Saturday, February 28, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/28/asia/bangladeshi-american-blogger-dead/index.html

American writer hacked to death in Bangladesh spoke out against extremists
By Ben Brumfield, CNN
Sat February 28, 2015

(CNN)In his writings, author Avijit Roy yearned for reason and humanism guided by science.

He had no place for religious dogma, including from Islam, the main religion of his native Bangladesh.

Extremists resented him for openly and regularly criticizing religion in his blog. They threatened to kill him if he came home from the United States to visit.

On Thursday, someone did.

As usual, Roy defied the threats and departed his home in suburban Atlanta for Dhaka, where he appeared at a speaking engagement about his latest books -- one of them titled "The Virus of Faith." He has written seven books in all.

As he walked back from the book fair, assailants plunged machetes and knives into Roy and his wife, killing him and leaving her bloodied and missing a finger.

Afterward, an Islamist group "Ansar Bangla-7" reportedly tweeted, "Target Down here in Bangladesh."

Investigators are proceeding on the notion that Roy's murder was an extremist attack. His father, Ajay Roy, filed a case of murder with the Shahbagh police Friday without naming suspects.

No one came to their aid as they were hacked down, a witness said. "I shouted for help from the people but nobody came to save him."

But at night, secularist sympathizers marched through a street holding torches; by day, others held a sit-in to protest Roy's killing. The government condemned the attack.

Who was the software engineer, a U.S. citizen from Alpharetta, Georgia, who drew such rage from some and adoration from others?

Who was Avijit Roy?

Software was his career, but writing and blogging were his calling. And he did not speak alone. Roy founded the religion critical blog Mukto Mona, which served multiple writers.

He called it "an Internet congregation of freethinkers, rationalists, skeptics, atheists and humanists mainly of Bengali and South Asian descent who are scattered across the globe."

Its mission was to promote science, secular philosophy, democracy and religious tolerance in articles by academics and activists.

Its headers contain quotes by famous scientists, including one attributed to Albert Einstein condemning the doctrine of heaven and hell as a means of enforcing ethics:

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary."

To the most devout and to extremists, Roy's criticisms amounted to blasphemy. He took aim at the sentiment in a blog post headlined, "Happy Blasphemy Day, Happy Birthday 'Mukto Mona.'"

Some who felt oppressed by religion said he spoke for them.

"Avijit Roy, your voice of reason and your passion for free thinking will never die. You were a voice to so many voiceless," a fan wrote after his death.

How stark was his criticism?

Very. Roy and the blog's other critics took off the gloves when it came to religion, particularly Islam.

Roy was a fan of Bill Maher's harsh reproach of Islam and a critic of Reza Aslan, who has countered Maher's standpoint.

His blog called Aslan "an Islamic apologist, who obviously feels threatened by the growing Atheist movement in the U.S. and worldwide."

Roy likened women in burkas to "living zombies," tweeting out a cartoon of one standing next to a child dressed as a ghost for Halloween.

Did he blame religion for violence?

Yes. He began one of his final articles by writing that January's Charlie Hebdo massacre in France was "a tragic atrocity committed by soldiers of the so-called religion of peace."

He doled out scathing criticism after another Bangladeshi blogger was hacked to death outside his home in 2013 by assailants with machetes.

"The virus of faith was the weapon that made these atrocities possible," Roy wrote.

But he also criticized Christianity. "So, Pope Francis thinks 'evolution is real'! And it is still a major headline news in this century," he recently tweeted.

To Roy, God was an outdated notion.

Did he only criticize religion?

Roy sought enlightenment in doubt, criticism and reason. Question everything, was a theme in his online posts. Never think you've found the truth.

He was a science geek who admired Charles Darwin, evolutionary psychology and astrophysics, according to a Facebook account in his name. CNN could not independently verify it belongs to him.

Roy was a fan of "Cosmos," the TV series explaining the science behind the origin of the universe, and of the geek sitcom "The Big Bang Theory."

Mukto Mona contains sections titled "Science" and "Rationalism," but most of the articles hold science up to religion as a litmus test, which it invariably fails.

"To me, it is a rational concept to oppose any unscientific and irrational belief," Roy said.

Could he have known he would be killed?

That's likely. He regularly attended a February book fair in the Bangladeshi capital, and last year, after he launched "The Virus of Faith," the death threats began streaming in.

They landed in his email inbox and cropped up on social media.

"A well-known extremist ... openly issued death threats to me through his numerous Facebook statuses," Roy wrote.

His book "hit the cranial nerve of Islamic fundamentalists," Roy wrote. After the Charlie Hebdo attacks, an online Bangladeshi bookstore pulled it after extremists put pressure on it.
But is seemed the author was safe in Alpharetta.

"Avijit Roy lives in America and so, it is not possible to kill him right now. But he will be murdered when he comes back," the Islamist wrote, according to Roy.

He couldn't let that stop him, Roy's friend Michael De Dora said.

"Avijit was very idealistic," he said. "His understanding was that he wouldn't be killed, that if anyone ever tried to attack him or hated him, that they could just kind of have a chat and he would convince them ... that they could at least have a dialogue."

He never had a chance to. They attacked from behind.




“He had no place for religious dogma, including from Islam, the main religion of his native Bangladesh. Extremists resented him for openly and regularly criticizing religion in his blog. They threatened to kill him if he came home from the United States to visit. On Thursday, someone did. As usual, Roy defied the threats and departed his home in suburban Atlanta for Dhaka, where he appeared at a speaking engagement about his latest books -- one of them titled "The Virus of Faith." He has written seven books in all.... Afterward, an Islamist group "Ansar Bangla-7" reportedly tweeted, "Target Down here in Bangladesh."... No one came to their aid as they were hacked down, a witness said. "I shouted for help from the people but nobody came to save him." But at night, secularist sympathizers marched through a street holding torches; by day, others held a sit-in to protest Roy's killing. The government condemned the attack.... He called it "an Internet congregation of freethinkers, rationalists, skeptics, atheists and humanists mainly of Bengali and South Asian descent who are scattered across the globe." Its mission was to promote science, secular philosophy, democracy and religious tolerance in articles by academics and activists. Its headers contain quotes by famous scientists, including one attributed to Albert Einstein condemning the doctrine of heaven and hell as a means of enforcing ethics: "A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary.".... Roy was a fan of Bill Maher's harsh reproach of Islam and a critic of Reza Aslan, who has countered Maher's standpoint. His blog called Aslan "an Islamic apologist, who obviously feels threatened by the growing Atheist movement in the U.S. and worldwide." Roy likened women in burkas to "living zombies," tweeting out a cartoon of one standing next to a child dressed as a ghost for Halloween.... "The virus of faith was the weapon that made these atrocities possible," Roy wrote. But he also criticized Christianity. "So, Pope Francis thinks 'evolution is real'! And it is still a major headline news in this century," he recently tweeted.... "Avijit Roy lives in America and so, it is not possible to kill him right now. But he will be murdered when he comes back," the Islamist wrote, according to Roy. He couldn't let that stop him, Roy's friend Michael De Dora said. "Avijit was very idealistic," he said. "His understanding was that he wouldn't be killed, that if anyone ever tried to attack him or hated him, that they could just kind of have a chat and he would convince them ... that they could at least have a dialogue." He never had a chance to. They attacked from behind.”

Standing up strongly for an unpopular viewpoint is really very dangerous in most parts of the world, sometimes including my own Southern USA. Many relatively uneducated people do tend to believe all or most of what society – their parents, neighbors and peers – tell them, no matter how bizarre it may sound, believing that to be the heart of virtue, especially if what they have been taught is magical and reinforces obedience under a rigid societal structure.

Believing in a meditative philosophy like Buddhism or Confucianism would tend to include speculative thought, logical reasoning and learning rather than mindless behavior, but those religions aren't common in the West, the Middle East or Africa. When I was growing up in the South people would sometimes refer to those scathingly as “Godless religions.” Interestingly, people from the far Eastern countries have been described as having a higher group IQ range than anyone else on Earth. As individuals their IQ's vary, of course, just as those of American and European genetic groups do.

I personally believe in the power of society to set the tone of a religious group. A relatively high standard of living, if not wealth per se, improves the ability of a child to grow up thinking and feeling in a benign way, and therefore forming his culture as he grows into adulthood and participates in his neighborhood into one of decency and gentleness. In the US there are very few individuals who, though they may disagree adamantly, will take a knife and brutally kill their fellow human being over his opinions. We have been brought up, if we are relatively prosperous and of a moderate and rational religious background, to accept differences with kindness, instead. That, to me, is the ideal, rather than to swallow whole all the religious or societal things we have been taught. People who don't think for themselves are fitted for membership in a mob or a sheep herd, it seems to me – not to become a highly principled person who will help the needy, defend the underdog, or fight for right over wrong.





http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/27/technology/google-porn-blogger/index.html

Google allows porn on Blogger after backlash
By David Goldman
February 27, 2015

Video – Netflix picks up Sundance porn documentary

In a reversal, Google says that porn will continue to be allowed on its Blogger site.

Google (GOOGL, Tech30) said it has received a big backlash after deciding earlier in the week that bloggers will no longer be able to "publicly share images and video that are sexually explicit or show graphic nudity." The ban was to have taken place on March 23.

Instead, Google said that the company would simply double down on its crackdown of bloggers who use their sites to sell porn.

In July, Google stopped porn from appearing in its online ads that appear on Blogger. And in 2013, Google decided to remove blogs from its Blogger network that contained advertisements for online porn sites.

"We've had a ton of feedback, in particular about the introduction of a retroactive change (some people have had accounts for 10+ years), but also about the negative impact on individuals who post sexually explicit content to express their identities," wrote Jessica Pelegio, Google's social product support manager, in a post on Google product forums. "So rather than implement this change, we've decided to step up enforcement around our existing policy prohibiting commercial porn."

Google said blog owners who continue to host adult content should continue to mark their blogs as "adult." Visitors to those Blogger sites will see an "adult content" warning before they can enter.

The company said it was never its intention to completely ban nudity from Blogger.

Even under its now defunct "graphic nudity" ban, Google said it would have allowed nudity "if the content offers a substantial public benefit, for example in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts."

But that would have put Google in the position of deciding what is art and what is pornography -- a decision that Instagram and other sites have struggled with.

It's unclear how many sites would have been affected by the new rules. A spokeswoman for Google declined to comment.




“Google (GOOGL, Tech30) said it has received a big backlash after deciding earlier in the week that bloggers will no longer be able to "publicly share images and video that are sexually explicit or show graphic nudity." The ban was to have taken place on March 23. Instead, Google said that the company would simply double down on its crackdown of bloggers who use their sites to sell porn.... "We've had a ton of feedback, in particular about the introduction of a retroactive change (some people have had accounts for 10+ years), but also about the negative impact on individuals who post sexually explicit content to express their identities," wrote Jessica Pelegio, Google's social product support manager, in a post on Google product forums. "So rather than implement this change, we've decided to step up enforcement around our existing policy prohibiting commercial porn.".... The company said it was never its intention to completely ban nudity from Blogger. Even under its now defunct "graphic nudity" ban, Google said it would have allowed nudity "if the content offers a substantial public benefit, for example in artistic, educational, documentary, or scientific contexts." But that would have put Google in the position of deciding what is art and what is pornography -- a decision that Instagram and other sites have struggled with. It's unclear how many sites would have been affected by the new rules. A spokeswoman for Google declined to comment.”

Personally I have never had any attraction to what I consider to be porn, but I do not include simple nudity in that category. I don't want to watch, listen to or read about sexual activity, use a nude or otherwise sexual depiction in an actively sexual way. I also am not willing to participate in a group sexual activity. I've always been pretty much vanilla in my tastes, and I am of the opinion that being obsessed with sexual material of any kind is damaging psychologically, including possibly leading to violent acting out of some sort. I especially hate Sadomasochism, violence, child porn, or some of the things I've heard of that are even worse. Your imagination will fill in the gaps in this statement, I'm sure. I leave it up to the individual to decide whether he is gay or lesbian or bisexual, as I am well aware that they are not any more likely to be sadistic, violent, or attracted to children than are straight people.

It is interesting that Google had such a strong opposition to it's policy. There must be more people out there who are into these things than I would have thought. The sting operations that various police departments have set up on Internet sites, and aired live on television regularly, produce people from all sorts of privileged, educated and highly responsible backgrounds. My favorite was a Rabbi and another time a school principal. Seeing the perps when they come to the door expecting a teenaged girl and find instead two large policemen does give me a kick. While I think adults who are truly voluntarily involved in these activities have a right to do them, I have no sympathy with people who are involved in cruel assaults on relatively helpless victims. It's one more thing that does damage our society and add to the viciousness and unfairness that is outside our doors in modern cities.





ANIMALS AND DISEASE


http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/florida/2015/02/27/i-am-going-bat-crazy/24140673/

Bats invade Baker County home
Ken Amaro, First Coast News
February 27, 2015


BAKER COUNTY, Fla. -- The Johnson family lives in a four bedroom house, but the family has refused to use a bathroom, a bedroom and the office space because of what's living in the ceiling.

"Don't use them at all," said Lois Johnson.

Because when dusk falls, Johnson's Baker County rental home becomes a bat cave.

"I want these bats gone," she said.

Johnson said the bats have been a problem since October. There is a stench and heavy droppings in one of the rooms.

She is anxious because since the problem was reported nothing has changed. Florida wildlife officials told the Johnsons that state law forbids them from moving the bats after March 16..

"I want just them to rid the bats," said Johnson.

The Baker County Health Department is involved to a limited degree. The health department is now advising the family on how to cope with the unwanted guests and it is providing anti-rabies shots.

"We have another one today and another in a few weeks," Johnson said.

Why is it taking so long to get rid of the problem? Bats are protected by state law, so they must abide by state laws governing how and when the bats can be moved.

"We have a certified removal company and they want to wait for the weather conditions to be right for removal of the bats, " said Rhonda Huckeby, the family's landlord.

Johnson pays $600 a month and likes her neighborhood. She said she can't afford to move.

"I'm a grandmother, where am I going to go?" she said.

But Johnson said she cannot continue to live in a bat cave and still call it home; something has to be done soon.

"I don't know. I am going bat crazy," she said.





Ken Amaro is one of my favorite people on the nightly local news. People call him for all sorts of issues that they can't seem to get any action on from the city government or the electric company or whatever. I always enjoy the news, but his show is one of the highlights for me.

Bats, however, are among my least favorite animals. They are known widely for carrying rabies, but even without that they are simply not one of the graceful and pretty animals. If confronted they open their mouth widely and show a lot of sharp little teeth. If they are vampire bats they even live on blood. Here in the Southern USA, though, they are not vampires and they do a very good thing for humans – they kill bugs, including those most dangerous pests the mosquitoes. So consider me one of the friends of bats, if only from a distance. I noticed it says in this article that the whole family in that has is taking rabies preventative shots. I'm glad to hear it.



http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs099/en/

Media centre
Rabies
Fact Sheet N°99
Updated September 2014

Key facts
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease which occurs in more than 150 countries and territories.
Infection causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mostly in Asia and Africa.
40% of people who are bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years of age.
Dogs are the source of the vast majority of human rabies deaths.
Immediate wound cleansing and immunization within a few hours after contact with a suspect rabid animal can prevent the onset of rabies and death.

Every year, more than 15 million people worldwide receive a post-exposure vaccination to prevent the disease – this is estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of rabies deaths annually.

Rabies is a zoonotic disease (a disease that is transmitted to humans from animals) that is caused by a virus. The disease affects domestic and wild animals, and is spread to people through close contact with infectious material, usually saliva, via bites or scratches.
Rabies is present on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, but more than 95% of human deaths occur in Asia and Africa. Once symptoms of the disease develop, rabies is nearly always fatal.

Rabies is a neglected disease of poor and vulnerable populations whose deaths are rarely reported. It occurs mainly in remote rural communities where measures to prevent dog to human transmission have not been implemented. Under-reporting of rabies also prevents mobilization of resources from the international community for the elimination of human dog-mediated rabies.

Transmission

People are usually infected following a deep bite or scratch by an infected animal. Dogs are the main host and transmitter of rabies. They are the source of infection in all human rabies deaths annually in Asia and Africa.

Bats are the source of most human rabies deaths in the Americas. Bat rabies has also recently emerged as a public health threat in Australia and western Europe. Human deaths following exposure to foxes, raccoons, skunks, jackals, mongooses and other wild carnivore host species are very rare.

Transmission can also occur when infectious material – usually saliva – comes into direct contact with human mucosa or fresh skin wounds. Human-to-human transmission by bite is theoretically possible but has never been confirmed.

Rarely, rabies may be contracted by inhalation of virus-containing aerosol or via transplantation of an infected organ. Ingestion of raw meat or other tissues from animals infected with rabies is not a source of human infection.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/three-leprosy-cases-confirmed-in-florida/

Three leprosy cases confirmed in Florida
By JESSICA FIRGER CBS NEWS
February 27, 2015

Photograph – Two people were diagnosed with leprosy in Florida after contact with a 9-banded armadillo. The animal is said to be a carrier of the disease in the southern U.S.  ISTOCKPHOTO

Health officials in Florida report that in the last five months, three people in Volusia County have been diagnosed with leprosy. Two of the cases are thought to be linked to recent contact with nine-banded armadillos. The leathery animal is suspected to be a carrier of the bacteria in the southern U.S., according to a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011 that analyzed the genomes of one wild armadillo and three U.S. leprosy patients.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a rare condition caused by the bacteria mycobacterium lepra. While a majority of humans are not susceptible to the bacteria, it's transmitted through droplets from the nose, mouth and through close contact with someone who is sick but has not been medically treated with drugs.

The bacteria multiply slowly in the human body, and the incubation period can last as long as 20 years before the symptoms actually emerge. Leprosy affects the skin, peripheral nerves, lining of the respiratory tract and eyes. Over the years, it damages tissue and can cause disfigurement of the skin, bone and cartilage. Tumor-like growths, collapsed facial features and claw hands are common once the disease has progressed.

Most people think of leprosy is disease that disappeared with biblical times when it was considered a curse from God and associated with committing sins. The Hebrew word for leprosy used in the bible -- tsara'ath -- loosely translates to "unclean."

According to the World Health Organization, there were 189,018 known cases and 232,857 new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2012. Leprosy still has a presence in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Burma, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. All report approximately 1,000 cases each year.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 100 new cases of leprosy each year, and most are seen in southern states including Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Between 1994 and 2011 there were just over 2,300 new cases of leprosy diagnosed in the U.S.




Here is another basically cute little animal that is all over Northern Florida. You can see them by the roadside if you go out into woodsy areas. Sadly, they carry that ancient scourge – known from the Bible – leprosy. I understand there are two kinds of leprosy, both caused by a bacteria. See the following from Wikipedia.


Leprosy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leprosy /ˈlɛprəsi/,[1] also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is achronic infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae[2] andMycobacterium lepromatosis.[3] Initially, infections are without symptoms and typically remain this way for 5 to as long as 20 years.[2]Symptoms that develop include granulomas of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes.[2] This may result in a lack of ability to feel pain and thus loss of parts of extremities due to repeated injuries.[4] Weakness and poor eyesight may also be present.

Leprosy is spread between people. This is believed to occur through a cough or contact with fluid from the nose of an infected person.[5] The two main types of disease are based on the number of bacteria present: paucibacillary and multibacillary.[4] The two types are differentiated by the number of poorly pigmented, numb skin patches present, with paucibacillary having five or fewer and multibacillary having more than five.[4] The diagnosis is confirmed by finding acid-fast bacilli in a biopsy of the skin or via detecting the DNA by polymerase chain reaction.[4] It occurs more commonly among those living in poverty and is believed to be transmitted by respiratory droplets.[4] It is not very contagious.

Leprosy is curable with treatment.[2] Treatment for paucibacillary leprosy is with the medications dapsone and rifampicin for 6 months.[4]Treatment for multibacillary leprosy consists of rifampicin, dapsone, andclofazimine for 12 months.[4] These treatments are provided for free by the World Health Organization.[2] A number of other antibiotics may also be used.[4] Globally in 2012, the number of chronic cases of leprosy was 189,000 and the number of new cases was 230,000.[2] The number of chronic cases has decreased from some 5.2 million in the 1980s.[2][6][7]Most new cases occur in 16 countries, with India accounting for more than half.[2][4] In the past 20 years, 16 million people worldwide have been cured of leprosy.[2] About 200 cases are reported per year in the United States.

Leprosy has affected humanity for thousands of years.[4] The disease takes its name from the Latin word lepra, which means "scaly", while the term "Hansen's disease" is named after the physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen.[4]Separating people by placing them in leper colonies still occurs in countries such as India,[9] China,[10] and Africa.[11]However, most colonies have closed since leprosy is not very contagious.[11] Leprosy has been associated with social stigma for much of history, which is a barrier to self-reporting and early treatment.[2] The word "leper" is considered insulting with the term leprosy being prefered.[12] World Leprosy Day was started in 1954 to draw awareness to those affected by leprosy.

Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves andmucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions (light or dark patches) are the primary external sign.[14] If untreated, leprosy can progress and cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Contrary to folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off, although they can become numb or diseased as a result of secondary infections; these occur as a result of the body's defenses being compromised by the primary disease.[15][16] Secondary infections, in turn, can result in tissue loss causing fingers and toes to become shortened and deformed, as cartilage is absorbed into the body.




http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/26/living/domestic-truffles-eatocracy-feat/index.html

Unearthing America's truffle trove
By Sarah LeTrent and Jeremy Harlan, CNN
Fri February 27, 2015

Walland, Tennessee (CNN)Jim Sanford and his dog Tom poked around the hazelnut grove on Blackberry Farm, a 9,200-acre luxury resort set in the foggy foothills of Tennessee, one Wednesday morning in December.

They were on the hunt again, though not for deer or waterfowl or the usual Tennessee fare.

The man and his curly-haired dog were searching for something fancier: Tuber melanosporum or black Périgord truffles.

Black truffles are one of the most sought after (and expensive) delicacies in the world. Often referred to as a "black diamond," the subterranean fungus can retail for $1,000 a pound or cost a diner upward of $75 extra for a simple shaving on a dish of creamy pasta or slow-scrambled eggs.

Sanford and Tom's morning hunt proved fruitless. But the pair has had better luck than most sniffing out truffles on American soil -- a relatively new and wholly unpredictable ground for cultivation.

"This is not something where you just plant your trees and wait for your fortune to grow," Sanford said as Tom trotted behind him.

Truffles are a funny fungus; they grow underground, typically among hazelnut and oak trees, and keep most of their secrets there with them. There is a primitive understanding of the climactic and soil conditions required for the fungus to flourish, but cultivation methods are far from foolproof. Stateside, those practices are in their infancy.

Chefs such as Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson of Frasca Food & Wine in Boulder, Colorado, certainly wouldn't mind sourcing truffles closer to home. He hosts an annual truffle dinner series and features them prominently in dishes when in season.

Every year, he buys domestic truffles from budding regions like the Pacific Northwest, but the quality isn't as reliable as he'd like it to be.

"We're counting down the minutes," he said with a hopeful tone. "Once it clicks, whether it's Blackberry or someone else, once there's a tipping point, it will really blow up."

Enthusiasts describe the truffle's olfactory Siren song, which is part of its allure, as "dank," "earthy," "musky," "pungent" -- the gist is its aroma and taste are unparalleled. "It transforms an otherwise ordinary dish into something very extraordinary," Sanford said.

Different types of truffles are found all over the world, but the Périgord and white variety from Alba, Italy, are the top dogs of the gastronomic set.

The elusive truffle hunt is often romanticized: Man and beast wander into the woods of southwest France with a shovel and a calling. A bird chips, a breeze flows and the storybook closes with "happily ever after."

If only it were that simple.

Until recently, the black truffle had been solely imported to the United States.

Less than 100 miles away from Blackberry Farm -- in Chuckey, Tennesee, of all places -- that began to change around 2007.

It all started with another Tom. Tom Michaels, who grew up mushroom hunting and wrote his Ph.D. dissertation at Oregon State University on black truffle cultivation, set his eyes on eastern Tennessee to try out his fungal knowhow in 1999.

As if the truffle business doesn't sound risky enough, it takes about six to 10 years for a tree with roots that have been inoculated with truffle spores to potentially produce a truffle. The season for harvesting runs three months from December to February.

"I'll have done everything to two trees next to each other, and one will have truffles and one won't," Michaels said.

Luckily for Michaels, something clicked.

Soon, he showed up at the kitchen of Blackberry Farm's restaurants with his basket of epicurean delights and a brochure for Tennessee truffles, though it was only his third sale.

The first question from proprietor Sam Beall: "How come I didn't know about this?"

Beall and Michaels teamed up to seed and sniff out truffles locally.

Enter the four-legged Tom, who was sourced by local breeder Hilarie Gibbs-Sykes from Italy to simplify the hunt.

Sanford, a Blackberry employee for 14-plus years who had previously run the resort's horse program, was recruited to handle the truffle-hunting canine.

At the height of Michaels's truffle business, Tom helped haul in 200 pounds in one season.

"It was a thousand dollars a pound so if you do the arithmetic, that's a good dog," Sanford said.

Mother Nature firmly in charge

In 2009, Michaels and his product were written up in GQ magazine, where food writer Alan Richman called it the "hillbilly truffle." Two years earlier, storied New York Times food writer Molly O'Neill devoted an entire column titled "Coveted, French, and Now in Tennessee" to his endeavors.

If we know anything about agriculture, though, it's that Mother Nature holds the reins.

Michaels' hazelnut trees were hit with blight after his initial success, and he had to start over with a new blight-resistant variety.

"You have to have a temperament that can deal with a lot of anxiety for many years," Michaels, 67, said.

Last year, Michaels yielded about 60 pounds on his land and sold the majority off to hyper-local ingredient-focused chefs such as Sean Brock in Charleston, South Carolina, and Linton Hopkins in Atlanta. This year, after a series of unseasonable cold snaps, and only a few days left in the season, he hasn't unearthed any truffles of sellable quality.

"Mother nature took its course," Michaels said with the matter-of-factness of someone who has been here before.

Back at Blackberry Farm, Sanford's pin that read "Truffle Dog Trainer" reflected the sun as he crouched beneath a tree to dig up a truffle-scented practice tube that Tom found. On the days when there isn't any luck, training is a commitment to the cause.

Blackberry found only one Périgord truffle last winter on its property.

If it seems like a wild goose chase, that's because it is. But Tom is a Lagotto Romagnolo; he not only enjoys the chase -- it's in his DNA. According to the American Kennel Club, Tom's breed is the only one recognized as a "specialized truffle searcher."

"We wouldn't be talking about any of this if it wasn't for Tom," Sanford said. "He has really put everything we're talking about in cultivating truffles in North America on the map."

Working like a dog at a Long Island vineyard

Now 13 years old, Tom is passing the baton through his bloodline by breeding and sharing his skills. He and Sanford travel around the country to help train other canines in areas like Oregon with an eye on the truffle prize.

At Blackberry and every where else, they're hoping it's not a matter of if, but when, a consistent yield will happen.

As they say, every dog will have its day.




“Sanford and Tom's morning hunt proved fruitless. But the pair has had better luck than most sniffing out truffles on American soil -- a relatively new and wholly unpredictable ground for cultivation. "This is not something where you just plant your trees and wait for your fortune to grow," Sanford said as Tom trotted behind him. Truffles are a funny fungus; they grow underground, typically among hazelnut and oak trees, and keep most of their secrets there with them. There is a primitive understanding of the climactic and soil conditions required for the fungus to flourish, but cultivation methods are far from foolproof. Stateside, those practices are in their infancy.... Every year, he buys domestic truffles from budding regions like the Pacific Northwest, but the quality isn't as reliable as he'd like it to be.... Less than 100 miles away from Blackberry Farm -- in Chuckey, Tennesee, of all places -- that began to change around 2007. It all started with another Tom. Tom Michaels, who grew up mushroom hunting and wrote his Ph.D. dissertation at Oregon State University on black truffle cultivation, set his eyes on eastern Tennessee to try out his fungal knowhow in 1999. As if the truffle business doesn't sound risky enough, it takes about six to 10 years for a tree with roots that have been inoculated with truffle spores to potentially produce a truffle. The season for harvesting runs three months from December to February.... At the height of Michaels's truffle business, Tom helped haul in 200 pounds in one season. "It was a thousand dollars a pound so if you do the arithmetic, that's a good dog," Sanford said.... If we know anything about agriculture, though, it's that Mother Nature holds the reins. Michaels' hazelnut trees were hit with blight after his initial success, and he had to start over with a new blight-resistant variety. "You have to have a temperament that can deal with a lot of anxiety for many years," Michaels, 67, said..... If it seems like a wild goose chase, that's because it is. But Tom is a Lagotto Romagnolo; he not only enjoys the chase -- it's in his DNA. According to the American Kennel Club, Tom's breed is the only one recognized as a "specialized truffle searcher." "We wouldn't be talking about any of this if it wasn't for Tom," Sanford said. "He has really put everything we're talking about in cultivating truffles in North America on the map."

What a fun story! This is a brand new way to get rich in the US if everything goes right. As Michaels says, you have to be patient and persistent. Some years you get very few truffles, but another year he got a whopping 200. I'm sure they will still be priced way over my head so I won't be eating any. What I would really like to do is go to the farm and watch the dog hunt and dig truffles. If I win the Lotto, I may do that, as I tour as much of the US as I can – one of my lifetime wishes. For now, though, I'll just read about truffles and truffle dogs in the news.





http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/boris-nemtsovs-murder-may-have-been-provocation-russian-officials-n314716

Boris Nemtsov's Murder May Have Been Provocation: Russian Officials
 Alexey Eremenko and F. Brinley Bruton
February 28th 2015

MOSCOW — Russia's top investigative authority said it was looking at whether the shooting death of prominent opposition leader Boris Nemtsov early on Saturday was aimed at destabilizing the state.

A line of inquiry not mentioned in the statement on the website for Russia's Investigative Committee was the possibility that he was gunned down because he was one of President Vladimir Putin's staunchest critics.

The committee would investigate whether Nemtsov was slain as a "sacrificial victim for those who do not shun any method for achieving their political goals," the committee said in the statement.

The committee was also looking at the possibility that Nemtsov,who was shot as he walked across a bridge in Moscow earlier on Saturday, was linked to Islamic extremism, the Ukraine conflict or his personal life.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov also called the murder "a provocation" benefiting the opposition and said on Kommersant FM radio that ratings-wise, "Boris Nemtsov was just a little more than an average citizen."

The 55-year-old former deputy prime minister's death ignited a fury among opposition figures who assailed the Kremlin for creating an atmosphere of intolerance of any dissent and called the killing an assassination. Prominent journalist Ivan Zassoursky even called Nemtsov "Russia's Kennedy."

But in a statement from the Kremlin on Saturday, Putin sent his condolences to Nemtsov's mother, Dina Yakovlevna Eydman, calling his death an "irreparable loss."

"Boris Nemtsov left his mark on the history of Russia, in politics and public life. He dropped out to work on important positions in the difficult transition period for our country," Putin said in the statement, adding, "Everything will be done to the organizers and executors of the vile and cynical murder are punished."

Nemtsov was shot two days before leading a major opposition rally in Moscow. He was working on a report detailing Russia's involvement in the war in Ukraine, his friends said.




“Russia's top investigative authority said it was looking at whether the shooting death of prominent opposition leader Boris Nemtsov early on Saturday was aimed at destabilizing the state. A line of inquiry not mentioned in the statement on the website for Russia's Investigative Committee was the possibility that he was gunned down because he was one of President Vladimir Putin's staunchest critics. The committee would investigate whether Nemtsov was slain as a "sacrificial victim for those who do not shun any method for achieving their political goals," the committee said in the statement.... Nemtsov was shot two days before leading a major opposition rally in Moscow. He was working on a report detailing Russia's involvement in the war in Ukraine, his friends said.... The 55-year-old former deputy prime minister's death ignited a fury among opposition figures who assailed the Kremlin for creating an atmosphere of intolerance of any dissent and called the killing an assassination. Prominent journalist Ivan Zassoursky even called Nemtsov "Russia's Kennedy."

Why am I so suspicious of Putin's condolences to Nemtsov's mother? He was, after all, closely reporting on the Russian involvement in Ukraine, which is an unpopular cause among some in Russia. Journalist Zassoursky accused the Kremlin of “intolerance of any dissent.” The New York Times report on Russian dissent is on website http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/world/europe/russians-protest-putins-stance-on-ukraine.html?_r=0. Andrew Roth's September 21, 2014 article states –

“MOSCOW — Thousands of Russians marched through Moscow on Sunday in an antigovernment demonstration criticizing President Vladimir V. Putin for what they saw as his warmongering in Ukraine.

It was the first large-scale public demonstration against Mr. Putin since March, and one that brought out a sizable but often silent minority of Mr. Putin’s critics despite the patriotic fervor that has seized Russia since his annexation of Crimea in March.

“I am disturbed that Russia is fueling a war in Ukraine,” said Sergey Arefov, a lawyer who had attended opposition rallies here before. “I believe it is very dangerous for us and for Europe.”

In his hand he held a small Ukrainian flag, though he said he was nervous to ride with it on the subway. “I hid the flag,” he said sheepishly. “A year ago, I could never have imagined it would come to this.”





ACCEPTANCE ISSUES – THREE ARTICLES



http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/meteorologist-fired-natural-hair-controversy-talks-zendaya-n312786

Meteorologist Fired for Natural Hair Controversy Talks Zendaya
BY CHANDRA THOMAS WHITFIELD
February 25th 2015

Fired meteorologist Rhonda Lee is putting Giuliana Rancic on notice for her criticism of Disney star Zendaya's flowing dreadlocks at Sunday's Oscars ceremony. Lee was catapulted into the national spotlight and cast as the poster child for the plight of black women sporting "natural hair" in the workplace in 2012 when the news station she worked for reportedly fired her after she responded to a viewer's Facebook comment suggesting that she cover up her closely-cropped Afro with a wig "or grow some more hair."

Management at Shreveport, La. affiliate KTBS-TV, contended thatshe'd violated a rule that employees should not respond to "controversial" social media posts. Lee, who says similar issues were raised about her hair at several television stations where she'd worked, insisted that a station not responding to racist comments equates to condoning them.

She also claimed that no such written policy had ever been distributed to KTBS employees and she filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. Reports of her firing went viral, with traditional and social media outlets buzzing nationally and internationally over whether Lee had the right to defend her hairstyle (so many calls poured into the station it reportedly overloaded the station's phone lines and website). Many women — particularly African American women — said they could relate to her struggle.

Price Barker, the attorney representing KTBS-TV, declined to comment on the lawsuit. While awaiting her day in court, Lee has since moved on up — literally. Now married with an 18-month-old, she's a meteorologist for WeatherNation in Denver.

Lee recently spoke to NBC News about her legal fight, her charge to management in the corporate workplace and her thoughts on Zendaya's public response.

What did you think about Rancic's comments and Zendaya's response?

Zendaya is showing wisdom beyond her years. Mrs. Rancic not so much. It's a shame that so much time -- and as we can see now undeserved money — is dedicated to ignorance and classlessness as demonstrated by the likes of Mrs. Rancic. Her comments were blatantly racist and flat out ugly. For a woman charged with being able to see the beauty in things she was woefully off base and clearly has no business making fashion judgments. I don't know if there is a place for racism on that show. I certainly hope not. I hope those guilty of spewing such hatred are properly dealt with and that black hair in its natural state is heretofore seen as beautiful and not as a punchline.

Colorado… That's got to be quite a change from living in Louisiana?

I have lived in the south a long time, but I would hardly call myself a southerner. We moved around a lot when I was a child, but I was born in Plano, Texas. Denver is a beautiful place with a lot of nice people. I'm enjoying it here. I feel like it's one of those places where I could live forever. I don't have any ill will toward Louisiana in particular. I met my husband there and had my son there. Louisiana isn't the only place [I've worked] where things have gotten dicey in relation to my hair. It's always been an issue since I decided to get back into news without a [chemical] relaxer [in my hair].

Do tell.

Before I worked at KTBS, I worked in Austin, TX. The news director there came to me and asked, 'is this a hair decision that you're wanting to make?' They asked if I would mind wearing a wig to appeal to a 'wider,' audience, which I'd translated to meaning a whiter audience. I told them that if they wanted something done to my hair they would have to pay for it. When I told them how much a weave costs and how much a relaxer would be and how often it would have to be kept up, suddenly my natural hair was okay. I didn't change my hair.

Do you think that's a prevalent issue in the workplace in general?

I think if you want a black employee, you should be accepting of all that is included in that. I think that there should be training for people who do the hiring, especially in the media field. We've got to start training news directors to be more understanding of us as black people. There needs to be a 'come to Jesus' talk about diversity not just this lip service that gets done. Everyone talks diversity, but nobody does anything about it. All they do is hire the same person over and over, especially in media. If there was a white woman in that [on-air] job before, they're probably going to replace her with another white woman. The newsroom should be more reflective of the community it serves.
How did your firing impact your life?

I was not much of a social media person before this, but it was amazing to see the outpouring of support. The support has by far been beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I've gotten emails and social media posts from every corner of the globe. I was even recognized in Ireland. A woman came up to me and asked, 'are you that lady in America [who was fired over her hair?]' I told her I was and she said, 'that's just not right, that's just not fair. Can I give you a hug?'

Do you feel like your predicament has had a lasting effect?

It feels good to have received such support. It feels good to know that my story may have made a difference. Maybe some news directors or supervisors are thinking twice before they say something racially insensitive. I feel like I can see the results of what I did, everywhere. I see a lot more people feeling empowered to be who they are and wear their hair in its natural state. I also see a lot more people [working on camera] in the media feeling comfortable and empowered to wear natural hair. I don't care if you don't like my hair. At the end of the day, it's really an internal issue. It's not about other people; it's about you liking your own hair. If you embrace it and you like it, that's what really matters.




“Lee was catapulted into the national spotlight and cast as the poster child for the plight of black women sporting "natural hair" in the workplace in 2012 when the news station she worked for reportedly fired her after she responded to a viewer's Facebook comment suggesting that she cover up her closely-cropped Afro with a wig "or grow some more hair.".... Zendaya is showing wisdom beyond her years. Mrs. Rancic not so much. It's a shame that so much time -- and as we can see now undeserved money — is dedicated to ignorance and classlessness as demonstrated by the likes of Mrs. Rancic. Her comments were blatantly racist and flat out ugly. For a woman charged with being able to see the beauty in things she was woefully off base and clearly has no business making fashion judgments. I don't know if there is a place for racism on that show. I certainly hope not. I hope those guilty of spewing such hatred are properly dealt with and that black hair in its natural state is heretofore seen as beautiful and not as a punchline.”

Time has passed and racism hasn't gone away – just transformed itself under pressure. Instead of calling the young woman a “n...” they have criticized her perfectly neat and beautiful hair cut. The article has a picture of her and the short cut goes beautifully with her pixielike face.




http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2015/02/27/389579585/leonard-nimoys-mr-spock-taught-us-acceptance-is-highly-logical

Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock Taught Us Acceptance Is Highly Logical
Eric Deggans
TV Critic
FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Photograph – Born in Syria, Mousllie (shown here with his 17-year-old daughter, Sarah) came to Germany more than 20 years ago and is now a German citizen.
Soraya Nelson/NPR

For this Star Trek fan, Leonard Nimoy was more than the guy who played one of the most popular characters in the most popular science fiction franchise on American TV.

He was a serious actor whose journey to accept his unique fame mirrored many fans' personal struggles for acceptance — particularly back when science fiction and fantasy wasn't quite so cool. He was the guy whose status as the half human, half Vulcan Mr. Spock — a brilliant, capable officer from a race of aliens who suppress their emotions — would eventually be validated by the world's embrace of geek cool.

And he was the guy whose eventual acceptance of Star Trekwould make him the fan-friendly Yin to the Yang of Trekactors who seemed to have a tougher time embracing the show's legacy (yes, Mr. Shatner, that's a reference to you).

Even President Obama, who is sometimes called Spock by some pundits for his own distant cool in a crisis, gave props to the actor who created his sometimes namesake.

"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy," the president said in a statement. "Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek's optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity's future."

Nimoy's acceptance of his Trek-fueled fame seemed to affect how he played the character in later years, both on the syndicated show Star Trek: The Next Generation and in movies. In these settings, Mr. Spock morphed from a conflicted outsider who often wore his alienation on his sleeve to a character who serenely embodied his conflicting natures, almost savoring the inconsistencies of his human friends.

Leonard Simon Nimoy died Friday at 83 of end stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He leaves a long legacy as a performer, artist, musician and writer, but he'll always be known to legions of fans as Mr. Spock, first officer of the Starship Enterprise.

The original Star Trek was a short-lived NBC series about a spacefaring starship crew that was canceled in 1969 after three seasons, originally described by its creator Gene Roddenberry as a science fiction version of the popular western series Wagon Train.

But the show flowered in syndication, as audiences warmed to the show's adventures and savored its technique of casting modern social issues in science fiction clothing. Back then, TV shows almost never dealt with social issues directly; while civil rights marches and Vietnam War protests were heating up the evening news, scripted TV shows preferred the make-believe, down home worlds of Mayberry and Hooterville.

Star Trek handled storylines about civil rights and war by setting the stories on faraway planets at a time when humans had mostly conquered their problems. And Nimoy was the show's breakout star, giving Star Trek its best window into a world of cultural conflict, playing a man born of two worlds never fully at home in either, at least at first.

With angular eyebrows and pointed ears, Spock had an elvin look which matched his precise efficiency. But he was also a coolly superior figure, working to understand his human colleagues even while remaining smugly sure he was above them all — a really appealing character for misfit fans looking for similar assurances.

As a young black man and science fiction fan, I strongly identified with Spock's struggles to fit in with his human coworkers as I struggled to fit in at mostly-white schools and workplaces. And I wouldn't be surprised if other fans struggling to fit into their communities for different reasons felt the same bond.

Even Spock's signature hand gesture, a "V" formed with the palm forward, fingers separated between the ring and middle finger, came from the actor's unique cultural perspective. Nimoy, the son of immigrants raised in an orthodox Jewish home, said it was inspired by a blessing performed by Jewish priests.

Still, Nimoy reportedly had a tough time initially with the typecasting that made it hard for audiences to see him as any other character. Tellingly, when he joined the cast of the spy show Mission: Impossible just after Trek ended, he played a make up expert who often pretended to be someone else.

But as his post-Trek career unfolded, Nimoy would find the fan love opened lots more creative doors. He released albums as a musician, hosted the non-fiction TV show In Search Of, appeared in the classic 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and wrote two books summing up his restless relationship with his signature character, 1977's I Am Not Spock and 1995's I Am Spock.

"I am not Spock," he wrote." But given the choice, if I had to be someone else, I would be Spock. If someone said, 'You can have the choice of being any other TV character ever played,' I would choose Spock. I like him. I admire him. I respect him."

So it makes sense that, when Paramount revived Trek as a movie franchise in 1979, Nimoy would return to the role, eventually directing the third and fourth films. He also played Spock in an animated version of Star Trek, on Next Generation and in the two recent J. J. Abrams films which rebooted the Trek world with younger actors.

Nimoy's Spock in the first Trek film was cold and distant, reluctantly drawn into joining his compatriots to save the Earth. But that man seems a serious contrast to the Spock who would sacrifice himself to save the Starship Enterprise in 1982's Wrath of Khan, telling Captain Kirk "I have been, and always shall be, your friend." For both the actor and the character, acceptance seemed to bring better, deeper work.

Fans who tracked Nimoy's career could see his creativity reached beyond the Trek universe. His work as a director included the 1993 hit 3 Men and a Baby and The Good Mother with Diane Keaton.

And Nimoy kept racking up interesting roles in other places, from Israeli prime minister Golda Meir's husband in the 1978 TV movie A Woman Called Golda to the shadowy Dr. William Bell on the Fox series Fringe. He even produced books pf photography, including a controversial collection of nudes featuring obese women called The Full Body Project.

In the end, Leonard Nimoy was the best example of an artist who took the early typecasting of a popular role and used it to fuel an expansive and creative career — giving fans the treat of seeing his signature character mature in the process.




“Even President Obama, who is sometimes called Spock by some pundits for his own distant cool in a crisis, gave props to the actor who created his sometimes namesake. "Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy," the president said in a statement. "Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek's optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity's future."

Star Trek, like The Twilight Zone, often had a moral/ethical statement to make, and every show was different. A few were simply funny or exciting adventures, but others were good enough to win numerous awards on both TV and in the theater. The shows did always end with a positive conclusion in that their main stars were never killed or disabled and the villain was outsmarted or vanquished in battle. In that way it was unlike the Twilight Zone, which could be as frightening and pessimistic as the Alfred Hitchcock Show. I really do like good sci-fi, and I miss TV that has a point to make. Of course, Law and Order is one show that does have important issues to bring out, with good actors and well-written plots, and the previews for a number of other shows such as West Wing look as though I would enjoy them, but they don't come on when I want to watch TV. Luckily Star Trek is still in reruns on certain “oldies” channels.







http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/02/27/389521933/a-german-muslim-asks-his-compatriots-what-do-you-want-to-know

A German Muslim Asks His Compatriots: 'What Do You Want To Know?'
Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson
International Correspondent, Berlin
FEBRUARY 28, 2015

Photograph – earlier this month, Dr. Sadiqu al-Mousllie, accompanied by his family and a few members of their mosque, stood in downtown Braunschweig, Germany, and held up signs that read: "I am a Moslem. What would you like to know?" in an effort to promote dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Sadiqu al-Mousllie sees humor as a good way to fight growing anti-Islam sentiment in Germany.

He lives in Braunschweig, in western Germany. Earlier this month, he decided to go downtown and hold up a sign that read, "I am a Moslem. What would you like to know?"

"This is a bridge of communication," the Syrian-born German says. "Some people dared to ask, some others not, so we went to them and give them some chocolate and a say of our prophet to know what Muslims are thinking about."

Mousllie, 44, says he hopes to do it every other week.

Several members of his mosque — including his Danish wife, Camilla, and their 17-old daughter, Sarah — joined him on the first outing.

The teen says many passersby were curious about her and her mother's Islamic headscarves.

"The weirdest question I got was if I'm showering with my hijab," Sarah says. "And I'm just — no, I don't shower with hijab, how should I do that? No one showers with their clothes on."

Her mother, who converted to Islam, says many Germans are equally confused about her being Muslim.

"They don't know ... where do I belong," says Camilla Mousllie, 42. "Some are confused and ask: Are the Danish people Muslim?"

But Sarah says she doesn't mind answering strange questions if it can help put to rest any misconceptions about Muslims and open up a dialogue with non-Muslims.

Their community in Germany is under increasing scrutiny after several recent threats and fatal attacks linked to Islamic extremists in Europe. The scrutiny sparked criticism from German Muslim leaders, who say it's is unwarranted and alienates Muslim citizens who've worked hard to integrate into German society.

Misinformation and discrimination, the dentist says, often hit Muslim children — including his own — the hardest.

Born in Damascus, Mousllie came to Germany nearly a quarter century ago to study; he eventually settled here and became a German citizen.

His five children, who were born in Germany, are Danish citizens like their mother, but they largely identify as German, Mousllie says. So when his son was in fourth grade and was told he didn't belong, the boy was upset.

"A friend of his in the class, he told [my son]: 'You are not a real German because your name is not German,' " Mousllie recalls. "That was a very bad situation for him. I felt it was like a world falling down for himself because he felt, well, am I part of this country or not?"

In recent years, Mousllie says he's been asking himself the same question.

At his specialty dental practice, Mousllie says he is treated like any other German. Outside the office, it's another matter.

"It's getting more difficult because a lot of Islamophobic themes are coming, people now mixing Islam and terror, so we have to explain a lot," he says.

Also alarming, Mousllie says, is the rising number of incidents against Muslims and mosques around Germany, including an attack three months ago in Braunschweig on a Syrian-born woman wearing hijab whose foot was run over by a car.

"You keep thinking what about my children, what about my family, how it's going to be in two years," he says.

Mousllie says watching democracy in Germany inspired him to fight for similar freedoms in his native Syria, and he serves as the German representative of the opposition Syrian National Council.

At home in Germany, as the Lower Saxony spokesman for Germany's Central Council of Muslims, Mousllie says he's tried to get authorities to help reduce tensions, including by not using what he and others in the Muslim community view as inappropriate words — for example, Islamism — when talking about extremists.

His efforts suffered a setback on Feb. 15 when Braunschweig authorities canceled a famous annual Carnival because of what Police Chief Michael Pientka called an Islamist-related terror threat.

"We know we have an Islamist scene here," Pientka told reporters, adding that from now on, the authorities would be watching it more closely.




“He lives in Braunschweig, in western Germany. Earlier this month, he decided to go downtown and hold up a sign that read, "I am a Moslem. What would you like to know?" "This is a bridge of communication," the Syrian-born German says. "Some people dared to ask, some others not, so we went to them and give them some chocolate and a say of our prophet to know what Muslims are thinking about." Mousllie, 44, says he hopes to do it every other week. Several members of his mosque — including his Danish wife, Camilla, and their 17-old daughter, Sarah — joined him on the first outing. The teen says many passersby were curious about her and her mother's Islamic headscarves. "The weirdest question I got was if I'm showering with my hijab," Sarah says. "And I'm just — no, I don't shower with hijab, how should I do that? No one showers with their clothes on.".... "A friend of his in the class, he told [my son]: 'You are not a real German because your name is not German,' " Mousllie recalls. "That was a very bad situation for him. I felt it was like a world falling down for himself because he felt, well, am I part of this country or not?" In recent years, Mousllie says he's been asking himself the same question..... "It's getting more difficult because a lot of Islamophobic themes are coming, people now mixing Islam and terror, so we have to explain a lot," he says. Also alarming, Mousllie says, is the rising number of incidents against Muslims and mosques around Germany, including an attack three months ago in Braunschweig on a Syrian-born woman wearing hijab whose foot was run over by a car. "You keep thinking what about my children, what about my family, how it's going to be in two years," he says. Mousllie says watching democracy in Germany inspired him to fight for similar freedoms in his native Syria, and he serves as the German representative of the opposition Syrian National Council.... "We know we have an Islamist scene here," Pientka told reporters, adding that from now on, the authorities would be watching it more closely.”

This is a great story. It reminds me of the black teenager in Ferguson Mo who got on TV for holding a sign at a demonstration against the police violence that said “Free Hugs.” A tall white policeman was photographed hugging him. It's a little thing, but it's a step in the right direction. As the Police Chief Pientka said, however, the authorities have to watch Islamic communities “more closely.” That doesn't mean abuse community members or arrest many people on a preventative basis as was done in the US with the Japanese, though. If a particular cleric is preaching violence, then put him in jail, but keep an open mind to the peaceful Islamic people. I didn't know until I read this article that the habit the press has fallen into of calling radical and extreme believers “Islamist,” as the Police Chief did in this last quotation, is considered discriminatory and offensive. I will personally stop using that term.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/leonard-nimoy-dead-at-83/

Leonard Nimoy dead at 83
By LAUREN MORASKI CBS NEWS
February 27, 2015

Leonard Nimoy, probably best known as Mr. Spock on "Star Trek," has died, according to family members who confirmed his death to multiple media outlets. He was 83.

Nimoy's son, Adam, told The Associated Press the actor died Friday morning in Los Angeles of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The actor's granddaughter Dani posted the following message on Twitter Friday afternoon: "Hi all, as you all know, my Grandpa passed away this morning at 8:40 from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was an extraordinary man, husband, grandfather, brother, actor, author-the list goes on- and friend. Thank you for the warm condolences. May you all LLAP. - DaniP.s. I will be putting special shirts up on our site, SHOPLLAP.com, where all of the proceeds will go to the COPD Foundation. I hope to hear from you all."

Last year, Nimoy revealed that he has lung disease -- although he had stopped smoking 30 years ago.

"I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP," the actor tweeted.

"LLAP" was Spock's best-known catch phrase: Live long and prosper. In Vulcan speak that's ""dif tor heh smusma."

Nimoy played half-human, half-Vulcan Mr. Spock on the original "Star Trek" series, which ran from 1966-69, and had stepped back into the role several times over the years -- from movies to cartoons and spin-offs.

But his interests went far beyond the cult series.

A true Renaissance man, Nimoy dabbled in photography, writing, music and more.

After "Star Trek" ended, he starred in the series "Mission Impossible" as Paris. From 1976 to 1982 he hosted the syndicated "In Search of ... " a show that looked into mysteries such as Loch Ness Monster and the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.

He also worked behind the camera, too, sitting in the director's chair for "3 Men and a Baby" (1987), which starred Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg.

He appeared in such plays as "A Streetcar Named Desire," ''Cat on a Hot Tim Roof," ''The King and I," ''My Fair Lady" and "Equus."

He also published books of poems and children's stories. He spent time shooting his own photographs as well, showcasing them at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

His published two autobiographies throughout his career, titled "I Am Not Spock" (1975) and "I Am Spock" (1995).

Nimoy also took on music -- releasing five albums throughout his career.

In 1967, he released the single "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins," telling the tale of the character and his adventures in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit."

He combined his music and directing skills in 1985 when he helmed the music video for The Bangles' "Going Down to Liverpool."

Born in Boston on March 26, 1931, Nimoy caught the acting bug at a young age, appearing in his first play when he was 8 years old. He acted throughout his teenage years at Boston's English High School and continued to pursue the craft while attending Boston College. He left college before graduating and moved to California where he studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Nimoy spent two years in the U.S. Army Reserve beginning in 1953 -- only to return to Hollywood, picking up odd jobs as as taxi driver and vacuum cleaner salesman.

Soon, his acting career started taking off: Nimoy landed parts in "Dragnet," "The Rough Riders," "Bonanza" and "The Twilight Zone."

More recently, Nimoy starred in the FX series "Fringe," which ran from 2009-2012. He lent his voice to "The Simpsons" and "Futurama," in a couple of episodes -- playing himself.

In 2009, he returned as Mr. Spock in a big-screen adaptation of "Star Trek," with Zachary Quinto playing a younger version of Spock.

Nimoy wed Sandra Zober, a fellow student at the Pasadena Playhouse, in 1954. They had two children, Julie and Adam before divorcing in 1987. Nimoy then married Susan Bay, a film production executive, the following year.

Nimoy's Twitter account had remained active in recent weeks. His final two posts came this past week:

I will be sharing my poetry. Today's is, "You and I have Learned," which is in my book, These Words Are for You. LLAPpic.twitter.com/CsHAtmtDnz
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 22, 2015
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015

Tributes poured in Friday from friends and Hollywood stars. Fellow "Star Trek" cast member William Shatner said, "I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love."



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/leonard-nimoy-sent-touching-final-tweet/

See Leonard Nimoy's touching final tweet
By JESSICA DERSCHOWITZ CBS NEWS
February 27, 2015

Days before his death, Leonard Nimoy reflected on life and memory in a message posted on his Twitter page.

The tweet, sent Feb. 23, seems even more poignant now in the wake of his death Friday at the age of 83.

A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015

A day earlier, he sent another tweet featuring a work of poetry:

I will be sharing my poetry. Today's is, "You and I have Learned," which is in my book, These Words Are for You. LLAPpic.twitter.com/CsHAtmtDnz
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 22, 2015

Nimoy, best known for playing Mr. Spock on "Star Trek," died from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His tweets were often signed "LLAP" for his character's famous phrase, "live long and prosper."



"I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP," the actor tweeted. …. "LLAP" was Spock's best-known catch phrase: Live long and prosper. In Vulcan speak that's ""dif tor heh smusma." ….
Nimoy played half-human, half-Vulcan Mr. Spock on the original "Star Trek" series, which ran from 1966-69, and had stepped back into the role several times over the years -- from movies to cartoons and spin-offs. But his interests went far beyond the cult series. A true Renaissance man, Nimoy dabbled in photography, writing, music and more.”

He was a gentle, thoughtful man of considerable talent. He even had a very pleasant, if not spectacular, singing voice and wrote poems. He was also singularly beautiful to look at, while not effeminate, whether he smiled or not. His greatest achievement though was the television show Star Trek, which was in many ways the offspring of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. Good sci-fi that is produced with care is as valuable artistically as any other art form. Along with mysteries, they may be the “red-headed step children” among the highbrow members of the public, but are ever popular among those who like to explore new ideas and thoughts freely. I'm still watching Star Trek and The Twilight Zone on the “oldie-goldie” channel. They beat modern favorites like “Reality” shows and the unending “soap operas,” hand over fist. Live long and prosper!





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazing-photo-of-comet-lovejoy-will-light-up-your-week/

Amazing photo of comet Lovejoy will light up your week
By MICHAEL CASEY CBS NEWS
February 27, 2015

Using the world's most powerful digital camera, scientists have snapped this amazing shot of the comet Lovejoy.

Bursting with rays of green light and surrounded by a sea of stars, the image was taken as the comet was passing about 51 million miles from Earth. The comet's center is a ball of ice roughly three miles across, and the visible head of the comet is a cloud of gas and dust about 400,000 miles in diameter.

The image was taken with the Dark Energy Camera, which is sensitive to light up to 8 billion light years away.

The camera was scanning the southern sky on Dec. 27 as part of the Dark Energy Survey. Launched in 2013, the five-year mission is using the Dark Energy Camera to answer some of the most fundamental questions about the universe.

Among its goals is probing the origin of the accelerating universe. It is also tasked with helping to uncover the nature of dark energy by measuring the 14-billion-year history of cosmic expansion with high precision. More than 120 scientists from 23 institutions in the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Germany are working on the project.




“A digital camera that can take pictures from 8 billion light years away is an incredible new tool. Among its goals is probing the origin of the accelerating universe. It is also tasked with helping to uncover the nature of dark energy by measuring the 14-billion-year history of cosmic expansion with high precision.”

I don't try to keep up with advances in astronomy very much, as it all seems too far away for me to appreciate it. It is trying to solve the mystery of the beginning of the universe (or universes) and as such I respect it, but I understand nothing about physics and won't be reading up on it any time soon. I was never mathematically inclined, and I much prefer our own little Earth, with it's fascinating geology, prehistory, life forms, and history. I must say, though, the photographs published in this news article shows an exciting and very beautiful object which looks as though it has a life of its own. I suggest you go to website given above.






FIGHTING TERRORISTS – THREE ARTICLES


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/using-social-media-to-track-extremists-who-advocate-jihad-online/

Using social media to track extremists online
By JEFF PEGUES CBS NEWS
February 26, 2015

Photograph – Ahmad Musa Jibril
 CBS NEWS

U.S. authorities are tracking a man whom they say is influencing Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) followers from his home in Michigan -- using social media to inspire jihad.

Ahmad Musa Jibril is a Palestinian-American cleric whose extremist views caught the attention of U.S. law enforcement.

His alleged call for jihad in 2005 led federal prosecutors to describe him as a man who "encouraged his students to spread Islam by the sword, to wage a holy war" and "to hate and kill non-Muslims."

In 2012, Jibril was released from federal prison after serving six years for insurance fraud. He is currently living in Dearborn, Michigan, where he's on probation.

Even under law enforcement supervision, he's become one of the most influential figures for western foreign fighters, according to British researcher Peter Neumann.

"We counted all their likes, their mentions and their follows and what turned out to be true is that Ahmad Jibril was liked by an astonishing percentage of foreign fighters," Neumann says.

According to Neumann's research, 60 percent were following him on Facebook, favoriting his tweets and retweeting his messages.

Last year, a federal judge heavily restricted Jibril's ability to use social media. As a result, his accounts have gone dormant. And yet his Facebook page has grown from 211,000 likes last year to 245,000 today.

Jibril declined CBS News' requests for an interview. His probation ends in one month. Without new charges, he is free to go back online without restrictions.

He's toned down his rhetoric, suggesting maybe he's a changed man. Some aren't convinced.

"There is nothing to suggest he has changed his views," Neumann says. "He has toned them down because he realizes that if he doesn't tone them down they will come after him."

That is the dilemma law enforcement deals with everyday: How best to identify potential threats who may mask their true intent.

But social media can also help law enforcement with important clues about who and where extremists might be. That could escalate to monitoring emails, texts and phone conversations, all of that under court orders.

The FBI looks at hundreds of people who may have terrorist leanings and opens investigations into some of those cases. FBI Director James Comey confirmed Wednesday the bureau has now opened investigations in all 50 states.

Law enforcement has been very public about the damage they believe Edward Snowden caused to intelligence gathering in the U.S. by disclosing information about the NSA's surveillance program.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said that Snowden caused a significant blow to national security by exposing and compromising intelligence gathering tactics.




"Ahmad Musa Jibril is a Palestinian-American cleric whose extremist views caught the attention of U.S. law enforcement. His alleged call for jihad in 2005 led federal prosecutors to describe him as a man who "encouraged his students to spread Islam by the sword, to wage a holy war" and "to hate and kill non-Muslims." In 2012, Jibril was released from federal prison after serving six years for insurance fraud. He is currently living in Dearborn, Michigan, where he's on probation.... "We counted all their likes, their mentions and their follows and what turned out to be true is that Ahmad Jibril was liked by an astonishing percentage of foreign fighters," Neumann says. According to Neumann's research, 60 percent were following him on Facebook, favoriting his tweets and retweeting his messages. Last year, a federal judge heavily restricted Jibril's ability to use social media. As a result, his accounts have gone dormant. And yet his Facebook page has grown from 211,000 likes last year to 245,000 today. Jibril declined CBS News' requests for an interview. His probation ends in one month. Without new charges, he is free to go back online without restrictions.... "There is nothing to suggest he has changed his views," Neumann says. "He has toned them down because he realizes that if he doesn't tone them down they will come after him." That is the dilemma law enforcement deals with everyday: How best to identify potential threats who may mask their true intent.... That could escalate to monitoring emails, texts and phone conversations, all of that under court orders. The FBI looks at hundreds of people who may have terrorist leanings and opens investigations into some of those cases. FBI Director James Comey confirmed Wednesday the bureau has now opened investigations in all 50 states.”

Do we need some more targeted and strengthened laws covering Internet use for any kind of criminal purposes? I think what has happened in this case, however, is that among jihadists he has become a messiah of sorts; even though he hasn't added new material to his Facebook page it has gone from 211,000 to 245,000 “Likes.” Is it possible to close such sites? Of course there are also the White Supremacist sites, the child porn and other very “dark” sites such as “Slender Man.” While I want freedom of the Internet, I don't want criminal and other dangerous material to be allowed.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/outgoing-attorney-general-eric-holder-on-homegrown-violent-extremism-isis/

Eric Holder: Homegrown terror threat "keeps me up at night"
CBS NEWS
February 27, 2015

Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder expressed his "great concern" over the threat of homegrown violent extremism in the U.S. It comes as the FBI director James Comey said this week that the bureau was investigating potential ISIS suspects in all 50 states. On Wednesday, three Brooklyn residents were charged with conspiring to support the militant network.

"It's something that keeps me up at night, worried about what these homegrown violent extremists are potentially capable of doing," Holder told CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues.

However, he believes the U.S. is winning the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

"I think if you look at the recent battlefield successes that we've had, plans that are underway with regard to Mosul for instance, the degradation of ISIL leadership, I think we are winning," Holder told CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues. "This is not a battle that's going to be won overnight. It will take time, but I think ultimately ISIL will be destroyed."

Holder also said the country is safer now than before the Obama administration came into office.

"Al Qaeda's core, I think, has been decimated, but its offshoots are now things that we have to be concerned about, that we were not concerned about when I think this administration started. And then the homegrown ... component to this struggle is something that is that is new," he said.

In the interview, he also said he stands by his comments about police and race. He said "hard truths" need to be faced.



HOLDER ON RACIST POLICING


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/attorney-general-eric-holder-to-announce-new-guidelines-targeted-at-racial-profiling/

Holder: New policy will "help end racial profiling"
CBS/AP
December 1, 2014

Photograph – U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder gestures as he speaks to members of the community during an interfaith service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, in Atlanta.  AP / DAVID GOLDMAN

ATLANTA -- In the wake of clashes at protests in Ferguson, Missouri, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says new Justice Department guidance will aim to end racial profiling and ensure fair and effective policing.

Holder said in a speech Monday at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta -- where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor -- that he will unveil details of the plan in the coming days.

Civil Rights organizations have urged the Justice Department to clarify federal profiling guidelines to eliminate loopholes created by post-9/11 national security provisions. The Justice Department is working to finalize scheduling details, but the announcement will likely happen on Wednesday or Friday, officials said.

"In the coming days, I will announce updated Justice Department guidance regarding profiling by federal law enforcement, which will institute rigorous new standards and robust safeguards to help end racial profiling, once and for all," said Holder during his speech. "This new guidance will codify our commitment to the very highest standards of fair and effective policing."

President Obama instructed Holder to hold regional meetings on building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve after the conflicts in Ferguson. Monday's meeting in Atlanta was the first.

Earlier Monday, Obama asked federal agencies on Monday for concrete recommendations to ensure the U.S. isn't building a "militarized culture" within police departments, as he promoted the use of body cameras by police in the wake of the shooting of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Missouri.

The White House also announced it wants more police to wear cameras that capture their interactions with civilians. The cameras are part of a $263 million spending package to help police departments improve their community relations.

The president held a meeting with elected officials, community and faith leaders, law enforcement officials and several other members of his administration. He announced he would be signing an executive order to standardize the way the federal government distributes military-style equipment to police forces.

The selection of King's church as the site for the meeting was significant. The most successful and enduring movements for change adhere to the principles of non-aggression and nonviolence that King preached, Holder said.

"As this congregation knows better than most, peaceful protest has long been a hallmark, and a legacy, of past struggles for progress," he said. "This is what Dr. King taught us, half a century ago, in his eloquent words from the Ebenezer pulpit and in the vision he shared from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial."

Tensions between police and the community in Ferguson boiled over after a white police officer shot an unarmed black teenager in August. Protests turned violent again last week, after a grand jury declined to indict officer Darren Wilson in Michael Brown's death.

While the grand jury has made its decision, the Justice Department continues its investigation into the death of Brown and into allegations of unconstitutional policing patterns or practices by the Ferguson Police Department, Holder said to loud applause.

Holder also told the crowd that the meetings he's convening around the country are just the beginning and that he wants to start a frank dialogue and then translate that into concrete action and results. Holder's comments were well-received by the audience.

When a group of people interrupted his speech with chants and was escorted out, Holder applauded their "genuine expression of concern and involvement" and got a standing ovation from the crowd. Several dozen protesters chanted and waved signs referencing Ferguson outside the doors of church.

Holder, who plans to leave the position once a successor is confirmed, has identified civil rights as a cornerstone priority for the Justice Department and speaks frequently about what he calls inequities in the treatment of minorities in the criminal justice system. He has targeted sentences for nonviolent drug crimes that he says are overly harsh and disproportionately affect black defendants and has promoted alternatives to prison for non-violent offenders.

Last year, as part of the Justice Department's "Smart on Crime" initiative, he instructed federal prosecutors to stop charging many nonviolent drug defendants with offenses that carry mandatory minimum sentences - punishments that he said were contributing to overcrowded prisons.

The Justice Department has also broadened the criteria for inmates seeking clemency in hopes of encouraging potentially thousands more inmates to apply, and Holder backed changes in federal sentencing guideline ranges that could result in tens of thousands of drug prisoners becoming eligible for early release. Holder also has publicly discussed the need to ease tensions between police departments and minority communities.

The Justice Department has also targeted flawed police departments, initiating roughly 20 investigations of local police agencies - including Ferguson - in the past five years. A new pilot program announced weeks after the Ferguson shooting will study racial bias in American cities and recommend ways to reduce the problem.

He has spoken about race in sometimes personal terms, recalling after the Ferguson shooting instances in which as a younger man he was stopped or confronted by police without cause. He has also said he understands mistrust of law enforcement in minority communities.




“Civil Rights organizations have urged the Justice Department to clarify federal profiling guidelines to eliminate loopholes created by post-9/11 national security provisions. The Justice Department is working to finalize scheduling details, but the announcement will likely happen on Wednesday or Friday, officials said. "In the coming days, I will announce updated Justice Department guidance regarding profiling by federal law enforcement, which will institute rigorous new standards and robust safeguards to help end racial profiling, once and for all," said Holder during his speech. ... President Obama instructed Holder to hold regional meetings on building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve …. Earlier Monday, Obama asked federal agencies on Monday for concrete recommendations to ensure the U.S. isn't building a "militarized culture" within police departments.... The White House also announced it wants more police to wear cameras that capture their interactions with civilians. The cameras are part of a $263 million spending package to help police departments improve their community relations. The president held a meeting with elected officials, community and faith leaders, law enforcement officials and several other members of his administration. He announced he would be signing an executive order to standardize the way the federal government distributes military-style equipment to police forces.... Holder's comments were well-received by the audience. When a group of people interrupted his speech with chants and was escorted out, Holder applauded their "genuine expression of concern and involvement" and got a standing ovation from the crowd. Several dozen protesters chanted and waved signs referencing Ferguson outside the doors of church.... He has targeted sentences for nonviolent drug crimes that he says are overly harsh and disproportionately affect black defendants and has promoted alternatives to prison for non-violent offenders. Last year, as part of the Justice Department's "Smart on Crime" initiative, he instructed federal prosecutors to stop charging many nonviolent drug defendants with offenses that carry mandatory minimum sentences - punishments that he said were contributing to overcrowded prisons.... Holder also has publicly discussed the need to ease tensions between police departments and minority communities. The Justice Department has also targeted flawed police departments, initiating roughly 20 investigations of local police agencies - including Ferguson - in the past five years. A new pilot program announced weeks after the Ferguson shooting will study racial bias in American cities and recommend ways to reduce the problem.”

These meetings between law enforcement, faith community, city governments and minority or poor communities are the most crucial thing I see here besides cameras and more fairness in sentencing. Mandatory minimums was one of those “law and order” issues that have been used instead on cases of minor drug possession and use rather than the sale of drugs, murder, rape, child abuse, and other heinous crimes. Even the failure to pay a debt has become a criminal offense. I thought that was unconstitutional.

The use of RICO Act and USA Patriot Act provisions has become common for offenses that are minor and not linked with the type of crime that the acts were set up to handle. I thought RICO was intended for organized crime including the sale of drugs, and Patriot is for anti-government crimes. Both are now used in neighborhood policing issues of ordinary sorts. The Patriot Act is the basis for the arming of city police departments with high powered guns and tanks. There just isn't any good use for a tank in the city police force. Holder says these things are causing the prisons to be overly full, but they are also simply unfair and against our individual rights. His efforts to put a lid on the power of local police forces has caused rightwingers to protest his speeches I notice. There is a very large divide between Democrat and Republican these day, largely due to President Obama's being elected to office in 2008 and the Civil Rights law of 1964.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/net-neutrality-ruling-what-it-means-for-you/

Net neutrality ruling: What it means for you
By AMANDA SCHUPAK CBS NEWS
February 26, 2015

The Federal Communications Committee voted Thursday to regulate the Internet under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act, which currently applies to telephone service.

The ruling will enable the FCC to enact new rules that would prevent Internet service providers (ISPs) from manipulating how quickly or slowly sites are transmitted along their networks, a huge win for proponents of net neutrality.

President Obama issued a statement praising the decision, which he said "will protect innovation and create a level playing field for the next generation of entrepreneurs."

"I think the FCC is doing the right thing," Barbara Cherry, a professor of telecommunications at Indiana University, a former FCC official and a former AT&T government affairs attorney. "It's long overdue and it needs to be done."

The ruling classifies the Internet as a common carrier along with phone service, railroads and the postal service, and enforces legal obligations to operate "without unreasonable discrimination, at reasonable rates and with adequate care, often referred to as reliability," Cherry explained.

Major ISPs have been vocally against restrictions on how they manage and monetize their services and some have strongly intimated that they will appeal the ruling in the courts.

"We have never argued there should be no regulation in this area, simply that there should be smart regulation. What doesn't make sense, and has never made sense, is to take a regulatory framework developed for Ma Bell in the 1930s and make her great grandchildren, with technologies and options undreamed of eighty years ago, live under it," said AT&T's senior executive vice president of external and legislative affairs, Jim Cicconi.

Thursday's decision reverses earlier rulings that called the Internet an information service, which is not regulated like common carriers are.

"Why are some companies so against it?" Cherry asked. "I can tell you why, because I used to work for them. It was a real coup in 2002 and 2005 when they got classification as information services. The deregulation gave them the freedom to essentially choose to whom, when, where and what service they're going to bother to provide."

"This led to and can lead to incentives for unreasonable forms of discrimination. They want to make money every which way they can. That's why they've resisted so heavily getting this Title II classification back."

She offered a personal example of this from her own life: She used to have DSL Internet from AT&T and cable from Comcast. She moved less than a mile away and wanted the same services in her new home. "By this time, DSL was no longer a common service. They refused to sell it to me. AT&T said, 'You have to buy cable service bundle.' They refused to sell it to me standalone. With common carrier service you can't do that."

Speaking with CBS News Wednesday, NewYorker.com editor Nicholas Thompson addressed how the ruling can affect the relationship between service providers and online companies whose data they carry over their networks. He described the Internet as pipes through which all data flow:

"So if I'm Comcast and I control those pipes I can't say, 'You know what? I want CBS to go slowly this month because they did a bad segment on me, or I want them to go fast because they did a good segment,'" he explained. "Or I want Netflix to go quickly because they paid me a lot of money but I want this startup to go slowly."

"Comcast would love that power because then it can make a lot more money," he added.

It could also affect consumers' wallets. If, say,Netflix has to pony up money to make sure its video streaming looks seamless on your computer or smart TV, there's a good chance those surcharges could end up increasing your monthly bill.

But Internet companies -- especially smaller ones that can't afford to pay more to get access to a provider's "fast lane" -- would rather the federal government ensure that "the pipes" give every site equal opportunity to get through.

Many people believe that not only is this the fairest way to keep the Internet free and open, it's also the only way to maintain an environment that promotes innovation.

"If you let [Internet providers] control this you're going to destroy the Internet," Thompson told CBS News. "You're going to destroy startups. It's going to be much harder to create an Internet company. This is what American innovation thrives on. This is the part of our economy that is doing really well and if you give the [telecommunications companies] this control it will cut that off."

The flip side of the argument is that cutting off a potential revenue stream for Comcast, Time Warner and other ISPs will strangle their budgets and hamper innovation.

"The FCC today chose to change the way the commercial Internet has operated since its creation. Changing a platform that has been so successful should be done, if at all, only after careful policy analysis, full transparency, and by the legislature, which is constitutionally charged with determining policy," Verizon senior vice president Michael Glover said.

"The decision is not radical in the sense that to do this legally is radical," Cherry opined. "It's undoing a prior radical decision. It's momentous in terms of politically what it took to get here and the fact that a decision is coming out that is truly in the public interest as opposed to being in the interest of a relatively small number of companies that have a lot of resources to bring to bear."




“President Obama issued a statement praising the decision, which he said "will protect innovation and create a level playing field for the next generation of entrepreneurs." "I think the FCC is doing the right thing," Barbara Cherry, a professor of telecommunications at Indiana University, a former FCC official and a former AT&T government affairs attorney. "It's long overdue and it needs to be done." The ruling classifies the Internet as a common carrier along with phone service, railroads and the postal service, and enforces legal obligations to operate "without unreasonable discrimination, at reasonable rates and with adequate care, often referred to as reliability," Cherry explained.... Thursday's decision reverses earlier rulings that called the Internet an information service, which is not regulated like common carriers are. "Why are some companies so against it?" Cherry asked. "I can tell you why, because I used to work for them. It was a real coup in 2002 and 2005 when they got classification as information services. The deregulation gave them the freedom to essentially choose to whom, when, where and what service they're going to bother to provide." "This led to and can lead to incentives for unreasonable forms of discrimination. They want to make money every which way they can. That's why they've resisted so heavily getting this Title II classification back."... Speaking with CBS News Wednesday, NewYorker.com editor Nicholas Thompson addressed how the ruling can affect the relationship between service providers and online companies whose data they carry over their networks. He described the Internet as pipes through which all data flow: "So if I'm Comcast and I control those pipes I can't say, 'You know what? I want CBS to go slowly this month because they did a bad segment on me, or I want them to go fast because they did a good segment,'" he explained. "Or I want Netflix to go quickly because they paid me a lot of money but I want this startup to go slowly." "Comcast would love that power because then it can make a lot more money," he added.... But Internet companies -- especially smaller ones that can't afford to pay more to get access to a provider's "fast lane" -- would rather the federal government ensure that "the pipes" give every site equal opportunity to get through. Many people believe that not only is this the fairest way to keep the Internet free and open, it's also the only way to maintain an environment that promotes innovation.”

The Big Boys such as AT&T fought this decision fiercely, saying that the “outdated” 1930s regulations don't allow innovation; but they themselves are the ones who want to raise the prices artificially on new business startups to a rate that will, indeed, prevent “innovation” by keeping it from being fiscally feasible. Operating as a startup is always harder because they don't yet have a large fund to finance new activities. AT&T by no means lacks money for their innovations. They just don't want to be prohibited from making gazillions more every day, so they have cried foul. Of course, they will surely sue the FCC to force a change in this decision, so there will be more battles aplenty in the future. Still, I'm very happy to hear this courageous decision.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-hawking-thinks-these-3-things-could-destroy-humanity/

Stephen Hawking thinks these 3 things could destroy humanity
By TANYA LEWIS LIVESCIENCE.COM
February 27, 2015

Photograph – stephen hawking has a long list of warnings about threats to humanity.  FLICKR/NASA HQ PHOTO.

Stephen Hawking may be most famous for his work on black holes and gravitational singularities, but the world-renowned physicist has also become known for his outspoken ideas about things that could destroy human civilization.

Hawking suffers from a motor neuron disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which left him paralyzed and unable to speak without a voice synthesizer. But that hasn't stopped the University of Cambridge professor from making proclamations about the wide range of dangers humanity faces -- including ourselves.

Here are a few things Hawking has said could bring about the demise of human civilization. [End of the World? Top Doomsday Fears]

Artificial intelligence

Hawking is part of a small but growing group of scientists who have expressed concerns about "strong" artificial intelligence (AI) -- intelligence that could equal or exceed that of a human.

"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race," Hawking told the BBC in December 2014. The statement was in response to a question about a new AI voice-synthesizing system that Hawking has been using.

Hawking's warnings echo those of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, who has called AI humanity's "biggest existential threat." Last month, Hawking, Musk and dozens of other scientific bigwigs signed an open letterdescribing the risks, as well as the benefits, of AI.

"Because of the great potential of AI, it is important to research how to reap its benefits while avoiding potential pitfalls," the scientists wrote in the letter, which was published online Jan. 11 by the Future of Life Institute, a volunteer organization that aims to mitigate existential threats to humanity.

But many AI researchers say humanity is nowhere near being able to develop strong AI.
"We are decades away from any technology we need to worry about," Demis Hassabis, an artificial intelligence researcher at Google DeepMind, told reporters this week at a news conference about a new AI program he developed that can teach itself to play computer games. Still, "It's good to start the conversation now," he added.

Human aggression

If our machines don't kill us, we might kill ourselves. Hawking now believes that human aggression might destroy civilization.

The physicist was giving a tour of the London Science Museum to Adaeze Uyanwah, a 24-year-old teacher from California who won a contest from VisitLondon.com. When Uyanwah asked, "What human shortcomings would you most like to alter?" Hawking responded:

"The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression. It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all," The Independent reported.

For example, a major nuclear war would likely end civilization, and could wipe out the human race, Hawking added. When asked which human quality he would most like to magnify, Hawking chose empathy, because "it brings us together in a peaceful, loving state."

Hawking thinks space exploration will be important to ensuring the survival of humanity. "I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be space, and that it represents an important life insurance for our future survival, as it could prevent the disappearance of humanity by colonizing other planets,"Cambridge News reported.

Alien life

But Hawking had made ominous warnings even before these recent ones. Back in 2010, Hawking said that, if intelligent alien life exists, it may not be that friendlytoward humans.

"If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans," Hawking said during an episode of "Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking," a show hosted by the Discovery Channel, reported The Times, a U.K.-based newspaper.

Advanced alien civilizations might become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they could reach, Hawking said. "If so, it makes sense for them to exploit each new planet for material to build more spaceships so they could move on. Who knows what the limits would be?"

From the threat of nefarious AI, to advanced aliens, to hostile humans, Hawking's outlook for humanity is looking pretty grim.




“Hawking suffers from a motor neuron disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which left him paralyzed and unable to speak without a voice synthesizer. But that hasn't stopped the University of Cambridge professor from making proclamations about the wide range of dangers humanity faces -- including ourselves. Here are a few things Hawking has said could bring about the demise of human civilization. [End of the World? Top Doomsday Fears] …. Hawking's warnings echo those of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, who has called AI humanity's "biggest existential threat." Last month, Hawking, Musk and dozens of other scientific bigwigs signed an open letterdescribing the risks, as well as the benefits, of AI. "Because of the great potential of AI, it is important to research how to reap its benefits while avoiding potential pitfalls," the scientists wrote in the letter, which was published online Jan. 11 by the Future of Life Institute, a volunteer organization that aims to mitigate existential threats to humanity.... "The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression. It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all," The Independent reported. For example, a major nuclear war would likely end civilization, and could wipe out the human race, Hawking added. When asked which human quality he would most like to magnify, Hawking chose empathy, because "it brings us together in a peaceful, loving state.".... "I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be space, and that it represents an important life insurance for our future survival, as it could prevent the disappearance of humanity by colonizing other planets,"Cambridge News reported.... "If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans," Hawking said during an episode of "Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking," a show hosted by the Discovery Channel, reported The Times, a U.K.-based newspaper. Advanced alien civilizations might become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they could reach, Hawking said. "If so, it makes sense for them to exploit each new planet for material to build more spaceships so they could move on.”

I personally fear most – human aggression, because it daily threatens to wipe out societies, often by what ISIS is doing right now – mass murder over a philosophical disagreement.

The second thing I fear is one that he didn't mention. We are already experiencing environmental changes that scientists have predicted, and in my view there is no doubt that it is due to CO2, methane and other chemicals that are constantly going into our atmosphere and oceans. Yet we still keep cutting down the forests that used to blanket the earth and failing to put requirements on businesses and agriculture which are the sources of the pollution.

I can definitely see the fear of AI, if our modern cultures and their technology survives more than another fifty years. I will never forget “HAL.” I wouldn't like to be under the power of a machine, even an intelligent one. Intelligence may be our primary survival characteristic of the past, but I agree with Hawking. Empathy is the ultimate quality we should cultivate now throughout all of human society. “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and remember the lesson of the Good Samaritan. Jesus used that image because the Jews hated the Samaritans.