Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam
March 25, 2018 Volume 10 Number 29
Reader Supported: All Contributions Appreciated and Accepted Here
INSIDE: The Lost Battalion ; News For Week Ending 11 March 2018; From Olya – The Only Way To Deal With Corruption; Rusty’s Uncle Seamus; For Your Consideration; Our Science Section, Unabridged; Way To Go, You Guys; Dalai Lama; Travel; The Green Beat; Health; Community, Home & Lifestyle; Best of the Net; Masha & the Bear; Northstar General Store; All Creatures Great & Small; You Guys Think We Make This Stuff Up; About Us
THE LOST BATTALION
Hi again, gang, from the shores of the Salish Sea. As I watch the ongoing struggle to re-legitimize immigration, I’m reminded of a war and a battle fought in France over a century ago. It was the basis for a Canadian-American docudrama entitled “The Lost Battalion”.
The historic details are a matter of record and need no recounting here except in summary. In October 1918, during a battle in the Argonne Forest, units of American infantry comprised of mostly immigrants or first generation Americans, found themselves surrounded, outnumbered and constantly under siege by the best the German Army could throw at them.
In the film, one of the American officers is captured and during a very polite interrogation by the commander of the Kaiser’s infantry, the lieutenant, himself from Texas, explains the reality of it.
“What you’re up against, Major, is a bunch of Mick, Polack, Dago and Jew Boy gangsters from New York City. They’ll never surrender. Never.”
In their own neighborhoods back home, they warred against one another with a savagery that was legend even before their time. A century ago, some 500 of them went into battle and when relieved, 197 of them remained on their feet.
We have always been a nation of immigrants and considering the sacrifices they have made, I thank God for that.
Have a great week, gang, and thanks for the ear. Rusty
Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer who lives in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here.
THE PAST WEEK’S HEADLINE NEWS AT A GLANCE
FROM OLYA
THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH CORRUPTION
Hi Rusty:
Just been to an interesting lecture entitled “Ethics, Politics And Economics” and found fascinating the concept of “Panopticon,” a building design created in the 18th Century by English philosopher Jeremy Benthan, who is considered the the founder of modern utilitarianism..
One of Benthan’s principles of observation is to allow all (pan-) inmates of an institution to be observed (-opticon) by a single watchman without the inmates being able to tell whether or not they are being watched.
From a philosophical perspective, the idea to watch and be watched is quite widespread in modern society. One prime example, certainly, are Chinese plans to create a citizen rating system by 2020, as discussed in this article, “Big Data Meets Big Brother As China Moves To Rate Its Citizens”.
Another is the recent ambiguity with FaceBook over the use of its data by Cambridge Analytica.
Not forgetting about Snowden’s revelations and all sorts of spy conspiracy scandals, all these add to the total feeling of common people’s fear of being watched and analyzed. If it is made with the consent of the observed, that is one thing. Without such permission, it is a completely different story.
But what the watched had control over the watcher? What if society itself was be able to observe the activity of establishments, governments and administrations to make them transparent with the click of a mouse?
The emerging blockchain technology seems to empower common people to take control of state services, like finding out how their taxes are spent by tracking every payment on blockchain. To see the possibilities that opens, I strongly recommend reading both Transparent Transactions and Governmental Blockchain Adoption
The only way to deal with corruption is openness of data. That is what blockchain is all about.
That’s all for now. Take care, Mishka. Olya Бог с тобой, любимой двоюродной моей. Бог со всеми нами.
Northstar columnist and associate editor Olya Bereza was born in the former Soviet Union and now lives in Ukraine. Fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English, she is a degreed psychologist with a background in international marketing and personnel management. For comments, please go here.
RUSTY’S UNCLE SEAMUS
What can honestly be said about a species incapable of protecting its own young?
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
We watched, as did millions of people around the world, our children and grandchildren marching in America’s capital and in every major city from Amsterdam to Winnipeg. Media coverage, in our opinion, has been and no doubt will continue to be outstanding. There is little we can or should add in these regards. We remain horrified by the circumstances which brought such a primal issue to the forefront and outraged beyond words at elected officials, many of whom are parents themselves, who refuse to act swiftly, concisely and apolitically to place the most vulnerable of human lives first and foremost on their agenda. Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller
OUR SCIENCE SECTION, ABRIDGED
This certainly puts a new spin on outsourcing. The Bot Taking Harassment Complaints
This is awesome. A Telescope Of Galactic Proportions
Good for them! Four Teen Inventors Changing The World
EARTH
Why Cities Need A Chief Scientist
The Secret Fruit That Can Grow In -40C/F
Are Earthquake Warnings Effective?
OUTER SPACE
Curiosity Rover: 2,000 Days On Mars
Chinese Space Station Predicted To Crash Somewhere On Earth Around Easter
1st Interstellar Asteroid From Double Star
TECHNOLOGY
Uber Halts Self-Driving Car Tests After Death
How DNA Can Be Used To Store Computer Data
A Rare Life-Sized, Operational Replica Of A Spitfire Is Under Construction
DALAI LAMA
I am one of the 7 billion human beings alive today. We each have a responsibility to think about humanity and the good of the world because it affects our own future. We weren’t born on this planet at this time to create problems but to bring about some benefit.
WAY TO GO, YOU GUYS
‘Stand With Us Or Beware’: Thousands Rally In The US To Demand Tighter Gun Laws
Listen: Inspiration At First Pacific Salmon Summit
Courage Amid Tragedy As ‘Heroes’ Rescue Boy From Fatal House Fire
Meet The Disabled Syrian Boy Who Is Always Smiling
The Sisters Rebuilding Mosul University’s Library
The Woman Helping Ukraine’s Traumatised Children
TRAVEL
A Shopping Street Designed For Wellness
How To Avoid Getting Sick On A Plane, According To Science
Celebrate Spring In Seattle’s Parks
THE GREEN BEAT
The Collapse Of Coal Self-Bonding
What’s The Best Way To Inspire Positive Environmental Behavior?
Plastic Waste In The Pacific Ocean Is Growing ‘Exponentially’
HEALTH
Burning Health Questions? Email Time magazine
Do You Think Midwives Are All Women? Mr Wright Is Proof You’re Wrong
Plant Fats Are Healthier Than Animal Fats, Study Says
Solving The Suicide Crisis In The Arctic Circle
What 7 Sleep Experts Do When They Can’t Fall Asleep
Why There’s No Such Thing As A Single ‘Best’ Diet
Are Essential Oils Safe? What To Know About The Health Craze
COMMUNITY, HOME AND LIFESTYLE
Are Cash Incentives A Good Way To Get Commuters Onto Bikes?
What Does A Landlord Have The Right To Know?
Better Voting Systems Boost Turnout
A Massive Smoke Detector Recall Was Just Issued. Here’s How To Check If You’re Affected
Want To Keep Your Facebook Data Private? That’ll Cost You $75 A Year
These Are America’s Happiest Cities
The Drug Addict Who Became A Judge
New Orleans Mayor: America Is Stuck ‘In A Mentality Where They Could Lynch You’
Elvira, Credit Specialist, St. Petersburg. GENERATION P
BEST OF THE NET
Auschwitz Inmate’s Notes From Hell Finally Revealed
Nature Photos From The World Wildlife Fund
Spacecraft Sees Jupiter As Never Before
DAILY 10 QUESTION TRIVIA QUIZ: This one is from Daily Email Trivia and delivered to me in mine. There is also an opportunity, the site, to take more quizzes on a wide range of subjects and to engage interactively and competitively.
THE NORTHSTAR JOURNAL GENERAL STORE is a page full of mostly free stuff and several unique gifts for under $5.00//4.5 EUROS. It includes films, television episodes, gadgets and apps to make our work lives easier. So load up on the good stuff and if you have any spare change, drop it in the jar on your way out. You can even try it now and use the back browser to return to the rest of the magazine.
ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL
This is good news. Interior Secretary Declares Support For Grizzly Bear Restoration In…
This could also alter, for the positive, the local economy. After 70 Years, Salmon Could Return To Columbia River Above Grand Coulee
Now here’s something I suspect we’ve all been pondering for some while. How Did Turtles Get Their Shells?
SHORTS
Indian Man’s Fight To Save Whale Sharks
Sudan, Last Male Northern White Rhino, Dies In Kenya
Preventing Human-Wildlife Conflict
YOU GUYS THINK WE MAKE THIS STUFF UP
150 People Hid Out In A Cave After A Tornado Warning Hit Georgia
10,000 People Tried To Book This Restaurant At The Same Time
Secret Symbols In Still-Life Painting
ABOUT US: The Northstar Journal reaches an international readership of strong, intelligent, proactively compassionate people like you, who are out there helping make this a better world. We are proud to serve them as an information resource in that regard. If you would like to help us help them, please tap the tip jar lid or go here. No contribution too large or too small. If you would like to sponsor an edition or contribute in some other way, please contact us at minstrel312@aol.com Thank you and see you next week. RM/OB
The Northstar Journal 