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General Order Number 3...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on June 19, 2018 at 8:49am
Image source: My Plain View dot com

Topics: Africa, African Americans, Civil Rights, History, Human Rights

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or neither of these version could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in question For whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory.

General Order Number 3

One of General Granger’s first orders of business was to read to the people of Texas, General Order Number 3 which began most significantly with:

"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."

The reactions to this profound news ranged from pure shock to immediate jubilation. While many lingered to learn of this new employer to employee relationship, many left before these offers were completely off the lips of their former 'masters' - attesting to the varying conditions on the plantations and the realization of freedom. Even with nowhere to go, many felt that leaving the plantation would be their first grasp of freedom. North was a logical destination and for many it represented true freedom, while the desire to reach family members in neighboring states drove the some into Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities and the challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for black people in America. Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territory. The celebration of June 19th was coined "Juneteenth" and grew with more participation from descendants. The Juneteenth celebration was a time for reassuring each other, for praying and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth continued to be highly revered in Texas decades later, with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on this date. [1]

*****

In all the non-slave-holding States, in violation of that good faith and comity which should exist between entirely distinct nations, the people have formed themselves into a great sectional party, now strong enough in numbers to control the affairs of each of those States, based upon the unnatural feeling of hostility to these Southern States and their beneficent and patriarchal system of African slavery, proclaiming the debasing doctrine of the equality of all men, irrespective of race or color--a doctrine at war with nature, in opposition to the experience of mankind, and in violation of the plainest revelations of the Divine Law. They demand the abolition of negro slavery throughout the confederacy, the recognition of political equality between the white and the negro races, and avow their determination to press on their crusade against us, so long as a negro slave remains in these States.

For years past this abolition organization has been actively sowing the seeds of discord through the Union, and has rendered the federal congress the arena for spreading firebrands and hatred between the slave-holding and non-slave-holding States. [2]

1. History of Juneteenth, Juneteenth dot com

2. DECLARATION OF CAUSES: February 2, 1861

A declaration of the causes which impel the State of Texas to secede from the Federal Union.

Texas State Library and Archive Commission

Note: A search for "slave" finds 21 references to "slave", "slave-holding" and "slavery." A search for African yields "African", "African race" and "African slavery", for which are the following associated, clear expressions that had nothing at all to do with the nebulous "states rights" dodge:
We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable.
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Tears for the Baobab...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on June 18, 2018 at 5:16am
GIF image from Nature. The African baobab is one of the continent’s most recognizable tree species. Credit: Hougaard Malan/naturepl.com

Topics: Biology, Climate Change, Ecology, Existentialism

Africa’s iconic baobab trees are dying, and scientists don’t know why. In a study intended to examine why the trees are so long-living, researchers made the unexpected finding that many of the oldest and largest of the trees have died in the past decade or so.

The African baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is the oldest living flowering plant, or angiosperm, and is found in the continent’s tropical regions. Individual trees — which can contain up to 500 cubic metres of wood — can live for more than 2,000 years. Their wide trunks often have hollow cavities, and their high branches resemble roots sticking up into the air.

The researchers — who published their findings in Nature Plants on 11 June — set out to use a newly developed radiocarbon-dating technique to study the age and architecture of the species. Usual tree-ring dating methods are not suitable for baobabs, because their trunks do not necessarily grow annual rings.

The trees’ ages were previously attributed to their size, and in local folklore, baobabs are often described as being old, says study author Adrian Patrut, a radiochemist at Babeş-Bolyai University in Romania.

Africa’s majestic baobab trees are mysteriously dying, Sarah Wild, Nature

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Nanomaterials and the Final Frontier...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on June 14, 2018 at 5:00am
Nanomaterials take on the many extremes of space. Courtesy: Shutterstock/Sergey Nivens

Topics: Applied Physics, Nanotechnology, NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight

Rocket science often seems to typify state-of-the-art technology. The extreme conditions of take-off, landing and space itself, the exacting specifications of the instrumentation required for rocket control and scientific data collection, and the costs per unit mass for launching the rocket would seem to leave no room for mediocrity. With their enhanced multifunctional properties nanomaterials offer a lot of bang per kilo for missions. Physics World Materials looks at what nanomaterials can offer to protect against the elements in space.

To merit incorporation in a billion-dollar space mission, new technologies need to deliver more than just a promise of enhanced functionality. The properties of new materials and the impact of their use on all other aspects of the space equipment need to be reliably defined. As Jamshid A Samareh and Emilie J Siochi from NASA’s Langley Research Center emphasize in a recent review, a key factor preventing greater uptake of nanomaterials in space missions has been a lack of a deep understanding of their behaviour within the complex and sophisticated systems of spacecraft. “The barrier is understanding the measurable benefits over materials that are currently being used – especially when you have to trade risk and cost with current paradigms,” says Emilie Siochi, senior materials scientist in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia, USA. As for the electronics used, Meyya Meyyappan Chief Scientist for Exploration Technology at Ames Research Center points out that making sure the radiation tolerance and packaging meet requirements can preclude adoption of “the state-of-the-art”. Scaling up production from lab levels to the volumes needed for a rocket can also compromise the nanomaterial properties that recommended their use in the first place, deterring uptake.

Despite the overarching caution in space technology the lure remains for harnessing nanomaterials to take on the challenges of blasting free from Earth intact, facing the furnace of take-off and the chill of outer space, as well as the cosmic cocktail of radiation exposure. And there are a growing number of nanomaterials whose manufacture and device application has reached a level of maturity that allows for a valuable contribution in aerospace missions.

Can nanomaterials take on the extremes of space? Anna Demming, Physics World

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MiniBooNe...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on June 13, 2018 at 7:23am
Inside the MiniBooNE tank, photodetectors capture the light created when a neutrino interacts with an atomic nucleus. Reidar Hahn / Fermilab

Topics: Neutrinos, Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Theoretical Physics

Physicists are both thrilled and baffled by a new report from a neutrino experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago. The MiniBooNE experiment has detected far more neutrinos of a particular type than expected, a finding that is most easily explained by the existence of a new elementary particle: a “sterile” neutrino that’s even stranger and more reclusive than the three known neutrino types. The result appears to confirm the anomalous results of a decades-old experiment that MiniBooNE was built specifically to double-check.

The persistence of the neutrino anomaly is extremely exciting, said the physicist Scott Dodelson of Carnegie Mellon University. It “would indicate that something is indeed going on,” added Anže Slosar of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

As for what, no one can say.

The existence of a sterile neutrino would revolutionize physics from the smallest to the largest scales. It would finally break the Standard Model of particle physics that has reigned since the 1970s. It would also demand “a new standard model of cosmology,” Dodelson said. “There are other potential cracks in the standard picture,” he added. “The neutrino paradox could point our way to a new, better model.”

Neutrinos are tiny particles that pass through our bodies by the billions each second but seldom interact. They constantly oscillate between three known types, or “flavors,” called electron, muon and tau. The MiniBooNE experiment shoots a beam of muon neutrinos toward a giant oil tank. On the way to the tank, some of these muon neutrinos should transform into electron neutrinos at a rate determined by the difference in mass between the two. MiniBooNE then monitors the arrival of electron neutrinos, which produce characteristic flashes of radiation on the rare occasions when they interact with oil molecules. In its 15-year run, MiniBooNE has registered a few hundred more electron neutrinos than expected.

The simplest explanation for the surprisingly high number is that some muon neutrinos are oscillating into a different, heavier, fourth kind of neutrino — a sterile one, meaning it never interacts with anything that isn’t a neutrino — and that some of these heavy sterile neutrinos then oscillate into electron neutrinos. The greater mass difference prescribes a higher rate of oscillations and more detections.

Evidence Found for a New Fundamental Particle, Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine

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Martian Molecules...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on June 12, 2018 at 5:30am
Self portrait of Curiosity Rover at a drilling site on Mars. The drilled hole can be seen on the Martian surface. This location was not part of this latest study. (Courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Topics: Biology, Exoplanet, Mars, NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight

Organic molecules have been found in ancient rocks under the surface of Mars. The discovery was made by NASA’s Curiosity Rover by drilling into mudstone that was laid down 3.5 bn years ago at the bottom of a Martian lake. The molecules found include sulphur-rich thiophenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene, and aliphatic hydrocarbons such as propane.

While the presence of these molecules does not prove that life once existed on the red planet, the discovery suggests that conditions on Mars could have been like those here on Earth when life first emerged more than 3 bn years ago.

The discovery is reported in the journal Science by NASA’s Jennifer Eigenbrode and an international team of scientists. They used Discovery’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument to examine samples that had been gathered from Mars’ Gale crater using a drill that can probe 5 cm below the surface.

SAM works by heating rock samples to release any organic compounds that may be present. The emitted gases are then analysed using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer and a laser spectrometer.

This is not the first time that Curiosity has detected organic molecules, but previous measurements were considered unreliable because of possible sample contamination and unwanted chemical reactions.

Organic molecules found in ancient Martian rocks, Hamish Johnston, Physics World

#P4TC links:

Martian Blueberries...September 17, 2012

Yesterday, on Mars...December 10, 2013

Mars, Molecules and Methane...December 17, 2014

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Financial impact?

Posted by Turtel Onli on June 11, 2018 at 8:12am

Are there any stats or evidence of positive impact to or on independent Black owned businesses per the activities of Black Lives Matters, Black Entertainers, Black Athletes, and the ever loving Black Nerds? After they picket, party or protest is there a bump up of profits in Black on Black positive enterprise.  Or is this limited to haunting the suspicious activities of certain folks and not participating in legal Black-Money?

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This Fascism...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on June 8, 2018 at 5:54pm

Topics: Commentary, Existentialism, History, Politics

Note: Originally planned for next Friday. Due to current circumstance, this post was moved up.

Fascism, political ideology and mass movement that dominated many parts of central, southern, and eastern Europe between 1919 and 1945 and that also had adherents in western Europe, the United States, South Africa, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East. Europe’s first fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, took the name of his party from the Latin word fasces, which referred to a bundle of elm or birch rods (usually containing an ax) used as a symbol of penal authority in ancient Rome. Although fascist parties and movements differed significantly from one another, they had many characteristics in common, including extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites, and the desire to create a Volksgemeinschaft (German: “people’s community”), in which individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation. At the end of World War II, the major European fascist parties were broken up, and in some countries (such as Italy and West Germany) they were officially banned. Beginning in the late 1940s, however, many fascist-oriented parties and movements were founded in Europe as well as in Latin America and South Africa. Although some European “neofascist” groups attracted large followings, especially in Italy and France, none were as influential as the major fascist parties of the interwar period. Source: Britannica dot com/fascism

“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.”
― Benito Mussolini (attributed with dispute) Good reads

In his dystopian novel, "The Man in the High Castle," Philip K. Dick (1962 book and current Amazon series) envisioned a world where the Axis powers won WWII. The only mention of Italy is Germany helped them conquest most of North Africa. The new world order seventeen years after the war divided what was America into territories dominated by Germany on the east coast, Japan on the pacific west coast and a lawless, Midwest "no man's land." Each dominant group considers itself the "master race," and contests over possession of "the Heisenberg device," what the atomic bomb might have been called had America not succeeded at the Manhattan Project. Except for a lot of chutzpah and good luck, this was almost the case. The Normandy Invasion almost didn't happen, or could have been a disastrous failure. It shaped the current world that through tweet and tariffs on our allies we see crumbling around us.

Highly esteemed corporations like International Business Machines, Charles and David Koch's father, Fred did business directly with Germany and Russia during and after the conflict. African Americans, Asians, Hispanic/Latinos and Native American "code talkers" fought and died along with their segregated, dominated fellows not for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," but a choice of evils: for people of color, the Second World War was no different than the first. Two racist nations were at war with each other, and POC made a "choice": lynchings, or ovens. Eugenics was born on these shores, and inspired Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists' darkest imaginations. Before the 2016 elections, the US right had given up on democracy and lauded Vladimir Putin. Their fears of being numerically irrelevant circa 2042 might plant the seeds in a fresh soil of feces and collusion. All prior pretense of piety and "values" are gone now.

Ironically, Charlie Chaplin thought Adolf Hitler was one of the greatest actors he’d ever seen.

In 1940, Charlie wrote, directed, and produced The Great Dictator, his first talking movie. Producers didn’t want to rock the boat with Germany and Italy; they tried to keep the movie from being released. Hollywood producers were also afraid Chaplin’s movie might damage foreign relations and hurt the Jewish population in Europe.

On the other hand, President Franklin D. Roosevelt thought it was a very important movie and assured Charlie that he’d see to it that the movie was released.

Chaplin produced the movie entirely with his own money. He created The Great Dictator to instigate laughter at Hitler–to show the world the Nazi party didn’t count. Chaplin discounted the Nazi party while challenging Hitler’s dictatorship, not knowing the atrocities taking place at the hands of Hitler and the Nazi party.

When Chaplin became aware of the death and destruction in Europe, he edited his movie to reflect on issues that were more serious. Charlie thought if he could talk from his heart in his movie, he might have an effect on shortening the war; therefore, he was constantly rewriting the script in order to be able to develop something profound to say to his motion picture viewers.

The Nazi party thought Charlie Chaplin was Jewish though there wasn’t any record that he was, or wasn’t. They created anti-Jewish newsreels based on Chaplin’s visit to Berlin. They called him a ‘disgusting Jewish acrobat.’ Source: Healthy Habits, George Zapo

Sometime monsters are first seen as jokes.

They may master the current medium of the times (radio, Twitter) and gain the attention of millions. Through celebrity, brashness and blatant racism, they may command a cult following. For fear of being numerical minorities, globalization and supposed mediocrity, some have sold their souls to a Russian devil. Election parties post a questionable "election" may include colorful mob characters named Joey No Socks. Democratic norms whither under their ceaseless attacks on the rule of law, PRETENDING to be the rule of law while daily breaking many, along with crimes against humanity.

Sometimes monsters are first seen as jokes.

Before the ovens were fired, the undesirable are sequestered in ghettos, segregated from the rest of "us"; children locked away in an abandoned Walmart.

Sometime monsters are first seen as jokes...until the first ovens are fired.

The only product hate can ultimately produce...is death.

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The Time Telescope #1

Posted by Christopher Love on June 5, 2018 at 10:16pm

 

Historical Bureau of Investigation Agents Tad Jones and Kim Davis research history with The Time Telescope in order to reconnect with their history due to the Great Cataclysm. They discover individuals such as Sybil Ludington, Squanto and Crispus Attucks and more. But what happens when they are TRAPPED in the past. Will they ever return to the 23rd Century? History and Science meet at The Time Telescope.

This is the 1st Issue of a comic book series that combines Star Trek with Doctor Who.

A web series will be produced from the success of the digital comic book. Support Diversity.

AVAILABLE ON JULY 1st. 

LIVE ACTION WEB SERIES is planned for 2019. You can support this by spreading the word

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CHZVKBN

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Update : Blakelywork Studio T-shirts available now at tee public.com

Posted by Winston Blakely on June 4, 2018 at 9:00am

    I thought it would be interesting to present a series of fantasy

     t- shirts available with artwork from my artbook entitled  Aura.

      Follow the link for colorful images and maybe you will see

     something that will strike your fancy.   There is a beginning 

     array of designs and genre...  Enjoy...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   UPDATE ON T SHIRT SITE !!!!

      Had to move everything to tee public.com  the link is below.

       http://tee.pub/lic/CeMm1pr0_Zk

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ABYSSINIA MEDIA GROUP® at the 2018 East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention Philadelphia

Posted by Carles CJ Juzang on May 31, 2018 at 5:00pm

 

  ABYSSIANIA MEDIA GROUP® wishes everyone a Good Day! This is a visual presentation of my East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention 2018 Experience. The excursion to Philadelphia from Los Angeles was a very trying and tiring one. We arrived in Philadelphia on Friday rainy and cloudy morning that turned cooler by evening. Wanted to make the Glyph Comics Awards held at the convention site Tech-Freire Charter High School but health issues due to the cool weather made that a no show for the AMG crew. We were kind of expecting LATE Spring weather and it turned out to be EARLY spring weather.




But on that rainy May 19th Saturday morning it was on! We arrived there before 10 AM and we were assigned our tables, had a mix-up with Black Lighting creator Tony Isabella but got that worked out. I was just glad I got to say a few words to him even if it was out of a confused state (mine). We set up in the main room, saw the positive and most of all creative forces that were out there as friends colleagues and competition. Shout out to Mishindo Kuumba I and his crew, shout out to N. Steven Harris, shout out to Jerome Wolford, shout out to Fari-Raqub & King VII, shout out to Roye Okupe and the YouNeek Studios crew, shout out to my brother from another mother and ECBACC organizer,  Akinseye Brown, shout out to ECBACC President Yumi Odom, most of all shout out to Glyph Award Winner Greg Anderson-Elyseé for is “Nana the Were-Spider.”

The real highlight of the day was the Afri-Coz Play Contest featuring peeps in their favorite comic character costume. There were a lot of favorites and I tried to feature them in the gallery within the latest AMG blog. They may also be seen on ABYSSINIA MEDIA GROUP®'s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Not to mention at the actual East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention website – http://ECBACC.COM. We had a wonderful full day but missed the group picture at the end because we were on a tight schedule.

The next day fortunately we were blessed to arrive at Reading Terminal Market after attending worship service to see the last remnants of the Black age of comic convention organizer's breakfast. The ECBACC Breakfast event had ended but we arrived there just in time before the leadership stepped out the door. These pictures featured in the “AMG at the Philadelphia ECBACC 2018 Gallery” in the blog featured at HERE. Much love to all the organizers, much love to all my fellow retailers, most of all looking forward to attending the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention next year in May 2019.

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Apropos...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on May 28, 2018 at 1:42pm

Topics: Civil Rights, History, Human Rights, Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2018 occurs on Monday, May 28. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season. Link: History.com

I am a United States Air Force veteran, and a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. as is Colin Kaepernick. A leaked audio revealed why my fraternity brother has effectively been black-balled by NFL owners, cowards all from a charlatan tweeter who's net worth any ONE of them eclipses, the living epitome of a studio gangster.

It is befitting to remember why Colin "took a knee." It has nothing to do with disrespect for a flag, itself a symbol of a nation that has disrespected our contributions as citizens from its inception, when we weren't considered full citizens at all:

I'm going to be offline, a week or two to get together a review paper. I will go back online either 5 or 12 June, both Tuesdays, depending on how well my paper progresses.

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Chapter 5

Posted by Human Bean on May 28, 2018 at 8:00am

Chapter 5 going live

Dis-OasisPt.5.pdf

This is the final installment and conclusion of Act 1 of Dis- Oasis. 

First I want to say thank you, having my profile featured on this site is exactly the type of exposure I need. I really appreciate the recognition.

So far feedback has been sparse but the number of views are speaking loud and clear. There is a definitive interest in this story so I will be continuing the remainder of this thrilling adventure on my website for free (just sign-up) with installments every 1st and 15th of the month unless otherwise advised.

See you there!

https://hbwritingco.wixsite.com/hbwc/dis-oasis-chapters

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Follow da Mouse

Posted by Turtel Onli on May 26, 2018 at 7:53am

Now that The Mouse has made it legit to say or think, "Black / African derived super hero" folks can rise up and openly participate indie Black Age of Comics' creators and their continued lines of amazing products. After decades of being "Indie Black adverse" many can now deal in legal Black-Money by collecting and gifting indie-Black Age products.  Putting them in the hands of so many hungry deserving fans and students. The Mouse has come a long way since his early minstrlal shimy days to rise and rule. Its nice to see him open up the door. 

Now lets see who is willing to leave the plantations of the mainstream.

As we have been saying for over a decade.... "Indie today: Black Age Forever!

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Follow da Mouse

Posted by Turtel Onli on May 26, 2018 at 7:52am

Now that The Mouse has made it legit to say or think, "Black / African derived super hero" folks can rise up and openly participate indie Black Age of Comics' creators and their continued lines of amazing products. After decades of being "Indie Black adverse" many can now deal in legal Black-Money by collecting and gifting indie-Black Age products.  Putting them in the hands of so many hungry deserving fans and students. The Mouse has come a long way since his early minstrlal shimy days to rise and rule. Its nice to see him open up the door. 

Now lets see who is willing to leave the plantations of the mainstream.

As we have been saying for over a decade.... "Indie today: Black Age Forever!

Read more…

La Cosa Nostra...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on May 25, 2018 at 7:47am
CBS News Almanac: Al Capone

Topics: Commentary, Existentialism, Politics

Cosa nostra is an Italian phrase for 'our thing'. It is exclusively used to describe Italian and Italian-American Mafia organization. It can sometimes be described as La Cosa Nostra. See: Answers.com

The Sopranos was a ground-breaking series about an Italian-American crime family. Played flawlessly by the late James Gandolfini and set in New Jersey, Tony Soprano tried to be a "good family man" while running "his [Mafia] thing." Unlike our draft-dodging, wimp wanna-be-gangster-in-chief, Tony had the presence of mind to seek psychiatric help to deal with..."job-related stress."

"Our thing"...it's the only thing that explains the wise-guy tactics, the implicit loyalty pledges (denied, or not), paying off Playboy centerfolds, adult film stars and 81% of morally righteous, tell-everyone-else-how-to-live white evangelicals (or, evil-gelicals) being OK with "grab 'em by the p." Every "presidential* address" - if you want to call it that - is an intellectual incubus/succubus assault, draining the life out of any modicum of rationality, or common sense you may possess. DNA telomeres and thus human lifespans dwindle by the time he's finished a complete sentence...which is rare!

The last night of the RNC was like “The Dark Knight Returns”: the world was essentially a shit show like Gotham, and Batman screamed for 75 minutes incoherent, semi form, hand-tossed Word Salad anointing himself Bruce-Wayne-Almighty-Cheetos-Jesus savior of the planet by the strength of his will alone (no cool gadgets – just a Galaxy Smart Phone and a twitter handle he misspells as he jacks off on almost daily). The Bat’s bravery was previously demonstrated during his selfless sacrificed Vietnam five deferments to let others more worthy die in his place. See: Party of Apocalypse

His business failures are myriad, but that doesn't stop a good conman, seemingly determined to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for Olympic-level lying. Truth is as flexible as his bowels are loose, the muse for most of his twitter postings, as that can be the only valid reason a septuagenarian is up at wee hours of the morning to electronically defecate his first thoughts from tiny hands and fingers into a cyberspace toilet. The epitome of double entendre.

The North Korean summit - after commemorative plaque, self-congratulation and chants of "Nobel" by his bewildered herd cult following - was canceled. The "Libyan model" was touted by those in his cabinet that have never seen a war they didn't like OTHER people's children fighting for profit. I guess those vast negotiation skills of being a rude prick in New York City doesn't play well on the world stage. Some of his Reddit cult considered him "god emperor" once-upon-a-time. I wonder if they've sobered up now?

This is a buffoon. His narcissism doesn't allow him to admit his ineptitude or incompetence. In his twisted mind, he's a big boss on the level of Al Capone; a dark, political genius equivalent to Hitler or Pol Pot. He's more like a lapdog underling salivating at the Kingpin in Russia he'd one day like to be (and never will). Fredo Corleone has the nuclear codes, and apparently is unraveling from what little grip on sanity he ever had. He's more a poor man's idea of what a rich man looks like after a night chugging Mad Dog 20/20, followed by shots of Tequila. He's only genius on spreading lies, innuendo and birther racist nonsense. His signature "semi form, hand-tossed" signaling of balsa wood stick planes to runways between the Propecia strands on his toupee doesn't make him anymore "tough" looking than his five military deferments. His staffer's crass denigration of Senator John McCain's brush with cancer and wartime sacrifice goes un-apologized, or fired for.

On this auspicious occasion of our "reality TV" president*, with the controversy over NFL players now being fined for kneeling at games - violating their First Amendment Rights to free speech, may I suggest a new, more apropos National Anthem, since the old one does talk about slavery in the third stanza, along with the second, we don't sing? (Hey - it's "our thing"):

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Space, Time and Quanta...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on May 24, 2018 at 9:29pm
Credit: Chris Gash

Topics: Astrophysics, Black Holes, Einstein, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity

Physicists believe that at the tiniest scales, space emerges from quanta. What might these building blocks look like?

People have always taken space for granted. It is just emptiness, after all—a backdrop to everything else. Time, likewise, simply ticks on incessantly. But if physicists have learned anything from the long slog to unify their theories, it is that space and time form a system of such staggering complexity that it may defy our most ardent efforts to understand.

Albert Einstein saw what was coming as early as November 1916. A year earlier he had formulated his general theory of relativity, which postulates that gravity is not a force that propagates through space but a feature of spacetime itself. When you throw a ball high into the air, it arcs back to the ground because Earth distorts the spacetime around it, so that the paths of the ball and the ground intersect again. In a letter to a friend, Einstein contemplated the challenge of merging general relativity with his other brainchild, the nascent theory of quantum mechanics. That would not merely distort space but dismantle it. Mathematically, he hardly knew where to begin. “How much have I already plagued myself in this way!” he wrote.

Einstein never got very far. Even today there are almost as many contending ideas for a quantum theory of gravity as scientists working on the topic. The disputes obscure an important truth: the competing approaches all say space is derived from something deeper—an idea that breaks with 2,500 years of scientific and philosophical understanding.

A kitchen magnet neatly demonstrates the problem that physicists face. It can grip a paper clip against the gravity of the entire Earth. Gravity is weaker than magnetism or than electric or nuclear forces. Whatever quantum effects it has are weaker still. The only tangible evidence that these processes occur at all is the mottled pattern of matter in the very early universe—thought to be caused, in part, by quantum fluctuations of the gravitational field.

Black holes are the best test case for quantum gravity. “It's the closest thing we have to experiments,” says Ted Jacobson of the University of Maryland, College Park. He and other theorists study black holes as theoretical fulcrums. What happens when you take equations that work perfectly well under laboratory conditions and extrapolate them to the most extreme conceivable situation? Will some subtle flaw manifest itself?

What Is Spacetime? George Musser, Scientific American

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Tea Leaves and Quantum Dots...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on May 23, 2018 at 10:05am
Image Source: EurekAlert!

Topics: Biology, Biomedicine, Cancer, Nanotechnology, Quantum Dots

We now have a clean, cheap way of manufacturing quantum dots, an advanced, microscopic tool that scientists are learning how to use to enhance everything from solar panels to cancer treatments. All they needed was green tea leaf extract, along with a couple other chemicals.

But let’s back up, because that’s a lot to take in. Quantum dots are a kind of nanoparticle that span from two to five nanometers.

In the past, synthesizing these quantum dots was cost and waste-intensive, but a team out of Wales’ Swansea University found a way to create quantum dots from Camellia sinensis leaf extract, which is the same plant from which green and black tea are brewed. Using tea leaf extract instead of conventional ingredients meant the manufacturing process was non-toxic and cost effective. The same team also found that their quantum dots could penetrate the tiny pores on the outer membrane of skin cancer cells and stopped the growth of 80 percent of the cancerous cells in a lab sample.

Quantum Dots Synthesized From Tea Leaves Could Be The Future Of Nanomedicine

Dan Robitzski, Futurism

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Extraction!

Posted by Ronald T. Jones on May 22, 2018 at 2:10pm

https://www.amazon.com/Extraction-Ronald-T-Jones-ebook/dp/B079Z1GMDQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526999566&sr=1-1&keywords=Extraction+by+ronald+t.+jones

Far future Earth. Humanity is no longer isolated, having established relations with other sentient species across the stars. But humans remain divided among a group of Regional Coalitions that have replaced the old nation-states.Tensions between the Coalitions threaten an already tenuous peace maintained by Unified Earth, a representative body that has tried to speak with one human voice to the galaxy. Unified Earth asks the African Union, a major Regional Coalition power, to rescue a group of humans that have been kidnapped by marauders and taken to a distant, uncharted planet. The crew of the African Union Exploratory ship, Great Zimbabwe, have been tasked with that perilous assignment. But as Great Zimbabwe's captain, Jas Rahman, will discover, this rescue operation is more than it appears to be. Regional Coalition politics, intrigue, and ultimately, the fate of the African Union, will play a heavy role in the mission. For now, Captain Rahman's sole concern is the mission's success.

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Graphene Mirabilis...

Posted by Reginald L. Goodwin on May 22, 2018 at 12:40pm
Illustration: Nanotools Bioscience

Topics: Biology, Cancer, Graphene, Nanotechnology, Research

See: "Annus mirabilis" at Wikipedia for the cultural reference.

Shine light on human heart cells cultured on graphene and they beat faster. Shine light on zebrafish embryos with graphene flakes injected in their hearts, and the contraction of that organ speeds up.

That’s what scientists at the University of California San Diego reported today in the journal Science Advances, in a discovery they say has implications for everything from drug testing to pacemakers.

“Sometimes discoveries happen due to serendipity,” says Alex Savchenko, a biophysics researcher at the university, who led the discovery with Elena Molokanova at the San Diego-based startup Nanotools Bioscience. “In this case we were controlling what we wanted to achieve all the way through the experiment.”

Graphene, the wonder material composed of single atom-thick sheets of carbon, has been a focus of excitement and feverish development ever since some of its properties were first demonstrated, in 2004, by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, both now at the University of Manchester.

One of graphene’s many talents is that it can convert light into electricity. Savchenko and his colleagues hypothesized that the electricity generated by graphene could also stimulate human cells.

After honing the graphene formulation and trying out different types of light, Savchenko’s team managed to do what they set out to do: They built a gentle remote control for cell growth. Call it an opto-graphene stimulator.

Gif: Nanotools Bioscience This video shows heart cells being manipulated by an optical graphene stimulator.

Graphene Stimulator Paves Way for Optical Pacemakers, Smart Opioids, and Electronic Cancer Killers

Emily Waltz, Spectrum IEEE

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