A group of U.S. “citizen scientists” claim to have successfully tested night-vision-inducing eye drops. Using a solution that has previously been prescribed for night blindness - where a sufferer struggles to see in low light - the group, called Science for the Masses (SftM), tested the drops out on their principle testing consultant, Gabriel Licina. The… … [Read more...] about Experimental Night Vision Eye Drops ‘Let You See in the Dark’
Cartoon: German Plane Suicide
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: German Plane Suicide
Harry Reid Won’t Seek Re-Election: His Legacy Includes Years Of Verbal Sparring
Don’t let his soft-spoken appearance fool you: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has told his colleagues to “sit down and shut up,” likened Republicans to “greased pigs,” derided a reporter’s questions as “irresponsible and reckless” and dismissed another’s as a “clown question, bro.” These are some of soundbites the 75-year-old Reid has created while leading… … [Read more...] about Harry Reid Won’t Seek Re-Election: His Legacy Includes Years Of Verbal Sparring
Senator Stabenow Takes Legislative Action Against Cotton Letters
[icopyright one button toolbar] Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan is taking legislative action to prevent a repeat of the type of letter sent by Senator Tom Cotton, attempting to sabotage diplomatic talks regarding nuclear energy in Iran. She introduced an amendment (pdf here) which would defund "the purchase of stationary [sic] or electronic devices for the purpose of … [Read more...] about Senator Stabenow Takes Legislative Action Against Cotton Letters
Weekend Photography
[icopyright one button toolbar] It is weekend time again and we miss Ron Beasley’s beautiful photography. We hope he is doing well. As a consolation, above is a photograph taken recently by my grandson in the Seattle area, which I though was pretty neat. Below are some more weekend photos reminding us of our military at work 24/7. The guided missile … [Read more...] about Weekend Photography
Pat Robertson Asks If Germanwings Co-Pilot Andreas Lubitz was a “Muslim?”
Right wing evangelical Pat Robertson went there. During his 700 Club show yesterday, he asked if Andreas Lubitz, the copilot who "deliberately" crashed Germanwings flight 4U9525, was a "Muslim?" Who didn't see that question coming from the right wing? “The co-pilot then takes the plane, pushes it into a dive and crashes it. The passengers are screaming as the plane went down. … [Read more...] about Pat Robertson Asks If Germanwings Co-Pilot Andreas Lubitz was a “Muslim?”
A Farewell to Instagrams
[icopyright one button toolbar] Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) distinguished himself in a very notorious yet meteoric career in Congress by, among other, decorating his Capitol Hill office in a "Downtown-Abbeyish" style the Sultan of Brunei would have killed for and by owning the only car in town with a cantankerous odometer that registered only half-a-mile for every mile of … [Read more...] about A Farewell to Instagrams
Jeb Bush Had Another Secret Email Account And Conservative Group Sues Clintons For Racketeering
[icopyright one button toolbar] The Bush family and the Clinton family are tied so closely together, with many predicting, or rather fearing, that we will have another Bush v. Clinton election in 2016. Among their ties is a problem with private email accounts. While I have already noted news media reports of Jeb Bush having his own email problems, yet another problem has … [Read more...] about Jeb Bush Had Another Secret Email Account And Conservative Group Sues Clintons For Racketeering
Co-Pilot, Andreas Lubitz, “Deliberately” Crashed Germanwings Flight 4U9525
Andreas Lubitz, 28, has been identified as the co-pilot of doomed Germanwings Flight 4U9525 that crashed in the French Alps. Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said on Thursday that Lubitz made a "deliberate attempt" to crash the plane. Andreas Lubitz had 600 hours in flying time for the Airbus A320. The prosecutor said he had all the paperwork in place and was "fully … [Read more...] about Co-Pilot, Andreas Lubitz, “Deliberately” Crashed Germanwings Flight 4U9525
What Ted Cruz knows
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Ted Cruz is a decided underdog for the Republican presidential nomination, but he understands where his opening lies. And this, in turn, tells us a lot about the shape of the contest and the fight the GOP is about to have. It is no accident that Cruz began his campaign at Liberty University -- founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell -- by asking … [Read more...] about What Ted Cruz knows
Pilot Locked Out Of Cockpit: Report
Pilot Locked Out Of Cockpit: Report One of the two pilots of Germanwings Flight 9525 appeared to be locked outside of the cockpit Tuesday as the Airbus A320 steadily descended from cruising altitude and eventually crashed into a mountainside in the French Alps, according to the New York Times, which cites a senior military official involved in the investigation into the … [Read more...] about Pilot Locked Out Of Cockpit: Report
(Updates) Saudi Arabia Launches Airstrikes Against Rebels in Yemen
[icopyright one button toolbar] Update (Tikrit) The New York Times is reporting that three major Shiite militia groups who were participating in the fight for Tikrit have “pulled out” of the fight “immediately depriving the Iraqi government of thousands of their fighters on the ground even as American warplanes readied for an expected second day of airstrikes against … [Read more...] about (Updates) Saudi Arabia Launches Airstrikes Against Rebels in Yemen
Obama Mideast efforts hard hit as Yemen ally flees
President Barack Obama’s main ally in Yemen, the country that hosts al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), fled in a boat today to avoid capture by forces controlled by the strongman Washington helped to dislodge in 2012. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is also backed by the Saudi and Gulf regimes, was holed up in Yemen’s strategic southern port city of Aden, his … [Read more...] about Obama Mideast efforts hard hit as Yemen ally flees
Why Should Extremists Have All the Fun?
Sometimes I wonder why I use good brain cells in a doomed attempt to combat extremism. By now I've concluded that extremism, factionalism, discord and bile are essential components of the human genome. We're squabbling creatures, and I can do nothing to alter that essential truth. It would be like fighting primal and unstoppable forces of nature: gravity, for example, or the … [Read more...] about Why Should Extremists Have All the Fun?
The Closing of the Political Mind
Ezra Klein assesses the damage on Vox.com. If you want to feel depressed about the future of American politics, Obamacare confirms an unnerving phenomenon that has been well-documented by social scientists: more and better information has almost no effect on the political mind. There’s a simple theory underlying much of American politics. It sits hopefully at the … [Read more...] about The Closing of the Political Mind
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva Thinks There Are Too Many “Ethnic Shows” on TV
Race is a very touchy subject for many, but I wondered out loud why Deadline Hollywood would publish an article that seems to suggest that there are too many "ethnic shows" on television right now. According to Nellie Andreeva, white actors can't find work in Hollywood because of the number of "ethnic shows," including pilots. That includes "How to Get Away with Murder," … [Read more...] about Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva Thinks There Are Too Many “Ethnic Shows” on TV
Hillary Clinton Jokes About Her Problems With The Media
Hillary Clinton spoke at the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting Monday night, and I do give her points for both humor and self-awareness: "I am well aware that some of you may be a little surprised to see me here tonight," she said. "My relationship with the press has been at times, shall we say, complicated." "I am all about new beginnings: a new grandchild, … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton Jokes About Her Problems With The Media
The Book of Judges and a “Modest” Proposal
Reading the Old Testament book of Judges with the people of Living Water Lutheran Church in the past week has underscored an important truth articulated famously by Lord Acton: "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." The Old Testament judges started out as people without status. But God called them to exercise military and judicial authority on behalf of His … [Read more...] about The Book of Judges and a “Modest” Proposal
Josh Marshall on Why Ted Cruz Won’t Get Elected
Josh Marshall thinks Ted Cruz has no chance to be elected President and spells out why on Talking Points Memo. Starting with most obvious, Cruz would not survive first contact with the range of blue states and swing states where a Republican must compete. Some say, they didn't think he had a chance in Texas either. Well, Texas, as they say, is a whole 'nother country. Both on … [Read more...] about Josh Marshall on Why Ted Cruz Won’t Get Elected
The albums that changed my life
So this is taken from my blog Chocolate Films... but it is about the albums that have changed my life. It's going to be a weekly thing, so if you fancy that type of guff be sure to check the blog every Thursday. Peace. ... 10 – What’s the Story (Morning Glory) (Oasis) For the better part of 10 years, I have had to defend this album to close friends and family. I … [Read more...] about The albums that changed my life