The Airport Security Follies - Jet Lagged - Air Travel - Opinion - New York Times Blog

The Airport Security Follies - Jet Lagged - Air Travel - Opinion - New York Times Blog: "Six years after the terrorist attacks of 2001, airport security remains a theater of the absurd. The changes put in place following the September 11th catastrophe have been drastic, and largely of two kinds: those practical and effective, and those irrational, wasteful and pointless."

Honey-drenched dressings touted as the bee's knees for wounds

Honey-drenched dressings touted as the bee's knees for wounds: "'It's been used on wounds where nothing else will work,' said biochemist Peter Molan, a professor at the University of Waikato in New Zealand who has researched honey and other natural antibiotics for 25 years.

He's found manuka honey can kill the toughest bacteria even when diluted 10 times and recommends it especially for people with weak immune systems."

Casual blogging not just lunch money now - Yahoo! News

Casual blogging not just lunch money now - Yahoo! News: "It's no longer unusual for blogs with just a couple thousand daily readers to earn nearly as many dollars a month. Helping fill the pockets of such bloggers are programs like Google's AdSense and many others that let individuals — not just major publications — tap into the rapidly growing pot of advertising dollars with a click of the mouse."

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep: "In what sounds like a dream for millions of tired coffee drinkers, Darpa-funded scientists might have found a drug that will eliminate sleepiness.

A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests."

New Statesman - Has global warming stopped?

New Statesman - Has global warming stopped?: "The fact is that the global temperature of 2007 is statistically the same as 2006 as well as every year since 2001. Global warming has, temporarily or permanently, ceased. Temperatures across the world are not increasing as they should according to the fundamental theory behind global warming – the greenhouse effect. Something else is happening and it is vital that we find out what or else we may spend hundreds of billions of pounds needlessly."

Mexican marijuana is still plentiful -- and cheap | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Mexican marijuana is still plentiful -- and cheap | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "'You never hear of people getting killed over a few pounds of marijuana, but you do over a few ounces of cocaine. Marijuana is pretty much an open market. Nobody controls it, nobody wants to control it.'"

Crisis may make 1929 look a 'walk in the park' - Telegraph

Crisis may make 1929 look a 'walk in the park' - Telegraph: "As central banks continue to splash their cash over the system, so far to little effect, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard argues things are rapidly spiralling out of their control

Twenty billion dollars here, $20bn there, and a lush half-trillion from the European Central Bank at give-away rates for Christmas. Buckets of liquidity are being splashed over the North Atlantic banking system, so far with meagre or fleeting effects."

Ron Paul will win by a landslide

Ron Paul will win by a landslide: "Republican presidential candidate and Texas Congressman, Ron Paul, can win the presidency. Contrary to the pundits and media propaganda, Ron Paul is best positioned to win the GOP nomination."

9/11 Panel Study Finds That C.I.A. Withheld Tapes - New York Times

9/11 Panel Study Finds That C.I.A. Withheld Tapes - New York Times: "WASHINGTON — A review of classified documents by former members of the Sept. 11 commission shows that the panel made repeated and detailed requests to the Central Intelligence Agency in 2003 and 2004 for documents and other information about the interrogation of operatives of Al Qaeda, and were told by a top C.I.A. official that the agency had “produced or made available for review” everything that had been requested."

FBI prepares vast biometrics database - Washington Post- msnbc.com

FBI prepares vast biometrics database - Washington Post- msnbc.com: "CLARKSBURG, W. Va. - The FBI is embarking on a $1 billion effort to build the world's largest computer database of peoples' physical characteristics, a project that would give the government unprecedented abilities to identify individuals in the United States and abroad."

Year of global cooling�-�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Year of global cooling�-�-� The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "Al Gore says global warming is a planetary emergency. It is difficult to see how this can be so when record low temperatures are being set all over the world. In 2007, hundreds of people died, not from global warming, but from cold weather hazards."

Stanford's nanowire battery holds 10 times the charge of existing ones

Stanford's nanowire battery holds 10 times the charge of existing ones: "Stanford researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to reinvent the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power laptops, iPods, video cameras, cell phones, and countless other devices.

The new version, developed through research led by Yi Cui, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, produces 10 times the amount of electricity of existing lithium-ion, known as Li-ion, batteries. A laptop that now runs on battery for two hours could operate for 20 hours, a boon to ocean-hopping business travelers.

'It's not a small improvement,' Cui said. 'It's a revolutionary development.'"

Putin named Time "Person of the Year"

Putin named Time "Person of the Year": "Putin is the fifth Russian or Soviet leader to be named Person of the Year: Gorbachev, Andropov, Khrushchev and Stalin, who was named twice."

Nation & World | Man's journey to find birth mom ends — at work | Seattle Times Newspaper

Nation & World | Man's journey to find birth mom ends — at work | Seattle Times Newspaper: "GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For years, Steve Flaig, a delivery-truck driver at a Lowe's store here, had searched for his birth mother.

He found her working the cash register at the front of the store."

The Apostles of Ron Paul

The Apostles of Ron Paul: "Their candidate, a 72-year-old obstetrician from Lake Jackson, Texas—land of duck hunters, ranchers, and oilmen—has improbably become an Internet sensation. He counts more Facebook and MySpace supporters than any Republican; more Google searches, YouTube subscribers, and website hits than any presidential candidate; and more Meetup members than the front-runners of both parties combined. In recent months he was sought out on the blog search engine Technorati more often than anyone except a Puerto Rican singer with a sex tape on the loose"

Putin rival held in psychiatric ward 'to prevent him protesting against government' | the Daily Mail

Putin rival held in psychiatric ward 'to prevent him protesting against government' | the Daily Mail: "A Russian opposition activist has been sent to a psychiatric hospital by authorities a day before a planned demonstration.

Artem Basyrov's detention is the latest in a series of incidents suggesting a punitive Soviet-era practice is being revived under president Vladimir Putin."

Ohio Elections Official Calls Machines Flawed - New York Times

Ohio Elections Official Calls Machines Flawed - New York Times: "CINCINNATI — All five voting systems used in Ohio, a state whose electoral votes narrowly swung two elections toward President Bush, have critical flaws that could undermine the integrity of the 2008 general election, a report commissioned by the state’s top elections official has found."

Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster - New York Times

Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster - New York Times: "Earlier reports, based on tax returns, showed that in 2005 the top 10 percent, top 1 percent and fractions of the top 1 percent enjoyed their greatest share of income since 1928 and 1929."

Egypt and Saudi Arabia make new overtures to Iran - Yahoo! News

Egypt and Saudi Arabia make new overtures to Iran - Yahoo! News: "Cairo - Iran is suddenly enjoying a thaw with its Arab neighbors – all close US allies – in the wake of a US intelligence report that judged Iran probably suspended its work on nuclear weapons four years ago.

Regional actors, in particular, are scrambling to engage Iran diplomatically, and analysts say they have the tacit approval of the Americans."

Discovery News : Discovery Channel

Discovery News : Discovery Channel: "Nov. 29, 2007 -- The same microwave radiation that reheats pizza can be used to fry the electrical systems in cars, stopping them dead in their tracks. Emitted from a rooftop device, the radiation could be used by law enforcement officers to put an end to dangerous car chases or by military personnel as a non-lethal way of disabling vehicles that get too close for comfort. 'The idea is to warn an automobile some distance away from a high-value target like a military barrack or a communication center. If they don't comply, you just zap them and it prevents them from coming closer,' said James Tatoian, CEO of Eureka Aerospace in Pasadena, Calif."

Why bad kissers don't get to second base - CNN.com

Why bad kissers don't get to second base - CNN.com: "In a study published recently in the scientific journal 'Evolutionary Psychology,' 59 percent of men and 66 percent of women said they've been in the position of being attracted to someone -- until they kissed the person."

Ozzy Osbourne garage sale raises $800,000 for cancer - USATODAY.com

Ozzy Osbourne garage sale raises $800,000 for cancer - USATODAY.com: "LOS ANGELES (AP) — Heavy metal fans aren't usually seen making bids at high-end auctions, but they turned out in numbers to snatch up a coat with embroidered bats, sneakers with skulls on them and other items put up for sale by Ozzy Osbourne."

US officials say Iran nuclear weapons program stopped in 2003, but capability remains - International Herald Tribune

US officials say Iran nuclear weapons program stopped in 2003, but capability remains - International Herald Tribune: "WASHINGTON: Iran halted its nuclear weapons development program in the fall of 2003 under international pressure but is continuing to enrich uranium, which means it may still be able to develop a weapon between 2010 and 2015, according to a new U.S. intelligence assessment released Monday. That finding, part of a new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, is a sharp turnaround from two years ago when U.S. intelligence agencies believed Tehran was determined to develop a nuclear weapons capability and was continuing its weapons development program. It suggests that Iran's decisions are rational and pragmatic, and that Tehran is more susceptible to diplomatic and financial pressure than previously thought, the document concluded. 'Tehran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005,' says the unclassified summary of the secret report."

Young Chimps Top Adult Humans In Numerical Memory

Young Chimps Top Adult Humans In Numerical Memory: "'There are still many people, including many biologists, who believe that humans are superior to chimpanzees in all cognitive functions,' said Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto University. 'No one can imagine that chimpanzees--young chimpanzees at the age of five--have a better performance in a memory task than humans. Here we show for the first time that young chimpanzees have an extraordinary working memory capability for numerical recollection--better than that of human adults tested in the same apparatus, following the same procedure.'"

War critics astonished as US hawk admits invasion was illegal | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited

War critics astonished as US hawk admits invasion was illegal | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited: "International lawyers and anti-war campaigners reacted with astonishment yesterday after the influential Pentagon hawk Richard Perle conceded that the invasion of Iraq had been illegal. In a startling break with the official White House and Downing Street lines, Mr Perle told an audience in London: 'I think in this case international law stood in the way of doing the right thing.'"

Toddler fools the art world into buying his tomato ketchup paintings | the Daily Mail

Toddler fools the art world into buying his tomato ketchup paintings | the Daily Mail: "To the untrained eye, they appear to be simple daubs that could have been created by a two year old. Which is precisely what they are."

Russia pulls out of Nato arms pact | Russia | Guardian Unlimited

Russia pulls out of Nato arms pact | Russia | Guardian Unlimited: "President Vladimir Putin has withdrawn Russia from a key post-cold war international arms treaty, paving the way for the deployment of Russian forces closer to Europe. The withdrawal of Russian participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty was signed into law today. The United States, the European Union and Nato had urged Putin not to suspend the treaty, seen as a cornerstone of European security. Russia says Nato members have not ratified an amended version of the pact and accuses it of flexing its muscles near Russia's borders."

The truth about global warming - it's the Sun that's to blame - Telegraph

The truth about global warming - it's the Sun that's to blame - Telegraph: "'The Sun's radiance may well have an impact on climate change but it needs to be looked at in conjunction with other factors such as greenhouse gases, sulphate aerosols and volcano activity,' he said. The research adds weight to the views of David Bellamy, the conservationist. 'Global warming - at least the modern nightmare version - is a myth,' he said. 'I am sure of it and so are a growing number of scientists. But what is really worrying is that the world's politicians and policy-makers are not. 'Instead, they have an unshakeable faith in what has, unfortunately, become one of the central credos of the environmental movement: humans burn fossil fuels, which release increased levels of carbon dioxide - the principal so-called greenhouse gas - into the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to heat up. They say this is global warming: I say this is poppycock.'"

High-Tech Drones Joining Miami Police Force - Miami News Story - WPLG Miami

High-Tech Drones Joining Miami Police Force - Miami News Story - WPLG Miami: "MIAMI -- The Miami-Dade police department will begin experimenting with high-tech drones as law enforcement tools beginning next year. Although the military has been using unmanned aircraft systems for years, this will be the first time they are used in law enforcement."

The Raw Story | Posthumous book claims Ford knew of CIA coverup in Kennedy assassination

The Raw Story | Posthumous book claims Ford knew of CIA coverup in Kennedy assassination: "According to the publisher of a new book, who appeared on Fox News Wednesday morning, the last living words of former President Gerald Ford fingered the CIA in the orchestration a cover-up of Kennedy's assassination."

kdka.com - Military Asks Wounded Soldiers To Return Portions Of Signing Bonuses

kdka.com - Military Asks Wounded Soldiers To Return Portions Of Signing Bonuses: "PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The U.S. Military is demanding that thousands of wounded service personnel give back signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their commitments. To get people to sign up, the military gives enlistment bonuses up to $30,000 in some cases. Now men and women who have lost arms, legs, eyesight, hearing and can no longer serve are being ordered to pay some of that money back."

In Basra, violence is a tenth of what it was before British pullback, general says - International Herald Tribune

In Basra, violence is a tenth of what it was before British pullback, general says - International Herald Tribune: "BAGHDAD: Attacks against British and Iraqi forces have plunged by 90 percent in southern Iraq since London withdrew its troops from the main city of Basra, the commander of British forces there said Thursday. The presence of British forces in downtown Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, was the single largest instigator of violence, Maj. Gen. Graham Binns told reporters Thursday on a visit to Baghdad's Green Zone. 'We thought, 'If 90 percent of the violence is directed at us, what would happen if we stepped back?'' Binns said."

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med -- Abstract: Some Go Without a Cigarette: Characteristics of Cannabis Users Who Have Never Smoked Tobacco, November 2007, Sur

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med -- Abstract: Some Go Without a Cigarette: Characteristics of Cannabis Users Who Have Never Smoked Tobacco, November 2007, Suris et al. 161 (11): 1042: "Conclusions: Cannabis-only adolescents show better functioning than those who also use tobacco. Compared with abstainers, they are more socially driven and do not seem to have psychosocial problems at a higher rate."

Gold, silver hit multi-year highs

Gold, silver hit multi-year highs: "LONDON -- Precious metals zoomed higher on Wednesday on a tumbling dollar and record high oil, with gold trading near its all-time peak, platinum setting a record and silver touching its highest level in 27 years."

Everex Plans Sub-$300 Linux Laptop - Yahoo! News

Everex Plans Sub-$300 Linux Laptop - Yahoo! News: "Everex, which recently announced a Linux-based desktop computer for under $200, is now planning to release a sub-$300 laptop, according to news reports."

Police: Jewish GW Student Admits Putting Swastikas On Her Door - News Story - WRC | Washington

Police: Jewish GW Student Admits Putting Swastikas On Her Door - News Story - WRC | Washington: "WASHINGTON -- George Washington University officials said a Jewish student who complained about swastikas showing up on her door put them there herself."

The deceit behind global warming - Telegraph

The deceit behind global warming - Telegraph: "It was a telling moment when, in August, Gore's closest scientific ally, James Hansen of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, was forced to revise his influential record of US surface temperatures showing that the past decade has seen the hottest years on record. His graph now concedes that the hottest year of the 20th century was not 1998 but 1934, and that four of the 10 warmest years in the past 100 were in the 1930s. Furthermore, scientists and academics have recently been queuing up to point out that fluctuations in global temperatures correlate more consistently with patterns of radiation from the sun than with any rise in CO2 levels, and that after a century of high solar activity, the sun's effect is now weakening, presaging a likely drop in temperatures. If global warming does turn out to have been a scare like all the others, it will certainly represent as great a collective flight from reality as history has ever recorded. The evidence of the next 10 years will be very interesting."

Climate shift 'poles apart' - Telegraph

Climate shift 'poles apart' - Telegraph: "In contrast to earlier fears that ice around the South Pole will suffer widespread melting, the United Nations intergovernmental panel on climate change says that Antarctica's ice sheets will remain too cold for widespread melting before the end of the century and are expected to get bigger as more snow falls."

Giuliani Faces Investigation Of 9/11 Radios - Politics on The Huffington Post

Giuliani Faces Investigation Of 9/11 Radios - Politics on The Huffington Post: "Calls for an investigation were first proposed by filmmaker Robert Greenwald who has documented Giuliani's handling of 9/11 in a series of shorts for Brave New Films. In The Real Rudy: Radios, Greenwald documents how radios used by the FDNY on 9/11 were the same ones that malfunctioned during the 1993 attack on the Twin Towers. When - eight years later - Giuliani finally purchased new communications equipment for $14 million from Motorola, it was never field-tested. A week later, the equipment was recalled after a firefighter's mayday went un-heard. Giuliani reissued the old batch of radios. And on 9/11 when a police helicopter warned that the North Tower could collapse, more than 120 firefighters remained inside."

ARGENT - Virage vert pour l’industrie foresti�re canadienne

ARGENT - Virage vert pour l’industrie foresti�re canadienne: "L’Association des produits forestiers du Canada (APFC) annonce vouloir devenir, d’ici 2015, la premi�re industrie foresti�re � �tre neutre en carbone, sans acheter de cr�dits compensatoires."

Stay trim and stop eating bacon, cancer report declares | Society | The Guardian

Stay trim and stop eating bacon, cancer report declares | Society | The Guardian: "Eating mostly plant-based foods, such as fruit and vegetables, reduced cancer risk, but too much red meat raised it. The panel recommended no more than 500g a week."

Was Bin Laden's last video faked? - Nightly News with Brian Williams - MSNBC.com

Was Bin Laden's last video faked? - Nightly News with Brian Williams - MSNBC.com: "“Here is Bin Laden in the same clothing, same studio, same studio setup, and same desk THREE YEARS LATER,” wrote Krawetz in his blog, hackerfactor.org, and in an interview with NBC News. “In fact, his stack of papers that he reads are moved between the exact same stacks. If you overlay the 2007 video with the 2004 video, his face has not changed in three years -- only his beard is darker.”"

U.S. promised Blackwater guards immunity, officials say - CNN.com

U.S. promised Blackwater guards immunity, officials say - CNN.com: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- State Department investigators promised Blackwater guards immunity from prosecution for last month's deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to officials familiar with the matter."

Is Bush Administration Planning Martial Law? Congressman DeFazio Denied Access to Government Documents

Is Bush Administration Planning Martial Law? Congressman DeFazio Denied Access to Government Documents: "'Maybe the people who think there's a conspiracy out there are right,' he said."

Saudi King Criticizes UK on Terror - washingtonpost.com

Saudi King Criticizes UK on Terror - washingtonpost.com: "LONDON -- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia accused Britain on Monday of failing to act on information the Saudis provided that might have averted London's deadly July 7, 2005, suicide bombings."

My Way News - Much of U.S. Could See a Water Shortage

My Way News - Much of U.S. Could See a Water Shortage: "The government projects that at least 36 states will face water shortages within five years because of a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, urban sprawl, waste and excess."

Jesus was Jewish | Jerusalem Post

Jesus was Jewish | Jerusalem Post: "Ann Coulter's stomach-turning comments about how Jews 'needed to be perfected' by becoming Christian demonstrates not only her own bigotry but her abysmal ignorance of the teachings of Jesus. Judaism was the faith practiced by Jesus for his entire life, and from which he never wavered."

Afghanistan is lost, says Lord Ashdown - Telegraph

Afghanistan is lost, says Lord Ashdown - Telegraph: "Nato has 'lost in Afghanistan' and its failure to bring stability there could provoke a regional sectarian war 'on a grand scale', according to Lord Ashdown."

Jefferson Morley: 'Denied in Full': Federal Judges Grill CIA Lawyers on JFK Secrets - Politics on The Huffington Post

Jefferson Morley: 'Denied in Full': Federal Judges Grill CIA Lawyers on JFK Secrets - Politics on The Huffington Post: "Lawyers for the Central Intelligence Agency faced pointed questions in a federal court hearing Monday morning about the agency's efforts to block disclosure of long-secret records about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy."

Human waste can help save planet: Indian expert - Yahoo! News

Human waste can help save planet: Indian expert - Yahoo! News: "NEW DELHI (AFP) - A cheap system to recycle human waste into biogas and fertiliser may allow 2.6 billion people in the world access to toilets and reduce global warming, an Indian environmental expert said Tuesday."

Ecuador wants military base in Miami | Editor's Choice | Reuters

Ecuador wants military base in Miami | Editor's Choice | Reuters: "NAPLES (Reuters) - Ecuador's leftist President Rafael Correa said Washington must let him open a military base in Miami if the United States wants to keep using an air base on Ecuador's Pacific coast."

Researchers Knock Out HIV

Researchers Knock Out HIV: "ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2007) — With the latest advances in treatment, doctors have discovered that they can successfully neutralise the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The so-called ‘combination therapy’ prevents HIV from mutating and spreading, allowing patients to rebuild their immune system to the same levels as the rest of the population."

Ecuador wants military base in Miami | Editor's Choice | Reuters

Ecuador wants military base in Miami | Editor's Choice | Reuters: "'We'll renew the base on one condition: that they let us put a base in Miami -- an Ecuadorean base,' Correa said in an interview during a trip to Italy."

SAS raiders enter Iran to kill gunrunners - Times Online

SAS raiders enter Iran to kill gunrunners - Times Online: "BRITISH special forces have crossed into Iran several times in recent months as part of a secret border war against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Al-Quds special forces, defence sources have disclosed."

On Faith: Guest Voices: The Dalai Lama Goes to Washington

On Faith: Guest Voices: The Dalai Lama Goes to Washington: "'So I – of course now, this is none my business, I think your business. I think America, American foreign policy, I think number two; and the number one, I think, should keep your ancestors because of the principles: democracy, liberty, freedom, rule of law. I think these are very, very important."

Clinton bucks the trend and rakes in cash from the US weapons industry - Independent Online Edition > Americas

Clinton bucks the trend and rakes in cash from the US weapons industry - Independent Online Edition > Americas: "The US arms industry is backing Hillary Clinton for President and has all but abandoned its traditional allies in the Republican party. Mrs Clinton has also emerged as Wall Street's favourite. Investment bankers have opened their wallets in unprecedented numbers for the New York senator over the past three months"

Sex every day is prescription for improving sperm quality - Times Online

Sex every day is prescription for improving sperm quality - Times Online: "Men who suffer fertility problems because of low sperm quality may be able to improve their chances of fatherhood by having sex every day, research has suggested. While those trying for a baby are often told to refrain from ejaculating too often to protect their sperm count, Australian scientists have shown that this can be counterproductive and may lower male fertility."

ABC News: Atlanta Drought: 3 Months of Water Left

ABC News: Atlanta Drought: 3 Months of Water Left: "An unprecedented drought stretching across the southeastern United States has forced some of the region's largest cities to declare water emergencies. The situation has become so serious that officials in Atlanta, where rainfall totals are more than 16 inches below normal, said they could run out of drinking water in a matter of weeks."

� Perceived Quality of Life Influenced by Height - Psych Central News

Perceived Quality of Life Influenced by Height - Psych Central News: "A new study suggests adult height influences quality of life as researchers discover short people report worse physical and mental health than people of normal height. The large peer reviewed study which shows that short people judge their state of health to be significantly lower than their normal height peers do, is found in the journal Clinical Endocrinology."

Fury at DNA pioneer's theory: Africans are less intelligent than Westerners - Independent Online Edition > Science & Tech

Fury at DNA pioneer's theory: Africans are less intelligent than Westerners - Independent Online Edition > Science & Tech: "Celebrated scientist attacked for race comments: 'All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really'"

The Blotter: After Comments, U.S. Terror Chief Resigns

The Blotter: After Comments, U.S. Terror Chief Resigns: "Three days after Americans saw the Bush administration's counterterrorism chief say the Iraq war has likely not made the United States safer from terrorism, the official announced his resignation, citing health reasons."

Press TV

Press TV: "Turkey is to defy international pressure on Wednesday and grant its troops permission to enter northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels. "

The Raw Story | Army ex-captains want US out of Iraq or a new military draft

The Raw Story | Army ex-captains want US out of Iraq or a new military draft: "Twelve former US army captains Tuesday urged Washington to either abandon Iraq or dramatically increase its military presence there by reinstating mandatory military service."

Putin warns US against attacking Iran - Yahoo! News

Putin warns US against attacking Iran - Yahoo! News: "TEHRAN, Iran - Russian leader Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart Tuesday and implicitly warned the U.S. not to use a former Soviet republic to stage an attack on Iran."

Radiohead's warm glow: Rutland Herald Online

Radiohead's warm glow: Rutland Herald Online: "After Radiohead announced it would allow fans to download its album for whatever price they chose, about a third of the first million or so downloads paid nothing, according to a British survey. But many paid more than $20. The average price was about $8. That is, people paid for something they could get for free."

Police could not find any fingerprints on Dr Kelly's 'suicide' knife | the Daily Mail

Police could not find any fingerprints on Dr Kelly's 'suicide' knife | the Daily Mail: "Fresh doubts were raised over the suicide of Dr David Kelly after it emerged that no fingerprints were found on the knife he supposedly used to kill himself. The Hutton Inquiry into the death of the Ministry of Defence weapons expert ruled that he slashed one of his wrists with a blunt garden knife and took an overdose of pills. But the campaigning Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has carried out his own investigation after forensic experts questioned the official version of events. David Kelly: Fresh doubts over his death David Kelly: Fresh doubts over his death He has called for the case to be re-opened after Thames Valley Police revealed that no fingerprints were found on the knife."

Former CEO Says U.S. Punished Phone Firm - washingtonpost.com

Former CEO Says U.S. Punished Phone Firm - washingtonpost.com: "Former chief executive Joseph P. Nacchio, convicted in April of 19 counts of insider trading, said the NSA approached Qwest more than six months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to court documents unsealed in Denver this week."

Gore gets a cold shoulder - Environment - smh.com.au

Gore gets a cold shoulder - Environment - smh.com.au: "ONE of the world's foremost meteorologists has called the theory that helped Al Gore share the Nobel Peace Prize 'ridiculous' and the product of 'people who don't understand how the atmosphere works'. Dr William Gray, a pioneer in the science of seasonal hurricane forecasts, told a packed lecture hall at the University of North Carolina that humans were not responsible for the warming of the earth. His comments came on the same day that the Nobel committee honoured Mr Gore for his work in support of the link between humans and global warming."

Joe Conason: Wesley Clark's memoir and the neocon strategy for a wider Mideast war | Salon.com

Joe Conason: Wesley Clark's memoir and the neocon strategy for a wider Mideast war | Salon.com: "Oct. 12, 2007 | While the Bush White House promotes the possibility of armed conflict with Iran, a tantalizing passage in Wesley Clark's new memoir suggests that another war is part of a long-planned Department of Defense strategy that anticipated 'regime change' by force in no fewer than seven Mideast states."

Nintendo to launch Wii workout board - Game Articles | Digital Life

Nintendo to launch Wii workout board - Game Articles | Digital Life: "Couch potatoes beware: Wii owners will be able to get an even more vigorous workout from December when Nintendo launches a new fitness balance board for its hit video game console."

Turkey escalates action near Iraq border - Yahoo! News

Turkey escalates action near Iraq border - Yahoo! News: "SIRNAK, Turkey - Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships attacked suspected positions of Kurdish rebels near Iraq on Wednesday, a possible prelude to a cross-border operation that would likely raise tensions with Washington. "

Vicente Fox admits that he and George W. Bush have ’agreed’ on common currency, North American Union

Vicente Fox admits that he and George W. Bush have ’agreed’ on common currency, North American Union: "Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 10, 2007) -- Speaking on the Larry King show, former Mexican President Vicente Fox confirmed every assertion made by Jerome Corsi in his new book, NY Times bestseller 'The Late Great U.S.A: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada' (WND Books, ISBNs 0-9790451-4-2, $25.95, July 2007). Not only did Fox admit that he and George W. Bush have 'agreed' to create a common currency, the Amero, he contended that a North American Union is 'inevitable' "

Jimmy Carter calls Cheney a disaster for U.S | Politics | Reuters

Jimmy Carter calls Cheney a disaster for U.S | Politics | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday denounced Vice President Dick Cheney as a 'disaster' for the country and a 'militant' who has had an excessive influence in setting foreign policy."

Golden retriever nurses stray kitten

Golden retriever nurses stray kitten: "STEPHENS CITY, Va. -- A stray kitten has found a new mother in a golden retriever, who began producing milk for the gray tabby after hearing its cries."

Ron Paul's Fund Raising Doubled in Quarter - WSJ.com

Ron Paul's Fund Raising Doubled in Quarter - WSJ.com: "WASHINGTON -- Rep. Ron Paul disclosed more than $5 million in third-quarter fund raising for his insurgent Republican presidential bid, the only Republican in the field so far to report increased donations. While the Texas lawmaker remains a second-tier candidate in a party field dominated by the likes of Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, his grass-roots campaign continues to build steam, thanks to thousands of small donors over the Internet. Campaign spokesman Jesse Benton estimates that as much as 80% of the campaign's donations are received online. In the final week of the third quarter, Dr. Paul, a licensed obstetrician, raised $1.2 million in Internet donations alone. The $5 million haul more than doubles his $2.4 million showing in the second quarter."

Is your make-up killing you? | the Daily Mail

Is your make-up killing you? | the Daily Mail: "Last year, Britons spent �6.4billion on cosmetics and grooming products, with the average woman applying 12 toiletries every day. But here's the rub - these toiletries can bring with them at least 175 chemical compounds. A recent study found that British women are one of the heaviest users of cosmetics in Europe and, as a result, we ingest through our skin, and occasionally through the mouth, up to 5lb of chemicals a year."

Technology Review: Gibson's Self-Tuning Guitar

Technology Review: Gibson's Self-Tuning Guitar: "It's every guitar player's nightmare: you step onstage, strike your rock-god pose, triumphantly strum the first chord of a song--and discover that your guitar is out of tune. A new line of instruments from Gibson Guitar now promises to banish this scenario to the dark ages with high-tech self-tuning technology built into the company's flagship electric-guitar models. "

Technology Review: Gibson's Self-Tuning Guitar

Technology Review: Gibson's Self-Tuning Guitar: "It's every guitar player's nightmare: you step onstage, strike your rock-god pose, triumphantly strum the first chord of a song--and discover that your guitar is out of tune. A new line of instruments from Gibson Guitar now promises to banish this scenario to the dark ages with high-tech self-tuning technology built into the company's flagship electric-guitar models. "

Chemical that gives chilli its bite is hot stuff at killing pain without numbness - Times Online

Chemical that gives chilli its bite is hot stuff at killing pain without numbness - Times Online: "An anaesthetic that can block pain without impairing movement, touch or mental awareness has been developed using the chemical that gives chilli peppers their kick."

Iraqis say Basra quieter after British troop pullout | Reuters

Iraqis say Basra quieter after British troop pullout | Reuters: "BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Residents of Iraq's southern city of Basra have begun strolling riverfront streets again after four years of fear, their city much quieter since British troops withdrew from the grand Saddam Hussein-era Basra Palace."

Acupuncture 'provides twice the pain relief of standard medicine' | the Daily Mail

Acupuncture 'provides twice the pain relief of standard medicine' | the Daily Mail: "Acupuncture is twice as effective at reducing lower back pain than conventional medicines, according to researchers. But pretend acupuncture, where the needles are inserted less deeply, has also been found to have a similar effect, suggesting that the pain relief could be psychological."

Parallel universes exist - study

Parallel universes exist - study: "Parallel universes really do exist, according to a mathematical discovery by Oxford scientists described by one expert as 'one of the most important developments in the history of science'."

Cancer cure 'may be available in two years' - Telegraph

Cancer cure 'may be available in two years' - Telegraph: "Prof Cui injected granulocytes from immune mice into ordinary mice, and found it was possible to give them protection from cancer. Even more excitingly he found the transfusions caused existing cancers to go into remission and to clear them completely within weeks. A single dose of the cells appeared to give many of the mice resistance to cancer for the rest of their lives. "

War means a windfall for CEOs - MSN Money

War means a windfall for CEOs - MSN Money: "While policymakers in Washington wrangle over how much progress we've made in Iraq, one thing is clear: The war on terror is making some people rich. President Bush's military buildup has caused defense-contractor revenue to double, triple and even more during the past five years, and their executives have reaped huge bonuses and stock windfalls as the companies' share prices have jumped."

United States Forest Service Purchases 700 TASER X26 Electronic Control Devices

United States Forest Service Purchases 700 TASER X26 Electronic Control Devices: "SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 19, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- TASER International, Inc. (Nasdaq:TASR), a market leader in advanced electronic control devices, today announced that it received an order from the United States Forest Service for 700 TASER(r) X26 electronic control devices and related accessories. 'We are excited about this new additional federal agency purchasing TASER technology to protect life,' said Tom Smith, Chairman and Founder of TASER international. 'Traditionally, we have focused law enforcement sales at the local and state level, but we are now seeing acceptance of TASER technology at various federal law enforcement agencies.'"

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - Iran cuts foreign dollar assets to 30 percent

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - Iran cuts foreign dollar assets to 30 percent: "“After the strong fall in the dollar and the decision to transfer our foreign currency reserves into euros, we have taken measures and now 70 percent of Iranian assets are in euros, other currencies or gold,” said Deputy Economy Minister Mohammad Zahedi Vafa."

Iran to use "all means" to defend itself if attacked - Yahoo! News

Iran to use "all means" to defend itself if attacked - Yahoo! News: "TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Wednesday it would use 'all our means' to defend itself if attacked by the West, three days after France's foreign minister publicly raised the possibility of war over Tehran's disputed nuclear activities."

BBspot - Microsoft Reveals Windows Vista SP1 Will Install XP

BBspot - Microsoft Reveals Windows Vista SP1 Will Install XP: "Redmond, WA – In response to customer demands Microsoft announced that instead of patching bugs and improving features of Windows Vista in the next service pack release, they would just install XP. 'We're focused on giving the customer what they want, and want they want is to just go back to XP,' said Microsoft Development Chief Greg Elston."

Vista attacked by 13-year-old virus | The Register

Vista attacked by 13-year-old virus | The Register

It is the death of history - Independent Online Edition > Robert Fisk

It is the death of history - Independent Online Edition > Robert Fisk: "'Quite apart from this, military operations are damaging these sites forever. There's been a US base in Ur for five years and the walls are cracking because of the weight of military vehicles. It's like putting an archaeological site under a continuous earthquake.' Of all the ancient cities of present-day Iraq, Ur is regarded as the most important in the history of man-kind. Mentioned in the Old Testament – and believed by many to be the home of the Prophet Abraham – it also features in the works of Arab historians and geographers where its name is Qamirnah, The City of the Moon."

The Sun Online - News: OAPs say nurse, I need a Wii

The Sun Online - News: OAPs say nurse, I need a Wii: "OAPs say nurse, I need a Wii By ANDREW PARKER September 14, 2007 COMMENT ON THIS STORY THESE pensioners are livening up their retirement home — by competing with each other on the Nan-tendo Wii. Consol-ation prize ... resident Barrie Edgar, 88 Consol-ation prize ... resident Barrie Edgar, 88 Residents as old as 103 have ditched knitting and bridge after getting hooked on the console. Barrie Edgar, 88, said: “It’s great fun. We’ve only had it a few days but we can’t put it down.”"

Alan Greenspan claims Iraq war was really for oil - Times Online

Alan Greenspan claims Iraq war was really for oil - Times Online: "AMERICA’s elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil."

Comment is free: 9/11 - the big cover-up?

9/11 - the big cover-up?

Why engineers yawn less than psychologists | Science | The Guardian

Why engineers yawn less than psychologists | Science | The Guardian: "Psychologists have shown that a phenomenon called 'contagious yawning' is strongest in people who are more empathetic and have a more developed sense of social awareness. Researchers at the University of Leeds covertly watched 40 psychology students and 40 engineering students yawning contagiously. The students thought they were sitting in a waiting room before an experiment, but in reality their reactions were being observed while someone else in the room yawned 10 times. On average, the engineering students yawned 1.5 times in response, while the psychology students yawned 5.5 times. The two groups also differed in how well developed their 'theory of mind' was - that is, their ability to appreciate the mental state of others."

RIA Novosti - Russia - Russia tests world's most powerful vacuum bomb - TV 1

RIA Novosti - Russia - Russia tests world's most powerful vacuum bomb - TV 1: "MOSCOW, September 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has tested a thermobaric bomb that is the most powerful in the world, a top military official said Tuesday."

Bloomberg Printer-Friendly Page

Bloomberg: "Iran isn't alone in wanting to drop the dollar for pricing oil. Russia has been examining plans to price the Urals oil export blend in rubles to curb currency risks. The nation plans to open the Energy Stock Exchange in St. Petersburg in the first half of next year to trade oil in rubles, UBS AG reported June 14."

Entire 6,000 page Diana dossier 'disappears' from Paris archives | the Daily Mail

Entire 6,000 page Diana dossier 'disappears' from Paris archives | the Daily Mail: "The entire 6,000-page French legal dossier into the death of Princess Diana has vanished from the court archives in Paris, a lawyer claimed last night. The mass of official documents - which stand one metre tall - was stored at the Palais de Justice central court building in the French capital. It was compiled over three years during the official investigation in crash by French investigating magistrate Judge Herve Stephan. But lawyer Jean-Louis Pelletier - who represents Paris paparazzi Fabrice Chassery - said when he asked to view the dossier, he was told it had disappeared."

Poll: 71% of Israelis want U.S. to strike Iran if talks fail - Haaretz - Israel News

Poll: 71% of Israelis want U.S. to strike Iran if talks fail - Haaretz - Israel News: "Fully 71 percent of Israelis believe that the United States should launch a military attack on Iran if diplomatic efforts fail to halt Tehran's nuclear program, according to a new poll. The survey, commissioned by Bar-Ilan University's BESA Center and the Anti-Defamation League, found that 59 percent of Israelis still believe the war in Iraq was justified, while 36 percent take the opposite view. "

Scotsman.com News - Police chief- Lockerbie evidence was faked

Scotsman.com News - Police chief- Lockerbie evidence was faked: "A FORMER Scottish police chief has given lawyers a signed statement claiming that key evidence in the Lockerbie bombing trial was fabricated."

IOL: Man claims key Lockerbie evidence was faked

IOL: Man claims key Lockerbie evidence was faked: "Zurich - A Swiss businessman on Monday claimed that a key piece of evidence in the Lockerbie trial was faked, following a French press report that one of his employees had lied to Scottish investigators."

The Canadian National Newspaper: German scientist Von Braun was at Roswell during UFO crash

The Canadian National Newspaper: German scientist Von Braun was at Roswell during UFO crash

Science of forgetting - Boing Boing

Science of forgetting - Boing Boing: "A new study suggests that there is a benefit to forgetting irrelevant or similar but less useful memories. According to Stanford University neuroscientist Brice Kuhl and his colleagues, suppressing certain memories reduces the cognitive load of remembering something else later on. "

U.S. most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people - Yahoo! News

U.S. most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people - Yahoo! News: "GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said."

Inside DCSNet, the FBI's Nationwide Eavesdropping Network

Inside DCSNet, the FBI's Nationwide Eavesdropping Network: "It's a 'comprehensive wiretap system that intercepts wire-line phones, cellular phones, SMS and push-to-talk systems,' says Steven Bellovin, a Columbia University computer science professor and longtime surveillance expert."

news @ nature.com�-�Smoking stays in your genes after you quit�-�Cigarette habit may leave a molecular mark.

news@nature.com - Smoking stays in your genes after you quit - Cigarette habit may leave a molecular mark.: "'Cells in the airway appear to have changes at a molecular level that persist many years after quitting'"

Spy report on Iraq has stark conclusion - Los Angeles Times

Spy report on Iraq has stark conclusion - Los Angeles Times: "WASHINGTON -- Despite some military progress, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is unable to govern his country effectively and the political situation is likely to become even more precarious in the next six to 12 months, the nation's intelligence agencies concluded in a new assessment released Thursday. The document, an update of a National Intelligence Estimate delivered in January, represents the view of all 16 U.S. spy agencies."

Santa Barbara News-Press

Santa Barbara News-Press: "One after another, the men and women who have stepped forward to report corruption in the massive effort to rebuild Iraq have been vilified, fired and demoted. Or worse."

Local Troops Deploy To Nation's Capital - News Story - WESH Orlando

Local Troops Deploy To Nation's Capital - News Story - WESH Orlando: "DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Members of the 1st Battalion 265 Air Defense Artillery have mobilized and are on a plane headed first to Ft. Bliss, then for federal active duty in the capital region. The troops will be deployed for a year."

World | Africa - Reuters.com

World | Africa - Reuters.com: "Despite having the four men in custody, police were unable to locate the uranium."

Scientists recreate out-of-body experiences (no drugs) - Yahoo! News

Scientists recreate out-of-body experiences (no drugs) - Yahoo! News: "Now neuroscientists have manipulated a group of perfectly healthy volunteers into thinking they had moved outside their bodies by distorting their perception of reality. Using virtual reality goggles to mix up the sensory signals reaching the brain, they induced the volunteers into projecting their awareness into a virtual body. Participants confirmed they had experienced sitting behind their physical body and looking at it. The illusion was so strong that the volunteers reacted with a palpable sense of fear when their virtual selves were threatened with physical force. The findings suggest there may be a scientific explanation for these types of out-of-body experiences, which are often thought of as delusional or paranormal, and the scientists believe their research could have important applications."

Quebec police says masked protesters were cops : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN

Quebec police says masked protesters were cops : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN: "The Quebec police force admits that three masked protesters at the Montebello summit were undercover officers -- the same men accused of trying to incite violence. "

Biofuels switch a mistake, say researchers | Environment | The Guardian

Biofuels switch a mistake, say researchers | Environment | The Guardian: "Increasing production of biofuels to combat climate change will release between two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil fuels, according to the first comprehensive analysis of emissions from biofuels."

Syrian-Saudi war of words bodes ill for troubled region - International Herald Tribune

Syrian-Saudi war of words bodes ill for troubled region - International Herald Tribune: "BEIRUT, Lebanon: A new war of words has erupted between Syria and Saudi Arabia, signaling a further low in relations between the Mideast's two key regional players — one of them aligned with Washington and the other with Tehran."

Pentagon to suspend anti-terror database - Yahoo! News

Pentagon to suspend anti-terror database - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said Tuesday that it will shut down an anti-terror database that has been criticized for improperly storing information on peace activists and others whose actions posed no threat. It will be closed on Sept. 17 and information collected subsequently on potential terror or security threats to Defense Department facilities or personnel will be sent by Pentagon officials to an FBI database known as Guardian, according to Army Col. Gary Keck, a Pentagon spokesman. Keck said the Pentagon database is being shut down because 'the analytical value had declined,' but not because of public criticism of how it was used."

The Raw Story | Former CIA officer: US to attack Iran within 6 months

The Raw Story | Former CIA officer: US to attack Iran within 6 months: "Fox News asked former CIA field officer Bob Baer on Tuesday whether the US is 'gearing up for a military strike on Iran.' Baer has written a column for Time indicating that Washington officials expect an attack within the next six months."

PeoplePC - News

PeoplePC - News: "FRANKFURT, Germany - A two-day outage that left millions of Skype users unable to use the popular Internet phone service was caused by an abnormally high number of restarts after people had downloaded a Windows security update, the company said Monday. The worldwide outage, which began on Thursday and ended on Saturday, left millions of Skype users unable to log on to make phone calls or send instant messages."

WestEnder - Top Stories

WestEnder - Top Stories: "The Turks have never been happy about America’s closeness to the Kurds who helped the United States bring down Saddam Hussein. But, they are more concerned about those Iraqi Kurds sitting on huge oil reserves around Kirkuk. Therefore, if Iraq descended into all-out civil war, Kurdistan in northern Iraq could become a totally separate and very rich entity on Turkey’s border."

GoldMoney - Founder's Commentary

GoldMoney - Founder's Commentary: "Is a German-style hyperinflation really our future? Central banks in the past week created 1/3rd of a trillion dollars out of thin air in the blink of an eye. Does that sit right with you?"

Putin revives long-range bomber patrols | Russia | Guardian Unlimited

Putin revives long-range bomber patrols | Russia | Guardian Unlimited: "The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday announced Russia had resumed long-range flights of strategic bombers capable of striking targets deep inside the United States with nuclear weapons. Mr Putin said Russia had restarted the Soviet-era practice of sending bomber aircraft on regular patrols beyond its borders. Speaking after Russian and Chinese forces completed a day of war games in Russia's Urals, Mr Putin said 14 Russian bombers had taken off simultaneously yesterday on long-range missions."

San Jose Mercury News - Skype struggles to return to full service

San Jose Mercury News - Skype struggles to return to full service: "del.icio.usdel.icio.usDiggDiggRedditRedditYahooMyWebYahooMyWebGoogleGoogleThese icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.What's this? RePrintPrint Email Skype struggles to return to full service By Sarah Jane Tribble Mercury News Article Launched: 08/18/2007 01:41:12 AM PDT As users of Skype - the world's most popular Internet telephone service - struggled to get online Friday, the company continued to ask for patience. Skype, which is owned by eBay, first reported outages Thursday, blaming a software glitch. By Friday morning, Skype had updated its Web page to tell users it was 'on the road to recovery.' 'Skype is stabilizing, but this process may continue throughout the day,' the heartbeat.skype.com blog stated. 'An encouraging number of users can now use Skype once again. We know we're not out of the woods yet, but we are in better shape now than we were yesterday.'"

Jeremy Scahill: The Mercenary Revolution

Jeremy Scahill: The Mercenary Revolution: "If you think the U.S. has only 160,000 troops in Iraq, think again. With almost no congressional oversight and even less public awareness, the Bush administration has more than doubled the size of the U.S. occupation through the use of private war companies. There are now almost 200,000 private 'contractors' deployed in Iraq by Washington. This means that U.S. military forces in Iraq are now outsized by a coalition of billing corporations whose actions go largely unmonitored and whose crimes are virtually unpunished."

Iraq bombs: 500 die in worst terror attack - Telegraph

Iraq bombs: 500 die in worst terror attack - Telegraph: "The death toll in the co-ordinated suicide bomb attack on the minority Yazidi sect in northern Iraq could be as high as 500, medics have said."

U.S. actions against Iran raise war risk, many fear - Yahoo! News

U.S. actions against Iran raise war risk, many fear - Yahoo! News: "Designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group 'is the State Department trying to do something short of war,' said former U.S. diplomat Charles Dunbar , a professor of international relations at Boston University ."

Ahmadinejad to join Chinese, Russian leaders for regional security summit - International Herald Tribune

Ahmadinejad to join Chinese, Russian leaders for regional security summit - International Herald Tribune: "BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived Wednesday in Kyrgyzstan to join the leaders of Russia and China for a summit of a regional group seen as a platform for countering U.S. interests in strategic, energy-rich Central Asia."

'We have broken speed of light' - Telegraph

'We have broken speed of light' - Telegraph: "Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory. The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons - energetic packets of light - travelled 'instantaneously' between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart. Being able to travel faster than the speed of light would lead to a wide variety of bizarre consequences."

Walking to the shops ‘damages planet more than going by car’ - Times Online

Walking to the shops ‘damages planet more than going by car’ - Times Online: "Walking does more than driving to cause global warming, a leading environmentalist has calculated. Food production is now so energy-intensive that more carbon is emitted providing a person with enough calories to walk to the shops than a car would emit over the same distance. The climate could benefit if people avoided exercise, ate less and became couch potatoes. "

China Enacting a High-Tech Plan to Track People - New York Times

China Enacting a High-Tech Plan to Track People - New York Times: "Starting this month in a port neighborhood and then spreading across Shenzhen, a city of 12.4 million people, residency cards fitted with powerful computer chips programmed by the same company will be issued to most citizens. Data on the chip will include not just the citizen’s name and address but also work history, educational background, religion, ethnicity, police record, medical insurance status and landlord’s phone number. Even personal reproductive history will be included, for enforcement of China’s controversial “one child” policy. Plans are being studied to add credit histories, subway travel payments and small purchases charged to the card."

Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? - WSJ.com

Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? - WSJ.com: "'Our brains are not specialized for 21st-century media,' says Prof. Reeves. 'There's no switch that says, 'Process this differently because it's on a screen.' '"

'I didn't eat and I didn't sleep' / Coin dealer flies dime worth $1.9 million to NYC

'I didn't eat and I didn't sleep' / Coin dealer flies dime worth $1.9 million to NYC: "(07-26) 19:04 PDT -- John Feigenbaum flew out of San Jose this week in first class, with flip-flops on his feet, a T-shirt on his back and a dime worth $1.9 million in his pocket."

Iraq war boss says US draft 'worth considering' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Iraq war boss says US draft 'worth considering' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "The top US military officer in charge of coordinating the war effort in Iraq says that it makes sense to consider a return of the draft to meet the military's needs."

Dow Sinks 387 on Renewed Credit Concerns - The Huffington Post

Dow Sinks 387 on Renewed Credit Concerns - The Huffington Post: "The ECB's injection of money into the system is an unprecedented move, said Joseph V. Battipaglia, chief investment officer at Ryan Beck & Co., adding that it shows that problems in subprime lending are, in fact, spreading into the general economy. 'This is a mini-panic,' he said. 'All the things that had been denied up until this point are unraveling. On top of this, retail sales were mediocre, which shows that indeed, the housing collapse is affecting the consumer.'"

Russian bombers buzz US base in Guam - Telegraph

Russian bombers buzz US base in Guam - Telegraph: "Moscow said that US fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the two Tupolev-95 warplanes as they resumed the Cold War era practice of flying over Western offshore military installations in a mission on Wednesday. The incident, seen as the latest attempt by a revitalised Russia to project its military might, is likely to have unnerved the Pentagon and caused further perplexity at the State Department over the Kremlin's mercurial course."

Laughing gas 'may raise risk of heart attack' | the Daily Mail

Laughing gas 'may raise risk of heart attack' | the Daily Mail: "'The routine use of nitrous oxide in adult patients undergoing major surgery should be questioned.'"

In Iraq, a Perilous Alliance With Former Enemies - washingtonpost.com

In Iraq, a Perilous Alliance With Former Enemies - washingtonpost.com: "U.S. commanders are offering large sums to enlist, at breakneck pace, their former enemies, handing them broad security powers in a risky effort to tame this fractious area south of Baghdad in Babil province and, literally, buy time for national reconciliation."

Technology Review: Electric Fields Kill Tumors

Technology Review: Electric Fields Kill Tumors: "An Israeli company is conducting human tests for a device that uses weak electric fields to kill cancer cells but has no effect on normal cells. The device is in late-stage clinical trials in the United States and Europe for glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer. It is also being tested in Europe for its effectiveness against breast cancer. In the lab and in animal testing, treatment with electric fields has killed cancer cells of every type tested."

Pakistan criticizes Obama for air strike remarks | Jerusalem Post

Pakistan criticizes Obama for air strike remarks | Jerusalem Post: "Hundreds of protesters chanted anti-US slogans and burned an American flag to protest a remark by Democratic US presidential hopeful Barack Obama saying that, if elected, he might order military strikes in Pakistan against al-Qaida.

The protests followed comments by Pakistani officials calling Obama's comments irresponsible."

PC World - Diebold Voting Machines Vulnerable to Virus Attack

PC World - Diebold Voting Machines Vulnerable to Virus Attack: "An analysis of Diebold's source code shows that a hacker with access to a single voting machine could use a virus to affect an election."

Iran Makes Major Nuclear Concessions - washingtonpost.com

Iran Makes Major Nuclear Concessions - washingtonpost.com: "VIENNA, Austria -- In major concessions to international demands, Iran has agreed to answer lingering questions about its nuclear experiments and will let U.N. inspectors return to a plutonium-producing reactor it is building, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday."

Global Peace Index Rankings

Global Peace Index Rankings: "This section lists the results of the analysis into each nation's peace. This is the prime table in the Global Peace Index section. The countries are ranked from most peaceful to least peaceful, highlighting their ranking as well as their score."

One cannabis joint as bad as five cigarettes: study | Health | Reuters

One cannabis joint as bad as five cigarettes: study | Health | Reuters: "'The effect on the lungs of each joint was equivalent to smoking between 2.5 and five cigarettes in one go.'"

Alcohol linked to bowel cancer, says study - Yahoo! News

Alcohol linked to bowel cancer, says study - Yahoo! News: "LONDON (AFP) - Drinking wine or beer every day increases the risk of bowel cancer, according to a new study reported Tuesday.

The report, published by the International Journal of Cancer, says that drinking two large glasses of wine or two pints a day increases the risk of this disease by around quarter compared with non-drinkers.

One glass of wine or a pint of beer a day raises the risk by 10 percent.

'The research shows quite clearly that the more alcohol you drink the greater your risk of bowel cancer,' said Professor Tim Key, an expert with Cancer Research UK told the Daily Telegraph."

White House To Push Mideast Arms Sales, Officials To Press Congress For Increased Aid, Weapons Sales To Friendly Mideast Nations To Counter Iran - CBS

White House To Push Mideast Arms Sales, Officials To Press Congress For Increased Aid, Weapons Sales To Friendly Mideast Nations To Counter Iran - CBS News: "
(CBS/AP) The Bush administration will ask Congress to expand multibillion-dollar aid and weapons sales packages to friendly nations in the Middle East, partly to counteract Iran, senior officials said Friday. "

BBC NEWS | Americas | US 'plans huge Saudi arms deal'

BBC NEWS | Americas | US 'plans huge Saudi arms deal': "The United States is reported to be preparing a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $20bn over the next decade.

It is said to be part of a strategy for countering Iran's growing strength."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | US to sell bunker bombs to Israel

BBC NEWS | Middle East | US to sell bunker bombs to Israel: "The US government is proposing a $30m deal selling up to 100 laser-guided bunker-busting bombs to Israel.

The GBU-28 is a 2,000-kg conventional weapon with a powerful warhead that can burrow through six metres (20 feet) of concrete or 30 metres of earth.

The sale has gone ahead despite concern that Israel might use the weapon for a unilateral attack against Iran."

Saudis’ Role in Iraq Frustrates U.S. Officials - New York Times

Saudis’ Role in Iraq Frustrates U.S. Officials - New York Times: "Of an estimated 60 to 80 foreign fighters who enter Iraq each month, American military and intelligence officials say that nearly half are coming from Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis have not done enough to stem the flow."

WorldNetDaily: IRS loses challenge to prove tax liability

WorldNetDaily: IRS loses challenge to prove tax liability: "Cryer's encounter with tax law began more than a decade ago when a friend told him the income tax was sham. Cryer started researching, hoping to keep his friend out of trouble. But his conclusions, after years of research, were exactly what his friend told him.

He researched not only tax laws, but also the documents pertaining to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution as well as the first income tax.

He said throughout his battle, he's offered at every turn to pay taxes if the IRS could show him the authorization, and that never has happened."

Press TV

Press TV: "According to Fars news agency, the news website quoted German security officials as saying, 'Saudi Arabia began its nuclear program in the 1990s, and especially after Pakistan joined the 'nuclear club' in 1998.'

It also quoted John Pike, a US military analyst, as saying that Saudi Arabia purchased advanced equipment which have usage in nuclear programs from Pakistan and paid full cost for them.

The website also reported that a number of London- and Washington-based Saudi dissidents confirmed the news. 'The Saudi government had gathered a great number of Iraqi nuclear scientists in southern Riyadh and built for them special residential complexes to conduct nuclear studies there.'

The Iraqi scientists advised Saudi Arabia not to disclose its nuclear program even to its main ally, the United States. "

Technology Review: Robotic Insect Takes Off

Technology Review: Robotic Insect Takes Off: "A life-size, robotic fly has taken flight at Harvard University. Weighing only 60 milligrams, with a wingspan of three centimeters, the tiny robot's movements are modeled on those of a real fly. While much work remains to be done on the mechanical insect, the researchers say that such small flying machines could one day be used as spies, or for detecting harmful chemicals."

Swedish Woman Gets Superfast Internet

Swedish Woman Gets Superfast Internet: "In less than 2 seconds, Lothberg can download a full-length movie on her home computer — many thousand times faster than most residential connections, said Hafsteinn Jonsson, head of the Karlstad city network unit.

Jonsson and Lothberg's son, Peter, worked together to install the connection.

The speed is reached using a new modulation technique that allows the sending of data between two routers placed up to 1,240 miles apart, without any transponders in between, Jonsson said.

'We wanted to show that that there are no limitations to Internet speed,' he said."

Pope: Creation vs. evolution an ‘absurdity’ - Focus on the Vatican - MSNBC.com

Pope: Creation vs. evolution an ‘absurdity’ - Focus on the Vatican - MSNBC.com: "The pope, leader of some 1.1 billion Roman Catholics worldwide, said: “We must respect the interior laws of creation, of this Earth, to learn these laws and obey them if we want to survive.”"

BBC NEWS | Americas | US army veterans sue government

BBC NEWS | Americas | US army veterans sue government: "A coalition of US military veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is suing the US government.

The class-action lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans claims they have been denied disability pay and mental health treatment."

Diet soft drinks linked to health risks: study

Diet soft drinks linked to health risks: study: "A huge U.S. study of middle-aged adults has found that drinking more than one soft drink a day — even a sugar-free diet brand — may be associated with an elevated risk for metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors that significantly boosts the chance of having a heart attack or stroke and developing diabetes."

Russia to expel 4 British diplomats; relations strained - USATODAY.com

Russia to expel 4 British diplomats; relations strained - USATODAY.com: "LONDON — Russia said Thursday it was expelling four British diplomats and halting travel by government officials between the two countries in a rapidly escalating dispute over the murder case in Britain of a former KGB agent.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin, who announced the expulsions in Moscow, also said that Russia would no longer cooperate with Britain in combating terrorism."

Meat is murder on the environment - earth - 18 July 2007 - New Scientist Environment

Meat is murder on the environment - earth - 18 July 2007 - New Scientist Environment: "A kilogram of beef is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution than driving for 3 hours while leaving all the lights on back home."

Girl talk linked to depression, anxiety - Los Angeles Times

Girl talk linked to depression, anxiety - Los Angeles Times: "Constant venting over crushes, popularity or other personal problems may lead to anxiety and depression in girls — but not in boys, according to new research.

A study of 813 students ages 8 to 15 found that excessive discussions and rumination about problems strengthened friendships for both sexes, but those tighter bonds came at a cost for girls."

The Sun Online - News: Pagans have a cow over Homer

The Sun Online - News: Pagans have a cow over Homer: "PAGANS have pledged to perform “rain magic” to wash away cartoon character Homer Simpson who was painted next to their famous fertility symbol - the Cerne Abbas giant."

Attempted robbery ends in group hug - Yahoo! News

Attempted robbery ends in group hug - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - Police on Capitol Hill are baffled by an attempted robbery that began with a handgun put to the head of a teenager and ended in a group hug."

Israeli scientists unveil mini-robot that can travel through bloodstream - Haaretz - Israel News

Israeli scientists unveil mini-robot that can travel through bloodstream - Haaretz - Israel News: "'For the first time a miniature robot has been planned and constructed, that has the unique ability to crawl within the human body's veins and arteries,' said Dr. Nir Shvalb of the College of Judea and Samaria on Monday.

'The robot will be able to crawl against the bloodstream with a force typical of blood vessels within the body without any problem, which has not been possible before.'"

SAN FRANCISCO / Judges OK warrantless monitoring of Web use / Privacy rules don't apply to Internet messages, court says

SAN FRANCISCO / Judges OK warrantless monitoring of Web use / Privacy rules don't apply to Internet messages, court says: "Federal agents do not need a search warrant to monitor a suspect's computer use and determine the e-mail addresses and Web pages the suspect is contacting, a federal appeals court ruled Friday."

Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined - Los Angeles Times

Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined - Los Angeles Times: "BAGHDAD — Although Bush administration officials have frequently lashed out at Syria and Iran, accusing it of helping insurgents and militias here, the largest number of foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq come from a third neighbor, Saudi Arabia, according to a senior U.S. military officer and Iraqi lawmakers."

Israel 'Approved' to Strike Iran

Israel 'Approved' to Strike Iran: "Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs said he has received approval from the U.S. and Europe for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

'If we start military operations against Iran alone, then Europe and the U.S. will support us,” Avigdor Lieberman said following a meeting with NATO and European Union officials."

Machinist: Tech Blog, Tech News, Technology Articles - Salon

Machinist: Tech Blog, Tech News, Technology Articles - Salon: "The computer virus conception story begins in 1981, when a tech-savvy 9th grader named Richard Skrenta got an Apple II for Christmas. Over the following few months he began cooking up ways to trick his friends using the machine. 'I had been playing jokes on schoolmates by altering copies of pirated games to self-destruct after a number of plays,' Skrenta once told the tech news site Security Focus. 'I'd give out a new game, they'd get hooked, but then the game would stop working with a snickering comment from me on the screen.'

When his friends realized his tricky ways, they banned Skrenta from their machines. And that's when he had an epiphany: He could put his code on the school's computer, and rig it to copy itself onto floppy disks that students used on the system. "

A Nuclear Ruse Uncovers Holes in U.S. Security - New York Times

A Nuclear Ruse Uncovers Holes in U.S. Security - New York Times: "WASHINGTON, July 11 — Undercover Congressional investigators set up a bogus company and obtained a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in March that would have allowed them to buy the radioactive materials needed for a so-called dirty bomb"

Oregon man takes lawn chair up to 13,000 feet, travels 193 miles | KOMO-TV - Seattle, Washington | Local & Regional

Oregon man takes lawn chair up to 13,000 feet, travels 193 miles | KOMO-TV - Seattle, Washington | Local & Regional

Solar variations not behind global warming: study | Science | Reuters

Solar variations not behind global warming: study | Science | Reuters: "LONDON (Reuters) - The sun's changing energy levels are not to blame for recent global warming and, if anything, solar variations over the past 20 years should have had a cooling effect, scientists said on Wednesday."

The Raw Story | ABC host tells Paul, Gravel they have no chance to win

The Raw Story | ABC host tells Paul, Gravel they have no chance to win: "'It's a tragedy of what's happening, what we're going to leave behind,' replied Paul. 'But we don't know it's going to be as bad as those who are predicting bad things -- just remember, the people who are predicting these very, very dire things to happen are the same ones who predicted it would be a cakewalk. ... Think of Vietnam. It worked out much better than anybody predicted.'"

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Why is yawning contagious?

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Why is yawning contagious?: "Rather than being a precursor to sleep, yawning is designed to keep us awake, say US researchers. But why does seeing someone else yawn make you to do the same?"

Canadians among highest in world pot use, says UN

Canadians among highest in world pot use, says UN: "OTTAWA — Marijuana use in Canada is the highest in the industrialized world, far higher than in the Netherlands where it’s legal, and more than four times the global rate, a report by the United Nations has found."

LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug?

LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug?: "'LSD wanted to tell me something,' Hofmann told the gathering Friday. 'It gave me an inner joy, an open mindedness, a gratefulness, open eyes and an internal sensitivity for the miracles of creation.'

Bent with age but still eloquent, Hofmann said he hoped the symposium would encourage the renewed therapeutic and spiritual use of LSD in supervised settings."

New Scientist Technology Blog: Are we ready for shockbots?

New Scientist Technology Blog: Are we ready for shockbots?: "Last week, iRobot - maker of the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner - announced that it was working with stungun maker Taser to mount the latter’s controversial 'neuromuscular incapacitation' weapons on iRobot’s military droid: the PackBot.

The Packbot is already used in Iraq and Afghanistan to defuse roadside bombs and recently these robots have been fitted with lethal weapons like machine guns and shotguns. But, until now, weaponised robots have been for military use only. The iRobot-Taser collaboration changes this as it is geared towards making robots capable of shocking people available to law enforcement as well as the military. "

Nation & World | Revival of Latin Mass upsets liberals | Seattle Times Newspaper

Nation & World | Revival of Latin Mass upsets liberals | Seattle Times Newspaper: "VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday removed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass, reviving a rite that was all but swept away by the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

The decision, a victory for traditional, conservative Roman Catholics, came over the objections of liberal-minded Catholics and angered Jews because the Tridentine Mass contains a prayer for their conversion."

Are organic tomatoes more nutritious?

Are organic tomatoes more nutritious?: "Organically grown tomatoes contain higher levels of beneficial flavonoids, says a new study from the US that fans the flames of the debate between conventional and organic foods."

Scotsman.com News - Sci-Tech - Ancient DNA hints at natural warming

Scotsman.com News - Sci-Tech - Ancient DNA hints at natural warming: "A SCIENTIST yesterday claimed climate change could be caused by natural conditions after finding ancient DNA in Greenland, which indicates the region was much warmer during the Ice Age than previously thought."

AlterNet: Senator, You Used to Be a Pot Head -- Now You're Talking Like a Narc

AlterNet: Senator, You Used to Be a Pot Head -- Now You're Talking Like a Narc

AlterNet: Senator, You Used to Be a Pot Head -- Now You're Talking Like a Narc

AlterNet: Senator, You Used to Be a Pot Head -- Now You're Talking Like a Narc

Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq - Los Angeles Times

Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq - Los Angeles Times: "'These numbers are big,' said Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution scholar who has written on military contracting. 'They illustrate better than anything that we went in without enough troops. This is not the coalition of the willing. It's the coalition of the billing.'

The numbers include at least 21,000 Americans, 43,000 foreign contractors and about 118,000 Iraqis — all employed in Iraq by U.S. tax dollars, according to the most recent government data."

World's Richest Person - News - CNBC.com

World's Richest Person - News - CNBC.com: "Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim is the world's richest man, worth an estimated $67.8 billion, after overtaking Microsoft founder Bill Gates, according to a respected tracker of Mexican financial wealth on Monday."

New Drug Deletes Bad Memories | LiveScience

New Drug Deletes Bad Memories | LiveScience: "Do you have a really bad memory, or past heartache, that you would prefer to forget?

Researchers at Harvard and McGill University (in Montreal) are working on an amnesia drug that blocks or deletes bad memories. The technique seems to allow psychiatrists to disrupt the biochemical pathways that allow a memory to be recalled.

In a new study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, the drug propranolol is used along with therapy to 'dampen' memories of trauma victims. They treated 19 accident or rape victims for ten days, during which the patients were asked to describe their memories of the traumatic event that had happened 10 years earlier. Some patients were given the drug, which is also used to treat amnesia, while others were given a placebo.

A week later, they found that patients given the drug showed fewer signs of stress when recalling their trauma."

Mechanical Fingers Give Strength, Speed to Amputees

Mechanical Fingers Give Strength, Speed to Amputees: "If the X-Finger looks like a prop from The Terminator, relax. It isn't out to kill you, and it isn't robotic. In fact, it's a mechanical prosthetic finger so effective it provides articulation as fast and flexible as the real thing."

Roswell aliens theory revived by deathbed confession | NEWS.com.au

Roswell aliens theory revived by deathbed confession | NEWS.com.au

Prince's free album causes storm with retailers - USATODAY.com

Prince's free album causes storm with retailers - USATODAY.com: "LONDON — U.S. rock star Prince is to give away his new album for free with a U.K. tabloid newspaper, weeks before its official launch, in a move that has caused dismay among music retailers."

Putin's Arctic invasion: Russia lays claim to the North Pole - and all its gas, oil, and diamonds | the Daily Mail

Putin's Arctic invasion: Russia lays claim to the North Pole - and all its gas, oil, and diamonds | the Daily Mail: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is making an astonishing bid to grab a vast chunk of the Arctic - so he can tap its vast potential oil, gas and mineral wealth.

His scientists claim an underwater ridge near the North Pole is really part of Russia's continental shelf."

Rolling Stone : The Record Industry's Decline

Rolling Stone : The Record Industry's Decline: "Record sales are tanking, and there's no hope in sight: How it all went wrong"

Campaigns & Elections

Campaigns & Elections: "WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 20, 2007) - Today the House of Representatives passed H. Con.Res.21, a resolution that pressures the United Nations Security Council to charge Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on Genocide and the United Nations Charter because of his alleged calls for the destruction of Israel.

'There is reasonable doubt with regard to the accuracy of the translations of President Ahmadinejad's words in this resolution. President Ahmadinejad's speeches can also be translated as a call for regime change, much in the same manner the Bush Administration has called for regime change in Iraq and Iran, making this resolution very ironic,' Kucinich said.

Kucinich attempted to insert into the Congressional Record two independent translations of the speech from The New York Times and Middle East Media Research Institute, which contain significant differences in the translations of the speech compared to the resolution before the House. However, Members objected formally and the attempt was blocked. "

The Raw Story | Revealed: Bush EPA chief says she quit after Cheney rewrote coal power plant rules

The Raw Story | Revealed: Bush EPA chief says she quit after Cheney rewrote coal power plant rules: "Christine Todd Whitman is the media darling of talk shows, the conservative former governor of New Jersey and head of President George W. Bush's Environmental Protection Agency who quit the Bush Administration to 'spend more time with her family.'

Evidently, that's not true.

In a groundbreaking article today by the Washington Post, the paper alleges that Whitman left the Administration because they pressured her to accept pro-industry coal power plant rules which threatened ghoulish levels of air pollution.

After industry officials complained to Vice President Cheney about Clinton-era rules requiring plants to update their technology when they conducted routine maintenance to comply with air quality standards, Cheney turned to Whitman, she said."

Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil - earth - 26 June 2007 - New Scientist Environment

Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil - earth - 26 June 2007 - New Scientist Environment

Professor claims to survive on just sunshine and fruit juice | the Daily Mail

Professor claims to survive on just sunshine and fruit juice | the Daily Mail: "Michael Werner looks normal enough. He's six foot tall, grey and bespectacled, weighs in at 12-and-a-half stone and enjoys playing tennis, socialising and jogging - three brisk miles before breakfast with his wife Angelica, a nice fry-up for her and a quick coffee for him.

All very ordinary. It's just that Michael doesn't eat. At all.

In fact, the last item of food that passed his lips was a huge helping of potato salad and a slice of cake on New Year's Eve 2001."

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Afghan opium production 'soars'

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Afghan opium production 'soars': "Opium production in Afghanistan is soaring out of control, the annual UN report on illegal drugs says."

Was 9/11 an 'inside job'?

Was 9/11 an 'inside job'?: "More than a third of the American public suspects that federal officials assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East, according to a new Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll."

A horror movie come to life | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA

A horror movie come to life | TheNewsTribune.com | Tacoma, WA: "Cell phone technology allows remote monitoring of calls, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Known as a “roving bug,” it works whether a phone is on or off. FBI agents tracking organized crime have used it to monitor meetings among mobsters. Global positioning systems, installed in many cell phones, also make it possible to pinpoint a phone’s location within a few feet."

Top scientist debunks global warming | | The Australian

Top scientist debunks global warming | | The Australian: "MANKIND is naive to think it can influence climate change, according to a prize-winning Australian geologist.

Solar activity is a greater driver of climate change than man-made carbon dioxide, argues Ian Plimer, Professor of Mining Geology at the University of Adelaide and winner of several notable science prizes.

“When meteorologists can change the weather then we can start to think about humans changing climate,” Prof Plimer said.

“I think we really are a little bit naive to think we can change astronomical and solar processes.”"

Herbal remedy cut colds in studies

Herbal remedy cut colds in studies: "The herbal remedy echinacea can prevent colds and speed recovery from runny noses, coughs and other symptoms, according to a study published Sunday that could renew interest in the discredited product.

The analysis of 1,600 patients pooled from 14 previously published studies found that echinacea reduced the chances of catching a cold by 58 percent and shaved 1.4 days off the duration of a cold, researchers said."

glumbert.com - Saltwater into Fire

glumbert.com - Saltwater into Fire: "Saltwater into Fire"

Body absorbs 5lb of make-up chemicals a year | Uk News | News | Telegraph

Body absorbs 5lb of make-up chemicals a year | Uk News | News | Telegraph: "Women who use make-up on a daily basis are absorbing almost 5lb of chemicals a year into their bodies, it is claimed."

'Wiped off the Map' – The Rumor of the Century - by Arash Norouzi

'Wiped off the Map' – The Rumor of the Century - by Arash Norouzi: "Across the world, a dangerous rumor has spread that could have catastrophic implications. According to legend, Iran's president has threatened to destroy Israel, or, to quote the misquote, 'Israel must be wiped off the map.' Contrary to popular belief, this statement was never made."

Two-year-old 'Matilda' becomes youngest ever girl in Mensa | the Daily Mail

Two-year-old 'Matilda' becomes youngest ever girl in Mensa | the Daily Mail: "Her parents knew Georgia Brown was bright. After all, she could count to ten, recognised her colours and was even starting to dabble with French.

But it was only when their bubbly little two-year-old took an IQ test that her towering intellect was confirmed.

Georgia has become the youngest female member of Mensa after scoring a genius-rated IQ of 152."

Firstborn children are the cleverest - being-human - 21 June 2007 - New Scientist

Firstborn children are the cleverest - being-human - 21 June 2007 - New Scientist: "Firstborn children score significantly higher in IQ tests than their younger siblings, according to a large study of 250,000 military draftees in Norway."

Geronimo's great-grandson wants bones returned - Boston.com

Geronimo's great-grandson wants bones returned - Boston.com: "SANTA FE, N.M. --Legend has it that Yale University's ultrasecret Skull and Bones society swiped the remains of American Indian leader Geronimo nearly a century ago from an Army outpost in Oklahoma... Harlyn Geronimo, 59, of Mescalero, N.M., wants to prove the skull and bones purportedly taken from a burial plot in Fort Sill, Okla., are indeed those of his great-grandfather. They're now said to be in a stone tomb that serves as the club's headquarters."

U.S. Arming Sunnis in Iraq to Battle Old Qaeda Allies - New York Times

U.S. Arming Sunnis in Iraq to Battle Old Qaeda Allies - New York Times: "BAGHDAD, June 10 — With the four-month-old increase in American troops showing only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks, American commanders are turning to another strategy that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in the past."

ABC News: Patient Bleeds Dark Green; Docs Shocked

ABC News: Patient Bleeds Dark Green; Docs Shocked: "TORONTO (CP) - The green blood came as a bit of a shock to Dr. Alana Flexman and her colleagues when they tried to put an arterial line into a patient about to undergo surgery in Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital."

'Indiana Jones' returning, but without Sean Connery - Los Angeles Times

'Indiana Jones' returning, but without Sean Connery - Los Angeles Times: "Indiana Jones will be back, hat and all. But his dad likes retirement too much, which means that actor Sean Connery, who played Harrison Ford's father in 1989's 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,' won't be returning for the latest installment in the lucrative action franchise that begins filming this month."

Calvi murder: The mystery of God's banker - Independent Online Edition > Europe

Calvi murder: The mystery of God's banker - Independent Online Edition > Europe: "Twenty-five years after the event, the trial of the alleged killers of Roberto Calvi has ended with the sensational acquittal of all five defendants: a Sardinian property dealer and his mistress, a Mafia accountant already serving life for other offences, a Roman loan shark and the banker's one-time bodyguard, all are absolved."

The Raw Story | Arkansas GOP head: We need more 'attacks on American soil' so people appreciate Bush

The Raw Story | Arkansas GOP head: We need more 'attacks on American soil' so people appreciate Bush: "In his first interview as the chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, Dennis Milligan told a reporter that America needs to be attacked by terrorists so that people will appreciate the work that President Bush has done to protect the country."

VOA News - Putin: Russia Will Retaliate if US Puts Rocket Base in Europe

VOA News - Putin: Russia Will Retaliate if US Puts Rocket Base in Europe: "Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will aim its rockets at European targets if the United States goes ahead with plans to build a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic."

B.C. to follow California on tailpipe emissions : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN

B.C. to follow California on tailpipe emissions : Top Stories : News : Sympatico / MSN: "With California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at his side, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell has agreed to implement the toughest tailpipe emissions standards in Canada. "

Ethanol boom may fuel shortage of tequila - International Business - MSNBC.com

Ethanol boom may fuel shortage of tequila - International Business - MSNBC.com: "MEXICO CITY - Mexican farmers are setting ablaze fields of blue agave, the cactus-like plant used to make the fiery spirit tequila, and resowing the land with corn as soaring U.S. ethanol demand pushes up prices."

Russia tests missile able to 'penetrate' defences

Russia tests missile able to 'penetrate' defences: "Russia on Tuesday said it had successfully tested a new multiple warhead ballistic missile designed to overcome air-defence systems such as the US shield planned for deployment in central Europe."

Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health - Independent Online Edition > Health

Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health - Independent Online Edition > Health: "Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance."

Strange but True: When Half a Brain Is Better than a Whole One: Scientific American

Strange but True: When Half a Brain Is Better than a Whole One: Scientific American: "You might not want to do it, but removing half of your brain will not significantly impact who you are"

WorldNetDaily: Bush makes power grab

WorldNetDaily: Bush makes power grab: "President Bush, without so much as issuing a press statement, on May 9 signed a directive that granted near dictatorial powers to the office of the president in the event of a national emergency declared by the president."