Gender equality and Me Too on display! Men better watch out! You might be next!
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Video shows woman wearing mask on her chin attacking elderly man mid-flight for not wearing a mask
Deutsche Wirtschaft - Ausgebremst von der staatlichen Bürokratie
Kein neues Problem! Ist seit einigen Jahrzehnten bekant und bedauert! Aber seitdem sich Deutschland in eine Bananenrepublik verwandelt hat (etwa mit der SED Kanzlerin Merkel), die vom Klima- und Coronawahn eingenommen ist, leidet die Wirtschaft noch mehr!
Das kann unter Rot-Grün eigentlich nur schlimmer werden.
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Elder Abuse Spreads, Stoked by the Pandemic
Definitely one of many good reasons to return to fairly normal life like before the Covid-19 pandemic!
Why SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is a relatively harmless disease and why the cure was worse than the disease.
"Older Americans are falling victim to fraud, physical violence and neglect as family isolation and staffing shortages erode safeguards. Elder-abuse cases, which have been on the rise for years, are expected to continue climbing even after the pandemic ends due in part to the aging U.S. population and the shortage of trained and licensed caregivers. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing measures left older adults isolated and at times sheltering with abusers, either family or caregivers who used the risk of Covid-19 as a weapon—threatening to send them to a nursing home, for instance, or to cough on them if they didn’t give them money. The number of elder-fraud victims increased 55% between 2019 and 2020, the latest data available, according to an FBI report."
Bettany Hughes: The Rise And Fall Of Ancient Sparta
Very recommendable! I watched this series at least twice now!
AfD: So geht effektiver Grenzschutz - DANKE, POLEN!
Das die Bundesregierung noch unter der SED Kanzlerin Merkel den Polen nicht sofort und direkt personell und materiell beigestanden ist, ist ein unglaublicher Skandal! Wieder mal die Bananenrepublik Deutschland auf frischer Tat ertappt!
Bravo Poland! Bravo AfD das in diesem Video deutlich zu machen!
Prager University: Elon Musk: The Government Is The Ultimate Monopoly
Very recommendable! This short video is mostly narrated by Dennis Prager himself and not Elon Musk, but this does not subtract from the message!
Monday, December 27, 2021
Thomas Sowell: How Liberals Are Creating an ADOLESCENT Society
Very recommendable! Very short and to the point! Sowell is spot on!
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cracks down on woke China and investment fund managers like Black Rock
Very recommendable! Bravo Governor DeSantis and Chief Financial Officer of the State of Florida Jimmy Patronis to take away proxy voting rights from investment companies like Black Rock.
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Only Israel votes at UN to oppose Middle East nuclear-free zone
What a shame on Western countries especially Germany!
"Israel was the only country to oppose the UN General Assembly call for a Middle East nuclear-free zone, in a resolution approved 178-1 on Monday [12/6/2021?] with [only] two abstentions, the United States and Cameroon.
Iran, which the international community fears is on its way to becoming a nuclear threshold state, supported the text. ...
The GA approved a second resolution 157-6 with 24 abstentions on “the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.” ... This text, unlike the first one, specifically calls on Israel to sign the non-proliferation treaty and to place its nuclear facilities under IAEA inspection. ..."
Iran, which the international community fears is on its way to becoming a nuclear threshold state, supported the text. ...
The GA approved a second resolution 157-6 with 24 abstentions on “the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.” ... This text, unlike the first one, specifically calls on Israel to sign the non-proliferation treaty and to place its nuclear facilities under IAEA inspection. ..."
Nature: How the coronavirus infects cells
Very recommendable! A long and detailed Nature article with great illustrations and animations!
Keep in mind: Why SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is a relatively harmless disease and why the cure was worse than the disease.
"The next steps of infection are murkier. “There are a lot more black boxes once you are inside the cell,” ... “There’s more uncertainty, and competing hypotheses.” ..."
Australia needs new early warning capability to counter threat from China’s new missiles
Recommendable! Australia is starting to take the bully in neighborhood very seriously!
One can only hope the the Communist Party of China or the Chinese people will get rid of the self anointed usurper, imperialist, and hegemon, the communist dictator for life Xi Jinping sooner than later!
"... A first step would be to invest in new types of sensors that can be deployed on Australian satellites. Ultimately, we should deploy additional satellites dedicated to the surveillance mission. This would enhance Australia’s ability to detect and respond to long-range missile threats under Defence’s AIR 6500 program and expand our regional role through the Quad and AUKUS to burden-share with and support key allies.
There’s a strong case for Australia to undertake this role now. The Chinese missile threat is growing rapidly, as their strategic and regional nuclear forces expand. The US Department of Defense’s recently released report on China’s military power notes: ‘The accelerating pace of the PRC’s nuclear expansion may enable the PRC to have up to 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027. The PRC likely intends to have at least 1,000 warheads by 2030, exceeding the pace and size the DoD projected in 2020.’
These warheads are to be delivered through an increasingly sophisticated triad comprising an expanded intercontinental ballistic missile force, a modernised submarine-based ballistic missile force, and a bomber component employing air-launched ballistic missiles. A report by the US–China Economic and Security Review Commission suggests that China’s nuclear build-up ‘could also be intended to support a new strategy of limited nuclear first use … [which] would enable Chinese leaders to leverage their nuclear forces to accomplish Chinese political objectives beyond survival, such as coercing another state or deterring US intervention in a war over Taiwan’. ..."
Brain tumours spread by exploiting fundamental physics of viscoelasticity
Good news! Another step towards cancer is history!
"New research in Germany shows that changes to the mechanical properties of cells can cause a brain tumor to become malignant. [Researchers] have shown that a brain tumor is a unique material and its spread is driven by physics as well as biomechanics. Using research conducted on tumors in living patients, they suggest that small changes to the elasticity of cells produce collective effects that impact the prognosis of a tumor. ...
... pioneered the use of low frequency vibrations combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the progression of diseases such as cancer. This technique is called magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). ... the inventors of the optical stretcher, which was also used in this study. An optical stretcher is an optical trap that uses two laser beams to deform single cells and measure their viscoelastic properties. ...
In 2019, the [researchers] discovered, using MRE, that glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, is softer and less viscous than a benign brain tumour. Glioblastomas are almost impossible to remove because they grow by spreading tiny “fingers” into the surrounding tissue. The researchers realized that this growth could be driven by pure physics because “viscous fingers” are a well-known effect that arises when a low viscosity liquid is injected into another fluid. ...
it was the stretchiness and elasticity of the cells that was correlated with the fluidity of the tissue. For a tumor to “flow” into the surrounding tissue, the cells must squeeze past each other, and the researchers believe that this makes elasticity, rather than viscosity, the mediator of tissue fluidity. They also observed that the tumor cells had a much wider range of mechanical properties than would be expected in a healthy sample. This is consistent with what is known about cancer, which breaks down regulation processes in cells. ..."
In 2019, the [researchers] discovered, using MRE, that glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, is softer and less viscous than a benign brain tumour. Glioblastomas are almost impossible to remove because they grow by spreading tiny “fingers” into the surrounding tissue. The researchers realized that this growth could be driven by pure physics because “viscous fingers” are a well-known effect that arises when a low viscosity liquid is injected into another fluid. ...
it was the stretchiness and elasticity of the cells that was correlated with the fluidity of the tissue. For a tumor to “flow” into the surrounding tissue, the cells must squeeze past each other, and the researchers believe that this makes elasticity, rather than viscosity, the mediator of tissue fluidity. They also observed that the tumor cells had a much wider range of mechanical properties than would be expected in a healthy sample. This is consistent with what is known about cancer, which breaks down regulation processes in cells. ..."
From the abstract:
"... OS [optical stretcher] experiments measured cellular creep deformation in response to laser-induced step stresses. We used a Kelvin-Voigt model to deduce two parameters related to cellular stiffness (μKV) and cellular viscosity (ηKV) from OS measurements in a time regimen that overlaps with that of MRE. We found that single-cell μKV was correlated with |G*| (R = 0.962, p < 0.001) and G'' (R = 0.883, p = 0.004) but not G' of the bulk tissue. These results suggest that single-cell stiffness affects tissue viscosity in brain tumors. ..."
This Australian duck says 'You bloody fool' and can imitate other sounds
Amazing stuff! This almost certainly gives Walt Disney's Donald Duck a whole new meaning. What did Walt know about ducks that we did not? 😄
"... found more evidence that musk ducks (Biziura lobata) can mimic sounds from nature, as well as those made by humans. ... Vocal learning refers to imitating sounds or producing completely new vocalizations, depending on the species involved. Central to this ability seems to be auditory feedback during development. ..."
From the abstract:
"Acquiring vocalizations by learning them from other individuals is only known from a limited number of animal groups. For birds, oscine and some suboscine songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds demonstrate this ability. Here, we provide evidence for vocal learning in a member of a basal clade of the avian phylogeny: the Australian musk duck (Biziura lobata). A hand-reared individual imitated a slamming door and a human voice, and a female-reared individual imitated Pacific black duck quacks. These sounds have been described before, but were never analysed in any detail and went so far unnoticed by researchers of vocal learning. The imitations were produced during the males' advertising display. The hand-reared male used at least three different vocalizations in the display context, with each one produced in the same stereotyped and repetitive structure as the normal display sounds. Sounds of different origins could be combined in one vocalization and at least some of the imitations were memorized at an early age, well before they were produced later in life. Together with earlier observations of vocal differences between populations and deviant vocalizations in captive-reared individuals, these observations demonstrate the presence of advanced vocal learning at a level comparable to that of songbirds and parrots. ..."
Vocal imitations and production learning by Australian musk ducks (Biziura lobata) (open access)
Donald Duck as he first appeared in The Wise Little Hen (1934)
China Rising: ‘Tremble and obey’, Xi Jinping’s ‘era of biding time’ is over (Part 1)
Very recommendable! The Communist Party of China is already exerting coercive pressure on Australian businesses!
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes: If You Don't Know Me by Now
Enjoy! With Teddy Pendergrass. All the things we have been through ... Oh don't get so excited ... we all got our own funny moves ... what good is a love affair ... you will never, never know me
A special thanks to movie theaters open on Christmas Day
On a day when almost any other business is closed, movie theaters are open on Christmas Day! I knew for many years that movie theaters are open during Christmas holidays in Western countries, but I rarely visit movie theaters and definitely not on such a holiday.
Today (12/25/2021), I saw at least four people in a wheel chair and their companions visit a Harkins movie theater in the Phoenix metro area. By wheel chair bound, I mean most likely permanently wheel chair bound not temporarily.
One of these parties was a mother in about her 40s with her young, but presumably adult daughter waiting in a seating area nearby the Harkins movie theater. Not only was the daughter wheel chair bound, but she also suffered from a severe speech impediment and jerky movements. Her mother dressed her up in very nice looking clothing and she was wearing some modest, but appealing makeup. She looked very adorable. She seemed to enjoy herself as far as I could tell. She asked whether there was any Internet access in the movie theater area. Once she got on the Internet with her smartphone, she remarked the Internet access was a bit slow with a big smile.
When I saw the two again a while later, the daughter was still not quite ready to visit the movie theater as I learnt from her mother. So both of them continued to wait for a later show. I hope they went to see a movie or they will try again another day ...
Lessons from Digital India
Very recommendable! An amazing success story!
India, a sleeping giant awakens! India is catching up rapidly! What is truly amazing is how many Indian female professionals are involved and excelling in this digital technology and IT progress.
"Over the past five years, India has experienced an unusually rapid expansion of digital connectivity and access to services. This has had a positive impact on the inclusiveness of economic growth; on efficiency and productivity in retail, supply chains, and finance; and on entrepreneurial activity.
India’s engagement with digital technology dates to the late 1980s. Major investments in computer science and education were made under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s administration (1984-89). And with the expansion of internet access in the 1990s, India became home to many major outsourcing companies in IT administration, business processes, and customer service. ...
India’s engagement with digital technology dates to the late 1980s. Major investments in computer science and education were made under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s administration (1984-89). And with the expansion of internet access in the 1990s, India became home to many major outsourcing companies in IT administration, business processes, and customer service. ...
Then, in 2010, when much of the country’s existing service offerings were still in 2G and 3G, IBSL, a small telecoms company, purchased spectrum in an auction that included rights to much faster 4G frequency bands. IBSL was then acquired by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s energy conglomerate, Reliance Industries, which thus gained the 4G spectrum rights.
Over the next five years, the resulting new subsidiary, Reliance Jio, invested heavily in building the fiber-optic infrastructure to support broadband access and a national mobile-internet system. During this period, Reliance Jio was granted the right to use the same spectrum for voice services, in addition to data, allowing it to introduce highly affordable smartphones with extremely low-cost data plans. Reliance Jio mobile phones and voice and data services were launched in 2016.
The result was explosive growth in the number of Jio subscribers (which reached 400 million in 2020) and smartphone users across the country. Data costs in India went from being among the highest in the world to the lowest – from roughly $3.50 per gigabyte before Jio to less than $0.30 cents per GB after its entry and expansion. ..."
This Modern Day easy to use Miriam's Well From Israeli Startup Alumor Will Provide Cheap, & Clean Water For the Developing World
I thought, this is a fitting Christmas Story! Merry Christmas 2021!
"... Figures from World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017 suggest 2.1 billion people lack drinking water, 1.4 billion of which need an efficient and sustainable solution, like a household water treatment device, to purify their water to the point of use. The WHO states for those families that need these household water treatment systems, the systems need to be cheap and sterilize water to a high level. The water purification tech should ensure that all bacteria and viruses are killed.
Present solutions are either costly, ineffective, or just simply slow and cumbersome to use ..."
Present solutions are either costly, ineffective, or just simply slow and cumbersome to use ..."
"The Miriam’s Well is a household device and is designed to operate without need for running water, electricity grid, or maintenance. The machine cleans dirty polluted water such that it is ready for drinking. The technology is a two stage process incorporating advanced UV-C technology."
"... Miriam’s Well is meant to be used in a village setting where one person would house the product and residents would come to a specific location for clean water. The village design would be sold for about $50 as a social good (not for profit) The company is currently in contact with various NGOs and governments that will be partners in distribution. ..."
Our Crowd Becomes First Israeli VC Firm To Operate In Abu Dhabi Global Market
Good news! Blessed are the peace makers! The Abraham Accords keep on giving!
"Israel’s most active venture firm, OurCrowd, announced its approval and licensing by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) today, becoming the first-ever Israeli venture capital firm to obtain ADGM licensed status.
OurCrowd Management (Arabia) Limited (OurCrowd Arabia) will operate as a fund manager regulated by the ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority."
Buch: Unter mysteriösen Umständen, die politischen Morde der Stasi
Habe leider keine Zeit zu pruefen, was dran ist an den Behauptungen in diesem Buch. Habe auch das Buch nicht gekauft und nicht nach Rezensionen gesucht.
Jedoch, wissen wir das die Stasi der DDR in einigen Verbrechen verwickelt war. Warum auch nicht Morde von Regimegegnern. Putin der Schreckliche (ehemals KGB Offizier) z.B. hat es ja vorgemacht.
"Der 8. November 1987 war ein Schicksalstag im Leben von Freya Klier. Es war der Tag, an dem die Stasi versuchte, sie und ihren Mann Stephan Krawczyk zu ermorden. Jahrzehnte nach diesem Vorfall trat ihr ehemaliger Vernehmer aus der Untersuchungshaftanstalt Hohenschönhausen mit beiden in Kontakt und bestätigte den Verdacht, den sie schon lange gehegt hatten. Doch sie waren kein Einzelfall. In diesem Buch lässt Freya Klier viele Zeitzeugen und Betroffene zu Wort kommen, die ein bislang totgeschwiegenes Kapitel der DDR-Geschichte beleuchten: die systematischen Mordversuche eines Staates an unliebsam gewordenen Bürgern. Nicht zuletzt der Fall Nawalny zeigt, wie lebendig dieser Fortbestand in manchen postsozialistischen Ländern noch heute ist."
Der EU-Emissionshandel sollte nicht die EU-Kommission finanzieren
Politiker können nie genug Steuergelder auftreiben! Sie suchen ständig und emsig nach neuen Steuerquellen! Leider bieten westliche Demokratien nur wenig Schutz vor gierigen Politikern. Z.B. der Prozess ausgabefreudige Politiker durch mehr sparsame Politiker zu ersetzen ist langwierig und nicht immer erfolgreich.
Der Klimawahn ist eine hervorragende Täuschung oder ein Vorwand, um von den Bürgern mehr Geld auszupressen!
Friday, December 24, 2021
The History Of Scotland(From Ashes to Greatness) | Thomas Sowell
Very recommendable! About the people, who resisted the Romans! For some odd reason, Mr. Sowell did not mention the astonishing Scottish enlightenment although he mentioned many of its greatest thinkers.
Kernkraft: Es geht vorwärts mit den Mini-KKW in Europa
Good news! Die Bananenrepublik Deutschland verschläft mal wieder den Trend! Windkraft und Sonnenenergie in Deutschland ist was für Gartenzwerge!
"... Doch jetzt ist eine neue Generation an Atomkraftwerken in Entwicklung, die diesem negativen Bild entgegenstehen könnte: sogenannte Small Modular Reactors (SMR). SMR sind kleine modulare Anlagen, die in Serie entstehen, nur einen Bruchteil der Leistung von grösseren AKW haben und zu attraktiven Preisen aufgestellt werden sollen. ...
Der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron hat vor kurzem angekündigt, in seinem Land bis 2030 eine Reihe von SMR aufzustellen. Frankreich wendet eine Milliarde Euro für die Entwicklung neuer AKW-Projekte auf. Das Geld fließt maßgeblich in den Bau kleiner Reaktoren von EDF.
Auch Großbritannien mischt mit. Es fördert ein Mini-AKW-Projekt des britischen Konzerns Rolls-Royce mit umgerechnet 258 Millionen Franken. Bis Mitte des nächsten Jahrzehnts will das Land 10 bis 16 SMR aufstellen. Wenn es gut läuft, soll die Technologie auch exportiert werden. ..."
Coal power’s sharp rebound is taking it to a new record in 2021, threatening net zero goals
Only Western countries are delusional about plentiful and cheap coal as a source for power generation! It is high time to correct the Western elites pushing this nonsense of net zero etc.
"The amount of electricity generated worldwide from coal is surging towards a new annual record in 2021, undermining efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potentially putting global coal demand on course for an all-time high next year, the International Energy Agency said in its latest annual market report.
After falling in 2019 and 2020, global power generation from coal is expected to jump by 9% in 2021 to an all-time high of 10,350 terawatt-hours, according to the IEA’s Coal 2021 report, which was released today. The rebound is being driven by this year’s rapid economic recovery, which has pushed up electricity demand much faster than low-carbon supplies can keep up. The steep rise in natural gas prices has also increased demand for coal power by making it more cost-competitive. ..."
Why not celebrate Christmas in Saudi Arabia
The Wall Street Journal found a curious Christmas story this year! 😄
For Saudi Arabia to become a modern modern country will take more years, but progress is being made. Younger Saudis probably would move faster.
"The oil-rich kingdom has long banned the public practice of religions other than Islam, but with social restrictions gradually easing, Christmas trees, panettone fruitcakes and Starbucks Holiday Blend coffees can increasingly be found in Saudi Arabia.
Christmas is the latest non-Muslim holiday to gain some ground in the kingdom, after Halloween, Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Mohammad Abdullah, a salesman at a florist shop in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, said the religious police used to harass him for selling anything remotely linked to Christmas, but they haven’t done so in the past two years. “We haven’t had any issues so far,” he said. “But we have orders from top management that if any government official comes in and asks us to remove any item, to do so right away.” .."
Ansturm auf die Klimaschutz-Milliarden
Was für eine massive Verschwendung von Steuergeldern! Die Folgen des Klimawahns!
Ungerecht obendrein, weil besser Verdienende mehr Gelegenheit haben davon zu profitieren! Auch in den USA wurden und werden ähnliche Fehler gemacht! Sonst wäre z.B. Tesla längst nicht so ein "Erfolg".
"... Ein Beispiel ist die Kaufprämie für Elektroautos. Die Zahl der Anträge stieg 2021 um mehr als das Doppelte auf mehr als 585.000, teilte das Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA) mit. Ausgezahlt hat die Behörde mehr als 3 Milliarden Euro an Fördermitteln. Dies entspreche dem 4,7-Fachen der ausgezahlten Summe des vergangenen Jahres. Insgesamt wurden seit Beginn der Förderung im Jahr 2016 rund eine Million Anträge gestellt. ..."
NFL adopts new COVID protocols after data suggest that asymptomatic players aren't transmitting the virus even if they test positive
There are some interesting developments regarding the Covid-19 pandemic coming out of professional sports. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to catch up with it. However, I have e.g. seen similar reports about e.g. European top soccer teams etc.
Apparently, when so much money is at stake whether a top athlete is able to compete or not and how the infected athlete might potentially impact the rest of the team, those involved look closer at the pandemic and what it means.
These reports about professional sports seem to confirm as well that SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is in reality a relative harmless disease. Most young adults have little to fear.
It is long overdue (since at least the beginning of 2021) to return to a fairly normal life like before the pandemic!
Why SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is a relatively harmless disease and why the cure was worse than the disease.
The Human Freedom Index 2021 | Fraser Institute
The 2021 edition of the Fraser Institute's Human Freedom Index has just been released! Individual freedom is still rare around the world, which makes it all the more precious for those who enjoy it!
Too bad the Fraser Institute did not update their website featuring this index. The most recent year is 2019.
The spreadsheet with tables and figures that comes with this 2021 edition of this report is also not updated. Most recent year again 2019.
Such outdatedness prevented me from quickly comparing how Hong Kong fared over the last few years since the Communist Party of China breached the 1997 Basic Law handover of HK by the British to the CPC by annexing HK a few years ago.
Albrecht Dürer's influence
Very recommendable! I have heretofore before not fully realized what an amazing and influential artist Albrecht Dürer was! However, I was always in awe when seeing his great works.
Post-Soviet Estonia: From collective farms to digital powerhouse
Recommendable! The Baltic countries are exciting!
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Klimaschau: 100.000 Klimaflüchtlinge in Burundi. Stimmt das?
Empfehlenswert! Wenn dämliche Journalisten nicht recherchieren wollen oder können, dann war das Klima schuld! Auch der AMOC wird behandelt!
FOIA emails: Francis Collins told Anthony Fauci to takedown Great Barrington Declaration
At least Mr. Collins "voluntarily" stepped down! Why he was not fired is remarkable some time ago? Why the clown, charlatan, and obsessive 81 year old Anthony Fauci is still in office is more than strange!
"Newly exposed emails show outgoing National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins commanding Dr. Anthony Fauci to carry out a "quick and devastating" takedown of a statement by public health experts calling for "focused protection" of the most vulnerable populations. Emails show that Fauci would indeed attack the declaration. ..."
The Great Barrington Declaration of 10/4/2020: "As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection."
Former Harvard Chemistry Chair Charles Lieber Admits to Taking Tens of Thousands of Dollars From China
The many ways, the Communist Party of China infiltrates open and free Western societies! What a career tumble from stellar scientist to criminal supporting a communist totalitarian regime!
"... Lieber was named the leading chemist in the world for the decade 2000–2010 by Thomson Reuters, based on the impact of his scientific publications. He is known for his contributions to the synthesis, assembly and characterization of nanoscale materials and nanodevices, the application of nanoelectronic devices in biology, and as a mentor to numerous leaders in nanoscience.
Lieber, a professor at Harvard University, has published over 400 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has edited and contributed to many books on nanoscience. Until 2020 he was the chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and held a joint appointment in that department and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences as the Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor. He is the principal inventor on over fifty issued US patents and applications, and joined nanotechnology company Nanosys as a scientific co-founder in 2001 and Vista Therapeutics in 2007. In 2012, Lieber was awarded the Israeli Wolf Prize in Chemistry in a special ceremony held at the Israeli Knesset (Israeli Parliament).
In December 2021, Lieber was convicted of six felonies, including two counts of making false statements to the FBI and investigators from the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health regarding his participation in the Chinese government's Thousand Talents Program, as well as four counts of filing false tax returns. ..." (Wikipedia)
New Technology is One Step Closer to Targeted Gene Therapy
Good news!
"A major challenge, however, has been creating the right "delivery vehicles" that can carry genes and molecules into the cells that need treatment, while avoiding the cells that do not.
Now, a team led by Caltech researchers has developed a gene-delivery system that can specifically target brain cells while avoiding the liver. This is important because a gene therapy intended to treat a disorder in the brain, for example, could also have the side effect of creating a toxic immune response in the liver, hence the desire to find delivery vehicles that only go to their intended target. The findings were shown in both mouse and marmoset models, an important step towards translating the technology into humans. ...
The shape and composition of the capsid is a critical part of how the AAV enters into a cell. Researchers in the Gradinaru lab have been working for almost a decade on engineering AAV capsids that cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and to develop methods to select for and against certain traits, resulting in viral vectors more specific to certain cell types within the brain. ..."
The key to this technology is the use of adeno-associated viruses, or AAVs, which have long been considered promising candidates for use as delivery vehicles. Over millions of years of evolution, viruses have evolved efficient ways to gain access into human cells, and for decades researchers have been developing methods to harness viruses' Trojan-Horse-like abilities for human benefit.
AAVs are made up of two major components: an outer shell, called a capsid, that is built from proteins; and the genetic material encased inside the capsid. To use recombinant AAVs for gene therapy, researchers remove the virus's genetic material from the capsid and replace it with the desired cargo, such as a particular gene or coding information for small therapeutic molecules.
"Recombinant AAVs are stripped of the ability to replicate, which leaves a powerful tool that is biologically designed to gain entrance into cells," ...
From the abstract:
"Genetic intervention is increasingly being explored as a therapeutic option for debilitating disorders of the central nervous system. The safety and efficacy of gene therapies rely upon expressing a transgene in affected cells while minimizing off-target expression. Here we show organ-specific targeting of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids after intravenous delivery, which we achieved by employing a Cre-transgenic-based screening platform and sequential engineering of AAV-PHP.eB between the surface-exposed AA452 and AA460 of VP3. From this selection, we identified capsid variants that were enriched in the brain and targeted away from the liver in C57BL/6J mice. This tropism extends to marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), enabling robust, non-invasive gene delivery to the marmoset brain after intravenous administration. Notably, the capsids identified result in distinct transgene expression profiles within the brain, with one exhibiting high specificity to neurons. The ability to cross the blood–brain barrier with neuronal specificity in rodents and non-human primates enables new avenues for basic research and therapeutic possibilities unattainable with naturally occurring serotypes."
Why College Degrees Are Losing Their Value
This is not a new phenomenon, the inflation of college degrees or credential inflation! It has become very apparent for the past 1-2 decades.
Way too many young adults have college degrees now and are overeducated for the job market! This phenomenon has also been observable in other Western countries.
This article does not even cover the subject of indebtedness of fresh graduates.
"... In 1940, 4.2 million Americans were 4-year college graduates. Today, 99.5 million Americans have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. These numbers demonstrate the sharp increase in the number of Americans earning college degrees.
Today, nearly 40 percent of all Americans hold a 4-year degree. Considering the vast increase in college attendance and completion, it’s fair to question if a college degree has retained its “purchasing power” on the job market. Much of the evidence seems to suggest that it has not. ...
Many jobs that previously required no more than a high school diploma are now only accepting applicants with bachelor’s degrees. This shift in credential preferences among employers has now made the 4-year degree the unofficial minimum standard for educational requirements. ...
Approximately 41 percent of all recent graduates are working jobs that do not require a college degree. It is shocking when you consider that 17 percent of hotel clerks and 23.5 percent of amusement park attendants hold 4-year degrees. ..."
Many jobs that previously required no more than a high school diploma are now only accepting applicants with bachelor’s degrees. This shift in credential preferences among employers has now made the 4-year degree the unofficial minimum standard for educational requirements. ...
Approximately 41 percent of all recent graduates are working jobs that do not require a college degree. It is shocking when you consider that 17 percent of hotel clerks and 23.5 percent of amusement park attendants hold 4-year degrees. ..."
Woman pleads guilty in Boston manslaughter-by-text case, can’t profit from story
Women kill too, but differently! Another Me Too!
"The woman charged with pushing her boyfriend to kill himself in Boston has pleaded guilty, but can avoid jail — though she won’t be allowed to profit from her bizarre story."
Quanta Magazine: 2021's Breakthroughs in Neuroscience and Other Biology
Recommendable! Among other subjects it cover sleep.
Quanta Magazine: 2021's Biggest Breakthroughs in Physics
Very recommendable! Amazing stuff! Well done video!
U.S. Army’s Vaccine Could Protect Against All Coronavirus Variants
Recommendable! This appears to be a bombshell (no pun intended), a game changer!
Looks like the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research developed a very powerful and potent vaccine against SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19!
Can we finally go back to fairly normal life like before the pandemic! The pandemic is under control latest since the beginning of 2021 if not earlier!
Why SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is a relatively harmless disease and why the cure was worse than the disease.
US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say Within weeks, Walter Reed researchers expect to announce that human trials show success against Omicron—and even future strains.
Series of preclinical studies supports the Army’s pan-coronavirus vaccine development strategy A series of recently published preclinical study results show that the Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle (SpFN) COVID-19 vaccine developed by researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) not only elicits a potent immune response but may also provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern as well as other coronaviruses.
A SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccine elicits protective immune responses in nonhuman primates (open access)
nanoparticle vaccine in macaques (open access)
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Watch Waymo’s Self-Driving Taxis Put Urban Terrain to the Test
Recommendable! In combination with e.g. more home office work this has the potential to reduce individual car ownership significantly in the near future.
4 Great Ideas From Hinduism
Very recommendable! From eternal rebirth to sex as being one with the universe. Food for thought and soul!
New EPA Emissions Standards Will Reduce Pollution, Cut Costs, and Improve Lives
What an expensive nonsense in the name of the Global Warming hoax and Climate Change religion! This is pure propaganda and demagoguery!
One can only hope that the next U.S. administration will cancel this nonsense!
Leaders from across business and labor, advocacy and public health groups, and government are praising the final standards. (??? really!!!)
Akuter Strom-Mangel im europäischen Netz
Wer auf sog. erneuerbare Energien wie Wind und Sonne setzt ist verlassen und nicht ganz klar bei Verstand! Aber in der Bananenrepublik herrscht Klimawahn und Coronawahn vom Feinsten!
"... Die Meldung besagt, dass eine zu niedrige Netzfrequenz zu einer Abweichung der Netzzeit von 60 Sekunden zur Normalzeit geführt hat. Ihrer Uhr an der Mikrowelle oder dem Backofen sollten Sie also nicht mehr blind vertrauen ... Dieser Verzug ist Ergebnis einer über längere Zeit unterschrittenen Sollfrequenz von 50 Hertz im europäischen Netz.
Üblicherweise hebt man zum Ausgleich der „Verspätung“ den Sollwert auf 50,01 Hertz an (Quartärregelung) und schafft so den Ausgleich. Dies wird seit dem 6. Dezember versucht, allerdings ohne Erfolg.
Was sind die Ursachen? In Frankreich gingen kurzfristig vier Kernkraftwerke mit etwa sechs Gigawatt Leistung zu Überprüfungen und Reparaturen vom Netz. Sparsames Aufkommen von Sonne und Wind und fehlende regelbare Kraftwerksreserven offenbaren ein System, dass am Rand seiner Leistungsfähigkeit steht. ..."
Ausgerechnet zwei Merkelianer stärken in Europa die Atomkraft
Wäre sehr zu Wünschen wenn Ursula von der Leyen mal zur Abwechslung etwas richtig macht!
FDA authorized first COVID-19 antiviral pill in US
Good news! However, it is also approved for mild symptoms and for children as young as 12 under a rushed Emergency Use Authorization????
SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 has been under control since the beginning of 2021 or earlier. Long overdue and high time to return to fairly normal life like before the pandemic!
Why SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is a relatively harmless disease and why the cure was worse than the disease.
"... The Pfizer pill, Paxlovid, will be prescribed for use in adults and children 12 (????) and older who have mild to moderate virus symptom (????) and at risk for severe disease or hospitalization, according to a Food and Drug Administration ..."
Poll: 93% of Palestinian Arabs in Jerusalem Prefer Israeli to Palestinian Rule
I have little doubt that most Arabs (non Israeli citizens) living in Israel would prefer Israeli over so called Palestinian rule!
"... That dose of reality comes from a public opinion poll, taken by a Palestinian media outlet, the “Shfa news outlet,” in Jerusalem. Here is the report on that poll: “Report: 93% of Polled Arab Residents of Jerusalem Prefer Israeli Rule to Palestinian Authority,” ...
1,116 of the respondents said they prefer for Israel to continue to rule Jerusalem. 84 said they preferred the Palestinian Authority, but 79 of those said they would not give up their current identity card. ..."
The poll conducted by the Shfa news outlet asked 1,200 Arab Jerusalemites — none of them Israeli citizens — regarding their preference for living under Israeli or Palestinian rule in the future.
Anthony Fauci: The American Mengele
I did not read the whole article, but I like the headline with some qualifications! To call Fauci an American Mengele is certainly over the top.
In case you are not familiar with Josef Mengele, he was a doctor and the so called Angel of Death of the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.
It may well be that Anthony Fauci is Jewish (see e.g. here). From this perspective, such a headline is a grave offense.
I have blogged about this fanatic clown and charlatan Anthony Fauci several times here, just click on the label nearby. He certainly deserves a place in history as a very dubious doctor and top federal bureaucrat!
Let's not forget, this doctor financed gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology by circumventing and in contravention of U.S. restrictions on such research! For this reason alone, he should be fired ASAP!
The article seems to suggest that Dr. Anthony Fauci was also involved in dubious practices in decades past.
Arizona company Western Rare Earths seeks to open mine in La Paz County as China's shadow looms
Good news!
"One Arizona company, Western Rare Earths, is trying to narrow that gap by exploring the possibility of opening a rare earth element mine in La Paz County, which would be the first in the state. ...
Western Rare Earths broke ground at the La Paz site in March 2021, but the company is still in the exploration phase; It will takes years before a mine opens at the site."
Western Rare Earths broke ground at the La Paz site in March 2021, but the company is still in the exploration phase; It will takes years before a mine opens at the site."
Israel was involved in Iranian Quds Force Major-General Soleimani assassination, ex-IDF intel chief says
I am surprised that this was leaked by a former IDF intelligence chief. Usually, Israeli officials are smart enough to keep a secret when necessary
Rauchmelder hört mit: Warnung der Bundesnetzagentur
Sind wir umgeben von Spionen?
Mexican cartels teaming with Chinese organized crime to ramp up meth and fentanyl production
Signs of asymmetric or unconventional warfare? The Communist Party of China is fueling drug addiction in the United States. The more Americans are addicted the weaker the country! This is serious and very concerning stuff!
I wish there was more information widely provided on the extent of this activity.
"A new report released Monday from the Mexican Defense Department indicates that Mexican drug cartels are turning to bigger labs to produce larger quantities of synthetic drugs like meth and fentanyl, and that organized crime elements in China are central to their operations ...
Mexican Defense Secretary General Luis Cresencio Sandoval González claims that the rise in the demand for synthetic drugs comes from many cartels' decision to shift from naturally grown drugs like opium and marijuana, the popularities of which are on the decline due to crop seizures and eradication.
Sandoval González said that seizures of fentanyl had seen a dramatic increase of 525%, according to Mexican government statistics compared to years prior. Law enforcement seized 1,232 pounds (559 kilograms) of fentanyl in 2016-2018 and 7,710 pounds (3,497 kilograms) in 2019-2021."
FDP-Mitglieder beantragen Mitglieder-Entscheid gegen Impfpflicht
Habe wenig Vertrauen, dass was Gescheites oder Nennenswertes dabei rauskommt! Aber man soll ja nicht aufgeben. Manchmal geschehen ja auch Wunder! 😄
Eine Partei, die seit Jahrzehnten einen lebenslangen Berufspolitiker und Witzfigur wie Christian Lindner an der Spitze hat, glauben Sie da kommt was dabei raus?
Lindner war ja anscheinend auch Geschäftsführer von 2000-2001 einer gescheiterten Firma.
Silicon Valley startup has big plans for its first vertical farming facility in Phoenix metro
Good news!
"Sam Bertram, co-founder of Silicon Valley-based OnePointOne, was recently named one of Forbes 30 under 30. Find out what he's planning for the company's largest vertical farming facility to date being built in the West Valley ..."
Japan hangs three men on death row for first time since 2019
I did not know that Japan continuous to carry out capital punishments and that it is besides the U.S. the only Western country to do so. What is perhaps unusual that the inmate will not know until the day of execution that he or she will die on this day.
A Alphonse Karr (he is famous for this quote: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”):
“Si l'on veut abolir la peine de mort en ce cas, que MM. les assassins commencent: qu'ils ne tuent pas, on ne les tuera pas.
(If one wants to abolish the death penalty in this case, Messrs. murderers should take the first step: they do not kill, we will not kill them.” (Source)
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Finnland eröffnet neuen Atomreaktor in Olkiluoto
Am deutschen Unwesen wird die Welt nicht genesen! Während die Bananenrepublik Deutschland tief im Klimawahn und Coronawahn versunken ist ...
Vor ein paar Tagen habe ich hier über den Ausbau der Kernenergie in den Niederlanden gebloggt.
Bride Surprises Blind Groom With a Tactile Wedding Dress: ‘I Felt Like His Queen’
And they lived happily together ever after! What an inspiring headline!
A line from Virgil's Eclogues X.69, Omnia Vincit Amor et nos cedamus amori ("Love conquers all; let us all yield to love!").
Washington DC radio station took $4.4 million from Chinese Communist Party to broadcast propaganda
This is most likely only the tip of the iceberg on how the Communist Party of China is subversively attempting to influence public opinion in Western countries.
I suspect that many of the very divisive and controversial subjects permeating the daily discourse in Western countries are also promoted by the CPC (and other authoritarian enemies) to fuel the flames of division in free, open societies. Or how do you explain e.g. the many fellow travelers and useful idiots in Western societies. Are they just naive or are they being handsomely paid for by our authoritarian enemies.
Biden Administration to Combat Omicron By Distributing 500 Million free At-Home Covid-19 Test Kits
Again, the demented 46th President is wasting tax payer money big time! At home test kits are not cheap! Such a test cost can cost more than a vaccination! Just assume one such tests costs at least $5-10. (Source)
This is a case of blind actionism for busybodies!
We ought to be returning to a fairly normal life like before the pandemic!
Why SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is a relatively harmless disease and why the cure was worse than the disease.
"The Biden administration is preparing to distribute 500 million free at-home Covid-19 testing kits to Americans and deploy military doctors and nurses to overburdened hospitals this winter, as the Omicron variant becomes the dominant form of the virus in the U.S. ..."
Is eradication of SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 the goal of Western governments?
If so, this would be really bad! We have not even eradicated the common cold (also caused by coronaviruses among other viruses), common flu, nor e.g. HIV/AIDS and quite a few other diseases!
This ridiculous goal would well explain why we have still not returned a fairly normal life two years after the pandemic began to spread.
I have previously speculated here that some Western governments want to prolong the draconian and broad based measures to meet Climate Change religion goals.
Why SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 is a relatively harmless disease and why the cure was worse than the disease.
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