Hawaiin Sunburn In Phonix, Arizona

Posted: 11/30/2015

I recently saw this older Porsche Target in Phoenix, Arizona with a revealing license plate:

Putin As Western Ally Again?

Posted: 11/30/2015 Updated: 12/3/2015, 12/1/2015

It appears that Western leaders (e.g. U.S. president Obama, French president Hollande, German Defense minister von der Leyen) wish to form an alliance with Putin the Terrible to fight islamist terrorism.

That is about as stupid as the alliance of the most socialist U.S. president of all times, i.e. Franklin D. Roosevelt, with Soviet dictator Stalin during World War II.

Dictator Assad must go with the help of Putin the Terrible?

The German defense minister von der Leyen refers to this as an alliance of convenience (Zweckbuendnis). Realpolitik has been more often than not a lousy guide!

Western nations do not have to become an ally with Putin the Terrible to prevent a 3rd World War.

What Is Institutional Racism?

Posted: 11/18/2015

Short answer: Affirmative action or the race-based preferential admission to college education in the U.S. What is even more disturbing that the U.S. Supreme Court has been upholding this form of racism for decades.

Two wrongs never make a right! This is blatantly unconstitutional and all the Supreme Court justices and other judges, dead or alive, who have defended this ought to be ashamed!

Hot Recent Science & Technology Articles (19)

Posted: 11/16/2015

1. Uncoiling collagen using advanced computers (This could be huge! “British and French researchers have used modern computing power to enhance mass spectrometry and analyse an extremely complex collagen molecule in a short time scale. ... Two-dimensional Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (2D FT-ICR MS), developed in the 1980s ... Collagen, a structural protein with a molar mass of over 400kDa, is a very stable molecule and lasts for thousands of years in old bones. ... aimed to use proteomics to study archaeological collagen samples, and in the process advanced 2D FT-ICR MS to new heights by encoding a modulation frequency in the precursor ions and spreading out the signals. A great advantage of the improved technique is the time scale – a tandem mass spectrum of collagen would take at least 14 hours to obtain, whereas 2D FT-ICR MS takes only an hour using the data processing programme in this study. ‘What’s really exciting about this work is that it shows that we can effectively use mass spectrometry to sequence all peptides in a terribly complex mixture”)
2. How the shell of ancient Earth cracked, giving rise to moving continents (“The idea grew partly out of recent work on a vast deposit of oceanic basalt known as the Caribbean Large Igneous Province, ... An exceptionally hot mantle plume caused the basalt to erupt about 100 million years ago, and also appears to have triggered subduction along the Caribbean coasts of Central and South America. To explore whether the same process could have kick-started plate tectonics, ... modeling how plumes interact with the lithosphere ... the team describes how mantle plumes can initiate subduction in a three-dimensional model.”)
3. The 3230 genes you can’t do without (“That’s the conclusion of a new study, which finds that about 15% of our 20,000 genes are so critical to our livelihood that certain changes can kill us before we’re born. ... The result: 3230 genes that had either no observed variation, or compared to what was expected, much, much less of the kind of changes that could lead to a malfunction of the gene. Such data suggests that, whenever one of these genes mutates, the embryo usually dies or the person is too sick to reproduce—so the variation disappears. ”Genes that displayed no variants should be essential or play crucial biological functions,” ... have similarly found such essential genes in bacteria or in mice. And many of the highlighted human genes are associated with the same critical cellular operations, such as the cell’s protein-building factories, as in those species ... About 20% of the human genes uncovered by the analysis are already associated with diseases, but many are not—yet.”)
4. Chemical fingerprints of prehistoric beekeepers discovered (“Researchers have found evidence that humans have been exploiting honeybees for almost 9000 years by examining the 'chemical fingerprint' left by beeswax on pottery artefacts from the Neolithic period. ... Wall art by the ancient Egyptians and Stone Age civilisations suggests the relationship between humans and honeybees goes back thousands of years, but when and where they were first domesticated is unknown. The team were able to track the use of bee products by Neolithic farmers by searching for traces of beeswax – which is relatively stable over time and retains a characteristic chemical profile – in organic residues found on ancient pottery fragments.”)
5. 500-Million-Year-Old Brains and Life in the Universe (“The bottom line is that the basic biological structures of brains emerged at least half a billion years ago, seemingly very soon after the emergence of truly complex multicellular life.”)
6. Astronomers discover oldest stars ever seen (“These stars, which have been at the very centre of the Milky Way for billions of years, contain extremely low amounts of metal: one of the stars is the most metal-poor star yet discovered in the centre of our galaxy. The stars also contain chemical fingerprints which indicate that the earliest stars may have died in spectacular deaths known as hypernovae, which were ten times more energetic than a regular supernova.”)
7. First 'porous liquid' invented (“What we have done is to design a special liquid from the 'bottom-up' - we designed the shapes of the molecules which make up the liquid so that the liquid could not fill up all the space. Because of the empty holes we then had in the liquid, we found that it was able to dissolve unusually large amounts of gas. These first experiments are what is needed to understand this new type of material, and the results point to interesting long-term applications which rely on dissolution of gases.”)
8. Time for a New Definition Researchers uncover diverse subtypes of serotonin-producing neurons (“The researchers report in Neuron that serotonergic neurons come in at least six major molecular subtypes defined by distinct expression patterns of hundreds of genes. In many cases, the subtypes modulate different behaviors in the body.”)
9. Self-Medicating Monkeys Gobble Painkilling Bark Sick red colobus monkeys in Uganda ate the very same plants that local people use to treat illnesses
10. Study of crabs suggests they are capable of feeling pain
11. Memory-Boosting Devices Tested in Humans U.S. military research suggests that electrodes can compensate for damaged tissue (“By mimicking the electrical patterns that create and store memories, the researchers found that gaps caused by brain injury can be bridged.”)
12. New Medical Devices Vanish Inside You Implants that prop open clogged arteries and then dissolve are part of a new medical frontier
13. These 3D Printed Teeth Fight Bacteria  Researchers in the Netherlands are making dental implants that kill microbes that settle on them
14. NASA Adds to Evidence of Mysterious Ancient Earthworks (Possibly the discovery of a new ancient civilization! “Described last year at an archaeology conference in Istanbul as unique and previously unstudied, the earthworks, in the Turgai region of northern Kazakhstan, number at least 260 — mounds, trenches and ramparts — arrayed in five basic shapes. … Spotted on Google Earth in 2007 by a Kazakh economist and archaeology enthusiast, Dmitriy Dey, the so-called Steppe Geoglyphs remain deeply puzzling and largely unknown to the outside world.”)
15. Got allergies? Blame parasites (“Why are millions of people allergic to peanuts or pollen, but hardly anyone seems to have a reaction to rice or raisins? Because only some of these things carry molecules similar to those found in parasites that send our immune systems into hyperdrive, according to a new study. … a group of scientists led by computational biologist Nicholas Furnham at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine looked for similarities among 2712 proteins known to cause allergies and more than 70,000 proteins from 31 species of parasites. Using computer programs that compared the protein sequences as well as their 3D structures, the researchers identified a list of 2445 parasite proteins that are very similar to allergenic proteins. For instance, they found a protein in the worm Schistosoma mansoni that closely resembles one in birch pollen that makes people sneeze. ”)
16. Electronic Skin May Transform the Way We Interact With Tech
17. Designer antibodies may rid body of AIDS virus (“Anti-HIV drugs have extended life for millions of people, but they have never eliminated the virus from anyone. That’s because HIV integrates its genetic material into the chromosomes of some white blood cells, helping it escape notice of the immune system. Two new studies show that artificial antibodies could “redirect” the immune response to these latently infected cells and help drain those HIV reservoirs in the body. But this creative strategy also carries risks. … The bispecific antibody first binds to CD3 on cells that harbor latent HIV. This prompts the cells to divide, an “activation” process that wakes up the sleeping virus. New HIV proteins are subsequently produced that migrate to the surface of the cell. Now, the bispecific antibody grabs a killer T cell that has a CD3 receptor and, with its second arm, finds a recently activated cell that has HIV proteins on its surface.”)
18. Gene-editing method halts production of brain-destroying proteins (“As neurological diseases go, Huntingtons is an ideal candidate for CRISPR therapy, because the disease is determined by a single gene, Déglon notes. … Using a virus as a delivery vehicle, the researchers infected two separate groups of healthy adult mice with a mutant huntingtin gene, but only one group received the therapy: a CRISPR “cassette,” which includes DNA for the gene-editing enzyme Cas9 and the RNA to target the huntingtin gene. CRISPR-Cas9 works by “silencing” the part of the huntingtin gene that signals protein production. Researchers hypothesized that by cutting into these so-called “start sites,” they would be able to permanently pause synthesis of the huntingtin protein. ... After only 3 weeks, the two groups of mice showed a striking contrast: Those without the CRISPR treatment had large areas of protein aggregation, and those with the treatment had almost none—CRISPR’s editing had prevented nearly 90% of the rogue proteins.”)
19. This Camera Sees What Your Eyes Can't  HyperCam, an affordable hyperspectral imaging camera, can tell if your food's gone bad, among other things (This could be powerful at everyone’s fingertips!)
20. Lab scientists discover five new nuclei
21. Mysterious ‘holes’ in neuron net may help store long-term memories (“Scientists now know that perineuronal nets (PNNS) are scaffolds of linked proteins and sugars that resemble cartilage ... a growing body of research suggests that PNNs may control the formation and function of synapses, the microscopic junctions between neurons that allow cells to communicate, and that may play a role in learning and memory, Palida says.”)
22. General Anesthesia Causes No Cognitive Deficit in Infants Brief exposure to anesthetizing chemicals does not cause future neurological problems large study finds
23. The Tantalizing Links Between Gut Microbes and the Brain Neuroscientists are probing the idea that intestinal microbiota might influence brain development and behaviour (Very recommendable survey article! “A growing body of data, mostly from animals raised in sterile, germ-free conditions, shows that microbes in the gut influence behaviour and can alter brain physiology and neurochemistry. … Researchers are starting to uncover a vast, varied system in which gut microbes influence the brain through hormones, immune molecules and the specialized metabolites that they produce. … Recent studies also demonstrate that gut microbes directly alter neurotransmitter levels, which may enable them to communicate with neurons.”)
24. Rise of the Microglia New research shows that the resident immune cells of the brain are involved in both development and disease

European Antisemitism At Work Again

Posted: 11/12/2015

Trigger

The print edition of the U.S. Wall Street Journal had it today (11/12/2015) as news on the front page “The EU set labeling rules for products from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories … The publication on Wednesday of the European Commission guidance, which came after a three-year delay due to pressure from the U.S.. and Israel, obliges European importers to label agricultural and some industrial products for sale in the 28-nation bloc as being produced in settlements.” (emphasis added).

To my great surprise the WALL STREET JOURNAL article further stated: “Three European countries - the UK, Belgium, and Denmark - already label goods coming from Israeli settlements.”

Remarks

1. This appears to be a very unusual, peculiar and selective measure. Are there any comparable measures by the EU against other countries in effect, I wonder?
2. What a burden it must be for businesses to keep track of Israeli products! Its incredible!
3. This rule was published at a time when Israeli citizens again like so many times before for so many years suffer daily terrorist attacks from Arabs
4. What is the EU actually doing about terrorist organisations like Hamas and PLO or about dictators and violence instigators like Mahmoud Abbas?
5. It is shocking that countries like the UK and of all countries Denmark are already doing this. Denmark, whose citizens and king, so bravely defended the Jews against the Nazis.
6. The Arabs are the problem not Israel memo to EU!

A Brief Summary Of The Legacy Of President Obama

Posted: 11/8/2015

Introduction

This is a summary, not a detailed account! I have blogged a number of times about President Obama and his administration.

The Legacy

The most business averse, heavily ideologically biased, and autocratic U.S. president since President Franklin D. Roosevelt!

The most unlawful president since president Nixon!

His foreign policies were mostly failures!

He had an incredible number of incompetent people in his administration and as advisors.

He never was a president of the American people during his eight years in office! He was an extreme partisan! He was not even a president who benefited the African Americans!

Global Warming Zealots & Fanatics In Contrast To Sceptics Or Deniers

Posted: 11/7/2015

Trigger

Listened to NPR on my commute this week and had to cringe often, because they would again interview someone from the environmentalism sect who would constantly repeat the terms climate change deniers/skeptics. This labeling is awful propaganda!

Global Warming Zealots Or Fanatics

I use Global Warming synonymous to Climate Change!

Scientists can be zealots and fanatics too!

All realistic people about this Global Warming hoax and big government power grab may want to adopt to refer to Global Warming Zealots/Fanatics in public discourse to counteract this constant barrage of propaganda!

May I Hazard A Prediction

Global Warming/Climate Change will go down in history as one more of those many crazy obsessions of humanity before. Mark my words! :-)

This is also why it is so much more important to teach more about history than e.g. STEM! :-)

Will Syria Become Putin's Nemesis?

Posted: 11/3/2015 Updated: 12/10/2015, 12/1/2015

Update Of 12/10/2015

Here is another update article on the trucker strike in Russia.

Update Of 12/1/2015

Today, I read Has Putin Met His Match In Russia's Truck Drivers? We read: “Russia’s long-haul truck drivers have disrupted the country’s federal highways for more than two weeks to protest a new road tax (platon in Russian) collected (with a 20% commission) by the Putin-associated Rotenberg oligarchs. The protesters threatened a full blockade of Moscow today unless their demands for a radical restructuring of the government are met. Russia’s riot and traffic police have not been able to halt the convoys, and the Russian government has refused good-faith talks. Putin’s propaganda machine cannot brand three million ordinary citizens as traitors and CIA agents. ... Russia’s long-distance truck drivers use social media to thwart the Kremlin’s security countermeasures. Unless their demands are met–lifting of the platon, firing those responsible including the transport minister and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and a half billion dollar fine for the Rotenbergs–the truck drivers intend to paralyze the traffic of the nation’s capital.”

I support the truck drivers of Russia protesting against Putin the Terrible!

Original Post (Plus Any Revisions)

After all the previous criminal and hegemonic acts and acts of war, Vladimir Putin the Terrible may have finally overreached with his intervention in Syria.

If it turns out to be true that e.g. the Russian civilian plane that crashed on 10/31/2015 over Egyptian Sinai peninsula killing all 224 passengers (mostly Russian tourists) over Egypt was a deliberate attack by e.g. Isis, I would bet that Russian public opinion may turn on Putin.

I am pretty sure, the former KGB officer remembers what was like the Vietnam War for the former USSR.

On Difficulties Of Preventative Law Enforcement Against Terrorism

Posted: 11/1/2015

Trigger

Recently read Doch kein Anschlag auf Radrennen geplant? Ende April wurde ein mutmaßliches Islamisten-Ehepaar in Oberursel festgenommen, weil es einen Anschlag geplant haben soll. Jetzt ist gegen den Mann Anklage erhoben worden - um das Radrennen rund um Frankfurt am 1. Mai ging es offenbar aber nicht. This article describes a German police investigation into the planned bomb attack earlier this year (Spring 2015) of an allegedly islamist couple that lived near Frankfurt at Main River in Germany.

The news article’s headline already expresses how difficult the investigation were by suggesting that the even target of the planned bomb attack was not established.

On The Difficulties

1. Authorities in Germany had unspecified intelligence about the planned bomb attack and based on this information a major, popular bike race was cancelled on a short-notice
2. The suspect were a 35 years old German man, who immigrated from Turkey, and his wife (34 years old)
3. The investigations against his wife were stopped after about two months into it and she was released for lack of evidence
4. The suspect male was previously known for some time as belonging to an islamist-radical organization, but the suspect was deemed harmless by police until the couple purchased the hydrogen peroxide
5. The couple purchased 3 liters of hydrogen peroxide from a Home Depot like store, but a staff of that store became suspicious and reported this sale to authorities
6. In the apartment of the couple, law enforcement found a prepared simple nails and bearing balls bomb that had a detonator attached to it. Other bomb making chemicals were found and a stash of 24,000 Euros. In addition, various parts of weapons were found in the apartment, but not assembled or operable weapon
7. However, some of the chemicals were dual use chemicals
8. The couple claimed they purchased the hydrogen peroxide to fight mold in their apartment. The wife alleged she had no knowledge of dangerous chemicals stored in the cellar belonging to the apartment (frequently e.g. German rental apartments come with a cellar storage room/area in the basement of the house)
9. The prosecutor failed to contradict these assertions by the couple and had to release the wife
10. Law enforcement specialists thought the bomb found in the apartment was of inferior quality or even defective. The specialists were unable to determine when the bomb was made
11. A witness for the husband suspect came forward to claim he and the suspect had build such bombs in years past to pry open cigarette vending machines to steal money

Questions & Comments

1. From a suspicious mind vantage point, this couple acted extremely clever and was presumably well trained to avoid successful prosecution. This case would be a far different from previous suicide bombers attacking or other islamist attacks on European cities
2. It is surprising that the prosecutor failed to make a case against the wife, but the article is not detailed enough nor do we know all the circumstances leading up to the prosecutor's decision
3. Did the authorities overreact to cancel the bike race? It seems so, unless e.g. there was intelligence that perhaps a second terrorist team was targeting this event
4. Did the police make the mistake to intervene too early instead of first surveilling the suspect couple? It seems so!
5. We will probably never find out what this couple really was up to!