New Delhi faces pollution crisis

Europe's Disappearing Borders

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/1d726332-4bd3-11e2-887b-00144feab49a.html#slide0

Great article. It claims that trend toward universal hospitality and open exchange would continue, but there is nothing to support this notion in the article.

I've recently read "The Better angels of our nature" and Pinker doesn't find any base for this prediction either.

What politicans do actually like?

I think Mary Robinson is a pretty cool guy. Eh raises issues of human rights and doesnt afraid of anything.

HRW: Worst year for human rights in Russia since the USSR collapsed

There's thrills and chills and girls galore, sing-songs and surprises

There's something hear for everyone, (reserve your seat today)

There's mischief and malarkies but no queers or yids or darkies

Within this bastard's carnival, this vicious cabaret.

Wiscents online

http://www.lasy.gov.pl/zubr

Brzezinski: Europe needs forward-looking leaders

I like his realistic evaluation of Russia and India.

I'm not sure how people overestimate them and China so much. I read poll that according Spanish, French or British idiots China is most powerful economy already and disillusioned Indians believe even that India is the largest economy. Don't even start with diplomatic and cultural value.

Do people ascribe too much importance to economic growth? Indonesia in a few years will be larger economy than France, but this doesn't make Indonesia "world power".

Libyan death toll was lower

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/08/libyan-revolution-casualties-lower-expected-government

US Constitution

US Constitution doesn't allow a having standing army, hence this ridiculous notion of armed militia.

U.S. Constitution allows piracy, so it is not a serious argument.

US Constitution Article 1 Section 8

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Still US Congress does this comedy with "extending" mandate of armed forces. On the one hand this may stopped USA from becoming colonial power, on the second hand for over 100 years USA had standing army.

You cannot reliably judge income distribution on such granular level

This is the richest Polish gmina/commune and this is the poorest.

While later is depressingly poor, former is artificially rich by providing much needed utility to millions of people.

Ireland on Eurovision

Celtic music is probably most popular European ethnic music.

What was wrong with that?

Talking turkey was not so good.

730 million people in Nigeria

It's much smaller population density than Bangladesh.

Nigeria somehow takes example from last 50 years of development in Indonesia. Have you ever heard about Java?

While 10 billion people on Earth in 2100 is going to happen, in Nigeria population growth is higher than expected. 730 million isn't high estimate.

In 2008 total fertility rate there was 5.7 children per woman, while ideal family size in the North is 8 children per woman.

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It's Time for Free Trade With Europe

Europeans won't agree for American copyright law (it doesn't respect author's rights) and Americans won't allow Europeans into their service market (which is profitable beyond imagination).

At the end of a day you need common standards for "a lamp" otherwise free trade is meaningless.

Latvia celebrates its 94th Independence Day

Here  is a dish for Latvia.

History of Latvia in animation.

Here is Latvian national anthem.

Here are ingredients I've found on the internet:

Potato salad ingredients

• 6 potatoes
• 6 eggs
• 6 pickles
• 6 pickled beets, or equivalent in sliced pickled beets (optional)
• 1 apple (optional)

Salad dressing ingredients

• 3 large dollops mayonaise (Hellman's, if possible)
• 1 - 2 large dollops sour cream
• 1 - 3 teaspoons mustard 5 - 15 ml
• 1 - 3 teaspoons vinegar 5 - 15 ml
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt 1 - 2 ml
• ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 ml
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 5 ml (optional)

Hobo-Dyer

Driving in Russia

If the car riding on the roof forces priority, on the opposite lane a truck is dancing waltz, a guy behind you is being chased by a tank, on the side you can see pedestrians throwing on a mask, then you know that you are in Russia.

Because Russia is a state of mind that all of us, watching these feats give a smile on your face.

American national anthem

There can be little doubt that Nasa is preparing to return to the Moon but will Europe participate in the effort?

First European on the moon will be Russian.

The largest contributor to ESA is European Union. Its budget is getting slashed. Galileo needs funding. Land observatories are underfunded. 400 million a year for manned missions goes to ISS.

There is no money.

OECD: Germany's importance as an economic player will decline significantly by 2060 as its population grows older and in the face of China and India's rapid growth

Full paper - it is not meant to accurately represent year 2062, but evaluate current economic policy.

Sweden is called a paradise?

Su-27

What Eastern-European country do you think will be first to "catch up" to the west?

Have you known that Estonia decreased its under-5 child mortality from 2% (little better than Egypt) to 0.4% (as good as Denmark)? One of fastest improvements in the world.

What is your opinion on the expansion of the EU? Should more countries be admitted? If so, which ones should and should not?

As long as countries understand that continuous integration means upholding certain standards it should empower people in both current and future member states.

CEFTA members are obvious choice. Then Turkey, EFTA and GUAM. Moldova is in CEFTA and GUAM, but realistically it isn't joining EU before Ukraine.

Euro-curious

Euro-curious is a term used to refer to people of a European or non-European identity who, while showing some curiosity for a relationship or activity within Europe, distinguish themselves from the Europhile label.

What are some of your favorite European films/film franchises?

Das Boot - great German war story.

Sexmission - memorable Polish Sci-Fi comedy.

Kin-dza-dza - great Soviet Sci-Fi comedy.

Red Bull stratosphere jump

Problem on a space station? Not enough time to send a rocket? No worries! Just point yourself planet-ward and jump!

Just like jumping from 5 meter height prepares you to jump from 300 meter height.

During re-entry vehicle haves about 100 times more kinetic energy than this parachuter will achieve.

It is pure entertainment.

This is not "the edge of space". This is a lie. There is no definition of "edge of space". We start to call anything above 100 km "space, but this arbitrary set limit. Still there is nothing useful at 100 km. At 300 km there is still significant atmosphere resistance.

Well, these kind of jumps could be fun. I don't know cost of it, but this could establish safety requirements for this extreme entertainment.

Climbing Mt. Everest won't contribute to knowledge of the human kind, but many people still want to do it.

Buzzwords

I hate when someone uses word like energy, power or in this example movement as spiritus movens without explaining anything.

This is how it suppose to look like.

"Ode to joy" by Robert Bennington

Oh friends, not these notes!

Joy of God's beautiful sparks

Daughter of the Elysium

Drunken of fire we will enter

Your holy shrine, Heavenly daughter!

Your miracles will connect again

Whatever fashion had strictly divided

All men will become brothers

Wherever your tender wing remains

######

Berlin Hamburg Schumacher

Baden-Baden lederhosen

fast fast fast

Yes Yes No No

apple strudel

Hofmeister and Holsten Pils

Attention loving woman in milk Porsche oom-pah

Vorsprung durch Technik

Donner and Blitzen

British architect

tommorrow belongs to me

pig, dog, fool

a beer please

Jurgen Klinsmann is not broke,

Boris Becker always boom boom

I'm a Berlin

kindergarten pick,

glühwein where his skipass

edelweiss sings captain von Trapp

thank-you

Auf Wiedersehen Pet

Solifugid

Germany: Goodbye to nuclear, welcome back coal

You can generate electricity from: natural gas, oil and oil shale. Germany won't find source of appropriate amount of oil and oil shale is limited currently to Estonia (practically not different from coal), but Russia is willing to supply Germany with natural gas... for a price.

Richest economy with similar electricity use as Germany is Ireland, not so different, while richest country with half of electricity use of Germany is Poland.

Is it possible that some former communist country in Europe can catch up some really developed Western country(France, Germany etc.) in near future(15-25 years)?

Maybe Czech Republic, maybe Slovenia. Beside the fact that reaching this point took former communist states 20 years, these countries don't have infrastructure to do so. Electricity generation

What did you think of the opening ceremony?

It was extremely centered around Great Britain, which is fine for me because i understand cultural references, but awful for people who don't know British popular culture.

It would be terrible to explain who is Voldemort and Mary Poppins and that they are not really antagonists. It's like battle between Guang Yu and Sha Wujing.

You could put there: "The Wind in the Willows", "Winnie-the -Pooh", "The Hobbit" and more. That's not necessary. You cannot put up anthology of British children literature in an hour.

Sanctity of American constitution is shocking notion for me

 If someone said to me that Schuman Declaration, Lisbon Treaty, Polish Constitution, or something like that is perfect now and forever I would say they is crazy.

There is no cyclical time and language and context change. There was also no Golden Age and we can do better than aspire to be like our ancestors.

Well, Polish Constitution isn't good, but you got to be kidding me.

U.S. Constitution article I section 10:

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

How this apply to today's world?

will never become "one of the EU's main powers"

It can only improve its image, because for now is abysmal. There is only one country which loves Poland - Japan. It's hard to describe this differently, Japanese like Poland more than Polish. That is as cultural phenomenon, few Japanese actually live in Poland. Germans obviously dislike Poland. Other nationalities mostly never heard of it. You can ask Italians for example and they genuinely know nothing about the country.

Transformation is reality. E.g. there were 20 people killed last year with firearms, there are 80 000 terminals for contactless payments. More and more things are normal here.

This is not representative sample, but here you go - Germans like Poland, Deutschen mögen Polen

You are forcing to be positive. I would expect also association with poverty and backwardness from Frenchmen.

I don't believe that Poland as a brand is in France either good or bad.

Which of Europe's national anthems is your favorite?

French- although it is little too militaristic for me.

Soviet- although it is was anthem of the evil empire.

European- probably greatest of all, but foolishly hopeful.

Suicides in Europe

First you should repair the climate. Europe has darkest cities on planet (besides Siberia) and most of this sunshine is experienced in summer. Secondary you should curb alcohol consumption, which is probably also contributing factor.

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

He was Tsar of Bulgarians from 1943 to 1946 and funnily enough Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 2001-2005.

While European Anthem has lukewarm lyrics, the full version of Ode to Joy was much more radical:

Joy, beautiful sparkle of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter, fire-drunk,
Heavenly one, your shrine.
Your magics bind again
What custom's sword has parted
Beggars become princes' brothers

Where your tender wing lingers.

Chorus
Be embraced, millions!
This kiss to the entire world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
Must a loving Father reside.


Whoever has succeeded in the great attempt
To be a friend's friend;
Whoever has won a lovely woman
Add in his jubilation!
Yes, who calls even one soul
His own on the earth's sphere!
And whoever never could achieve this,
Let him steal away crying from this gathering!

Chorus
Those who occupy the great circle,
Pay homage to sympathy!
It leads to the stars
Where the unknown one reigns.


All creatures drink joy
At the breasts of nature,
All good, all evil
Follow her trail of roses.
Kisses she gave us, and the vine,
A friend, proven in death.
Pleasure was given to the worm,
And the cherub stands before God.

Chorus
Do you fall down, you millions?
Do you sense the creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy,
Above the stars he must live.


Joy is the name of the strong spring
In eternal nature.
Joy, joy drives the wheels
In the great clock of worlds.
She lures flowers from the buds,
Suns out of the firmament,
She rolls spheres in the spaces
That the seer's telescope does not know.

Chorus
Happy, as his suns fly
Through the heaven’s magnificent plain
Run, brothers, your track
Joyfully, as a hero to victory.


From the fiery mirror of truth
She smiles upon the researcher,
Towards virtue’s steep hill
She guides the endurer’s path.
Upon faith’s sunlit mountain
One sees her banners in the wind,
Through the opening of burst coffins
One sees them standing in the chorus of angels.

Chorus
Endure courageously, millions!
Endure for the better world!
There above the starry canopy
A great God will reward.


Gods one cannot repay
Beautiful it is, to be like them.
Grief and poverty, acquaint yourselves
With the joyful ones rejoice.
Anger and revenge be forgotten,
Our deadly enemy be forgiven,
No tears shall he shed
No remorse shall gnaw at him

Chorus
Our debt registers be abolished
Reconcile the entire world!
Brothers, over the starry canopy
God judges, as we judged.


Joy bubbles in the cup,
In the grape’s golden blood
Cannibals drink gentleness
The fearful, courage --
Brothers, fly from your perches,
When the full cup is passed,
Let the foam spray to the heavens
This glass to the good spirit

Chorus
He whom the spirals of stars praise,
He whom the seraphim’s hymn glorifies,
This glass to the good spirit
Above the starry canopy!


Courage firm in great suffering,
Help there, where innocence weeps,
Eternally sworn oaths,
Truth towards friend and foe,
Mens’ pride before kings’ thrones --
Brothers, even if it costs property and blood, --
The crowns to those who earn them,
Defeat to the lying brood!

Chorus
Close the holy circle tighter,
Swear by this golden vine:
Remain true to the vows,
Swear by the judge above the stars!

Escape the tyrants’ chains,

Generosity also to the villain,

Hope upon the deathbeds,

Mercy from the high court!

The dead, too, shall live!

Brothers, drink and chime in,

All sinners shall be forgiven,

And hell shall be no more.

Chorus
A serene departing hour!
Sweet sleep in the shroud!
Brothers—a mild sentence
From the final judge! 

Austerity. What austerity?

List of EU countries which had budget cuts:

• Bulgaria,
• Estonia,
• Greece, but only 1%,
• Hungary,
• Malta,
• Romania,
• Sweden,

Actually champion of austerity is Iceland which cut spending by 20% in real terms.

UK and France obviously haven't had austerity, almost all EU countries have increasing spending. Between 2008 and 2011 there was 5% increase in budget expenditure on average.

History of Norway

Undiscovered giant is interesting position on this graph. It assumes that there is giant field of crude oil in Norway to be found.

This would be Johan Sverdrup, and would prove amazing predictive value of the author.

Oil production in Norway in March is over 1.6 million barrels per day, so better than on the graph, but close enough.

Problems with Moldova

Soviet generals trying to separate eastern part of the country, largest alcohol consumption on the planet, Gazprom forcing high prices for natural gas, extremely high level of emigration...

Trabant as communist car?

Wrong comparison. Trabant was made of cotton and never higher class vehicle. There is excellent example of communistic management, because there was car company split between West and East. Eastern part being Wartburg and western - BMW. Of course BMW had better performance, was cleaner and had more varietes

Homicide rates throughout Europe

Tell me about your cold, freezing, city!

Coldest major city in EEA is Helsinki.

You can go to university in Svalbard, but there is no city around it. You would have 4 months below -10*C there.

Don't be confused. Swedish and Norwegian cities aren't very freezing (even 40 degrees above Siberian temperatures) and actually belt Poland-Finland is

Poland and Lithuania

It often helps to read Wikipedia (as it is crowd-sourced and reflects opinion of larger number of people).

How Polish people see Lithuania.

How Lithuanian people see Poland.

So what is European culture, anyway?

Ruskin said: "Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts, the book of their deeds the book of their words and the book of their art. Not one of these books can be understood unless we read the two others, but of the three the only trustworthy one is the last" On the whole I think this is true.

Europe according to FOX News

I love to think that red dots are capitals.

Turin in Italy, Hamburg in Germany, Tours in France.

Do these cities have anything in common?

Map of tourist atractiveness

Map for entire world.

Interesting. There is relative emptiness of France, with similar attractiveness as Ukraine. Not surprisingly Switzerland or Netherlands are covered with solid color. There is no tourism in Central Africa. Only heat spot around Persian Gulf is UAE. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan are empty; Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan aren't. All tourism in India is concentrated around Himalayas and west coast.

Does recognition of Armenia genocide brinks justice?

Not really. Recognition won't bring justice, because perpetrators are dead.

Neither should EU "force" anyone to change their history books.

You should realize that Turks don't know about the genocide. It is censored. They have something called "crime against Turkishness" or similar which forbid to freely publish about Young Turks. Let them repeal this (being against article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights) and there will be someone in Turkey who will speak about the genocide.

BTW, Turkish entry on ECHR is telling.

Federal European Union?

What would we need?

1. Patriotism based on enlightenment goals: freedom, democracy, reason. I think that since Schuman there are lots of politicians, who would accept that.
2. Cosmopolitanism, belief in shared morality of all Europeans or even all humans. That would be huge problem. Almost all politician speaks otherwise. Deceased Havel would be exception (he is hated in his country for claiming to be citizen of the world). This would pose as in stark opposition to USA.
3. Communitarism, belief in connection between individual and community, values created in community and positive rights. This is core belief of United Nations or EPP and most politician would agree with that.
4. Ethical individualism, belief that every individual know best their preferences. This is basis for wealth redistribution and something many people don't belief. This is sometnterest of the future.hing lack of trust can easily squander. This also often take away power from "protectors of our interests" - politicians.
5. Sustainability, not compromising future enterprises. No problem.
6. Being family friendly while changing definition of family. No problem.
7. Multiculturalism, promotion of multiple cultures. There are multiple politician devoted to this, although in minority.
8. Secularism. This would need multiple "corrections" for naughty politicians, but it is core value of EU already.
9. Being understanding towards criminals: no capital punishment, respect of their individuality and welfare for them. This is opposed by same people as #4.
10. Perpetual peace. This needs united European armed forces.
11. Multilateralism, working in concert towards common goal. Every politician sharing dream of united European community will ascribe to that. This is core principle of UN.

Promotional video for Polish city of Gdansk from 2010

These are typical British people

"Green" meat

This is a reason most of meat is now artificially coloured. Meat contains iron, fat, and other compounds. When light hits a slice of meat, it splits into colors like a rainbow. There are various pigments in meat compounds that can give it an iridescent or greenish cast when exposed to heat and processing. Wrapping the meat in airtight packages and storing it away from light will help prevent this situation. Iridescence does not represent decreased quality or safety of the meat.

tl;dr That's like "normal" meat looks like.

Alexander Petrosyan

Authors site, collection of his most picturesque images.

Some specie of crinoid

Exoplanets

There are at least 1781 candidates and counting.

Keppler could started revolution in exoplanet search and we will see something like asteroid discovery.