http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=data Thu, 23 May 2013 02:27:55 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=data Wed, 22 May 2013 17:45:08 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7a6_1369258800 dfaugust Thanks To QE Bernanke Has Injected Foreign Banks With Over $1 Trillion In Cash For First Time Ever Two years ago, Zero Hedge first made the observation that the bulk of Fed reserves (also known simply as " cash created out of thin air " because money is first and foremost fungible no matter what textbook theoreticians may claim, and the only cash allocation preference is the capital allocation IRR analysis) had been parked not with US banks, but with foreign banks with US-based operations. We followed that with more analyses , showing explicitly how the Fed was providing a constant cash injection to foreign banks courtesy of the rate on overnight reserves which is the amount Fed pays to banks that hold reserves with it, as the bulk of reserves continued to end up with foreign banks - a situation set to become a huge political storm some time in 2014-2015 when the IOER has to rise and the Fed is "found" to have injected tens of billions of "interest" not into US banks but in foreign banks operating in the US, and which then can upstream the "profits" to insolvent offshore domiciled holding companies. So it was our expectation that while if not slowing down its rate of money-creation (i.e., reserve-production) - something that won't happen for a long time as it would crash the stock market - the Fed's reserves would at least revert to being accumulated at US-based banks. No such luck. In fact as the latest H.8 report demonstrates, as of the most recently weekly data, the Fed's policies have led to foreign banks operating in the US holding an all time high amount of reserves, surpassing $1 trillion for the first time, or $1,033 Billion to be precise.This means that, as we expected several months ago, the only recipient of ongoing Fed money printing are not US banks, but foreign banks operating in the US. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-21/thanks-qe-bernanke-has-injected-foreign-banks-over-1-trillion-cash-first-time-ever http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7a6_1369258800 dfaugust Thanks To QE Bernanke Has Injected Foreign Banks With Over $1 Trillion In Cash For First Time Ever the Federal reserve, ben bernanke, democRATs, federal government, obama, clinton Mon, 20 May 2013 23:02:02 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4a6_1369104626 plokiju The first 'hard evidence' that other universes exist has been found by scientists. Cosmologists studying a map of the universe from data gathered by the Planck spacecraft have concluded that it shows anomalies that can only have been caused by the gravitational pull of other universes. The map shows radiation from the Big Bang 13.8billion years ago that is still detectable in the universe - known as cosmic microwave radiation. Scientists had predicted that it should be evenly distributed, but the map shows a stronger concentration in the south half of the sky and a 'cold spot' that cannot be explained by current understanding of physics. Laura Mersini-Houghton, theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Richard Holman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that anomalies in radiation existed and were caused by the pull from other universes in 2005. Now that she has studied the Planck data, Dr Mersini-Houghton believes her hypothesis has been proven. Her findings imply there could be an infinite number of universes outside of our own. She said: 'These anomalies were caused by other universes pulling on our universe as it formed during the Big Bang. 'They are the first hard evidence for the existence of other universes that we have seen.' Although some scientists remain sceptical about the theory of other universes, these findings may be a step towards changing views on physics. The European Space Agency, which runs the lb515million Planck telescope, said: 'Because precision of Planck's map is so high, it made it possible to reveal some peculiar unexplained features that may well require new physics to be understood.' Cambridge professor of theoretical physics Malcolm Perry told the Sunday Times that the findings could be real evidence of the existence of other universes. While George Efstathiou, professor of astrophysics at the university, told the newspaper: 'Such ideas may sound wacky now, just like the Big Bang theory did three generations ago. But then we got evidence and now it has changed the whole way we think about the universe.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2326869/Is-universe-merely-billions-Evidence-existence-multiverse-revealed-time-cosmic-map.html The Planck map of the CMBE shows the cold spot that could not be explained by modern physics, at least until now. Laura Mersini-Houghton, theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Richard Holman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, both theorized in 2005 these anomalies could be caused by the pull of other universes outside our own. However, these notions were mostly speculation until recently when new data from the Planck Telescope provided a much more detailed map of the radiation. Now the pair believes the data provides the first solid proof of multiverse theory. To date, their hypothesis is the only one that can explain the stronger radiation in the south and the cold spot in that hemisphere. Multiverse theory, if true, could explain a number of things including what caused the big bang that created the universe, what existed before the big bang, and why it is the universe appears precisely tuned to host human life, at least on planet Earth. http://www.catholic.org/technology/story.php?id=51025 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4a6_1369104626 plokiju MULTIVERSE DISCOVERY - First solid proof of other universes besides ours MULTIVERSE, DISCOVERY, First, solid, proof, universes, besides, ours, Planck, telescope Mon, 20 May 2013 22:13:58 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=497_1369102112 Detroit Iron by BRANDON DARBY 20 May 2013, 6:33 PM PDT Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) asked Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate election integrity org True the Vote and its associated Tea Party group, King Street Patriots, immediately before the IRS and DOJ began targeting the group in June 2010. Rep. Jackson Lee sent a letter to Holder which alleged that True the Vote was intimidating voters and their election monitors were crossing the line in unspecified "instances" of voter intimidation. The letter went on to directly assert that the "alleged events" were factual and that the True the Vote effort was behind the crimes. The letter offered no documented instances or data of any kind. The letter, titled "Voter Intimidation in Houston, Texas and Request for DOJ Poll Monitors to Be Sent," urged Holder to investigate with his DOJ and stated, "As a senior Member of the House Judiciary Committee, I urge you to order an immediate investigation into these incidents, and call for the Department of Justice to send poll monitors to Harris County immediately to ensure a safe and neutral voting environment during the November 2 election." "It was strange and concerning," said Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of King Street Patriots and True the Vote. "She first said there were unspecified reports of crimes and that we were believed to be behind them. In the next paragraph, she began specifically stating that the events did occur, thus accusing us of crimes." "We really thought, and still do for that matter, that the congresswoman was going on the offense as a defense. This happened immediately after our group found an unexplainable and unusually high number of voter registration irregularities in her district," said Engelbrecht. "None of our experts, none of our socio-economic comparisons and considerations could explain why her district had so many irregularities." Engelbrecht and True the Vote had previously sent a letter, along with documentation, to the DOJ regarding the unusually high number of voter registration irregularities in Rep. Jackson Lee's district. "We felt like the congresswoman was abusing her position to retaliate against us for doing our duty as Americans," said Engelbrecht. "Our offices are in her district and we were shocked that a congressional leaders didn't embrace our efforts to ensure election integrity. The message we got was that looking at irregularities in the Rep. Jackson Lee's district would result in the DOJ investigating us." Breitbart News previously released an in-depth analysis of True the Vote's experiences with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee titled: "Voter ID Laws: Racist or Reasonable." Follow Brandon Darby on Twitter: @BrandonDarby http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/20/Investigate-True-the-Vote-said-Sheila-Jackson-Lee-s-2010-Letter-To-DOJ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=497_1369102112 Detroit Iron REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE URGED FEDS TO 'INVESTIGATE TRUE THE VOTE' IN 2010 Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Attorney General Eric Holder, True the Vote, Tea Party group, King Street Patriots Mon, 20 May 2013 19:26:43 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e06_1369091143 Detroit Iron The D-Wave Two is the most advanced commercially available quantum computer in the world. These almost unfathomably futuristic machines can run more calculations in an instant than there are atoms in the universe By Carmel Lobello 12:50pm EST The nonprofit Universities Space Research Association just splurged on a new toy: A $10 million D-Wave Two quantum computer. The machine is the most advanced commercially available quantum computer in the world. USRA installed the device, which should be online by the end of September, at the new Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, where researchers from USRA, NASA, and Google will put it use. What is a quantum computer? Think of it this way: Regular computers process information using bits, which can innately have only one of two values (zero or one, plus or minus, yes or no, etc). Quantum computers use qubits, which can simultaneously represent more than one value. In that sense, "quantum computing could herald a new era of number-crunching," said Robert McMillan at Wired , by breaking out of the "binary" system of computing. USA Today explains: A quantum computer takes advantage of a principle in physics that on the atomic scale particles can be in many places at once or have multiple properties such as magnetism or an electrical charge simultaneously. They would store data in these multiple positions at once, unlike conventional computers, which only store one value or data point in their circuits at a time. USA Today ] That means Qubits can multitask, which results in outstanding power. "A quantum computer with 300 qubits could run more calculations in an instant than there are atoms in the universe," says Technology Review . Considering there are between 10 to the 78th power and 10 to the 82nd power atoms in the universe, quantum computers sound unfathomably, maybe even unnecessarily, fast. The fastest supercomputer, the Titan Cray XK47 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, can already perform quadrillions of calculations per second. What function could possibly need more power than that? Apparently, something called machine learning, or "the way computers take note of patterns of information to improve their outputs," says Quentin Hardy at the New York Times . "Personalized Internet search and predictions of traffic congestion based on GPS data are examples of machine learning." Hardy goes on: "The field is particularly important for things like facial or voice recognition, biological behavior, or the management of very large and complex systems." You can see why this might be appealing to Google, right? As Hartmut Neven, Google's director of engineering, wrote : We believe quantum computing may help solve some of the most challenging computer science problems, particularly in machine learning. Machine learning is all about building better models of the world to make more accurate predictions. If we want to cure diseases, we need better models of how they develop. If we want to create effective environmental policies, we need better models of what's happening to our climate. And if we want to build a more useful search engine, we need to better understand spoken questions and what's on the web so you get the best answer. Google ] http://theweek.com/article/index/244423/what-is-a-quantum-computer--and-why-does-google-need-one http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e06_1369091143 Detroit Iron What is a quantum computer - and why does Google need one? quantum computer, Universities Space Research Association Mon, 20 May 2013 19:24:31 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3fd_1369091684 RussleJimmiez Probably everywhere else too.. STATS HERE: http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats.htm There is a long-standing myth perpetrated by Blacks and White anti-racists like Tim Wise that Whites are more likely to molest children than any other race. This goes back to some stereotype of the creepy, nerdy, weirdo White guy who can't get laid so he molests kids. About time we shot this myth full of holes like it needs to be. Stats : % of total child molesters: White 51% African American 25% Hispanic 15% American Indian/Alaska Natives 2% Asian/Pacific Islanders 1% Relative to their population, likelihood of abuse compared to background population rate: American Indian +100% Blacks +92% Hispanics no difference Whites -35% Asian -67% On an individual basis, American Indians are most likely to molest a child, then Blacks, then Hispanics, then Whites, then Asians. The high Amerindian rate is probably due to the utterly collapsed nature of Amerindian families and societies as a whole. The high Black rate is because, well, Blacks have elevated rates of most crimes compared to Whites, Hispanics, Asians and Amerindians. I fail to see why child molesting should be an exception. Low Asian rate is probably because across almost all crime stats, Asians typically have the lowest rates of them all. As you can see, not only are Whites less likely to molest kids than Blacks, they have one of the lowest child molesting rates of any ethnic group in the US, surpassed only by Asians. One rejoinder to this argument is that those statistics include as a "child" persons all the way to age 17. Sex with a 14-17 year old is hardly child molestation. The argument is that while Blacks may be more likely to have sex with teens, Whites are more likely to have sex with an actual child under the age of 13. Child Abuse & Child Sexual Abuse ~ Substantiated Composition of substantiated child abuse in 2000: 879,000 children were victims of child maltreatment. Neglect ~ 63% Physical ~ 19% Sexual ~ 10% Psychological ~ 8% Victimization rates declined as age increased. Rate of victimization per 1,000 children of the same age group: Birth to 3 years old = 15.7 victims per 1,000. Ages 16 and 17 = 5.7 victims per 1,000. Except for victims of sexual abuse, rates were similar for male and female victimization: 11.2 and 12.8 per 1,000 children respectively. Rate of sexual abuse by gender: 1.7 victims per 1,000 female children 0.4 victims per 1,000 male children. Rate of child abuse by race: White = 51% African American = 25% Hispanic = 15% American Indian/Alaska Natives = 2% Asian/Pacific Islanders = 1% The comparative annual rate of child victims: decreased steadily from 15.3 victims per 1,000 children in 1993 to 11.8 victims per 1,000 children in 1999; then increased to 12.2 per 1,000 children in 2000. Whether this is a trend cannot be determined until additional data are collected. Source: US Dept of Health and Human Services , Administration for Children & Families, Child Welfare Information Gateway (formerly Nat'l Clearinghouse on Child Abuse & Neglect) , 2000. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3fd_1369091684 RussleJimmiez Black Male Top Pedophiles Crimes Per Capita in the USA. blacks, per, capita, highest, percent, pedophile, child, molesters, in, USA, WORLD Mon, 20 May 2013 14:10:37 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ed0_1369073108 plokiju The Kim case began in June 2009, when Rosen reported that U.S. intelligence officials were warning that North Korea was likely to respond to United Nations sanctions with more nuclear tests. The CIA had learned the information, Rosen wrote, from sources inside North Korea. The story was published online the same day that a top-secret report was made available to a small circle within the intelligence community - including Kim, who at the time was a State Department arms expert with security clearance. FBI investigators used the security-badge data, phone records and e-mail exchanges to build a case that Kim shared the report with Rosen soon after receiving it, court records show. In the documents, FBI agent Reginald Reyes described in detail how Kim and Rosen moved in and out of the State Department headquarters at 2201 C St. NW a few hours before the story was published on June 11, 2009. "Mr. Kim departed DoS at or around 12:02 p.m. followed shortly thereafter by the reporter at or around 12:03 p.m.," Reyes wrote. Next, the agent said, "Mr. Kim returned to DoS at or around 12:26 p.m. followed shortly thereafter by the reporter at or around 12:30 p.m." The activity, Reyes wrote in an affidavit, suggested a "face-to-face" meeting between the two men. "Within a few hours after those nearly simultaneous exits and entries at DoS, the June 2009 article was published on the Internet," he wrote. The court documents don't name Rosen, but his identity was confirmed by several officials, and he is the author of the article at the center of the investigation. Rosen and a spokeswoman for Fox News did not return phone and e-mail messages seeking comment. Reyes wrote that there was evidence Rosen had broken the law, "at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator." That fact distinguishes his case from the probe of the AP, in which the news organization is not the likely target. Using italics for emphasis, Reyes explained how Rosen allegedly used a "covert communications plan" and quoted from an e-mail exchange between Rosen and Kim that seems to describe a secret system for passing along information. In the exchange, Rosen used the alias "Leo" to address Kim and called himself "Alex," an apparent reference to Alexander Butterfield, the man best known for running the secret recording system in the Nixon White House, according to the affidavit. Rosen instructed Kim to send him coded signals on his Google account, according to a quote from his e-mail in the affidavit: "One asterisk means to contact them, or that previously suggested plans for communication are to proceed as agreed; two asterisks means the opposite." He also wrote, according to the affidavit: "What I am interested in, as you might expect, is breaking news ahead of my competitors" including "what intelligence is picking up." And: "I'd love to see some internal State Department analyses." Court documents show abundant evidence gathered from Kim's office computer and phone records, but investigators said they needed to go a step further to build their case, seizing two days' worth of Rosen's personal e-mails - and all of his e-mail exchanges with Kim. Privacy protections limit searching or seizing a reporter's work, but not when there is evidence that the journalist broke the law against unauthorized leaks. A federal judge signed off on the search warrant - agreeing that there was probable cause that Rosen was a co-conspirator. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-rare-peek-into-a-justice-department-leak-probe/2013/05/19/0bc473de-be5e-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html See the search warrant: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/local/affidavit-for-search-warrant/162/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ed0_1369073108 plokiju FBI Called A Fox News Reporter A 'Co-Conspirator' In A Leak Investigation FBI, Called, Fox, News, Reporter, Co-Conspirator, Leak, Investigation Mon, 20 May 2013 05:22:27 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c8_1369040751 userkc A brief summary of the situation in Syria for 18 May 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnfqb_UzGa4 ANNA News http://www.youtube.com/user/newsanna http://anna-news.info/ May 18 Ham in the liberated areas of the province of Hama Peace life. during his stay militants of Al-Nusra this area suffered enormous material damage, traces of their savagery is destroyed businesses schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, overgrown fields and manicured gardens. Thousands of civilians were killed by bandits, tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes to escape the atrocities of terrorists in other parts of Syria or in neighboring Lebanon. The Syrian Arab Army brought the long-awaited peace in the area. to restore order, cleared debris, restored houses businesses power lines, water lines, roads. People began to leave without fear to work in the gardens and orchards. Daraa. Daraa province returned to civilian life. In the village Nasib, that is located on the Syrian-Jordanian border, reopened crossing points and customs. Tens and hundreds of people cross these checkpoints. but it is especially pleasing to the eye convoy of heavy vehicles, which are delivered to Syria national economic goods is very necessary for the recovery of war-torn Syria.life is getting better. the leaders of the terrorist organization Al-Nusra realizing that they both had and have no support among Syrian civilians continue to swell the ranks of his gang the most vile ways. blackmail, fraud, kidnapping up to the violence. Former Syrian army tells how gunmen abducted, tortured and tormented by their families and relatives were in the occupied regions with the requirement that the data were soldiers deserted from the army and went over to the bandits. fearing for the lives of loved ones, they were forced to leave their units and move into the ranks of the militants of Al-Nusra. when Syrian President Bashir Assad was declared a general amnesty for members of gangs, groups then these soldiers sent their families and relatives in a safe place. they came and surrendered to the authorities in Syria. on the facts of review. ANNA News Agency Marat Musin, Igor Nadyrshin, Andrey Filatov, Viktor Kuznetsov Syria http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c8_1369040751 userkc A brief summary of the situation in Syria for 18 May 2013 Syria Mon, 20 May 2013 03:26:35 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1b3_1369034499 kellybales Seven top cyber safety measures for business One in five Australian businesses suffered an electronic breach or cyber attack in 2012. Most report an average of two attacks a year. Companies put their own ability to effectively secure their organisation at 4.5 out of 10. Australia is now 21st in the most attacked nations list, up from 24th. Statistics on the lack of business cyber security and increase in cyber attacks abound. It's no wonder experts continue to warn that poor security practices can compromise company finances and put commercial and customer information in the wrong hands. According to Australia's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) 2012 Cyber Crime and Security Survey Report in February, 20 per cent of Australian businesses were the subject of hacking or other cyber-attacks last year. The most serious involved the use of malicious software including ransomware and scareware, which extort payments for the return of data; trojan or rootkit malware, which lodge in the company's systems to steal information; theft or breach of confidential information; and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Advertisement In Operation Lino, Australia's biggest investigation into compromised credit cards, it was found that a Romanian criminal syndicate gained access to 500,000 Australian credit cards, and about 30,000 credit cards were used for fraudulent transactions amounting to more than $30 million. "Businesses were compromised, where full control of their computers gave full access to point-of-sale terminals, which gave access to details of all credit cards," says Brad Marden, Australian Federal Police acting manager for cyber crime operations. According to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report released Tuesday, AUstralia experienced an increase inthe level of cybercrime in 2012 and is now ranked 21st in the most targeted nations by cyber criminals. Peter Sparkes, Symantec's director for managed security services, said Australia's enthusiasm for technology was partly the reason. "As a nation of early adopters with a strong economy which uses technology to remain competitive, Australia is turning out to be an attractive target for cybercriminals," Sparkes said in a statement. A study of 485 Australian technology and security professionals by the Ponemon Institute for Juniper Networks released this week as part of a global survey, found respondents rated their own organisation's security effectiveness as 4.5 out of 10. They rated their organisation's ability to quickly detect and prevent cyber attacks also as poor at 4.4 and 4.6, respectively. The report said the issues that keep most IT and IT security practitioners up at night are "the theft of their organisation's intellectual property, including research and development, business strategies and industrial processes"; and the theft of "confidential information used to obtain authentication credentials to infiltrate networks and enterprise systems". But Marden says 85 per cent of cyber intrusions can be prevented, and recommends adopting some of the Australian government's Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) strategies. Security vendors also offer similar advice. Here are some of the basic tips: Tags: article code 85258083266HA, hass associates cyber warning tipsand reviews 12.75pt;vertical-align:baseline"> http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1b3_1369034499 kellybales Hass Associates Cyber Warning Tipsand Reviews - 2012 Cyber Crime article code 85258083266HA, hass associates cyber warning tipsand reviews Sat, 18 May 2013 16:47:33 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=462_1368909463 harryk (CLICK on " this infographic" to see the complete MAP ) a recent study by two Swedish economists has shed light on the world's most and least racially tolerant countries, and the results might surprise you. While the United States is ranked among the most tolerant on the globe (some may find this predictable, others may not), Europe presents a greater range of tolerance levels, with several countries in the second and third least tolerant ranges. The study was aimed at discerning a correlation between a country's level of economic freedom and its racial tolerance. The latter was defined by one simple question, as asked in the World Values Survey: Whom would you not want as a neighbor? Those who selected "people of other races" were categorized as intolerant for the purposes of this investigation. Countries were then ranked by percentage of responses: the fewer "intolerant" respondents, the more tolerant the country. While the Swedish researches found no conclusive results regarding any strong correlation between economic development and tolerance, a recent Washington Post article article went back to the original survey source and compiled a greater sample of data for the purposes of determining other potential relationships between a country and its perceived level of tolerance. According to this infographic , the U.S. falls into the most tolerant category, with only 0-4.9% of those surveyed responding that they would not want to live near people of other races. Our neighbor to the north responded in kind, while Mexico ranked in the second-tier of tolerance, making the totality of North America look like a big amalgamation of racial harmony. While this may or may not actually be the case (people lie on surveys, the Washington Post authors note) it certainly provides a compelling lens for analyzing the less concordant results of Europe. Albania appears to be the least tolerant on the European continent in the second lowest 30-39.9% range. While potential explanations for such a severe distinction from its neighboring states abound, arriving at a concrete conclusion for intolerance is likely a futile pursuit. Croatia, for example, ranks in the 5-9.9%t category (the same as Mexico), achieving the most tolerant in the Balkan region. Both ethnic Croats and Albanians were involved in the conflicts that embroiled the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and such ethnic strife undoubtedly contributes to a heightened sensitivity to ethnic and racial relations. However, given its distinctly intolerant stance, Albania, for reasons not easily explained by its history of conflict, seems to have lagged behind in recovering from regional tensions. While Albania's ranking may be difficult to explain, it is not the sole European state at the intolerant end of the spectrum. France ranked just above, in the 20-29.9% range. In contrast, adjacent Germany and Spain, fell into the same tier as Mexico and Croatia. Rounding out the bottom of the list are India, Jordan, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong in the 40%+ range. A potential explanation for this, is that the less heterogeneous the society, the less tolerant. While this logic might follow for Albania, what is France's excuse? On the flipside, one might argue that changes in patterns to immigration or perceived and unwanted changes to a social fabric might play a role. Remember when France decided to ban religious garments in public ? That was probably a good indication of where France was at on the tolerance spectrum, no survey needed. Ultimately, the survey presents an intriguing model for analyzing tolerance between countries. But with the above in mind, it is only a small piece of the larger picture. Wherever states are suppressing civil liberties in broad and unapologetic ways, intolerance is likely lurking not too far below. (policymic web page) http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=462_1368909463 harryk Map reveals the most racist countries in the world. racist,world,map,countries, Sat, 18 May 2013 15:08:54 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=595_1368903943 th1sf8te Support for the UK Independence Party has reached a record 19%, according to a poll which saw both Labour and the Tories losing ground. Labour was down three points to 35%, the Conservatives were down one to 29% and the Liberal Democrats were unchanged on 8%. The ComRes poll for the Sunday Mirror and Independent on Sunday found support for Nigel Farage's party was up 4% since the last survey a month ago and gives Ukip the highest share recorded by any pollster. According to the study 46% of Britons would vote to leave the European Union in a referendum now, compared with 24% who would stay in. But if some powers were returned to the UK from Brussels 43% would vote to remain in the EU, with just 24% determined to see Britain leave. The poll found just 26% said David Cameron was a good Prime Minister, a record low in ComRes studies, while 31% believed Ed Miliband was performing well as Labour leader, a new high. The survey revealed that 57% of voters believed Mr Cameron's party was more divided over Europe than it was under Sir John Major, with 14% disagreeing. But there was some comfort for the Prime Minister, with 49% of voters saying the offer of a European referendum would be important to them at the next general election, with 27% disagreeing. And 32% believed Mr Cameron would make the best prime minister of the party leaders, with 24% opting for Mr Miliband. ComRes interviewed 2,017 British adults online on May 15/16. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all adults and by past vote recall. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=595_1368903943 th1sf8te UKIP HITS OPINION POLL HIGH OF 19% UKIP HITS OPINION POLL HIGH OF 19% Sat, 18 May 2013 13:28:43 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e02_1368897969 mynipplesexploded Brian Handwerk For National Geographic News Published April 30, 2013 How many conservatives does it take to change a light bulb? A more intriguing question might be, "How many conservatives can you persuade to switch to energy-efficient light bulbs?" New research suggests that fewer will buy such bulbs when they're labeled as being good for the environment, largely because the issue of carbon emission reductions is so politically polarizing in the United States. "I think we've shown the negative consequences of environmental messaging," explained Dena Gromet , of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, lead author of a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . "In particular, you can lose significant portions of people who would otherwise be interested in these products when you use that environmental labeling. So it indicates that different messages can reach different groups." (See related interactive: " Light Bulb Savings Calculator .")The United States is one of many countries forcing a switch to more efficient light bulbs. In January, new efficiency requirements went into effect for 75-watt incandescent bulbs, following new standards on 100-watt bulbs a year earlier. (See related story: " U.S. Bids Farewell to the 75-Watt Incandescent Light Bulb .") The changes are driving a projected 857 kilowatthour-per-household reduction in energy used for U.S. residential lighting by 2040, a greater cut than for any other area of household energy use. But consumer complaints have been persistent, and Congress cut funding to enforce the standards. (See related quiz: " What You Don't Know About Energy-Efficient Lighting. ") The Importance of Price Gromet and colleagues from Wharton and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business first queried 657 volunteers to find out whether their opinions on energy-efficient products were split along a political divide. They were, she reported, and the issue of emissions reductions explained much of that ideological distance.Then, a set of 210 potential buyers were armed with information on the benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which last 9,000 hours longer than incandescent bulbs, and cut energy costs by 75 percent. They were asked to choose between lower efficiency and higher efficiency options; efficient bulbs were offered, labeled with a "protect the environment" sticker in some cases, and at other times with a blank sticker.Political divisions appeared in purchasing choices-but not until price became an issue. When all bulbs were priced the same, every participant save one chose the energy-efficient option regardless of political persuasion."That indicates that people recognize the greater economic value of the bulb when there isn't a higher up-front cost," Gromet explained. But when the study represented retail realities, that more efficient options carry a higher up-front price tag (though consumers save money in the long run through lowered utility bills), fewer conservatives were willing to pay the extra cash for bulbs labeled as good for the environment."Our results demonstrated that a choice that wasn't ideologically polarizing without a ("protect the environment") label became polarizing when we included that environmental labeling," Gromet said. "We saw a significant drop-off in conservative people choosing to buy a more expensive, energy-efficient option."The explanation, Gromet suggests, could lie in labeling a consumer choice to represent values that simply aren't shared by all buyers-in this case the environmental issue of reducing carbon emissions."So it makes that choice unattractive to some people even if they recognize that it may be a money-saving choice. When we asked afterward, those consumers identified the CFL bulbs as providing greater monetary savings over time. But they would forgo that option when that product was made to represent a value that was not something they wanted to be identified with." (See related: " Missing the Chance for Big Energy Savings .")The study also suggested that pro-environmental messages don't have much of a positive influence on liberal consumers at the other end of the political spectrum. "We didn't see a significant boost among political liberals when we used the environmental message in our study," Gromet added. "We'd need a lot more data, but one possibility stemming from that is that you're not necessarily getting that much of a boost on the liberal side." Other Factors at Work? Jacquelyn Ottman , a marketing consultant specializing in sustainability who wrote The New Rules of Green Marketing , said she wouldn't expect green labeling to provide a big consumer boost for liberals or conservatives. People buy green products for the value they represent and because they work, she explained. Environmentally aware consumers do appreciate health benefits, and hope to protect the future for their families, but they aren't entirely swayed by green messaging, she said."Green marketing I lump in with things like 'made in America' or 'the union label.' They are nice for some people to think about when purchasing and maybe they add a little value are not really game-changers in terms of swaying decisions. Some people conclude that Americans don't care about the environment because if they did they'd be buying more green products. But by that logic you'd say Americans don't care about America because if they did they'd be buying more 'made in America' products also."As for the possible negative implications of green labeling, Ottman said other factors are likely at work besides politics. Some green offerings still battle stereotypes from decades ago, she said, when many were viewed as "alternative" products that simply didn't work as well and weren't produced by the larger brands consumers had come to trust. "There is a lingering misconception about green products that they don't work and that they are overpriced because they are gouging people based on their sentiments about saving the planet," she said.Some recent market research suggests that a different factor might be at work: Consumer dislike for CFLs may be a far greater problem than price or messaging. Sales of solid-state LED lighting are growing rapidly , even though this high-efficiency choice is more costly than CFLs. The Wharton-Duke study did not test attitudes on LEDs. (See related post: " LED Holiday Lights Boost the Season's Energy Efficiency .")Ottman added that some marketers might be more interested to learn about how short-term versus long-term savings factor into consumers' decision making, especially vis-`a-vis premium pricing for many environmentally preferable products-including light bulbs.That's an issue Gromet hopes to explore as well, along with energy independence and other benefits of efficient products unrelated to the environment."It's an open question whether emphasizing those other aspects of energy-efficiency might have different appeal to different (political sensibilities) and a different impact on consumer decisions," she said.Editors' note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that household energy use for lighting was projected to decrease by 857 percent. It has been corrected to reflect the reduction is 857 kilowatthours. This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge . http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/04/130430-light-bulb-labeling/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e02_1368897969 mynipplesexploded Pro-Environment Light Bulb Labeling Turns Off Conservatives, Study Finds Conservative, GOP, Right, Environment, Green Sat, 18 May 2013 12:31:42 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=490_1368894571 10fold KAZAKHSTAN - After five months in space, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield was shocked to discover his cell phone provider has charged him well over a million dollars for data usage and roaming charges while he was in space."This is ridiculous," said the 53 year-old who recently commanded the International Space Station and a proud owner of an iPhone 5. "I only Instagrammed a few hundred pictures of the sun coming up over the Sahara Desert and a thunderstorm over the Pacific Ocean, posted my videos of me eating in space a few dozen times on Twitter and watched a few YouTube videos of goats that sound like humans and that's it!" When asked why he didn't buy a better data plan, Hadfield responded "I didn't want to pay for an additional $20 a month rip-off when I'm orbiting the earth in 90 minutes." "My parents are going to kill me!" he added. http://www.thebeaverton.com/hadfield-comes-home-to-1-37-million-rogers-phone-bill.html## http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=490_1368894571 10fold Hadfield comes home to $1.37 million Rogers phone bill Hadfield comes home to $1.37 million Rogers phone bill spoof