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1_Pirate
GOP Platform Chair: Rape (a.k.a a "method of conception") A 'Detail' In The Abortion Debate
August 27, 2012 August 27, 2012 RobotPirateNinja bullshit, Election 2012, government, Opinion, pirate, Poli-Fi, Republican Assholes, us Tags: Abortion, birth control, Legitimate Rape, Methods of Conception, Paul Ryan, War on Women Leave a comment
McDonnell: We're affirming that we're a pro-life party.The details certainly are left to Congress and, ultimately, to the states and the people on how they ratify such an amendment. More importantly, what they do at the state level.
Stephanapoulous: So is the party for a rape exception or not?
McDonnell: The party didn't make any judgment on that. It's a general proposition to say we support human life. The rest of the details are up to the states and the people respectively, George. That's simply not covered.
via GOP Platform Chair: Rape A 'Detail' In The Abortion Debate | ThinkProgress.
On top of that we also get this wonderful euphemism for rape from none other than Paul Ryan.
Here's the problem…Republicans want to somehow claim that giving into religious extremists on birth control, outlawing all abortion (even in the case of "illegitimate methods of conception"), and bashing Obama's achievements in gender equality is somehow *in support* of women, and it's really the Democrats who are waging a "war on women".
(As a quick aside, I find it hilarious that the champions of the annual TV-event, the "War on Christmas", take such umbrage about the usage of the term "War on Women" to describe the methodical nature of Republican's attempts to limit the rights and freedoms of women. It'd be more funny if it wasn't so blatantly hypocritical…but I guess that's why it *is* funny…so I'm left in something of a pickle in my not-so-quick aside.)
So, yea…there you have it. Sure, publicly Republicans denounce Todd Akin as an outlier…but the reality of the party's platform is that it is 100% aligned with the heart of Akin's comments; "Rape ain't no excuse, no abortions for anyone…life for all."
Yes, folks, for a little while in Florida this week, as bizarro universe melds with ours as religious leaders keeping secular employees from getting birth control is called "religious freedom" (as is banning the building of non-Christian places of worship), and "small government" is all about controlling what the majority of the population can and can't do with their reproductive organs.
GOP 2012…in a nutshell…
…and should probably be in a nuthouse…but they cut funding for those too, if you haven't been able to tell by the number of mass shootings lately.
States have cut more than $1.6 billion in general funds from their state mental health agency budgets for mental health services since FY2009, a period during which demand for such services increased significantly. These cuts translate into loss of vital services such as housing, Assertive Community Treatment, access to psychiatric medications and crisis services.
Modest increases in state general fund mental health spending fail to compensate for the loss in federal Medicaid revenues that hit states due to reductions in federal Medicaid rates implemented at the end of June 2011. Moreover, to make up for these lost federal Medicaid revenues, states such as Arizona and Ohio have shifted state general fund mental health dollars to Medicaid recipients, leaving many non-Medicaid recipients with serious mental illness without services.
Romney revives tax discussion with admission of tax avoiding history and expertise
August 24, 2012 August 27, 2012 RobotPirateNinja Big Business, bullshit, Election 2012, government, history, money, pirate, Poli-Fi, sad, us Tags: math, Mitt Romney, Tax Evasion Leave a comment
Romney Says Corporations Familiar With 'Low-Tax Havens' – Businessweek
The newly released Bain records show that Romney took advantage of investments with the firm that achieved a low tax rate, for example, by engaging in what are known as management- fee conversions or fee waivers. Bain Capital Fund VII LP disclosed in a 2009 report that the general partner in the fund had in the past waived management fees and converted those fees into an interest in the fund called a "priority profit share." That had the effect of turning fees that would be taxed at ordinary income rates, as high as 35 percent, into capital gains, taxed at a rate of 15 percent.
So by using this loophole he is essentially cutting his tax rate from 35% to 15%. A 20% reduction. Considering he made $20M last year, 15% is $3m. 35% is $7M. So he is getting a roughly $4m/yr tax loophole.
Multiple this by 10 years, and you find the $40M he used to run for President in 2008. You'll also find that the U.S. ran a budget deficit this whole time, so a good portion of Mitt's tax loophole money was replaced with borrowed from China money.
The thing about this is…it only takes 300,000 people paying that extra $4M/yr to make up our $1,200,000,000,000/yr deficit.
300,000,000 million people in the country, divided by 300,000…is the top 0.1%. I.e. the top 10% of the top 1%.
In 2005 (seven years ago), the top 0.1% averaged nearly $1.7M each.
So while closing this loophole doesn't completely close our budget gap in and of itself, it closes a good portion of it…and does so in a responsible manner.
Right now we are borrowing from the wealthy to pay our bills rather than taxing them. The same folks are then turning around and using that money to "job create…." in the sense that Mitt Romney is using that money to run for President…again (he took the $17m he spent in 2008 as a loss on a personal loan to himself on his 2009 tax returns…one would assume…since he is hiding them and it makes sense to do so).
Far from being the petty thoughts of small minds, wondering how much folks like Mitt pay in taxes, and how they have avoided them in a very relevant discussion in 2012…at least if anyone knows how math works.
Paul Ryan…actually a perfect fit for Mitt on the "Blatant Hypocrisy 2012" Ticket
August 17, 2012 August 23, 2012 RobotPirateNinja bullshit, Election 2012, government, history, money, pirate, Poli-Fi, us Tags: Huge Hypocrite, Hypocrite, Lying about it, Paul Ryan, taking Stimulus Money Leave a comment
After repeated denials, Paul Ryan has admitted he requested stimulus cash even after sharply criticizing the program.
Ryan had denied doing so as recently as Wednesday, when he spoke to ABC's Cincinnati affiliate, WCPO, in Ohio.
"I never asked for stimulus," Mitt Romney's new running mate said. "I don't recall… so I really can't comment on it. I opposed the stimulus because it doesn't work, it didn't work."
"I'm not one [of those] people who votes for something then writes to the government to ask them to send us money. I did not request any stimulus money," the congressman answered.
In 2009, Ryan wrote to Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis asking for stimulus money to cover costs on two energy conservation projects in his home state of Wisconsin. In the letter, Ryan said the funds would help create jobs and reduce "energy consumption" in the state. At least one of the companies received the requested cash.
Thursday, Ryan responded to the questions himself.
"After having these letters called to my attention I checked into them, and they were treated as constituent service requests in the same way matters involving Social Security or Veterans Affairs are handled," Ryan said in a statement. "This is why I didn't recall the letters earlier. But they should have been handled differently, and I take responsibility for that.
"Regardless, it's clear that the Obama stimulus did nothing to stimulate the economy, and now the President is asking to do it all over again."
via Presented With Letters, Ryan Admits Requesting Stimulus Cash – ABC News.
[all emphasis added]
So you see…despite him claiming not to have requested funds…he actually did…and despite him claiming it was failure…it actually helped create jobs in his district.
Then…he turns around and claims he didn't remember doing this becausehe wrote those letters a regular, concerned citizen…not as a Representative of the United States.
See…ta-da! Issue retroactively retired.
UPDATE: As suspected…he issued these "concerned, regular, citizen" requests on Congressional letterhead.
I Guess That Makes It Official, Game On [WARNING: REALITY]
October 26, 2011 RobotPirateNinja economy, Election 2012, friends, government, money, OWS, pirate, robot, us, war Tags: Government Thugs, Marine, Oakland, ows, Scott Olsen Leave a comment
If you are wondering what the crowd is a gathering around when the government thugs use a flashbang, it's this man.
If you are wondering what kind of low-life scum sucking socialistic parasite he is to be attending such a protest, first up, fuck you, second, here you go.
Oakland's independent police review body will examine the clashes between riot officers and protesters that left an Iraq war veteran in a critical condition as Occupy protestors prepare to rally at the same spot for a third night of protests.
Police battled protesters following an Occupy Oakland march to demonstrate against the closing of two occupations in the city in the early hours of Tuesday morning. More than 100 people have been arrested in Oakland since police cleared a camp in Frank Ogawa plaza.
Scott Olsen, 24, suffered a fractured skull and brain swelling after he was allegedly hit in the head by a police projectile during the clashes on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Highland hospital in east Oakland confirmed he was critically ill after being admitted on Tuesday night.
One thing I generally know is that when people have nothing left, or very little to risk other than their own skin in the game, they tend to push toward extreme solutions. There is a race on now, and that race is whether or not our society can change fast enough to keep itself relevant to the vast majority of the people in our society. It's dang near an article of faith around here.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
To be clear, I don't think OWS is, as of yet, a full-on revolutionary movement. But there is a stark difference in what is going on here and what happened with the Tea Party.
It's evident now that "Tea Party" is really just code for "Hardcore Republican". I call them "Fox News Republicans" and their ultimate act of defiance culminated in the 2010 elections. This hugely revolutionary act was to elect a bunch of…wait for it…hardcore Republicans to the House, and give control of that chamber back to the folks who had it under Bush. (they failed in the Senate, because Senate districts, known as "states", are harder to gerrymander and get nutjobs elected on straight party votes than house districts).
So any comparison between the two "movements" is shallow at best, and more likely the result of lazy "left-right" thinking than any real analysis.
There's a book that one needs to read to understand why I'm being so melodramatic (I'm not) about the situation, and throwing out big words and bloody pictures. It's here. A very quick read, in it you will find a section about this.. (from the 'pedia).
To be successful, these mass movements need the adherents to be willing to sacrifice themselves and others for the future goals. To do so, mass movements often glorify the past and devalue the present. Mass movements appeal to frustrated people who are dissatisfied with their current state, but are capable of a strong belief in the future. As well, mass movements appeal to people who want to escape a flawed self by creating an imaginary self and joining a collective whole. Some categories of people who may be attracted to mass movements include poor people, misfits, former soldiers, and people who feel thwarted in their endeavors.
To put it simply, you fucked with the wrong Marine.
I'm not sure if you folks are aware, but our President (the one who won a Nobel Peace Prize) is ending wars left and right. He's going to end the one in Afghanistan before the 2012 election, bank on it. That's a whole lot less soldiers being needed, a whole bunch of which are going to get shafted by a government now focused on cutting spending (on them).
That's, as they use to say in that commercial, two great tastes that taste great together, a purpose…and an army.
OWS isn't going away. A good portion of the 99% are paying attention, and now there's blood on the ground. Our blood, on our ground.
So yea…like I said…game on.
Idiot Billionaire Says Stupid Stuff, Makes Money Off It
August 16, 2011 August 16, 2011 RobotPirateNinja bullshit, Election 2012, pirate, Poli-Fi, Tea Party, us Tags: Cameron Todd Willingham, death penalty, Donald Trump, Idiot Billionaire, Rick Perry, treason Leave a comment
News from The Associated Press http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TRUMP_2012?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-08-16-15-50-08
Trump also defended Perry's suggestion Monday that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would be committing a "treasonous" act if he pumped more money into the economy. "It was a meaningless phrase, it was just rhetorical. He's very emotional about how the country is doing,"
Trump said of Perry, pushing back on President George W. Bush's former political director Karl Rove and other Republicans who have criticized Perry's comment. "Karl Rove is an empty hat," Trump said. "We ended up with Obama because of Karl Rove and George W. Bush."
My apologies for even mentioning this asshat, but the whole "treasonous" thing is not meaningless*.
Calling the Fed Chairman a traitor for "printing money" is dumb on so many levels I can't evem….words fail….I'm going to have to find a PhotoShop.
Regardless, what Perry is doing is VERY SMART politics. That stock market rally/dump last week? The main reason is wasn't completely one-sided was that Bernanke left the door open to QE3. It probably won't happen, but it brought some calm to some very dangerous waters.
What Perry is doing is pre-emptively attacking any move by *anyone* that may do *anything* to improve our economy before 2012 as a partisan political move. "He's only helping you find work so it'll help Obama, that bastard!"
The Republicans are playing a dangerous game here. Running on a "failed recovery" for 14 months can get tiresome, especially when there is some improvement. Constantly saying "it's been raining all summer" when it's been over 100 degrees for 48 of the last 50 days eventually wear's thin, one would think.
But as the Idiot Billionaire notes, by that time everyone will have forgotten that it was Bush's policies, not his personality, that led to financial collapse. And if they sell it hard enough, Republicans might even convince enough folks that TARP, and the Stimulus, and the bailouts actually *caused* the worst financial crisis in living memory.
You'd be surprised what a catchy slogan and a billion dollars can do to shape a culture's perception. Heck, it can even re-write history.
* check that Constitution you love so much, Rick, for that thing you like to do to people so much you don't really care if they turn out to be innocent after all. There's a specific penalty mentioned for that thing you just accused the Fed Chairman of. You hoping to pull the switch yourself? Or just hire a buddy to do it on taxpayer dime?
Funny note: From the linked article…
Dozens of studies have shown that witnesses' memories of events often change when they are supplied with new contextual information. Itiel Dror, a cognitive psychologist who has done extensive research on eyewitness and expert testimony in criminal investigations, told me, "The mind is not a passive machine. Once you believe in something—once you expect something—it changes the way you perceive information and the way your memory recalls it."
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann#ixzz1VFBGPmVy
[ahem..although what one mind finds logical often has more to do with emotion, curiously enough]
LulzSec Calls It Quits
June 25, 2011 June 25, 2011 RobotPirateNinja pirate Tags: Arr Matey, Lulzsec, pirate 1 Comment
LulzSec Calls It Quits.
Arr, matey, seem the ship has sailed. Torrenting the booty as we speak. Having to see what fun stuff the lulz-machine generated this time around. Here's the official ascii-art press release.
booty/50 Days of Lulz.txt 2.64 KiB
booty/AOL internal data.txt 63.6 KiB
booty/AT&T internal data.rar 314.59 MiB
booty/Battlefield Heroes Beta (550k users).csv 24.67 MiB
booty/FBI being silly.txt 3.82 KiB
booty/Hackforums.net (200k users).sql 111.2 MiB
booty/Nato-bookshop.org (12k users).csv 941.8 KiB
booty/Office networks of corporations.txt 3.87 KiB
booty/Private Investigator Emails.txt 2.52 KiB
booty/Random gaming forums (50k users).txt 6.08 MiB
booty/Silly routers.txt 67.7 KiB
booty/navy.mil owned.png 240.51 KiB


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Russian space ship malfunctions, breaks up over Siberia
That's why this one was carrying extra fuel: You can either use engines on the Progress spacecraft to shift the space station after it's docked, or use the fuel the cargo ship carried to power the engines on the Russian segment of the station. (more...)
It's Big Ten's world in college rankings
Some of those 128 teams don't really belong among the contenders. Western Michigan 18. Stanford 19. So if Washington beats Colorado in Friday's Pac-12 championship game, the committee will have to choose between the Huskies at 12-1 and an 11-2 Big Ten champion, either Penn State or Wisconsin, for the final spot in the playoffs. (more...)
Shahid, Mira Rajput to appear on 'Koffee with Karan'
Karan Johar is leaving no stone unturned in bringing interesting pairs this season, also tweeted a thank you to Salman for appearing on the show. " Mira spoke from the heart". Shahid captioned it saying: "On the couch with my love". The source informs that this subject was touched upon by Karan , "When asked about it, both Shahid and Mira reacted to it sportingly. (more...)
Man who disclosed Rs 14000cr black money goes missing
Accordingly, Shah was to pay 45%, roughly Rs 6237 crore, of his declared money as tax. IT department conducted raids on the properties of Shah from 29th of November till yesterday but hasn't disclosed any output of the raid. "He again replied from Mumbai that he would submit the first installment to the I-T department on time". Mahesh Shah disclosed Rs 13,680 crore on September 30. (more...)
Casino opening marks start of NY's bet on upstate gambling
Owned by NY real estate developer Jeff Gural, the gambling venue was the last to be licensed by the state Gaming Commission. State officials and local leaders in the communities hosting casinos say they hope the facilities will boost tourism and long-struggling upstate economies. (more...)
Using WhatsApp on an old phone? Prepare to be booted off soon
There is some bad news coming if you are a WhatsApp fan and an owner of a Blackberry, Nokia or older Android smartphone. As such, like all other apps, WhatsApp needs constant upgrading and some new features can no longer work in devices running older operating systems. (more...)
Russia: Space cargo ship has crashed due to a malfunction
A Russian supply spacecraft headed for the International Space Station (ISS) had malfunctioned after its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday morning. Most of the spacecraft fragments burned in the dense atmosphere, it added. "Consumables (supplies) aboard the station are at good levels". The launch trajectory of ISS Progress and likely impact site over southern Russian Federation. (more...)
Home Entertainment Tom Cruise Will Sizzle on the Big Screen in 2017
It's been almost 85 years since Universal Pictures released "The Mummy" starring Boris Karloff as the title character. So let's deal with those in order. Fifteen years later, Brendan Fraser is no longer a star. He is joined in the movie by Russell Crowe who portrays Dr. Henry Jekyll and his depraved serum-induced alter ego Mr. (more...)
National Weather Service issues high wind warning
While some Santa Ana winds bring hot weather to much of Southern California, air coming down from the north will result in temperatures that are near or even slightly below average. The strong Santa Ana winds with a mix of low humidity and very dry vegetation have prompted the warning in mountain, forest and valley areas, specifically the Santa Monica Mountains, inland Orange County, and the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and eastern San Gabriel valleys and the L.A. (more...)
China concerned over Taiwan content in USA defense bill
Prominent geopolitical expert Ian Bremmer slammed President-elect Donald Trump's decision to call the president of Taiwan on Friday. About an hour later, Trump again tweeted , this time referencing Washington's congressionally mandated arms deals with Taipei. (more...)
Decapitated Body ID'd as Missing 16-Year-Old
Viloria-Paulino's death", Rivera said. Local authorities along with state detectives and the Essext District Attorney's office will continue to investigate the incident. Lawrence police also believe that there is no greater threat to the community. "This is not a random act". In a statement, the DA's office called the death shocking. (more...)
New elements officially added to periodic table
In June, scientists were asked to submit names for the elements in June. "For now, we can all cherish our periodic table completed down to the seventh row". Kosuke Morita, the father of " nihonium " and a physics professor at Kyushu University said his team's addition to the periodic table was exciting and symbolic. (more...)
Driver training needed to reduce pollution, says healthcare body
It is a major risk to the public's health and contributes to health inequalities. The NICE guidance - now out for consultation and not due to be published until June 2017 - sets out a strategic range of evidence-based practical measures to encourage low or zero emissions transport, including encouraging employers to incentivise their staff to cycle to work. (more...)
Comprehensive Stock Analysis of: Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC)
Many brokerage firms are involved in issuing their ratings on Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC ). Seaward Management Limited Partnership now owns 1,902,169 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,241,000 after buying an additional 7,429 shares during the period. (more...)
Russia: Space cargo ship malfunctions, crashes in Siberia
The Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft carrying the crew of Peggy Whitson of the US, Oleg Novitskiy of Russian Federation and Thomas Pesquet of France blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur cosmodrome November 18, 2016. (more...)
No, Google's Pixel didn't 'trounce' the iPhone on Black Friday
Apple's iPhone doesn't have much of a redesign and still looks the same as its previous generation iPhone 6 and 6s. The new issue with the Pixel cameras is being reported by numerous users on Google's own forum page . This year, the new iPhone 7 had an activation rate of 13%, while the iPhone 7 Plus registered a 1% uplift. Rumors have been rife in the tech world regarding Google joining forces with Huawei to manufacture the Pixel 7. (more...)
Heinrich says keep open mind about 'Mad Dog' Mattis
A retired four star Marine general, Mattis commanded U.S. forces in the Middle East and Southwest Asia from 2010 to 2013, capping a career as a combat commander that earned him the nickname "Mad Dog". "We will need the secretary of defense to continue to uphold the laws, alliances and norms that protect our nation and enshrine our values as Americans". (more...)
Analysts Advise About Palatin Technologies, Inc. (NYSEMKT:PTN)
The analysts offering 12 month price targets for Palatin Technologies, Inc. have a median target of $6, with a high estimate of $7 and a low estimate of $4. This transaction occurred on 2015-10-02 totals $8000.2. The Return on Equity (ROE) value stands at 572.6%. Executives hold 6.46 percent of the stock. (more...)
United States unemployment rate hit nine-year low in November
But the drop in unemployment was a surprise - economists had thought it would hold steady at 4.9 percent. On the jobs-added front, the 178,000 figure was close to the analyst consensus: Economists expected to see the addition of 180,000 jobs - roughly what the job market has been averaging for 2016 - and for the unemployment rate to remain steady 4.9%. (more...)
Bradley Cooper, model girlfriend Irina Shayk expecting first child
Entertainment Tonight also reported that the model went to the after-party of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show where her baby bump was once again sighted. Irina, who just walked the Victoria's Secret runway in Paris, is said to be pregnant with the couple's first child. "My father was married to my mother for more than 20 years and, yes, definitely one day I want to have a family because that is the most important thing on this earth". (more...)
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Nadhim Zahawi: Higher public-sector pay won't fuel inflation
Zahawi became finance minister two weeks ago and acknowledged that his tenure might be "only a few months".
Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Britain's biggest public-sector pay increases in nearly 20 years will not fuel price pressures, finance minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Tuesday, in a speech where he said fighting inflation was "a moral imperative".
Earlier on Tuesday, Britain's government announced pay rises of about 4% to 5% for more than 2 million public-sector workers – a bigger increase than in recent years, but well below current consumer price inflation of more than 9%.
"We are finding a careful balance, providing the highest uplift in nearly 20 years without making inflationary pressures worse," Zahawi said at the City of London's annual Mansion House dinner, where he spoke alongside Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey.
Some contenders in the Conservative Party leadership race to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister have said the BoE has been too slow to fight inflation and should be kept on a tighter leash by the finance ministry, which sets its mandate.
But Zahawi said the BoE was "rightly" independent to set interest rates as it saw fit.
"They have all the tools they need. And I know they have complete determination to do what is required," he said.
"Protecting the country from the causes and consequences of rising inflation isn't just a technocratic exercise. It is a moral imperative," he added.
The government needed to play its part by delivering sound public finances and tackling longer-term bottlenecks in the supply of workers and energy, he said. He also set out plans for post-Brexit changes to financial regulation.
Zahawi became finance minister two weeks ago and acknowledged that his tenure might be "only a few months". Whoever succeeds Johnson in September is likely to appoint new ministers.


text:
Written Statements
Franklin Wrecks
The Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael Fallon)
I have today laid before Parliament a Ministry of Defence departmental minute detailing a gift which the UK intends to make to the Government of Canada. This reflects our long shared history and the closeness of our current bilateral relationship.
Sir John Franklin set sail from England in 1845 with two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, in search of a Northwest Passage through the Arctic. Sadly, the ships and all their crew were lost.
In 1992, the wrecks were designated as a national historic site by the Canadian Government under the Canadian Historic Sites and Monuments Act—despite neither shipwreck having been found at that time. This significant step was taken as a result of the ships' association with Franklin's final expedition, and their role in the history of exploration of Canada's north and the development of Canada as a nation.
Recognising the significance of these ships to the people of Canada, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the UK and Canadian Governments in 1997 assigning custody and control of the wrecks along with their contents to the Government of Canada (Parks Canada) with certain conditions should they be discovered.
Many attempts were made over the years to locate the ships, but only artefacts were found. The ships remained undiscovered until September 2014 when an expedition led by Parks Canada discovered the wreck of HMS Erebus. In September 2016, HMS Terror was also found.
Both wrecks are under relatively shallow Arctic Waters to the south of King William Island. The expeditions that located them brought together the Government of Canada as well as public, private and non-profit organizations. The use of state-of-the-art technology combined with Inuit knowledge made these historic discoveries possible.
During her recent visit to Canada, the Prime Minister made clear the importance of recognising our shared past. As the wrecks are of great historical and cultural value to Canada and recognising the historical significance of the Franklin expedition to the people of Canada, the Government believe the 1997 MOU should be replaced with an appropriate updated MOU, giving full ownership of the wrecks to Parks Canada. It is intended that the new MOU will include a clause to allow the UK to retain ownership of a small representative sample of artefacts. This exceptional arrangement will ensure that these historically significant wrecks and artefacts are appropriately conserved and allow items to be displayed for future generations in both Canadian and United Kingdom museums.
The transfer of ownership is expected to be undertaken over the coming weeks, subject to completion of the departmental minute process.
[HCWS193]


Today I joined leaders in government and the private sector at the Washington Post to discuss the promise of new technologies such as artificial intelligence – or AI.
As Devin Wenig, CEO of eBay, noted in his opening interview, 2018 has placed technology and regulation at a crossroads. Today's discussion focused on how public policy can keep pace with rapid technological progress while supporting innovation and the global competitiveness of the U.S. tech sector.
The thought I wanted to share is that, with AI, purpose matters as much policy. Below you'll find both a video of my talk as well as a slightly edited version of my remarks. Let me know what you think.
When I first got into computer programming in 1983, I was put on a team at IBM working on critical national security projects.
Now, these projects were classified. I can't get into any specifics.
But I can tell you that it's possible that the toothbrush you used this morning had more computing power than the systems we were using back then. And those systems actually were exponentially more powerful than the ones that had been used by NASA to put people on the moon.
Sitting together in a terminal room back then, none of us could have imagined the kind of technological power that we would have today.
But today the really big question is: What's the purpose of the technology we're using?
And I want to share with you a story about when I first came to understand the true power and purpose of technology.
He said there was a fighter pilot who had been shot down behind enemy lines. We used our technology to locate that pilot and save his life.
Then the chief engineer shared with us: That fighter pilot was my nephew.
We were stunned. And we were proud. It hit me – it me like a ton of bricks. Then I fully understood: This is what we're all about.
So now, as we turn to artificial intelligence, we have to think about what we endeavor to do with these new tools. And this conversation can be every bit as important as the conversations we'll have about policy and the new technology itself.
In fact, we need to make this question a business metric: How are we driving change in the world?
Let me show you a video that will explain how we're doing this at Siemens.
So, you see, from the first time a human picked up a rock and used it as a tool, that tool elevated what the human could accomplish.
And that's the same thing we're seeing now with artificial intelligence.
The purpose of this technology is not to automate us out of the process, but to actually extend what is humanly possible.
Here's an example – cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity as we enter this digital age is becoming a significant issue for us. The energy sector, in particular, is under constant attack.
We've been using tools that use data modeling and algorithms in order to help energy leaders understand who is trying to enter into their networks – to help us resolve the issues.
But nothing could be further from the truth. Studies show that we need millions more cybersecurity experts around the globe.
And that's because, yes, AI can help us diagnose, it can help us treat, it can help us understand – but it takes the human in the loop to truly develop the solutions that we'll need for the future.
So as we get ready for this future, I'm asking leaders to begin to focus on the human intelligence that we're going to be needing to drive the systems of the future.
Yes, we absolutely need mathematicians with PhDs – we need those folks. But we also need welders and machinists. We need engineering students who take computer programming courses. We need the talent that's coming out of coding bootcamps, and out of apprenticeships, and out of career technical education.
Business leaders have done a good job trying to get this message out, to try and demystify and address the myths surrounding AI coming for our jobs.
But we need to do more. We need to go on the offense. We need to really focus on the investments that we're making in people.
In 1983, when I was graduating from Wake Forest University as a mathematician, thinking about becoming a math professor like my parents, IBM reached out to me about the opportunity to come to the corporation and learn to be a programmer. It changed my life.
So now I want to use this platform that I have now – a fantastic job at Siemens serving as the CEO for 50,000 folks here in the U.S. – to help get the message out that: Leaders can't wait for the talent to come to them. Leaders need to reach out and help develop that talent.
And as we think about the talent we need for the future, let's think about diversity as well. Because the augmented intelligence – the AI that we're going to be developing – reflects the values that we ourselves possess. We can replicate our values into the future world, so let's make sure that it doesn't represent bias, but represents the future that we want.
Imagine a future in which access to education and lifelong learning is as abundant as the human capabilities that we possess.


Earlier I was turning the fork CW and it was almost screwed in all the way, so I thought it wasn't coming out. After turning it CCW several rotations the threads are beginning to show. As to the bellows holder: I think it's swaged on and there is no reason to remove it anyway. Thanks for the suggestions. I hope my experience helps someone later on.


Welcome to Modern Watercolor Techniques for Beginners with Ana Victoria! Here you will learn both basic watercolor techniques and fun new ways to use your paints mixed with other mediums and house hold supplies, such as salt and bleach. I will give you an in depth look into my favorite art supplies and how to use them properly. Watercolor can be intimidading, but I promise I will make it easy and fun with these tips and tricks. You will be amazed with the results you can obtain with my simple direction!
Your final class project includes painting a magical watercolor space texture!


grandma's cookie jar: Win Toys or Even $1000 with TinkerToy's Win-in-a-Snap! Game!
Win Toys or Even $1000 with TinkerToy's Win-in-a-Snap! Game!
There are still some toys which are "classics" - toys which I remember from my childhood. TinkerToys is one such toy! I am very happy to let you know about a contest from Knex/TinkerToy which celebrates the 100th anniversary of TinkerToy where you have the opportunity to win TinkerToy building sets and even the $1000 Grand Prize!
The Win-in-a-Snap game runs from September 9, 2013 to October 20, 2013 and you can play it every day for a chance to win one of hundreds of building sets which will be given away randomly over the six weeks an could even be the Grand Prize Winner as well! Game play is available only on their FaceBook page (see this link).
Have fun . . . the Win-in-a-Snap game is one you can play with your grandchildren, so have fun and here's hoping you win!


text:
December 23, 2020 December 23, 2020 by Kerri
Energy Efficiency: Georgia Power vs. Alabama Power
You might think that there isn't much difference between the utilities within each state's borders (I know I didn't). We give them money, and in return they make sure we have working electricity. Seems simple enough, right? How much more could there be?
As you may have guessed since this is an article and not a single paragraph, there's a lot more to it than that. But, rather than compare every single utility within each state, we'll focus on the differences between Georgia Power and Alabama Power which are both owned by Southern Company.
Specifically, we want to examine the differences in terms of how much money each company spent on energy efficiency compared to how much energy they are saving through those programs. But first, a little background information.
Each year, most utilities spend money that is supposed to go towards incentive programs that help customers save energy.¹ Most utilities channel a portion of the money that we pay them into energy efficiency programs, often being forced to do so by regulators because they don't normally like selling less of their product. These programs exist to incentivize consumers to make upgrades on their homes and businesses, which is much cheaper than building a new power plant.
But not all utility energy efficiency is created equal and we have to take a look at the reality on the ground.
As of 2019, Georgia Power spent $16.5 million dollars, through various programs, on residential customers if they invested in cleaner energy efficiency for their homes. For commercial customers, Georgia Power spent $24.8 million dollars on energy efficiency. With that money, residential customers saved 95,124 megawatt hours (MWh), while commercial customers saved 295,968 MWh. That's a total of 391,092 MWhs saved in 2019 alone! For comparison's sake, the average Alabama home uses between 1 and 2 MWh per month.
Since Georgia Power and Alabama Power are owned by the same parent company, wouldn't it make sense for Alabama Power to offer similar opportunities to their customers? Sadly, neither Alabama Power, nor Alabama regulators, seem to think so.
Unlike Georgia Power, Alabama Power only spent about $3.3 million dollars (of which just ~$5,000 were for incentives) on residential energy efficiency, and $84,000 for commercial customers. With that paltry sum, residential customers only saved 5,486 MWh and commercial customers just 192 MWh.
Why does Georgia Power spend so much more than Alabama Power? The price that consumers pay each company is fairly similar. So what's going on here?
It comes down to monopoly control. Utilities do not want you to save energy, they want you to buy energy from them. It is the job of the regulators at the public service commission to protect consumers from monopoly abuses. Some regulators force utilities to invest in lower-cost energy efficiency since a monopoly would not do so on its own. Some regulators have even gone so far as to change the way utilities are paid in order to give the utilities a financial incentive to promote energy efficiency. Neither of those things happen in Alabama.
Part of it is that Alabama Power wants to build power plants, because they earn profit from how much new construction they do, regardless of if the construction is needed. In order to justify new construction, they need you to use more energy, not less. Don't forget that Alabama Power customers are now on the hook for more than $1 billion in new gas plants…
I digress. The point is that we are giving utilities an arm and a leg, but we aren't getting out what we put in. We're already paying enough on our utilities bills to work towards the future and switch over to clean energy. Georgia, though they've just begun, has the right idea, and even they are behind the curve compared to many other areas of the country. So why is Alabama Power falling further behind? And why are we letting them get away with it?
in Blog 0 comments
November 30, 2020 November 30, 2020 by Daniel Tait
Alabama PSC Should Release Analysis on Alabama Power's Excessive Profit Formula
Today, Energy Alabama sent a letter to the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) asking it to commit fully to transparency and fairness by allowing regular Alabamians to review and submit questions about an overdue report examining Alabama Power's Rate Stabilization and Equalization (RSE), a key factor in how the utility's excessive profits are determined.
Read the letter here
Alabama Power's RSE utilizes a formula that over-rewards the company at the expense of its customers. Hard-working Alabama Power customers deserve to know why they pay some of the highest electric bills in the country. The Alabama PSC owes an explanation to the people of Alabama and should find a way to virtually open this meeting to the general public.
There are major questions about the workings and results of the RSE formula which should be answered by a report required by a 2013 PSC order authorizing the rate. Publicly available data shows that Alabama customers are overburdened by the PSC's formula, which hides the usual measure of return on equity (ROE) used by other utility regulators.
However, the "hidden" ROE can still be calculated from other sources. Such a comparison from 2014 through 2018 shows that Alabama Power customers paid more than $1 billion in excess profits than they would have if the PSC had instead awarded Alabama Power the national average ROE.
COVID-19, and the economic hardships it created, have further exacerbated the excess profit Alabama Power has pocketed. Instead, the PSC continues to over-reward Alabama Power at the expense of its customers.
Allowing a monopoly utility to retain profits that are far above those necessary to provide mandated services is not equitable nor economical for customers. The long overdue RSE report should provide the important information necessary for all stakeholders to discuss the unique formula and the profits it supports.
"If this Commission cares about creating jobs, it should put Alabama Power's excessive profits back into the hands of regular folks and small businesses," said Daniel Tait, Energy Alabama's Chief Operating Officer. "The time for monopoly handouts is over."
By any objective standard, the case is clear. The Alabama PSC must support transparency and #ReleaseTheRSE.
in Blog / Concerned Citizen / Policy and Advocacy 0 comments
September 29, 2020 by Daniel Tait
Groups Ask PSC to Reconsider Alabama Power's Unprecedented Gas Expansion
Gasp and Energy Alabama have formally asked the Alabama Public Service Commission to reconsider its June decision to approve the single largest capacity increase ever proposed by Alabama Power, including including almost 1,900 MW of gas generation. We requested a rehearing to consider updated testimony in light of economic forecasts showing lessened electric demand due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
Last year, Alabama Power filed a "Petition for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity" with the Alabama Public Service Commission. That proposal initially sought to add nearly 2.4 gigawatts of new generating capacity — which would cost customers over $1.1 billion. Energy Alabama and Gasp, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, intervened in the docket to question Alabama Power's lack of evidentiary support to build and buy such a significant amount of new gas resources.
In March, just before COVID-19 brought the world as we know it to a halt, the Alabama Public Service Commission held a series of hearings on the petition. Witnesses for Gasp and Energy Alabama exposed exposed significant flaws in Alabama Power's planning and justification processes. After those hearings concluded, we made several key points in our proposed order filed with the Commission:
Alabama Power failed to produce the evidence necessary to support its request to increase electric generation capacity by almost 20%. The utility had previously asserted it wouldn't need new generation sources until 2035.
Without a showing of need, Alabama Power's request amounts to an effort to build rate base and enrich shareholders at the expense of its customers, who will pay for expensive, unnecessary generation for decades.
Alabama Power's own analysis showed that the proposed solar plus battery storage projects were the cheapest options for customers.
The pandemic and subsequent economic downtown have cast even more doubt on Alabama Power's supposed need for new capacity. In early June, we filed additional information regarding anticipated economic effects of COVID-19, arguing that the economic downturn precipitated by the pandemic called into question the magnitude and timing of Alabama Power's claims about needing additional power sources. Alabama Power relied on outdated projections from more than two years ago, well before the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19. We argue those projections can no longer serve as the basis for a making a $1.1+ billion investment with customer dollars.
Despite all of that, the PSC in June unanimously voted to approve everything in Alabama Power's proposal, including almost 1,900 MW of gas generation, except Alabama Power's proposed solar plus battery storage projects. The PSC said they were not well-suited to meet Alabama Power's reliability needs, despite the overwhelming evidence that supported their approval. However, the Commission refused to ask for supplemental information from Alabama Power as to whether its petition was still warranted.
Alabama customers already pay some of the highest electric bills nationwide. (A recent report found that people in Birmingham have the highest energy burden in the nation.) COVID-19 has only worsened the plight of customers struggling to pay monthly bills. If they want to move forward with these monumental investments, Alabama Power should not be allowed to put the entire financial burden on customers. Utility shareholders should bear the risk that the projects may become stranded assets before the end of their useful lives.
We also hope the Commission will reconsider its denial of the solar-plus-storage projects, which were the most economic options according to Alabama Power's own analysis. That was just the latest in a long line of anti-solar decisions from the Commission. In September, the Alabama Public Service Commission dismissed our challenge against Alabama Power's discriminatory solar charge, instead approving an increase in the charge.
By denying Alabama Power's proposed solar-plus-battery storage projects in this docket and then approving an increase to Alabama Power's unjust solar fee on rooftop solar customers in another, the PSC continues to deny Alabamians the benefits of clean, renewable energy like solar. Alabama has less solar capacity than other states in the sunny South, and far fewer jobs as a result of the PSC's decisions.
September 1, 2020 September 1, 2020 by Daniel Tait
Alabama Public Service Commission Backs Alabama Power's Tax on the Sun
2020 has been a bad year, especially if you're an Alabama Power customer.
The Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC), never content with how many favors it can give Alabama Power, added insult to injury today when it upheld Alabama Power's sun tax. As many of you know, Alabama Power taxes small scale solar at one of the highest rates in the country; $5/kilowatt/month, or about 50% of the money you could expect to earn from your system. It is currently unclear if the Commission's vote today actually INCREASED the sun tax.
In other words, the supposed supporters of small government at the PSC chose to institute an approximate 50% tax on solar for homes and small businesses in order to protect the monopoly of one the largest and most profitable companies in the state.
How the PSC Fails Alabamians
This is not the first questionable decision the PSC has made this year. Here are a few lowlights:
The Commission failed to take any action to protect customers from disconnections or late fees amid COVID-19. Advocates like Energy Alabama had to force Alabama Power to protect consumers, but the PSC claimed its closed doors talks with utility executives were good enough and no action was needed.
By the way, Alabama Power is restarting disconnections soon, despite its parent company earning almost $5 billion in net income last year alone.
The Commission ruled in favor of Alabama Power, allowing it build expensive and unneeded gas, and punted on solar and energy storage projects despite them being the most cost effective.
The Commission allowed Alabama Power to overcharge customers for fuel by more than $100 million until a group of advocates, including Energy Alabama, called them out on it. Under fire, the Commission finally did the right thing and refunded customers most of the money.
The Commission, in an attempt to legislate from the bench, is actively blocking the recording of hearings and the use of electronic devices.
And then today, the Commission backed Alabama Power's tax on the sun. Alabamians of all political stripes want more low-cost renewable energy but the PSC has decided it knows better than the people.
Again, this is just 2020.
The Cost of Being a Puppet
The Alabama PSC has proven itself to be not much more than a puppet for Alabama Power. For instance, the solar tax complaint was first filed back in April 2018, yet it took the PSC more than two years to decide the case. However, Alabama Power was able to file for one of its largest expansions in history and get it approved, all before the solar tax case was decided. If Alabama Power wants it done, it gets done. If the people want it done, nothing happens.
There are real world consequences to all of this deference to Alabama Power. First off, real economic harm is being done to the people of Alabama and many of our small businesses. Our utility bills are some of the highest in the nation, the proportion of income Alabamians spend on electricity is one of the highest in the nation, and we have the worst energy efficiency in the country. But rather than make any of these problems better, the Commission continues to green light expensive and unneeded construction, allow high taxes on alternatives, and ignore any efficiency. Alabama Power does not want any of these things because it would rather you remain forcibly and 100% dependent on them.
Bluntly, the decisions of the PSC are contributing to poverty in Alabama, rather than alleviating it. Alabama has a history mired in poverty and we need our energy policy to help us break that cycle. Favoring monopolies and Wall St. over low-cost distributed energy perpetuates the struggle of hundreds of thousands of hard-working Alabamians.
Photo credit: Pat Byington
And secondly, Alabama is losing out on tens of thousands of good paying jobs in advanced energy stemming directly from PSC decisions. There are tons of folks who could be employed in the energy efficiency sector, making much needed upgrades to our built environment and infrastructure. Renewable energy, such as solar and wind, are some of the fastest growing sectors of the economy in most states, but not Alabama.
Twinkle Cavanaugh, the PSC President, has often touted jobs in statements to Alabama Power-supported outlets like Yellowhammer News, in campaign materials, and even from the dias during PSC meetings. We'd encourage her to actually take her own words seriously and put Alabamians to work.
August 19, 2020 August 19, 2020 by Daniel Tait
Alabama Power Puts Wall St. Over Alabamians, Restarts Disconnections and Late Fees
Yesterday, Alabama Power announced it would resume disconnecting customers and charging late fees in late September, despite the company's massive profits and the ongoing pandemic wreaking economic havoc on our state. Southern Company, the parent company of Alabama Power, made $4.7 billion in profit last year alone. Right now bad debt in Alabama and Georgia is estimated at less than $160 million, or just 4% of Southern Company's profits from last year.
Let's put this all in perspective. How much bad debt is there right now?
First, we don't exactly know. Why? Because the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) has refused to collect or ask for data regarding how many Alabama Power customers are behind on their bills.
What we do know is that our next door neighbor, Georgia, can tell us a lot.
Georgia Power, also owned by Southern Company, restarted disconnections on July 15. More than 15,000 Georgia Power customers were disconnected in about two weeks (July 15 through the end of the month), despite all the company's proclamations about how great it was and all the options it said were open to consumers.
Georgia Power, which is almost double the size of Alabama Power by number of customers, told its Public Service Commission that customers were about $83.4 million behind on bills. Even if Alabama Power held just as much bad debt as Georgia Power, the bad debt among the two companies would total about $160 million.
Southern Company profits handsomely from Alabamians
Last year, Southern Company, the parent company of Alabama Power, earned a net profit of $4.7 billion. You read that right. With a B. The bad debt carried by Georgia Power from COVID-19, and likely Alabama Power, would total just under 4% of Southern Company's net income from 2019.
Southern Company owns and operates government-backed electric monopolies in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. These are not like other companies, say your local auto mechanic. It has an exclusive license to sell electricity and profit from those sales. Alabama Power has one of the highest profit rates in the country, so much so that over the last few years, it collected $1+ billion more than if its profit rate had been the national average.
To be clear, Energy Alabama is not advocating that people shouldn't be responsible for the energy they consume. We simply believe that Southern Company and Alabama Power can and should share in the burden during these unprecedented times. Churches, nonprofits, and community groups should not be scrambling to help vulnerable Alabamians pay bills when Southern Company and Alabama Power have enjoyed years of blockbuster profits.
No one asked for COVID-19 and economic crisis we are in. We are all affected. We should all pitch in. That includes Alabama Power and Southern Company shareholders.
But there is something you can do now to help your neighbors!
We've joined with our friends at Gasp and hope you'll contact Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and ask them to support Senate Bill 4362, which would put a federal stop to utility disconnections during COVID-19.


text:
Board index » Shipbucket Projects (2 pixels : 1 foot) » Alternate Universe Designs
War of the Americas AU
Page 1 of 7 [ 62 posts ] Go to page	1 2 3 4 5 … 7 »
StealthJester
Post subject: War of the Americas AU Posted: April 29th, 2016, 4:16 am
Joined: December 22nd, 2014, 12:25 am
Location: Spokane Valley, Washington, US
I'm back after an extended period of dealing with life and medical issues - with a brand new AU...
Reader's Digest version: After winning Antietam and Gettysburg, the Confederates gain recognition from Europe (primarily the UK and France). These countries oversee a negotiated settlement allowing the CSA to retain its independence from the United States.
Following the enacting of the Secession Treaty of 1864; the two America's continue to push West along their mutual border and starting in the 1880's, become involved in a continuously escalating naval arms race. Tensions between the two nations continue to build after the conclusion of the Continental War (OTL's WWI), and a second civil war (known as the War of the Americas) begins in 1922.
The first posting is of the class that started it all:
Originating from a 1875 proposal to build a modernized version of the North Carolina class (the so-called "Laird Rams", built for the CSA in Britain), the design was modified several times until it was decided to base the new ships on the British Cyclops class turreted breastwork monitors. A total of five of this class; Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Alabama were built in British yards - commissioning between 1881 and 1882.
The Confederate ships differed from their British cousins by being a little larger and of greater displacement as necessitated by their heavier guns (11" vis 10") and slightly more powerful engines (12.5 knots vis 11.0 knots)
Originally intended to counter the US's Illinois (ex-Kalamazoo) class sea-going monitors, the Virginia's quickly became obsolete. However, all five served in the Caribbean during the Spanish-Confederate War (1895-1897), and one, Louisiana, was sunk by Spanish torpedo boats. The four surviving ships were decommissioned between 1902 and 1903 and later scrapped.
Post subject: Re: War of the Americas AU Posted: April 30th, 2016, 9:40 am
Joined: October 21st, 2013, 10:44 am
I don't see any image.
Sachsen, Bayern class battleship
Württemberg, Bayern class battleship
SMS Goeben, Moltke class battlecruiser
SMS Blucher armoured cruiser
My Worklist
MD Scale, 4 Pixels : 1 Foot
Official German Parts Sheet
German Capital Ship Projects of The First World War
acelanceloet
yeah, the image gives an 403 dropbox error.
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Post subject: Re: War of the Americas AU Posted: April 30th, 2016, 3:12 pm
Apologies for the technical difficulties - as I said, its been a while since I've been posting anything here.
Does Dropbox still work for loading images? If not, what is the preferred method?
I am working on re-posting, hopefully I can correct this soon...
Let's try this again...
Hope this works!
heuhen
Location: Behind you, looking at you with my mustache!
StealthJester wrote:
dropbox is at this moment one of shipbucket favorite image host. all you have to remember is to use the "public folder". and use the "public link".
Post subject: Re: War of the Americas AU Posted: May 5th, 2016, 11:41 pm
After some issues with posting, and revisions in the initial image, I am re-posting the first Confederate ship and history, as well as the US counterpart built two years later.
Following the enacting of the Secession Treaty of 1864; the two America's continue to push toward the West Coast along their mutual border and starting in the 1880's, become involved in a continuously escalating naval arms race. Tensions between the two nations continue to build after the conclusion of the Continental War (OTL's WWI), and a second civil war (known as the War of the Americas) begins in 1922.
Originating from a mid 1875 proposal to build a modernized version of the North Carolina class (the so-called "Laird Rams", built for the CSA in Britain), the design was modified several times until it was decided to base the new ships on the British Cyclops class turreted breastwork monitors. A total of five of this class; Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Alabama were built in British yards - commissioning between 1881 and 1882.
The Confederate ships differed from their British cousins by being a little larger and of greater displacement as necessitated by their heavier guns; 11" muzzle-loaders in place of the 10" guns of the British ships, and more powerful engines capable of a top speed of 12.5 knots. They had an 8" belt, 1.5" deck, and 10" turret armor.
Originally intended to counter the US's sea-going monitors, the Virginia's quickly became obsolete. However, all five served in the Caribbean during the Spanish-Confederate War (1895-1897), and one, Louisiana, was sunk by Spanish torpedo boats. The four surviving ships were decommissioned between 1902 and 1903 and later scrapped.
Knowing that the new Confederate monitors would outclass the Illinois (ex-Kalamazoo) class which formed the backbone of the US Navy in both speed and seaworthiness, the recommendation was made that the US build a class of heavy sea-going monitors of the type pioneered by the UK with their revolutionary Devastation class (commissioned 1873-77).
The new Wisconsin class of three ships; Wisconsin, Nevada, and Delaware, was laid down between 1880 and 1881 and commissioned in 1883-1884. They displaced 10,801 tons fully loaded and carried four 15" Dahlgren-type guns in twin turrets fore and aft becoming the last major US warships to carry muzzle-loaders (these were replaced by 13" breach-loading rifles in the 1890's). They were propelled by two vertical compound steam engines driving twin screws and had a top speed of 15 knots. The new ships were protected by 14" belt, 3" deck, and 14" turret armor.
Serving their active careers in the Atlantic, the Wisconsin's were also rendered obsolete by the rapid advance in warship design during the late 1880's and early 1890's, and other than the replacement of their original guns with 13"/35 Mk.1's in 1895, they changed very little. Decommissioned in 1901-1902, they were scrapped between 1904 and 1905.
Post subject: Re: War of the Americas AU Posted: May 6th, 2016, 7:43 am
A couple of very interesting designs and well drawn too.
I look forward to more of this AU.
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft
Post subject: Re: War of the Americas AU Posted: May 8th, 2016, 6:33 pm
Next up, the successors to the Wisconsin class:
Somewhat controversial when they commissioned in 1886, the Pennsylvania class were the product of their times. All the major naval powers were investigating different ideas in capital ship design and construction, which, added to the advent of heavy breach-loading guns, triple expansion steam engines and arguably most important; steel hulls and armor, produced a variety of diverse designs. The US Bureau of Construction and Repair (BuC&R) was no different as the new Pennsylvania's showed.
After abandoning the Ericsson style turrets of previous classes in favor of open barbettes, the designers of the new ships – led by Hiram Langford – settled on a central citadel-style configuration. Although freeboard and thus sea-keeping was greatly improved by eliminating the heavy turrets of earlier designs, opponents pointed to the armament layout of the earlier Wisconsin class as more effective, and the ships were derided for their awkward main battery arrangement throughout their service lives.
Despite this, the new ships did feature some innovations. They were the first steel-hulled US capital ships as well as the first with breach-loading main guns – the new 12"/35 Mk.1 being fitted to both ships. In addition, they were the first to carry a heavy secondary battery; here consisting of eight 6" casemate guns. A very heavy 18" belt protected the ship's vitals, deck armor was increased to 3" (which would be the US standard until well into the dreadnought era), while the barbettes were armored to 13", all armor being of the compound type. Speed remained 15 knots, although range did improve.
Although originally planned to be a class of four, only two; Pennsylvania and New Jersey, were built. The last pair was canceled in favor of a new design pattered after the Wisconsin class. After commissioning, the two ships became the nucleus of the newly organized Pacific Fleet, where they spent their active careers before being decommissioned in 1906. Pennsylvania was broken up in 1908, while New Jersey was expended as a target ship in 1910.
Post subject: Re: War of the Americas AU Posted: May 10th, 2016, 4:35 am
After the last two Pennsylvania class ships were canceled early in 1883, Congress authorized them to be re-ordered to a new design sponsored by the Secretary of the Navy during FY1884 – thus was born the Michigan class. Based on the earlier Wisconsin class design, the new ships would be barbette-type battleships carrying the new 12"/35 Mk.1 in two twin mounts fore and aft rather than en echelon as in their predecessors.
Intended to be complete keel-up redesigns, rumors of advanced twin barbette battleships ordered in Britain by the Confederate Navy caused the designers to adopt a slightly enlarged version of the Pennsylvania's hull to save design time. When commissioned in 1889, the two ships; Michigan and Connecticut, were 352 feet long overall and displaced around 11,400 tons. They were armed with four 12", eight 6", and ten 3-pounder guns. Armor was similar to earlier classes with a belt of 18", 3" armored deck and 14" barbettes. These were the first US capital ships powered by triple expansion steam engines, and were designed for 15.5 knots; although both exceeded this in service (Connecticut achieving nearly 16.75 knots on trials).
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet after commissioning, the new ships were intended to counter the CS Navy's Missouri class – which entered service a year later – and with which the US ships were frequently compared, even in Europe. Jane's Fighting Ships (1901 Edition) remarking that the two classes were "…virtually equal in nearly every respect, save in speed and main armament, which must favor the Confederate ships…".
The progenitors of US pre-dreadnoughts; Michigan and Connecticut remained in active service into mid-1909, when both were decommissioned. They were scrapped between 1911 and 1912.
Next up: Confederate Missouri class
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My father will always be my favorite shopping buddy. He is the most generous person I know; he's always on a hurry, he would let me buy things so just I won't be a brat and waste his time.
Everyone needs a gorgeous red color around this time of the year.
My 2nd ddung doll. :) I really want to collect these dolls because I find them really cute.
A gift set from Kiehl's.
My set was supposed to contain these items inside.
I re-purchased Ultimate White Intensive Whitening Essence and received a bunch of travel sized samples. YAYYY!!!!!
Thank you duddy for buying everything for me. :3 Don't worry, I won't run off and leave with a guy very soon.
My dad's kinda like that when we shop too. I just grab everything I want and then put them in his shopping cart after. We don't shop often, though. Hahaha!


text:
OUMARE TRAINS WITH ROVERS
Rovers looking at former Sunderland player
Former Sunderland striker Oumare Tounkara, who scored eight goals in 52 games whilst on loan with Oldham Athletic, is training with the club this week.
The 22 year old Paris born player began his career with Ligue 2 outfit Sedan in 2008/09 and joined Sunderland in the summer of 2009.
He signed for Oldham Athletic in August 2010 in a season long loan deal and enjoyed another loan spell with the League One outfit at the end of last season.
He played against Rovers in both league fixtures between the clubs in the 2010/11 season.


text:
As we commemorate, this year, fifty years since the advent of Earth Day, it is easy to forget that the first event was celebrated for its bipartisan nature, organized by a Democrat Senator from Wisconsin and a Republican Congressman from California. In the months that followed, President Nixon proposed the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, and strong bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate passed historic clean air legislation.
Today, little memory remains of the halcyon days of the 1970s, when environmental policy was reflexively nonpartisan. While public opinion appears to be growing for the government to do more to address climate change – recent Pew Research Center polling suggests nearly two-thirds of Americans support policy action on this front – Congress seems paralyzed by alarmism on both sides of the aisle. Many Republicans remain convinced that policy prescriptions combating climate change will lead to draconian energy sector job losses and massive tax increases, while Democrats on the left fight to "out-green" each other with unrealistic mandates and untethered spending. This is not to suggest that compromise is out of reach.
A shift within the Republican ranks on climate issues is underway. Members of Congress with disaster-prone Districts see firsthand the need to tackle these issues. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), the ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, has repeatedly said that he has found common ground with Democrats on the need for community resiliency, adaptation and mitigation in the face of the changing climate. Graves is not alone; there are currently 7 Republican Senators and 23 Representatives on the Climate Solutions Caucus, a group formed to promote bipartisan discussion on climate solutions and work on climate legislation.
Non-traditional voices on these issues have also become more vocal, including Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), the lead Republican on the House Financial Services Committee. McHenry read with interest a recent article in Politico about the impending threat of climate change on the U.S. mortgage market and the risks-posed to the balance sheet of taxpayer-backed loans at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He noted his specific concern on a recent webinar hosted by former Congressman Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) at BakerHostetler, stating: "We'd responsibly benefit from a discussion about changing weather patterns and flooding cycles and how we actually model those things out from a governmental risk perspective." The article, in his view, highlighted that GSEs and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are "not at all accounting for climate science…" nor "changes in flooding patterns." Possibly chiding fellow Republicans or recalcitrant government bureaucrats, he concluded that "even if you don't want to have the climate debate, you need to acknowledge that weather is a systemic issue… let's actually have a thoughtful conversation about the governmental risk portfolio here and protecting the taxpayers." Coincidentally, McHenry's words are analogous to the refrain of Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), chairman of the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis: "The failure of our regulators to accurately and thoroughly account for that risk is growing more serious by the day. They don't have to have an opinion about climate change as a public policy matter. But risk is risk."
McHenry's openness to discuss climate issues is not new. Last July, at an event hosted by the Nature Conservancy in his home state of North Carolina, he was clear and concise on his view: "You look at real science and climate change is real; man has contributed to it." The sponsoring organization took notice, making the quote into a 30-second Facebook clip promoting continued discussions.
The comments from McHenry provide one avenue for successful engagement with Republicans on climate issues. Like many conservatives, including Graves, he is concerned about the economic costs of inaction. The government, according to this view, needs to be considering risks, changes in climate, and vulnerabilities to existing programs and funding priorities. This could include not only reforms to the NFIP and GSEs, but also prioritizing climate risk and building codes in federally funded infrastructure projects – such as highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, seaports, wastewater treatment plants, etc. The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS), issued in 2015, would have accomplished this goal by urging federal agencies to consider climate risk when using taxpayer funds to build in flood-prone areas. And while the current Administration shelved the Executive Order implementing the FFRMS, pursuing similar ends through legislation on a bipartisan basis in Congress is a worthy goal.
Many have noted that climate resiliency only gets us so far. "Step two," to use Rep. Graves own words from a New Yorker article published last year, "is emissions reductions," and getting to the root cause of climate change. While more elusive, areas for bipartisan compromise include public investment in low-carbon technology, job-creating renewable-energy companies, energy storage development, such as carbon sequestration, and a facility where corporations can trade carbon reduction credits. Right-leaning commentators, including the R Street Institute and the Heritage Foundation, have outlined additional areas where agreement could be found even in the House Democrats recently released climate plan. Specifically, they describe "fodder for conservatives… and progressives eyeing areas for bipartisan opportunities in the next Congress" and come to the conclusion that "quality environmental policy must be durable and pro-market."
In looking at future regulatory and legislative decisions on these fronts, policymakers would benefit from robust engagement from the financial services sector. Due to the nature of underwriting, insurers and reinsurers are uniquely positioned to provide data on future risk, particularly the economic consequences of the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. A handful of companies have already begun to raise these issues on Capitol Hill, including Zurich Insurance Group, which provided a witness last year for a hearing before the Select Committee entitled: "Creating a Climate Resilient America: Business Views on the Costs of the Climate Crisis." Francis Bouchard, Group Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability for Zurich, concluded that "the insurance sector has a fundamental role to play in helping society prepare for and address the costs associated with climate change." Insurers are not alone. Earlier this year, the Chairman and CEO of Blackrock, the world's largest asset manager, said in an open letter to CEOs that climate change has put us "on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance." By BlackRock's own estimation "extreme weather events pose growing risks for the credit worthiness of state and local issuers in the $3.8 trillion U.S. municipal bond market." Banks have responded in kind. Just this week, Morgan Stanley's Chief Sustainability Officer, Audrey Choi, told Politico about the bank's plans to publicly make available financial disclosures on the climate impact of its lending and investments. It is important to note, also, that conversations in Europe on climate have progressed much more rapidly than on this side of the Atlantic. Increased commitment from the business community in the U.S. will serve to bolster the potential for balanced, bipartisan action.


Schloss Schallaburg bills itself as "the most beautiful Renaissance castle north of the Alps." Not having much of a data collection on the subject, I do not know if this is true. No matter. Blue Skies + A Friend = Field Trip! The castle is but an hour from Vienna, making it almost shameful not to visit.
No, I am not supporting the castle on my head. Yes, I know I need to smile more. Or, at all. My excuse for not smiling today is that my daughter someone co-opted my shampoo from the shower when they packed and departed for the three-day AIS Grade 7 class retreat yesterday, leaving me no choice but to then co-opt Tony's shampoo this morning. Bad hair day. No more will be said.
…including a spectacularly prepared exhibit on India of the Maharajas (no photos allowed!), our purpose for the field trip, along with the opportunity to play dress up in Indian silk garments.
Along with Sturm! The first new wine of the season!
Back to school. Back to field trips. Mahlzeit, Austria!


We cannot stress this enough: it is absolutely not an exaggeration to say that Hongkongers are obsessed with food. How could we not be, with our humble but delicious cha chaan teng fare (which we maintain is the original and best fusion food), vast array of world-class international cuisine, and perhaps most importantly, dim sum that truly touches the heart? Here, people live to eat, rather than eat to live. With that in mind, it's hardly surprising that the Coconuts Hong Kong Food & Drink section is always pretty popular. In this section, you'll find all the latest foodie news (i.e. restaurant openings, special deals, guest chefs, etc) under our Food Buzz tag. Over in the straightforwardly named Food Guides & Features tag, you're spoiled for choice: we've got a breakdown of the city's best vegetarian and vegan eats, tips on how to make the most of hairy crab season, an insider's guide to Korean specialties in Tsim Sha Tsui's thriving K-Town, and a feature on the weirdest food you can find in Hong Kong. Under Restaurant Reviews, you can either check out our in-depth, feature-length Coconuts Critic's Tables reviews on restaurants both old and new, or skim the hot recommendations on hidden local gems and buzzy new eateries via Coconuts Hot Spots. We also cover nightlife in Hong Kong here, whether we're talking about great club nights, brilliant band showcases, a happy hour you simply cannot pass up, or a listicle of the best parties this season. Dig in, Coconauts!