Socially Conscious

AP Accuses Government Of 'Unprecedented Intrusion Into Newsgathering'

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:14:11 -0400

AP Accuses Government Of 'Unprecedented Intrusion Into Newsgathering':

“In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt said the government sought and obtained information far beyond anything that could be justified by any specific investigation. He demanded the return of the phone records and destruction of all copies.

“There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters. These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP’s newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP’s activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know,” Pruitt said.”

IRS targeted groups critical of government, and who educated about the constitution. Not just Tea Party groups

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:45:17 -0400

IRS targeted groups critical of government, and who educated about the constitution. Not just Tea Party groups:

“At various points over the past two years, Internal Revenue Service officials singled out for scrutiny not only groups with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names but also nonprofit groups that criticized the government and sought to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution, according to documents in an audit conducted by the agency’s inspector general.

The documents, obtained by The Washington Post from a congressional aide with knowledge of the findings, show that the IRS field office in charge of evaluating applications for tax-exempt status decided to focus on groups making statements that “criticize how the country is being run” and those that were involved in educating Americans “on the Constitution and Bill of Rights.””

The Truth Behind Calorie Labels - NY Times Op-Doc

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:10:20 -0400

The Truth Behind Calorie Labels - NY Times Op-Doc

A collection of images aboard the Voyager I space probe which is about to leave our solar system.

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:28:00 -0400

A collection of images aboard the Voyager I space probe which is about to leave our solar system.:

A beautiful attempt to summarize life on Earth.

U.N. to investigate chemical weapons use in Syria - Washington Post

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:19:48 -0400

U.N. to investigate chemical weapons use in Syria - Washington Post:

“The United Nations will launch an investigation into the “possible use of chemical weapons in Syria,” Secretary General Ban Ki moon announced Thursday.”

I’m not opposed to this, but I think it’s curious that we draw the line at chemical weapons. The good ol’ bullet has killed thousands of people already in Syria.

How Writing Is Losing to Metrics in the Online Content Wars - Vice.com

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:30:14 -0400

How Writing Is Losing to Metrics in the Online Content Wars - Vice.com:

“To gauge a website’s success or the success of a publication that utilizes it, one must look at metrics: clicks, views, shares, tweets, points, likes, search engine optimization, etc. As experts and amateurs analyze the trends between content and metrics, they are coming to the same conclusion: high metrics are irrefutably linked to cognitive laziness, i.e. dumbing down. The internet is pandering to the channel surfing consumers who refuse to stay in it for the long haul, and the print industry is following its lead.

Good copy does not make an appealing read, a well-thought out article with structure and flow has been replaced by lists—“Top 10 Ways to Stay Slim Over Winter Break,” “Five Ways to Control Your Diet,” “Eight Reasons Why Liposuction is For You.” In a recent New York Times piece, Self’s vice president and publisher Laura McEwen, expounded on the recent rebranding of the publication, “The magazine is being edited for the women who think in 140 characters,” she was a quoted as saying in reference to Twitter’s word limit, and subsequently its readership’s attention span. With this dwindling willingness to commit to substance, comes a concurrent lack of discernable style and individualism—a two dimensional vacuum where the language has a closer resemblance to binary code.”

Photo

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:44:18 -0400

Pentagon weapons-maker finds method for cheap, clean water - Reuters

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:19:26 -0400

Pentagon weapons-maker finds method for cheap, clean water - Reuters:

“(Reuters) - A defense contractor better known for building jet fighters and lethal missiles says it has found a way to slash the amount of energy needed to remove salt from seawater, potentially making it vastly cheaper to produce clean water at a time when scarcity has become a global security issue.

The process, officials and engineers at Lockheed Martin Corp say, would enable filter manufacturers to produce thin carbon membranes with regular holes about a nanometer in size that are large enough to allow water to pass through but small enough to block the molecules of salt in seawater. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter.”

The Real Spending Problem - NY Times Op-Ed

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 16:36:13 -0400

The Real Spending Problem - NY Times Op-Ed:

“Each year, the government doles out tax breaks worth $1.1 trillion. That is more than the cost of Medicare and Medicaid combined. It is more than Social Security. It tops the defense budget, and it tops the budget for nondefense discretionary programs, which include most everything else.”

Federal Government Reports Marijuana Effective in Combatting Certain Cancers Reports ADSI - NBC News

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:45:21 -0400

Federal Government Reports Marijuana Effective in Combatting Certain Cancers Reports ADSI - NBC News:

“LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The following is a statement by Advocates for the Disabled and Seriously Ill:

In a recent report, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), stated that marijuana “inhibited the survival of both estrogen receptor–positive and estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer cell lines.” The same report showed marijuana slows or stops the growth of certain lung cancer cells and suggested that marijuana may provide “risk reduction and treatment of colorectal cancer.”“

1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo For Homeland Security? It's Time For A National Conversation - Forbes

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:33:59 -0400

1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo For Homeland Security? It's Time For A National Conversation - Forbes:

“The Denver Post, on February 15^th, ran an Associated Press article entitled Homeland Security aims to buy 1.6b rounds of ammo, so far to little notice. It confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security has issued an open purchase order for 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition. As reported elsewhere, some of this purchase order is for hollow-point rounds, forbidden by international law for use in war, along with a frightening amount specialized for snipers. Also reported elsewhere, at the height of the Iraq War the Army was expending less than 6 million rounds a month. Therefore 1.6 billion rounds would be enough to sustain a hot war for 20+ years. In America.”

Japan Tsunami Anniversary: 2 Years After Disaster, Cleanup Effort Still Slow - Huffington Post

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:36:39 -0400

Japan Tsunami Anniversary: 2 Years After Disaster, Cleanup Effort Still Slow - Huffington Post:

TOKYO — Amid growing dissatisfaction with the slow pace of recovery, Japan marked the second anniversary Monday of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that left nearly 19,000 people dead or missing and has displaced more than 300,000.

positiveevegan: 🙌. #quote #truth #fact #opinion #perspective...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:31:56 -0500

positiveevegan:

🙌.
#quote #truth #fact #opinion #perspective #conscious #inspire #repost #tumblr

As Syrian refugee population nears 1 million, relief agencies cannot keep up - NY Times

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:28:49 -0500

As Syrian refugee population nears 1 million, relief agencies cannot keep up - NY Times:

“MAFRAQ, Jordan — The spread of makeshift aluminum shelters erected by Syrians now outpaces new rows of U.N. canvas tents here in chilly northern Jordan, home to one of the world’s fastest-growing refugee camps. A vast black-market bazaar has sprouted from the desert sand, where enterprising refugees hawk bottled water and other basic necessities that most fellow camp residents can’t afford.

As a mass Syrian emigration spills into neighboring countries, relief organizations acknowledge that they can hardly keep up. The exodus is accelerating so quickly that the tally of need will almost certainly hit a grim milestone this week, when the number of Syrian refugees who have registered with the United Nations — or are on months-long waiting lists to do so — is expected to hit 1 million.”

Photo

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:04:30 -0500

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Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:03:19 -0500

U.S. troops arrive in Niger to set up drone base - NY Times

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:44:10 -0500

U.S. troops arrive in Niger to set up drone base - NY Times:

“President Obama announced Friday that about 100 U.S. troops have been deployed to the West African country of Niger, where defense officials said they are setting up a drone base to spy on al-Qaeda fighters in the Sahara.

In a letter to Congress, Obama said about 40 U.S. military personnel arrived in Niger on Wednesday, bringing the total number of troops based there to “approximately” 100. He said the troops, who are armed for self-protection, would support a French-led military operation in neighboring Mali, where al-Qaeda fighters and other militants have carved out a refuge in a remote territory the size of Texas.”

Drone Strikes’ Dangers to Get Rare Moment in Public Eye - NY Times

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:37:30 -0500

Drone Strikes’ Dangers to Get Rare Moment in Public Eye - NY Times:

“SANA, Yemen — Late last August, a 40-year-old cleric named Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber stood up to deliver a speech denouncing Al Qaeda in a village mosque in far eastern Yemen.

It was a brave gesture by a father of seven who commanded great respect in the community, and it did not go unnoticed. Two days later, three members of Al Qaeda came to the mosque in the tiny village of Khashamir after 9 p.m., saying they merely wanted to talk. Mr. Jaber agreed to meet them, bringing his cousin Waleed Abdullah, a police officer, for protection.

As the five men stood arguing by a cluster of palm trees, a volley of remotely operated American missiles shot down from the night sky and incinerated them all, along with a camel that was tied up nearby.

The killing of Mr. Jaber, just the kind of leader most crucial to American efforts to eradicate Al Qaeda, was a reminder of the inherent hazards of the quasi-secret campaign of targeted killings that the United States is waging against suspected militants not just in Yemen but also in Pakistanand Somalia. Individual strikes by the Predator and Reaperdrones are almost never discussed publicly by Obama administration officials. But the clandestine war will receive a rare moment of public scrutiny on Thursday, when its chief architect, John O. Brennan, the White House counterterrorism adviser, faces a Senate confirmation hearing as President Obama’s nominee for C.I.A. director.

From his basement office in the White House, Mr. Brennan has served as the principal coordinator of a “kill list” of Qaeda operatives marked for death, overseeing drone strikes by the military and the C.I.A., and advising Mr. Obama on which strikes he should approve.

Broad Powers Seen for Obama in Cyberstrikes - NY Times

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:46:24 -0500

Broad Powers Seen for Obama in Cyberstrikes - NY Times:

“WASHINGTON — A secret legal review on the use of America’s growing arsenal of cyberweapons has concluded that President Obama has the broad power to order a pre-emptive strike if the United States detects credible evidence of a major digital attack looming from abroad, according to officials involved in the review.

That decision is among several reached in recent months as the administration moves, in the next few weeks, to approve the nation’s first rules for how the military can defend, or retaliate, against a major cyberattack. New policies will also govern how the intelligence agencies can carry out searches of faraway computer networks for signs of potential attacks on the United States and, if the president approves, attack adversaries by injecting them with destructive code — even if there is no declared war.”

The Stars as Viewed from the International Space Station

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:05:01 -0500

The Stars as Viewed from the International Space Station

Socially Conscious

AP Accuses Government Of 'Unprecedented Intrusion Into Newsgathering'

IRS targeted groups critical of government, and who educated about the constitution. Not just Tea Party groups

The Truth Behind Calorie Labels - NY Times Op-Doc

A collection of images aboard the Voyager I space probe which is about to leave our solar system.

U.N. to investigate chemical weapons use in Syria - Washington Post

How Writing Is Losing to Metrics in the Online Content Wars - Vice.com

Photo

Pentagon weapons-maker finds method for cheap, clean water - Reuters

The Real Spending Problem - NY Times Op-Ed

Federal Government Reports Marijuana Effective in Combatting Certain Cancers Reports ADSI - NBC News

1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo For Homeland Security? It's Time For A National Conversation - Forbes

Japan Tsunami Anniversary: 2 Years After Disaster, Cleanup Effort Still Slow - Huffington Post

positiveevegan: 🙌. #quote #truth #fact #opinion #perspective...

As Syrian refu­gee population nears 1 million, relief agencies cannot keep up - NY Times

Photo

Photo

U.S. troops arrive in Niger to set up drone base - NY Times

Drone Strikes’ Dangers to Get Rare Moment in Public Eye - NY Times

Broad Powers Seen for Obama in Cyberstrikes - NY Times

The Stars as Viewed from the International Space Station

The Stars as Viewed from the International Space Station

As Syrian refugee population nears 1 million, relief agencies cannot keep up - NY Times