President Frack Obama wants the Democrats to cut Social Security? If the idiots go along with it they will have to change their name to the Dimocrat Party.

Vatican Rag.

Good evening, fatster, and thanks especially for the four links about the new pope and the dictatorship period in Argentina. Many of us in commenting on several posts since Tuesday night have been struggling to figure it all out and this will certainly help.

I note in particular that in the TPM link describing the Vatican’s full-court press against the criticism as coming from “anti-clerical leftists” (I for one am happy to plead guilty), it looks like they got to Francisco Jalics, the one kidnapped radical priest who is still alive. He has refused to comment for years, and now all of a sudden he claims that it’s all hunky-dory? Maybe they threatened to excommunicate him.

And a good good evening to you, too E. F. Beall. I particularly appreciated Matthew Fox’s comments; they helped me focus on the sitch (I tend to avoid most religious stuff). Loved his good humor about HHDL.

A Matthew Fox interview with DN a couple of weeks ago. I have not watched the interview linked to above, so it may be redundant, but having listened to that DN interview prior to the new pope getting picked this week, allowed me a whole new perspective, as to what was really going on.

❖ President Obama to House Democrats: Better to change entitlements under me than a Republican.

*aaaarrrggh*

Aloha, fatster and news pups…! ;-)

A few days ago there was some discussion of persistent diseases, especially cholera, and how we havem’t quite caught up to all their secrets. I think bubonic plague was also brought up.

Coincidentally a ghastly discovery in the UK was announced today regarding a mass grave thought to contain around 50K plague victims of the “black death.”…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/15/plague-graves-unearthed_n_2882748.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing8%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D284211

Around one third of the population died over a fairly short time. What would they have thought was happening?

An interesting WH clip on Obummer’s Israeli trip…!

BREAKING: According to Haaretz, the three major parties in Israel have in fact signed the coalition agreement. Apparently the leader of Palestinian no-Home Jewish Home was pacified by a personal phone call from Netanyahu, but the report is not entirely clear who backed down on whether or not there will be Deputy Prime Ministers, which had been the issue.

So it looks like there will be a government when O arrives next week.

Richard Silverstein wrote a great synopsis…

The new Israeli cabinet announced today is a government of the settlers, by the settlers and for the settlers. Of course, in the past government the settlers maintained dominance over all issues that concerned them. But the new coalition will solidify such control. Not only will there not now nor ever be a settlement freeze, there will be massive increases in settlement construction. This will also entail expanded thefts of Palestinian land. There will no longer be illegal outposts. There will only be sacred outposts on their way to becoming official settlements with the blessing of the government…

❖ Head of the UN Development Program, noting that the war on drugs is a failure–and that she is a former health minister…”Once you criminalize, you put very big stakes around. Of course, our world has proceeded on the basis that criminalization is the approach,” she added…

Over half of our Prison Population is comprised of ‘Drug Offenders’, in which, we also lead the entire World in incarceration rates…!

*gah*

The war on drugs yields so many benefits
.supports the CIA covert ops program
.allows U.S. to militarize many countries and loot their resources
(above 2 mainstays of MIIC)
.supports the U.S. PIC
.keeps U.S. population of people of color in check

It’s been a long time since I’d made a list, so I probably missed some.

That’s really interesting, maa8722 (health care background here). I looked at the “DNA evidence” section in the wiki and was impressed with the earlier confusion about what in the heck it was; it was even suggested a combination of diseases occurring simultaneously might have been the culprits. But, along comes dna analysis through which they identified the bacterium in northern, central and southern Europe as Yersinia pestis. Two other strains have been identified–Y.p. orientalist and Y.p. medievalis. The burial ground they’ve just found should shed more light. Interesting side-note: Poland remained relatively free! See the map in the wiki article.

*heh* Ya missed the massive profiteering off of our largely,(and growing) ‘Privatized’ Penal system, from the CCA’s capricious raping, to exploiting the ‘free’ Penal labor force, etc…! ;-)

Don’t forget the $$$s tied up in the for-profit prison industry in the USA. Specific amounts are guaranteed in the contracts, which encourage higher occupancy rates, distorting the rates. Big mess.

Hahahahaha.

Ben Rhodes would be the same Ben Rhodes, O’s Karl Rove, who designed the tactic of declare victory in advance, which worked in O’s campaign.

Rhodes is the one who designed Syria Plan A & Plan B, i.e. construction of stage sets in Qatar and Saudi Arabia (can’t remember if I’ve got the second location accurate, only that it was too big to build indoors) to declare Asad had been overthrown by a successful coup. Take over Syrian sat news channels to make the announcement. Asad caught wind of them and thwarted them.

He’s someone to keep a close eye on.

PIC=prison industrial complex. Yesiree, I didn’t detail the particular benefits of slave labor, as well as the profits the ind makes from housing prisoners at U.S. funded facilities.

I think that’s right, CTut. Jewish Home’s Ministry will allow continuation of fiscal advantages that settlers have over people who still live within the pre-1967 borders (as I understand it the leftist Meretz Party is the only force to object to this, but it is tiny; the centrist Yesh Atid, the other major party, is nominally concerned with domestic issues, but in practice is obsessed with who serves in the military), so there will be incentives to become a settler.

Tzipi Livni’s pro-peace talks party cannot last long in this government but only has six seats, so the coalition will still have 62 out of the 120 total when it leaves.

Excellent article by William Engdahl on shale oil & shale gas. I became acquainted with Engdahl’s work only about a year ago, but he seems to be one of the world’s leading experts on geopolitics. He’s an old guy (my age), been analyzing energy in particular for 4+/- decades.

He is thorough and buries the lede. It is too late for me to pick out a few choice quotes, but some highlights are, not only the horrific environmental influences (Cheney was veep when Halliburton got exemption from environmental oversight to tempt with one example), who’s on what boards, how “they” lie with stats, why the rush.

Worth reading every sentence, but, as I said, I’m not sharp enough to cull some telling sentences at the moment.

On edit: also details how Wall St. plays into the scheme.

This is one of the most egregious of all to me, for it involves children (‘youth’ I guess I should say). Judge in PA who accepted “almost $1 million” in bribes from a for-profit to send kids to their detention center. “Kids for cash” it was called. Ended up with more than 30 “local and state . . . officials and contractors” involved who were prosecuted.

I saw that episode, can’t remember if it was in L&O or some FBI related TV show. Aired far in advance of actual one being revealed.

*heh* I’m sipping on an exceptionally dark Maui rum and coke, M’dear…! ;-)

Dayam…! 8-(

This is interesting. Anonymous plans massive cyberattack on Israeli websites on 4/7/13. I do not remember the one during the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 11/12.

The trouble with cyberattacks is that it is impossible to determine who is behind them. This could as easily be a preemptive attack against Anonymous to discredit them as it could be an actual Anonymous announcement. Advance specification of exact date seems suspicious.

TBD.

Btw, fatster, I’m now afforded the opportunity to see Pan-STARRS live up top of Mauna Kea on Sunday and Tuesday nites…! ;-)

Oh, I am soooooo envious. Enjoy, CTuttle. You deserve it.

*heh* I sure hope the weather cooperates…! Brrr, that’s brisk…! ;-)

“Brisk” is rather tame to describe that. -5 C? Oh, my.

You may as well be in Portland, ME.

What’s the temp at the bottom of the mountain? (Just curious at how rapidly the temp drops as you ascend.)

“President Obama to House Democrats: Help me cut benefits and ensure that 2014 and 2016 are repeats of 2010.”

… fixed that for ya.

The ancient (cypress) forest found 60 feet underwater about 10 miles offshore of Alabama is much older than originally thought.
I collected samples of the trees during an AL.com scuba diving expedition to the forest. Those samples were sent to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for radiocarbon dating and found to be more than 50,000 years old.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/03/ancient_underwater_forest_off.html

NYU’s Arts and Sciences Faculty Vote No Confidence in President John Sexton

The resolution has passed, though it is not immediately clear what implications it will have. In announcing the result of the vote, New York Faculty Against the Sexton Plan called on Sexton to resign and on the trustees to accept his resignation. …

Update: NYU’s central administration has released this statement from John Sexton: blah blah blah …

Obummer is such a scumbag, a name I retain for the most vile amoung us.

Back in the early ’80s, when NPR was worth listening to, they interviewed a 90-something year old codger who’d lived his entire life on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp. He was asked why they’d cut down all those magnificent cypress trees (though certainly not 50,000 years ancient) and he responded, in full-Georgia piney woods twang, “Cuz we wuz ignert and didn’t know what we wuz doing.” You can really hurt yourself on these cypress knees, too: Here and here.

Loved the story, mafr. Thnx so much. And . . . Good afternoon!

Barf.

Do appreciate the update, allan, and of course feel so bad for President Sexton.

Gonna leave this for people who missed the Jack Lew connection a few days ago.

It’s called the “lapse rate.” The temp decreases 3.5 degrees F with each 1,000 feet of altitude increase.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapse_rate

I think the highest mountain here in New England, Mt Washington, is near 6,000 feet. So it would be 21 degrees colder at the top than at sea level. And that’s before you consider wind chill. Brrrr!

Thanks very much, maa8722. Isn’t Mt. Washington situated so that most anything can happen up there? From beautiful day to blizzard in a surprisingly short while, for instance.

good story, thanksyall

Yes, indeed. I went to the top when a kid in the early 1950s. It was a “cog” railway then because it was way too steep for conventional rail. I remember being terrified, though it was beautiful. Steam, smoke, and a lot of strange noises. Must have been five years old.

The minus 5 degrees C which you had mentioned before is nothing, only about 23 degrees F. We’re still getting that at night here in coastal southeast Mass.

Thnx again, maa8722. I was just mentioning the low temp on the mountain (23 F) compared to the low temp down below in the “flat lands” (in the low 60s F at night, I believe).

What’s the temp at the bottom of the mountain?

Aloha, fatster, again…! It’s been a mighty breezy and cloudy low 60′s here at sea level in Hilo town, today…! Fortunately, it didn’t dampen any of our spirits today…! ;-)

Well, if you get rain please send it eastward.

Aloha . . . and mucho mahalo in advance for the ran.

Cyber…Stuff…Woo Hoo!

Computer Games Rule!

Did you ski Tuckerman’s ravine? It was a pipedream of mine 30 years ago, but I grew up.

*heh* And the Pentagon will even award ya a medal for your Patriotic Service, Frank…! ;-)

Tuckerman’s Ravine is brutal, eCAHN, best know what yer doing…! ;-)

I’ve skied alot in my youth, from Taos to Banff, Killington to Sugar Mtn, and, even the Alps…!

Winter recreation includes Tuckerman Ravine, famous for its Memorial Day skiing and its 45-degree slopes. The ravine is notorious for its avalanches, of which about 100 are recorded every year, and which have killed six people since 1849.[21]

From the wiki.

The ski apparently includes quite a jump of faith onto the slope bc snow overhang at the top proves too steep to ski.

Kinda like the ski run at Jackson Hole that is to the left of the tram (facing downhill) and starts betw two rock outcroppings. Another one I didn’t do, though I watched the braver & better skiers do it. The main run from the tram proved steep enough for me.

I hiked the trail that goes alongside Tuckerman’s, in the summer. It is impressive & daunting even for summer hiking.

Did you make the hike up to the ‘Old Man’, I hiked up to his forehead, there was a whole slew of iron bands that were frantically trying to keep it in place…! ;-)

Not to mention that Mt. Washington has no lift, so you have to hike up about 4000 feet backing your skis. No problem said the people I talked to who had done it. By the time you get to the steep part of the uphill schlep, those ahead of you will have made snow steps.

I never seriously considered it, but was curious about the details.

Btw, here’s an interesting jaunt, here in the Isles…! the Stairway to Heaven, even…! ;-)

Hiked all 46 4,000 footers in the White Mountains. Got a certificate.

To get certificate is honor system. I think it’s managed by Appalachian Mtn club and hiker sends list of peaks & dates. They mailed you back to ask details about one of the peaks they pick at random.

That is waaay cool. Have you hiked it?

President Obama to House Democrats: Better to change entitlements under me than a Republican.

That belongs on the Democratic Party’s gravestone. It richly deserves to die.

I did, but, it’s now officially closed, basically, if the HFD has to rescue your sorry okole, you’re paying the tab…! ;-)

Over half of our Prison Population is comprised of ‘Drug Offenders’, in which, we also lead the entire World in incarceration rates…!

Welcome to 21st century America, where the rich get pills…and the poor get prison.

Old Man? Do you mean Man in the Mountain on Cannon Mtn? I did two rock climbs there one weekend. The one I think you refer to with the iron bands. The other one, named Whitney-Gillman ridge has a 3rd pitch called the pipe pitch bc one move is too high for even tall people to reach the handhold, so there is a pipe inserted to grab. Wiki seems to imply that there is still a pipe there. I did it about 33 years ago. WGR is THE classic climb on Cannon Mtn. Each climb has about 10 pitches so for us it was an all day affair, with early start. We hiked down instead of taking the tram. Now WTF did we do that? Ah youth…

I swear they’re most determined to commit Hara-Kiri/Seppuku on a massive scale, or maybe, like all those Lemmings making their final leap…! *gah*

Sad to say, public reaction seems to have put a damper on their plans for a special medal for cyber-whatever. Fuxnews did furnish a picture of it, though.

It is skiable betw Alta & Snowbird, but you have to be careful to pick your route bc in some places there are serious 40′ rock outcroppings. Some docs got stranded on top of one & helos had to rescue them. They had to pay. Leading to a local drink called Docs on the Rocks. Local lore. Happened before I started skiing there, but is a story newbies are told on their first visit to the lodge bar.

And it’s not as though skiers aren’t warned. Orange mesh blocking off dangerous area with prohibited signs every 10′.

Unlike Europe where it’s caveat skier, U.S. restricted areas are carefully posted bc of avalanche and other dangers.

…Docs on the Rocks…

*snort* Ya owe me the beverage I’d just spewed…! ;-)

Drinking Scotch on the Rocks. Perhaps a ski area in Scotland?

Would you like one of those, or what is your preference?

I shit ya not, my most harrowing experience was when I’d hit the sheer ice of an Austrian Glacier, with a 60 percent incline…! I squatted on my ass and prayed…! ;-)

That’s federal prison. The state prison population is different.

On Dec 31, 2011, 48% of the federal prison population (tot = 197,050) were serving time for drug offenses. On Dec 31, 2010, 17% of the state prison population (tot = 1,362,028) were serving time for drug offenses.

At least that’s according to this Source.

*heh* I’d like to ski the Andes…! ;-)

*wow* Quite a drop-off in statiscal numbers, now, do any of those numbers, state or fed, incorporate ICE’s numbers…?

Did you survive? :-)

My hunter friend, now about 50 years old, was one of the best technical rock climbers in U.S. (not mountaineer, gotta know the subdivisions of all these “sports”) when he was around 40. He was hiking on local flattish area two winters ago. He hit a patch of ice, fell down a 40′ cliff and smashed into a tree at the bottom. emailed me pics of his facial bruising and X-ray huge metal bar & clamps inserted into his badly shattered arm

After the appropriate sentences of condolence, I said, Russ, I hope you don’t take offense, but don’t you feel a bit sheepish. He emailed back: Don’t think you’re the first to point that out.

He’s back to climbing.

Dunno. All I can find is that 12% of federal prisoners are in for immigration charges.

…He’s back to climbing…

F*ck yeah, what doesn’t kill ya, only makes ya stronger…! ;-)

Andes was also on my notional list, but I have another friend who does biz in S. America who is also a skier. He said Portillo is overrated. I don’t remember details, but I think it might be bc, like CA, Chile gets Pacific water logged snow which is heavy. Seemed like it wasn’t worth the endless trip and when summer came here, snow skiing was not top priority.

He’s one of my favorite people. I call him the second nicest man I ever met.

The first nicest was not my husband, who had other attractions.

and eCAHN.

This is a news deal, if you don’t mind. Thnx.

My humble apologies, fatster…! *g*

Thought late night was semiopen thread. Also beyond the 50-comment rule, or is that not operative.

OnT. Excellent list of specials here. I’ve viewed all of them. Learned a lot. The 3 on the International Banking Cartel are particularly informative.

No worries.

Back to earlier items on epidemics and such, I thought you might find this of interest.

“Raise a glass of clean water to John Snow”. He’s the physician who “discovered the cause of cholera” in London in 1854.

Here ya go–with great music, too!

Zimbabwe vote count underway. Results on constitution reform expected within 5 days. One of the measures on the ballot was limiting prez term to 2 5 year terms. Apparently that would allow Mugabe, now 89 and prez since 1980, two more terms. Another aspect is bill or rights. Referendum expected to pass. Prez elections will occur later this year.

Two interesting paragraphs from link.

The South African nation’s election body printed 12 million ballots for the referendum, even though Zimbabwe only has 6.6 million registered voters.

Election monitors said printed copies were inadequate in two main local languages, as many rural Zimbabweans do not speak English. Monitors also noted only 200 Braille ballot papers were produced for the country’s 40,000 blind people.

What a cool clip, fatster…! ;-)

One would think boiling and storing water for drinking would have quickly become commonplace. Work would have spread far beyond London.

Maybe cholera was just unpredictable and scarce enough for people to let their guard down?

The Obama administration is not “leaning toward revising” its rules for new power plants. It is revising the rules in response to the public comment period. The fact that it is being delayed means that there were likely a lot of detailed and relevant technical comments that the regulation writers, who might now also be on Friday furlough, have to consider in order to comply with the law on how regulations are written. Can we surmise that that dump of technicalities comes from the fine folks in the utility industry? Industry knows how to play the regulation game at the lowest level in the bureaucracies, saving its outright bribes for when it actually faces defeat. Citizens don’t have nearly the voice at this lowest level because they (1) don’t know how the regulatory process operates, (2) are at a disadvantage in talking about technical issues compared to the folks with hired engineers, and (3) don’t bother to comment at all.

No, I usually went to Wildcat. There was also a family owned place called Keen’s in Etna NH with a rope tow. I think the rope tows are long gone now for safety concerns. It was a lot of fun at 2 degrees in the AM around 1962.

During a four year stint in the FAA many years ago I read the Federal Register daily to ferret out something, anything, which might impact aviation and airspace safety or usage. That’s how I became an expert on the rules for sizing olives.

:)

I don’t think people understood well enough to even put their guard up, maa8722. That’s one reason why that early epidemiological investigation was so great–to demonstrate that objective investigation into cause trumps old wives’ and old coots’ tales.

Well said, TarheelDem. And your third point should be emphasized, bolded. What is that old quote about eternal vigilance?

Though I guess you can’t use that mode of transpo on the return part of your commute.

message to Rob Andrews I live in NJ but not in your district however if you vote to cut SS MEdicare and Medicaid I will do everything I can within my power to see he DON’T get reelected. Message to Obama I NEVER vote for you or your goddamn party. If you can’t even stand up for SS Medicare and Medicaid what good are you to most of the American people?