State Lawmaker Calls Arizona A 'Desert Racist Wasteland' After Football Loss

Link:  State Lawmaker Calls Arizona A 'Desert Racist Wasteland' After Football Loss

The Huffington Post  |  By Ashley Alman Posted: 12/22/2013 10:54 pm EST  |  Updated: 12/23/2013 10:43 am EST

  

A Washington state lawmaker took poor sportsmanship a bit far following a loss by his home team to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The Cardinals beat the Seattle Seahawks in a 17-10 win Sunday afternoon, ending their opponents' 14-game home-field winning streak. Shortly following the game, Washington state Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (D-Burien) took to Twitter to trash talk the victors.

"Losing a football game sucks," Fitzgibbon wrote, according to the Associated Press' Mike Baker. "Losing to a desert racist wasteland sucks a lot."

The Democratic representative deleted the tweet shortly after, sending out the following message:

In an interview, Fitzgibbon explained to Baker that Washington citizens "have not appreciated" Arizona's treatment of immigrants through discriminatory legislation such as Senate Bill 1070, which requires officers to question the immigration status of those suspected to be in the country illegally. He said the state's lawmakers should consider revisiting legislation that leads to racial profiling.

Al Qaeda "apologises" for Yemen hospital attack after gunman kills innocent doctors and nurses

 

Al Qaeda apologise for Yemen hospital attack after gunman kills innocent doctors and nurses

dailymail.co.uk

Shocking CCTV footage shows an Al Qaeda fighter shooting unarmed hospital staff in the head during an attack on the Defence Ministry compound in Yemen.

I don't suppose he's going to apologize for the 3000 innocent Americans they murdered, and for forcing America into a war in Afghanistan that has taken many more innocent Afghan, Pakistani, and Yemen lives (please don't blame the US: no 9/11, no all the other killings). Frankly, no rational person for one moment believes in your "apology", except as a pure political maneuver to gain sympathizers in the West (which you will no doubt succeed at). And people who have forfeited the right to life by their repeated inhumanities do not deserve to, and never will, live free -- those few who survive, that is.

 TODAY -- Pictured: Phil Robertson appears on NBC News' 'Today' show -- (Photo by:   PeterKramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images) | NBC NewsWire via Getty Images

        

Let me get this right. During an interview, Robertson makes the anti-gay, racist (and un-Christian in my view) statements below. He gets understandably fired from his job, just anyone else would, but somehow becomes a hero and martyr to right-wing Christians and their deluded followers everywhere -- only in America (I hope).

From Wikipedia
 "On December 18, 2013, A&E announced an indefinite suspension of Robertson after comments he made about his personal beliefs while being interviewed b...y Drew Magary of GQ.[20] During the interview for a featured article in GQ's January 2014 issue, titled, "What the Duck?"; Magary asked Robertson: "What, in your mind, is sinful?"[21] Answering, Robertson said: Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men." Robertson continued by questioning the appeal of same-sex relationships, particularly amongst men; saying: "It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical." Robertson went on to say “We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?”[20][22][23][24] In response to A&E's suspension, Robertson released a statement, saying in part: "I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me."[25]

"Robertson also drew criticism for his racial views which he expressed in the same interview. Robertson remarked that being black in Louisiana during the pre-civil rights era was not all that bad, stating:

"I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field .... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word! ... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.

"In response, the LGBT civil rights advocacy group Human Rights Campaign and the African-American civil rights organization NAACP wrote a joint letter to the president of A&E calling Robertson's remarks dangerous and inaccurate."

Tunable symmetry breaking and helical edge transport in a graphene quantum spin Hall state

Nature | Letter by
A. F. Young,^{1, 3}

J. D. Sanchez-Yamagishi,^{1, 3} 

B. Hunt,^{1, 3}  

S. H. Choi,¹  

K. Watanabe,²

T. Taniguchi,²

R. C. Ashoori¹

Jarillo-Herrero¹  

 

Original Article at:  http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12800.html

 

Nature (2013) doi:10.1038/nature12800 Received  12 July 2013  Accepted  22 October 2013  Published online  22 December 2013

 

Low-dimensional electronic systems have traditionally been obtained by electrostatically confining electrons, either in heterostructures or in intrinsically nanoscale materials such as single molecules, nanowires and graphene. Recently, a new method has emerged with the recognition that symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases^{1, 2}, which occur in systems with an energy gap to quasiparticle excitations (such as insulators or superconductors), can host robust surface states that remain gapless as long as the relevant global symmetry remains unbroken. The nature of the charge carriers in SPT surface states is intimately tied to the symmetry of the bulk, resulting in one- and two-dimensional electronic systems with novel properties. For example, time reversal symmetry endows the massless charge carriers on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator with helicity, fixing the orientation of their spin relative to their momentum^{3, 4}. Weakly breaking this symmetry generates a gap on the surface⁵, resulting in charge carriers with finite effective mass and exotic spin textures⁶. Analogous manipulations have yet to be demonstrated in two-dimensional topological insulators, where the primary example of a SPT phase is the quantum spin Hall state^{7, 8}. Here we demonstrate experimentally that charge-neutral monolayer graphene has a quantum spin Hall state^{9, 10} when it is subjected to a very large magnetic field angled with respect to the graphene plane. In contrast to time-reversal-symmetric systems⁷, this state is protected by a symmetry of planar spin rotations that emerges as electron spins in a half-filled Landau level are polarized by the large magnetic field. The properties of the resulting helical edge states can be modulated by balancing the applied field against an intrinsic antiferromagnetic instability^{11, 12, 13}, which tends to spontaneously break the spin-rotation symmetry. In the resulting canted antiferromagnetic state, we observe transport signatures of gapped edge states, which constitute a new kind of one-dimensional electronic system with a tunable bandgap and an associated spin texture.

 

 

Solar activity not a key cause of climate change, study shows

Original article:  Solar activity not a key cause of climate change, study shows, published by Phys.org.  Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-12-solar-key-climate.html#jCp


Image of sun courtesy of NASA.        

Climate change has not been strongly influenced by variations in heat from the sun, a new scientific study shows.

The findings overturn a widely held scientific view that lengthy periods of warm and cold weather in the past might have been caused by periodic fluctuations in solar activity.

Research examining the causes of climate change in the northern hemisphere over the past 1000 years has shown that until the year 1800, the key driver of periodic changes in climate was volcanic eruptions. These tend to prevent sunlight reaching the Earth, causing cool, drier weather. Since 1900, greenhouse gases have been the primary cause of climate change.

The findings show that periods of low sun activity should not be expected to have a large impact on temperatures on Earth, and are expected to improve scientists' understanding and help climate forecasting.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh carried out the study using records of past temperatures constructed with data from tree rings and other historical sources. They compared this data record with computer-based models of past climate, featuring both significant and minor changes in the sun.
They found that their model of weak changes in the sun gave the best correlation with temperature records, indicating that solar activity has had a minimal impact on temperature in the past millennium.

The study, published in Nature Geoscience, was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council.

Dr Andrew Schurer, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, said: "Until now, the influence of the sun on past climate has been poorly understood. We hope that our new discoveries will help improve our understanding of how temperatures have changed over the past few centuries, and improve predictions for how they might develop in future. Links between the sun and anomalously cold winters in the UK are still being explored."

More information: Small influence of solar variability on climate over the past millennium, DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2040
Journal reference: Nature Geoscience

Provided by University of Edinburgh

The Nutcracker Suite has become one of most famous ballets in the last fifty years.  My mother took my sister and I to see when I was eleven or twelve.  I was instantly enraptured by the music, the dances and acting, and the way the two are so wonderfully synchronized.

Forty-five years later I have finally seen it again, and found it, if anything, more phenomenal than I remembered.  I see how, while there is much ugliness in this world caused by humans, we are -- almost ironically -- capable of the most sublime and overwhelming creations.  I have included some information from Wikipedia below (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutcracker_Suite).

Synopsis

Konstantin Ivanov's original sketch for the set of The Nutcracker (1892)

Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his libretto, her name is Marie Silberhaus.^[6] In still other productions, such as Baryshnikov's, Clara is Clara Stahlbaum rather than Clara Silberhaus.

Act I
Scene 1: The Stahlbaum Home
It is Christmas Eve. Family and friends have gathered in the parlor to decorate the beautiful Christmas tree in preparation for the night's festivities. Once the tree is finished, the children are sent for. They stand in awe of the tree sparkling with candles and decorations.

The festivities begin. A march is played. Presents are given out to the children. Suddenly, as the owl-topped grandmother clock strikes eight, a mysterious figure enters the room. It is Drosselmeyer, a local councilman, magician, and Clara's godfather. He is also a talented toymaker who has brought with him gifts for the children, including four lifelike dolls who dance to the delight of all. He then has them put away for safekeeping.

Clara and Fritz are sad to see the dolls being taken away, but Drosselmeyer has yet another toy for them: a wooden Nutcracker carved in the shape of a little man, used for cracking nuts. The other children ignore it, but Clara immediately takes a liking to it. Fritz, however, purposely breaks it. Clara is heartbroken.

During the night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Clara returns to the parlor to check on her beloved Nutcracker. As she reaches the little bed, the clock strikes midnight and she looks up to see Drosselmeyer perched atop it in place of the owl. Suddenly, mice begin to fill the room and the Christmas tree begins to grow to dizzying heights. The Nutcracker also grows to life-size. Clara finds herself in the midst of a battle between an army of gingerbread soldiers and the mice, led by the Mouse King. The mice begin to eat the gingerbread soldiers.

The Nutcracker appears to lead the gingerbread soldiers, who are joined by tin soldiers and dolls who serve as doctors to carry away the wounded. As the Mouse King advances on the still-wounded Nutcracker, Clara throws her slipper at him, distracting him long enough for the Nutcracker to stab him.

Scene 2: A Pine Forest
The mice retreat and the Nutcracker is transformed into a handsome Prince. He leads Clara through the moonlit night to a pine forest in which the snowflakes dance around them.

Act II
Scene 1: The Land of Sweets
Clara and the Prince travel in a nutshell boat pulled by dolphins to the beautiful Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Prince's place until his return. He recounts for her how he had been saved by Clara from the Mouse King and had been transformed back into a Prince.

In honor of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from around the world is produced: chocolate from Spain, coffee from Arabia, and tea from China all dance for their amusement; candy canes from Russia; Danish shepherdesses perform on their flutes; Mother Ginger has her children, the polichinelles, emerge from under her enormous skirt to dance; a string of beautiful flowers perform a waltz. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a dance.

A final waltz is performed by all the sweets, after which Clara and the Prince are crowned rulers of the Land of Sweets. Soon, they leave in a sleigh drawn by reindeer with everyone waving goodbye. Clara is found sleeping in the parlor. The nutcracker is under the Christmas tree. She awakes, thinking it was all a dream, but then finds her crown sitting beside her, leading to question, was it a dream? She walks to the tree, takes her nutcracker, and goes back to sleep, the implication being that if it was all a dream, that she would want to keep dreaming.

Archconservative Jim Inhofe Has Change Of Heart About Democrats

Archconservative Jim Inhofe Has Change Of Heart About Democrats
christina.wilkie@huffingtonpost.com

 

WASHINGTON -- One of the most partisan Republicans in the Senate, Oklahoma's Jim Inhofe, said Sunday that his "attitude" toward Senate Democrats has changed as a result of the outpouring of sympathy he received from colleagues after the death of his son. Perry Inhofe, 52, was killed in a plane crash in November.

"I probably shouldn't say this, but I seem to have gotten more -- well at least as many, maybe more -- communications from some of my Democrat friends," Sen. Inhofe told host David Gregory on NBC's "Meet the Press." "And I'm a pretty partisan Republican."

In the wake of his personal tragedy, Inhofe said, "all of a sudden the old barriers that were there -- the old differences, those things that keep us apart -- just disappear. It's not just a recognition that I know how much more important this is, but they do, too. And they look out. And they realize that you've lost someone. And that brings us closer together."

During three terms in the Senate, Inhofe has established a reputation as a take-no-prisoners political brawler, and as a legislator whose ideology is both fiscally and socially to the right of many in his party. An outspoken skeptic of the scientific evidence for man-made climate change, Inhofe has butted heads on the Senate floor over the issue with nearly every member of the Democratic leadership.

When news of his son's death reached Washington, however, politics were quickly set aside. And even though Inhofe is a legendary thorn in the side of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the loss of Inhofe's son served to underscore for him the things that he and Reid have in common.

"Harry and I ... disagree on all this stuff, this political stuff. But we were both married the same year, in 1959. And we've both had some illnesses. So yeah, I would say that when something like this happens, you get closer together. The differences are still there. ... But your attitude changes," said Inhofe.

Inhofe suggested the change is also likely to extend beyond personal dynamics to his work in the Senate. "I can't help but think when I'm confronting someone on something in which we disagree, I'll know how they responded to my loss. And how we got closer. And it'll stay that way," he said.

Obama Holds Final Primary Night Event In St. Paul
• ST. PAUL, MN - JUNE 3: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) (R) and his wife Michelle Obama bump fists at an election night rally at the Xcel Energy Center June 3, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination following today's primaries in South Dakota and Montana, although his rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has not yet conceded the race. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

• Barack Obama

  President Barack Obama acknowledges the crowd as he exchanges fist bumps with the audience after speaking at Hyde Park Academy, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

• Obama Fist Bump

  President Barack Obama fist-bumps custodian Lawrence Lipscomb in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building following the opening session of the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth, Dec. 3, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

• President Barack Obama does a fist bump

  President Barack Obama does a fist bump with Ethan Gibbs, the son of Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, after arriving by Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, April 19, 2009. President Barack Obama returned from the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad and Tobago. AFP PHOTO/Aude GUERRUCCI (Photo credit should read Aude GUERRUCCI/AFP/Getty Images)

• Barack Obama Campaigns Across U.S. Ahead Of Primaries

  SPRINGHILL, WV- MAY 12: Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) (L) bumps fists with Iraq war veteran Paul Scott after playing a game of pool during a stop at Schultzie's Bar & Hot Spot May 12, 2008 in Springhill, West Virginia. Sen. Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) continue to battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

• McCain And Obama Address LULAC National Convention

  WASHINGTON - JULY 8: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (L) gives a 'fist bump' to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) during the national convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) at the Washington Hilton July 8, 2008 in Washington, DC. Obama has been recently criticized for moving to the political center after calling for a slowing of withdrawal of troops from Iraq, supporting a proposed wiretap law and government funding of faith-based programs. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

• Barack Obama Campaign Weeks Away From Election Day

  CHANTILLY, VA- OCTOBER 22: Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) fists bumps with Ethan Gibbs the son of Robert Gibbs the campaign communication director as he arrives at Dulles International Airport October 22, 2008 in Chantilly, Virginia. Obama continues to campaign with election day less than two weeks away. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

• US Democratic presidential candidate Ill

  US Democratic presidential candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama (R) and North Carolina Governor Mike Easley bump fists at Sen. Obama's surprise appearance at a North Carolina Democratic Party dinner October 4, 2008 at the The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

• President Barack Obama

  BAGHDAD, IRAQ - APRIL 7: In this handout provide by the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama (L) receives a fist-bump from a U.S. soldier as he greets hundreds of U.S. troops during his visit to Camp Victory on April 7, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq. Obama is serving as the 44th President of the U.S. and the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States. (Photo by Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images)

• President Barack Obama

  WASHINGTON - APRIL 8: In this handout provide by the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama (L) holding a football, offers a fist-bump, to senior staff member Pete Rouse (R), during a meeting with senior advisors in the Oval Office of the White House on April 8, 2009 in Washington, DC. Obama is serving as the 44th President of the U.S. and the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States. (Photo by Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images)

• US President Barack Obama gives a studen

  US President Barack Obama gives a student a fist bump while touring the Wind Turbine Manufacturing and Fabrication Lab at Lorain County Community College, in Elyria, Ohio, January 22, 2010. Obama is visiting Ohio to tour local businesses and hold a town hall meeting on jobs and the economy. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

• US President Barack Obama bumps fists wi

  US President Barack Obama bumps fists with a school children after reading Christams book 'The Polar Express' to an audience of elementary school children at the Richard England Clubhouse and Community Center in Washington, DC, on December 21, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

• US President Barack Obama fist-bumps wit

  US President Barack Obama fist-bumps with a supporter after speaking at a fundraiser for Senator Michael Bennet February 18, 2010 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

• US President Barack Obama (2nd-R) fist b

  US President Barack Obama (2nd-R) fist bumps with Marvin Nicholson as he plays golf at Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on August 26, 2010. The US First Family is vacationing on the Island until August 29. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

• President And Mrs. Obama Host Annual Easter Egg Roll

  WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: (AFP OUT)U.S. President Barack Obama gives a fist bump to a young boy during a 'Let's Move' tennis clinic during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House April 25, 2011 in Washington, DC. About 30,000 people are expected to attend the 133-year-old tradition of rolling colored eggs down the White House lawn. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

• US President Barack Obama gives a young

  US President Barack Obama gives a young boy a fist bump as he greets guests after speaking about the economy at Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, on January 4, 2012. Obama announced plans to appoint Richard Cordray as acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a recess appointment, bypassing Congress and setting up a bitter election-year legal showdown with Republicans. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

• Barack Obama

  President Barack Obama fist bumps service members after he addressed troops at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

• US President Barack Obama (L) asks for a

  US President Barack Obama (L) asks for a fist bump from a young girl as he speaks with patrons outside the Kozy Corner restaurant in Oak Harbor, Ohio, July 5, 2012, where he made an unannounced visit to speak with supporters while on a bus tour of Ohio and Pennslyvania. AFP PHOTO/Jim Watson (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/GettyImages)

• Obama Welcomes 2012 NCAA Women's Basketball Champions To White House

  WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 18: U.S. President Barack Obama gives a fist bump to Baylor University basketball guard Terran Condrey while welcoming the 2012 NCAA Women’s Basketball champions in the East Room of the White House July 18, 2012 in Washington, DC. The Baylor Lady Bears became the first NCAA basketball team to complete a 40-0 season by defeating Notre Dame 80-61 in the NCAA women's championship. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

• Barack Obama, Odyssey Sims

  Point guard Odyssey Sims gets a fist bump from President Barack Obama at a ceremony honoring the 2012 NCAA Women's basketball champions Baylor University Bears in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

• US-VOTE-2012-DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN

  US President Barack Obama (L) fist bumps with supporters after delivering remarks during a campaign event at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada, August 21, 2012. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/GettyImages)

• Barack Obama

  President Barack Obama pounds fists with a supporter after speaking at a campaign event at The Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center at Kent State University Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in Kent, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

• US-VOTE-2012-DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN

  US President Barack Obama fist-bumps with a woman during a lunch visit to the West Tampa Sandwich Shop and Restaurant in Tampa, Florida, September 8, 2012, during the first day of a 2-day bus tour across Florida. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages)

• US-VOTE-2012-DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN

  US President Barack Obama (L) fist bumps a supporter after speaking at a campaign rally in Nashua, New Hampshire, on October 27, 2012. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)