4
POPSHellas Basin Mars may have been so cold that the lake was covered with ice. But it's possible that life gained a foothold beneath the ice. So Hellas Basin preserves not only a record of our solar system's violent past -- but also signs that, billions of years ago, the Red Planet was a friendlier place for life.
8
POPSOkay; so we’re back to Square One. Where did the money come from? That’s right. According to Biderman, the money did not come from (a) companies (“which were a huge net seller”) (b) retail investor funds, (c) retail investors, (d) foreign investors, or (e) pension funds. What about the hedge funds? Biderman: “We have no way to track in real time what hedge funds do, and they may well have shifted some assets into U.S. equities. But we doubt their buying power was enormous because they posted an outflow of $12 billion from April through November.” Okay; so we’re back to Square One. Where did the money come from?
3
POPSHow to squeeze more sour from your sourdough starter More: I've learned a lot, however, since this posting 8 months ago. A couple of things that I now know make a LOT of difference. * Make sure that at least the final rise at about 85 degrees F: It really does make a huge difference in flavor and rise. The loaf I made today was just bursting out of the pan after only 2 hours of proofing at 85 degrees. * Lengthen the fermentation time: Whatever the amount of starter you're using, deflating the dough (preferably through stretching and folding) to give the dough more time to ferment will definitely increase flavor. Of all of these, the 85 degree proof is, I think, by far the most important.
2
POPSCongresswoman Dina Titus urges constituents to print their own money Earlier in the year, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner unveiled a new program designed to combat falling prices, called the No Sales & Low Prices, or NOSLOP, program. The target is for consumer staples to rise at least four or five times wages. So far, the efforts have failed to make prices rise substantially. This failure has been blamed on inadequate money printing measures by the Fed. "The Treasury has a plurality of tools at its disposal to combat price deflation and prevent people from finding bargains. We all know that consumers get upset at low prices, so we started a new program called No Sales & Low Prices . We are asking consumers to report any store that is advertising anything as being on sale, or if they find anything on a store shelf that is marked down," said Treasury Secretary Geithner. It is now a federal felony to lower prices without the approval of President Obama's Consumer Price Czar.
18
POPSWhat social media means to me... This is an excerpt from a piece I just wrote (it continues at the source). I was inspired to write it after looking at a series of photos labeled "The Decade in Pictures" that made me feel very sad about this past decade. After looking at them my only thought was that hopefully we are all so fed up with the way things have been that we can rally together to bring about a better decade ahead. The potential impact of social media gives me great hope! Oh, and i didn't realize that written posts didn't make their way into the Amplify Newsfeed of Public Timeline...i ought to rethink that :)
3
POPSAncient Mayans Had Sophisticated Water Systems "Perhaps the earliest known example of the intentional creation of water pressure was found on the island of Crete in a Minoan palace dating back to roughly 1400 BC. In the New World, the ability to generate water pressure was previously thought to have begun only with the arrival of the Spanish... " "There is a widely held view that the Maya were not necessarily great engineers because their buildings were relatively simple," French told LiveScience. "But in regards to water management their engineering expertise was by all accounts very impressive."
1
POPSBernard Madoff's Mexican Copper Mines In depth post discussing the striking similarities between the scandal involving Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme and Francisco d'Anconia's San Sebastian Copper Mines from Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". Article considers Madoff's actions in the context of how well they fit the fictional scenario written about by Madoff's friend Alan Greenspan's friend Ayn Rand, as depicted by the character of Francisco d'Anconio.
1
POPSAR-15 Photograph and accompanying article of and about the civilian-model AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle. The photo and article spawned an interesting conversation about assault rifles and overheating barrels. Is an assault rifle still a robust weapon if its barrel overheats when fired in rapid succession, requiring time to cool in between clips? Chances are, military versions of this weapon are modified to account for overheating, as it would not make much sense to bring a gun into battle that had to be put down every five minutes or so to cool off. It is my understanding that the issue of the overheating barrels is not unique to the AR-15 rifle in any way, and is a bit of an issue with practically all rapid-fire semi-autos, including the M-4.
4
POPSKennedy on the Effects of EMP Attack Think about this scenario: An ordinary-looking freighter ship heading toward New York or Los Angeles launches a missile from its hull or from a canister lowered into the sea. It hits a densely populated area. A million people are incinerated. The ship is then sunk. No one claims responsibility. There is no firm evidence as to who sponsored the attack, and thus no one against whom to launch a counterstrike. But as terrible as that scenario sounds, there is one that is worse. Let us say the freighter ship launches a nuclear-armed Shahab-3 missile off the coast of the U.S. and the missile explodes 300 miles over Chicago. The nuclear detonation in space creates an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Gamma rays from the explosion, through the Compton Effect, generate three classes of disruptive electromagnetic pulses, which permanently destroy consumer electronics, the electronics in some automobiles and, most importantly ......
14
POPSIs Mischief the world's oldest cat? ..."He sleeps for at least 16 hours a day and no longer ventures outside of the family's home in St Austell, Cornwall. Mrs Thorne, a housekeeper, said Mischief was still a 'huge part' of their family and is adored by their 20-month-old daughter, Skye. Her husband Chris, 51, has owned Mischief since he was 24. "
1
POPStechnology innovation technology- always makes me think of the "new and improved" line just cuz it is new? doesn't necessarily mean it is improved.............oh well- we all love life's little conveniences - etc.......
1
POPSThe history and the use of false face masks Among the Seneca False face masks are considered sacred by the Iroquois. Over the years, some Iroquois masks have sold to tourists. Called the leaders of the Iroquois people, however, gave a strong statement against this practice and for all masks in order to be returned to their homes of origin. Many museums and private collections have the False Face masks back to the Iroquois out of respect for their culture. Some are also afraidto possess them, since they may have specific properties that only use to belong to the Iroquois have.
3
POPSThe Drum Beat Of Constant Fear "But then there is the opposite view that this entire war mentality and progression of war will come to an end when the trillions of dollars that have fueled war will dry up as America is driven closer and closer to economic collapse. The irony of that possibility is this; that unnecessary war which is so very costly and damaging to our economic stability will be the very vehicle that destroys itself in the end."
12
POPSUN-Backed Troops Accused of Killing & Raping Civilians British-based organization Oxfam said. Human Rights Watch said it documented the killings of 732 civilians between January and September by the Congolese army and troops from neighboring Rwanda fighting alongside it. In the same period, it counted 701 civilians killed by the rebels they are fighting. “Some victims were tied together before their throats were, according to one witness, ’slit like chickens.’ The majority of the victims were women, children, and the elderly,” the group said. More than 7,500 cases of sexual violence against women and girls were registered at health centers during that nine-month period, nearly double that of 2008 and likely representing only a fraction of the total. Gateway Pundit Jim Hoyt http://bit.ly/6H6ewH Previously: UN Soldiers Arrested in Congo On Sex Abuse Charges UN Peacekeepers Trade Food for Sex… Again! UN Slapped with New Child Sex Scandal UN Faces Another Child Sex Scandal
1
POPSAbolishing the Federal Reserve Jim Rogers (CNBC) take on the Fed. Interesting VIdeo! * * * * * * * * * * "When a government is dependent upon bankers for money, they and not the leaders of the government control the situation, since the hand that gives is above the hand that takes... Money has no motherland; financiers are without patriotism and without decency; their sole object is gain." - Napoleon Bonaparte, 1815
6
POPSWhy you should care about government debt... so it starts. Congress has spent more money in the past 12 months then EVER has been spent by any Congress. And Pelosi was in charge the entire time. The House, Madam Speakers domain, has produced the largest budgets we have ever seen. And then spent more.
2
POPS Obama Banking Bill Passed by US House mortgages of financially struggling borrowers was defeated. David Hirschmann, a director of the US Chamber of Commerce, said: “While there is a laundry list of bad choices that were made by the House, the creation of the CFPA tops the list.” However, he said he was encouraged by the “growing group of moderate Democrats” who helped amend the bill to prevent states from setting tougher consumer protection standards. Another provision that has been resisted by banks allows regulators to impose a loss on creditors of failing financial institutions that need to be seized by the government. After stark warnings that the provision would make credit less liquid and more expensive, the size of the “haircut” to be imposed on creditors was reduced to up to 10 per cent and some securities were exempted. But it stayed in the bill. Read full Financial Times article at http://bit.ly/8SGlGW Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
4
POPSShelley One of my favourite poems. Think of it every time I pass by ruins of Mughal splendour in Delhi. Nothing remains bu enamel and stones, the nest of pigeons and parrots.
3
POPSFed rule halts red snapper fishing Oh well. How many jobs is this going to cut? I know....they'll hire the fishermen to be Federal officers patrolling the seas to catch those fish-violators. And can you imagine the price of one that makes it to the restaurant or supermarket? Will this help the fishing economy on the Left Coast? Wish the Feds would do something about the Chinese sucking oil from under our waters via Cuba.
2
POPSGPS Spying Who could even be surprised by this. And yet people want to carry around GPS transmitters. Unbelievable.
3
POPSFat Albert MOCKED by Jon Stewart What did they call it - Value Added Data? Or something similar. This sounds like the European VAT or Value Added Tax, which is what Cap and Trade is: a Value Added (Global Warming) Data Tax on our incomes.
4
POPSKentucky Census Worker Committed Suicide Very sad, but better than thinking he was murdered by "anti- gov'ment" people. Shame on him for trying to get someone else blamed for his death, though. Innocent people could have gotten hurt.
1
Pops
Newest Clips
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update