‘Why in the world has JP Morgan accumulated more than 55 million ounces of physical silver? Since early 2012, JP Morgan’s stockpile has grown from less than 5 million ounces of physical silver to more […]
‘California’s report said $440 million. New Jersey’s said $600 million. In Pennsylvania, the tally is $700 million. Those Wall Street fees paid by public workers’ pension systems have kicked off an intensifying debate over whether […]
‘Israeli soldiers have shot and killed a young Palestinian man after an incident near a checkpoint in the East Jerusalem area, police say. Israeli police said the young man wielded two knives and had tried […]
‘Two former spy telescopes are now being scrutinized by NASA for use in a new scientific space mission, which would study mysterious dark energy, according to a senior official involved in the project.’ Read more: […]
‘Now the US Geological Survey has been released, which details how the same hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ process used to extract natural gas and oil from shale rock beds – is responsible for unnaturally inducing […]
‘What happens to us when we die? It’s a question that has exercised humanity’s finest minds since those humans have been around to have them – and has been recently the subject of a number […]
Just before noon today stocks went vertical, but why not. The HFT machines were trawling for all time highs and, in fact, hit the ultimate jackpot. Namely, they finally pushed the NASDAQ above the vertiginous heights (5132) it achieved back in March 2000 at the peak of the dotcom frenzy: By contrast, a few hours earlier Caterpillar—-a true bell weather of the global economic predicament—-posted results which were most definitely horizontal. Notwithstanding the usual “beat” on its manipulated ex-items profit number, the results were miserable. Total industrial sales were down by three-quarters of a billion dollars or 6% from prior year and the internals were worse. To wit, sales in the … Continue reading →
For those unfamiliar with the crime drama series Breaking Bad – and unbothered by a spoiler of sorts – there is a memorable episode in which a member of the Mexican cartel becomes a police informant. When his drug-dealing associates find out they wreak their revenge by cutting off the informant’s head and sticking it on top of a tortoise (for reasons too nefarious to go into). The gruesome human/tortoise amalgam is then (slowly) unleashed into the desert to serve as a reminder to watching officers and other potential traitors that the cartel is not to be messed with. As … Continue reading →
In this 1970 issue of the student paper at Notre Dame, Scholastic, there is a story about The Program for the Study and Practice of the Nonviolent Resolution of Human Conflict followed by a page of 200 names, names of students who were signing off on the following statement: “Believing that the United States is waging an unjust war in Viet Nam, if ordered for induction, we the undersigned will refuse. We will not serve in the military as long as the war in Viet Nam continues.” The story is about the controversial actions of hundreds of students who had … Continue reading →
When they destabilized Libya and overthrew strongman Muammar Gadhafi in 2011 the U.S. and its Canadian and European allies unleashed a series of events that accounts for the steady flood into Europe of migrants from North Africa. There are, purportedly, “up to 1 million” poor, uneducated, possibly illiterate, predominantly male, and by necessity violence-prone individuals, poised to board rickety freighters in the Libyan ports of Tripoli and Zuwarah, and make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, to southern Italy. The 900 migrants who perished off the coast of Libya when their vessel capsized embarked in Zuwara. Zuwara has always been … Continue reading →
Looks may be in the eye of the beholder – we can argue about the aesthetic appeal of the Pontiac Aztek all day long without anyone proving they’re right – or wrong. But functional flaws are objective. Here are some picks of the litter: * Steamroller wheels (and tires) – I recently reviewed the 2015 VW Passat TDI (see here). It’s a middle-of-the-road, family-minded large sedan. Emphasis on economy of operation, quiet and comfort. Yet it comes shod with large diameter 17 and 18 inch wheels – which in turn mount what are known within the car biz as “low aspect ratio” – … Continue reading →
Two decades have passed since the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing. It was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in American history, and 168 people died, including 19 children. The attack on the Murrah Federal Building was said to be the work of Timothy McVeigh and two confederates, described as right-wing extremists with an anti-government agenda. McVeigh was executed by lethal injection and Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier were given prison sentences. Now, however, major cracks have appeared in the federal government’s story—a story long considered by some victims’ families to be little more than a stonewall of mendacity … Continue reading →
Many millions of coins have been minted throughout history, and we’ve done our best to come up with some of the most beautiful and intriguing ones. Note that the “heads” side of a coin is called the “obverse” while the “tails” side is called the “reverse.” 10. 50 Centavos Leper Colony Coin Colombia, 1921 Photo credit: Jerry Woody Most people probably don’t know much about leprosy, because it hasn’t been portrayed accurately in media. Leprosy, now known as Hansen’s disease, is actually very difficult to contract from someone. Nevertheless, it is a serious disease and was feared to the point … Continue reading →
My wife recently went to see her doctor for a checkup. A blood test showed that her cholesterol, the calculated low-density lipoprotein one, was elevated. Though feeling well, her doctor ordered a coronary calcium scan, taking into account the fact that she has a family history of heart disease (her father died from a heart attack when she was 12 years old). Quite unexpectedly her calcium score was quite high. The score one wants to have on a CT (computed tomography) coronary calcium scan is 0, which indicates no evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). A score of 1-10 gives … Continue reading →
In the heart of Yellowstone National Park, a supervolcano releases around 45,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each day. But the magma chamber lying directly beneath its surface is not considered large enough to produce such levels, so researchers have been searching for an alternative source for years. Now, by tracking seismic waves, a team of geophysicists has discovered an enormous secondary chamber deeper underground that’s so large its partly-molten rock could fill the Grand Canyon 11 times over. The Yellowstone supervolcano is one of the largest active continental silicic volcanic fields in the world. Silicic is used to describe … Continue reading →