What are you reading?

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Originally Posted by Bryan

Duke, in 1942 the Japanese were planning to attack Pearl Harbor, destroy our Pacific Naval Fleet, and begin WWII against the US. Admiral Yamamoto, who had attended college in the US, planned and executed the attack. During the planning there were many in the Japanese military that wanted to then invade the western United States after our navy was crippled.

Yamamoto, knowing the US people, said; "Invading the US is impossible because behind every tree there would be an American with a gun!" Duke, THAT is Freedom.

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Originally Posted by shiva

yea I have read it, but something is still fishy. a 2 year old, must be a big one. not very many 2 year olds would have the strength or a large enough hand to hold a gun, even a small 380. I just think there is something more to this story.

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I dont think that self defense can be confused with freedom but I understand the need of having self defense in order to defend our freedom as I dont think the Japanese would be the true enemy, when we talk about freedom, I think that today our Governments are much more our enemy when we talk about our freedom.

When I read the story I also thought it was stranger a 2 year old child be able to shot a gun but well I read it and post on "What are you reading?" because it is a real unusual story.

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Originally Posted by Duke of Buckingham

I dont think that self defense can be confused with freedom but I understand the need of having self defense in order to defend our freedom as I dont think the Japanese would be the true enemy, when we talk about freedom, I think that today our Governments are much more our enemy when we talk about our freedom.

When I read the story I also thought it was stranger a 2 year old child be able to shot a gun but well I read it and post on "What are you reading?" because it is a real unusual story.

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Duke, many Americans if not most believe you can not have real freedom if you don't have the right to own a gun. The reason being if you don't have a gun and I do then you are under my control. you do what I say or I can shoot you or someone you love. the only way to defend from a gun is to have one, that being so then every one should have a gun. you are right the Japanese would not be the enemy today our own government is more than anyone else. the fact still remains our government can't take us over as long as we have our guns, that is why they want to outlaw them.

"The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature, they disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
- Thomas Jefferson (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria)

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Originally Posted by shiva

Duke, many Americans if not most believe you can not have real freedom if you don't have the right to own a gun. The reason being if you don't have a gun and I do then you are under my control. you do what I say or I can shoot you or someone you love. the only way to defend from a gun is to have one, that being so then every one should have a gun. you are right the Japanese would not be the enemy today our own government is more than anyone else. the fact still remains our government can't take us over as long as we have our guns, that is why they want to outlaw them.

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That is because we have a difference of opinion and that we have for very long shiva :o and in fact is about what we consider self defense or what we consider freedom.

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Originally Posted by John P. Myers

"The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature, they disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
- Thomas Jefferson (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria)

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"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
George Washington

The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking electricity users in its 7-state region to voluntarily reduce their power consumption until Thursday afternoon as a result of frigid temperatures causing high demand across the Southeast...

Consumers can reduce their power consumption and lower their power bills by:

- Turning down the thermostat. Lowering the temperature just one degree can result in a savings of up to 3 percent.

- Postpone using electric appliances such as dishwashers, dryers and cooking equipment.

- Turn off nonessential lights, appliances, electronics and other electrical equipment.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/b...ernoon/281455/

I guess I could underclock my GPUs and throttle my CPUs for a few days... ;)

Well, they said "nonessential... electronics", and I'm pretty sure BOINC is essential. So you're fine. =))

A computer that uses 1000W puts out exactly the same amount of heat as a heater that uses 1000W. Turning off your computers just makes the heater run more often. Same amount of power used either way :p


Unless you have gas heat, but i've found electric heat to be cheaper.

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Originally Posted by John P. Myers

A computer that uses 1000W puts out exactly the same amount of heat as a heater that uses 1000W. Turning off your computers just makes the heater run more often. Same amount of power used either way :p

Unless you have gas heat, but i've found electric heat to be cheaper.

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My cruncher is in the wife's home office... who needs a space heater when you have an OC'd 7970 blasting away! :D

The trick is that the thermostat is also in that room... meaning the rest of the house is several degrees colder than the set point. Which is all fine and good, as long as she stays in the office :p

Needs 2 more 7970s :D

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

I am reading "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, a very impressive book of a very impressive man.

“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”

“One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise, she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule by giving mankind an ass for a lion.”

― Thomas Paine, Common Sense

I am reading “Our Souls at Night,” the last novel by Kent Haruf.

Holt, Colorado: Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, it is the beginning of this novel, a light reading.

Killing Patton, learning a lot of history I didn't know about him.

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Originally Posted by shiva

Killing Patton, learning a lot of history I didn't know about him.

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Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly is very good, a conspiracy to kill Gen. Patton and the hypothetical reasons for it.

And Shiva of course if they killed Patton they wouldnt post about it on the next day ewspapers.

I had listen someone that was saying that Patton was murdered because he wanted to attack the Russian Army on Germany, that makes some sense to me also but all conspiracy theories have to make some sense.

I don't know how I missed reading this in school but I am reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Now I know where Uriah Heep got the name for their band. ;)

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Originally Posted by Shadowlurker

I don't know how I missed reading this in school but I am reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Now I know where Uriah Heep got the name for their band. ;)

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Damn :)

I am reading "The Creators" a non-fiction work of cultural history by Daniel Boorstin.

The Creators, subtitled A History of Heroes of the Imagination, is the story of mankind's creativity. It highlights great works of art, music and literature but it is more than a recitation or list. It is a book of ideas and the people behind those ideas. It encompasses architecture, music, literature, painting, sculpture, the performing arts, theater, religious expression and philosophy.

I am reading "The Global Minotaur"

America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy, is the subtitle of the new edition (cover on the left above). The original, 2011, edition’s subtitle was America, the True Causes of the Financial Crisis and the Future of the World Economy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

‘The book is one of those exceedingly rare publications of which one can say they are urgent, timely and absolutely necessary.’ - Terry Eagleton

‘Yanis is one of the best, brightest and most innovative economists on the planet’ – Steve Keen, author of ‘Debunking Economics’

‘In the most comprehensive guide to the contemporary economic crisis yet written, Yanis Varoufakis traces out the path from post-war US economic supremacy to the current predicament. This book’s provocative thesis, written in lively and impassioned prose, is that which neither the US nor the EU nor any other nation can now restore robust global growth. Whether you agree or disagree, this book’s lively and impassioned prose will engage you both heart and mind, and hold you in thrall to the last word. The Global Minotaur is a masterwork that registers for all time the challenge of our time.’ – Prof. Gary Dymski, University of California, Riverside

‘If you want to know how serious the current crisis is, you should read his book. With much eloquence, Yanis Varoufakis argues that the current financial problems are connected to the emerging fault lines of the international monetary system. The US (the Minotaur) used to govern the international monetary system, but no more; and this crucially means that there is no surplus recycling mechanism that can reliably stabilise the world economy. The elephant in the room, so to speak, is a stumbling Minotaur.’ – Prof. Shaun Hargreaves-Heap, University of East Anglia

‘Yanis Varoufakis is a rare economist: skilled at explaining ideas, happy to join in public debates and able to put his discipline in a broader context. You may not agree with what he says, but you’ll enjoy the way he says it.’ -
Aditya Chakrabortty, The Guardian lead economics writer

DESCRIPTION

In this remarkable and provocative book, Yanis Varoufakis explodes the myth that financialisation, ineffectual regulation of banks, greed and globalisation were the root causes of the global economic crisis. Rather, they are symptoms of a much deeper malaise which can be traced all the way back to the Great Crash of 1929, then on through to the 1970s: the time when a ‘Global Minotaur’ was born. Just as the Athenians maintained a steady flow of tributes to the Cretan beast, so the ‘rest of the world’ began sending incredible amounts of capital to America and Wall Street. Thus, the Global Minotaur became the ‘engine’ that pulled the world economy from the early 1980s to 2008.

Today’s crisis in Europe, the heated debates about austerity versus further fiscal stimuli in the US, the clash between China’s authorities and the Obama administration on exchange rates are the inevitable symptoms of the weakening Minotaur; of a global ‘system’ which is now as unsustainable as it is imbalanced. Going beyond this, Varoufakis lays out the options available to us for reintroducing a modicum of reason into a highly irrational global economic order.

An essential account of the socio-economic events and hidden histories that have shaped the world as we now know it.


So far, also available in German, in Greek, in Italian, in Spanish, in Czech and, most recently, in Finnish

Politics (Aristotle) - Book I

Aristotle discusses the city (polis) or "political community" (koinōnia politikē) as opposed to other types of communities and partnerships such as the household and village. The highest form of community is the polis. Aristotle comes to this conclusion because he believes the public life is far more virtuous than the private. He comes to this conclusion because men are "political animals." He begins with the relationship between the city and man , and then specifically discusses the household. He takes issue with the view that political rule, kingly rule, rule over slaves and rule over a household or village are only different in terms of size. He then examines in what way the city may be said to be natural.

I am reading "The Once and Future King" an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T. H. White.

A mother and son died when they fell from a fifth floor last week. The mother, 63 and ill with Alzheimer's, and son, 27, had no income after stopping receiving a small deficiency pension, three and a half years ago and could not pay the rent. The landlord knew of the family problems and helped also they had a small support of an aid fund of the municipality of Chakida on the island of Eboia, where they lived.
The death was treated as another suicide of people who have given up because they can not have enough to live.

just finished Killing Jesus,
reading The Revolution -- From Egypt to Armagedoon

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Originally Posted by shiva

just finished Killing Jesus,
reading The Revolution -- From Egypt to Armagedoon

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That's a much scarier sentiment when you take it completely out of context. "Shiva just finished Killing Jesus." Let's just hope he hid the body well... =))

:o yea lets not take that literally. but I never saw it. =))=))

There are two and a half weeks that Ayyan Ali, one of the most famous models of Pakistan, is in Adiala prison. Was arrested at the airport in Islamabad on money laundering charges on 14 March. The 21-year-old model had over $ 500,000 in your bag (455,000 euros), which exceeds the legal limit that can be withdrawn from the country in cash.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2d...f-charm_people

What Must Be Said

Why do I stay silent, conceal for too long
What clearly is and has been
Practiced in war games, at the end of which we as survivors
Are at best footnotes.

It is the alleged right to first strike
That could annihilate the Iranian people--
Enslaved by a loud-mouth
And guided to organized jubilation--
Because in their territory,
It is suspected, a bomb is being built.

Yet why do I forbid myself
To name that other country
In which, for years, even if secretly,
There has been a growing nuclear potential at hand
But beyond control, because no inspection is available?

The universal concealment of these facts,
To which my silence subordinated itself,
I sense as incriminating lies
And force--the punishment is promised
As soon as it is ignored;
The verdict of "anti-Semitism" is familiar.

Now, though, because in my country
Which from time to time has sought and confronted
Its very own crime
That is without compare
In turn on a purely commercial basis, if also
With nimble lips calling it a reparation, declares
A further U-boat should be delivered to Israel,
Whose specialty consists of guiding all-destroying warheads to where the existence
Of a single atomic bomb is unproven,
But as a fear wishes to be conclusive,
I say what must be said.

Why though have I stayed silent until now?
Because I thought my origin,
Afflicted by a stain never to be expunged
Kept the state of Israel, to which I am bound
And wish to stay bound,
From accepting this fact as pronounced truth.

Why do I say only now,
Aged and with my last ink,
That the nuclear power of Israel endangers
The already fragile world peace?
Because it must be said
What even tomorrow may be too late to say;
Also because we--as Germans burdened enough--
Could be the suppliers to a crime
That is foreseeable, wherefore our complicity
Could not be redeemed through any of the usual excuses.

And granted: I am silent no longer
Because I am tired of the hypocrisy
Of the West; in addition to which it is to be hoped
That this will free many from silence,
That they may prompt the perpetrator of the recognized danger
To renounce violence and
Likewise insist
That an unhindered and permanent control
Of the Israeli nuclear potential
And the Iranian nuclear sites
Be authorized through an international agency
By the governments of both countries.

Only this way are all, the Israelis and Palestinians,
Even more, all people, that in this
Region occupied by mania
Live cheek by jowl among enemies,
And also us, to be helped.


Nobel-winning German writer Günter Grass

Wine Snobs Are Right: Glass Shape Does Affect Flavor
Scientists show glass geometry controls where and how vapor rises from wine, influencing taste
April 14, 2015 |By Jennifer Newton and ChemistryWorld

http://www.scientificamerican.com/sc...icle.jpg?0837A
Different glass shapes and temperatures can bring out completely different bouquets and finishes from the same wine.
Credit: Courtesy Ozz13x Flickr

Seeing is smelling for a camera system developed by scientists in Japan that images ethanol vapour escaping from a wine glass. And, perhaps most importantly, no wine is wasted in the process.

Kohji Mitsubayashi, at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and colleagues impregnated a mesh with the enzyme alcohol oxidase, which converts low molecular weight alcohols and oxygen into aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide. Horseradish peroxide and luminol were also immobilised on the mesh and together initiate a colour change in response to hydrogen peroxide. When this mesh is placed on top of a wine glass, colour images from a camera watching over the mesh on top of a glass of wine can be interpreted to map the concentration distribution of ethanol leaving the glass.

Different glass shapes and temperatures can bring out completely different bouquets and finishes from the same wine. So Mitsubayashi’s team analysed different wines, in different glasses – including different shaped wine glasses, a martini glass and a straight glass – at different temperatures.

At 13°C, the alcohol concentration in the centre of the wine glass was lower than that around the rim. Wine served at a higher temperature ...

Read more on http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...affect-flavor/

Sleep naked, body at a cool temperature increases the production of anti-aging hormone, melatonin. Furthermore, no inconvenience with buttons and seams. If you prefer, take out a sheet or blanket.

Do not look at your phone, Artificial light of television, mobile phone, the tablet and computer functions as a stimulant amending the internal clock. Avoid looking at such displays, especially when you are in the dark.

Hide the alarm clock, There is nothing more counterproductive than to be looking at the minutes pass. Think of the hours cause anxiety, so keep the watch where you will not see while sleeping.

Work out but ... Exercise is great for relieving stress and muscle tension, but preferably out between 16h and 19h. Do not even think about going to the gym in the four hours before its time to go to bed, because the body temperature and adrenaline levels will be very high.

Spread lavender is evidence that the aroma of this plant reduces the heart rate and blood pressure and has a relaxing effect. Pour a few drops on the pad may result.

Type your concerns, Anxiety raises the levels of stress and takes sleep away. Write a list of concerns before go to bed can relieve some pressure.

Breathe deeply the most important in the process of falling asleep is to calm the mind. Breathing exercises can help because not only slow down the heart rate and the nervous system as concentrate the mind on something else. Here is an example that should be repeated three times, exhale through the mouth, close your mouth and inhale through your nose for four seconds. Hold your breath for seven seconds and exhale for eight seconds.

Do not smoke at night, a cigarette before going to bed does not relax. Rather, nicotine increases heart rate and keeps the brain alert.

Even if you think that does not affect, do not drink coffee. Caffeine remains in the body for eight hours. If you are a large consumer of coffee, a spout in the afternoon can no longer prevent you from falling asleep, but disturbs the deep sleep, preventing it from rest.

Forget that alcohol helps sleep, It is true that alcohol can help you fall asleep deeply, the problem is then, when it interrupts the sleep cycle in the late evening. Moreover, the alcohol can cause interruptions in breathing, which may wake you up.

Drink a cup of hot milk, you knew? Great. But you know why it works? Because dairy products are rich in amino acid called tryptophan to induce sleep and contributes to the production of serotonin and melatonin, substances that cause drowsiness.

Eat a banana, is because of the melatonin and tryptophan that the banana becomes also a good sleep aid.

Check the mattress, the mattress Change every eight years is crucial to have good nights sleep without high or bothersome pits. In addition, the mattress should be adapted to each individual. The best is to test a minimum of 15 minutes in the store, experiencing the comfort of the back and stomach down.

Trial of Rafael Marques. "They are there to mine diamonds, but are killing people"
Inhabitants of Lunda went the court to confirm accusations made by Rafael Marques in "Blood Diamond.", Inhabitants of the Lunda diamond provinces in northern Angola interior, traveled more than twelve hours to witness this Thursday in Luanda court alleged cases of human rights violations committed in the diamond exploration. At issue is the trial opposing Angolan generals to journalist and activist Rafael Marques, who denounced these cases publicly, resumed Thursday in the Provincial Court of Luanda, happening behind closed doors.
http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/enti...6&q=60&o=f&l=f
The article is in Portuguese, here goes the link anyway http://www.msn.com/pt-pt/noticias/ot...=mailsignoutmd

I am reading "Sonhos de uma Rapariga Quase Normal" or “Dream On Girl” Rita Redshoes a very surrealist book and also a music.

Rita dreams and remembers everything. For every dream she made an illustration. 40 illustrations, 40 dreams: it is of these dreams we wanted to be made of.

http://images.portoeditora.pt/getres...Shi9&width=440

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD7D6zKuVrs

One study concluded that the Earth is entering a new phase of extinction. Three US universities led the research, the results show that the human race can be one of the most at risk of being lost.

Deforestation and climate change are cited as the main threats. In previous moments of mass extinction - taking as a basis the study of fossil and the history of the planet - the rate of disappearance species was more than 100 times higher when compared with other phases of the Earth.

The destabilization of biodiversity and the threat to ecosystems is one of the most serious environmental problems today, recalls the report. Scientists from the universities of Berkeley, Princeton and Stanford concluded now that vertebrates are currently disappearing at a rate 114 times higher than the normal.

I am reading an article with this title:
It has begun Chinese festival where 10,000 dogs are eaten.

It is very sad this life of dog
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/phot...6-1024-768.jpg

Despite the ceasefire established on 15 February this year, after the signing of the Minsk peace agreements, eastern Ukraine was the scene of escalating violence in early June. The intensity of the fighting then decreased, but there is still bloody clashes taking place regularly.

The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy.
Yanis Varoufakis

In this remarkable and provocative book, Yanis Varoufakis explodes the myth that financialisation, ineffectual regulation of banks, greed and globalisation were the root causes of the global economic crisis. Rather, they are symptoms of a much deeper malaise which can be traced all the way back to the Great Crash of 1929, then on through to the 1970s: the time when a ‘Global Minotaur’ was born. Just as the Athenians maintained a steady flow of tributes to the Cretan beast, so the ‘rest of the world’ began sending incredible amounts of capital to America and Wall Street. Thus, the Global Minotaur became the ‘engine’ that pulled the world economy from the early 1980s to 2008.

Today’s crisis in Europe, the heated debates about austerity versus further fiscal stimuli in the US, the clash between China’s authorities and the Obama administration on exchange rates are the inevitable symptoms of the weakening Minotaur; of a global ‘system’ which is now as unsustainable as it is imbalanced. Going beyond this, Varoufakis lays out the options available to us for reintroducing a modicum of reason into a highly irrational global economic order.

An essential account of the socio-economic events and hidden histories that have shaped the world as we now know it.

Greek islands are being sold at a loss. You want to buy?

http://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/t...6&q=60&o=f&l=f
It has a cost of 5.5 million euros. Location: Jónico.A Sea island has a wide valuable forest and there are huge privacy.

And many more on http://www.msn.com/pt-pt/viagens/art...=mailsignoutmd

I am reading ...

http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/enti...f&x=1314&y=565
1. Japan
Average: 86.2 years (Men: 85 Women: 87.3)

http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/enti...f&x=1300&y=742
2. Andorra
Average: 84.2 years (men: 80.8 Women: 87.6)

http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/enti...f&x=1604&y=929
3. Singapore
Average: 84 years (Men: 82 Women: 87)

...

http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/enti...6&q=60&o=f&l=f
33. Portugal
Average: 80 years (men: 76.9 Women: 82.8)

...

http://img.s-msn.com/tenant/amp/enti...6&q=60&o=f&l=f
36. United States
Average: 79.8 years (men: 77.4 Women: 82.2)

Learn about the 50 countries to live a long life.
http://www.msn.com/pt-pt/saude/medic...noutmd#image=4

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Book_Cover.jpg
Begin my reading of one of President Obama book for his vacation (no, I don't believe that he is reading it).
The book is a kind of what would happen if the world were ending? Yes in the line of the many dooms day books, an interesting reading till now (I am on the second chapter).

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Originally Posted by Duke of Buckingham

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Book_Cover.jpg
Begin my reading of one of President Obama book for his vacation (no, I don't believe that he is reading it).
The book is a kind of what would happen if the world were ending? Yes in the line of the many dooms day books, an interesting reading till now (I am on the second chapter).

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I am actually reading this same book right now. I'm about 2/3 done. I'm liking it a lot.

Finished this weekend "The Black Widow" from Daniel Silva and now reading "The Mayan Secrets" from Clive Cussler.

I'm almost finished the second book in the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Great set of fantasy books.

Since I got unemployed I've been reading a lot. When I first came here to UK we bought a bunch of small kids books so we could improve our English. Two years after all of them are read. This last Sunday we went back to the library and bought discarded books, 5 for one pound. First one is done, ''Kill me Once'' by Jon Orborne and now starting ''Deception'' by Jonathan Kellerman. All thrillers...lol