Marles and Pyne: the game of mates plays on as questions on probity count for little

The former and current defence ministers are sparring mates from way back, and thats worked out well for Christopher Pyne post-Parliament.

DAVID HARDAKER, APR 27, 2023 Crikey,

Is there no end to the Richard Marles-Christopher Pyne double act?

The Albanese governments defence minister has agreed to speak at a ticket-only networking event hosted by former MP Pyne, Marles old sparring partner, who has become one of Australias leading defence industry lobbyists. The so-called DSR Summit will be held In Sydney next week, according to an invitation received by Crikey.

For between $500 and $800 defence industry types will be able to rub shoulders with ministers, thought leaders, and department decision-makers while hearing from key speakers from government and other defence sector stalwarts on the impact of the governments Defence Strategic Review, released this week(Subscribers only)  https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/04/27/marles-pyne-mates-probity-questions/?su=TlVkbFRSU3Zya0trMlF3M0JHckdPZz09

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is going to have to be doing much more nuclear

John Paul Tasker  CBC News   April 26 2023

Anti-nuclear activists and a cross-partisan group of MPs urged the federal government Tuesday to drop its support for nuclear energy projects, calling the energy source a dirty, dangerous distraction from climate action.

SMR technology is still in its infancy and it isnt widely used around the world.

As of 2022, there were only three SMR projects in operation one each in Russia, China and India  according to the International Energy Agency.

There are dozens of others under construction or in the design and planning phase including one at Ontario Power Generations Darlington nuclear site.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freelands recent federal budget included a generous tax credit to spur clean energy development, including SMRs.

The industry lobby group, the Canadian Nuclear Association, has said the 15 per cent refundable tax credit is a recognition by Ottawa that nuclear power is a fundamental and necessary component of Canadas low carbon energy system.

Susan ODonnell, a professor and a member of the Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet are getting bad advice about nuclear energy.

The nuclear industry, led by the U.S. and the U.K., has been lobbying and advertising heavily in Canada, trying to convince us that new SMR designs will somehow address the climate crisis, ODonnell told a press conference on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.

She said SMRs will produce toxic radioactive waste and could lead to serious accidents while turning some...

Spotted on an overpass on Sydney's North Shore. The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation wants your money. https://vimeo.com/722795969 Wow.

NSW has chosen its preferred consortium to build and operate the states first renewable energy zone, which might come as a surprise to the local DNSP. The post NSW chooses network operator for first renewable energy zone appeared first on RenewEconomy.

NSW chooses network operator for first renewable energy zone RenewEconomy

Forests of golden kelp, a type of brown seaweed that grows in cooler waters, weave along the coastline of southern Australia. But many people arent even aware that its there, says Adriana Vergs. I live in Sydney its Australias largest city and it has absolutely gorgeous kelp forests, Vergs, a professor of marine ecology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, tells Mongabay. But people in Sydney know more about the Great Barrier Reef than they know about their local kelp forests. Vergs says theres also a lack of understanding about what kelp does and the value it holds, even though kelp forests play an important ecological role, acting as the biological engine of temperate reefs. A new paper published in Nature Communications, co-authored by Vergs, aims to fill some of these knowledge gaps by identifying the economic value of marine kelp forests. It suggests that kelp forests across the world provide three main ecosystem services worth billions of dollars annually: the boosting of fisheries production; the removal of excessive nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the water; and the sequestration of carbon dioxide. Forests of golden kelp, a type of brown seaweed that grows in cooler waters, weave along the coastline of southern Australia. Image by Stefan Andrews / Ocean Image Bank. Examining six different kelp genera (Ecklonia, Laminaria, Lessonia, Macrocystis, Nereocystis and Saccharina), the researchers find that each of these forest types generate up to $147,100 per hectare ($59,500 per acre) per yearThis article was originally published on Mongabay

By Lucas Leiroz | April 26, 2023

A prominent Slovakian politician recently stated that the Atlantic military alliance must stop raising false hopes in Ukraine about NATO membership in the future. The parliamentarians words reinforce what had already been said for a long time about the infeasibility of accepting the entry of a country under military conflict into the western coalition. It remains to be seen whether NATO leaders will actually observe the Slovak request.

The statement was made by the speaker of the Slovak parliament, Boris Kollar. He warned that the alliance should make clear the impossibility of a Ukrainian membership, given that Kiev is currently in a military conflict. Kollar said that welcoming Ukraine into the alliance would be unacceptable for most member countries. He also stated that he considers the absence of a definitive answer on the topic to be irresponsible, as this would generate false hopes in the candidate country.

A country in the midst of a military conflict cannot possibly join NATO. It is unacceptable. I think it would never be ratified by the member states. It is very irresponsible to raise false hopes about it, Kollar said during an interview to a Slovak news channel.

During a European interparliamentary conference in Prague, Kollar also warned about the risks of war and unprecedented violence in Europe, since the entry of Ukraine would lead to the alliance immediately triggering the collective defense clause, creating a scenario of world conflict. Therefore, Kollar stated that the matter should not be considered appropriate for now, but that there would be no objections if peace was achieved in Ukraine.

Kollars words come as a response to a recent statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in which the leader stated that Kiev would be part of the Euro-Atlantic family and that all member states had agreed that Ukraine will become a NATO member. The pronouncement seems untrue and somewhat hypocritical, since, despite not ruling out Kiev, the alliance has avoided moving forward with the membership process, delaying as much as possible the discussions around the issue. However, there are a number of reasons why Stoltenberg and other alliance leaders are continuing to hold these false hopes for Kiev.

Indeed, the possibility of admission to NATO is a central factor in keeping the Ukrainian war machine active. Kievs armed forces continue to fight the Russians because they have the hope of full integration into the West. There is a strong belief among Ukrainians that the deployment of regular NATO troops will also become a reality in the future, as they really believe in the existence of an international alliance against Russian aggression, being deceived by their own...

Here's a story about two lovers who inspired by a viewing of a Sydney staging of Genet's The Maids, starring Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert (true story) decide to swim the annual Rottnest Channel Swim (real event) when they learn that the event will feature a Genet play on the island named by Dutch to reflect it seemed like a rat's nest (true according to Wikipedia).

Chainlink LINK is trading in the green today, up by over 4%, as the general market shakes off the bearish trend. It experienced a price drop from $8.8784 on April 18, 2023, to $7.7704 on April 19, and its trading volume is down by over 4% in the last 24 hours.

Chainlinks ecosystem rolled out new developmental trends and innovative partnerships. Its recent integration with the Celo ecosystem will create a framework for launching Chainlink oracles on Celo and the seamless creation of decentralized applications. 

The price pullback in April hinted at the possibility of a bear market. However, the signs are positive today for LINK as its gains in the market.

Crypto Market Rally Evident In LINKs Price Action

According to CoinMarketCap data, the global crypto market capitalization is up by $3.58% in 24 hours. Also, the total crypto market volume is $41.50 billion, a significant increase of 15.94. 

Bitcoins dominance has significantly increased in the past 24 hours. Notably, most altcoins correlate to Bitcoins price. The general crypto market outlook improved as it shows signs of recovery today.

However, the sustainability of the present positive trend largely depends on market forces and investor sentiments. LINKs current price action indicates the possibility of a rally ahead. A closer look at its performance will provide vital answers. 

LINK is in an uptrend on the daily chart. It is building on its gains yesterday to halt the bearish trend. It bounced off the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) yesterday to begin its recovery. LINK is currently above its 50-day and 200-day SMA, with bullish sentiment in the short and long term.

Its Relative Strength Index (RSI) is 48.32, in the neutral zone and moving upwards. It implies that the asset will likely experience further price increases if the bulls sustain the current rally.

LINKs Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD) is still below its signal line and showing a negative value. The indicator reflects the bearish pressure on the asset in the past week. 

Related Reading: Solana (SOL) Rebounding After A Major Drop, Will It Recover Previous Losses?

However, the histogram bars are faint, suggesting a possible trend reversal ahead. Despite the current price increase, further confirmation is vital to determine if a bull run is underway.

Masculinity in our society has long been a powerful force, shaping the ways in which individuals navigate various aspects of life. This complex construct, deeply rooted in cultural norms and expectations, influences decision-making processes for both men and women. From the foods we consume, such as the perceived connection between meat consumption and masculinity, to the career paths we choose and the ways we communicate, traditional notions of masculinity play a significant role in defining our behaviors, values, and ideals. As society evolves, it is crucial to critically examine the ways in which these entrenched gender norms impact our lives and to foster a more inclusive understanding of masculinity that allows for a diverse range of expression and choice.

As we explore the impact of masculinity on decision-making processes, it is essential to recognize how these notions extend beyond just our individual choices and affect broader societal trends. One such example can be found in the realm of dietary habits, specifically the consumption of meat. Research has uncovered intriguing connections between perceptions of masculinity and resistance to adopting plant-based diets. Let us delve into a recent study that investigates the relationship between traditional ideas of masculinity and mens reluctance to abandon meat consumption.

As global trends lean towards vegetarian and vegan diets, one demographic faces greater challenges in making the transition: men. Men typically consume more meat than women and display greater resistance to change in this regard. But what drives this resistance?

A recent study conducted by researchers at Australian National University posits that traditional notions of masculinity may be the answer. The study suggests that men may be reluctant to adopt a meat-free diet because consuming meat makes them feel more manly, whereas refraining from it might threaten their sense of masculinity.

The research involved a large cohort of 4,897 Australians who completed an online survey regarding their attitudes towards meat consumption and self-assessed gender. Researchers measured the extent to which men felt masculine and women felt feminine, and then analyzed whether this played a role in their attitudes towards meat.

The results showed that men who identified as more masculine were less inclined to consider reducing their meat consumption and were more likely to view meat as necessary. For both genders, those with more typical self-ratings were more likely to perceive meat as nice and natural, which may impact their willingness to consider vegetarianism or veganism.

These findings align with previous research suggesting that simply being male makes one less likely to contemplate cutting out meat, but adherence to traditional ideas of masculinity could explain the disparity. Interestingly, women who rated themselves as mor...

Virtually every week someone asks me about a strange-looking weather radar feature that is often along the Washington coast.

UFOs?  Chinese balloons?   A stationary flock of birds?   Or could it be the ocean?   The answer is revealed below.

You see the bluish area west of Hoquiam, just offshore on the central Washington coast?  That is the feature.  

The other features are areas of precipitation. 

They move.  The area off of Hoquim stays put.

The image above is for the lowest scanning angle that is typically used in U.S. weather radars, a half-degree (0.5 degree) above the horizontal.    However, the Langley Hill radar was...

From John Abramson, MD/Hillsdale College: I was in the intensive care unit when a cardiologist came by on rounds. He advocates a wider use of cholesterol-lowering statin medications than I do, and he started to cite the literature about why I should be taking more cholesterol-lowering medicine than I already was. I asked him if he had read the studies underlying that literature, and of course he had. I then asked him if he understood that the endpoint of many of those studies wasnt really appropriate to determine the benefit of statins, and he acknowledged there was some debate about that. Finally, I asked if he was aware that when peer-reviewed articles are published in medical journalseven the most reputable medical journalsthe peer reviewers dont have access to the actual data from the clinical trials being reviewed. And he answered, somewhat meekly, that yes, he was aware of that.

In other words, he was aware that his recommendation that I increase my use of statin drugs was based entirely on incompletely vetted commercially-sponsored and largely commercially-influenced medical journal articles. This gets to the heart of the problem of the commercial takeover of the medical knowledge that doctors believe in and implement.

. . . Prior to leaving office in 1961, President Eisenhower famously warned the nation about what he called the military-industrial complex. I suggest that we now have a medical-industrial complex that is sucking Americas wealth away from the other things that will make us healthier and create better lives for the American people.

Ask yourself, what ought to be the primary goal of American health care? To my mind it is this: to maintain and improve individual and population health most effectively and efficiently. And if that is correct, there are two critical questions we all need to ask: (1) Why are we failing so miserably to achieve this goal? and (2) Why are doctors and other health care professionals willing to go along with this dysfunctional system?

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The United Kingdom has provided Ukraine with thousands of shells for the donated Challenger 2 main battle tanks, UK minister for armed forces James Heappey said on Tuesday. "We have sent thousands of rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition to Ukraine, including depleted uranium armour-piercing rounds," he said in a written answer to a parliamentary query. Heappey did not give an estimate of the number of depleted uranium rounds fired by the Ukrainian armed forces, citing operational security reasons. The minister also admitted that the UK was not monitoring the locations from where these rounds were fired and added that his country was not obligated to help Ukraine clear up the depleted uranium rounds post-conflict.

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people

Criticism has plucked the imaginary flowers on the chain not in order that man shall continue to bear that chain without fantasy or consolation, but so that he shall throw off the chain and pluck the living flower.  Karl Marx

Cynical Attacks by Marxists About Neopaganism

Neopagan Marxists? What are you talking about? We Marxists are atheist materialists. We dont believe in any gods. Do you remember what Marx said about religion? It is the opium of the people. Why are you bringing superstition back in? Neopaganism is just more decadent 1970s hippie romanticism calling for the return to a preindustrial age. All this Goddess crap is just the lunatic fringe of the womens movement trying to bring religion back in. Real socialist feminists are atheists. If anything, Christianity was a moral advance over the barbaric paganism of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Serious charges indeed to be answered throughout this article.

Demanding Workers be Atheists Alienates Marxists from their Base

One of many problems for Marxists in the West is that most people in the working class believe in God, whether they are Protestants, Catholics, Jews or Muslims. Furthermore, whether Marxists like it or not, most people around the world find religious rituals enjoyable, comforting and meaningful. If people treat rituals in a mindless, reified way, that does not mean rituals can be dismissed. In addition, rituals have power not just in religion, but in nationalism and sports which have drawn from religion. Typically, Marxists dismiss religion, nationalism and sports as deriving from false consciousness, simplistic reasoning of the workers or evil machinations of priests or rulers. But this has not stopped working-class people from continuing to be faithful to their religion, country and sports teams. Do you Marxists really want to continue to throw stones at the buildings of churches, stadiums or the bronze cast statues of famous nationalistic generals?

The Structure and Superstructure of Societies

Using a Marxist delineation of social structures, both capitalist and socialist societies have an infrastructure and super...

The cryptocurrency firm is seeking a response to its July 2022 petition asking the SEC for formal guidance for the industry.

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has filed a legal action to ask the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to clarify regulations for the crypto industry. The filing follows a July 2022 petition from Coinbase asking the SEC to use formal rulemaking to provide guidance for the crypto sector. Coinbase claims that the SEC has not yet responded to its petition, so it has filed the legal challenge to compel the SEC to respond either positively or negatively to its request.

The Administrative Procedure Act requires the SEC to respond to Coinbases rulemaking petition within a reasonable time. If the SEC decides not to respond, Coinbase will have the right to challenge that decision in court. Coinbase does not seek to dictate the SECs response, only to require that the agency responds at all, according to a statement released by the company.

Coinbase and other crypto firms are facing potential regulatory enforcement actions from the SEC, even though the agency has not stated its position on the application of the law to the crypto sector. Coinbase asserts that regulatory clarity is long overdue for the industry, and that new rules would be a critical step to giving the public notice about what activities they can and cannot engage in.

Coinbase said it recognizes that clear rules are needed for the industry and has asked for rules to be developed. The exchanges decision to challenge the SEC is an attempt to compel basic rulemaking, according to the firm. Coinbase added that it will continue to take every step available to seek regulatory clarity until the industry gets that clarity.

Chief Legal Officer at Coinbase Paul Grewal said in a statement on Twitter that The crypto industry, and its users need clear laws and rules to follow that are built for a new technology. Enforcement actions based in inapplicable securities law arent the answer.

Coinbase has faced regulatory hurdles in the past, leading to it potential...