some more news mid-jan2014

A longer form interview with former US Department of Defense Secretary Robert Gates on npr this morning gave retrospective insight to his focus and priorities. He had been appointed by former US pres Bush and continued into the early years of the Obama presidency. At the time of his appointment, at the height of wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates was touted as a pragmatic moderate, compared with someone like former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. On the other hand, in contrast with some of Gates' views on say, vice-president Biden's stated views over the last 35 years, Gates sounds much more like a pro-war champion. Another view says Gates was a careerist military man, and wrong about larger views such as ending the cold war. At least there is some discussion, some reflective analysis of views leading to these wars. At least Gates can admit that Bush had engaged in 'wars of choice'.

In other news, Ariel Sharon, former PM of Israel who had been in a medically induced coma for the last eight years, died this weekend. The memorial was today. Called 'the butcher', 'the bulldozer' and worse, former PM Shimon Peres called him 'the shoulder of the state of Israel' today, as his body lay in state outside the Israeli Parliament.

Pope Francis I elected nineteen "new cardinals... from Italy, Germany, Britain, Nicaragua, Canada, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Chile, Burkina Faso, the Philippines and Haiti."
Found in this AlJazeera article...

Education in Kansas, after suffering cuts for years, could get worse... a link-rich commentary on a current New York times piece. Governor Brownback is expected to speak on this issue at his state of the state speech, Wednesday January 15.

Women probably do have a worse time with terrifying encounters on the internet. Law enforcement seems unable or unwilling to do much to counter these threats.

A great interview on Fresh Air with an expert on servants in manors in Britain c. 1920. 32 min audio

US Navy sailors who served on USS Ronald Reagan, offshore during the earthquakes, tsunami and catastrophic failures of the Japanese Fukushima nuclear plants, have been reporting symptoms of radiation induced sickness, in years since. Scores have come forward and are suing the TEPCO power company, as the Navy is not monitoring their health and US Government says it has no jurisdiction.

Excellent short film, 'El Empleo' reveals inhuman nature of much of our modern technological age. < 7 min animation

UPDATE: marketplace answers why your zipper says 'YKK': they have half the world's business in zippers