This Blue Marble, a Global Current Events Discussion Forum

China

gsgs — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:44:32 GMT

week 33: http://www.cnic.org.cn/eng/show.php?contentid=387

Obama Administration Has Declared Unionization a Human Right

Dreamweaver — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:44:39 GMT

Oh brother. Obama Administration Calls Unions a Human Right in U.N. Report and Refers to 'Card Check' Legislation.

http://www.bluegrasspundit.com/2010/...ons-human.html

Self repairing photovoltaic system

Mousehound — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:41:42 GMT

MIT researchers have developed a method for light-capturing molecules to break down and reassemble themselves to maintain an optimal photovoltaic energy harvest, mirroring a technique that plants use.

http://www.physorg.com/news202911719.html

SARS - the gift that keeps on giving...

CanadaSue — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:05:40 GMT

A follow up of 40+ SARS patients, many of the health care workers is determining that many not only have ongoing health care issues but that for many, these are getting WORSE. As the article states, this is not what we normally expect of pneumonia which is an acute disease. The chronic components described are disturbing in their implications for what might have happened had SARS been easy for most to catch.

We dodged one heck of a bullet:

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/201...ffects-100902/

Possible three trillion pension disaster

Lars — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:23:58 GMT

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-mone...nsion-disaster

The Airbus Cri-Cri electric flight

Samen — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:11:14 GMT

Airbus are an aircraft manufacturer more known for planes like their A380 super jumbo than the relatively tiny model pictured above, however as fossil fuels become ever more scarce eyes are beginning to turn to alternate methods of propulsion and electric motors are widely considered to be at the front of the line. The parent company of Airbus, EADS, has begun experimenting with battery powered electric planes, the first of which is the Cri-Cri, a four-propellered, single seater light aircraft designed to test the viability of using batteries, electric motors and lithium-ion batteries for airborne propulsion.
http://electrovelocity.com/2010/09/0...-cri-cri-eads/

T.S. Hermine

DReynolds — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:56:22 GMT

Sewing Machine needles

spinnerholic — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:13:07 GMT

Have to admit all the different types and kinds of needles available for both sewing machines and sergers is rather complicated in these times so I went searching to see if I could find a chart or info explaining it all.

Found a short video I thought was interesting here:
http://www.schmetzneedles.com/Schmet.../Schmetz-1.swf

Also found a chart that's right handy explaining the differences in needles and what each is used for here:
http://assets1.strongretailer.com/50...e_brochure.pdf

Ray Stevens, Come to the USA!

flourbug — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:32:28 GMT

You Tube

I Want Your Money

flourbug — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:30:04 GMT

This looks good. I just hope they hit the Republicans for their part as hard as they seem to be hitting the Dems...

You Tube

Vinny the Kneecapper

Ross — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:28:15 GMT

Paid your bills lately ?

Extract

Quote:

...... as debt is sold down the line, and say a bank feels that it isn't going
to be able to recover this debt, sells it for 50 cents on the dollar to someone who
thinks that they are more capable of recovering that money from people,
then as that debt is sold down the line, it becomes less and less likely to be repaid
and is sold for less and less money, eventually it just might end up in the hands of
Vinny the Kneecapper, who is fairly confident that he can extract any money out of
you that you might actually have. So there are all manner of risks that can occur
when people are in debt and cannot afford to pay with money.

And there will be people who are trying to reclaim debt who are
prepared to put unconscionable pressure on debtors.

The associated article is well worth reading . One of the arguments
put forth is that as the situation deteriorates and people become
more desperate , unpaid debts will become both a source of
greater aggravation and the cause of society reverting to more
primitive methods used be earlier generations to deal with
unpaid debt .

http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/

intrade predictions

gsgs — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:28:26 GMT

probabilities as estimated by intrade-traders on 2010/09/05:

1.6% Obama to depart as President of the United States before midnght ET on 31 Dec 2010

60% Democratic Party candidate to win 2012 Presidential Election

Democratic Presidential Nominee in 2012:
82% Obama
8.5% Hillary Clinton
7.9% Joe Biden

29% Obama to face serious primary challenger for 2012 Democratic nomination

Republican Presidential Nominee in 2012
30% Mitt Romney
18% Sarah Palin
18% John Thune
12% Tim Pawlenty
10% Newt Gingrich
8% Mitch Daniels
7% Mike Huckabee
7% Jeb Bush

6% USA to conduct overt military action against North Korea before 31 Dec 2010
20% USA and/or Israel to execute an overt Air Strike against Iran by 30 Sep 2011
12% A magnitude 9.0 or greater earthquake to occur anywhere before 31 Dec 2011
52% A Cat 3 (or higher) Atlantic storm to make landfall in the US in 2010
4% New York to experience credit event relating to their issued debt before 31 Dec 2010
24% US Credit Rating to be put on negative outlook or downgraded by 31 Dec 2011
15% Higgs Boson Particle to be observed on/before 31 Dec 2013

Obama wants to make $100 billion$ R&D tax credit permanent

Ought Six — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:58:25 GMT

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...rd-tax-credit/

If a Repub was doing this, it would be 'corporate welfare'.

Electric Light Orchestra cellist killed when his van is crushed by a giant bale of hay

Ought Six — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:23:30 GMT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11195393

The Iraqi version of Punk'd

Ought Six — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:06:44 GMT

http://jalopnik.com/5630183/iraqi-re...-in-their-cars