Check out this post at Decline of the Empire. It's fascinating to listen to Aurthur C. Clarke recorded back in 1964. Kind of like opening a time capsule. He was right about a lot of things, his biggest blind-spot though was not knowing about Peak Oil.
Also, I know he'll never see this post, but I'd like to thank my good neighbor Steve for weed-eating
for me this morning. I have been blessed with the best neighbors here I've ever had.
Here's the story that has a lot of people maddern' hell.
this story is so goddamned appauling I'm putting it up twice.
Ozarker sent this one and wonders what we have come to.
Like her, my heart was broken by this story.
If we don't stop this....
we get what we deserve.
Ozarker sent this one and wonders what we have come to.
Like her, my heart was broken by this story.
If we don't stop this....
we get what we deserve.
Much sincere thanks to the Ozarker at Conflicted Doomer
and to RJ at Global Glass Onion.
thanks for the links and the continued encouragement and friendship.Japan
Hosted: Poll: Japanese oppose restarting closed reactors
YahooNews: Japanese parents fume over Fukushima radiation impact
ScientificAmerican: Fukushima Meltdown Mitigation Aims to Prevent Radioactive FloodThree months after its meltdown, the stricken nuclear power plant continues to struggle to cool its nuclear fuel--and cope with growing amounts of radioactive cooling water
Bloomberg: Pensioners to Aid Nuclear Plant Clean-Up on Worker Shortage
Yasuteru Yamada, a 72-year-old former anti-nuclear activist, will lead a band of pensioners to the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant early next month to help clean up the site of Japan’s worst atomic disaster since World War II.
NHK: Boric acid being added to No.3 reactor fuel pool
NHK: TEPCO halts water circulation due to leaks
MainichiDailyNews: Dilution of radioactive materials at sea is no solution to nuke-plant crisis
RT: Japanese fear authorities hide ugly truth about nuclear risks
Global Conflict
AFReuters: Iran parliament summons Ahmadinejad for questioning
Guardian: Why Israel is wrong about IranIsraelis don't need to be paranoid about Iran's nuclear installations. Iran's leaders have other concerns on their minds
YahooNews: Thousands of Syrians march, defying army's guns
CNN: Israel denies fiscal pressure on Greece to block flotilla boats
SeattlePI: Iran's supreme leader accuses US of terrorism
SeattleTimes: Suicide car bomber kills 35 at Afghan clinic
A suicide car bomber blasted a small clinic Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, causing the building to collapse as mostly women and children lined up for vaccinations, maternity care and other services. At least 35 people were killed in one of the deadliest attacks against civilians this year.
USAToday: International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Moammar Gadhafi
Reuters: Israel reviews warning to Gaza flotilla reportersIsrael said on Monday it was rethinking its threat to bar foreign journalists from entering the country for 10 years if they board a new aid flotilla that plans to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Time: Has the Revolution Left Egypt's Workers Behind?
RawStory: At least 60 migrants kidnapped in MexicoGunmen have kidnapped at least 60 undocumented migrants, including children, who were aboard a freight train in Mexico trying to get to the United States, a shelter director said.
RawStory: Cost of air conditioning for U.S. troops in MidEast more than NASA budget
WN.com: 60 dead in car bomb blast at Afghan hospital
TruthOut:After Villagers' Protest Campaign, Israel Removes Part of West Bank WallThe six-year campaign is winding down because the Israeli military has begun to dismantle the fence that separated the village from about two-thirds of its agricultural land. This is in belated compliance with a2007 Israeli Supreme Court ruling against the country’s influential security establishment.
LegitGov: Pakistan orders U.K. to withdraw military trainers
Hack Attacks
LegitGov: Homeland Security to Offer Guide to Blocking Hackers
WSJ: Citigroup Cites $2.7 Million in Customer Losses From Hack
Financial News
StraitsTimes: British pound falls to record low against Sing$
WSJ: Stocks Fall. Optimism Stands Tall.
CNN: The California Dream is fizzling out
BusinessInsider: PERSONAL SPENDING GROWTH DROPS TO 0%
Ekathimerini: Eurozone should be ready for possible block to Greek plan
ElConfidencial: The bank has 50,000 billion of toxic assets hidden by Boston Consulting
Bloomberg: Why China’s Heading for a Hard Landing, Part 1: A. Gary Shilling
Time: China's Great Swindle: How Public Officials Stole $120 Billion and Fled the Country
ZeroHedge: Personal Income And Spending Both Lower Than Expected, PCE Deflator Surges, Savings Rate Higher
CuriousCapitalist: Is Dodd-Frank reviving the Shadow Banks?
Brookings: The Pursuit of Happiness: Can We Have an Economy of Well-Being?
CNBC: Forecasts for Growth Drop, Some Sharply
Ecomonitor: China’s Shadow Banking Looks a Lot Like Sub Prime Alt-A Market
BusinessInsider: 5 Big Things That Big Investors Believe About This Market
msnbc: Central bankers advise investors to expect lessBank for International Settlements sees risk taking of same kind that led to global crisis
BlackListedNews: China: We’ll spend billions to prop up the stricken euro
BBC: Egypt drops plans for IMF loan amid popular distrustEgypt has dropped plans to seek loans from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Finance Minister Samir Radwan has said.
MyBudget360: The desert heat melts Arizona home prices
Phoenix home prices now back to late 1990s levels while state tax collection drop to 1998 levels. The second lost decade in the desert.
BBC: Greece: French banks ready to roll over loans, SarkozyFrench President Nicolas Sarkozy says his country's banks would help Greece by giving it 30 years to repay.
BusinessInsider: CHART OF THE DAY: The Good News Is That Housing Is Slowly Becoming Irrelevant
CapitalGainsandGames: Will Higher Taxes Tank the Economy?
MoneyWatch: Study: College Degree Is Better Investment Than Stocks, Bonds, or Gold
Fortune: Wall Street is back in Silicon Valley, but its welcome may be worn out
ZeroHedge: Spanish Banks Hiding Over $70 Billion In Bad Real Estate, El Confidencial Finds
MSNBC: Americans spend at weakest pace in 20 monthsData are a sign that gas prices are taking a toll on the U.S. economy
YahooFinance: 5 ETFs to Watch This Week
Propublica: Bank Errors Continue to Cause Wrongful Foreclosures
NewsNEcomonics: What do you want to wager that the IMF's a bit overly optimistic on the outlook for Greek nominal GDP?
SeattleTimes: Bankers agree on plan to increase capital buffers
The banks that are most important to global financial stability will be required to hold extra capital on their balance sheets to protect them - and the global economy - from financial crises under new rules proposed Saturday.
NYT: Worsening Debt in Europe Is Called Major Threat to British Banks
MarketWatch: Strategic-default rate still high, despite drop
Peak oil and Energy News
NPR: Peru Village Sees Few Gains From Natural Gas Project
TomDispatch: Tomgram: Michael Klare, The Energy Landscape of 2041
DelewareOnline: UD wind turbine turns out surplus
EnergyBulletin: Leaked docs throw doubt on gas prospects - Jun 27
OilDrum: Drumbeat: June 27, 2011
TransitionVoice: Homes against peak oilTornadoes destroyed billions of dollars in homes and buildings this year in Alabama and Joplin, Missouri. If these structures were replaced with net zero energy structures, their replacement would be paid for by the energy saved in about 50 years. Under today’s perverse economics it may be cheaper to tear down certain low-quality structures and rebuild them as zero energy buildings than to leave them standing! This wont always be the case, and shouldn’t be done to high quality or historic structures, which should be retrofitted green instead.
NYT: Oil Oozes Through Your Life
MSNBC: NYT: 'Enron moment': Insiders sound alarm amid a natural gas rush'The word in the world of independents is that the shale plays are just giant Ponzi schemes and the economics just do not work,' analyst writes
Reuters: UPDATE 1-Speculator oil bets back to pre-Libya levels-CFTC
WSJ: U.S. Eyeing 56.2 MPG Cars By 2025
WSJ: IEA Sought Backing for Oil Release
Environmental News
MSNBC: Flood waters stop rising in Minot, N.D.
Officials warn of dangerous conditions until highest waters recede
UniverseToday: Close Approach: Images and Animations of Asteroid 2011 MD
USAToday: Souris River crests in North Dakota, surging past 1881 mark
TheExtinctionProtocol: Freak hail storm reported in Swedish capital of Stockholm
CNN: Wildfire threatens Los Alamos National Lab
TruthOut: Haiti Facts Seventeen Months After Earthquake
ABCNews: Nebraska Residents in No Danger After Floods Hit Nuke Plant: Waters Breach Berm at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station
NYMag: Natural Disasters Affect Nuclear Plants In America, Too
CNN: New Zealand zoo: Lost penguin with stomach full of sand might recover
"This is only the second time an emperor penguin has been seen in New Zealand," said Kate Baker, spokeswoman for the Wellington Zoo, where the bird was taken for treatment.Even more surprising was what the zoo found inside the penguin -- enough sand to fill its stomach to its esophagus.
NewsDaily: Regulator signs off on threatened nuclear plant
A top regulator said on Sunday that a nuclear power plant threatened by flooding from the swollen Missouri River was operating safely and according to standards.
America in Decline
BeforeItsNews: How Police Crack Your Apple iPhone Passcode PDF
CNNMoney: Shoplifting on the rise: A sign of recovery?
CNN: TSA stands by officers after pat-down of elderly woman in Florida
The Transportation Security Administration stood by its security officers Sunday after a Florida woman complained that her cancer-stricken, 95-year-old mother was patted down and forced to remove her adult diaper while going through security
MSNBC: The worst cities in America for auto theftCalifornia may have a lot going for it, but make sure to lock your car there
Economix: Born to Lose: Health Inequality at BirthIn an imaginary world of equal opportunity we would all be free to choose our own economic future. In reality, many children in the United States are born to lose, suffering health disadvantages at birth that reduce their likelihood of economic success.
CNNMoney: Los Angeles Dodgers file for bankruptcy
BeforeItsNews: Martial Law Provision Secretly Passed In Congress CommitteeA noted human rights group spokesperson has stated that the mandatory military detention provision that the Senate Armed Services Committee secretly discussed and passed this week, is what martial-law states, not democracies do.
Food and Water
NatGeo: Our Dwindling Food Variety
LAT: China wrestles with food safety problems
From steroid-spiked pork to glow-in-the-dark meat to recycled cooking oil collected from sewers, a series of illnesses and scandals linked to tainted food has put officials on guard. But tougher measures have had little effect amid an official culture of secrecy.
BigPictureAgriculture: A New Documentary About Dumpster Diving and Food Waste in America
FT: Food security and politics risks African growth
Science and Technology
Kurzweil: Hand-hacking lets you pluck strings like a musical pro
PossessedHand, being developed jointly by the University of Tokyo, Japan, and Sony Computer Science Laboratories, electrically stimulates the muscles in the forearm that move your fingers.
Time: Future of Air Travel: Airbus Predicts 'Transparent' Airplanes, 9 Billion Customers, By 2050
GizMag: Scientists claim that 'self' can relocate to other bodies, or be made to include a third arm
WashingtonPost: Annual biotech convention comes to an evolved Washington region
When the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s annual conference last rolled into Washington, the companies that serve as anchors for the region’s life sciences community today were far less hefty.
BlackListedNews: Genetic Modification Gone Wild: 10 Signs That Our World May Be Destined To Resemble A Really Bad Science Fiction Movie
KurzweilAI: ‘Orca ears’ inspire researchers to develop ultrasensitive undersea microphone
Imagine a miniature microphone that responds to ocean sounds from 1 to 100kHz (a deep inaudible rumble to ultrasonic sounds) with a dynamic range of 160 dB (a whisper in a quiet library to the sound from 1 ton of TNT exploding 60 feet away) and operates at any depth.
NewScientist: Unzipped chromosomes pass on parental stress
Mutant fruit flies have helped solve one of the biggest puzzles in genetics: how the stress of starvation or drug addiction can pass on its ill effects to the sufferer's children and grandchildren.
Medical and Health
M&C: French E coli outbreak likened to deadly German drama
TheChart: Obesity caused by more than sitting on couch
TreeHugger: World's Top-Selling Weedkiller Causes Birth Defects, Scientists Say
HeraldSun: Nazi link to thalidomide disaster A FORMER Nazi doctor grew rich promoting the drug that caused the world's worst medical disaster, a British thalidomide expert says.
TreeHugger: Study: Weight Depends on the Quality of Your Diet More than Quantity
WikiHow: How to Decrease Your Brain Age
Good: The Difference Between Urban Brains And Rural Brains
CNN: Sitting for hours can shave years off life
Doomsteading, Gardening, Urban Farming
ModernSurvivalOnline: New prepper TV Show: “Doomsday Prepper”
Other News
Venezuela: Google Translate: In critical health Chavez
New York legalizes gay marriage
ColoradoIndependent" Bill to allow legalization of marijuana introduced this morning
RawStory: Venezuela denies Chavez in critical condition
WeedStreetJournal: United States Conference of Mayors Call for an End to the War on Drugs with New Resolution
ABCNews: New Faces of America: Gerber Babies of Many Races Reflect Future America
BlackListedNews: LEAKED: UK copyright lobby holds closed-door meetings with gov't to discuss national Web-censorship regime
A group of UK copyright lobbyists held confidential, closed-door meetings with Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries to discuss a plan to allow industry groups to censor the Internet in the UK. The proposal has leaked, and it reveals a plan to establish "expert bodies" that would decide which websites British people were allowed to see, to be approved by a judge using a "streamlined" procedure. The procedure will allow for "swift" blocking in order to shut down streaming of live events.RawStory: U.S. lightbulb rules spark new political fight
MotherJones: Rove's Shadowy Crossroads GPS Plans $20 Million Ad Assault on Obama
Reuters: Supreme Court strikes down California video game lawThe Supreme Court struck down on Monday a California law banning sales or rentals of violent video games to minors for violating free-speech rights, its first ruling in a video game case.
The Forums
TinfoilPalace:Curious Case of Criminal Last Names
TinfoilPalace:Power Grid Change May Disrupt Clocks
TheOilAge:The world is burning, and we can't do anything about it...
TheOilAge:UFOs over London Today
Hubberts-Arms:Silver Looks Like Dipping Below $30
Hubberts-Arms:Martial law provision secretly passed in Congress Committee
SilentCountry:Go to first new post Flood Berm Collapses At Nebraska Nuke Plant
SilentCountry:Tiny village is latest victim of the 'The hum'
I just wanted to give a BIG shout out to Dave Cohen and his outstanding Decline of the Empire blog that is linked at the top of this page...and not only because he just added my blog to his recommended links list. :)
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