JCMach1
JCMach1's JournalOur Oceans Are Sick- Are Jellyfish the Canary in the Coal Mine?
As a Floridian, I have lived near the ocean my entire life. I can even remember as a kid the rare occurrence of seeing a Portuguese Man of War and staring at the odd jelly fish that washed ashore occasionally. Fast forward to today. In the last year I have visited several of the world's tropical oceans... Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf... what I found there was shocking. In addition to an explosion of plastic rubbish and trash, there is an explosion of jelly fish that is choking the ocean of our world.
Not just a weird coincidence, scientists have also begun to take notice: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/12/jellyfish-plankton-ocean-acid
On my trip to the Musandam in Oman (one of the most remote places in the world), the waters were absolutely full of jellyfish as far the eye could see. I couldn't even dive without being in almost constant contact with them. Fortunately for me, I don't have any allergies to the stings. I cam out unscathed, however our oceans are in much worse shape and drowning in the slimy jellies.
After the Arab Spring: Emerging power structures 'will be worse' : Review of John Bradley's New Book
Bradley believes that his worst fears have already been realised. In his view, the liberal vanguard of the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt has been overwhelmed by the Islamists, who have begun radically reordering their societies for the worse. (Bradley calls Egypt today an "action replay of Iran in 1979", when Islamists pushed out liberals and leftists after the revolution.) He predicts that the same thing will happen in Syria, asserts that Bahrain crushed its revolt with Saudi assistance and tacit US approval, and maintains that the Libyan and Yemeni revolts were dominated by tribes and Islamists from the start...
This is what has happened in those countries in which the dictatorial regimes were overthrown. To be sure, the Islamists have the upper hand in their growing confrontation with liberals. Islam, upon which their movements claim to be built, remains the single most powerful component of identity for many Muslims, and the main focus of their loyalties. And, as Bradley demonstrates, unlike the frequently elitist liberals, Islamists have been laying the socio-cultural groundwork for their political decisions for decades by working among the masses...
But at least the battle lines have been drawn. Liberals and Islamists will no longer be bedfellows in those Arab countries that have liberated themselves from tyranny. A political fight that should have taken place a long time ago has finally begun. Hopefully, whichever party emerges triumphant will respect democratic norms and avoid emulating its predecessor's approach to most political opponents. http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/after-the-arab-spring-emerging-power-structures-will-be-worse
An interesting review of Bradley's new book about the Arab Spring.
So Mitt, How Did That 'Cheezy Grits' Strategy Work For Ya?
Recipe for Cheezy Grits
2 cups of “Bling h2o” water
1 1/2 teaspoons of Korean Oyster Bamboo salt
1 cup of 'old fashioned' Bain Capital-owned grits brand
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground Madagascar black peppercorns
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter made from milk at the Romney family compound
4 ounces of high grade sharp Wisconsin cheddar from a family friend’s cattle ranch
2 lessons in southern vernacular (optional)
Directions: Cook grits in water and milk mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients until “cheesy.” Serve immediately, unless voters and media seem to cringe every time you say “cheesy grits” and “y’all.”
Yields: Enough for southern GOP voters who aren’t offended by the former governor’s lazy pandering, or put off by the amount of money the campaign spent, to stomach casting a primary ballot for Romney http://loop21.com/mitt-romney-cheesy-grits-recipe
'The blackest lie in history': Republican congressional candidate says the Holocaust never happened
Arthur Jones, 64, who organizes neo-Nazi events around Adolf Hitler’s birthday, hopes to be the Republican candidate chosen to run against
Rep. Dan Lipinski in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District.
‘As far as I’m concerned, the Holocaust is nothing more than an international extortion racket by the Jews,’ Jones said...
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2108386/Blackest-lie-history-congressional-candidate-describes-Holocaust.html#ixzz1nrYL1mrj
The Republican party needs to disown this douchebag ASAP! However, I won't take the bet on whether they actually would...
Oil windfall boosts Gulf spending
International oil prices have surged nearly $40 (Dh146.92) a barrel in the last six months due to the West's tensions with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme and supply concerns, given the unrest in several oil exporting countries in the Middle East... "The crude exporting countries know very well that the windfall gains do not last for long. This has happened before and will happen again. The countries may have already planned how they are going to use their surplus from oil revenues. In my view, much of the surplus funds would be deployed in developmental projects and will get invested through their sovereign wealth funds," Amerah added... http://gulfnews.com/business/oil-gas/oil-windfall-boosts-gulf-spending-1.987736
Looks like we will all be waiting a long time for a GCC coup.
Truncated Early Voting Will Give Newt the Edge in Florida
Voting this year only began this Saturday... right at the time Newt has his maximum momentum coming out of SC. Keep in mind that traditionally about 1/3 of voters will vote early in Florida.
Voters in all 67 Florida counties will be able to go to the polls Saturday and casts ballots... http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120120/WIRE/120129971/1034?Title=Early-voting-in-GOP-primary-to-begin-across-Fla-&tc=ar
Nigeria’s Boko Haram Kills at Least 165 People in Kano Bombings
At least 165 people were killed in the northern Nigerian city of Kano in bomb attacks by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram on government buildings.
The group claimed responsibility for the blasts that struck eight government buildings on Jan. 20, its spokesman, Abu Qaqa, said by phone. Authorities in Africa’s top oil producer blame Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is a sin,” for bombings and attacks in the mainly Muslim north and the capital Abuja over the past year... http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-22/nigeria-s-boko-haram-kills-at-least-165-people-in-kano-bombings.html
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Nigeria is spiraling out of control...
The closer Romney gets to the nomination, the more it looks the right-wing will bolt
and support a third party candidate...
It is really starting to smell like 1992.
Remember the nastiness (Pat Buchanan, et al.)
Perot pissed-off enough to throw his own money in.
Let's just hope Obama isn't playing George H.W. Bush.
Facebook and Google failure to win over India court sets the stage for a trial
Facebook, Google and other internet giants yesterday lost their efforts to avoid trial on charges of failing to screen material some Indians consider insulting to their leaders and major religious figures.http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/south-asia/facebook-and-google-failure-to-win-over-india-court-sets-the-stage-for-a-trial
The ruling by Justice Suresh Kait of the Delhi High Court sets the stage for a major legal clash pitting the interests of Indians keen to enjoy unfettered use of the internet against the interests of those who feel the medium disseminates words and images that violate their cultural, political and religious sensitivities... The case against the internet firms was brought by journalist Vinay Rai, who says internet sites in India display content that mocks Hinduism, Islam and Christianity and could incite communal violence. He has been trying to pressure the government for over a year to take his claims seriously...
The internet is under attack from all sides these days.
Soros issues stark warning on euro crisis
George Soros, the billionaire investor and chairman of Soros Fund Management, says the euro-zone debt crisis is "more dangerous" than the global downturn of 2008.
Tomorrow's exclusives tonight:
His comments yesterday came as the leaders of the bloc's two biggest economies met to try to calm the turmoil now entering a third year. Mr Soros said the euro zone faced a period of "draconian austerity" as a result of cost-cutting measures.
"We have a more dangerous situation now than in 2008," Mr Soros was quoted as saying in Bangalore, India. "The crisis in Europe is more serious than the crash of 2008."
Any collapse of European banks would have global consequences, said Mr Soros... http://www.thenational.ae/business/banking/soros-issues-stark-warning-on-euro-crisis
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