News Stories

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by flying ^

true "democratic" will of the people

were you ever in doubt ?

[Frenchie]

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

Whoever EVEN THOUGHT of such a thing should be raped. With a lawnmower, fuck. Let's see how they like it. Attempting to trivialize such a thing with these technicalities is ridiculous.

Of course, the party that claims personal responsibility is the one that uses it the least as we saw during the reign of Bush. Fortunately, this garbage would never come to pass, since anyone with a nerve ending would realize this takes us back several hundred years back. Oh wait, maybe I should be worried... considering who runs the place.

Jon Stewart covered this well.

[SaintessHeart]

Scientists make nanosheets with high-tech potential

(Reuters) - A novel way of splitting materials into sheets just one atom thick could lead to new electronic and energy storage technologies, scientists said Thursday.

An international team of researchers said they had invented a versatile way to create one atom thick "nanosheets" from a range of layered materials, similar to the graphite used in pencils, using ultrasonic pulses and common solvents.

The new method is simple, cheap, fast, and could be scaled up to work on an industrial scale, the scientists said in a report of their work published in the journal Science.

The research adds to previous studies by two Russian-born scientists, who last year won the Nobel Prize for physics for their work on graphene, a form of carbon that is just one atom thick and yet 100 times stronger than steel.

"Because of its extraordinary electronic properties graphene has been getting all the attention...as physicists hope that it might one day compete with silicon in electronics," said Valeria Nicolosi, of Britain's Oxford University, who led the study with Jonathan Coleman of Ireland's Trinity College Dublin.

"But in fact there are hundreds of other layered materials that could enable us to create powerful new technologies."

Coleman said the new materials this team had created -- which include Boron Nitride, Molybdenum disulfide, and Bismuth telluride -- have chemical and electronic properties which make them suitable for use in new electronic devices, super-strong composite materials and energy generation and storage.

"Of the many possible applications of these new nanosheets, perhaps the most important are as thermoelectric materials," he said in a statement about the findings.

He said the materials could for example be made into devices that generate electricity from waste heat lost from places like gas, oil or coal-fired power plants, which lose between 50 and 70 percent of the energy they produce in waste heat.

"The development of efficient thermoelectric devices would allow some of this waste heat to be recycled cheaply and easily," Coleman said.

Scientists have been trying for decades to create nanosheets of these kind of materials, because arranging them in atom-thick layers enables their unusual electronic and thermoelectric properties to be unlocked, the researchers explained.

But all previous methods were very time consuming and laborious, and the resulting materials were fragile and not suitable for most applications.

"Our new method offers low-costs, a very high yield and a very large throughput -- within a couple of hours, and with just 1 milligram of material, billions and billions of one-atom-thick graphene-like nanosheets can be made at the same time from a wide variety of exotic layered materials," said Nicolosi.

These new materials could also be used in next generation batteries known as "supercapacitors," which can deliver energy thousands of times faster than standard batteries and could vastly improve technologies such as electric cars.

I thought super-capacitors research was already well in progress in the 1980s. What went wrong with those research institutions?

[GundamFan0083]

Too close for comfort...at least it should miss.

http://en.rian.ru/science/20110126/162318648.html

[Lord of Fire]

Originally Posted by flying ^

Planned Parenthood under attack!

Undercover videos prompt some in Congress to demand nation's largest abortion provider lose federal funding

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...ed-parenthood/

Any other sources, other than FauxNews?

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by Vexx

And in the O, Canada Internet department (via /.):

Technically retail customers will have to pay the bandwidth charges that their ISPs charge whether the decision is overturned or not. However, the ruling would have allowed the major telecom companies to charge bandwidth to wholesale customers.

In Canada, the big telcos (the big ones being Bell and Rogers in eastern Canada and Shaw and Telus in the west) are required to rent cable and dsl lines to third party ISPs, who then hook the rented lines up to their own fiber backbone. Traditionally, these lines and the equipment to support them were rented on a capacity basis. The CRTC ruling would have allowed the telcos to apply the bandwidth caps they apply to retail customers to wholesale ones, and then charge 85% of the retail overage rate.

The telcos claim the measure is necessary because bandwidth consumption is growing at 30% per year. Critics are quick to note that at least one of the four cut bandwidth caps two days after Netflix announced it was coming to Canada, and that the bandwidth charges tend to be very high. And three of the big four telcos in Canada own either TV stations or video rental chains.

I'm pretty happy with the decision being overturned... I get to keep my 200GB per month cap rather than getting cut to 60GB per month plus minimum $17 ($20x0.85) per additional 60GB. And I imagine those in eastern Canada are happier since eastern Canadian telcos are less generous with their caps. I would imagine the 400,000 signature online petition helped.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

And I imagine those in eastern Canada are happier since eastern Canadian telcos are less generous with their caps. I would imagine the 400,000 signature online petition helped.

True, plus the fact than the Conservative are in pre-election mode...

EU summit to debate stronger euro zone bailout fund
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...7115H420110204

[AnimeFan188]

" the cash-strapped North Korean military is building a customized base for huge
numbers of assault hovercraft, around 50 miles from a vulnerable South Korean
island chain."

"The new base, in the Koampo area of Hwanghae province on Korea’s west
coast, can accommodate up to 70 of North Korea’s estimated 130 Kongbang-class
hovercraft, armed with guns and together capable of carrying more than 2,000
soldiers. From Koampo, it’s just an hourlong ride — at hovercraft speeds — to the
West Islands.

Pyongyang allegedly has a plan for conquering the islands. The idea? “To shell
the islands with coastal artillery on a moonless night, render South Korean
soldiers at military bases on the islands helpless, then take over the territory with
soldiers landing on hovercrafts,” a source told South Korea’s JoongAng Daily."

See:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011...craft-assault/


The Norks just don't know when to quit. $#^% like this just might start the next
(and last) Korean War.

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

" the cash-strapped North Korean military is building a customized base for huge
numbers of assault hovercraft, around 50 miles from a vulnerable South Korean
island chain."

"The new base, in the Koampo area of Hwanghae province on Korea’s west
coast, can accommodate up to 70 of North Korea’s estimated 130 Kongbang-class
hovercraft, armed with guns and together capable of carrying more than 2,000
soldiers. From Koampo, it’s just an hourlong ride — at hovercraft speeds — to the
West Islands.

Pyongyang allegedly has a plan for conquering the islands. The idea? “To shell
the islands with coastal artillery on a moonless night, render South Korean
soldiers at military bases on the islands helpless, then take over the territory with
soldiers landing on hovercrafts,” a source told South Korea’s JoongAng Daily."

See:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011...craft-assault/


The Norks just don't know when to quit. $#^% like this just might start the next
(and last) Korean War.

70 hovercraft.
so that means what... 6 attack helicopters.

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by flying ^

before even the dust settles...

http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/pos..._egypt_is_lost



------------------------------------------------------------



http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columni...aspx?id=206121

true "democratic" will of the people

If there's one thing I've learned about articles that quote the Pew surveys on attitudes in Muslim countries, its that one should always go and read the survey itself, because many people use the quotes out of context or twist the meaning. Whoever wrote that article is one of them.

Most notably, the "59% support fundamentalists, 27 percent modernizers" only applies to the 31% of the population who see there as being a struggle between fundamentalists and modernizers. You cannot apply that number to the population at large.

As for "95% would welcome Islamic influence in their politics", I can't actually find that number in the survey. The closest thing I can find is that 85% consider Islam to have a positive influence on politics. I'd be more concerned if 85% said that Islamists were a positive influence in politics.

LOLed at the bit about Egyptians supporting an "Al Queda Salafist" version of Islam. Salafist maybe. Two thirds of Egyptians have a negative opinion of Al Queda.

Originally Posted by ganbaru

True, plus the fact than the Conservative are in pre-election mode...

It's a minority government, they're always in pre-election mode.

I'm not big on Harper, but I must admit that I've come to kind of like minority governments just because they tend to be fairly responsive.

[Frenchie]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

Dismantling poll

Thanks for that, too many take articles as a trustworthy news source when they're anything but. This article cited was an opinion, nothing more. And opinion isn't news and shouldn't be trusted as news unless you fact check all that they say.

I don't think you can expect an opinion man on the Jerusalem Post to be professional and detached in this situation.

[solomon]

Interesting thing I heard on NPR this afternoon.

Anaylists point out that the Military has a HUGE financial stake in the regime of the country because they own substantial non-military related enterprise.

I'll post a link when it gets avaliable, truly an interesting piece.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Frenchie

Thanks for that, too many take articles as a trustworthy news source when they're anything but. This article cited was an opinion, nothing more. And opinion isn't news and shouldn't be trusted as news unless you fact check all that they say.

I don't think you can expect an opinion man on the Jerusalem Post to be professional and detached in this situation.

Problem is we're seeing a lot of these sorts of post links lately.... tabloid headlines with crap for substance.

[flying ^]

and here I thought wikileaks is out of "oh is this for real???" type of material...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-secrets.html#



btw here's the raw Pew Poll on Egypt
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1874/egy...amic-extremism
http://pewglobal.org/2010/12/02/musl...and-hezbollah/



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



hmmm some interesting stuff that came out of Friday's mass

http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iran...world-1.756994

Tehran: Iran's supreme leader saluted on Friday what he termed an "Islamic liberation movement" in the Arab world, and advised the people of Egypt and Tunisia to unite around their religion and against the West.

"They are trying to replace one spy with another. They are trying to focus the spotlight on certain faces to impose the rule of the spies on you. Do not accept anything less than an independent popular regime that believes in Islam," he said.

"If they (protesters) are able to push this through then what will happen to the US policies in the region will be an irreparable defeat for America," he said, telling Arab peoples he was their "brother in religion".

"I call on God to help you and bring about victory for you. I feel proud for your awakening."

Khamenei called on the Egyptian army to back the protesters and "focus its eyes on the Zionist enemy", a reference to Israel which fears a change of regime in Egypt could jeopardise its 1979 peace treaty with its neighbour to the west.

"If Egypt halts its alliance with (Israel) and takes its real position, what a great event will happen in the region. All the late Imam's prophecies will come true," he said, referring to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's revolution who called for popular uprisings throughout the Islamic world.

raw clips (dubbed & subbed)

[Vexx]

This PM nails it on the head in regard to what it means to live in a country and be a citizen of it. Great article...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12371994

State multiculturalism has failed, says David Cameron

Mr Cameron will signal a tougher stance on groups promoting Islamist extremism.

The prime minister will criticise "state multiculturalism" in his first speech on radicalisation and the causes of terrorism since being elected.
Addressing a security conference in Germany, David Cameron will argue the UK needs a stronger national identity to prevent people turning to extremism.
Different cultures are encouraged to live apart, and objectionable views met with "passive tolerance", he will say.
He will also signal a tougher stance on groups promoting Islamist extremism.
Mr Cameron is to suggest there will be greater scrutiny of some Muslim groups that get public money but do little to tackle extremism.
Ministers should refuse to share platforms or engage with such groups, which should be denied access to public funds and barred from spreading their message in universities and prisons, he will argue.
"Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism," the prime minister will say.
"Let's properly judge these organisations: Do they believe in universal human rights - including for women and people of other faiths? Do they believe in equality of all before the law? Do they believe in democracy and the right of people to elect their own government? Do they encourage integration or separatism?
"These are the sorts of questions we need to ask. Fail these tests and the presumption should be not to engage with organisations," he will add.

BBC political correspondent Ben Wright said the prime minister would be delivering a stark message to his audience in Munich - that European countries must "wake up to what's happening within their borders".
Mr Cameron will draw a clear distinction between Islam the religion and what he describes as "Islamist extremism" - a political ideology he says attracts people who feel "rootless" within their own countries.
"We need to be clear: Islamist extremism and Islam are not the same thing."
The government is currently reviewing its policy to prevent violent extremism, known as Prevent, which is a key part of its wider counter-terrorism strategy.
The short speech will make it clear that Mr Cameron wants a stronger sense of citizenship and national belonging to replace an approach he thinks has failed, added our correspondent.

'I am a Londoner too'
A genuinely liberal country "believes in certain values and actively promotes them," Mr Cameron will say.
"Freedom of speech. Freedom of worship. Democracy. The rule of law. Equal rights, regardless of race, sex or sexuality.
"It says to its citizens: This is what defines us as a society. To belong here is to believe these things.
"Each of us in our own countries must be unambiguous and hard-nosed about this defence of our liberty."
He will say that under the "doctrine of state multiculturalism", different cultures have been encouraged to live separate lives.
"We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run counter to our values."
Building a stronger sense of national and local identity holds "the key to achieving true cohesion" by allowing people to say "I am a Muslim, I am a Hindu, I am a Christian, but I am a Londoner... too", he will say.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by Vexx

This PM nails it on the head in regard to what it means to live in a country and be a citizen of it. Great article...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12371994

Whatever... he knows that the glory days of Britain are over, thanks to Tony Blair. There's no way he can salvage it now. It's all window-dressing, appealing to the UKIP and BNP people, pining for days long gone, when "Britannia ruled the waves".

Zhongguo Wansui!!

[ganbaru]

Thai and Cambodian troops in deadly clash near temple
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...71409020110205

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by ZephyrLeanne

Whatever... he knows that the glory days of Britain are over, thanks to Tony Blair. There's no way he can salvage it now. It's all window-dressing, appealing to the UKIP and BNP people, pining for days long gone, when "Britannia ruled the waves".

Zhongguo Wansui!!

My point wasn't related to Britain at all but to the general concept of what it means to be a citizen of a country (whether you were born there or immigrated). Britain may have failed... but his words hold true for any country. If you're a citizen of Imagine, then the society is only really going to work if you first identify yourself as an Imaginarium rather than as a Mote or a Flicker. Countries that fail to *integrate* incoming citizens (be they born there or move there) will fragment in the sort of chaos we see in countries where factions are more important than country.

[MitsubishiZero]

Originally Posted by ZephyrLeanne

Whatever... he knows that the glory days of Britain are over, thanks to Tony Blair. There's no way he can salvage it now. It's all window-dressing, appealing to the UKIP and BNP people, pining for days long gone, when "Britannia ruled the waves".

Zhongguo Wansui!!

Long live the Middle Kingdom!!!wwww


I increasingly think that socialism is not that bad at all. After all, it is working relatively well in China. I believe if a national leader can be chosen on the basis that all he does is for the interest of the nation, he should be allowed the run the nation. Of course, there should be a set of clear cut and well exercised laws and constitution to keep the leader under control, and the people should be allowed some degree of participation in top level official decisions. China's current system is not perfect, but I believe with a bit of tweak it can propel China to a even higher level.

Just opinion~

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

Long live the Middle Kingdom!!!wwww

Whether you like it or not, it will be the largest power in 30 years or less.
所以快点学好中文！

I increasingly think that socialism is not that bad at all. After all, it is working relatively well in China.

Where are you... the '70s? It's now "state capitalism".

I believe if a national leader can be chosen on the basis that all he does is for the interest of the nation, he should be allowed the run the nation. Of course, there should be a set of clear cut and well exercised laws and constitution to keep the leader under control, and the people should be allowed some degree of participation in top level official decisions. China's current system is not perfect, but I believe with a bit of tweak it can propel China to a even higher level.

Just opinion~

Easily fixed, with more centralisation in most provinces except Guangzhou and Fujian (will get to that later.)

Most of the atrocities seen in China are carried out by local level officials, who are trying to get their way up to the top of the provincial CCP branch. As Beijing does not officially interfere with local governance, the local party officials do everything to look like nothing's wrong, instead of fixing the problem (which would probably have cost less anyway) In other words, too much decentralisation has gone on, and Beijing should get a hold on the local government. EXCEPT for the two provinces listed above.

These two have shown that they're much more capable of handling their own affairs as compared to the rest of the provinces, and probably should be rewarded with devolution.