Thursday, October 17, 2024

Rats use ultrasound to boost their fine sense of smell for dynamic social interactions

Amazing stuff!

"... For decades scientists have recorded rodents vocalizing at ultrasonic frequencies, which is believed to be a form of communication and might help them find mates. It might even be a kind of laugh, since they also do it when researchers tickle them, according to one of the most endearing studies of recent years.

In a new study, scientists ... have identified another potential, unexpected benefit of rodents’ ultrasound pulses. The animals could use these sounds to stir up particles in the air around them, which they can quickly inhale to boost their already strong sense of smell. ...

The researchers were first inspired to investigate the idea by previous studies into how rodents navigate their environment. It was found that the animals would usually sniff the air immediately after making each ultrasound vocalization (USV). ..."

"... Vibroacoustics, or artificially produced ultrasonic vibrations, cause airborne particles to cluster, leading Mercado to suggest that rodents are using USVs to create odor clusters enhancing the reception of pheromones (chemical signals), thus making it easier for the vocalizer to detect and identify friends, strangers, and competitors. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
• Rodent vocalizations could contribute to a unique mode of active olfactory sensing.
• Ultrasonic vocalizations may affect how rodents smell by clustering inhaled odorants.
• Coordinating sniffing with sound production might enhance reception of pheromones.
Abstract
Chemosensation via olfaction is a critical process underlying social interactions in many different species. Past studies of olfaction in mammals often have focused on its mechanisms in isolation from other systems, limiting the generalizability of findings from olfactory research to perceptual processes in other modalities. Studies of chemical communication, in particular, have progressed independently of research on vocal behavior and acoustic communication. Those bioacousticians who have considered how sound production and reception might interact with olfaction often portray odors as cues to the kinds of vocalizations that might be functionally useful. In the olfaction literature, vocalizations are rarely mentioned. Here, we propose that ultrasonic vocalizations may affect what rodents smell by altering the deposition of inhaled particles and that rodents coordinate active sniffing with sound production specifically to enhance reception of pheromones. In this scenario, rodent vocalizations may contribute to a unique mode of active olfactory sensing, in addition to whatever roles they serve as social signals. Consideration of this hypothesis highlights the perceptual advantages that parallel coordination of multiple sensorimotor processes may provide to individuals exploring novel situations and environments, especially those involving dynamic social interactions."

Rats use ultrasound to boost their sense of smell, suggests new study

‘Use the force,’ Mickey: Study suggests that ‘Jedi’ rodents remotely move matter using sound to enhance their sense of smell (original news release) "It’s so far off the scale of what we know … it almost seems like magic,’ says University at Buffalo researcher Eduardo Mercado III"

Do rodents smell with sound? (no public access)

Ultra-deep fracking for limitless geothermal power is possible: EPFL. Really!

Don't believe any nonsense like this regarding geothermal power! This is reckless and irresponsible overpromising!

Geothermal power is no panacea either! The negative environmental impact (e.g. anthropogenic earthquakes) of large scale exploitation or utilization of this power source are yet unknown, but can be presumed to be significant. Just the necessary use of large quantities of (supercritical) water could already pose issues. Of course, geothermal power could become a part of an energy supply mix.

The quoted research itself nor any of the researchers involved do not make any such outlandish promises!

This study by EPFL also relies heavy on modeling and not on hard empirical evidence. Keep that in mind too!

"... By tapping into the enormous heat of the Earth's interior, it's theoretically possible to extract enough clean power to meet all humanity's energy needs for millions of years to come, solving the biggest challenge of climate change more or less overnight. ..."

"... The deepest hole in the world is on the Kola Peninsula in Russia, and extends 12 kilometers – yet that’s less than 25% of the average depth of the continental crust. And even though geologists have been able to dig that far, it’s nearly impossible to take measurements at such depths. That’s why many scientists are working to replicate the conditions inside their research labs. ..."

From the abstract:
"Geothermal projects utilizing supercritical water (≥400 °C) could boost power output tenfold compared to conventional plants. However, these reservoirs commonly occur in crustal areas where rocks are semi-ductile or ductile, impeding large-scale fractures and cracking, and where hydraulic properties are largely unknown. Here, we explore the complex permeability of rocks under supercritical conditions using mechanical data from a gas-based triaxial apparatus, high-resolution synchrotron post-mortem 3D imagery, and finite element modeling. We report a first order control of strain partitioning on permeability. In the brittle regime, strain localizes on permeable faults without necessarily increasing sample apparent permeability. In the semi-ductile regime, distributed strain increases permeability both in deformation bands and the bulk, leading to a more than tenfold permeability increase. This study challenges the belief that the brittle-ductile transition (BDT) marks a cutoff for fluid circulation in the crust, demonstrating that permeability can develop in deforming semi-ductile rocks."

Ultra-deep fracking for limitless geothermal power is possible: EPFL

Scientists explore the complexity of rocks within the Earth's crust (original news release) "A team of EPFL scientists has provided insight into the mechanisms at work in geothermal reservoirs located deep underground, known as supercritical reservoirs. Through a combination of computer simulations and lab experiments, they showed that rocks located between five and eight kilometers deep in the Earth’s crust are also permeable to fluids."

Fig. 2: 3D rendering of the XCT images and isolated cracks of the brittle and semi-ductile specimens.


It’s Actually a Huge Failure That We Can’t Control Hurricanes

Very recommendable! The article offers some background/overview on past efforts to control weather.

Yes, it is indeed astonishing that at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, we humans are still not able to prevent hurricanes or tornadoes from causing death and injuries to humans and damages to humans structures. That is true irrespective of facts like that human structures are often built in flooding or disaster prone areas (e.g. in Florida).

It also tells you that our knowledge about weather and climate are still very limited. That is one reason among others why Global Warming is a hoax and Climate Change is a religion!

It’s Actually a Huge Failure That We Can’t Control Hurricanes | American Enterprise Institute - AEI

A one state or a two state solution for Gaza Strip and West Bank?

We have tried for how many decades to implement a working two state solution and it has failed!

It is time to say goodbye to the two state delusion and fantasy!

The Arabs living in Gaza Strip and the West Bank have proven again and again over several decades that they are not willing and not capable of a peaceful coexistence with Israel and to govern their affairs without crooks, criminals, warmongers and terrorists! These Arabs have allowed themselves to become all too willing pawns and useful idiots of hatred and hostility against Israel against their best interests!

Thus, a (transitional?) one state solution with Israel in charge and allowing some autonomy and self-governance of the Gaza Strip and West Bank to its citizens.

Arab countries could and should join the effort and together help Israel and the citizens of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to make the one state solution a lasting success and to realize peace in the Middle East at last! The Abraham Accords were a major step in this direction!

In 20-30 or so years, the one state solution could be reviewed and reconsidered depending on the progress towards peace and prosperity! Annual or biannual reviews could be established as well.


Hamas leader, Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar killed by IDF in Gaza, Israel officials confirm

Good news! One coward mass killer less! Did he wear women's clothing with a burka?

How many Gazans had to die and suffer because of this fanatic and suicidal leader of a terrorist organisation!

Who lives by the sword, dies by the sword!

Hamas leader, Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar killed by IDF in Gaza, Israel officials confirm | Just The News

The portrait of a monster. He was no better than the commandant of Auschwitz!


Unpacking the 2024 Nobel-Winning Oversimplifications of Political Economy

Recommendable!

I also have the impression that the three laureates of the Nobel Prize in economics of 2024 are not very convincing. As an economist myself I was not aware of these three economists and their work!

What seems to be also very obvious is the three economists preoccupation with European colonialism or eurocentrism as if Europeans were the only colonialists! Economics has little to do with Europe!

"... To professional economists, this award is no surprise, because these economists are giants in the field of political economy [???]. In fact, until their work broke out in the early 2000s, the field of political economy was neglected within economics [for a good reason (politics and science don't mix) it was neglected]. ...

Acemoglu and Robinson wrote up a lot of this work in a way that was accessible to the layperson in their book, Why Nations Fail. ... While its account is broadly consistent with the more rigorous papers mentioned above, the book certainly plays fast and loose with its concepts of political institutions. Instead of focusing on protection of private property and contracts, the authors label their favored rules “inclusive institutions,” strongly implying throughout the text that democracy, understood as majority rule with universal suffrage, promotes economic development. The only trouble is that the institutions they find that promote development are not necessarily democratic in that sense, but have a lot more to do with simple rule of law and constraints on arbitrary power. ...

 One critique is that good policies, not good institutions, promote development — and thus dictatorships [like in Chile in the 1970s or early Singapore or China since the 1980s] can promote growth just as democracies can. ..."

Unpacking the Nobel-Winning Oversimplifications of Political Economy | The Daily Economy

Engineers set new world record on how fast data can be sent wirelessly at a speed of 938 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) over a record frequency range of 5-150 Gigahertz (GHz).

Good news! 6G wireless is coming!

"... This speed is up to 9,380 times faster than the best average 5G download speed in the UK, which is currently 100 Megabits per second (Mb/s) or over1. The total bandwidth of 145GHz is more than five times higher than the previous wireless transmission world record. ...

“Our new approach combines two existing wireless technologies for the first time, high-speed electronics and millimetre wave photonics, to overcoming these barriers. This new system allows for the transmission of large amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, which will be crucial for the future of wireless communications.”

To address the current limitations of wireless technology, researchers ... developed a novel approach that combines advanced electronics, which performs well in the 5-50 GHz range, and a technology called photonics that uses light to generate radio information, which performs well in the 50-150GHz range. ...

For example, a two-hour 4k Ultra HD film (around 14GB of data) would take 19 minutes to download over 5G at 100 Mb/s. Using the new technology it could be downloaded in just 0.12 seconds. ..."


From the abstract:
"The next-generation radio access network (RAN) requires high speed wireless transmission between base stations exceeding ≥ 100 Gb/s to connect access points and hubs. This has motivated research exploring how to fully utilize wireless spectrum from sub-6 GHz to millimeter (mm) waveband (e.g. D-band up to 170 GHz) for data transmission, using either all-electronic or optoelectronic approaches. However, to date, all-electronic and optoelectronic methods have been used separately due to the challenge of generating broad-band signals with synchronized carrier frequencies. Here, we demonstrate an ultra-wide 145 GHz bandwidth wireless transmission of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signals over the air, covering 5–150 GHz frequency region. This is achieved by combining the merits of high-speed electronics and microwave photonics technologies. Specifically, the signals over 5–75 GHz are generated using high speed digital-to-analog converters. The high frequency mm-wave band signals, including W-band (75–110 GHz) and D-band (110–150 GHz) signals, are generated by mixing optically modulated signals with frequency-locked lasers on high-speed photodiodes. By frequency-locking two pairs of narrow linewidth lasers and referring to a common quartz oscillator, we generated W-band and D-band signals with stable carrier frequency and reduced phase noise compared to free-running lasers, maximizing the use of spectrum. By using OFDM format and bit loading, we achieve 938 Gb/s transmission data rate with less than 300 MHz gap between different RF and mm-wave bands."

UCL engineers set new record on how fast data can be sent wirelessly | UCL News - UCL – University College London



Graphical abstract


Warum viele Radfahrer keinen Helm tragen und wie sich das ändern lässt. Wirklich!

Warum tragen wir nicht täglich Knieschützer?

Wie riskant ist Fahrrad fahren und wie oft passieren eigentlich Unfälle mit Kopfverletzungen? 

Als Kind und Jugendlicher sind wir sehr riskant und oft Fahrrad ohne Helm gefahren ohne schwere Unfälle und ohne Kopfverletzungen.

Widerlicher Paternalismus!

Nicht jeder ist so blöd wie der wackelige, senile, demente und korrupte 46igste Praesident der USA, der glaubte noch im hohen Alter aufs Fahrrad steigen zu müssen damit sein Sturz dann fotografiert werden konnte. Er trug einen Helm.

Warum viele Radfahrer keinen Helm tragen und wie sich das ändern lässt - ingenieur.de "Radfahrerinnen und Radfahrer verzichten oft auf Helme aus Bequemlichkeit. Anreize wie kostenlose Helme und regelmäßige E-Mail-Erinnerungen könnten das ändern und die Sicherheit erhöhen. Das ist das Ergebnis einer Studie."



Chart of the day

Der Drang in die Ferne! 😊 

Während Afghanen und Syrer zu hunderttausenden nach Deutschland kommen ...

Quelle



Interrogated Hezbollah terrorist: 'Everyone fled after Nasrallah was killed'

Good news! Keep these coward terrorists and killers running!

"IDF special intelligence Unit 504 revealed on Tuesday night that one of the Hezbollah fighters it had captured and interrogated said that "they all fled...after the assassination of [Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah, I did not see any of them." ..."

Hezbollah terrorist says commanders fled after Nasrallah elimination - Israel News - The Jerusalem Post "The IDF said it found Wadah Kamal Yunis in a Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon."

MIT Technology Review: The quest to figure out farming on Mars. Really!

Would it not suffice to send robots to Mars?

We are not even growing enough food for humans on earth!

"Once upon a time, water flowed across the surface of Mars. Waves lapped against shorelines, strong winds gusted and howled, and driving rain fell from thick, cloudy skies. It wasn’t really so different from our own planet 4 billion years ago, except for one crucial detail—its size. Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, and that’s where things went wrong. ...

And what would it take to grow plants to feed future astronauts on Mars? ..."

The quest to figure out farming on Mars

Wolfgang Kubicki: der Aufschneider

Netter Artikel zu lebenslangen Berufspolitikern in der Bananenrepublik D! Er ist seit über 30 Jahren Bundestagsabgeordneter!

Und wie sieht es mit der zunehmenden Gerontokratie in D aus?

"... Der 72-Jährige, das kann man nicht anders sagen, ist eine der unterhaltsameren Figuren im Politikbetrieb. Seit 1990, also fast sein halbes Leben lang, ist er hauptberuflich Abgeordneter. ...

Da passt es ins Bild, dass der FDP-Mann zudem als wichtigster politischer Interessenvertreter der deutschen Glücksspielbranche gilt. ..."

Wolfgang Kubicki: der Aufschneider

Das Foto aus dem Artikel war ohne Untertitel. Leider fällt mir der Name dieser Tante auf dem Foto nicht mehr ein, aber sie war wohl auch eher eine Lachnummer!


Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Turkish Yapı Merkezi BEATS China in $3 Billion Railway Project Deal in Uganda

Good news! More on the scramble for Africa!
What is Turkey doing in Uganda? According to this video Turkey has apparently engaged in multiple projects across Africa.

Africa poised for natural gas surge amid market expansion challenges

Good news!

4 Million Names CLEANED from Dirty state Voter Rolls just by one non-profit organisation called Judicial Watch!

Good news! Bravo! The notoriously outdated and inaccurate state voter rolls are a huge problem!










Martha Raddatz totally embarrassed herself!

This exchange between J.D. Vance and Martha Raddatz (age 71) was indeed unbelievable! Only a handful of apartment complexes were taken over by criminal gangs from Venezuela in Colorado!

She came across as senile and demented as the 46th President! Why is she still on air! What would she say if that had happened in her neighborhood?





Study: Body Releases Happy Hormones In Presence Of Loved Ones

Good news! Get more sleep! 😊

Italian PM Meloni Hails ‘Courageous’ Albania Migrant Deal. The first group of immigrants was sent to Albania for processing

It is certainly worth a try to process immigrants outside of the European Union first and make a determination on the legitimacy of their claims. 
How to deal with mass immigration probably mostly motivated by economic reasons?

Nobel-winning economist Simon Johnson on what causes prosperity gaps between nations

This Nobel laureate in economics is also not very convincing like Daron Acemoglu!

‘Extremely disturbing’: Douglas Murray hits out at UN peacekeeping force over Hezbollah

Very recommendable! Douglas describes very well the total failure of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon over the past 18 years allowing Hezbollah to prepare a tunnel network like the one by Hamas in Gaza, launch rockets toward Israel, plan attacks and much more in violation of its mission!

Winter isn’t coming. Environmental and societal consequences of winter ice loss from lakes. Really!

Again the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) got caught trying to fool the public!

Global Warming is a hoax and Climate Change is a religion!

Look at the following quote:
  1. Only a single year comparison, but such bad practice is akin to pseudoscience.
  2. Was this year cherry picked? Yes it was!
  3. About 165 years ago, the world was just coming out of the last ice age called the Little Ice Age (about 1600-1850)! Of course, the many Global Warming demagogues falsely try to belittle the Little Ice Age!

"... On average, freshwater lakes spend about a month less iced-over than they did 165 years ago, the researchers found. ..."

ScienceAdvisor

Chart of the day

Islamist terrorists extensive activities in or infiltration of Europe! 

Source



French President Macron says Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu should not forget Israel was created by UN

What a terrible fool this French president is!!! I am afraid it is getting worse with President Macron!

Perhaps, Israel would have been much better off since 1948 if the UN was not involved at all in the creation of the state of Israel!

"... "A reminder to the French President: It was not a UN decision that established the State of Israel but the victory that was achieved in the War of Independence with the blood of our heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, including from the Vichy regime in France," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated in response. ..."

Macron says Netanyahu should not forget Israel was created by UN - Israel News - The Jerusalem Post "It was not a UN decision that established the State of Israel but the victory that was achieved in the War of Independence with the blood of our heroic fighters, the PMO said in response."

Russische Sabotage? Zufällig verhinderter Flugzeugabsturz heizt Debatte in Deutschland an

Wie bitte! Nicht nur die Briten warnen! 

Wenigstens ist der Bundeskanzler Scholz verlässlich und großzügig in seiner militärischen Unterstützung für die Ukraine!

"... Die Gefahren durch Russlands hybride Kriegsführung waren sehr präsent, als sich die Präsidenten der deutschen Geheimdienste am Montag den Fragen der Parlamentarier stellten. Es ging unter anderem um einen Flugzeugabsturz, der wohl nur durch Zufall verhindert wurde. Und um ein rätselhaftes DHL-Paket, das einen Frachtcontainer in Leipzig in Brand setzte. ..."

In Leipzig wurde ein Flugzeugabsturz nur zufällig verhindert. Deutsche Geheimdienste warnen vor russischen Sabotageakten "Mehrere Fälle mutmasslich russischer Sabotage beschäftigen Deutschland. Die Chefs der Geheimdienste fordern jetzt mehr Befugnisse."

Australia is arming Ukraine with almost 50 Abrams tanks, a change in Canberra's plans

Good news! 

We are in World War III by any other name! How many countries are now involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War?

"Australia is transferring 49 M1A1 tanks to Ukraine, ending months of speculation about when, or if, Canberra would provide armor to Kyiv’s defense. ..."

Aussies arming Ukraine with almost 50 Abrams tanks, a change in Canberra's plans - Breaking Defense "“These tanks will be an essential part of our land defenses, and we have already been operating some of those tanks which we’ve been provided by the Americans in the past, so we already have teams of people who know how to use that equipment," the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia said."

AI scans RNA ‘dark matter’ and uncovers 70,000 new RNA viruses many of them in extreme environments

Amazing stuff! Apparently, we are surrounded by a lot more viruses than we previously realized.

"Researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover 70,500 viruses previously unknown to science, many of them weird and nothing like known species. The RNA viruses were identified using metagenomics, in which scientists sample all the genomes present in the environment without having to culture individual viruses. The method shows the potential of AI to explore the ‘dark matter’ of the RNA virus universe. ...

But RNA viruses evolve quickly, so existing methods for identifying RNA viruses in genomic sequence data probably miss many. A common method is to look for a section of the genome that encodes a key protein used in RNA replication, called RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). But if the sequence that encodes this protein in a virus is vastly different from any known sequence, researchers won’t recognize it. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
AI-based metagenomic mining greatly expands the diversity of the global RNA virosphere
• Developed a deep learning model that integrates sequence and structural information
161,979 putative RNA virus species and 180 RNA virus supergroups were identified
• RNA viruses are ubiquitous and are even found in the most extreme global environments
Summary
Current metagenomic tools can fail to identify highly divergent RNA viruses. We developed a deep learning algorithm, termed LucaProt, to discover highly divergent RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) sequences in 10,487 metatranscriptomes generated from diverse global ecosystems. LucaProt integrates both sequence and predicted structural information, enabling the accurate detection of RdRP sequences. Using this approach, we identified 161,979 potential RNA virus species and 180 RNA virus supergroups, including many previously poorly studied groups, as well as RNA virus genomes of exceptional length (up to 47,250 nucleotides) and genomic complexity. A subset of these novel RNA viruses was confirmed by RT-PCR and RNA/DNA sequencing. Newly discovered RNA viruses were present in diverse environments, including air, hot springs, and hydrothermal vents, with virus diversity and abundance varying substantially among ecosystems. This study advances virus discovery, highlights the scale of the virosphere, and provides computational tools to better document the global RNA virome."

AI scans RNA ‘dark matter’ and uncovers 70,000 new viruses "Many are bizarre and live in salt lakes, hydrothermal vents and other extreme environments."


Graphical abstract

Figure 1 The global RNA virosphere

India-U.S. Technology Ties: Charting an Ambitious Course for the Future

Like a marriage made in heaven to advance humanity!

"India’s growing strategic importance as a balance to China in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as convergence between New Delhi and Washington DC about Beijing’s aggressive stance on emerging technology, have resulted in warming relations between the United States (US) and India. Indeed, in recent years, there has been a spur of cooperative agreements between the two sides on domains such as defence technology, 5G, and semiconductors. This brief highlights the evolution of this partnership in the past decade, and asks: Can the two overcome current points of friction—immigration and anti-competitive practices by US tech giants, for example—especially as the US undergoes a change in leadership? ...

India benefited, in the years prior, from the boom in outbound FDI flows from China that peaked in 2016.[6] A number of Indian unicorns and startup ecosystem mainstays (such as digital payments platform Paytm, ridesharing app Ola, and e-commerce giant Flipkart) have received investments from Chinese tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, and Didi Chuxing.[7] It is also worth noting that India is heavily dependent on China for semiconductors, particularly digital integrated circuits (ICs) and memory. In 2021, India imported US$5.38 billion worth of semiconductors, US$4.25 billion of which was from China, representing a 160-percent growth over the previous year, and 53-percent growth for three years cumulatively.[8] ..."

Caveat: I did not read the entire issue brief.

India-U.S. Technology Ties: Charting an Ambitious Course for the Future

Unearthed papyrus contains lost scenes from two of Euripides’ plays, one of the most significant new finds in Greek literature in this century

Good news!

"For centuries, questions have loomed about two of Euripides’ lesser-known tragedies, “Ino” and “Polyidus,” with only a smattering of text fragments and plot summaries available to offer glimpses into their narratives.

Now, in a groundbreaking find, two Harvard alumni have identified and worked to decipher 97 lines from these plays on a papyrus from the third century A.D. ...

The papyrus was discovered in 2022 in a burial shaft at the ancient necropolis of Philadelphia, Egypt, by a team from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. ..."

"The Euripidean text dates to the 3rd century CE. It is written on the back of a land survey from the late 2nd century CE or early 3rd century CE.

It contains an excerpt from Ino in the first column and an excerpt from Polyidos in the first and second columns. The title “Of Polyidos” (indicated by the red arrow) separates the two excerpts. ..."

Unearthed papyrus contains lost scenes from Euripides’ plays — Harvard Gazette "Alums help identify, decipher ‘one of the most significant new finds in Greek literature in this century’"

The Papyrus

The papyrus as it was uncovered at the ancient necropolis.
The red arrow separates the two texts

English for trippers: Bold and boulder

Like older and bolder, but balder!

The surprising recent employment report is due to Government Jobs Are Booming

Is this usual at the turn of a fiscal year that new federal employees are hired?

Is the outgoing administration of the senile, demented and corrupt 46th President trying to manipulate employment numbers to boost election chances in November?

Time for the next US President to cut the government employment as it represent to significant extent waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money!


"... A lot of them. 785,000, to be precise. On the month. ... 

By the way, 785,000 is the highest monthly jump in government workers on record.

And it brings government workers to a crisp 22,216,000—roughly twice manufacturing employment. ...

So, once we take off the government workers, it turns out productive jobs—private-sector jobs—grew by just 133,000. ..."

Government Jobs Are Booming

So viele Asyl-Migranten machten seit 2023 Urlaub in ihren Heimatländern

Asylmissbrauch? Oder wieder mal typisch Bananenrepublik D!

Wie hoch ist die Dunkelziffer?

"NIUS liegen nun erstmals exklusive Zahlen vor, die aus dem Innenministerium stammen. Die Bundespolizei erhebt demnach zwar keine detaillierten Statistiken über die Frage, wie viele Asylbewerber regelmäßig in die Heimat reisen. Doch die Behörde setzt im Ausland Verbindungsbeamte ein, die ihre Erkenntnisse übermitteln. Seit dem 1. Januar 2023 meldeten die Beamten ganze 279 Fälle von Urlaubsreisen. „In Auswertung dieser Mitteilungen reisten insgesamt 429 Schutzberechtigte in ihr Heimatland“, heißt es in der Antwort des Innenministeriums auf eine Kleine Anfrage des AfD-Bundestagsabgeordneten Tobias Peterka. ...

Sobald die Behörden von den Reisen erfahren, müssten sie eigentlich prüfen, ob noch immer ein Anspruch auf Schutz besteht. ..."

NIUS exklusiv: So viele Asyl-Migranten machten seit 2023 Urlaub in ihren Heimatländern | NIUS.de "Urlaubsreisen von Asylbewerbern sorgen seit Wochen für Aufregung. Wie häufig sind die Reisen in ihre Heimatländer? Verlieren die Migranten dadurch ihren Aufenthaltstitel? NIUS liegen erstmals exklusive Zahlen vor. Doch die Daten sind lückenhaft."

University of California: 2 million voters with felony convictions have the right to vote – but might not know. Really!

Palpable desperation on the left to get out the vote for Mistress Kamala!

When and why should voting rights be reinstated for convicted criminals? Or is it “Disenfranchisement is a justice and equity issue”?

"Key takeaways
  • Voting eligibility for people with felony convictions has expanded since 1997, with more than two million individuals now able to vote.
  • Several factors, like misinformation, distrust of government or lack of clarity around procedures, impede many from exercising their right to vote.
  • Direct outreach, including through trusted, on-the-ground community organizations, as well as informational text messaging, can help eligible voters navigate the process and make sure their voices are included in elections.
As get-out-the-vote efforts hit high gear nationwide, a team of sociologists, political scientists and nonprofits in select states are focused on reaching out to some of the more than two million people with felony convictions who may not realize they have the legal right to vote. ..."

2 million voters with felony convictions have the right to vote – but might not know | UCLA "A UCLA-led research team is monitoring a massive nationwide text outreach effort"

The famous company Boeing seems to be in serious financial trouple

Bad news!

"Boeing is moving to raise at least $10 billion by selling new shares in a bid to stop its cash drain, people familiar with the matter said.
In addition, the jet maker is laying groundwork to raise more cash in coming years, according to regulatory filings. A roughly monthlong strike by Boeing’s largest union is making things worse; its operations were burning through about $1 billion a month ... before that. Boeing, which last turned a profit in 2018, ended September with close to the minimum amount of cash and securities that the company has said it needs to operate. Credit-rating firms have warned that Boeing needed to raise capital and that its debt could be downgraded to junk status."

The Wall Street Journal What's news



Global government debt at $100 trillion or 93% of global GDP, when will the next price inflation come about!

Countries like the US have accumulated way to much government debt in recent years!

US government debt alone stands at $35 trillion or about 124% of GDP! Reckless and unsustainable!

"~$100 trillion
The forecast size of global government debt this year if budget policies are unchanged, the IMF said. It’s driven by large increases in borrowing by the U.S., China and other countries. The IMF expects government debt to almost match annual world output by the end of the decade. Spending cuts and tax rises of an unprecedented size would be needed over the coming five to seven years to stabilize or reduce debt."

"Global public debt is elevated. It is projected to exceed US$100 trillion in 2024 and will rise over the medium term. This chapter shows that risks to the debt outlook are heavily tilted to the upside. In a severely adverse scenario, global debt is estimated to be nearly 20 percentage points of GDP higher three years ahead than the baseline projection, reaching 115 percent of GDP."

"... with the world’s two largest economies, China and the United States, largely driving the increase ..."

The Wall Street Journal What's news


Two countries stand out, the US and China


A struggle between the 46th President and Xi Jinping over a cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo

More on the scramble for Africa!

"The Biden administration held talks with three firms about purchasing one of the world’s largest non-Chinese cobalt producers, according to people familiar with the matter.
The U.S. wants to loosen Beijing’s global grip on a metal that’s important for the green-energy revolution and used in everything from jet fighters to drones. U.S. officials last year also tried to find Western miners or investors to buy the company, Chemaf, which is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country has poor infrastructure, limited skilled labor, resource nationalism and a reputation for corruption. In June, Chemaf agreed to sell itself to China-backed Norin Mining, but U.S. pressure helped block that deal, people familiar with the transaction said. Plus, Congolese officials were eager to diversify from Chinese partners. Chemaf said that it’s still pursuing a possible Norin sale."

The Wall Street Journal What's news




An apparent coup attempt by Secretaries Blinken and Austin against Israel or who is running the adminisration of the 46th President?

Disturbing!

Who is actually running administration of the 46h President has been asked many times. The First Lady ranks very high on the list!

The 46th President tried to put the blame on his Vice President to whom he claimed he had transferred unprecedented authority early on after he assumed office! I believe Mistress Kamala never publicly denied this claim. And the media failed to follow up on this claim!

Then we have these fools and clowns like Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, who pretend they are in charge!

Did the senile, demented and corrupt 46th President sign this letter as well? It appears, the letter was only signed by Blinken and Austin.

I used Google and Bing search to find a copy of this letter, but I only found a post on X showing 4 images of a letter purported to be the one.

"The Biden administration is urging Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk a cut to arms sales—the starkest threat since the war began last year.
A letter signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which blamed Israel for a drastic drop in humanitarian aid into Gaza that contributed to starvation and widespread suffering, gave Israel 30 days to “reverse the downward humanitarian trajectory.”  ..."

The Wall Street Journal What's news

The real tale of the Monkey King in Heaven

Recommendable!

Ronald Reagan: A Time for Choosing | Words To Live By

Very recommendable! Have a rendezvous with destiny!
Very timely! Most is still very true today! One of his best speeches! This speech contains many of his famous expressions!
Will President Trump live up to expectations if elected?

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Blood bowls, blades and bodies: the surgeon's gory operating table of bygone times

This seems to be a nice Halloween video! 😊

Oscar Wilde vs Society: A Battle He Couldn't Win; The life and legacy of Oscar Wilde

Recommendable! But the video sorely lacks of famous quotes and witty remarks!

Gintare Karolina Dziugaite - The dynamics of memorization and generalization in deep learning

This could be an interesting talk! I did not have the time to watch the whole video. I am definitely familiar with some of the work of Dziugaite.

'Don't Sacrifice Your Sons': A Ukrainian Woman's Plea To Russian Mothers

Recommendable! Caution: Very emotional! When will the Russian people had enough of the megalomaniac and war criminal Putin the Terrible!

'It's scary - so's giving birth': The volunteer female unit in Ukraine gunning down Russian drones

Meet the witches of Bucha using 80 year old machine guns! Bravo!

How Africa is Doubling Down on Its Space Ambitions. Three African countries just launched their own satellites With Palki Sharma

Good news! Africa is catching up! African countries still lack their own launch facility!




Whitney Houston - I Have Nothing (The Concert for a New South Africa [Durban] - LIVE)

Enjoy! Don't miss her nice improvisations!

Cote d'Ivoire aims to enhance its cocoa value chain

Good news for chocoholics! 😍

Crowds roar as Donald Trump destroys Bloomberg host during live interview at Chicago Economic Club

Recommendable! Some journalists do not deserve better! Probably not since Ronald Reagan has someone attacked journalists like that! Mistress Kamala declined the same kind of interview.

The Economist: Mapping Putin’s covert war in Europe

Very recommendable! Unfortunately, the video is in a very narrow format!

This $10M U.S. Army Laser Melts Drones With $3 Beams

This particular weapon is not very convincing! I don't think it will be effective in real combat! E.g. how many shots can it fire? This was not revealed in his video.

Six Stunning 19th-Century Paintings by Vincent van Gogh

Recommendable!

Noble Prize laureate Daron Acemoglu on Why Nations Fail

Not sure why this guy was awarded with a Nobel Prize in economics! Too much politics and history!
Take his remarks about the first settlers in the north-east of the US! They tried to exploit the indigenous population, but this population was too sparse so they had to become farmers.
As an economist myself, I have not heard of this guy before!

Michael Moore Pushes Biden to Cancel All Student Loan Debt, Abolish Death Penalty in Final Months as President. Really!

I am afraid the lifelong pathological and serial liar and senile, demented and corrupt 46th President might just do that in a last ditch effort to polish up his very rotten legacy!

Or will he do something else crazy?

How will he try in his waning days to avoid being among the 10 worst U.S. presidents if not the 5 worst U.S. Presidents in history!

Michael Moore Pushes Biden to Cancel All Student Loan Debt, Abolish Death Penalty in Final Months as President

Bundesregierung verursacht gewaltige Personalinflation. Was für eine Verschwendung!

Nicht nur der deutsche Bundestag ist total und widersinnig aufgebläht seit der Wiedervereinigung!

Die Bananenrepublik D braucht dringend einen Kettensägenmann wie den argentinischen Präsidenten Milei!

Bei der französischen Revolution von 1789 ging es auch um die unfassbare Opulenz des Monarchen!

Oder wie sagt man so schön: Dekadent geht die Welt zugrund!

"... Aber im selben Zeitraum hat sich die Zahl der Beamten um fast genau die Hälfte erhöht: von etwa 15.000 im Jahr 2013 auf heute über 22.000 (plus 47 Prozent). ..."

Regierung verursacht Beamtenschwemme "Innerhalb von nur zehn Jahren ist die Zahl der ständigen Mitarbeiter im Kanzleramt und in den Bundesministerien um satte 50 Prozent gestiegen. Die Kosten gehen in die Milliarden – und weil diese Leute ja auch was zu tun brauchen, wird Deutschland immer nur noch bürokratischer."

Smart on Crime plagiarism by Mistress Kamala exposed by a prominent Austrian plagiarism hunter

As an aside, I think I prefer the broken windows theory!

Has an Austrian just dared to commit foreign election interference less than 30 days before elections? Just kidding! 😊

This book was published in 2009. Did nobody ever before claim that it contained plagiarism?

Note Mistress Kamala did not write this book herself! How much did Kamala write and how much the ghost writer contribute? This should be a fair question for the presidential candidate.

To hire ghost writers is common, but in her case it has perhaps more meaning and supports the allegation that she is incompetent and has achieved not much in her professional life.

Plagiarism is not uncommon among politicians! 😊

"... The so-called "plagiarism hunter," Austrian professor [???] Stefan Weber, found 27 times that Harris, the 2024 Democrat nominee for president, and her co-author allegedly committed some form of plagiarism. ..."

"Like Germany’s current minister for foreign affairs Annalena Baerbock, also Kamala Harris did plagiarize in a book, namely in „Smart on Crime“ (2009). ..."

Footnote: It appears Mr. Stefan Weber is not a professor. He might be a docent. See e.g. the Wikipedia entry on him.

Kamala Harris accused of plagiarizing in 2009 book about being 'smart on crime' "Harris' book features 27 instances of plagiarism, according to 'plagiarism hunter'"

Plagiarism allegation against Kamala Harris (the original source of the plagiarism claims by Stefan Weber)

Credits: Plagiats-Gutachten aus Salzburg belastet Kamala Harris

Caveat: I did not read the book.

Does she not look eerily similar on this book cover  to her very recent vogue cover?



UK sanctions Russian troops for deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine

More on the megalomaniac, serial war criminal and dissident killer Putin the Terrible!

"... In an announcement published on 8 October, the UK government said Russian forces had openly admitted to using hazardous chemical weapons, with widespread use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the choking agent chloropicrin – a highly irritating chemical discovered in the 1840s – on the battlefield. ..."

UK sanctions Russian troops for deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine | News | Chemistry World

How Russia Became a Gerontocracy Once Again

At least these Russian gerontocrats do not appear to be as drunk as Boris Yeltsin in his final years in office (but Yeltsin at least was a reformer of the command economy)! Caution: irony!

Unfortunately, the article below does not contain a list or table of the gerontocrats surround Putin the Terrible (age 72).

Hopefully, the end of the megalomaniac and war criminal Putin the Terrible is nigh! The sigh of relief around the world will be very audible!

"... Putin [the Terrible, age 72] was elected president at the relatively young age of forty-seven, and those he appointed to key positions upon first entering the Kremlin were of a similar age. At the time, officials in Russia had to retire at sixty-five, without exception, and it did not occur to anyone that the country’s relatively young leadership might still be around at that age. In the early 2000s, Putin repeatedly assured Russians that he did not intend to rule beyond sixty-five or to make it possible to govern past that point. ..."

How Russia Became a Gerontocracy Once Again - Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace "The Russian regime increasingly resembles the gerontocracy that ran the late Soviet Union, with elderly officials replacing other elderly officials, and some starting to die on the job."

Did Canada refuse to extradite terrorists and/or criminals to India?

This might be at the core of the current, intensifying foreign relations dispute between Canada and India.

Were the reasons for Canada to deny the extradition well founded or flimsy? It has the appearance that the reasons for the denial were not convincing!

Caveat: I am not familiar with the details of this dispute

Second image of the day

Als die sozialistische Welt in Deutschland (genauer DDR) noch in Ordnung war! Vorsicht: Ironie

Zwei dandys in 1972! (Sozialistische Diktatoren Erich Honecker & Walter Ulbricht) Quelle



Image of the day

Do you recognize this guy? 

He should have stayed home and play with his three grandchildren or have lunch with his wife!

His campaign for Mistress Kamala was a disaster! He appeared more senile and demented than the 46th President! Perhaps, his romantic affairs with interns caused him to contract a sexually transmitted diseases.

To bring him out to campaign is one heck of sign of verry palpable desperation by the Dimocratic Party!



Hint: William Jefferson Clinton (age 78), 42nd U.S. President

Chart of the day

Good news! What a nice trend! Increased cooperation among scientists across borders!

Source



Monday, October 14, 2024

Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, study finds

Amazing stuff!

PLA launches blockade drills around Taiwan

Serious stuff! Is the aging dictator Xi Jinping trying to take advantage of the remaining about 90 days that the senile, demented and corrupt 46th President will still be in office!
Let the Taiwanese people decide whether they want to reunite with China or not! Perhaps, this will have to wait until the Communist Party of China is not in power anymore.

New book ‘Threat Multiplier’ details the fight for the Pentagon to adapt to climate change

What a nonsense! Global Warming is a hoax and climate change is a religion!
Hopefully, the 47th President will stop these absurd and degrading efforts by the U.S. military.

India Withdraws High Commissioner from Canada Amid Khalistan Row with Palki Sharma

The son of a prominent former Prime Minister of Canada is a fool! India, a rising superpower!



Prager University: Government: Too Big to Fix?

Very recommendable! Excellent! The bigger the government, the bigger the failure!

India’s 100 Richest 2024: Fortunes Jump 40% Blowing Past $1 Trillion

Recommendable! Good news!

Gewalt gegen Polizisten in Deutschland: Zahl so hoch wie nie zuvor. Jeden Tag werden im Schnitt 290 Polizisten Opfer von Gewalt.

Zustände wie in einer Bananenrepublik!

Der Charm der Bundesheimatministerin Faeser ist entwaffnend! 😊 Vorsicht: Ironie!

In den Jahren 2013/2014 lag die Anzahl bei rund 33.000 Gewalttaten (Siehe Tabelle unten)

Entweder ist die Statistik übertrieben (z.B. zu viele Bagatelldelikte) oder sie ist erschreckend und deutet auf eine Verrohung der Sitten.

"... Demnach ist es im vergangenen Jahr zu 46.218 registrierten Gewalttaten gegen Polizisten gekommen – das ist der höchste Stand bislang. Die Zahl der Taten ist dem Bundeslagebild zufolge um acht Prozent gestiegen, was der stärksten Zunahme seit 2017 entspreche. ..."

Gewalt gegen Polizisten: Zahl so hoch wie nie zuvor "Es gibt so viele Gewalttaten gegen Einsatzkräfte wie nie zuvor, zeigt das am Montag veröffentlichte Bundeslagebild. Auch Feuerwehrleute und Rettungskräfte sind betroffen."