February 20, 2016

Drone footage, Moscow & St. Petersburg

Beware. It's quite addictive!

Moscow in Winter

St. Petersburg in Summer

February 20, 2016

Long Ignored Americans get shown some LOVE!

Democrats Abroad, a group I've heard of quite a few years ago, is sponsoring a Global Town Hall.

Get a load of this announcement!!!



Impressive for a few reasons. If they've ever done this before, I've never heard of it. I've been off in East Europe for 10+ years now. I'm not aware of any outreach ever being done to Americans overseas of which there certainly are millions, maybe as many as 8 million. At least not on the Democratic side.

It appears that Hillary is a bit worried even about this, since after Bernie announced that he would be doing this himself, she "upgraded" her representative from Jake Sullivan to Madelaine Albright. If you call that an upgrade... Sadly, I may now have to miss this, because there might arise in me an overwhelming temptation to throw something at the TV when "Not so Bright" is speaking.

And I also found out that there is also a primary for overseas residents. Never heard of that one before. Maybe it's new, or maybe no one ever thought we were all that important before. Irony alert. That Primary is March 1st. Being a NJ resident for many decades, I usually ignored the primaries because the candidate was always selected before the first Tuesday in June. And now my vote might actually make a difference this time? Of course, maybe all of this is informal, but I doubt it, since there actually are overseas delegates being selected.

The one downside is I might need to sign up with Democrats Abroad, because I guess even us overseas residents must be registered somehow.

I remember back in the middle Bush years, my utter disgust with the politics of the USA and had hoped to leave that behind me, though I never really was all that successful at that. But I was rudely awaken from that concept when the State Department staged a coup here two years ago. You never can hide from USA politics, even if and especially if you've never been to the place.

February 11, 2016

Here's a guy who's really feeling the bern! Fire is Ours - Makana Music

[video=youtube_share;BIX5zcitEaY]

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‘Fire Is Ours’ refers to the positive collective spirit and unity that in 1776 created a republic from oligarchy and again in the 1930s under FDR’s leadership elevated America and enfranchised the majority of citizens in economic equality and prosperity. Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and Immigrant Rights all moved forward until war and corporate greed dismantled the dream of an ever progressing society. Now is our time to reignite the fires of democracy founded on equitable representation. The message is clear: our broken, polarized, corrupt system must be replaced by a courageous and public values centered movement that creates integrity and health in economy, ecology, politics, law and social fabric. Bernie is the practical and symbolic elder of this transformation.

Lyrics

I’ve been lied to
Misled
Built up by what they said
Lifted only to be let down

I’ve been taken
For a ride
Given power to decide
Only to find out I was wrong

But I’ve learned to tell the ones who fake it
From the few really fit to run
Just follow the money they’ve been takin’
And the truth will shine like the sun

I’m so tired of lies now babe
Don’t wanna compromise no way

And I feel the burn
For someone who can’t be bought
To back the man who’s fought
For the People of America

Color. Gender.
Who’s a bigger spender?
Party. Personality.

Soundbite. Get it right.
Entertain ’em, it’s a fight
Pick the one who most thinks like me

Don’t speak of any real solutions
It’s the shock appeal they’re looking for
Don’t criticize the institution
But I can’t take it anymore

Aren’t you tired of lies now baby?
It’s time for us to rise- no more maybe

And I feel the burn
For the truth to come across
To melt away the gloss
And reveal their motivations

And you’ll feel the burn
For integrity to lead
To focus on the needs
Of the People of America

Somebody’s tuggin’ at your heartstrings
Sayin’ what you wanna hear
But they’re just a pawn to the real kings
Playin’ upon your fear

The love of power is a puppet string
But can’t control the love we bring
The fire is ours
The hour is now
The tide is set to turn

And I feel the burn
To cast aside the chains
And salvage what remains
Of a dream worth defending

And you’ll feel the Bern
Standing up to greed
Word aligned with deed
Worthy President of America

Credits

released February 9, 2016
Lyrics & Music written by Makana
Produced by Rubi Reeves & Satch Romero
Mixed & Mastered by Samur Khouja @ Seahorse Sound Studios in Los Angeles


-----> [url]http://makanamusic.com/album/fire-is-ours/[/url]

February 5, 2016

CWA Newsletter (Lot's of Bernie Stuff)

CWA Town Hall Call Launches Nationwide Campaign to 'Take on Wall Street'
Senator Sanders Has Strong Showing in Iowa
Senator Sanders Pledges That, as President, He Will Refuse the Sign the TPP
Sanders Wows Iowa; On to New Hampshire
CWA in the Media
No Endorsement for Members of Congress Voting for Fast Track
Flight Attendants Push Legislation to Stop Human Trafficking
New Study Predicts TPP Would Kill at Least 448,000 U.S. Jobs
Movement Building Update
BLS Releases Union Membership for 2015

Read more at: http://www.cwa-union.org/news/entry/cwa_e-newsletter_feb_4_2016/

In fact, it doesn't mention Hillary even once.

February 4, 2016

Telluride Avalanche Dogs

A behind the scenes look at the working dogs of the Telluride Ski Patrol. Follow the paw prints of Lady Bee, Sadie, Mona, Doris, Wiley and Bajuko on an avalanche rescue training mission in Telluride, Colorado. Telluride Avalanche Dogs play a unique and vital role in mountain rescue and safety education efforts in the Telluride community. Telluride Avalanche Dogs are trained to perform under pressure in rescue situations, providing a fast and effective means of locating buried avalanche victims - often faster and more effectively than their human counterparts.

TAD was granted a 501 c 3 non-profit status. Its purpose is to provide a funding stream for the hard working and highly trained rescue teams which provide 365 day coverage for emergencies in and around the Telluride region.


vimeo.com/151225885

January 16, 2016

Why (almost) everything you know about food is wrong - Vox

There was a time, in the distant past, when studying nutrition was a relatively simple science.

.....

Today, our greatest health problems relate to overeating. People are consuming too many calories and too much low-quality food, bringing on chronic diseases like cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Unlike scurvy, these illnesses are much harder to get a handle on. They don't appear overnight; they develop over a lifetime. And fixing them isn't just a question of adding an occasional orange to someone's diet. It involves looking holistically at diets and other lifestyle behaviors, trying to tease out the risk factors that lead to illness.

Today's nutrition science has to be a lot more imprecise. It's filled with contradictory studies that are each rife with flaws and limitations. The messiness of this field is a big reason why nutrition advice can be confusing.

It's also part of why researchers can't seem to agree on whether tomatoes cause or protect against cancer, or whether alcohol is good for you or not, and so on, and why journalists so badly muck up reporting on food and health.

To get a sense for how difficult it is to study nutrition, I spoke to eight health researchers over the past several months. Here's what they told me.

1) It's not practical to run randomized trials for most big nutrition questions

...more...

2) Instead, nutrition researchers have to rely on observational studies — which are rife with uncertainty

...more...

3) Another difficulty: Many nutrition studies rely on (wildly imprecise) food surveys

...more...

4) More complications: People and food are diverse

...more...

5) Conflict of interest is a huge problem in nutrition research

...more...

6) Even with all those faults, nutrition science isn't futile

...more...

-----> http://www.vox.com/2016/1/14/10760622/nutrition-science-complicated

January 15, 2016

Yosemite to Rename Several Iconic Places (Because concessionaire trademarked them)

Yosemite to Rename Several Iconic Places | Outside Online

Can a private company trademark public property? That's the question the feds are scrambling to answer after a longtime concessionaire in Yosemite claimed rights to the names of some of the park's most iconic locations.

Bid goodbye to Yosemite’s familiar Ahwahnee hotel, Yosemite Lodge, the Wawona Hotel, Curry Village, and Badger Pass ski area—or their names, anyway. The National Park Service said today it will rename many well-known spots in Yosemite, as part of an ongoing legal dispute with an outgoing concessionaire that has trademarked many names in the world-famous park.

“While it is unfortunate that we must take this action, changing the names of these facilities will help us provide seamless service to the American public during the transition to the new concessioner,” Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher said today.

Among the changes: Yosemite Lodge at the Falls will become Yosemite Valley Lodge; The Ahwahnee Hotel will become the Majestic Yosemite Hotel; Curry Village will become Half Dome Village; Wawona Hotel will become Big Trees Lodge; and Badger Pass Ski Area will become Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area.

What else might this mean? Officials aren’t sure. The park remains open. And the park service insists that the experience for park visitors won’t change. By March 1, though—the date the new concessionaire takes over—signs all over the park have to be taken down and changed. “It’s not only signs on the hotel, it’s directional signs around the park,” including the famous brown park signs— not to mention marketing materials and brochures and anything else that uses the trademarked words, said Scott Gediman, a spokesman for Yosemite National Park.


The outgoing company also trademarked “Yosemite National Park” for merchandising purposes, said Gediman. Will you be able to buy a Yosemite T-shirt at the gift shop come March 1? “That’s something that remains to be determined,” he said.


-----> http://www.outsideonline.com/2048041/who-owns-yosemite

January 12, 2016

David Bowie & Freddie Mercury - Under Pressure (A-Capella)

One day in 1981 Bowie reunited with Queen in a recording studio in Switzerland, with the intention of doing vocals for the song “Cool Cat” . David got bored and suggested writing a new song from scratch. According to Mark Blake, author of a biography of Freddie Mercury, they began a 24 hours marathon of wine and cocaine and ended up with this musical gem. This is incredible! Back in the day when auto-tune wasn’t needed. You’d never hear this from most ‘singers’ these days.

January 9, 2016

The hidden drugs in your favorite supplements

When you take a prescription drug in the United States, you can be reasonably sure of what's in it. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all pharmaceuticals be thoroughly tested in humans, that they contain whatever ingredients are listed on the label, and that they have evidence to back their marketing claims.

Unfortunately, the same isn't true for dietary supplements.

Americans spend more than $30 billion on supplements each year. Supplements are now the most common form of alternative medicine, and many of these pills promise to do incredible things, from boosting memory and building muscles to burning fat fast.

There's just one problem: These pills are barely regulated. Supplement makers don't need to prove their products are safe or even effective before putting them on store shelves. And while supplements are supposed to be accurately labeled, a Vox review of government databases, court documents, and scientific studies uncovered more than 850 products that contained illegal and/or hidden ingredients — including banned drugs, pharmaceuticals like antidepressants, and other synthetic chemicals that have never been tested on humans.

We found examples of weight loss supplements spiked with cancer-causing drugs that had been pulled from the US market, and brain enhancers laced with chemicals that have never been approved for sale in the US. More than 100 products contained DMAA, a drug that's been banned in the US, UK, and several other countries because it is linked to strokes, heart failure, and sudden death.

-----> http://www.vox.com/a/supplements/the-hidden-drugs-in-your-favorite-supplements

January 9, 2016

Corruption in Ukraine is so bad, a Nigerian prince would be embarrassed

NOTE: My apologies to all those who clicked on this link expecting an article from RT or Sputnik. This time, instead of bashing the messenger, you'll need to analyze and debate the message. Or just ignore it. But if you choose to ignore it, remember that your tax dollars are going to support this train wreck of a government. Do enjoy that. The oligarchs and crooks of Ukraine thank you for that and hope that in the future you will continue to ignore or apologize for events in Ukraine.

-------

Corruption in Ukraine is so bad, a Nigerian prince would be embarrassed

United States Vice President Joe Biden has never been one to hold his tongue. He certainly didn’t in his recent trip to Kiev. In a speech before Ukraine’s Parliament, Biden told legislators that corruption was eating Ukraine “like a cancer,” and warned Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine had “one more chance” to confront corruption before the United States cuts off aid.

Biden’s language was undiplomatic, but he’s right: Ukraine needs radical reforms to root out graft. After 18 months in power, Poroshenko still refuses to decisively confront corruption. It’s time for Poroshenko to either step up his fight against corruption — or step down if he won’t.

When it comes to Ukrainian corruption, the numbers speak for themselves. Over $12 billion per year disappears from the Ukrainian budget, according to an adviser to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau. And in its most recent review of global graft, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International ranked Ukraine 142 out of 174 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index — below countries such as Uganda, Nicaragua and Nigeria. Ordinary Ukrainians also endure paying petty bribes in all areas of life. From vehicle registration, to getting their children into kindergarten, to obtaining needed medicine, everything connected to government has a price.

The worst corruption occurs at the nexus between business oligarchs and government officials. A small number of oligarchs control 70 percent of Ukraine’s economy, and over the years have captured and corrupted Ukraine’s political and judicial institutions. As a result, a “culture of impunity” was created, where politicians, judges, prosecutors and oligarchs collude in a corrupt system where everyone but the average citizen benefits.

While there are numerous examples of high-level corruption in Ukraine, a few stand out for their sheer brazenness. In one case, $1.8 billion of an IMF loan to Ukraine meant to support the banking system instead disappeared into various offshore accounts affiliated with PrivatBank in Ukraine, which is owned by Ihor Kolomoisky — one of Ukraine’s leading oligarchs.

-----> http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/12/30/corruption-in-ukraine-is-so-bad-a-nigerian-prince-would-be-embarrassed-2/

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The Ukrainians starting a new life – in Russia | World news | The Guardian

It’s a scary feeling when you land at the end of the earth and you literally know nobody,” said Tatyana Kurlayeva while sipping a cappuccino in a cafe in Magadan, a bleak city in the far east of Russia.

Kurlayeva, 32, fled to Magadan in 2014 from her hometown of Komsomolsk, near Donetsk in east Ukraine. She was one of dozens of refugees from the conflict zone to make a new life in Russia’s former Gulag capital. Across Russia, hundreds of thousands of east Ukrainians have arrived since the conflict started.

Some want to return now the fighting has stopped but many more want to stay. Icy Magadan is more than 4,000 miles from east Ukraine, but Kurlayeva has chosen to make it her new home.

She decided to leave Komsomolsk in August 2014, after her brother was kidnapped by the far-right Azov volunteer battalion. Although he was later released, the experience had shaken up the family and made them unwilling to stay.

Her husband wanted to join the pro-Russia rebel militia, but she persuaded him that the pair of them should take their daughter and flee. She closed down the children’s clothing shop she ran and the three crossed the border, then spent a week in a refugee camp near the city of Rostov.

“It was horrible, I’m not used to living like that. I never thought I would be a refugee. We wanted to get out as soon as possible, and I had always read that Magadan was an interesting and friendly place, so we spent all our savings on tickets from Rostov via Moscow to Magadan. It was the first time I’d ever been on a plane.”

-----> http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/05/ukrainian-russia-refugee-conflict

A couple of problems with this story though.

1. The 300,000 number of refugees in Russia is the lowest number I've ever seen, going back over a year. Even the Speaker of the Ukraine Parliament acknowledges Russia hosting over 1 million refugees.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/russia-and-former-soviet-union/moscow-russia-receives-twice-as-many-refugees-as-europe-without-any-fuss-and-political-moaning-399181.html

2. Before people flee on political considerations, 9 times out of 10, they'll flee to a place where they know somebody. Even if that person or persons cannot physically accommodate them. And the Guardian certainly knows that.

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Kiev Struggles to Battle Rampant Corruption - WSJ

KIEV, Ukraine—At a parliamentary meeting on combating corruption, Ukrainian lawmaker Volodymyr Parasyuk sought to land his own blow against graft—by kicking in the face an official he says owns luxury properties worth much more than a state salary could provide.

Almost two years after a revolution that brought down a president, Mr. Parasyuk’s outrage reflects public frustration that the new government isn’t doing enough to tackle the rampant corruption that fueled the uprising and that keeps Ukraine among the poorest nations in Europe.

“I wanted to remind him that he is made of the same sweat and blood as the rest of us, because that is what these bureaucrats forget," said the 28-year-old, one of the most visible protesters in the demonstrations that helped oust pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. He has since apologized to the nation for the attack in parliament in November, but says he won’t do the same to the official, who denies enriching himself.

In the chaotic and combative politics of Ukraine—where parliament is the site of frequent mass brawls—it is hard to untangle all the overlapping corruption allegations and squabbling over who is to blame. Mr. Parasyuk himself was named this week as receiving money from an organized crime suspect, a claim he denies.

-----> http://www.wsj.com/articles/kiev-struggles-to-battle-rampant-corruption-1451641811

To actually read the article, click this link...

https://www.google.com/search?q=Kiev+Struggles+to+Battle+Rampant+Corruption&gws_rd=ssl

then click on the first story listed.