nasser, and perhaps in modern times. That attributes a lot of importance to a coalition assembled for a minor matter in a small country, but it may be the start of something important: the self-assertion of the Sunni world in response to the collapse of American regional power, the threat of Sunni jihadist insurgencies, and the Shi’ite bid for regional hegemony.
The standard narrative held that the Saudi royal family would fracture after the death of King Abdullah, leaving a sclerotic and senile generation of princes to preside over the demise of a colonial relic. After the so-called Arab Spring of 2011, the smart money bet on the Islamists, with their fusion of religious fundamentalism and modern political techniques. “Given the awfulness of post-World War II Arab lands, where even the most benign regimes had sophisticated, torture-happy security services, Islamists who braved the wrath of rulers and trenchantly critiqued the moral breakdown of their societies were going to do well in a postsecular age. What is poorly understood in the West is how critical fundamentalists are to the moral and political rejuvenation of their countries. As counterintuitive as it seems, they are the key to more democratic, liberal politics in the region,” wrote Reuel Marc Gerecht in 2012.
Writing premature obituaries for the Saudi monarchy wasn’t a Western monopoly. Late last year a well-regarded Chinese analyst told me, “Isn’t it ironic–we modern Chinese and you modern Americans are trying to prop up this medieval monstrosity!”
Officials: Iran nuke talks solving some issues, not others
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Iran is considering demands for further cuts to its uranium enrichment program but is pushing back on how long it must limit technology it could use to make atomic arms, Western officials involved in the nuclear talks said Sunday.
Iran's potential movement on enrichment reflected the intense pressure to close a deal. But substantial differences between the sides may prove too difficult to bridge before Tuesday's deadline for a preliminary agreement, which is meant to set the stage for a further round of negotiations toward a comprehensive deal in June.
The goal is a long-term curb on Iran's nuclear activities. In return, Tehran would gain relief from the burden of global economic penalties.
Foreign ministers and other representatives of Iran and the six powers in the talks have said there is a chance of succeeding by the deadline despite significant obstacles.
Information War Between Russia and the West Intensifies
War is raging between the West and Russia, with a key battlefield being the “war for public opinion” and control over information, narratives and perspectives. The Ukrainian crisis has again reiterated the polar opposite narratives between Western and Russian media as the information war intensifies. Western news outlets have been incessantly attempting to portray Russia as the belligerent power over the past year, even though many of the facts contradict this perspective. In order to justify an illegal coup in Kiev – which is part of a grander strategy of destabilising, encircling and antagonising the Russian Federation – the presstitutes are hard at work manufacturing narratives and preparing “Americans for conflict with Russia”, as Dr. Paul Craig Roberts wrote in his article: ‘CNN is Beating the Drums of War’. Considering the majority of conflicts in recent years have been initiated by Western intervention or meddling – including the Ukrainian crisis of course – Russian propaganda relies far more on facts, as there is often no need to invert truth to support Moscow’s position.
“War for Public Opinion”
“It’s a war for public opinion because whatever the case may be on the ground Western leaders, specifically NATO-countries, they really need public opinion to be backing whatever moves they are making around the world,” was how investigative journalist and founder of 21st Century Wire, Patrick Henningsen, described the Western media landscape in an interview with RT. In an attempt to win the “war for public opinion”, the West has launched multiple initiatives recently in a bid to successfully influence and shape public perception on current affairs. The European Union (EU) has launched a 3-month project to prepare a “strategic communication” plan to counter what the EU believes to be Russian “disinformation campaigns”, according to draft conclusions of an EU summit obtained by Reuters. The project will be led by Federica Mogherini, the EU’s
feasibility [of] Russian-language media” projects states: Around 90 media experts and organisations examined ways of setting up new media initiatives for Russian-language audiences and strengthening cooperation between existing media actors in the Eastern Partnership countries and beyond.”
US National Guard sends 12 F-15 interceptor jets to Europe to guard against Russia
Florida Air Guard is to deploy 12 F-15C jets and about 200 airmen to Europe as part of Washington’s military build-up, which it claims is necessary to protect European NATO members from Russian aggression.
The fighters and troops from the 125th Fighter Wing of the Florida Air National Guard are to go to Europe in mid-April, the US Air Forces in Europe reported this week. The F-15C Eagles are equipped with advanced air-to-air radar and sniper targeting equipment that allows visual tracking at extremely long ranges.
The F-15s would be sent to the Netherlands and later Bulgaria.
The unit is to replace 12 A-10s from the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, which have been deployed since February. The A-10s is hosted at US Air Base Spangdahlem in Germany, but also visited RAF Lakenheath in UK and Poland.
Arab states plan joint military force to combat common Middle East threats
Egyptian president Abdul Fatah al-Sisi announces initiative at an Arab League summit, primarily aimed at countering the threat posed by Isis
Arab states have said they will try to assemble a unified military force to combat common threats across the Middle East, which regional leaders say is now more volatile and polarised than at any point in at least 35 years.
The mooted force would be 40,000 strong, based in Cairo or Riyadh and would be deployed to counter threats anywhere from Libya to Yemen.
The concept, which is effectively a joint defence pact, was tabled by the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, at an Arab League summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm al-Sheikh, where all 22 members of the fractious body gathered on Sunday to discuss the myriad crises reverberating around the region.
“The Arab leaders have decided to agree on the principle of a joint Arab military force,” Sisi said.
Israel to stop withholding Palestinian tax revenues
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Friday that it will transfer Palestinian tax revenues it has been withholding as punishment for the Palestinians' application to join the International Criminal Court.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the decision was made following the recommendation of Israel's security establishment and because of humanitarian considerations. Israel has been under international pressure to release the frozen funds and Israeli security officials had warned that continuing to hold back the revenue could spark violence.
Under existing agreements, Israel collects taxes and customs on behalf of the Palestinians and then transfers the sums to them. It has withheld funds before as retaliation for unilateral Palestinian actions. Over the past three months it has collected hundreds of millions of dollars without transferring the funds.
Shawqi al-Aissa, a Palestinian Cabinet minister, said Israel should be held accountable for the "crime" of withholding the funds. "They stole our money and returning it doesn't solve the problem," he said in response to the decision to renew transfers.
UN warns emergency fund for Palestinians in Syria near empty
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Just four percent of emergency work in Syria for Palestinians has been funded so far this year, threatening the viability of a cash assistance program that UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness described on Sunday as a "lifeline" for refugees.
He said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees needs around $415 million, of which $250 million would fund its cash program — which provides cash distributions for roughly half a million Palestinian refugees affected by the war in Syria.
Gunness spoke to The Associated Press from Kuwait, where an international conference will take place Tuesday to raise funds for humanitarian operations in Syria.
"We're not crying wolf here. If we don't receive the funds for this program at this conference in Kuwait we are going to have to cease in a matter of days our vital cash assistance program," he said.
National #BoycottIndiana Movement Drives Officials to Backpedal on Anti-LGBTQ Law
'It feels like we're going back 50 years in time,' one protester said of state-sanctioned discrimination
Indiana lawmakers are scrambling to backpedal as a fierce backlash has taken hold against Republican Governor Mike Pence since he signed into law legislation that effectively permits discrimination against people thought to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.
Under the handle #BoycottIndiana, LGBTQ activists and supporters across the nation are vowing economic retribution against the state.
The so-called "Religious Freedom Restoration Act," signed into affect on Thursday, prohibits state laws that "substantially burden" a person’s ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of "person" includes religious institutions, businesses and associations. Critics say that the measure protects individuals or businesses that violate anti-discrimination laws.
Across the state, stickers have already begun appearing in storefront windows that read: "This business serves everyone."
Uzbekistan's election sees turnout at 91 percent
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
MOSCOW (AP) — Uzbekistan's election commission said 91 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in Sunday's presidential election, where victory by longtime authoritarian leader Islam Karimov is a foregone conclusion.
The 77-year-old Karimov has led the former Soviet republic in Central Asia since the late 1980s and ruthlessly quashed all opposition to his rule.
While Uzbekistan is untroubled by any immediate signs of unrest, the future of the country of 30 million people is colored with uncertainty amid a troubled security situation in neighboring Afghanistan and the lack of a clear succession plan should Karimov suddenly leave office.
Economic woes could also be in store as a knock-on effect of the looming recession in Russia, where around 3 million Uzbeks live and work.
Police on trial: Tears, anger resurge over 2005 French riots
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
RENNES, France (AP) — One October afternoon, two teenage boys were kicking around a football in their desolate housing project northeast of Paris. Two hours later, they lay lifeless, electrocuted in a power substation as they hid from police.
Two police officers wept in a hushed courtroom as they testified about what happened that fateful day in 2005 in Clichy-sous-Bois. The boys' deaths led to three weeks of nationwide riots by those who see police not as protectors but as predators, and who see 15-year-old Bouna Traore and 17-year-old Zyed Benna as victims of a system denying opportunity to minority youth across France.
Last week's long-awaited trial focused on a single event in a specific Paris suburb, but the tensions that emerged in testimony echoed similar standoffs from Ferguson, Missouri, to London and Stockholm, between largely white police forces and non-white youths.
"We are at the meeting of two worlds that don't know each other, that don't trust each other," lawyer Jean-Pierre Mignard, representing the families of the French boys killed in 2005, told The Associated Press.
Feds: Baltimore jail illegally keeping juveniles in solitary
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
BALTIMORE (AP) — Teenagers awaiting trial on adult charges in Baltimore are being kept in solitary confinement for far too long — up to 143 days in one case, according to a highly critical review by the U.S. Justice Department's Division of Civil Rights.
Federal prosecutors say being isolated for more than a few days can damage a person's mental health — especially if it's a teenager whose brain is still developing. But teenagers accused of breaking rules inside the Baltimore City Detention Center are being isolated for 13 days on average, and in some cases, far longer.
The latest federal review found some improvements, but concluded that eight years after the state of Maryland entered into an agreement with the Justice Department, the embattled jail is still violating state laws and the U.S. Constitution when it comes to handling teens in custody:
— Very few staffers have any training in adolescent development, trauma, and mental health and developmental disabilities, the review found.
March to martial law? Undercover Special Forces to sweep US Southwest
As elite branches of the US military prepare to hold military training in seven southwest states, with some troops operating incognito among civilians, some Americans fear the training is actually preparation for imposing martial law.
Operation Jade Helm, which is scheduled to kick off in July and run for eight weeks, will involve the participation of 1,200 troops from the US military’s most elite fighting forces, including Green Berets, Navy SEALS and Special Operations from the Air Force and Marines.
The troops will be participating in what has been called Realistic Military Training in towns in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Utah.
In an effort to simulate the type of battlefield conditions soldiers may face in foreign countries, the US military has designated the remote training areas where they will operate as in a “hostile" territory, a description that has irked some residents.
Beijing calling: Australia & Denmark defy US by applying to join China-led bank
Australia and Denmark, despite previous American objections to the move, say they will join a new Beijing-backed investment bank that some in Washington say could supplant the US-dominated International Monetary Fund.
In a testament to China’s growing economic clout on the global stage, western countries are lining up to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, or AIIB.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey expressed their country’s willingness to join AIIB as a founding member, but have attached tough conditions to their membership.
“The government has discussed the AIIB extensively with China and other key partners inside and outside the region,” Abbott and Hockey said in a joint statement.
Nebraska Farmer Invites Pro-Fracking Commission Members to Drink Contaminated Water
Pro-fracking members of the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission were silent when a farmer and former pipeline worker invited them to drink water contaminated with chemicals used in the petroleum and natural gas extraction process.
During the public comment portion of the commission hearing, James Osborne referred to previous testimony by members, saying, “So you told me this morning … that you would drink it, this water, right? So, would you drink it? Yes or no?”
When a commission member told Osborne they would not comment, he replied, “Oh, you can’t answer any questions? So, my answer would be no. I would not drink this.
“There is no doubt there will be contamination,” he added during a brief lecture on how contaminated water flows through the state according to fluid dynamics. “There will be spills.”
Fracking Town’s Desperate Laid-off Workers: ‘They Don’t Tell You It’s All a Lie’
The boom and bust in North Dakota has trapped people there, with little hope of work or escape.
WILLISTON, N.D.—From the looks of it, the nation’s boomtown is still booming. Big rigs, cement mixers and oil tankers still clog streets built for lighter loads. The air still smells like diesel fuel and looks like a dust bowl— all that traffic — and natural gas flares, wasted byproducts of the oil wells, still glare out at the night sky like bonfires.
Not to mention that Walmart, still the main game in town, can’t seem to get a handle on its very long lines and half empty shelves.
But life at the center of the country’s largest hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, boom has definitely changed. The jobs that brought thousands of recession-weary employment-seekers to this once peaceful corner of western North Dakota over the last five years have been drying up, even as the unemployed keep coming.
Downtown, clutches of men pass their time at the Salvation Army, watching movies or trolling Craigslist ads on desktop computers. The main branch of the public library is full, all day, every day, with unemployed men in cubbyholes. And when the Command Center, a private temporary jobs agency, opens every morning at 6am, between two and three dozen people are waiting to get in the door.
Hellraiser Preview
Sherman, set the time machine for tomorrow's Hellraisers Journal, which will feature a report on the WFM strike at the Globe and Grant smelters in Denver. The strike has been called off due to the passage of an eight-hour law by the Colorado legislature which appears to meets the demands of the strikers.
Tune in at 2pm!
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IT Independence is National Security
March 29, 2015 (Ulson Gunnar - NEO) - The NSA's "Equation Group" is apparently behind the infection with malware of hard drive firmware on computers used by nations considered "enemies" by the United State. The installation of the malware is believed to have required access to trade secrets of IT manufacturers as well as physical access to the soon-to-be infected computers. Popular Science in their article "The World's Most Sophisticated Malware Ever Infects Hard Drive Firmware"suggests that the NSA intercepted computers in transit through global logistical chains.
However, a simpler and more logical explanation remains, though it is one manufacturers vehemently deny; that the NSA had/has direct access to the factory floors of several IT giants. These include Western Digital Corpororation, Seagate Technology, Toshiba Corporation, IBM, Micron Technology and Samsung Electronics.
The infection of hardware starting on the factory floor is nothing new. Australia's Financial Review revealed in 2013 in an article titled, "Intel chips could let US spies inside: expert," that, "one of Silicon Valley’s most respected technology experts, Steve Blank, says he would be “surprised” if the US National Security Agency was not embedding “back doors” inside chips produced by Intel and AMD, two of the world’s largest semiconductor firms, giving them the possibility to access and control machines."
Blank made his comments after it was revealed that many processors posses potential backdoors that could allow intelligence agencies to rig a computer's encryption process, rendering it virtually useless.
Internet outages reveal gaps in US broadband infrastructure
Submitted by: enhydra lutris
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — When vandals sliced a fiber-optic cable in the Arizona desert last month, they did more than time-warp thousands of people back to an era before computers, credit cards or even phones. They exposed a glaring vulnerability in the nation's Internet infrastructure: no backup systems in many places.
Because Internet service is largely unregulated by the federal government and the states, decisions about network reliability are left to service providers. Industry analysts say these companies generally do not build alternative routes, or redundancies, unless they believe it is worthwhile financially.
The result: While most major U.S. metropolitan areas have backup systems, some smaller cities and many rural areas do not.
"The more rural the location, the more likely that there's only one road in and out of that location," said Sean Donelan, a former infrastructure security manager in the U.S. Homeland Security Department who now works for a cybersecurity firm. "If someone manages to cut that fiber, you'll generally see a one- or two- or three-day outage."
Is it possible to end global poverty?
Later this year, the UN is expected to adopt the World Bank's ambitious target of ending extreme poverty by 2030.
It would mean that for the first time, everyone in the world would able to afford a refrigerator and other goods that would make life a bit easier.
But, what would it take? Could we really see the end of poverty within a generation?
First, there's been a great deal of progress already.
‘First time in 30 years’: Japan whaling ships return from Antarctic trip EMPTY
Two of Japan’s whaling ships have returned home from Antarctic with no catch onboard for the first time in nearly 30 years, local news reported. The news comes after a UN court ordered an halt to Japan’s annual “scientific” whale hunt.
The 724-ton Yushinmaru and the 747-ton Daini (No 2) Yushinmaru returned to port in Shimonoseki, western Japan, which is considered to be one of the major whaling bases in the country, on Saturday.
This is the first time the whale-hunting vessels have returned “empty-handed” since 1987, the year Japan started its annual scientific hunt of whales in the Antarctic, according to Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
Researchers who took part in the expedition focused on observing marine mammals from aboard the ships. They conducted the survey and only took skin samples of the whales.
Beer up: Ancient Egyptian brewery found in Tel Aviv
Pieces of ancient Egyptian beer-brewing pottery dating back 5,000 years have been found during archeological excavations in Tev Aviv among ruins of an Egyptian settlement.
According to a statement from Israel's Antiquities Authority, the shards were found under an office construction site in 17 pits used to store agricultural produce in the Early Bronze Age (3500-3000 BC).
The ceramic vessels were made using an Egyptian method that differed from local pottery-making at the time.
Archeologists have also detected a thick, partially baked water and barley mixture left to ferment in the sun.
Smoked dry: Massive marijuana cultivation has ‘lethal’ impact on California water supply
California's current drought has been caused by the demand for water needed to cultivate cannabis, which, under state law, is illegal for recreational use. Streams are running dry, fish are dying, and it’s just the beginning, US scientists warn.
California's current drought has been caused by the demand for water needed to cultivate cannabis, which, under state law, is illegal for recreational use. Streams are running dry, fish are dying, and it’s just the beginning, US scientists warn
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has recently
published a study, the first of its kind, in the PLOS journal. The scientists, who studied the devastating environmental effects of marijuana cultivation in the region, concluded: “Due to climate change, water scarcity and habitat degradation in northern California is likely to worsen in the future.”
“All the streams we monitored in watersheds with large scale marijuana cultivation went dry,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Senior Environmental Scientist Scott Bauer, who is the lead author of the study. "The only stream we monitored that didn’t go dry contained no observed marijuana cultivation."
The Evening Greens
The Evening Greens Weekend Editor: enhydra lutris
Gulf Stream system: Atlantic Ocean overturning, responsible for mild climate in northwestern Europe, is slowing
The gradual but accelerating melting of the Greenland ice-sheet, caused by human-made global warming, is a possible major contributor to the slowdown. Further weakening could impact marine ecosystems and sea level as well as weather systems in the US and Europe.
"It is conspicuous that one specific area in the North Atlantic has been cooling in the past hundred years while the rest of the world heats up," says Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, lead author of the study to be published in Nature Climate Change. Previous research had already indicated that a slowdown of the so-called Atlantic meridional overturning circulation might be to blame for this. "Now we have detected strong evidence that the global conveyor has indeed been weakening in the past hundred years, particularly since 1970," says Rahmstorf.
Because long-term direct ocean current measurements are lacking, the scientists mainly used sea-surface and atmospheric temperature data to derive information about the ocean currents, exploiting the fact that ocean currents are the leading cause of temperature variations in the subpolar north Atlantic. From so-called proxy data -- gathered from ice-cores, tree-rings, coral, and ocean and lake sediments -- temperatures can be reconstructed for more than a millennium back in time. The recent changes found by the team are unprecedented since the year 900 AD, strongly suggesting they are caused by human-made global warming.
"The melting Greenland ice sheet is likely disturbing the circulation"
The Atlantic overturning is driven by differences in the density of the ocean water. From the south, the warm and hence lighter water flows northwards, where the cold and thus heavier water sinks to deeper ocean layers and flows southwards. "Now freshwater coming off the melting Greenland ice sheet is likely disturbing the circulation," says Jason Box of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. The freshwater is diluting the ocean water. Less saline water is less dense and has therefore less tendency to sink into the deep. "So the human-caused mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet appears to be slowing down the Atlantic overturning -- and this effect might increase if temperatures are allowed to rise further," explains Box.
Whale of a time being had on Monterey Bay
Outside the mouth of the harbor at Moss Landing, a scene unfolded Thursday morning that was like nothing seen in the past 200 years there in late winter: as many as 30 humpback whales spouting, lunge-feeding and breaching.
The show just a half mile out was easy to see from the jetty.
A vast swarm of anchovies dimpled the water. Pelicans dived to scoop up the small fish. Dolphins were also feeding and jumping like hurdlers in a track meet. A gray whale emerged alongside.
“It’s unheard of,” said Dorris Welch, a marine biologist for Sanctuary Cruises. “Our historical records come from whaling ships that go back to the late 1700s. Going back more than 200 years, no whale records exist that show humpbacks wintering in Monterey Bay.
Climate change doesn't cause severe winters after all
Cold snaps like the ones that hit the eastern United States in the past winters are not a consequence of climate change. Scientists at ETH Zurich and the California Institute of Technology have shown that global warming actually tends to reduce temperature variability.
Repeated cold snaps led to temperatures far below freezing across the eastern United States in the past two winters. Parts of the Niagara Falls froze, and ice floes formed on Lake Michigan. Such low temperatures had become rare in recent years. Pictures of icy, snow-covered cities made their way around the world, raising the question of whether climate change could be responsible for these extreme events.
It has been argued that the amplified warming of the Arctic relative to lower latitudes in recent decades has weakened the polar jet stream, a strong wind current several kilometres high in the atmosphere driven by temperature differences between the warm tropics and cold polar regions. One hypothesis is that a weaker jet stream may become more wavy, leading to greater fluctuations in temperature in mid-latitudes. Through a wavier jet stream, it has been suggested, amplified Arctic warming may have contributed to the cold snaps that hit the eastern United States.
Scientists at ETH Zurich and at the California Institute of Technology, led by Tapio Schneider, professor of climate dynamics at ETH Zurich, have come to a different conclusion. They used climate simulations and theoretical arguments to show that in most places, the range of temperature fluctuations will decrease as the climate warms. So not only will cold snaps become rarer simply because the climate is warming. Additionally, their frequency will be reduced because fluctuations about the warming mean temperature also become smaller, the scientists wrote in the latest issue of the Journal of Climate.
Recipe for antibacterial plastic: Plastic plus egg whites
Bioplastics made from protein sources such as albumin and whey have shown significant antibacterial properties, findings that could eventually lead to their use in plastics used in medical applications such as wound healing dressings, sutures, catheter tubes and drug delivery, according to a recent study by the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
The bioplastic materials could also be used for food packaging.
Researchers tested three nontraditional bioplastic materials--albumin, whey and soy proteins--as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics that pose risks of contamination.
In particular, albumin, a protein found in egg whites, demonstrated tremendous antibacterial properties when blended with a traditional plasticizer such as glycerol.
Common bacteria on verge of becoming antibiotic-resistant superbugs
Antibiotic resistance is poised to spread globally among bacteria frequently implicated in respiratory and urinary infections in hospital settings, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The study shows that two genes that confer resistance against a particularly strong class of antibiotics can be shared easily among a family of bacteria responsible for a significant portion of hospital-associated infections.
Drug-resistant germs in the same family of bacteria recently infected several patients at two Los Angeles hospitals. The infections have been linked to medical scopes believed to have been contaminated with bacteria that can resist carbapenems, potent antibiotics that are supposed to be used only in gravely ill patients or those infected by resistant bacteria.
"Carbapenems are one of our last resorts for treating bacterial infections, what we use when nothing else works," said senior author Gautam Dantas, PhD, associate professor of pathology and immunology. "Given what we know now, I don't think it's overstating the case to say that for certain types of infections, we may be looking at the start of the post-antibiotic era, a time when most of the antibiotics we rely on to treat bacterial infections are no longer effective."
California drought: S.F. seeks tech fix to leaky pipes
John Bess of Baltimore has spent the past two weeks walking around San Francisco with his headphones and Orioles cap on. He’s logged nearly 10 miles a day, past such sites as the Embarcadero, Telegraph Hill and AT&T Park.
But Bess is no tourist. He’s searching for water leaks in the city’s underground pipelines with a special microphone and earpiece that enables him to hear escaping water from the street — rather than having to dig down and find it.
The first leak Bess found was at a pipe beneath North Beach. It was spilling an estimated 21,000 gallons of water a day, enough to fill some backyard swimming pools, booming a telling signal to his headphones.
“Remember the old TVs when you would get static and there’s a whole bunch of snow? That’s how it sounds,” he said.
Blog Posts of Interest
Here are diaries and selected blog posts of interest on DailyKos and other blogs.
What's Happenin' Is On Hiatus
Chuck Schumer—Friend Of Wall Street and War—Ready to Be Anointed Head of the Senate Democrats
US Troops Fighting Drugs in Colombia Raped Dozens of Girls--And Got Away With It
Wait, who's side are we on again?
Hellraisers Journal: Haywood States $182,628 in Donations Was Used for Relief of Colorado Strikers
The limits of desire
Seven Mothers
A Little Night Music
The Iguanas - Won't Sit Down
The Iguanas - Angel
The Iguanas - The First Kiss Is Free
The Iguanas - This Night Of Sin
The Iguanas - Nuevo Boogaloo
The Iguanas - Oye Mi Cumbia
The Iguanas - Dark and Dangerous Love
The Iguanas - Boom Boom Boom
The Iguanas - Take Your Pictures and Your Letters
The Iguanas - El Orangutan
The Iguanas - The Beep
The Iguanas - Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart
The Iguanas - You Make It Hard
The Iguanas - Mexican Candy
The Iguanas - Para Donde Vas
The Iguanas - Lupita
The Iguanas - Late At Night
The Iguanas - Goodbye Again