United Press International - NewsTrack - Bush was denied wiretaps, bypassed them: "WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush decided to skip seeking warrants for international wiretaps because the court was challenging him at an unprecedented rate.
A review of Justice Department reports to Congress by Hearst newspapers shows the 26-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court modified more wiretap requests from the Bush administration than the four previous presidential administrations combined.
The 11-judge court that authorizes FISA wiretaps modified only two search warrant orders out of the 13,102 applications approved over the first 22 years of the court's operation.
But since 2001, the judges have modified 179 of the 5,645 requests for surveillance by the Bush administration, the report said. A total of 173 of those court-ordered 'substantive modifications' took place in 2003 and 2004. And, the judges also rejected or deferred at least six requests for warrants during those two years -- the first outright rejection of a wiretap request in the court's history."
30.12.05
28.12.05
Ecuadorean Pyramid Scheme Sparks a Panic - Yahoo! News
: "QUITO, Ecuador - A 71-year-old provincial notary who died in a luxury hotel room earlier this year left behind a teenage girlfriend ? who said he'd been on cocaine and Viagra ? and a crumbling $800 million pyramid scheme that has blossomed into a nationwide scandal.
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Jose Cabrera's sudden death sparked panic among thousands of people who gave him a minimum of $10,000 each over two decades in exchange for up to 10 percent monthly interest.
Most were rank-and-file police and military personnel ? more than 6,500 of them ? and residents of Machala, the port city where Cabrera was based. But the scandal has spread to high-ranking current and former military officials, judges, politicians and their families.
The head judge of the Machala Superior Court resigned after acknowledging that he had invested $15,000. Ecuador's former commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff put in $45,000 and the wife of a former defense minister contributed $125,000, local media have reported."
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Jose Cabrera's sudden death sparked panic among thousands of people who gave him a minimum of $10,000 each over two decades in exchange for up to 10 percent monthly interest.
Most were rank-and-file police and military personnel ? more than 6,500 of them ? and residents of Machala, the port city where Cabrera was based. But the scandal has spread to high-ranking current and former military officials, judges, politicians and their families.
The head judge of the Machala Superior Court resigned after acknowledging that he had invested $15,000. Ecuador's former commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff put in $45,000 and the wife of a former defense minister contributed $125,000, local media have reported."
24.12.05
Didgeridoo lessons ease sleep disorders. 23/12/2005. ABC News Online
Didgeridoo lessons ease sleep disorders. 23/12/2005. ABC News Online: "Kept awake at night by a snoring partner? The answer to your woes could lie with the didgeridoo.
Researchers in Switzerland have examined 25 patients who suffered from snoring and moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, both common sleep disorders.
Half the group were given daily lessons in playing the didgeridoo."
Researchers in Switzerland have examined 25 patients who suffered from snoring and moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, both common sleep disorders.
Half the group were given daily lessons in playing the didgeridoo."
Sweet little mystery - Health - Times Online
: "GIVING a child a sweet to make them feel better isn?t just a parental con trick, it really does kill pain, according to new research from the Monell Chemical Senses Centre, in Philadelphia.
Sugar makes kids feel better physically as well as psychologically. And the new study, published in the journal Pain this month, shows that the children who get the greatest painkilling effect are those who like sweet tastes most."
Sugar makes kids feel better physically as well as psychologically. And the new study, published in the journal Pain this month, shows that the children who get the greatest painkilling effect are those who like sweet tastes most."
23.12.05
EFF: DeepLinks
EFF: DeepLinks: "Yesterday, Magistrate Judge Gorenstein of the federal court for the Southern District of New York issued an opinion permitting the government to use cell site data to track a cell phone's physical location, without the government having to obtain a search warrant based on probable cause."
Independent Online Edition > Transport
Independent Online Edition > Transport: "Britain is to become the first country in the world where the movements of all vehicles on the roads are recorded. A new national surveillance system will hold the records for at least two years.
Using a network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements so that the police and security services can analyse any journey a driver has made over several years.
The network will incorporate thousands of existing CCTV cameras which are being converted to read number plates automatically night and day to provide 24/7 coverage of all motorways and main roads, as well as towns, cities, ports and petrol-station forecourts."
Using a network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements so that the police and security services can analyse any journey a driver has made over several years.
The network will incorporate thousands of existing CCTV cameras which are being converted to read number plates automatically night and day to provide 24/7 coverage of all motorways and main roads, as well as towns, cities, ports and petrol-station forecourts."
: "MUSIC shop boss Steve Kowalski has been told he will have to pay to play if his customers want to try out his instruments before they buy.
And that, he says, is a fiddle.
The Performing Rights Society claims he needs a licence if he, or any of his punters, want to "have a go" on anything from a harmonica to a harpsichord or castanets to clarinets.
And officers have told him that if he doesn?t stump up cash to the tune of �114 he will have to face the music."
And that, he says, is a fiddle.
The Performing Rights Society claims he needs a licence if he, or any of his punters, want to "have a go" on anything from a harmonica to a harpsichord or castanets to clarinets.
And officers have told him that if he doesn?t stump up cash to the tune of �114 he will have to face the music."
20.12.05
Scotsman.com News - International - Stalin's half-man, half-ape super-warriors
In 1926 the Politburo in Moscow passed the request to the Academy of Science with the order to build a "living war machine";. The order came at a time when the Soviet Union was embarked on a crusade to turn the world upside down, with social engineering seen as a partner to industrialisation: new cities, architecture, and a new egalitarian society were being created."
1.12.05
BBC NEWS | Health | Woman has first face transplant
BBC NEWS | Health | Woman has first face transplant: "Surgeons in France have carried out the first face transplant, it has been reported.
The woman had lost her nose, lips and chin after being savaged by a dog.
In the controversial operation, tissues, muscles, arteries and veins were taken from a brain-dead donor and attached to the patient's lower face.
Doctors stress the woman will not look like her donor, but nor will she look like she did before the attack - instead she will have a 'hybrid' face."
The woman had lost her nose, lips and chin after being savaged by a dog.
In the controversial operation, tissues, muscles, arteries and veins were taken from a brain-dead donor and attached to the patient's lower face.
Doctors stress the woman will not look like her donor, but nor will she look like she did before the attack - instead she will have a 'hybrid' face."
28.11.05
The Observer | International | The leak that revealed Bush's deep obsession with al-Jazeera
The Observer | International | The leak that revealed Bush's deep obsession with al-Jazeera: "The US president planned to bomb the Qatar-based channel - that was the remarkable claim made in a top-secret memo. Why is the world's most powerful man so worried about a TV station? "
Former Canadian Minister Of Defence Asks Canadian Parliament Asked To Hold Hearings On Relations With Alien "Et" Civilizations - Yahoo! News
: "On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada’s Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head."
Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."
Hellyer revealed, "The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied minister of defence, were never in-the-loop."
Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."
Hellyer’s speech ended with a standing ovation. He said, "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today.""
Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."
Hellyer revealed, "The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied minister of defence, were never in-the-loop."
Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."
Hellyer’s speech ended with a standing ovation. He said, "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today.""
22.11.05
CNN.com - 'Ugly dog' Sam dies at 14 - Nov 22, 2005
CNN.com - 'Ugly dog' Sam dies at 14 - Nov 22, 2005: "SANTA BARBARA, California (AP) -- Sam, the dog whose ugliness earned him TV appearances, limousine rides and even a meeting with millionaire Donald Trump, has died, the Santa Barbara News-Press reported Tuesday."
Telegraph | News | Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109
Telegraph | News | Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109: "
Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109
By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent
(Filed: 22/11/2005)
The last veteran of the Christmas truce during the First World War died in his sleep yesterday, aged 109.
Alfred Anderson, who was born in 1896, was 18 on December 25, 1914, when British and German troops climbed out of their trenches and crossed no-man's land to shake hands, sing carols and share cigarettes.
The soldiers famously played football together, kicking around empty bully-beef cans and using steel helmets as goal posts. The unauthorised truce spread across much of the 500-mile Western Front, where more than a million soldiers were encamped.
Recalling the truce last year, Mr Anderson said: 'All I'd heard for two months in the trenches was the hissing, cracking and whining of bullets in flight, machinegun fire and distant German voices.
'But there was a dead silence that morning, right across the land as far as you could see. We shouted 'Merry Christmas', even though nobody felt merry.
'The silence ended early in the afternoon and the killing started again. It was a short peace in a terrible war.'"
Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109
By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent
(Filed: 22/11/2005)
The last veteran of the Christmas truce during the First World War died in his sleep yesterday, aged 109.
Alfred Anderson, who was born in 1896, was 18 on December 25, 1914, when British and German troops climbed out of their trenches and crossed no-man's land to shake hands, sing carols and share cigarettes.
The soldiers famously played football together, kicking around empty bully-beef cans and using steel helmets as goal posts. The unauthorised truce spread across much of the 500-mile Western Front, where more than a million soldiers were encamped.
Recalling the truce last year, Mr Anderson said: 'All I'd heard for two months in the trenches was the hissing, cracking and whining of bullets in flight, machinegun fire and distant German voices.
'But there was a dead silence that morning, right across the land as far as you could see. We shouted 'Merry Christmas', even though nobody felt merry.
'The silence ended early in the afternoon and the killing started again. It was a short peace in a terrible war.'"
2.11.05
Denver Voters OK Marijuana Possession - Yahoo! News
Denver Voters OK Marijuana Possession - Yahoo! News: "DENVER - Residents of the Mile High City have voted to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults. Authorities, though, said state possession laws will be applied instead.
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With 100 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday, 54 percent, or 56,001 voters, cast ballots for the ordinance, while 46 percent, or 48,632 voters, voted against it.
Under the measure, residents over 21 years old could possess up to an ounce of marijuana."
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With 100 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday, 54 percent, or 56,001 voters, cast ballots for the ordinance, while 46 percent, or 48,632 voters, voted against it.
Under the measure, residents over 21 years old could possess up to an ounce of marijuana."
Telegraph | News | Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops
Telegraph | News | Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops: "Millions of Iraqis believe that suicide attacks against British troops are justified, a secret military poll commissioned by senior officers has revealed.
The poll, undertaken for the Ministry of Defence and seen by The Sunday Telegraph, shows that up to 65 per cent of Iraqi citizens support attacks and fewer than one per cent think Allied military involvement is helping to improve security in their country.
It demonstrates for the first time the true strength of anti-Western feeling in Iraq after more than two and a half years of bloody occupation.
The nationwide survey also suggests that the coalition has lost the battle to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, which Tony Blair and George W Bush believed was fundamental to creating a safe and secure country."
The poll, undertaken for the Ministry of Defence and seen by The Sunday Telegraph, shows that up to 65 per cent of Iraqi citizens support attacks and fewer than one per cent think Allied military involvement is helping to improve security in their country.
It demonstrates for the first time the true strength of anti-Western feeling in Iraq after more than two and a half years of bloody occupation.
The nationwide survey also suggests that the coalition has lost the battle to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, which Tony Blair and George W Bush believed was fundamental to creating a safe and secure country."
Telegraph | News | Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops
: "The survey was conducted by an Iraqi university research team that, for security reasons, was not told the data it compiled would be used by coalition forces. It reveals:
• Forty-five per cent of Iraqis believe attacks against British and American troops are justified - rising to 65 per cent in the British-controlled Maysan province;
• 82 per cent are "strongly opposed" to the presence of coalition troops;
• less than one per cent of the population believes coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security;
• 67 per cent of Iraqis feel less secure because of the occupation;
• 43 per cent of Iraqis believe conditions for peace and stability have worsened;
• 72 per cent do not have confidence in the multi-national forces.
The opinion poll, carried out in August, also debunks claims by both the US and British governments that the general well-being of the average Iraqi is improving in post-Saddam Iraq."
• Forty-five per cent of Iraqis believe attacks against British and American troops are justified - rising to 65 per cent in the British-controlled Maysan province;
• 82 per cent are "strongly opposed" to the presence of coalition troops;
• less than one per cent of the population believes coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security;
• 67 per cent of Iraqis feel less secure because of the occupation;
• 43 per cent of Iraqis believe conditions for peace and stability have worsened;
• 72 per cent do not have confidence in the multi-national forces.
The opinion poll, carried out in August, also debunks claims by both the US and British governments that the general well-being of the average Iraqi is improving in post-Saddam Iraq."
1.11.05
CNN.com - Democrats force Senate into unusual closed session - Nov 1, 2005
CNN.com - Democrats force Senate into unusual closed session - Nov 1, 2005: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that led to the Iraq war and deriding a lack of congressional inquiry."
31.10.05
Tiny Vegas home sits at center of housing craze - Real Estate - MSNBC.com
: "LAS VEGAS - Its front windows wish you “Feliz Navidad” in paint that won’t wash off. The landscaping consists of four shriveling cacti and a patio piled with empty cat food boxes. Inside, it’s 700 square feet of confirmed bachelor’s clutter.
And it can all be yours for $1.2 million — cash.
There’s perhaps no better evidence of the condo fever raging through Las Vegas’ real estate market than the asking price on Manuel Corchuelo’s home. Once considered deadlocked in the wasteland where the Las Vegas Strip fizzled into a decaying downtown, the World War II-era home is now happily nestled in the shadows of billions of dollars of new and proposed high-rise condominium projects."
And it can all be yours for $1.2 million — cash.
There’s perhaps no better evidence of the condo fever raging through Las Vegas’ real estate market than the asking price on Manuel Corchuelo’s home. Once considered deadlocked in the wasteland where the Las Vegas Strip fizzled into a decaying downtown, the World War II-era home is now happily nestled in the shadows of billions of dollars of new and proposed high-rise condominium projects."
riverfronttimes.com | News & Features | Feature | Hell of a House | 2005-10-26
riverfronttimes.com | News & Features | Feature | Hell of a House | 2005-10-26: "For the residents of this tidy, tree-lined Bel-Nor neighborhood, the haunting story that surrounds the home at 8435 Roanoke Drive may be their worst-kept secret.
'Oh yeah, that's the house,' confirms neighbor Cris Coy when asked if he's aware of the occult history of the two-story brick colonial next door.
'That's what they say,' acknowledges Jean Kustura, a 72-year-old widow who for twenty years has kept watch over the north St. Louis County neighborhood from her bungalow on the other side of the infamous house. 'But all of that happened back in the 1940s. I'm told the victim is still alive. He won't talk about it.'
Other neighbors, including the couple across the street and several families living on adjacent blocks, are also quick to share the mysterious story of the house. Indeed, it seems the only people who aren't eager to recount the sordid tale are the home's current owner, Gary Stafford, and the real-estate agent trying to sell the house.
'I don't want to talk about it,' bristles realtor Patrick McLaughlin before quickly hanging up the phone. 'It's not going to help me sell the home.'
Stafford, a real-estate investor who has never lived in the three-bedroom house, says he became aware of the 'rumors' only after he purchased it out of bankruptcy this summer. The last person to occupy the residence, a man named Elvis Fantroy, left the building in June and hasn't been heard from since.
'I don't think publicizing it is a good thing,' says Stafford, who's asking $169,900 for the sturdy 63-year-old domicile that has been on the market more than two months. 'It's certainly not something we'd need to disclose to the future buyer -- that, some 50 years ago, a boy who stayed in the house may or may not have been possessed.'
'Besides,' adds Stafford, attempting to further distance his investment from the events purported to have occurred there, 'the exorcism didn't happen there. It happened at [Saint Louis University].'
But the fact remains that the real-life story behind author William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel The Exorcist had its origins in St. Louis.
Legend tells of an ill thirteen-year-old boy who, in the late winter of 1949, traveled to St. Louis from suburban Washington, D.C. Convinced the child was possessed by the Devil, Jesuit priests from Saint Louis University performed a grueling month-long exorcism on the boy, at last freeing the teen from Satan's grasp in the psych ward at Alexian Brothers Hospital.
Whether the child was actually possessed is still a matter of debate, but the fact that priests did perform the archaic ritual of the exorcism is not."
'Oh yeah, that's the house,' confirms neighbor Cris Coy when asked if he's aware of the occult history of the two-story brick colonial next door.
'That's what they say,' acknowledges Jean Kustura, a 72-year-old widow who for twenty years has kept watch over the north St. Louis County neighborhood from her bungalow on the other side of the infamous house. 'But all of that happened back in the 1940s. I'm told the victim is still alive. He won't talk about it.'
Other neighbors, including the couple across the street and several families living on adjacent blocks, are also quick to share the mysterious story of the house. Indeed, it seems the only people who aren't eager to recount the sordid tale are the home's current owner, Gary Stafford, and the real-estate agent trying to sell the house.
'I don't want to talk about it,' bristles realtor Patrick McLaughlin before quickly hanging up the phone. 'It's not going to help me sell the home.'
Stafford, a real-estate investor who has never lived in the three-bedroom house, says he became aware of the 'rumors' only after he purchased it out of bankruptcy this summer. The last person to occupy the residence, a man named Elvis Fantroy, left the building in June and hasn't been heard from since.
'I don't think publicizing it is a good thing,' says Stafford, who's asking $169,900 for the sturdy 63-year-old domicile that has been on the market more than two months. 'It's certainly not something we'd need to disclose to the future buyer -- that, some 50 years ago, a boy who stayed in the house may or may not have been possessed.'
'Besides,' adds Stafford, attempting to further distance his investment from the events purported to have occurred there, 'the exorcism didn't happen there. It happened at [Saint Louis University].'
But the fact remains that the real-life story behind author William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel The Exorcist had its origins in St. Louis.
Legend tells of an ill thirteen-year-old boy who, in the late winter of 1949, traveled to St. Louis from suburban Washington, D.C. Convinced the child was possessed by the Devil, Jesuit priests from Saint Louis University performed a grueling month-long exorcism on the boy, at last freeing the teen from Satan's grasp in the psych ward at Alexian Brothers Hospital.
Whether the child was actually possessed is still a matter of debate, but the fact that priests did perform the archaic ritual of the exorcism is not."
Guardian Unlimited | Life | One side can be wrong
Guardian Unlimited | Life | One side can be wrong: "Accepting 'intelligent design' in science classrooms would have disastrous consequences, warn Richard Dawkins and Jerry Coyne "
30.10.05
Independent Online Edition > Middle East
Independent Online Edition > Middle East: "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defied worldwide outrage at his call for the destruction of Israel, by joining a demonstration in Tehran and restating his desire to see Israel 'wiped from the map'.
The populist firebrand sparked a crisis in Iran's foreign relations on Tuesday when he told a Tehran conference that Israel should be 'wiped out' in a new wave of Palestinian attacks.
Yesterday, he was on the streets of the capital with demonstrators waving placards calling for the 'death of America'. He said: 'My words are the Iranian nation's words. Westerners are free to comment but their reactions are invalid.'
The diplomatic storm comes at a dangerous time for Iran, with the US pushing for Tehran to be taken to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme."
The populist firebrand sparked a crisis in Iran's foreign relations on Tuesday when he told a Tehran conference that Israel should be 'wiped out' in a new wave of Palestinian attacks.
Yesterday, he was on the streets of the capital with demonstrators waving placards calling for the 'death of America'. He said: 'My words are the Iranian nation's words. Westerners are free to comment but their reactions are invalid.'
The diplomatic storm comes at a dangerous time for Iran, with the US pushing for Tehran to be taken to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme."
The Free Press -- Independent News Media - Election 2004
The Free Press -- Independent News Media - Election 2004: "the GAO report now confirms that electronic voting machines as deployed in 2004 were in fact perfectly engineered to allow a very small number of partisans with minimal computer skills and equipment to shift enough votes to put George W. Bush back in the White House.
Given the growing body of evidence, it appears increasingly clear that's exactly what happened. "
Given the growing body of evidence, it appears increasingly clear that's exactly what happened. "
28.10.05
BBC NEWS | Business | Exxon in biggest ever US profits
BBC NEWS | Business | Exxon in biggest ever US profits: "US oil giant Exxon Mobil has posted a quarterly profit of $9.9bn (�5.55bn), the largest in US corporate history, on the back of record oil and gas prices.
Profit was up 75% and revenue rose 32% to more than $100bn."
Profit was up 75% and revenue rose 32% to more than $100bn."
Pot not a major cancer risk: report - Yahoo! News
Pot not a major cancer risk: report - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although both marijuana and tobacco smoke are packed with cancer-causing chemicals, other qualities of marijuana seem to keep it from promoting lung cancer, according to a new report."
UNJOURNALED: Pyramid found - in the heart of Bosnia!!
UNJOURNALED: Pyramid found - in the heart of Bosnia!!: "Near the city of Visoko, 30 km north of Sarajevo, there is a stone pyramid of monumental size, claims the Bosnian archeologist Semir Osmanagić, who lives and works in the USA.
After several months of geological and archeological research, Mr. Osmanagić concluded that under the present hill of Visočica hides a stairs-like pyramid, about 12,000 years old. Osmanagić, who intensively researched on pyramids in Americas, Asia and Africa for the last 15 years and wrote several books on the subject, says he's quite sure he found the first pyramid in Europe, which is quite similar to ones in the Southern America.
He believes that the project would completely change Bosnia's significance in the world of archeology."
After several months of geological and archeological research, Mr. Osmanagić concluded that under the present hill of Visočica hides a stairs-like pyramid, about 12,000 years old. Osmanagić, who intensively researched on pyramids in Americas, Asia and Africa for the last 15 years and wrote several books on the subject, says he's quite sure he found the first pyramid in Europe, which is quite similar to ones in the Southern America.
He believes that the project would completely change Bosnia's significance in the world of archeology."
26.10.05
The Washington Note Archives
The Washington Note Archives: "Jeffrey Goldberg has written a critique in The New Yorker of the Bush White House that equals Ron Suskind's devastating critique of Bush before the last election titled 'Without a Doubt.'
In 'Breaking Ranks: What Turned Brent Scowcroft Against the Bush Administration?', Jeffrey Goldberg coaxes Brent Scowcroft to delineate his differences with the foreign policy proclivities of George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Cheney, and others.
And in the piece, George H.W. Bush is interviewed about Scowcroft -- and while Bush 41's comments are more elliptical, he stands clearly by Scowcroft's side in clear criticism of the decisions his son made."
In 'Breaking Ranks: What Turned Brent Scowcroft Against the Bush Administration?', Jeffrey Goldberg coaxes Brent Scowcroft to delineate his differences with the foreign policy proclivities of George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Cheney, and others.
And in the piece, George H.W. Bush is interviewed about Scowcroft -- and while Bush 41's comments are more elliptical, he stands clearly by Scowcroft's side in clear criticism of the decisions his son made."
Entertainment - canada.com network
Entertainment - canada.com network: "Her latest novel, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, is narrated by Christ himself as a boy of 7. The bestselling author of 26 books is already planning three sequels for her new character, although she said they may not be well received by her dedicated fans."
A (True) Conservative Case for Exiting Iraq
A (True) Conservative Case for Exiting Iraq: "In a remarkable October 7 speech delivered on the House floor, Representative Ron Paul, a maverick Republican from Texas who has long been critical of Bush's misguided approach to fighting terrorism, invoked Reagan's legacy as part of a call for withdrawal.
Supporters of the war in Iraq, as well as some non-supporters, warn of the dangers if we leave. But isn't it quite possible that these dangers are simply a consequence of having gone into Iraq in the first place, rather than a consequence of leaving? Isn't it possible that staying only makes the situation worse? If chaos results after our departure, it's because we occupied Iraq, not because we left."
Supporters of the war in Iraq, as well as some non-supporters, warn of the dangers if we leave. But isn't it quite possible that these dangers are simply a consequence of having gone into Iraq in the first place, rather than a consequence of leaving? Isn't it possible that staying only makes the situation worse? If chaos results after our departure, it's because we occupied Iraq, not because we left."
Majority of Americans now feel Iraq war was wrong: poll - Yahoo! News
Majority of Americans now feel Iraq war was wrong: poll - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (AFP) - For the first time, a majority of Americans believe the
Iraq war was the 'wrong thing to do', according to a poll published in The Wall Street Journal.
Fifty-three percent of those asked in the Harris Interactive survey felt that 'taking military action against Iraq was the... wrong thing to do', against 34 percent who thought it was correct, the newspaper said.
The percentage of people opposing the US-led invasion of the country in March 2003 was up from a figure of 49 percent in a parallel poll in September, rising above 50 percent for the first time since the surveys began.
A year before, in September 2004, both sides were even at 43 percent."
Iraq war was the 'wrong thing to do', according to a poll published in The Wall Street Journal.
Fifty-three percent of those asked in the Harris Interactive survey felt that 'taking military action against Iraq was the... wrong thing to do', against 34 percent who thought it was correct, the newspaper said.
The percentage of people opposing the US-led invasion of the country in March 2003 was up from a figure of 49 percent in a parallel poll in September, rising above 50 percent for the first time since the surveys began.
A year before, in September 2004, both sides were even at 43 percent."
25.10.05
Savant for a Day
Savant for a Day: "In a concrete basement at the University of Sydney, I sat in a chair waiting to have my brain altered by an electromagnetic pulse. My forehead was connected, by a series of electrodes, to a machine that looked something like an old-fashioned beauty-salon hair dryer and was sunnily described to me as a ''Danish-made transcranial magnetic stimulator.'' This was not just any old Danish-made transcranial magnetic stimulator, however; this was the Medtronic Mag Pro, and it was being operated by Allan Snyder, one of the world's most remarkable scientists of human cognition.
Nonetheless, the anticipation of electricity being beamed into my frontal lobes (and the consent form I had just signed) made me a bit nervous. Snyder found that amusing. ''Oh, relax now!'' he said in the thick local accent he has acquired since moving here from America. ''I've done it on myself a hundred times. This is Australia. Legally, it's far more difficult to damage people in Australia than it is in the United States.''
''Damage?'' I groaned.
''You're not going to be damaged,'' he said. ''You're going to be enhanced.''
The Medtronic was originally developed as a tool for brain surgery: by stimulating or slowing down specific regions of the brain, it allowed doctors to monitor the effects of surgery in real time. But it also produced, they noted, strange and unexpected effects on patients' mental functions: one minute they would lose the ability to speak, another minute they would speak easily but would make odd linguistic errors and so on. A number of researchers started to look into the possibilities, but one in particular intrigued Snyder: that people undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, could suddenly exhibit savant intelligence -- those isolated pockets of geniuslike mental ability that most often appear in autistic people.
Snyder is an impish presence, the very opposite of a venerable professor, let alone an internationally acclaimed scientist. There is a whiff of Woody Allen about him. Did I really want him, I couldn't help thinking, rewiring my hard drive? ''We're not changing your brain physically,'' he assured me. ''You'll only experience differences in your thought processes while you're actually on the machine.'' His assistant made a few final adjustments to the electrodes, and then, as everyone stood back, Snyder flicked the switch.
A series of electromagnetic pulses were being directed into my frontal lobes, but I felt nothing. Snyder instructed me to draw something. ''What would you like to draw?'' he said merrily. ''A cat? You like drawing cats? Cats it is.''
I've seen a million cats in my life, so when I close my eyes, I have no trouble picturing them. But what does a cat really look like, and how do you put it down on paper? I gave it a try but came up with some sort of stick figure, perhaps an insect.
While I drew, Snyder continued his lecture. ''You could call this a creativity-amplifying machine. It's a way of altering our states of mind without taking drugs like mescaline. You can make people see the raw data of the world as it is. As it is actually represented in the unconscious mind of all of us.''
Two minutes after I started the first drawing, I was instructed to try again. After another two minutes, I tried a third cat, and then in due course a fourth. Then the experiment was over, and the electrodes were removed. I looked down at my work. The first felines were boxy and stiffly unconvincing. But after I had been subjected to about 10 minutes of transcranial magnetic stimulation, their tails had grown more vibrant, more nervous; their faces were personable and convincing. They were even beginning to wear clever expressions.
I could hardly recognize them as my own drawings, though I had watched myself render each one, in all its loving detail. Somehow over the course of a very few minutes, and with no additional instruction, I had gone from an incompetent draftsman to a very impressive artist of the feline form.
Snyder looked over my shoulder. ''Well, how about that? Leonardo would be envious.'' Or turning in his grave, I thought."
Nonetheless, the anticipation of electricity being beamed into my frontal lobes (and the consent form I had just signed) made me a bit nervous. Snyder found that amusing. ''Oh, relax now!'' he said in the thick local accent he has acquired since moving here from America. ''I've done it on myself a hundred times. This is Australia. Legally, it's far more difficult to damage people in Australia than it is in the United States.''
''Damage?'' I groaned.
''You're not going to be damaged,'' he said. ''You're going to be enhanced.''
The Medtronic was originally developed as a tool for brain surgery: by stimulating or slowing down specific regions of the brain, it allowed doctors to monitor the effects of surgery in real time. But it also produced, they noted, strange and unexpected effects on patients' mental functions: one minute they would lose the ability to speak, another minute they would speak easily but would make odd linguistic errors and so on. A number of researchers started to look into the possibilities, but one in particular intrigued Snyder: that people undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, could suddenly exhibit savant intelligence -- those isolated pockets of geniuslike mental ability that most often appear in autistic people.
Snyder is an impish presence, the very opposite of a venerable professor, let alone an internationally acclaimed scientist. There is a whiff of Woody Allen about him. Did I really want him, I couldn't help thinking, rewiring my hard drive? ''We're not changing your brain physically,'' he assured me. ''You'll only experience differences in your thought processes while you're actually on the machine.'' His assistant made a few final adjustments to the electrodes, and then, as everyone stood back, Snyder flicked the switch.
A series of electromagnetic pulses were being directed into my frontal lobes, but I felt nothing. Snyder instructed me to draw something. ''What would you like to draw?'' he said merrily. ''A cat? You like drawing cats? Cats it is.''
I've seen a million cats in my life, so when I close my eyes, I have no trouble picturing them. But what does a cat really look like, and how do you put it down on paper? I gave it a try but came up with some sort of stick figure, perhaps an insect.
While I drew, Snyder continued his lecture. ''You could call this a creativity-amplifying machine. It's a way of altering our states of mind without taking drugs like mescaline. You can make people see the raw data of the world as it is. As it is actually represented in the unconscious mind of all of us.''
Two minutes after I started the first drawing, I was instructed to try again. After another two minutes, I tried a third cat, and then in due course a fourth. Then the experiment was over, and the electrodes were removed. I looked down at my work. The first felines were boxy and stiffly unconvincing. But after I had been subjected to about 10 minutes of transcranial magnetic stimulation, their tails had grown more vibrant, more nervous; their faces were personable and convincing. They were even beginning to wear clever expressions.
I could hardly recognize them as my own drawings, though I had watched myself render each one, in all its loving detail. Somehow over the course of a very few minutes, and with no additional instruction, I had gone from an incompetent draftsman to a very impressive artist of the feline form.
Snyder looked over my shoulder. ''Well, how about that? Leonardo would be envious.'' Or turning in his grave, I thought."
CNN.com - U.S. military death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000 - Oct 25, 2005
CNN.com - U.S. military death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000 - Oct 25, 2005: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The war in Iraq saw two milestones Tuesday that reflect the country's path toward democracy and its human toll as officials said the referendum on a draft constitution passed and the number of U.S. military deaths reached 2,000."
Janet's 'secret' | Music | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (25-10-2005)
Janet's 'secret' | Music | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (25-10-2005): "A FRESH scandal is threatening to engulf the superstar Jackson clan with reports youngest sister Janet has a secret teenage daughter called Renee.
The singer's former brother-in-law, Young DeBarge, whose brother James was married to Jackson from 1984 to 1985, claims Renee now 18 was sent away to live with the star's eldest sister Rebbie."
The singer's former brother-in-law, Young DeBarge, whose brother James was married to Jackson from 1984 to 1985, claims Renee now 18 was sent away to live with the star's eldest sister Rebbie."
Anne Rice Finds Christ, Moves From Vampires And The Occult To Writing “Only For the Lord”… | The Huffington Post
Anne Rice Finds Christ, Moves From Vampires And The Occult To Writing “Only For the Lord”… | The Huffington Post: "In two weeks, Anne Rice, the chronicler of vampires, witches and—under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure—of soft-core S&M encounters, will publish 'Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt,' a novel about the 7-year-old Jesus, narrated by Christ himself. 'I promised,' she says, 'that from now on I would write only for the Lord.' It's the most startling public turnaround since Bob Dylan's 'Slow Train Coming' announced that he'd been born again."
CNN.com - NYT: Notes expose discrepancy in testimony of Cheney's aide - Oct 25, 2005
CNN.com - NYT: Notes expose discrepancy in testimony of Cheney's aide - Oct 25, 2005: "NEW YORK (AP) -- Documents in the CIA leak investigation indicate the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney first heard of the covert CIA officer from Cheney himself, The New York Times reported in Tuesday editions.
The newspaper said notes of a previously undisclosed June 12, 2003, conversation between I. Lewis Libby and Cheney appear to differ from Libby's grand jury testimony that he first heard of Valerie Plame from journalists. The newspaper identified its sources as lawyers who are involved in the case."
The newspaper said notes of a previously undisclosed June 12, 2003, conversation between I. Lewis Libby and Cheney appear to differ from Libby's grand jury testimony that he first heard of Valerie Plame from journalists. The newspaper identified its sources as lawyers who are involved in the case."
Bringing a Little Sunshine into Our Lives
Bringing a Little Sunshine into Our Lives: "With hybrid cars making waves in the auto industry, hybrid solar lighting might be the next big splash – combining the benefits of sunlight with the consistency of traditional electric lighting.
Hybrid solar lighting (HSL) is different than traditional solar power, which converts sunlight into electricity. HSL captures sunlight and channels it directly into a room, using optical fibers."
Hybrid solar lighting (HSL) is different than traditional solar power, which converts sunlight into electricity. HSL captures sunlight and channels it directly into a room, using optical fibers."
New York Daily News - Home - Daily News Exclusive: Bushies feeling the boss' wrath
New York Daily News - Home - Daily News Exclusive: Bushies feeling the boss' wrath: "WASHINGTON - Facing the darkest days of his presidency, President Bush is frustrated, sometimes angry and even bitter, his associates say.
With a seemingly uncontrollable insurgency in Iraq, the White House is bracing for the political fallout from a grim milestone that could come any day: the combat death of the 2,000th American G.I."
With a seemingly uncontrollable insurgency in Iraq, the White House is bracing for the political fallout from a grim milestone that could come any day: the combat death of the 2,000th American G.I."
24.10.05
22.10.05
- toledoblade.com -
- toledoblade.com -: "AS I suspected six months ago, and U.S. military and Bush Administration civilian officials confirmed, U.S. forces have invaded Syria and engaged in combat with Syrian forces."
t r u t h o u t - Barry Lando | Saddam Hussein, a Biased Trial
t r u t h o u t - Barry Lando | Saddam Hussein, a Biased Trial: "On December 13, 2003, American troops pulled Saddam Hussein out of the narrow lair in which he was hiding. In an article written in the heat of the moment for Salon.com, I presumed that many important people around the world, rather than rejoicing to finally see the former Iraqi tyrant captured alive, would have preferred to see him dead. That would have supplied a clear and clean end to the story. There would have been no need for a trial."
321energy :: The Inevitable Peaking of World Oil Production
321energy :: The Inevitable Peaking of World Oil Production: "The era of plentiful, low-cost petroleum is approaching an end. The good news is that commercially viable mitigation options are ready for implementation. The bad news is that unless mitigation is orchestrated on a timely basis, the economic damage to the world economy will be dire and long-lasting.
Oil is the lifeblood of modern civilization. It fuels most transportation worldwide and is a feedstock for pharmaceuticals, agriculture, plastics and a myriad of other products used in everyday life. The earth has been generous in yielding copious quantities of oil to fuel world economic growth for over a century, but that period of plenty is changing."
Oil is the lifeblood of modern civilization. It fuels most transportation worldwide and is a feedstock for pharmaceuticals, agriculture, plastics and a myriad of other products used in everyday life. The earth has been generous in yielding copious quantities of oil to fuel world economic growth for over a century, but that period of plenty is changing."
BBC NEWS | UK | Avian flu found in parrot in UK
BBC NEWS | UK | Avian flu found in parrot in UK: "A parrot that died in quarantine in the UK has tested positive for avian flu, the government has said.
A highly pathogenic H5 strain of the disease has been found, but it is not known if it is the H5N1 variant which has killed at least 60 people in Asia.
Because the bird - imported from south America - was in quarantine, the UK's disease-free status is not affected."
A highly pathogenic H5 strain of the disease has been found, but it is not known if it is the H5N1 variant which has killed at least 60 people in Asia.
Because the bird - imported from south America - was in quarantine, the UK's disease-free status is not affected."
21.10.05
CNN.com - Chavez warns U.S. against invasion - Oct 20, 2005
CNN.com - Chavez warns U.S. against invasion - Oct 20, 2005: "PARIS, France (AP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that his government is preparing for a possible U.S. invasion, and he warned that such 'aggression' would send gasoline prices in the United States soaring."
Film rolls as troops burn dead - World - smh.com.au
Film rolls as troops burn dead - World - smh.com.au: "US soldiers in Afghanistan burnt the bodies of dead Taliban and taunted their opponents about the corpses, in an act deeply offensive to Muslims and in breach of the Geneva conventions.
An investigation by SBS's Dateline program, to be aired tonight, filmed the burning of the bodies.
It also filmed a US Army psychological operations unit broadcasting a message boasting of the burnt corpses into a village believed to be harbouring Taliban."
An investigation by SBS's Dateline program, to be aired tonight, filmed the burning of the bodies.
It also filmed a US Army psychological operations unit broadcasting a message boasting of the burnt corpses into a village believed to be harbouring Taliban."
20.10.05
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: A 30 000 MW Wind Farm in Canada?
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: A 30 000 MW Wind Farm in Canada?: "Gilbert Parent, recently retired from political life in Canada, has proposed building a 30 GW wind farm in the country's northern regions. That's roughly the current power generation capacity of Ontario (home to about 40% of Canada's population of 32 million)."
America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times
America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times: "STEM cells have for the first time been harvested from embryos without killing them, using a technique that could eventually provide children with a personal store of spare part tissue for treating diseases later in life. The successful experiment in the United States paves the way for scientists to create and “bank” master cells that are genetically identical to children before they are born. Should the child grow up to develop a disease such as diabetes or Parkinson’s, the cells could be used for therapy."
D'oh! Arabized Simpsons not getting many laughs
D'oh! Arabized Simpsons not getting many laughs: "DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- When an Arab satellite TV network, MBC, decided to introduce 'The Simpsons' to the Middle East, they knew the family would have to make some fundamental lifestyle changes."
CBS4 Boston - New England's Source For Breaking News, Weather, and Sports for Boston, Worcester, Cape Cod, Nashua, and More: World Wire
CBS4 Boston - New England's Source For Breaking News, Weather, and Sports for Boston, Worcester, Cape Cod, Nashua, and More: World Wire: "MADRID, Spain (AP) A judge has issued an international arrest warrant for three U.S. soldiers whose tank fired on a Baghdad hotel during the Iraq war, killing a Spanish journalist and one other, a court official said Wednesday.
Judge Santiago Pedraz issued the warrant for Sgt. Shawn Gibson, Capt. Philip Wolford and Lt. Col. Philip de Camp, all from the U.S. 3rd Infantry.
Jose Couso, who worked for the Spanish television network Telecinco, died April 8, 2003, after a U.S. army tank crew fired a shell on Hotel Palestine in Baghdad where several journalists were staying to cover the war.
Reuters cameraman Taras Portsyuk, a Ukrainian, also was killed.
The Spanish judge said he issued the arrest order because of a lack of judicial cooperation from the United States regarding the case."
Judge Santiago Pedraz issued the warrant for Sgt. Shawn Gibson, Capt. Philip Wolford and Lt. Col. Philip de Camp, all from the U.S. 3rd Infantry.
Jose Couso, who worked for the Spanish television network Telecinco, died April 8, 2003, after a U.S. army tank crew fired a shell on Hotel Palestine in Baghdad where several journalists were staying to cover the war.
Reuters cameraman Taras Portsyuk, a Ukrainian, also was killed.
The Spanish judge said he issued the arrest order because of a lack of judicial cooperation from the United States regarding the case."
Impearls
Impearls: "Nuclear power is the only green solution by James Lovelock
James Lovelock is an atmospheric chemist who has made a profound contribution to our understanding of how the atmospheres of living worlds betray their nature, is a Fellow of the British Royal Society of distinguished scientists, and along with American biologist Lynn Margulis originated the “Gaia Hypothesis.” Climate authority Kenneth Hare, writing in Encyclopedia Britannica, described the theory thusly: 1 “In effect the Earth is, in Lovelock's most recent restatement (1988), a living organism, with self-regulating processes (homeostasis) capable of ensuring the survival of a life-sustaining global climate.” Partly as a result of this conceptual leap forward, Locklock has attained the status of something of an environmentalist scientist hero in the minds of many people, including yours truly.
Now James Lovelock has written an important piece on nuclear power as a vital component in a campaign and strategy for ameliorating the probable growing impact of global warming during the coming century. Lovelock's article was originally published in the newspaper The Independent, on earthdate 2004-05-24 (May 24, 2004), but it is apparently no longer available online there. Now, with Dr. Lovelock's kind permission, Impearls reissues this first-rate essay. We'll let James Lovelock's own bold title speak for itself: 2 “Nuclear power is the only green solution: We have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilisation is in imminent danger”! "
James Lovelock is an atmospheric chemist who has made a profound contribution to our understanding of how the atmospheres of living worlds betray their nature, is a Fellow of the British Royal Society of distinguished scientists, and along with American biologist Lynn Margulis originated the “Gaia Hypothesis.” Climate authority Kenneth Hare, writing in Encyclopedia Britannica, described the theory thusly: 1 “In effect the Earth is, in Lovelock's most recent restatement (1988), a living organism, with self-regulating processes (homeostasis) capable of ensuring the survival of a life-sustaining global climate.” Partly as a result of this conceptual leap forward, Locklock has attained the status of something of an environmentalist scientist hero in the minds of many people, including yours truly.
Now James Lovelock has written an important piece on nuclear power as a vital component in a campaign and strategy for ameliorating the probable growing impact of global warming during the coming century. Lovelock's article was originally published in the newspaper The Independent, on earthdate 2004-05-24 (May 24, 2004), but it is apparently no longer available online there. Now, with Dr. Lovelock's kind permission, Impearls reissues this first-rate essay. We'll let James Lovelock's own bold title speak for itself: 2 “Nuclear power is the only green solution: We have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilisation is in imminent danger”! "
15.10.05
Chinese 4x4 gets zero in safety test - News - Times Online
: "The first Chinese car to be sold in Europe has scored zero — the worst-ever score — in safety tests."
14.10.05
Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com
Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com: "BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Four years ago, Etienne Verhees broke two vertebrae falling off a ladder, after which doctors put a metal plate in his neck to help heal the wound.
This week, the Belgian coughed up one of four screws used to hold the plate in place."
This week, the Belgian coughed up one of four screws used to hold the plate in place."
The Globe and Mail: Study turns pot wisdom on head
: "Calgary — Forget the stereotype about dopey potheads. It seems marijuana could be good for your brain.
While other studies have shown that periodic use of marijuana can cause memory loss and impair learning and a host of other health problems down the road, new research suggests the drug could have some benefits when administered regularly in a highly potent form.
Most "drugs of abuse" such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine suppress growth of new brain cells. However, researchers found that cannabinoids promoted generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampuses.
Hippocampuses are the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory, and the study held true for either plant-derived or the synthetic version of cannabinoids.
"This is quite a surprise," said Xia Zhang, an associate professor with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon."
While other studies have shown that periodic use of marijuana can cause memory loss and impair learning and a host of other health problems down the road, new research suggests the drug could have some benefits when administered regularly in a highly potent form.
Most "drugs of abuse" such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine suppress growth of new brain cells. However, researchers found that cannabinoids promoted generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampuses.
Hippocampuses are the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory, and the study held true for either plant-derived or the synthetic version of cannabinoids.
"This is quite a surprise," said Xia Zhang, an associate professor with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon."
Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | EU says internet could fall apart
Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | EU says internet could fall apart: "A battle has erupted over who governs the internet, with America demanding to maintain a key role in the network it helped create and other countries demanding more control.
The European commission is warning that if a deal cannot be reached at a meeting in Tunisia next month the internet will split apart."
The European commission is warning that if a deal cannot be reached at a meeting in Tunisia next month the internet will split apart."
BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey bird flu is deadly strain
BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey bird flu is deadly strain: "EU states have been urged to stockpile anti-viral drugs after confirmation that the bird flu virus found in Turkey is the H5N1 strain dangerous to humans."
12.10.05
Microsoft, Yahoo to Link IM Networks
Microsoft, Yahoo to Link IM Networks: "Microsoft and Yahoo are set to announce on Wednesday a blockbuster interoperability deal that will reshape the landscape of the fragmented instant messaging market.
The companies will connect their IM networks so users on each can communicate with one another using text and voice chat free of charge."
The companies will connect their IM networks so users on each can communicate with one another using text and voice chat free of charge."
11.10.05
TorontoSun.com - Peter Worthington - Bush's judge riles right
TorontoSun.com - Peter Worthington - Bush's judge riles right: "President George Bush seems to have achieved the unthinkable -- he's alienated the conservative 'right' in a way not even Democrats anticipated.
By nominating his Texan friend and White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to the U.S. Supreme Court (replacing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who is retiring) he's outraged some of his most steady and loyal media allies -- the likes of George Will, Rush Limbaugh, Robert Novak, Laura Ingraham, Bill Bennett, Bill Kristol, Pat and Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, John Fund, Michelle Malkin and, of course, that nice David Frum."
By nominating his Texan friend and White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to the U.S. Supreme Court (replacing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who is retiring) he's outraged some of his most steady and loyal media allies -- the likes of George Will, Rush Limbaugh, Robert Novak, Laura Ingraham, Bill Bennett, Bill Kristol, Pat and Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, John Fund, Michelle Malkin and, of course, that nice David Frum."
Schwarzenegger signs video game bill | CNET News.com
Schwarzenegger signs video game bill | CNET News.com: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Friday to outlaw the sale to teenagers of electronic games featuring reckless mayhem and explicit sexuality."
New Scientist Technology - Shock tactics to destroy torpedoes
New Scientist Technology - Shock tactics to destroy torpedoes: "THE US navy wants to protect its warships with a system that will destroy incoming torpedoes by firing massive underwater shock waves at them.
The ships would be equipped with arrays of 360 transducers each 1 metre square - effectively big flat-panel loudspeakers - running along either side of the hull below the waterline. When the ship's sonar detects an incoming torpedo, the transducers simultaneously fire an acoustic shock wave of such intensity that the torpedo either detonates early or is disabled by the pulse's crushing force."
The ships would be equipped with arrays of 360 transducers each 1 metre square - effectively big flat-panel loudspeakers - running along either side of the hull below the waterline. When the ship's sonar detects an incoming torpedo, the transducers simultaneously fire an acoustic shock wave of such intensity that the torpedo either detonates early or is disabled by the pulse's crushing force."
Mob boss ordered JFK hit, book says
Mob boss ordered JFK hit, book says: "'Mafia Princess' Antoinette Giancana, daughter of the late Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana, claims in a new book that her father ordered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
If true, this would make Sam Giancana guilty of one of history's worst crimes. But that doesn't trouble Antoinette Giancana.
'The Kennedys were not kind to my father,' she said. 'They were just as evil and corrupt as any mafioso.'"
If true, this would make Sam Giancana guilty of one of history's worst crimes. But that doesn't trouble Antoinette Giancana.
'The Kennedys were not kind to my father,' she said. 'They were just as evil and corrupt as any mafioso.'"
10.10.05
World's oldest party girl - The Other Side - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au
World's oldest party girl - The Other Side - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au: "SOON to turn 175 years of age, Harriet the Galapagos tortoise - possibly the world's oldest living creature - is finally getting the recognition she surely deserves."
GIGWISE.com | Relationship Advice From Gene Simmons
GIGWISE.com | Relationship Advice From Gene Simmons: "Veteran Kiss rocker, Gene Simmons, is offering some pearls of wisdom on how to copulate with numerous ladies and remain happy in a long-term relationship. The key is – get involved with someone that doesn’t mind you bedding birds left, right and centre. And maybe even from behind.
Simmons, who claims to have sex with about four and a half thousand women has been with his girlfriend Shannon Tweed for 22 years and thanks his lucky stars that the pair never got married: “I have been happily unmarried for 22 years and we have two great kids but neither of us has dominion. Loving and caring about someone does not mean they have the right to own you. She will mount the milkman if she wants, so relax, why torture each other?”
“I’m the only one I know who has never been divorced. The biggest cause of divorce is marriage.”
Simmons also claims he has never had a complaint from any of the women he has slept with, because of his total honesty. He is quoted on femalefirst.com as saying: “I have not heard a complaint. That’s because I am straight with them. I don’t lie, like most men do. I will tell a girl I want and desire her, but I’ll tell her straight, “I want your sister and your mommy as well.”
Tempting, Gene, very tempting…"
Simmons, who claims to have sex with about four and a half thousand women has been with his girlfriend Shannon Tweed for 22 years and thanks his lucky stars that the pair never got married: “I have been happily unmarried for 22 years and we have two great kids but neither of us has dominion. Loving and caring about someone does not mean they have the right to own you. She will mount the milkman if she wants, so relax, why torture each other?”
“I’m the only one I know who has never been divorced. The biggest cause of divorce is marriage.”
Simmons also claims he has never had a complaint from any of the women he has slept with, because of his total honesty. He is quoted on femalefirst.com as saying: “I have not heard a complaint. That’s because I am straight with them. I don’t lie, like most men do. I will tell a girl I want and desire her, but I’ll tell her straight, “I want your sister and your mommy as well.”
Tempting, Gene, very tempting…"
,0263 FBI May Relax Rules on Marijuana Use From Asap
,0263 FBI May Relax Rules on Marijuana Use From Asap: "WASHINGTON (AP) - Just Say No is still the doctrine, but the FBI may decide it's OK that some applicants didn't heed Nancy Reagan's advice once or twice in college.
Senior FBI managers have been deeply frustrated that they could not hire applicants who acknowledged occasional marijuana use in college, but in some cases already perform top-secret work at other government agencies.
Some officials want to ease limits about how often - and how many years ago - applicants for jobs such as intelligence analysts, linguists, computer specialists, accountants and others had used illegal drugs.
FBI Director Robert Mueller will make the final decision. 'We can't say when or if this is going to happen, but we are exploring the possibility,' spokesman Stephen Kodak said"
Senior FBI managers have been deeply frustrated that they could not hire applicants who acknowledged occasional marijuana use in college, but in some cases already perform top-secret work at other government agencies.
Some officials want to ease limits about how often - and how many years ago - applicants for jobs such as intelligence analysts, linguists, computer specialists, accountants and others had used illegal drugs.
FBI Director Robert Mueller will make the final decision. 'We can't say when or if this is going to happen, but we are exploring the possibility,' spokesman Stephen Kodak said"
Telegraph | News | Bush will veto anti-torture law after Senate revolt
Telegraph | News | Bush will veto anti-torture law after Senate revolt: "The Bush administration pledged yesterday to veto legislation banning the torture of prisoners by US troops after an overwhelming and almost unprecedented revolt by loyalist congressmen.
The mutiny was the latest setback for an administration facing an increasingly independent and bloody-minded legislature. But it also marked a key moment in Congress's campaign to curtail the huge powers it has granted the White House since 2001 in its war against terrorism."
The mutiny was the latest setback for an administration facing an increasingly independent and bloody-minded legislature. But it also marked a key moment in Congress's campaign to curtail the huge powers it has granted the White House since 2001 in its war against terrorism."
9.10.05
News | canada.com network
After all, Americans are brash, arrogant and aggressive. We Canadians, on the other hand, are polite, modest and somewhat introverted.
We're as different from our neighbours to the south as, well, beavers are from bald eagles.
Aren't we?
Not according to a study of national personalities, which found that this time-honoured perception of our oh-so-unique Canadian psyche -- and other cultures' stereotypes of themselves -- are in fact just so much hooey.
"These stereotypes are as Canadians see themselves and Americans as they see themselves," said Robert McCrae of the U.S. National Institute on Aging, a principal investigator of the study on national personalities around the world.
"Canadians think they're extremely agreeable; the Americans think they're very disagreeable," he said. "Canadians believe that they're very calm and not irritable, very even-tempered, whereas Americans think they're more anxious and hostile.
"The fact is Canadians and Americans have almost identical average personality traits."
In a measure of five main areas of personality, covering a total of 30 traits, Canadians and their U.S. cousins fell roughly in the middle. Not only that, but they weren't all that different from other cultures around the globe, researchers found.">
8.10.05
CBC News: Catholic Church to open its doors to gay priests
CBC News: Catholic Church to open its doors to gay priests: "A Vatican document expected to be made public soon says the Church will allow gay men who have lived chastely for three years to be candidates for the priesthood.
The document, which has been in the works for three years will update Vatican policy which up until now made clear that homosexuals should be barred from the priesthood.
A senior official with the Vatican, who requested anonymity because the document has not yet been released said the new policy will permit candidates who have lived a chaste life for at least three years before their admission to the seminary."
The document, which has been in the works for three years will update Vatican policy which up until now made clear that homosexuals should be barred from the priesthood.
A senior official with the Vatican, who requested anonymity because the document has not yet been released said the new policy will permit candidates who have lived a chaste life for at least three years before their admission to the seminary."
Psychic seeks $25 million reward for Saddam - Yahoo! News
Psychic seeks $25 million reward for Saddam - Yahoo! News: "RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian court will consider a psychic's claim that the U.S. government owes him a $25 million reward for information he says he provided on the hiding place of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Brazil's second-highest court, the Superior Court of Justice, decided Thursday the Brazilian justice system could rule on the matter and told a court in the psychic's home state of Minas Gerais to judge the case.
The lower court had earlier told Jucelino Nobrega da Luz it could not take up his claim and it would have to be judged in the United States, but the higher tribunal ruled otherwise.
'The Minas Gerais court will work with the claim,' said a spokesman for the Superior Court of Justice.
'Jucelino da Luz alleges that the U.S. armed forces only found Saddam based on his letters that provided his exact location, the very hole where he was hiding in
Iraq. So he filed a court case to claim the reward.'
The U.S. government offered the award for Saddam in July 2003 after the U.S.-led forces occupied the country. He was captured in December of the same year.
The court said Da Luz sent letters to the U.S. government from September 2001, describing Saddam's future hiding place -- a tiny cellar at a farmhouse near Tikrit. He never received a reply.
'His lawyers attest that the author has an uncommon gift of having visions of things that will come to pass. ... Via dreams, he sees situations, facts that will happen in the future,' a court statement said.
In case the court upholds the claim, it will be sent via diplomatic channels to the U.S. State Department."
Brazil's second-highest court, the Superior Court of Justice, decided Thursday the Brazilian justice system could rule on the matter and told a court in the psychic's home state of Minas Gerais to judge the case.
The lower court had earlier told Jucelino Nobrega da Luz it could not take up his claim and it would have to be judged in the United States, but the higher tribunal ruled otherwise.
'The Minas Gerais court will work with the claim,' said a spokesman for the Superior Court of Justice.
'Jucelino da Luz alleges that the U.S. armed forces only found Saddam based on his letters that provided his exact location, the very hole where he was hiding in
Iraq. So he filed a court case to claim the reward.'
The U.S. government offered the award for Saddam in July 2003 after the U.S.-led forces occupied the country. He was captured in December of the same year.
The court said Da Luz sent letters to the U.S. government from September 2001, describing Saddam's future hiding place -- a tiny cellar at a farmhouse near Tikrit. He never received a reply.
'His lawyers attest that the author has an uncommon gift of having visions of things that will come to pass. ... Via dreams, he sees situations, facts that will happen in the future,' a court statement said.
In case the court upholds the claim, it will be sent via diplomatic channels to the U.S. State Department."
SPIEGEL Surfs the Web: First Robot Fish on Display in London - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News
SPIEGEL Surfs the Web: First Robot Fish on Display in London - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News: "The world's first ever autonomously controlled fish made a splash at the London Aquarium this week. The three robotic fish, which are about the size of carp, use sensors to navigate round the place and can therefore avoid the other (real) fish they share a tank with."
7.10.05
Russia’s Oldest Practicing Surgeon Turns 101, Still Working - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM
Russia’s Oldest Practicing Surgeon Turns 101, Still Working - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM: "
World’s oldest practicing surgeon Fedor Uglov from St. Petersburg, Russia, has turned 101 and is not quitting his job yet, the Interfax news agency reports.
Fedor Uglov from the Russian Medical Science Academy has performed 6,500 surgeries in the 76 years of doing his job. He has published eight monographs and 600 articles.
“He is a doctor with a unique surgical technique, many of the world’s famous surgeons applauded his operations,” Uglov’s colleague from the Pavlov Medical University of St. Petersburg said.
Uglov, who the Guinness World Records Book calls the oldest working surgeon of the former Soviet territories, keeps teaching students, consulting patients, is active in social and research work."
World’s oldest practicing surgeon Fedor Uglov from St. Petersburg, Russia, has turned 101 and is not quitting his job yet, the Interfax news agency reports.
Fedor Uglov from the Russian Medical Science Academy has performed 6,500 surgeries in the 76 years of doing his job. He has published eight monographs and 600 articles.
“He is a doctor with a unique surgical technique, many of the world’s famous surgeons applauded his operations,” Uglov’s colleague from the Pavlov Medical University of St. Petersburg said.
Uglov, who the Guinness World Records Book calls the oldest working surgeon of the former Soviet territories, keeps teaching students, consulting patients, is active in social and research work."
BBC - Press Office - George Bush on Elusive Peace
: "President George W Bush told Palestinian ministers that God had told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq - and create a Palestinian State, a new BBC series reveals.
In Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, a major three-part series on BBC TWO (at 9.00pm on Monday 10, Monday 17 and Monday 24 October), Abu Mazen, Palestinian Prime Minister, and Nabil Shaath, his Foreign Minister, describe their first meeting with President Bush in June 2003.
Nabil Shaath says: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'"
Abu Mazen was at the same meeting and recounts how President Bush told him: "I have a moral and religious obligation. So I will get you a Palestinian state." "
In Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, a major three-part series on BBC TWO (at 9.00pm on Monday 10, Monday 17 and Monday 24 October), Abu Mazen, Palestinian Prime Minister, and Nabil Shaath, his Foreign Minister, describe their first meeting with President Bush in June 2003.
Nabil Shaath says: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'"
Abu Mazen was at the same meeting and recounts how President Bush told him: "I have a moral and religious obligation. So I will get you a Palestinian state." "
6.10.05
Wired 13.10: Building Your Own Air Force, One Mig at a Time
Wired 13.10: Building Your Own Air Force, One Mig at a Time: "A decade ago, only sovereign nations could afford to buy and maintain sophisticated, high-performance fighters. But Kirlin's unmarked hangars contain an air force more formidable than that of many countries. He has 30 jets in flying condition, 10 in line for maintenance, and dozens more to be delivered. His MiG-29 Fulcrums, designed in the late 1970s to go head-to-head with the hottest US planes, are the only privately owned Fulcrums in the world. Kirlin breaks into a big smile whenever he looks at them."
BBC NEWS | England | Tyne | 'Pot' plants stolen from castle
BBC NEWS | England | Tyne | 'Pot' plants stolen from castle: "Thieves have stolen cannabis plants in a raid at a specially-licensed poison garden at a top visitor attraction."
ABC News: Espionage Case Breaches the White House
ABC News: Espionage Case Breaches the White House: "Both the FBI and CIA are calling it the first case of espionage in the White House in modern history.
Officials tell ABC News the alleged spy worked undetected at the White House for almost three years. Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, was a U.S. Marine most recently assigned to the staff of Vice President Dick Cheney."
Officials tell ABC News the alleged spy worked undetected at the White House for almost three years. Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, was a U.S. Marine most recently assigned to the staff of Vice President Dick Cheney."
America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times
America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times: "THE film version of The Da Vinci Code is attempting to reduce the offence that the best-selling book caused to Roman Catholics.
Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film starring Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McKellen, is reported to have been so concerned that it has consulted Catholic and other Christian specialists on how it might alter the plot of the novel to avoid offending the devout.
Film officials have held talks with Catholic groups and other organisations despite Dan Brown, the author, insisting that “it’s only a novel and therefore a work of fiction”, The New York Times reported yesterday.
The Catholic League is calling for Ron Howard, the film’s Oscar-winning director, to include a disclaimer acknowledging that the movie is fiction."
Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film starring Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McKellen, is reported to have been so concerned that it has consulted Catholic and other Christian specialists on how it might alter the plot of the novel to avoid offending the devout.
Film officials have held talks with Catholic groups and other organisations despite Dan Brown, the author, insisting that “it’s only a novel and therefore a work of fiction”, The New York Times reported yesterday.
The Catholic League is calling for Ron Howard, the film’s Oscar-winning director, to include a disclaimer acknowledging that the movie is fiction."
Plea to Pope from 'God's banker' revealed as murder trial begins - World - Times Online
Plea to Pope from 'God's banker' revealed as murder trial begins - World - Times Online: "ROBERTO CALVI, the Mafia-linked financier known as “God’s banker”, made a desperate last appeal to Pope John Paul II to save him from financial ruin shortly before he was found hanging from scaffolding under Blackfriars Bridge nearly a quarter of a century ago.
The disclosure emerged on the eve of the opening today of the trial in Rome of four people accused of murdering Calvi in June 1982. The first inquest, held a month after his death, ruled that Calvi, 62, had committed suicide. A second inquest, a year later, reached an open verdict.
But Calvi’s relatives — above all, his son, Carlo, a banker in Canada, and his widow, Carla — have maintained that he was murdered by Mafia gangsters to cover up the extent to which the Vatican Bank, which funded anti-communist causes in Eastern Europe and Latin America, was entangled with organised crime.
They also claim that an illegal masonic lodge, P2, to which Calvi belonged, was involved in the conspiracy."
The disclosure emerged on the eve of the opening today of the trial in Rome of four people accused of murdering Calvi in June 1982. The first inquest, held a month after his death, ruled that Calvi, 62, had committed suicide. A second inquest, a year later, reached an open verdict.
But Calvi’s relatives — above all, his son, Carlo, a banker in Canada, and his widow, Carla — have maintained that he was murdered by Mafia gangsters to cover up the extent to which the Vatican Bank, which funded anti-communist causes in Eastern Europe and Latin America, was entangled with organised crime.
They also claim that an illegal masonic lodge, P2, to which Calvi belonged, was involved in the conspiracy."
Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible - World - Times Online
Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible - World - Times Online: "THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true.
The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their five million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of scripture, that they should not expect “total accuracy” from the Bible.
“We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision,” they say in The Gift of Scripture.
The document is timely, coming as it does amid the rise of the religious Right, in particular in the US."
The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their five million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of scripture, that they should not expect “total accuracy” from the Bible.
“We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision,” they say in The Gift of Scripture.
The document is timely, coming as it does amid the rise of the religious Right, in particular in the US."
Deadly 1918 Epidemic Linked to Bird Flu, Scientists Say - New York Times
Deadly 1918 Epidemic Linked to Bird Flu, Scientists Say - New York Times: "Two teams of federal and university scientists announced today that they had resurrected the 1918 influenza virus, the cause of one of history's most deadly epidemics, and had found that unlike the viruses that caused more recent flu pandemics of 1957 and 1968, the 1918 virus was actually a bird flu that jumped directly to humans."
5.10.05
Jock Slap! Scotland 'Most Violent Country' - Yahoo! News UK
Jock Slap! Scotland 'Most Violent Country' - Yahoo! News UK: "Scotland has been named the most violent country in the developed world.A United Nations report claims more than 2,000 Scots are assaulted every week - almost 10 times official police figures.The study - which does not include figures for murder, muggings or sexual assaults - claims that together, England and Wales are the second most dangerous countries.
Experts say Britain's heavy-drinking habits are to blame.
The UN claims the attacks have been fuelled by a 'booze and blades' culture in the west of Scotland with the worst offenders being males aged between 15 and 25.
Violent crime has doubled in the country over the past 20 years to a level comparable with crime-ridden cities like Rio de Janeiro."
Experts say Britain's heavy-drinking habits are to blame.
The UN claims the attacks have been fuelled by a 'booze and blades' culture in the west of Scotland with the worst offenders being males aged between 15 and 25.
Violent crime has doubled in the country over the past 20 years to a level comparable with crime-ridden cities like Rio de Janeiro."
Proposed law: Companies can't keep employees from bringing guns to work: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Proposed law: Companies can't keep employees from bringing guns to work: South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "TALLAHASSEE -- Florida businesses could soon face criminal charges if they try to stop employees from bringing guns to work in their cars, thrusting the state into a growing national debate pitting individual freedom against job safety.
Backed by the National Rifle Association, two state lawmakers have filed bills that would allow workers to have guns at work, as long as the weapons remain locked in their vehicles."
Backed by the National Rifle Association, two state lawmakers have filed bills that would allow workers to have guns at work, as long as the weapons remain locked in their vehicles."
Mystery Ocean Glow Confirmed in Satellite Photos - Yahoo! News
Mystery Ocean Glow Confirmed in Satellite Photos - Yahoo! News: "Mariners have long told of rare nighttime events in which the ocean glows intensely as far as the eye can see in all directions.
Fictionally, such a 'milky sea' is encountered by the Nautilus in Jules Verne classic '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.'
Scientists don't have a good handle what's going on. But satellite sensors have now provided the first pictures of a milky sea and given new hope to learning more about the elusive events.
The newly released images show a vast region of the Indian Ocean, about the size of Connecticut, glowing three nights in a row. The luminescence was also spotted from a ship in the area.
'The circumstances under which milky seas form is almost entirely unknown,' says Steven Miller, a Naval Research Laboratory scientists who led the space-based discovery. 'Even the source for the light emission is under debate.'"
Fictionally, such a 'milky sea' is encountered by the Nautilus in Jules Verne classic '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.'
Scientists don't have a good handle what's going on. But satellite sensors have now provided the first pictures of a milky sea and given new hope to learning more about the elusive events.
The newly released images show a vast region of the Indian Ocean, about the size of Connecticut, glowing three nights in a row. The luminescence was also spotted from a ship in the area.
'The circumstances under which milky seas form is almost entirely unknown,' says Steven Miller, a Naval Research Laboratory scientists who led the space-based discovery. 'Even the source for the light emission is under debate.'"
Booman Tribune ~ Boo!
Booman Tribune ~ Boo!: "Republican lawmakers are drafting new legislation that will make
marriage a requirement for motherhood in the state of Indiana,
including specific criminal penalties for unmarried women who do
become pregnant 'by means other than sexual intercourse.'
According to a draft of the recommended change in state law, every
woman in Indiana seeking to become a mother throu gh assisted
reproduction therapy such as in vitro fertilization, sperm donation,
and egg donation, must first file for a 'petition for parentage' in
their local county probate court.
Only women who are married will be considered for the 'gestational
certificate' that must be presented to any doctor who facilitates the
pregnancy. Further, the 'gestational certificate' will only be given
to married couples that successfully complete the same screening
process currently required by law of adoptive parents.
As it the draft of the new law reads now, an intended parent 'who
knowingly or willingly participates in an artificial reproduction
procedure' without court approval, 'commits unauthorized
reproduction, a Class B misdemeanor.' The criminal charges will be
the same for physicians who commit 'unauthorized practice of
artificial reproduction.'"
marriage a requirement for motherhood in the state of Indiana,
including specific criminal penalties for unmarried women who do
become pregnant 'by means other than sexual intercourse.'
According to a draft of the recommended change in state law, every
woman in Indiana seeking to become a mother throu gh assisted
reproduction therapy such as in vitro fertilization, sperm donation,
and egg donation, must first file for a 'petition for parentage' in
their local county probate court.
Only women who are married will be considered for the 'gestational
certificate' that must be presented to any doctor who facilitates the
pregnancy. Further, the 'gestational certificate' will only be given
to married couples that successfully complete the same screening
process currently required by law of adoptive parents.
As it the draft of the new law reads now, an intended parent 'who
knowingly or willingly participates in an artificial reproduction
procedure' without court approval, 'commits unauthorized
reproduction, a Class B misdemeanor.' The criminal charges will be
the same for physicians who commit 'unauthorized practice of
artificial reproduction.'"
4.10.05
321energy :: Oil Crunch:: David Chapman of Union Securities Ltd.
321energy :: Oil Crunch:: David Chapman of Union Securities Ltd.: "The knocking out of roughly 25% of the US’s oil and gas and refinery production for what could be an indeterminate period is fuelling the spectre of fuel shortages in coming months. Once again this is an area where the damage to the oil and gas rigs in the Gulf and the refineries along the coast has been underestimated. Consumers are seeing higher prices at the gas pumps and they are threatened with sharply higher heating costs this winter that can only bite into consumer spending. Higher gas and heating prices are like an additional tax on the economy."
MSN Money - Empty houses, falling prices: A boom dies
MSN Money - Empty houses, falling prices: A boom dies: "The process was created by Easy Al trying to bail out the stock bubble by taking rates to 1%. Folks got caught up in taking the equity out of their homes, as if they were on-site ATMs. Rising house prices attracted speculation. Lenders abdicated all responsibility -- dropping standards so low that folks could buy a house and even walk away with cash, much less put zero down -- thereby creating the credit bubble that has precipitated the problem we now have."
BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Britain's secret sex survey
His poem Annus Mirabilis famously links the start of the sexual revolution with the "Beatles' first LP". But the results of a survey into sexual attitudes and behaviour, conducted 14 years earlier, reveal the British had developed a hearty lust for sexual experimentation. Only, no one would openly discuss it.
In these liberated times, when sex is almost a constant undercurrent of everyday life, it's hard to imagine how much of a taboo sex once was.
Yet when a group of young researchers set out to probe British sexual behaviour in 1949 their findings were considered so outrageous they were instantly swept under the carpet; banished to the archives of a university.
Only now, more than 50 years on, have the results come to light, revealed in a new BBC programme. The findings show that the prim and proper façade of post-war Britain hid some remarkable truths about sexual attitudes and experience.
One in four men admitted to having had sex with prostitutes, one in five women owned up to an extra-marital affair, while the same proportion of both sexes said they had had a homosexual experience.">
3.10.05
New Scientist Breaking News - Australians win Nobel for linking bug to ulcers
New Scientist Breaking News - Australians win Nobel for linking bug to ulcers: "Two Australians have won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for establishing that bacteria cause stomach ulcers, it was announced on Monday.
Working at the Royal Perth Hospital, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren established beyond all doubt in the 1980s that Helicobacter pylori causes stomach ulcers by infecting and aggravating the gut lining.
Moreover, they showed that ulcers could be cured altogether by killing the bacteria with antibiotics. Hitherto, ulcers had been considered uncurable. Instead, patients' symptoms were treated with a lifetime of drugs to reduce the acidity of the gut.
The pair’s claims provoked a fierce backlash from the medical establishment, which held to the dogma that ulcers were brought on by stress and lifestyle, and could not be cured. By revealing a simple cure, the researchers also threatened to destroy huge and lucrative global markets for the existing anti-ulcer drugs, which simply eased symptoms."
Working at the Royal Perth Hospital, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren established beyond all doubt in the 1980s that Helicobacter pylori causes stomach ulcers by infecting and aggravating the gut lining.
Moreover, they showed that ulcers could be cured altogether by killing the bacteria with antibiotics. Hitherto, ulcers had been considered uncurable. Instead, patients' symptoms were treated with a lifetime of drugs to reduce the acidity of the gut.
The pair’s claims provoked a fierce backlash from the medical establishment, which held to the dogma that ulcers were brought on by stress and lifestyle, and could not be cured. By revealing a simple cure, the researchers also threatened to destroy huge and lucrative global markets for the existing anti-ulcer drugs, which simply eased symptoms."
This Illiterate Brazilian's Home Speaks Volumes - Yahoo! News
: "SAO GONCALO, Brazil — Carlos Leite can barely read a word, but books revolutionized his life.
ADVERTISEMENT
Two years ago, he was doing construction work for a man who was about to toss out six thick, red encyclopedias. Leite asked whether he could have them instead. Thus a dream was born.
Within days, he hit the pavement, knocking on doors, begging people for more unwanted books. No contribution was too small, too big or too arcane. Skeptical members of Leite's cycling club were dragooned into helping him collect donations.
His collection quickly multiplied. The original six volumes turned into 100, then 1,000. Soon, his humble home was bursting with 5,000 books of all types — worn classics, chemistry textbooks, dog-eared thrillers.
To Leite, though, nearly all the books are mysteries. Born into a poor family, he dropped out of school after third grade and, at 51, is practically illiterate.
But books, he knows, are the gateway to a life of greater possibility and more promise than his own. It might be too late for me, a working man, he reasoned, but not for others."
ADVERTISEMENT
Two years ago, he was doing construction work for a man who was about to toss out six thick, red encyclopedias. Leite asked whether he could have them instead. Thus a dream was born.
Within days, he hit the pavement, knocking on doors, begging people for more unwanted books. No contribution was too small, too big or too arcane. Skeptical members of Leite's cycling club were dragooned into helping him collect donations.
His collection quickly multiplied. The original six volumes turned into 100, then 1,000. Soon, his humble home was bursting with 5,000 books of all types — worn classics, chemistry textbooks, dog-eared thrillers.
To Leite, though, nearly all the books are mysteries. Born into a poor family, he dropped out of school after third grade and, at 51, is practically illiterate.
But books, he knows, are the gateway to a life of greater possibility and more promise than his own. It might be too late for me, a working man, he reasoned, but not for others."
2.10.05
BBC NEWS | Business | Google and Nasa in space venture
BBC NEWS | Business | Google and Nasa in space venture: "Web search firm Google has formed a partnership with US space agency Nasa in an effort to harness new technology which could boost the space programme.
Google is to build a new office complex on the site of Nasa's research facility in California, close to its own headquarters in Silicon Valley.
The two companies will co-operate in a range of areas including IT solutions, data management and nanotechnology.
It would look to 'bring entrepreneurs into the space programme', Nasa added."
Google is to build a new office complex on the site of Nasa's research facility in California, close to its own headquarters in Silicon Valley.
The two companies will co-operate in a range of areas including IT solutions, data management and nanotechnology.
It would look to 'bring entrepreneurs into the space programme', Nasa added."
30.9.05
Biology News: Plasma pencil sharpens up
Biology News: Plasma pencil sharpens up: "Think of it as a miniature light sabre. Scientists have unveiled a 'plasma pencil', a handheld device that generates a thin plume of charged gas that can kill bacteria, and could one day etch away tumours without damaging surrounding tissue."
Juggling kids, career can wreck female sex drive - Sexual Health - MSNBC.com
Juggling kids, career can wreck female sex drive - Sexual Health - MSNBC.com: "LONDON - The sex drive of women plummets sharply as they juggle the increasing demands of partners, children and careers, researchers said on Thursday."
Top News Article | Reuters.com
Top News Article | Reuters.com: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's job approval has risen after slumping to new lows on criticism of his handling of deadly Hurricane Katrina, two polls showed on Thursday.
Bush's approval rating climbed to 45 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll taken September 26-28, up from 40 percent in a similar poll taken a week ago.
A Fox News poll also showed Bush with a 45 percent approval rating. That survey, taken on September 27-28, showed a rise in Bush's standing compared to a mid-month poll that gave him a 41 percent approval rating.
A high-profile response by Bush to Hurricane Rita, the latest storm to hit the Gulf Coast region, appeared to give him a lift."
Bush's approval rating climbed to 45 percent in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll taken September 26-28, up from 40 percent in a similar poll taken a week ago.
A Fox News poll also showed Bush with a 45 percent approval rating. That survey, taken on September 27-28, showed a rise in Bush's standing compared to a mid-month poll that gave him a 41 percent approval rating.
A high-profile response by Bush to Hurricane Rita, the latest storm to hit the Gulf Coast region, appeared to give him a lift."
BBC NEWS | South Asia | US soldier sentenced for abuses
BBC NEWS | South Asia | US soldier sentenced for abuses: "A US military interrogator has been sentenced to five months in prison for assaulting a detainee in Afghanistan who later died."
29.9.05
BBC NEWS | Americas | Inside the secretive Bilderberg Group
BBC NEWS | Americas | Inside the secretive Bilderberg Group: "The chairman of the secretive - he prefers the word private - Bilderberg Group is 73-year-old Viscount Etienne Davignon, corporate director and former European Commissioner.
In his office, on a private floor above the Brussels office of the Suez conglomerate lined with political cartoons of himself, he told me what he thought of allegations that Bilderberg is a global conspiracy secretly ruling the world.
'It is unavoidable and it doesn't matter,' he says. 'There will always be people who believe in conspiracies but things happen in a much more incoherent fashion.'"
In his office, on a private floor above the Brussels office of the Suez conglomerate lined with political cartoons of himself, he told me what he thought of allegations that Bilderberg is a global conspiracy secretly ruling the world.
'It is unavoidable and it doesn't matter,' he says. 'There will always be people who believe in conspiracies but things happen in a much more incoherent fashion.'"
First Trio "Married" in The Netherlands | The Brussels Journal
First Trio "Married" in The Netherlands | The Brussels Journal: "The Netherlands and Belgium were the first countries to give full marriage rights to homosexuals. In the United States some politicians propose “civil unions” that give homosexual couples the full benefits and responsibilities of marriage. These civil unions differ from marriage only in name.
Meanwhile in the Netherlands polygamy has been legalised in all but name. Last Friday the first civil union of three partners was registered. Victor de Bruijn (46) from Roosendaal “married” both Bianca (31) and Mirjam (35) in a ceremony before a notary who duly registered their civil union."
Meanwhile in the Netherlands polygamy has been legalised in all but name. Last Friday the first civil union of three partners was registered. Victor de Bruijn (46) from Roosendaal “married” both Bianca (31) and Mirjam (35) in a ceremony before a notary who duly registered their civil union."
Wired News: Nun Terrorized by Terror Watch
Wired News: Nun Terrorized by Terror Watch: "Sister Glenn Anne McPhee is a busy woman.
As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' secretary for education, Sister McPhee oversees Catholic education in the United States, from nursery school through post-graduate. Her job includes working with the Department of Education, speaking frequently at conferences and scrutinizing religious textbooks to clear them with the teachings of the church.
For nine months in 2003 and 2004, Sister McPhee also took on the task of clearing her name from the government's no-fly list, an endeavor that proved fruitless until she called on a higher power, the White House."
As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' secretary for education, Sister McPhee oversees Catholic education in the United States, from nursery school through post-graduate. Her job includes working with the Department of Education, speaking frequently at conferences and scrutinizing religious textbooks to clear them with the teachings of the church.
For nine months in 2003 and 2004, Sister McPhee also took on the task of clearing her name from the government's no-fly list, an endeavor that proved fruitless until she called on a higher power, the White House."
PC Pro: News: Stones' new record sells on secure memory card
PC Pro: News: Stones' new record sells on secure memory card: "The Rolling Stones' latest album, A Bigger Bang, will be the first to be released in the new flash memory card format developed by SanDisk."
28.9.05
Man Takes Citizenship Oath, Wins Lottery | theledger.com
Man Takes Citizenship Oath, Wins Lottery | theledger.com: "A man who immigrated from Kenya to the United States found prosperity beyond his expectations on the day he became a U.S. citizen.
Shortly after Moses Bittok, of West Des Moines, took the oath of citizenship on Friday, he discovered he had a $1.89 million winning ticket from the Iowa Lottery's Hot Lotto game."
Shortly after Moses Bittok, of West Des Moines, took the oath of citizenship on Friday, he discovered he had a $1.89 million winning ticket from the Iowa Lottery's Hot Lotto game."
National Enquirer
: "Bush is under the worst pressure of his two terms in office and his popularity is near an all-time low. The handling of the Katrina crisis and troop losses in Iraq have fueled public discontent and pushed Bush back to drink.
A Washington source said: "The sad fact is that he has been sneaking drinks for weeks now. Laura may have only just caught him — but the word is his drinking has been going on for a while in the capital. He's been in a pressure cooker for months.
"The war in Iraq, the loss of American lives, has deeply affected him. He takes every soldier's life personally. It has left him emotionally drained.
The result is he's taking drinks here and there, likely in private, to cope. "And now with the worst domestic crisis in his administration over Katrina, you pray his drinking doesn't go out of control."
Another source said: "I'm only surprised to hear that he hadn't taken a shot sooner. Before Katrina, he was at his wit's end. I've known him for years. He's been a good ol' Texas boy forever. George had a drinking problem for years that most professionals would say needed therapy. He doesn't believe in it [therapy], he never got it. He drank his way through his youth, through college and well into his thirties. Everyone's drinking around him.""
A Washington source said: "The sad fact is that he has been sneaking drinks for weeks now. Laura may have only just caught him — but the word is his drinking has been going on for a while in the capital. He's been in a pressure cooker for months.
"The war in Iraq, the loss of American lives, has deeply affected him. He takes every soldier's life personally. It has left him emotionally drained.
The result is he's taking drinks here and there, likely in private, to cope. "And now with the worst domestic crisis in his administration over Katrina, you pray his drinking doesn't go out of control."
Another source said: "I'm only surprised to hear that he hadn't taken a shot sooner. Before Katrina, he was at his wit's end. I've known him for years. He's been a good ol' Texas boy forever. George had a drinking problem for years that most professionals would say needed therapy. He doesn't believe in it [therapy], he never got it. He drank his way through his youth, through college and well into his thirties. Everyone's drinking around him.""
27.9.05
Britain, UK news from The Times and The Sunday Times - Times Online
: "“In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy and abortion in the prosperous democracies.
“The United States is almost always the most dysfunctional of the developing democracies, sometimes spectacularly so.” "
“The United States is almost always the most dysfunctional of the developing democracies, sometimes spectacularly so.” "
26.9.05
BBC NEWS | Magazine | Out-of-body or all in the mind?
BBC NEWS | Magazine | Out-of-body or all in the mind?: "One in 10 people has had an out-of-body experience, yet scientists know very little about the phenomenon. Researchers say a new study could bring us closer to the ultimate question of what happens when we die."
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - Out There - Out There: Man-Made Hurricanes?
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - Out There - Out There: Man-Made Hurricanes?: "Global warming? Act of God? Nope, says one Idaho weatherman — Hurricane Katrina was part of a man-made plot against America.
Scott Stevens, a meteorologist who for nine years has been forecasting the weather on KPVI-TV (search) in Pocatello, says the Yakuza — the Japanese mafia — is using a Russian-made electromagnetic generator to launch terrific storms against the U.S. mainland.
The devastation of New Orleans was in revenge for the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Stevens explains on his Web site. He says it will soon be used again against another major American city.
'A battle in the skies is waged daily. Some battles are won and others lost. We yet know not which,' Stevens writes on the front page of his site. 'For years this massive global project has been under way, but only now is it making it to the forefront of the consciousness of those with curious minds.'
Rumors have long circulated of a secret Soviet weather weapon, but Stevens told the Idaho Falls Post Register he became convinced it existed after noticing strange patterns in a Montana cold front in 2004."
Scott Stevens, a meteorologist who for nine years has been forecasting the weather on KPVI-TV (search) in Pocatello, says the Yakuza — the Japanese mafia — is using a Russian-made electromagnetic generator to launch terrific storms against the U.S. mainland.
The devastation of New Orleans was in revenge for the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Stevens explains on his Web site. He says it will soon be used again against another major American city.
'A battle in the skies is waged daily. Some battles are won and others lost. We yet know not which,' Stevens writes on the front page of his site. 'For years this massive global project has been under way, but only now is it making it to the forefront of the consciousness of those with curious minds.'
Rumors have long circulated of a secret Soviet weather weapon, but Stevens told the Idaho Falls Post Register he became convinced it existed after noticing strange patterns in a Montana cold front in 2004."
The Korea Times : Seoul to Build Combat Robot
The Korea Times : Seoul to Build Combat Robot: "Defense and communications technicians will team up to develop a mobile combat robot to fight alongside human soldiers on the battlefield, the government said Wednesday.
Officials heading the project said they have requested 33.4 billion won ($32.4 million) in funding between 2006 and 2011 to develop the horse-like robot for deployment.
According to design blueprints released during a meeting of science-related ministers, the robot will have six or eight extendable legs with wheels allowing it to move like an insect over uneven terrain.
The robot will be armed with various weapons and will operate both by remote control and its own artificial intelligence system."
Officials heading the project said they have requested 33.4 billion won ($32.4 million) in funding between 2006 and 2011 to develop the horse-like robot for deployment.
According to design blueprints released during a meeting of science-related ministers, the robot will have six or eight extendable legs with wheels allowing it to move like an insect over uneven terrain.
The robot will be armed with various weapons and will operate both by remote control and its own artificial intelligence system."
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | 600 barrels of loot found on Crusoe island
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | 600 barrels of loot found on Crusoe island: "The archipelago is named after Robinson Crusoe, but perhaps it should have been called Treasure Island.
A long quest for booty from the Spanish colonial era appears to be culminating in Chile with the announcement by a group of adventurers that they have found an estimated 600 barrels of gold coins and Incan jewels on the remote Pacific island.
'The biggest treasure in history has been located,' said Fernando Uribe-Etxeverria, a lawyer for Wagner, the Chilean company leading the search. Mr Uribe-Etxeverria estimated the value of the buried treasure at US$10bn (�5.6bn)."
A long quest for booty from the Spanish colonial era appears to be culminating in Chile with the announcement by a group of adventurers that they have found an estimated 600 barrels of gold coins and Incan jewels on the remote Pacific island.
'The biggest treasure in history has been located,' said Fernando Uribe-Etxeverria, a lawyer for Wagner, the Chilean company leading the search. Mr Uribe-Etxeverria estimated the value of the buried treasure at US$10bn (�5.6bn)."
USATODAY.com - Army investigating new allegations of prisoner abuse
USATODAY.com - Army investigating new allegations of prisoner abuse: "The Human Rights Watch report detailed severe, routine beatings of detainees by the 82nd Airborne Division. One of the sergeants told the group that military intelligence personnel, eager for information, often instructed soldiers to 'smoke' detainees — called Persons Under Control or PUCs — during questioning, according to the report. 'Smoking' prisoners meant physically abusing them until they lost consciousness.
Frustrated soldiers would often beat the Iraqis as a stress release, the sergeant said.
'In a way it was sport,' the sergeant said. 'One day (another sergeant) shows up and tells a PUC to grab a pole. He told him to bend over and broke the guy's leg with a mini-Louisville Slugger, a metal bat.'
The soldier said anything short of death was acceptable. 'As long as no PUCs came up dead, it happened,' he said. 'We kept it to broken arms and legs.'"
Frustrated soldiers would often beat the Iraqis as a stress release, the sergeant said.
'In a way it was sport,' the sergeant said. 'One day (another sergeant) shows up and tells a PUC to grab a pole. He told him to bend over and broke the guy's leg with a mini-Louisville Slugger, a metal bat.'
The soldier said anything short of death was acceptable. 'As long as no PUCs came up dead, it happened,' he said. 'We kept it to broken arms and legs.'"
25.9.05
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Country is hurtling towards disintegration, Saudis warn
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Country is hurtling towards disintegration, Saudis warn: "The Saudi government yesterday warned that Iraq is hurtling towards disintegration and that an election planned for December is unlikely to make any difference. The government said it was delivering this bleak assessment to both the US and British administrations as a matter of urgency.
Saudi fears of a break-up were voiced by Prince Saud al-Faisal, the foreign minister, in an interview with Associated Press published yesterday, and at a meeting on Thursday night with the US media, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. He said: 'The impression is gradually going toward disintegration. There seems to be no dynamic now that is pulling the country together. All the dynamics there are pushing the people away from each other.'
His comments are the most pessimistic about Iraq to be made in public by a Middle East leader in recent months.
Prince Saud, who is meeting Bush administration officials in Washington, said his government warned the US before the war of the consequences of the invasion but was ignored. 'It is frustrating to see something that is clearly going to happen, and you are not listened to by a friend, and soon harm comes out of it. It hurts.'"
Saudi fears of a break-up were voiced by Prince Saud al-Faisal, the foreign minister, in an interview with Associated Press published yesterday, and at a meeting on Thursday night with the US media, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. He said: 'The impression is gradually going toward disintegration. There seems to be no dynamic now that is pulling the country together. All the dynamics there are pushing the people away from each other.'
His comments are the most pessimistic about Iraq to be made in public by a Middle East leader in recent months.
Prince Saud, who is meeting Bush administration officials in Washington, said his government warned the US before the war of the consequences of the invasion but was ignored. 'It is frustrating to see something that is clearly going to happen, and you are not listened to by a friend, and soon harm comes out of it. It hurts.'"
VOA News - China Issues New Rules for News Websites
VOA News - China Issues New Rules for News Websites: "China has imposed new rules on Internet news sites in another step to regulate web sites in the country.
The official Xinhua news agency says the new regulations are effective immediately.
It says Internet news sites and content must provide information that is beneficial to the public and state. It added that sites are prohibited from spreading news that goes against China's security and public interest.
Chinese authorities closely monitor Internet content and remove sites they believe are inappropriate. China also requires people to register their websites and blogs."
The official Xinhua news agency says the new regulations are effective immediately.
It says Internet news sites and content must provide information that is beneficial to the public and state. It added that sites are prohibited from spreading news that goes against China's security and public interest.
Chinese authorities closely monitor Internet content and remove sites they believe are inappropriate. China also requires people to register their websites and blogs."
Independent Online Edition > Invest & Save : app1
Independent Online Edition > Invest & Save : app1: "Britain's leading retailers are slowly but surely retreating from cash - and the financial services industry is keen to help. Tesco and Marks & Spencer have in recent weeks suggested they may introduce tills - or even stores - where customers have to pay by plastic. And the plastic providers are introducing new products to speed up the move towards a cashless society."
Independent Online Edition > Americas : app5
Independent Online Edition > Americas : app5: "US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel."
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