Yikes. Not exactly "I believe it is peace for our time".
The NY Times coverage includes this crystallization of the conventional wisdom regarding the motivation of the reigning NoKo thugs:
But classified assessments of the North that the Obama administration left for its successors included a grim assessment by the intelligence community: that North Korea’s leader, Mr. Kim, believes his nuclear weapons program is the only way to guarantee the survival of his regime and will never trade it away for economic or other benefits.
The assessment said that the example of what happened to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the longtime leader of Libya, had played a critical role in North Korean thinking. Colonel Qaddafi gave up the components of Libya’s nuclear program in late 2003 — most of them were still in crates from Pakistan — in hopes of economic integration with the West. Eight years later, when the Arab Spring broke out, the United States and its European allies joined forces to depose Colonel Qaddafi, who was eventually found hiding in a ditch and executed by Libyan rebels.
#ShePersisted!
Lest you marvel at the capability of the NSA, one clue as to the NoKo thinking came from their own media. Here is the BBC from last September:
Might Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi explain Kim Jong-un's determination to get his own nuclear arsenal?
The lynching of the Libyan leader after he had renounced nuclear weapons and the hanging of the Iraqi president have been cited by the North Korean media as the rationale for their own country's determination not to be put off by sanctions despite the poverty there.
As it is sometimes put: Gaddafi gave up the bomb and lost his head. Saddam was toppled because he did not have it.
After Pyongyang's last nuclear test in January, a commentary in North Korea's media said: "History proves that powerful nuclear deterrence serves as the strongest treasured sword for frustrating outsiders' aggression."
It continued: "The Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq and the Gaddafi regime in Libya could not escape the fate of destruction after being deprived of their foundations for nuclear development and giving up nuclear programmes of their own accord."
Pretty subtle, but we managed to crack the code. Of course, inscrutable hints were dropped even back in 2011:
SEOUL, South Korea — A North Korean statement that Libya’s dismantling of its nuclear weapons program had made it vulnerable to military intervention by the West is being seen by analysts as an ominous reinforcement of the North’s refusal to end its own nuclear program.
North Korea’s official news agency carried comments this week from a Foreign Ministry official criticizing the air assault on Libyan government forces and suggesting that Libya had been duped in 2003 when it abandoned its nuclear program in exchange for promises of aid and improved relations with the West.
Calling the West’s bargain with Libya “an invasion tactic to disarm the country,” the official said it amounted to a bait and switch approach. “The Libyan crisis is teaching the international community a grave lesson,” the official was quoted as saying Tuesday, proclaiming that North Korea’s “songun” ideology of a powerful military was “proper in a thousand ways” and the only guarantor of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Odd that the failing NY Times forgot to blame Bush when they forgot to mention Hillary's Libya debacle.
Words fail
Are you a gamer because I can't otherwise figure out why you'd be reading that?
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 18, 2017 at 11:12 PM
Miss M,
My favorite Indy cabdriver swears that the best college in the State is Wabash College, but my fav bartender in your town swears by Butler, so Butler it is.
Posted by: daddy | March 18, 2017 at 11:13 PM
asw,
Amazing, isn't it? I first came to the same conclusion when I sa wa photo of Trump with Michael Jackson on Trump Force One.
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 18, 2017 at 11:14 PM
daddym
I am partial to Butler over Wabash, mainly because Wabash is more male oriented. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Wabash was all male until maybe the 80's. Their culture probably wouldn't suit my granddaughter.
Butler is good, as long as she lives on campus.
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 18, 2017 at 11:19 PM
Heading to bed.
Nytol!
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 18, 2017 at 11:19 PM
It was a link from the horde's game reviewer
Posted by: narciso | March 18, 2017 at 11:23 PM
Whoa! Iowa State on about a 14-2 point run against Purdue.
Mitch Daniels hardest hit.
Posted by: daddy | March 18, 2017 at 11:24 PM
Ig, my Niece's Daddy, my Lil Bro, joined the USAF as a non-com Private, after the Army denied him a FLYING JOB, after he graduated North Texas, and even though he was already a licensed pilot. He did SPEC OPS for 2 years, and then went to Maxwell for OTS.
My brothers 17 year old Daughter is going to THE USAF ACADEMY. I am SOOOOOO PROUD.
Posted by: GUS | March 18, 2017 at 11:25 PM
Awesome indeed, GUS!!
Posted by: Beasts of England | March 18, 2017 at 11:26 PM
Amazing, asw!
Posted by: daddy | March 18, 2017 at 11:28 PM
Ok that makes sense. Nytol.
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 18, 2017 at 11:30 PM
For those who didn't read about about our "bringing up the rear end" Iditarod Dog Musher, this from her Race-bio is mighty impressive:
Cindy Abbott, 58, was born and raised in Nebraska. After graduation from California State University, Fullerton, with a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology in 1996, she became a professor there and taught Health Science for 23 years. Cindy has always been drawn to the world of extreme sports. Already an extreme scuba diver and underwater videographer, in 2007, at the age of 48, she took up mountain climbing with the single goal of standing on the top of the world. A few months after she began training, Cindy was diagnosed with a serious and rare disease (Wegener’s granulomatosis), but she was determined to achieve her dream and on May 23, 2010, after 51 days of working her way up the mountain, Cindy stepped onto the summit of Mt. Everest holding the National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD) banner...
...On March 3, 2013, Cindy started her first Iditarod...
She persisted, indeed!
Posted by: daddy | March 18, 2017 at 11:45 PM
He was a non com airman, GUS.
Privates are dog faces or jarheads.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | March 18, 2017 at 11:46 PM
Fascinating and serious autoimmune disorder, daddy. Your own body attacks your small and medium blood vessels.
Wegener was a Nazi so his name is being phased out or at least they're trying.
Before modern treatments the two year mortality was an eye popping 90%. Five year survival is now 80% but complications are very common, especially kidney and pulmonary.
A persistent women indeed.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | March 18, 2017 at 11:57 PM
So, has anyone actually watched Samantha Bee, and what did you think?
Posted by: PD | March 19, 2017 at 12:02 AM
She's an alum of John Stewart but not as funny, zarc
Posted by: narciso | March 19, 2017 at 12:09 AM
Was Jon Stewart funny?
Posted by: PD | March 19, 2017 at 12:14 AM
Hence the sarc tag.
Posted by: narciso | March 19, 2017 at 12:27 AM
Yeah this can't go wrong:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/british-troops-join-showdown-again-10049584?service=responsive
Posted by: narciso | March 19, 2017 at 12:34 AM
Narciso,
Just the usual SJW BS, which is hilarious, because a lot of real gamers have been completely turned off by the incoherent SJW BS of the maker of Mass Effect, Bioware, to the point where we are giving it a pass, despite the fact that as short a time as eight years ago, BioWare was the absolute gold standard in role-playing games. They had an unbroken string of hits for about twenty years, then they let the politics get into the games to the point where their last couple of iterations have been completely unplayable.
The fact that they are being condemned now from the left side of the aisle just goes to prove that the left always eats its own.
David
Posted by: David, Infamous Deplorable | March 19, 2017 at 12:35 AM
Yes this is a crew that would find dependency theory in wing commander,
Posted by: narciso | March 19, 2017 at 12:42 AM
Here's the pics of the Mushers who ran our Iditarod this year. Believe it or not I still think we have enough good lookers for a half way decent "Girls of the Iditarod" Calendar, what with the Berington Twins, Katherine Kieth, and our "Z" trio of Zoya, Zappa, and Zirkle.
But on the other hand I may have lived up here too long:)
Posted by: daddy | March 19, 2017 at 12:42 AM
I end with Mark Steyn for the night
http://www.steynonline.com/7717/reflections-on-the-revolution-in-europe-and-in
Posted by: narciso | March 19, 2017 at 12:49 AM
Daddy @ 2:48. Mezvinsky is a scuzzwad, and spawn of criminal Libtarocrat insiders, who believe FELONIES are no BIG DEAL vs CASH.
But, for the love of GAWD, why can't CHELSEA CLINTON learn a tiny BIT about GROOOOOMING???
MAYHAPS, she could be on the BOARD of ..........WAIT......CREST WHITE STRIPS???????
WTF is wrong with LIBS/MARXISTS and normal grooming?????
Posted by: GUS | March 19, 2017 at 01:41 AM
http://ijr.com/2017/03/827413-transcript-independent-journal-reviews-sit-interview-secretary-state-rex-tillerson/
This is the ccmplete transcript, and kudos to IJR for publishing it (although I wonder if that was one of the conditions of the interview.)
There is also an audio of the interview, which runs about 30 minutes.
https://cdn1.ijr.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/TILLERSON-INTERVIEW.m4a?_ga=1.56404907.1006825054.1488153715
I really, really like this guy. He is a true professional, and after the years of grandstanding and incompetent secretaries, this is such an amazing change.
Of course, he gets asked about the reporters being on the plane. LOL!
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 19, 2017 at 05:55 AM
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/03/president_trumps_week_wiretaps_media_and_judicial_skullduggery.html
Heading to the airport-
Posted by: Clarice Feldman | March 19, 2017 at 06:42 AM
Have a safe trip Clarice. Thanks for your Pieces today, it was a fine article.
Posted by: Pagar, a bacon, Ham, and sausage supporter | March 19, 2017 at 06:59 AM
Great Pieces, Clarice!
Congrats on you niece's awesome news and fantastic achievenemt, Gus!
Condolences to everyone whose alma mater/favorite team/bracket pool championship pick lost last night.
Death to the dishonest media!
I think that catches me up for the morning, right?
Posted by: Free James D! | March 19, 2017 at 07:33 AM
It's sometimes better to skip to the bottom first:
"Dia Lacina is a transgender, queer, Native photographer. She spends entirely too much time tweeting."
Skip.
Posted by: Another Bob | March 19, 2017 at 08:17 AM
Excellent pieces clarice. I especially liked the bit about stripping the fed courts of jurisdiction.
This quote of the superb writer but hopeless philosophical mush Conrad Black is chock full of the kind of illogic and lazy indifference to the constitution and federalism that drives me nuts;
First, the pool of wealth the 50 states have to tax for their own needs is precisely the same size as the pool the Feds tax. Some states have considerably lower median incomes than others but they also have lower costs and for the most part are rural southern and western states. At what point did the Republican party decide it was the party of income redistribution?
Instead of encouraging states to do something sensible like provide vouchers for the poor to use at the doctor or facility of their choice and getting the Feds out of the unconstitutional medicaid monstrosity altogether they're trying to figure out how much bigger it should be.
Medicaid is an entire and extensive slough of the swamp and the net result of these knotheads will probably be building higher levees around it so it holds more swamp water.
They're sick.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | March 19, 2017 at 08:21 AM
GUS,
Congrats (I guess) on your niece's acceptance to the AFA.
When does do her diversity & sensitivity training session?
Posted by: Jim Eagle | March 19, 2017 at 08:38 AM
Here is a heartening Sunday read for after you finish Clarice's Pieces. It's a month old, but worth the time if you have it. An AMA (Ask Me Anything) with a close friend/advisor of Trump's going way back. This guy can write. He went back and answered a ton of questions after it was over, which most AMA people don't trouble to do.
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/5rvqy4/official_ama_with_trumps1stmember_live_at_2pm_est/
If you want a more direct approach you can read just the answers by clicking on the guy's handle "Trumps1stMember" (click "context" to see the questions):
https://www.reddit.com/user/Trumps1stMember
I really recommend it. Long but worth it.
Posted by: Porchlight | March 19, 2017 at 08:44 AM
...when does she do.....
Posted by: Jim Eagle | March 19, 2017 at 08:50 AM
+1 on the trumps1stmember, Porch.
Posted by: sbw | March 19, 2017 at 09:01 AM
[sbw’s note on Porch’s link: For instance. Worth a clip and keep.]
What are the truths you have found to be most compelling to your Democrat friends?
[–]Trumps1stMemberVerified[S] 21 points 1 month ago
(1) Democrats caused the civil war and were holding the presidency during WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. (2) During WWII democrats opened up concentration camps and dropped nuclear weapons on civilians killing 100,000 instantly (3) Democrats are the party that supported slavery and segregation, and still believe in using skin color as a reason for college and job selection to this day (4) Al Qaeda was spawned under democrat Clinton, had 8 years to grow and thrive 1992-2001 and attacked us three times during the 90s and democrats did nothing. This lead to directly to 9/11 and the world we live in today (5) Fascism is best described by a party that burns objects in the streets, perform public intimidation marches, breaks windows of innocent shopkeepers, controls the media with complete disregard for truth, infiltrates the education system and bans books, attempts to disarm the people from firearms, and uses violence and social stigma against it's political opponents. This perfectly describes the modern democrat party.
Truths like that.
Posted by: sbw | March 19, 2017 at 09:04 AM
BOE - this is up in your neck of the woods - so be on the lookout.
(I used to live in Decatur)
http://lawnewz.com/crazy/missing-student-kidnapped-by-possibly-armed-teacher-authorities-say/
Posted by: Momto2 | March 19, 2017 at 09:23 AM
Thanks for the great Pieces, Clarice. Safe travels.
Posted by: Momto2 | March 19, 2017 at 09:24 AM
Safe travels, clarice, and great pieces.
Posted by: narciso | March 19, 2017 at 09:49 AM
Congratulations to your niece Gus!
Posted by: henry | March 19, 2017 at 10:24 AM
Remember in firefly, the British and Chinese systems had merged under the alliance, well cue the British medical association.
Posted by: narciso | March 19, 2017 at 10:47 AM
Gus:
Congrats to your niece!
My brother was in the Air Force during the VietNam War.
Clarice:
Great article as always!
Safe travels.
Posted by: maryrose | March 19, 2017 at 11:00 AM
Yesterday I became a hero.
I fixed Mrs. Buckeye's sewing machine.
Does anyone else still use one?
Posted by: Buckeye | March 19, 2017 at 11:00 AM
Porchlight,
Thanks so much for linking that AMA by Trumps1stMember!
Pleased to see they are tightening the screws on Soros. Lots of good stuff there; everyone should go read it!
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 19, 2017 at 11:01 AM
Gus
Congrats on your niece's appointment to the Academy.
Good to know there are still young people with a love of country and are willing to serve.
Posted by: Buckeye | March 19, 2017 at 11:07 AM
I had Rupert's Sunday Infotainment on but was doing other things. The panel included the ghoulish Zeke Emanuel and Neera Tanden so unless those two were in an electric chair, it was worthless.
Paul Ryan spoke highly about how involved Trump is in the health care negotiations unlike the Tahitian bathhouse occupant.
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 19, 2017 at 11:15 AM
Buckeye,
Mrs. JiB uses a sewing machine regularly. She makes drapes, curtains, clothes, repairs etc. She has two machines. One for Florida and one here in Southampton. Loves to sew.
My niece the upcoming fashion designer in France sews her own designs up which I understand all fashion design students are required to do, including making their own patterns.
But maybe it is a lost art. If it wasn't for PussyHats, knitting would have been finished.
Posted by: Jim Eagle | March 19, 2017 at 11:22 AM
It's a beautiful, victorious morning in the Great Sunshine State. Basketball Wisconsin looks like a UVa clone to me; bring it on, baby.
Posted by: RattlerGator | March 19, 2017 at 11:33 AM
MrsJ still uses a sewing machine, and so too does my granddaughter.
Posted by: DrJ | March 19, 2017 at 11:42 AM
You must not know any quilters, Buckeye.
Posted by: lyle | March 19, 2017 at 11:47 AM
My daughter sews from time to time.
I never mastered machine sewing, but I do needlework.
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 19, 2017 at 11:48 AM
I think about using my sewing machine--does that count??
I do know how to use it--made all my dresses, fair number of pants and even a very cool cape as a teen.
And I can knit, crochet, needlepoint and embroider.
Things I used to do before the internet.
Posted by: anonamom | March 19, 2017 at 11:52 AM
I can use a sewing machine and crochet and do needlepoint.
Posted by: maryrose | March 19, 2017 at 11:55 AM
Oh, I like this from porch's most excellent reddit link above!
Trumps1stMemberVerified[S] 502 points 1 month ago
The good guys already won. What you are witnessing is the death throes of the democrat party. They've got nothing and they know it. There isn't a single viable politician or candidate in their entire operation down to the county level. They're so screwed, and its so beautiful!
Posted by: anonamom | March 19, 2017 at 12:01 PM
unless those two were in an electric chair
Heh, maybe Zeke will volunteer when he's 75.
Posted by: jimmyk | March 19, 2017 at 12:06 PM
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/609ac1/mfw_the_president_sees_us_waving_trump_signs_on/
The Florida Street Team got invited to come into Mar-a-Lago and meet the President!
Photo at link!
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 19, 2017 at 12:14 PM
Clarice - re your (most welcome) pieces today, you write that the Hawaii decision re the travel ban "will ... if these five judges have anything to do with it, ... et a similar scathing reversal as Robart’s did."
The five judges' opinion is certainly scathing (and rightly so), but it was not a "reversal" of the Robart's decision. On the contrary, it was a dissent to the en banc's court's decision not to vacate it's panel decision not to reverse.
Posted by: exdemocrat | March 19, 2017 at 12:20 PM
"The Hate Group that Incited the Middlebury Melee" by Carl Cannon
FTA: "Today, the center boasts a treasury of more than $300 million, the richest civil rights group in the country."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/03/19/the_hate_group_that_incited_the_middlebury_melee_133377.html
How to harness hate to rake in millions and organize ignorant, useful fools.
Posted by: Frau Stimmvieh | March 19, 2017 at 12:22 PM
RG's golden "Good morning" wipes away all the bad vibes from negative press.
Clarice's signature ::smooches:: heading his way.
Posted by: Frau Morgenstunde | March 19, 2017 at 12:26 PM
Thanks, Momto2. Didn't know you were a former River Rat via Decatur... :)
Posted by: Beasts of England | March 19, 2017 at 12:27 PM
My granddaughter's application to Middlebury was rejected. She was sort of bummed but I told her that I thought maybe she would be happier closer to her family at De Pauw or IU or Butler.
I didn't tell her about the melee, but boy am I relieved she isn't going there!
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 19, 2017 at 12:27 PM
Trump takes time out to stop and greet supporters en route to Mar-a-Lago:
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/607zqv/donald_trump_stops_motorcade_exits_his_vehicle_to/
Then invites them to meet him in person:
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/609ac1/mfw_the_president_sees_us_waving_trump_signs_on/
Glad you liked the AMA. Good to know Trump has such wise people working with and for him.
Posted by: Porchlight | March 19, 2017 at 12:41 PM
Enjoying Porch's link to 1stMember.
I wonder if there is a way for us to vouch that not only is DrJ's research legit, but also that he is funded despite being American not because he is FakeAmerican.
1stMember: "Research funding will be shifted away from poor pointless research to actual meaningful research. There is a great deal of waste that occurs with grants. Many doctors and scientists, particularly democrats, use them as their personal slush funds. That will cease."
Posted by: JimNorCal | March 19, 2017 at 12:42 PM
One more snip....
1stMember: "I was in New York that day. I watched the planes hit and the towers and fall with my own eyes. For me, it was not something that happened on TV. Unless you were there you will never fully understand what happened that day. The smoke from the towers, before they fell, literally went off into the distance, expanded into a V shape, and wrapped around the earth. It was the most surreal sight I will ever encounter. I can still remember the smell, the size of the fireball, the emergency services whistles buried under the rubble. I helped clear wreckage. I saw the bodies and the blood on the street. They murdered my friends, my neighbors and the New York I grew up with. It was only by the grace of God that they didnt murder me too, but I live knowing full well that they tried. You only realize the true existential threat of islamic terrorism once you are a target of it. The only investigating we will be doing is how to ensure insane muslims do not enter our country or airspace ever again. Anyone who claims it was anyone but radical muslims who attacked us that day, especially in light of all the history and death that has occurred in the world since, by the same sort of ilk, is doing a disservice to themselves and our movement. This is my personal opinion and I assure you Donald shares it."
Posted by: JimNorCal | March 19, 2017 at 12:50 PM
JimNorCal, I think we could reach out directly to Trumps1stMember and tell him about it. He seems quite open to hearing from regular people, from what I've read in the AMA.
Posted by: Porchlight | March 19, 2017 at 12:51 PM
Good read at reddit AMA, Porch!
Miss Marple, the Cannon article I link to @ 12:22 proves Middlebury faculty and students are not what the country needs to be great again.
Soon the colleges will all be like Pitzer where you are given a bullhorn instead of a diploma when
they've taken all your parents' moneyyou "graduate."Posted by: Frau Morgenstunde | March 19, 2017 at 12:52 PM
I loved that 9/11 comment too. Very powerful, especially when you consider that the alt right does have a bit of a truther strain, which thankfully seems to be fading in influence. He was speaking directly to those people.
Posted by: Porchlight | March 19, 2017 at 12:53 PM
Many doctors and scientists, particularly democrats, use them as their personal slush funds. That will cease.
I've not seen a lot of that personally, but there are too many international conferences and retreats and similar things that are funded by grants.
These days most faculty are having a really hard time keeping their labs funded at all. The breast cancer molecular oncologist is down to two students, and is considering shutting down her lab. Her husband next door is having similar challenges, but has been a bit more successful in cobbling together a few awards. A fair amount of time on Friday was spent on sketching out new proposal ideas with the pathologist.
Even when awards come in, often the amount is chopped before you even begin work. My most recent one was chopped by 10% because of the continuing resolution. That money is very unlikely to be restored.
All that said, there are parts of NIH that could be eliminated. The Director's baby is NCATS -- the National Center for Advanced Translational Sciences (I think) -- that gets the government into the drug commercialization game. I don't know many details, but historically the pharma companies have been very good at this. There also is a small Institute dealing with naturopathic medicine. That could go. So too could all of the diversity programs.
All of those would save considerable money, though I doubt it is the 20% that was requested. More likely everyone would have to take a cut, and it would cripple the agency.
But I doubt that this will come to pass. I see it as a way to get other things in which he is interested -- a bargaining chip, if you will.
Posted by: DrJ | March 19, 2017 at 12:59 PM
Porch
What is it that makes you think that the powers that be in our government would never be involved in something like 9/11?
Posted by: Truthbetold5 | March 19, 2017 at 01:03 PM
Excellent Rex Tillerson read, Miss Marple. Thanks.
Good Morning! Go TarHeels!
Posted by: daddy | March 19, 2017 at 01:20 PM
DrJ.
A guy called into either Mark Simone here in NYC or maybe Rush, can't be certain for sure. But he was a Doctor and was very concerned about reducing NIH budget. Simone or Rush told him that the private sector and big Pharma R&D would be able to cover. The medico said not all of it because NIH does all the early at risk work that the big Pharma picks up on develops the product for public use.
Is that your understanding also, that the work you do under NIH and others grants is not the kind of study or R&D the private sector is not interested in?
Posted by: Jim Eagle | March 19, 2017 at 01:21 PM
Another saved dog today. I was walking Teddy when this large yellow lab mix with something bigger came bounding across the street as I cringed about the traffic. Once she was there she was interested in playing with Teddy and it was impossible to get that goofball to be docile. Finally she ran down a ravine to the lake and I was wondering what to do. I tried to get the attention of a couple jogging bitches but they couldn't be bothered to take their earbuds out; an eternity of being impaled on the barbed [Redacted for Lent] of Satan awaits them. Finally a couple walking another dog, with baby, came by and I alerted them of the situation.
As I walked on the big yellow dog came back and I whistled to the couple and the guy came and grabbed the dog by the collar. I asked him to check the tags to see if a phone number was on one and mercifully one was along with the dog's name, Bunky. I called the number and told the guy where we were with Bunky.
He drove up shortly and didn't seem very grateful to three people who took time out of their day to ensure the safety of his dog. Fortunately we didn't do it for him.
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 19, 2017 at 01:21 PM
CH,
Lots of people in this world who don't deserve dogs. Bunky probably was thinking the same way and was trying to get away from that guy.
Interesting little article on Trump Air: "What it was like to fly on Donald Trump's airline." [Not a hit piece]
http://www.cntraveler.com/story/what-it-was-like-to-fly-on-donald-trump-airline?mbid=nl_031917_Daily&CNDID=41726203&spMailingID=10650914&spUserID=MTMzNDg1NTYyMTU4S0&spJobID=1121520336&spReportId=MTEyMTUyMDMzNgS2
Posted by: Jim Eagle | March 19, 2017 at 01:30 PM
JIB--all the BRAIN Initiative work is through the NIH as is the Science of Virtues work at U-Chicago.
Last week when I was searching for something else it pulled up a 2013 NIH funded paper on "Unconscious learning processes: mental integration of verbal and pictorial instructional materials" also funded by NIH with Malaysian researchers.
The behavioral science work that is controversial at NSF now seems to be starting at NIH with NSF acting as a sub. The actual BRAIN Initiative papers make it crystal clear they want to map the neural processing of healthy brains. The language on disease is only the pR sales pitches and contradicts what their papers say.
Posted by: rse | March 19, 2017 at 01:41 PM
This question and answer from Porchlight's 08:44 is smart and encouraging, and is exactly in line with what Rex Tillerson said in the Interview Miss Marple posted---that Team Trump takes it's time, doesn't talk before a solution is finalized in order to avoid a host of media/political induced problems, then rolls out its solution and gets to work implementing it:
Questioner:
Can you bring the Flint water crisis to our Presidents attention? It's devastating and needs to be fixed asap! The local authorities have let this go on forever, Flint needs clean water.
Trump confidant:[–]Trumps1stMemberVerified[S] 614 points 1 month ago
The president will be spending significant time, energy and resources over the next 4 years to uplift and support the great state of Michigan. The flint water crisis will be part of that effort but he can not appear to be pandering or do anything that will backfire after the democrats get wind of our plans. The Flint Water Infrastructure Issue is a problem of astronomical proportions and will take time and resources to plan an adequate solution. Therefore until our plan is finalized and an integrated and comprehensive solution is in place, to include the roll out and the financing, I would ask that you be patient. I know its not an ideal answer but its the truth
Posted by: daddy | March 19, 2017 at 01:43 PM
Is that your understanding also, that the work you do under NIH and others grants is not the kind of study or R&D the private sector is not interested in?
That's a difficult question. At the moment the private sector does not do nor fund the sorts of work that the NIH funds. Pharma and the life sciences infrastructure -- reagent and instrumentation companies, for example -- are very interested once you have established proof of concept for your diagnostic, therapeutic, reagent family or instrument, and have the initial patents. But you have to get the basics nailed down, and that's what NIH funds.
These days Pharma does not do much research at all. They prefer to purchase companies funded by venture capital and thereby are derisked. They keep research around to develop therapeutics against some diseases, but also to evaluate the purchase of new companies. It is similar along the life sciences food chain.
One can get venture monies only when proof-of-concept is established unless the idea is so big and disruptive (and the principals have done it before) that it is worth the gamble. Genentech got started that way. But there aren't many of those.
Now how much of this current landscape developed in response to the government crowding out other funding sources is hard to tell. It also follows the model where graduate students are supported from grants, with the goal of creating new knowledge that is disseminated into the open and refereed literature. Companies are not much into disclosure until the patents are filed and granted.
Now there are too many life sciences students finishing at the graduate level. I've not seen firm numbers, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that many life sciences PhDs are still doing post docs at age 40, or are very poorly-paid adjuncts with horrific work loads and very little pay. So there seems to be a glut of PhDs in particular in the life sciences, which the grants support.
Small companies like mine don't get a lot of these dollars -- maybe three or four percent of the total extramural support (there is a small business set-aside). And companies like mine that compete successfully in the academic grant mechanisms are very rare. I've brought in about half of my grant monies by competing against the academics instead of those programs for small business.
So it is complicated. My opinion is that research best is served by steady funding that increases at least with the rate of inflation and maybe a bit above that. The grant funding excursions, either up or down, do more to disrupt research than help it.
I can noodle on even more, but that's enough for now.
Posted by: DrJ | March 19, 2017 at 01:45 PM
We learned to sew in Industrial Arts in Seventh grade. “Prof” had all the guys (girls took Home Ec) sew patterns in paper to begin.
At summer camp we had industrial quality treadle sewing machines that would sew through leather and canvas to make canoe packs and tents.
Everyone needs to know how to sew -- by machine and by hand.
[Also have a needlepoint Christmas ornament I made for the tree. Grandmother needlepointed the dining chair covers. She also taught us to knit but I never became proficient at it.]
Posted by: sbw | March 19, 2017 at 01:46 PM
We basically rescued a Boston terrier pup in SV several years ago. The horribly dehydrated little guy staggered up onto our side deck. The local cop knew who he belonged to. The owners couldn't have been bigger jerks. Let no good deed go unpunished...
Posted by: lyle | March 19, 2017 at 01:50 PM
DrJ-I think you and I can agree though it is not accidental that the controversial behavioral science work that brags about mapping the mind is tucked into more traditional medical research that would get much wider support.
And I know the BRAIN Initiative is working with K-12 school districts although their local school boards seem not to know that. Our local Super came from Oregon and showed up unfortunately in one of my searches. One of the school board members recently testified before the state legislature along with him. Virtually everything she said was false relying on lies she had been told that she does not recognize are carefully placed lies. Then her enthusiasm leaves parents comfortable that everything is OK.
Her ego actually causes her to say "they wouldn't lie to me." A tragic incident is likely only a matter of time given that the aim is literally to rewire the brain brought from this UMC homes with supposedly well-educated parents.
Posted by: rse | March 19, 2017 at 01:55 PM
Reading my own comment, I realize it doesn't sound like we did all that much. I left out the part where we canvassed the neighborhood for an hour or longer trying to locate his owners. At cocktail hour, people! 😬
Posted by: lyle | March 19, 2017 at 01:57 PM
Porch - Thx soooo much for your Reddit link! I've been over there for about 30 minutes and just had to take a minute to come back here and thank you - and I love this answer about the Wall
How tall is too tall for the wall?
[–]Trumps1stMemberVerified[S] 591 points 1 month ago
The wall will be roughly 30-40 feet high and be guarded by drones from the air and boots on the ground. Everything underground will also be monitored. There will also be obstacles at ground level which will prevent illegal aliens from approaching the wall. Read about what the Romans built during the siege of Alesia and you will get an idea of what an illegal alien will be facing in terms of obstacles on the ground alone, let alone from the air and towers which will be looking down on them
Posted by: Texas Liberty Gal | March 19, 2017 at 01:58 PM
Good job, CH.
When I was a kid I found a doberman that still had his ears and tail. Probably around a year old. He was very playful and loving. I asked my dad if we could keep him to which he responded "we don't steal other people's dogs."
The paper offered found ads for free in the classifieds so my dad called in one for the dog.
The people who called clearly knew the dog so my dad gave them our address. When they arrived they explained how they were driving down the road and at some point the unleashed, unattended dog jumped out of the bed of the truck.
My dad was very upset to hand the dog back to them and I was instructed to never bring a stray home again.
Posted by: Threadkiller | March 19, 2017 at 01:59 PM
Nice Capt'n! I still cringe when I think how emaciated our rescue was when my wife brought Momo home.
Yellow Labs are beautiful and great hunting dogs but there's a bit of fishing bred into them too I believe. Years ago I was fishing at a local reservoir for big trout and caught a large perch. I was about to throw the perch back in when a guy fishing next to me asked me for the fish. When I gave him the rather large perch, he threw it to his dog, a yellow lab who gulped it down so fast I could see the fish flopping around in the dogs belly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_water_dog
Posted by: Rocco | March 19, 2017 at 01:59 PM
My niece the upcoming fashion designer in France sews her own designs up which I understand all fashion design students are required to do, including making their own patterns.
Jack,
She sounds like a future Iditarod dog-musher!

Zoya DeNure, 40, was born and raised in Wisconsin. She spent 12 years in the fashion industry working primarily as a runway & fashion model. In 2002, tired of the pressures and triviality of that lifestyle, she rented a storage unit in Madison, Wisconsin, stacked it with furniture, shoes, dresses, and headed to Alaska with a carry-on and the dream of running, living and breathing sled dogs. Her Siberian husky, Ethan, traveled with her.
Posted by: daddy | March 19, 2017 at 01:59 PM
rse,
I think you view the world too much through your education worldview. Yes, the BRAIN initiation seeks to learn how the brain works akin to what they did for the human genome. That will be used for fundamental understanding and then to affect disease.
I know a Program Director, now at NIMH, who manages part of the BRAIN portfolio. It is the same biochemical pathway work that he always has done. He was the Director for a grant of mine at General Medical Sciences before moving to NIMH. He's a straight biochemist.
The BRAIN initiative also gets comparative peanuts from NIH -- I think it is $100 million per year. That is out of a $30 billion budget.
Posted by: DrJ | March 19, 2017 at 02:00 PM
Good afternoon! We spent the morning at the dog beach. My sister-in-law the dog lover is with us this week and as always,we had a few laughs watching the dogs play. We also observe the dog owners to see who is a good dog parent and who is a bad dog parent. The beach is self enforcing,so when a dog poops on the beach and the owner doesn't clean up,another dog owner will point out to the owner where their dog pooped. Come on,people! Keep the beach clean!
Posted by: Marlene | March 19, 2017 at 02:02 PM
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/03/terrific-trump-sees-supporters-waving-street-invites-mar-lago-meet-video/
This has video of the Street Team riding in the van and waiting for the President inside the ballroom at Mar-a-Lago. Fun read! They were SO excited!
Posted by: Miss Marple the Deplorable | March 19, 2017 at 02:05 PM
Lots of people in this world who don't deserve dogs. Bunky probably was thinking the same way and was trying to get away
Oh I'm not sure about that. Bunky seemed to be well taken care of and if I start casting stones on dogs not being properly supervised, I'd have to come down hard on Father Hate which I don't want to do.
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 19, 2017 at 02:05 PM
Mrs. Buckeye is heartened to hear that she isn't the only person still using a sewing machine.
She is delighted her zig zag works again!
Posted by: Buckeye | March 19, 2017 at 02:07 PM
My mom taught me to sew hand puppets and easy things like curtains when I was a kid. Comes in handy on business trips for quick repairs of rips etc.
Posted by: henry | March 19, 2017 at 02:10 PM
New thread
Posted by: Threadkiller | March 19, 2017 at 02:12 PM
As an aside, NIH overwhelmingly funds work on mechanism and disease. I had another idea for the technology area where I work: to identify drugs in the field, particularly in this era of synthetic opioids and cannabinoids.
I talked with Program Directors at the National Institute for Drug Abuse, thinking that they might be interested in supporting work to this end. Nope. They were very opaque in what they said, but after discussions with NIH old-timers it became clear that what I was suggesting was not mechanism or disease. The lowly field stuff is below them, and not in their charter.
I may try DOJ.
Posted by: DrJ | March 19, 2017 at 02:16 PM
New Thread!!!
Posted by: daddy | March 19, 2017 at 02:21 PM
Hail to the Victors!
Posted by: Captain Hate | March 19, 2017 at 02:21 PM