Insight: "New weapon could mean the end of collateral damage
The U.S. military has been developing a gunship that could literally obliterate enemy ground targets with a laser beam.
The military plans to test the Advanced Tactical Laser, a laser weapon mounted on a C-130H air transport that could destroy any weapon system without collateral damage.
The laser could have tremendous repercussions on the battlefield, particularly in urban warfare in such countries as Afghanistan and Iraq. 'It's the kind of tool that could bring about victory within minutes,' an official said."
Ben oui!
2.2.06
SPACE.com -- The Great Storm: Solar Tempest of 1859 Revealed
SPACE.com -- The Great Storm: Solar Tempest of 1859 Revealed: "A pair of strong solar storms that hit Earth late last week were squalls compared to the torrent of electrons that rained down in the 'perfect space storm' of 1859. And sooner or later, experts warn, the Sun will again conspire again send earthlings a truly destructive bout of space weather.
If it happens anytime soon, we won't know exactly what to expect until it's over, and by then some modern communication systems could be like beachfront houses after a hurricane."
If it happens anytime soon, we won't know exactly what to expect until it's over, and by then some modern communication systems could be like beachfront houses after a hurricane."
USATODAY.com - It's bigger than Pluto but is it a planet?
USATODAY.com - It's bigger than Pluto but is it a planet?: "It's bigger than Pluto — but is it a planet?
By Peter N. Spotts, The Christian Science Monitor
If Pluto truly is the ninth planet, then it's official: Our solar system has 10. Astronomers have sized up an object — known formally as 2003 UB313 — and determined that it really is bigger than Pluto."
By Peter N. Spotts, The Christian Science Monitor
If Pluto truly is the ninth planet, then it's official: Our solar system has 10. Astronomers have sized up an object — known formally as 2003 UB313 — and determined that it really is bigger than Pluto."
31.1.06
AC Propulsion T-zero
AC Propulsion T-zero: "Remember when mobile phones took up the size of a briefcase? Now you can practically wear them on your wrist. That's thanks largely to Lithium-ion battery technology, which weighs about one sixth that of lead acid. This relatively new battery technology has provided obvious benefits for phones and mobile computing, but what happens when you try putting 6,800 AA size lithium cells into an electric sports car? Well that's what AC propulsion decided to do with their T-zero model. The answer is 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, a range of 300 miles and a cost to 'fill up' of about �2.
The makers could barely believe the results themselves when they first tested it, so organised some races at a local dragstrip. They started with modest competition, but soon found out that these just weren't up to the job, so had to resort to some more exotic machinery to really give the T-Zero a good fight. In the end, the T-zero out-accelerated (among others), a Corvette C5, a Porsche Carrera 4, a Lamborghini and a Ferrari 360"
The makers could barely believe the results themselves when they first tested it, so organised some races at a local dragstrip. They started with modest competition, but soon found out that these just weren't up to the job, so had to resort to some more exotic machinery to really give the T-Zero a good fight. In the end, the T-zero out-accelerated (among others), a Corvette C5, a Porsche Carrera 4, a Lamborghini and a Ferrari 360"
27.1.06
Telegraph | News | Smokers who stop 'on a whim' more likely to succeed
Telegraph | News | Smokers who stop 'on a whim' more likely to succeed: "Those who stopped suddenly were twice as likely not to be smoking after six months and in the following five years."
26.1.06
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israel 'has to withdraw further'
BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israel 'has to withdraw further': "Israel will have to withdraw from further parts of the West Bank, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said.
In his first policy speech as interim leader, he said the main challenge ahead was to shape Israel's borders for good to ensure a Jewish majority.
It could not continue to control parts with a Palestinian majority, but would keep its main settlements, he said.
Mr Olmert is also acting as chair of Kadima, a party formed by PM Ariel Sharon before he suffered a stroke.
The party intends to run in Israeli general elections on 28 March on a platform of withdrawal from occupied territory."
In his first policy speech as interim leader, he said the main challenge ahead was to shape Israel's borders for good to ensure a Jewish majority.
It could not continue to control parts with a Palestinian majority, but would keep its main settlements, he said.
Mr Olmert is also acting as chair of Kadima, a party formed by PM Ariel Sharon before he suffered a stroke.
The party intends to run in Israeli general elections on 28 March on a platform of withdrawal from occupied territory."
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Palestinian PM to quit after poll
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Palestinian PM to quit after poll: "It comes as the militant Islamic group appeared to be heading for a shock win.
With counting still under way, officials from the ruling Fatah party said Hamas had won a majority. Official results are due at 1900 (1700 GMT).
Israel, the US and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist group and have said they do not want to deal with it."
With counting still under way, officials from the ruling Fatah party said Hamas had won a majority. Official results are due at 1900 (1700 GMT).
Israel, the US and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist group and have said they do not want to deal with it."
SilverStockReport.com: Silver Users Fear Silver Shortage: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
SilverStockReport.com: Silver Users Fear Silver Shortage: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "SilverStockReport.com: Silver Users Fear Silver Shortage
Thursday October 27, 3:49 pm ET
GRASS VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Silver Users Association (SUA), a group devoted to the conflicting goals of keeping silver prices low and keeping silver available for users, stunned the silver investing community last month by repeating the claims made by silver investors and analysts, including SilverStockReport.com (http://www.silverstockreport.com), that the silver market is very tight and that any significant investor demand will create a shortage of silver.
The SUA made the bullish case for silver when asking the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to deny Barclays' petition for a Silver Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). The Silver ETF will require Barclays Global Investors to buy up to 130 million ounces of silver prior to the approval of a silver ETF, in anticipation of investor demand for the silver ETF. But the COMEX division of NYMEX only has 117 million oz. of silver in all warehouse stock categories combined. Furthermore, COMEX market participants, through approximately 140,000 silver futures contracts at 5000 ounces each, already have claims of up to 700 million ounces of silver -- silver that may not exist."
Thursday October 27, 3:49 pm ET
GRASS VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Silver Users Association (SUA), a group devoted to the conflicting goals of keeping silver prices low and keeping silver available for users, stunned the silver investing community last month by repeating the claims made by silver investors and analysts, including SilverStockReport.com (http://www.silverstockreport.com), that the silver market is very tight and that any significant investor demand will create a shortage of silver.
The SUA made the bullish case for silver when asking the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to deny Barclays' petition for a Silver Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). The Silver ETF will require Barclays Global Investors to buy up to 130 million ounces of silver prior to the approval of a silver ETF, in anticipation of investor demand for the silver ETF. But the COMEX division of NYMEX only has 117 million oz. of silver in all warehouse stock categories combined. Furthermore, COMEX market participants, through approximately 140,000 silver futures contracts at 5000 ounces each, already have claims of up to 700 million ounces of silver -- silver that may not exist."
25.1.06
Australian IT - Google yields to China (Eric Auchard in San Francisco, JANUARY 25, 2006)
Australian IT - Google yields to China (Eric Auchard in San Francisco, JANUARY 25, 2006): "AS it fights US Government demands to turn over data, Google is introducing a new service for China that restricts access to services such as email, chat rooms and blogs.
The new Chinese service at www.google.cn will offer a censored version of Google's popular search system that could restrict access to thousands of terms and web sites.
Terms may include issues like independence for Taiwan or Tibet or outlawed spiritual group Falun Gong."
The new Chinese service at www.google.cn will offer a censored version of Google's popular search system that could restrict access to thousands of terms and web sites.
Terms may include issues like independence for Taiwan or Tibet or outlawed spiritual group Falun Gong."
Doctors claim suspended animation success - Health And Fitness - smh.com.au
Doctors claim suspended animation success - Health And Fitness - smh.com.au: "Doctors claim suspended animation success
London: Researchers are testing potentially life-saving techniques for keeping humans in a state of suspended animation while surgeons repair their wounds.
US doctors have developed a method of inducing hypothermia to shut down the body's functions for up to three hours.
In tests, they reduced the body temperature of injured pigs from 37C to 10C before operating on them and then reviving them.
Now they are applying for permission to test the procedure on casualty patients without a pulse who have lost large amounts of blood, New Scientist magazine reported.
It is thought this method and others could one day be used on car crash and gunshot victims, as well as in the battlefield to treat wounded soldiers.
A surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Hasan Alam, has tested the technique about 200 times on pigs, with a 90 per cent success rate."
London: Researchers are testing potentially life-saving techniques for keeping humans in a state of suspended animation while surgeons repair their wounds.
US doctors have developed a method of inducing hypothermia to shut down the body's functions for up to three hours.
In tests, they reduced the body temperature of injured pigs from 37C to 10C before operating on them and then reviving them.
Now they are applying for permission to test the procedure on casualty patients without a pulse who have lost large amounts of blood, New Scientist magazine reported.
It is thought this method and others could one day be used on car crash and gunshot victims, as well as in the battlefield to treat wounded soldiers.
A surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Hasan Alam, has tested the technique about 200 times on pigs, with a 90 per cent success rate."
24.1.06
Cyberpresse | Le Soleil
Cyberpresse | Le Soleil: "� la veille de l’�lection du prochain gouvernement f�d�ral, plusieurs s’interrogent sur les intentions de Stephen Harper quant au Protocole de Kyoto. Il faut dire que durant l’ann�e 2005, M. Harper est rest�pratiquement muet sur cet enjeu. Pourtant, en 2002, M. Harper �tait on ne peut plus explicite : � En ce qui concerne l’accord de Kyoto, nous serons le seul parti �la Chambre qui non seulement s’opposera �sa ratification, mais exhortera les provinces et tous les autres qui sont en mesure de l’appliquer �le rejeter, et nous nous engageons pour notre part �abroger cet accord �la premi�re occasion. �"
Whale spew find may net $1m for family. 24/01/2006. ABC News Online
Whale spew find may net $1m for family. 24/01/2006. ABC News Online: "A family on South Australia's west coast has discovered a rare specimen of whale vomit on the beach that is tipped to be worth over $1 million.
The specimen, known scientifically as ambergris, is sought after by perfume companies and worth about $US20 per gram."
The specimen, known scientifically as ambergris, is sought after by perfume companies and worth about $US20 per gram."
20.1.06
Smooth Operator - The only website broadcast 24-7 into space!
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The Proposed Iranian Oil Bourse - Print Version
The Proposed Iranian Oil Bourse - Print Version: "The Iranian government has finally developed the ultimate 'nuclear' weapon that can swiftly destroy the financial system underpinning the American Empire. That weapon is the Iranian Oil Bourse slated to open in March 2006. It will be based on a euro-oil-trading mechanism that naturally implies payment for oil in Euro. In economic terms, this represents a much greater threat to the hegemony of the dollar than Saddam's, because it will allow anyone willing either to buy or to sell oil for Euro to transact on the exchange, thus circumventing the U.S. dollar altogether. If so, then it is likely that almost everyone will eagerly adopt this euro oil system:
* The Europeans will not have to buy and hold dollars in order to secure their payment for oil, but would instead pay with their own currencies. The adoption of the euro for oil transactions will provide the European currency with a reserve status that will benefit the European at the expense of the Americans.
* The Chinese and the Japanese will be especially eager to adopt the new exchange, because it will allow them to drastically lower their enormous dollar reserves and diversify with Euros, thus protecting themselves against the depreciation of the dollar. One portion of their dollars they will still want to hold onto; a second portion of their dollar holdings they may decide to dump outright; a third portion of their dollars they will decide to use up for future payments without replenishing those dollar holdings, but building up instead their euro reserves.
* The Russians have inherent economic interest in adopting the Euro - the bulk of their trade is with European countries, with oil-exporting countries, with China, and with Japan. Adoption of the Euro will immediately take care of the first two blocs, and will over time facilitate trade with China and Japan. Also, the Russians seemingly detest holding depreciating dollars, for they have recently found a new religion with gold. Russians have also revived their nationalism, and if embracing the Euro will stab the Americans, they will gladly do it and smugly watch the Americans bleed.
* The Arab oil-exporting countries will eagerly adopt the Euro as a means of diversifying against rising mountains of depreciating dollars. Just like the Russians, their trade is mostly with European countries, and therefore will prefer the European currency both for its stability and for avoiding currency risk, not to mention their jihad against the Infidel Enemy."
* The Europeans will not have to buy and hold dollars in order to secure their payment for oil, but would instead pay with their own currencies. The adoption of the euro for oil transactions will provide the European currency with a reserve status that will benefit the European at the expense of the Americans.
* The Chinese and the Japanese will be especially eager to adopt the new exchange, because it will allow them to drastically lower their enormous dollar reserves and diversify with Euros, thus protecting themselves against the depreciation of the dollar. One portion of their dollars they will still want to hold onto; a second portion of their dollar holdings they may decide to dump outright; a third portion of their dollars they will decide to use up for future payments without replenishing those dollar holdings, but building up instead their euro reserves.
* The Russians have inherent economic interest in adopting the Euro - the bulk of their trade is with European countries, with oil-exporting countries, with China, and with Japan. Adoption of the Euro will immediately take care of the first two blocs, and will over time facilitate trade with China and Japan. Also, the Russians seemingly detest holding depreciating dollars, for they have recently found a new religion with gold. Russians have also revived their nationalism, and if embracing the Euro will stab the Americans, they will gladly do it and smugly watch the Americans bleed.
* The Arab oil-exporting countries will eagerly adopt the Euro as a means of diversifying against rising mountains of depreciating dollars. Just like the Russians, their trade is mostly with European countries, and therefore will prefer the European currency both for its stability and for avoiding currency risk, not to mention their jihad against the Infidel Enemy."
Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran - Sunday Times - Times Online
Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran - Sunday Times - Times Online: "Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran
Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv, and Sarah Baxter, Washington
ISRAEL’S armed forces have been ordered by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran, military sources have revealed."
Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv, and Sarah Baxter, Washington
ISRAEL’S armed forces have been ordered by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran, military sources have revealed."
"Intelligent design" not science: Vatican paper - Yahoo! News
"Intelligent design" not science: Vatican paper - Yahoo! News: "PARIS (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Church has restated its support for evolution with an article praising a U.S. court decision that rejects the 'intelligent design' theory as non-scientific."
19.1.06
Google rebuffs feds over access to search data - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com
Google rebuffs feds over access to search data - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com: "Google rebuffs feds over access to search data
Bush administration wants details of what users look for
NBC VIDEO
Launch
• Google subpoenas
Jan. 19: NBC's Pete Williams reports on what the Justice Department is looking for
Nightly News
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• US Justice Dept subpoenas Google over online porn law
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• CIA confirms speaker on tape is bin Laden
• Google rebuffs feds over access to search data
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• Test your innate geometrical sense
• Witherspoon’s Globe gown was worn by Dunst
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• Scientists overjoyed with comet samples
• Sept. 11 workers die of respiratory problems
• Pluto mission lifts off after days of delay
• Dozens of endangered sea turtles found dead
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• Google rebuffs feds over access to search data
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Updated: 8:24 p.m. ET Jan. 19, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc. is rebuffing the Bush administration’s demand for a peek at what millions of people have been looking up on the Internet’s leading search engine — a request that underscores the potential for online databases to become tools for government surveillance."
Bush administration wants details of what users look for
NBC VIDEO
Launch
• Google subpoenas
Jan. 19: NBC's Pete Williams reports on what the Justice Department is looking for
Nightly News
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• GOOG 436.45 -8.46 -1.90%
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Turn digital photos into Polaroids
Related Links
# Weekend project: Computerize your car
# The new and improved Web
# Government Web sites are keeping an eye on you
Related Stories
| What's this?
• Google resists pressure on website searches
• US Justice Dept subpoenas Google over online porn law
• US Justice Dept subpoenas Google over online porn law
• Google makes massive push into content
• Blackberry gets Google Talk and Google Local
Most Popular
• Most Viewed • Top Rated • Most E-mailed
• CIA confirms speaker on tape is bin Laden
• Google rebuffs feds over access to search data
• Police: Man faked death to avoid child support
• Test your innate geometrical sense
• Witherspoon’s Globe gown was worn by Dunst
• Most viewed on MSNBC.com
• Scientists overjoyed with comet samples
• Sept. 11 workers die of respiratory problems
• Pluto mission lifts off after days of delay
• Dozens of endangered sea turtles found dead
• Justice for a rape, 30 years later
• Most viewed on MSNBC.com
• Google rebuffs feds over access to search data
• Police: Man faked death to avoid child support
• Reports on college literacy levels sobering
• Vatican paper raps ‘intelligent design’
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Updated: 8:24 p.m. ET Jan. 19, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc. is rebuffing the Bush administration’s demand for a peek at what millions of people have been looking up on the Internet’s leading search engine — a request that underscores the potential for online databases to become tools for government surveillance."
18.1.06
Does lack of snow indicate Mount Fuji's about to blow? - MSN-Mainichi Daily News
Does lack of snow indicate Mount Fuji's about to blow? - MSN-Mainichi Daily News: "Some experts say that it would not be surprising for Mount Fuji to erupt at any moment.
'It's my personal belief that magma build-up inside Mount Fuji has already reached a critical stage,' Prof. Masaaki Kimura, a seismology professor at the University of the Ryukyus tells Shukan Post. 'Mount Fuji erupts about once every 300 years. And it's been about 300 years since Mount Fuji's last eruption. Volcanoes go in periods where they're active for about 300 to 400 years and then dormant for 300 to 400 years. But, it's a matter of simple arithmetic that Mount Fuji is due to erupt pretty soon.'
It seems the natural world fears that Fuji-san is about to blow, too. Since the start of 2004, frogs and stinkbugs once prominent in the area have virtually disappeared. Some see this as a sign that they've sensed something untoward is about to happen and they're avoiding the place like the plague. Observers have noticed this phenomenon, too.
'The most recent change has probably been the sudden disappearance of sparrows around the mountain since about the middle of October,' Hideaki Kuribayashi, a photographer who bases himself near Mount Fuji, tells Shukan Post. 'Normally, sparrows flock to this place, even in the middle of winter.' (By Ryann Connell)"
'It's my personal belief that magma build-up inside Mount Fuji has already reached a critical stage,' Prof. Masaaki Kimura, a seismology professor at the University of the Ryukyus tells Shukan Post. 'Mount Fuji erupts about once every 300 years. And it's been about 300 years since Mount Fuji's last eruption. Volcanoes go in periods where they're active for about 300 to 400 years and then dormant for 300 to 400 years. But, it's a matter of simple arithmetic that Mount Fuji is due to erupt pretty soon.'
It seems the natural world fears that Fuji-san is about to blow, too. Since the start of 2004, frogs and stinkbugs once prominent in the area have virtually disappeared. Some see this as a sign that they've sensed something untoward is about to happen and they're avoiding the place like the plague. Observers have noticed this phenomenon, too.
'The most recent change has probably been the sudden disappearance of sparrows around the mountain since about the middle of October,' Hideaki Kuribayashi, a photographer who bases himself near Mount Fuji, tells Shukan Post. 'Normally, sparrows flock to this place, even in the middle of winter.' (By Ryann Connell)"
17.1.06
Britain, UK news from The Times and The Sunday Times - Times Online
Britain, UK news from The Times and The Sunday Times - Times Online: "A contract is still a contract – even if it is a contract to kill
By Alan Hamilton
A woman who hired a hitman to kill her has been awarded �2,000 because she is still alive
IT SOUNDS like the law of 1920s East Side Chicago, but it is also the law of England.
A contract is a contract, even if it is a contract to kill.
Break it, and if the mob don’t get you, Maidstone Crown Court will."
By Alan Hamilton
A woman who hired a hitman to kill her has been awarded �2,000 because she is still alive
IT SOUNDS like the law of 1920s East Side Chicago, but it is also the law of England.
A contract is a contract, even if it is a contract to kill.
Break it, and if the mob don’t get you, Maidstone Crown Court will."
14.1.06
Iran Focus-Iran to hang teenage girl attacked by rapists - Women - News
Iran Focus-Iran to hang teenage girl attacked by rapists - Women - News: "Tehran, Iran, Jan. 07 – An Iranian court has sentenced a teenage rape victim to death by hanging after she weepingly confessed that she had unintentionally killed a man who had tried to rape both her and her niece."
8.1.06
Your phone records are for sale
Your phone records are for sale: "Your phone records are for sale
January 5, 2006
BY FRANK MAIN Crime Reporter
The Chicago Police Department is warning officers their cell phone records are available to anyone -- for a price. Dozens of online services are selling lists of cell phone calls, raising security concerns among law enforcement and privacy experts."
January 5, 2006
BY FRANK MAIN Crime Reporter
The Chicago Police Department is warning officers their cell phone records are available to anyone -- for a price. Dozens of online services are selling lists of cell phone calls, raising security concerns among law enforcement and privacy experts."
Drivers find a snitch - Yahoo! News
Drivers find a snitch - Yahoo! News: "Drivers find a snitch
Fri Jan 6, 7:30 AM ET
It's common knowledge that airplanes have 'black boxes' that record flight data so safety experts can reconstruct what went wrong after an accident. But few motorists are aware that their late-model cars contain similar devices - and that police and insurers might use the data against them.
ADVERTISEMENT
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Six states (Arkansas, California, Nevada, New York, North Dakota and Texas) have recently passed laws requiring that automakers notify motorists of the devices, known as event data recorders (EDRs), and limiting access to them. Nevada's law, which took effect Jan. 1, requires the owner's permission before data can be retrieved.
In the absence of any federal guidelines, the states are wise to set some parameters. The devices, the size of a pack of cigarettes, are in more than 70% of all new passenger vehicles, foreign and domestic. The
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants them in every new car sold in America, but that fortunately hasn't yet happened because of privacy concerns.
EDRs monitor speed, braking, seat-belt use, steering and more. Ideally, the data can sort out responsibility for accidents and lead to improved vehicle design.
But will police download the data to assign blame after a crash? Can auto insurers use the information to raise premiums or cancel policies? Will lawyers demand access in order to sue you or others? The answers are unclear. Few guidelines exist over who owns the data, and court rulings vary.
With the spread of the devices and NTSB's pressure to mandate them, it's time for the federal government to establish reasonable rules so that all motorists are informed of the devices' presence and who owns them.
EDRs can lead to safety improvements. But it's wrong to demand that motorists ride with a silent snitch under the hood."
Fri Jan 6, 7:30 AM ET
It's common knowledge that airplanes have 'black boxes' that record flight data so safety experts can reconstruct what went wrong after an accident. But few motorists are aware that their late-model cars contain similar devices - and that police and insurers might use the data against them.
ADVERTISEMENT
click here
Six states (Arkansas, California, Nevada, New York, North Dakota and Texas) have recently passed laws requiring that automakers notify motorists of the devices, known as event data recorders (EDRs), and limiting access to them. Nevada's law, which took effect Jan. 1, requires the owner's permission before data can be retrieved.
In the absence of any federal guidelines, the states are wise to set some parameters. The devices, the size of a pack of cigarettes, are in more than 70% of all new passenger vehicles, foreign and domestic. The
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants them in every new car sold in America, but that fortunately hasn't yet happened because of privacy concerns.
EDRs monitor speed, braking, seat-belt use, steering and more. Ideally, the data can sort out responsibility for accidents and lead to improved vehicle design.
But will police download the data to assign blame after a crash? Can auto insurers use the information to raise premiums or cancel policies? Will lawyers demand access in order to sue you or others? The answers are unclear. Few guidelines exist over who owns the data, and court rulings vary.
With the spread of the devices and NTSB's pressure to mandate them, it's time for the federal government to establish reasonable rules so that all motorists are informed of the devices' presence and who owns them.
EDRs can lead to safety improvements. But it's wrong to demand that motorists ride with a silent snitch under the hood."
5.1.06
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Jesus 'healed using cannabis'
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Jesus 'healed using cannabis': "Jesus w as almost certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug, according to a study of scriptural texts published this month. The study suggests that Jesus and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous healings."
2.1.06
Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World
Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World: "The United States government reportedly began coordinating with NATO its plans for a possible military attack against Iran.
The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel collected various reports from the German media indicating that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are examining the prospects of such a strike.
According to the report, CIA Director Porter Goss, in his last visit to Turkey on December 12, requested Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to provide military bases to the United States in 2006 from where they would be able to launch an assault.
The German news agency DDP also noted that countries neighboring Iran, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, and Pakistan were also updated regarding the supposed plan. American sources sent to those countries apparently mentioned an aerial attack as a possibility, but did not provide a time frame for the operation.
Although Der Spiegel could not say that these plans were concrete, they did note that according to a January 2005 New Yorker report American forces had entered Iran in 2005 in order to mark possible targets for an aerial assault."
The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel collected various reports from the German media indicating that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are examining the prospects of such a strike.
According to the report, CIA Director Porter Goss, in his last visit to Turkey on December 12, requested Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to provide military bases to the United States in 2006 from where they would be able to launch an assault.
The German news agency DDP also noted that countries neighboring Iran, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, and Pakistan were also updated regarding the supposed plan. American sources sent to those countries apparently mentioned an aerial attack as a possibility, but did not provide a time frame for the operation.
Although Der Spiegel could not say that these plans were concrete, they did note that according to a January 2005 New Yorker report American forces had entered Iran in 2005 in order to mark possible targets for an aerial assault."
30.12.05
United Press International - NewsTrack - Bush was denied wiretaps, bypassed them
United Press International - NewsTrack - Bush was denied wiretaps, bypassed them: "WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush decided to skip seeking warrants for international wiretaps because the court was challenging him at an unprecedented rate.
A review of Justice Department reports to Congress by Hearst newspapers shows the 26-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court modified more wiretap requests from the Bush administration than the four previous presidential administrations combined.
The 11-judge court that authorizes FISA wiretaps modified only two search warrant orders out of the 13,102 applications approved over the first 22 years of the court's operation.
But since 2001, the judges have modified 179 of the 5,645 requests for surveillance by the Bush administration, the report said. A total of 173 of those court-ordered 'substantive modifications' took place in 2003 and 2004. And, the judges also rejected or deferred at least six requests for warrants during those two years -- the first outright rejection of a wiretap request in the court's history."
A review of Justice Department reports to Congress by Hearst newspapers shows the 26-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court modified more wiretap requests from the Bush administration than the four previous presidential administrations combined.
The 11-judge court that authorizes FISA wiretaps modified only two search warrant orders out of the 13,102 applications approved over the first 22 years of the court's operation.
But since 2001, the judges have modified 179 of the 5,645 requests for surveillance by the Bush administration, the report said. A total of 173 of those court-ordered 'substantive modifications' took place in 2003 and 2004. And, the judges also rejected or deferred at least six requests for warrants during those two years -- the first outright rejection of a wiretap request in the court's history."
28.12.05
Ecuadorean Pyramid Scheme Sparks a Panic - Yahoo! News
: "QUITO, Ecuador - A 71-year-old provincial notary who died in a luxury hotel room earlier this year left behind a teenage girlfriend ? who said he'd been on cocaine and Viagra ? and a crumbling $800 million pyramid scheme that has blossomed into a nationwide scandal.
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Jose Cabrera's sudden death sparked panic among thousands of people who gave him a minimum of $10,000 each over two decades in exchange for up to 10 percent monthly interest.
Most were rank-and-file police and military personnel ? more than 6,500 of them ? and residents of Machala, the port city where Cabrera was based. But the scandal has spread to high-ranking current and former military officials, judges, politicians and their families.
The head judge of the Machala Superior Court resigned after acknowledging that he had invested $15,000. Ecuador's former commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff put in $45,000 and the wife of a former defense minister contributed $125,000, local media have reported."
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Jose Cabrera's sudden death sparked panic among thousands of people who gave him a minimum of $10,000 each over two decades in exchange for up to 10 percent monthly interest.
Most were rank-and-file police and military personnel ? more than 6,500 of them ? and residents of Machala, the port city where Cabrera was based. But the scandal has spread to high-ranking current and former military officials, judges, politicians and their families.
The head judge of the Machala Superior Court resigned after acknowledging that he had invested $15,000. Ecuador's former commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff put in $45,000 and the wife of a former defense minister contributed $125,000, local media have reported."
24.12.05
Didgeridoo lessons ease sleep disorders. 23/12/2005. ABC News Online
Didgeridoo lessons ease sleep disorders. 23/12/2005. ABC News Online: "Kept awake at night by a snoring partner? The answer to your woes could lie with the didgeridoo.
Researchers in Switzerland have examined 25 patients who suffered from snoring and moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, both common sleep disorders.
Half the group were given daily lessons in playing the didgeridoo."
Researchers in Switzerland have examined 25 patients who suffered from snoring and moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, both common sleep disorders.
Half the group were given daily lessons in playing the didgeridoo."
Sweet little mystery - Health - Times Online
: "GIVING a child a sweet to make them feel better isn?t just a parental con trick, it really does kill pain, according to new research from the Monell Chemical Senses Centre, in Philadelphia.
Sugar makes kids feel better physically as well as psychologically. And the new study, published in the journal Pain this month, shows that the children who get the greatest painkilling effect are those who like sweet tastes most."
Sugar makes kids feel better physically as well as psychologically. And the new study, published in the journal Pain this month, shows that the children who get the greatest painkilling effect are those who like sweet tastes most."
23.12.05
EFF: DeepLinks
EFF: DeepLinks: "Yesterday, Magistrate Judge Gorenstein of the federal court for the Southern District of New York issued an opinion permitting the government to use cell site data to track a cell phone's physical location, without the government having to obtain a search warrant based on probable cause."
Independent Online Edition > Transport
Independent Online Edition > Transport: "Britain is to become the first country in the world where the movements of all vehicles on the roads are recorded. A new national surveillance system will hold the records for at least two years.
Using a network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements so that the police and security services can analyse any journey a driver has made over several years.
The network will incorporate thousands of existing CCTV cameras which are being converted to read number plates automatically night and day to provide 24/7 coverage of all motorways and main roads, as well as towns, cities, ports and petrol-station forecourts."
Using a network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements so that the police and security services can analyse any journey a driver has made over several years.
The network will incorporate thousands of existing CCTV cameras which are being converted to read number plates automatically night and day to provide 24/7 coverage of all motorways and main roads, as well as towns, cities, ports and petrol-station forecourts."
: "MUSIC shop boss Steve Kowalski has been told he will have to pay to play if his customers want to try out his instruments before they buy.
And that, he says, is a fiddle.
The Performing Rights Society claims he needs a licence if he, or any of his punters, want to "have a go" on anything from a harmonica to a harpsichord or castanets to clarinets.
And officers have told him that if he doesn?t stump up cash to the tune of �114 he will have to face the music."
And that, he says, is a fiddle.
The Performing Rights Society claims he needs a licence if he, or any of his punters, want to "have a go" on anything from a harmonica to a harpsichord or castanets to clarinets.
And officers have told him that if he doesn?t stump up cash to the tune of �114 he will have to face the music."
20.12.05
Scotsman.com News - International - Stalin's half-man, half-ape super-warriors
In 1926 the Politburo in Moscow passed the request to the Academy of Science with the order to build a "living war machine";. The order came at a time when the Soviet Union was embarked on a crusade to turn the world upside down, with social engineering seen as a partner to industrialisation: new cities, architecture, and a new egalitarian society were being created."
1.12.05
BBC NEWS | Health | Woman has first face transplant
BBC NEWS | Health | Woman has first face transplant: "Surgeons in France have carried out the first face transplant, it has been reported.
The woman had lost her nose, lips and chin after being savaged by a dog.
In the controversial operation, tissues, muscles, arteries and veins were taken from a brain-dead donor and attached to the patient's lower face.
Doctors stress the woman will not look like her donor, but nor will she look like she did before the attack - instead she will have a 'hybrid' face."
The woman had lost her nose, lips and chin after being savaged by a dog.
In the controversial operation, tissues, muscles, arteries and veins were taken from a brain-dead donor and attached to the patient's lower face.
Doctors stress the woman will not look like her donor, but nor will she look like she did before the attack - instead she will have a 'hybrid' face."
28.11.05
The Observer | International | The leak that revealed Bush's deep obsession with al-Jazeera
The Observer | International | The leak that revealed Bush's deep obsession with al-Jazeera: "The US president planned to bomb the Qatar-based channel - that was the remarkable claim made in a top-secret memo. Why is the world's most powerful man so worried about a TV station? "
Former Canadian Minister Of Defence Asks Canadian Parliament Asked To Hold Hearings On Relations With Alien "Et" Civilizations - Yahoo! News
: "On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada’s Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head."
Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."
Hellyer revealed, "The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied minister of defence, were never in-the-loop."
Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."
Hellyer’s speech ended with a standing ovation. He said, "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today.""
Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."
Hellyer revealed, "The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied minister of defence, were never in-the-loop."
Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."
Hellyer’s speech ended with a standing ovation. He said, "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today.""
22.11.05
CNN.com - 'Ugly dog' Sam dies at 14 - Nov 22, 2005
CNN.com - 'Ugly dog' Sam dies at 14 - Nov 22, 2005: "SANTA BARBARA, California (AP) -- Sam, the dog whose ugliness earned him TV appearances, limousine rides and even a meeting with millionaire Donald Trump, has died, the Santa Barbara News-Press reported Tuesday."
Telegraph | News | Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109
Telegraph | News | Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109: "
Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109
By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent
(Filed: 22/11/2005)
The last veteran of the Christmas truce during the First World War died in his sleep yesterday, aged 109.
Alfred Anderson, who was born in 1896, was 18 on December 25, 1914, when British and German troops climbed out of their trenches and crossed no-man's land to shake hands, sing carols and share cigarettes.
The soldiers famously played football together, kicking around empty bully-beef cans and using steel helmets as goal posts. The unauthorised truce spread across much of the 500-mile Western Front, where more than a million soldiers were encamped.
Recalling the truce last year, Mr Anderson said: 'All I'd heard for two months in the trenches was the hissing, cracking and whining of bullets in flight, machinegun fire and distant German voices.
'But there was a dead silence that morning, right across the land as far as you could see. We shouted 'Merry Christmas', even though nobody felt merry.
'The silence ended early in the afternoon and the killing started again. It was a short peace in a terrible war.'"
Last soldier serving in 1914 Christmas truce dies, aged 109
By Auslan Cramb, Scottish Correspondent
(Filed: 22/11/2005)
The last veteran of the Christmas truce during the First World War died in his sleep yesterday, aged 109.
Alfred Anderson, who was born in 1896, was 18 on December 25, 1914, when British and German troops climbed out of their trenches and crossed no-man's land to shake hands, sing carols and share cigarettes.
The soldiers famously played football together, kicking around empty bully-beef cans and using steel helmets as goal posts. The unauthorised truce spread across much of the 500-mile Western Front, where more than a million soldiers were encamped.
Recalling the truce last year, Mr Anderson said: 'All I'd heard for two months in the trenches was the hissing, cracking and whining of bullets in flight, machinegun fire and distant German voices.
'But there was a dead silence that morning, right across the land as far as you could see. We shouted 'Merry Christmas', even though nobody felt merry.
'The silence ended early in the afternoon and the killing started again. It was a short peace in a terrible war.'"
2.11.05
Denver Voters OK Marijuana Possession - Yahoo! News
Denver Voters OK Marijuana Possession - Yahoo! News: "DENVER - Residents of the Mile High City have voted to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults. Authorities, though, said state possession laws will be applied instead.
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With 100 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday, 54 percent, or 56,001 voters, cast ballots for the ordinance, while 46 percent, or 48,632 voters, voted against it.
Under the measure, residents over 21 years old could possess up to an ounce of marijuana."
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With 100 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday, 54 percent, or 56,001 voters, cast ballots for the ordinance, while 46 percent, or 48,632 voters, voted against it.
Under the measure, residents over 21 years old could possess up to an ounce of marijuana."
Telegraph | News | Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops
Telegraph | News | Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops: "Millions of Iraqis believe that suicide attacks against British troops are justified, a secret military poll commissioned by senior officers has revealed.
The poll, undertaken for the Ministry of Defence and seen by The Sunday Telegraph, shows that up to 65 per cent of Iraqi citizens support attacks and fewer than one per cent think Allied military involvement is helping to improve security in their country.
It demonstrates for the first time the true strength of anti-Western feeling in Iraq after more than two and a half years of bloody occupation.
The nationwide survey also suggests that the coalition has lost the battle to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, which Tony Blair and George W Bush believed was fundamental to creating a safe and secure country."
The poll, undertaken for the Ministry of Defence and seen by The Sunday Telegraph, shows that up to 65 per cent of Iraqi citizens support attacks and fewer than one per cent think Allied military involvement is helping to improve security in their country.
It demonstrates for the first time the true strength of anti-Western feeling in Iraq after more than two and a half years of bloody occupation.
The nationwide survey also suggests that the coalition has lost the battle to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, which Tony Blair and George W Bush believed was fundamental to creating a safe and secure country."
Telegraph | News | Secret MoD poll: Iraqis support attacks on British troops
: "The survey was conducted by an Iraqi university research team that, for security reasons, was not told the data it compiled would be used by coalition forces. It reveals:
• Forty-five per cent of Iraqis believe attacks against British and American troops are justified - rising to 65 per cent in the British-controlled Maysan province;
• 82 per cent are "strongly opposed" to the presence of coalition troops;
• less than one per cent of the population believes coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security;
• 67 per cent of Iraqis feel less secure because of the occupation;
• 43 per cent of Iraqis believe conditions for peace and stability have worsened;
• 72 per cent do not have confidence in the multi-national forces.
The opinion poll, carried out in August, also debunks claims by both the US and British governments that the general well-being of the average Iraqi is improving in post-Saddam Iraq."
• Forty-five per cent of Iraqis believe attacks against British and American troops are justified - rising to 65 per cent in the British-controlled Maysan province;
• 82 per cent are "strongly opposed" to the presence of coalition troops;
• less than one per cent of the population believes coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security;
• 67 per cent of Iraqis feel less secure because of the occupation;
• 43 per cent of Iraqis believe conditions for peace and stability have worsened;
• 72 per cent do not have confidence in the multi-national forces.
The opinion poll, carried out in August, also debunks claims by both the US and British governments that the general well-being of the average Iraqi is improving in post-Saddam Iraq."
1.11.05
CNN.com - Democrats force Senate into unusual closed session - Nov 1, 2005
CNN.com - Democrats force Senate into unusual closed session - Nov 1, 2005: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that led to the Iraq war and deriding a lack of congressional inquiry."
31.10.05
Tiny Vegas home sits at center of housing craze - Real Estate - MSNBC.com
: "LAS VEGAS - Its front windows wish you “Feliz Navidad” in paint that won’t wash off. The landscaping consists of four shriveling cacti and a patio piled with empty cat food boxes. Inside, it’s 700 square feet of confirmed bachelor’s clutter.
And it can all be yours for $1.2 million — cash.
There’s perhaps no better evidence of the condo fever raging through Las Vegas’ real estate market than the asking price on Manuel Corchuelo’s home. Once considered deadlocked in the wasteland where the Las Vegas Strip fizzled into a decaying downtown, the World War II-era home is now happily nestled in the shadows of billions of dollars of new and proposed high-rise condominium projects."
And it can all be yours for $1.2 million — cash.
There’s perhaps no better evidence of the condo fever raging through Las Vegas’ real estate market than the asking price on Manuel Corchuelo’s home. Once considered deadlocked in the wasteland where the Las Vegas Strip fizzled into a decaying downtown, the World War II-era home is now happily nestled in the shadows of billions of dollars of new and proposed high-rise condominium projects."
riverfronttimes.com | News & Features | Feature | Hell of a House | 2005-10-26
riverfronttimes.com | News & Features | Feature | Hell of a House | 2005-10-26: "For the residents of this tidy, tree-lined Bel-Nor neighborhood, the haunting story that surrounds the home at 8435 Roanoke Drive may be their worst-kept secret.
'Oh yeah, that's the house,' confirms neighbor Cris Coy when asked if he's aware of the occult history of the two-story brick colonial next door.
'That's what they say,' acknowledges Jean Kustura, a 72-year-old widow who for twenty years has kept watch over the north St. Louis County neighborhood from her bungalow on the other side of the infamous house. 'But all of that happened back in the 1940s. I'm told the victim is still alive. He won't talk about it.'
Other neighbors, including the couple across the street and several families living on adjacent blocks, are also quick to share the mysterious story of the house. Indeed, it seems the only people who aren't eager to recount the sordid tale are the home's current owner, Gary Stafford, and the real-estate agent trying to sell the house.
'I don't want to talk about it,' bristles realtor Patrick McLaughlin before quickly hanging up the phone. 'It's not going to help me sell the home.'
Stafford, a real-estate investor who has never lived in the three-bedroom house, says he became aware of the 'rumors' only after he purchased it out of bankruptcy this summer. The last person to occupy the residence, a man named Elvis Fantroy, left the building in June and hasn't been heard from since.
'I don't think publicizing it is a good thing,' says Stafford, who's asking $169,900 for the sturdy 63-year-old domicile that has been on the market more than two months. 'It's certainly not something we'd need to disclose to the future buyer -- that, some 50 years ago, a boy who stayed in the house may or may not have been possessed.'
'Besides,' adds Stafford, attempting to further distance his investment from the events purported to have occurred there, 'the exorcism didn't happen there. It happened at [Saint Louis University].'
But the fact remains that the real-life story behind author William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel The Exorcist had its origins in St. Louis.
Legend tells of an ill thirteen-year-old boy who, in the late winter of 1949, traveled to St. Louis from suburban Washington, D.C. Convinced the child was possessed by the Devil, Jesuit priests from Saint Louis University performed a grueling month-long exorcism on the boy, at last freeing the teen from Satan's grasp in the psych ward at Alexian Brothers Hospital.
Whether the child was actually possessed is still a matter of debate, but the fact that priests did perform the archaic ritual of the exorcism is not."
'Oh yeah, that's the house,' confirms neighbor Cris Coy when asked if he's aware of the occult history of the two-story brick colonial next door.
'That's what they say,' acknowledges Jean Kustura, a 72-year-old widow who for twenty years has kept watch over the north St. Louis County neighborhood from her bungalow on the other side of the infamous house. 'But all of that happened back in the 1940s. I'm told the victim is still alive. He won't talk about it.'
Other neighbors, including the couple across the street and several families living on adjacent blocks, are also quick to share the mysterious story of the house. Indeed, it seems the only people who aren't eager to recount the sordid tale are the home's current owner, Gary Stafford, and the real-estate agent trying to sell the house.
'I don't want to talk about it,' bristles realtor Patrick McLaughlin before quickly hanging up the phone. 'It's not going to help me sell the home.'
Stafford, a real-estate investor who has never lived in the three-bedroom house, says he became aware of the 'rumors' only after he purchased it out of bankruptcy this summer. The last person to occupy the residence, a man named Elvis Fantroy, left the building in June and hasn't been heard from since.
'I don't think publicizing it is a good thing,' says Stafford, who's asking $169,900 for the sturdy 63-year-old domicile that has been on the market more than two months. 'It's certainly not something we'd need to disclose to the future buyer -- that, some 50 years ago, a boy who stayed in the house may or may not have been possessed.'
'Besides,' adds Stafford, attempting to further distance his investment from the events purported to have occurred there, 'the exorcism didn't happen there. It happened at [Saint Louis University].'
But the fact remains that the real-life story behind author William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel The Exorcist had its origins in St. Louis.
Legend tells of an ill thirteen-year-old boy who, in the late winter of 1949, traveled to St. Louis from suburban Washington, D.C. Convinced the child was possessed by the Devil, Jesuit priests from Saint Louis University performed a grueling month-long exorcism on the boy, at last freeing the teen from Satan's grasp in the psych ward at Alexian Brothers Hospital.
Whether the child was actually possessed is still a matter of debate, but the fact that priests did perform the archaic ritual of the exorcism is not."
Guardian Unlimited | Life | One side can be wrong
Guardian Unlimited | Life | One side can be wrong: "Accepting 'intelligent design' in science classrooms would have disastrous consequences, warn Richard Dawkins and Jerry Coyne "
30.10.05
Independent Online Edition > Middle East
Independent Online Edition > Middle East: "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defied worldwide outrage at his call for the destruction of Israel, by joining a demonstration in Tehran and restating his desire to see Israel 'wiped from the map'.
The populist firebrand sparked a crisis in Iran's foreign relations on Tuesday when he told a Tehran conference that Israel should be 'wiped out' in a new wave of Palestinian attacks.
Yesterday, he was on the streets of the capital with demonstrators waving placards calling for the 'death of America'. He said: 'My words are the Iranian nation's words. Westerners are free to comment but their reactions are invalid.'
The diplomatic storm comes at a dangerous time for Iran, with the US pushing for Tehran to be taken to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme."
The populist firebrand sparked a crisis in Iran's foreign relations on Tuesday when he told a Tehran conference that Israel should be 'wiped out' in a new wave of Palestinian attacks.
Yesterday, he was on the streets of the capital with demonstrators waving placards calling for the 'death of America'. He said: 'My words are the Iranian nation's words. Westerners are free to comment but their reactions are invalid.'
The diplomatic storm comes at a dangerous time for Iran, with the US pushing for Tehran to be taken to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme."
The Free Press -- Independent News Media - Election 2004
The Free Press -- Independent News Media - Election 2004: "the GAO report now confirms that electronic voting machines as deployed in 2004 were in fact perfectly engineered to allow a very small number of partisans with minimal computer skills and equipment to shift enough votes to put George W. Bush back in the White House.
Given the growing body of evidence, it appears increasingly clear that's exactly what happened. "
Given the growing body of evidence, it appears increasingly clear that's exactly what happened. "
28.10.05
BBC NEWS | Business | Exxon in biggest ever US profits
BBC NEWS | Business | Exxon in biggest ever US profits: "US oil giant Exxon Mobil has posted a quarterly profit of $9.9bn (�5.55bn), the largest in US corporate history, on the back of record oil and gas prices.
Profit was up 75% and revenue rose 32% to more than $100bn."
Profit was up 75% and revenue rose 32% to more than $100bn."
Pot not a major cancer risk: report - Yahoo! News
Pot not a major cancer risk: report - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although both marijuana and tobacco smoke are packed with cancer-causing chemicals, other qualities of marijuana seem to keep it from promoting lung cancer, according to a new report."
UNJOURNALED: Pyramid found - in the heart of Bosnia!!
UNJOURNALED: Pyramid found - in the heart of Bosnia!!: "Near the city of Visoko, 30 km north of Sarajevo, there is a stone pyramid of monumental size, claims the Bosnian archeologist Semir Osmanagić, who lives and works in the USA.
After several months of geological and archeological research, Mr. Osmanagić concluded that under the present hill of Visočica hides a stairs-like pyramid, about 12,000 years old. Osmanagić, who intensively researched on pyramids in Americas, Asia and Africa for the last 15 years and wrote several books on the subject, says he's quite sure he found the first pyramid in Europe, which is quite similar to ones in the Southern America.
He believes that the project would completely change Bosnia's significance in the world of archeology."
After several months of geological and archeological research, Mr. Osmanagić concluded that under the present hill of Visočica hides a stairs-like pyramid, about 12,000 years old. Osmanagić, who intensively researched on pyramids in Americas, Asia and Africa for the last 15 years and wrote several books on the subject, says he's quite sure he found the first pyramid in Europe, which is quite similar to ones in the Southern America.
He believes that the project would completely change Bosnia's significance in the world of archeology."
26.10.05
The Washington Note Archives
The Washington Note Archives: "Jeffrey Goldberg has written a critique in The New Yorker of the Bush White House that equals Ron Suskind's devastating critique of Bush before the last election titled 'Without a Doubt.'
In 'Breaking Ranks: What Turned Brent Scowcroft Against the Bush Administration?', Jeffrey Goldberg coaxes Brent Scowcroft to delineate his differences with the foreign policy proclivities of George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Cheney, and others.
And in the piece, George H.W. Bush is interviewed about Scowcroft -- and while Bush 41's comments are more elliptical, he stands clearly by Scowcroft's side in clear criticism of the decisions his son made."
In 'Breaking Ranks: What Turned Brent Scowcroft Against the Bush Administration?', Jeffrey Goldberg coaxes Brent Scowcroft to delineate his differences with the foreign policy proclivities of George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Cheney, and others.
And in the piece, George H.W. Bush is interviewed about Scowcroft -- and while Bush 41's comments are more elliptical, he stands clearly by Scowcroft's side in clear criticism of the decisions his son made."
Entertainment - canada.com network
Entertainment - canada.com network: "Her latest novel, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, is narrated by Christ himself as a boy of 7. The bestselling author of 26 books is already planning three sequels for her new character, although she said they may not be well received by her dedicated fans."
A (True) Conservative Case for Exiting Iraq
A (True) Conservative Case for Exiting Iraq: "In a remarkable October 7 speech delivered on the House floor, Representative Ron Paul, a maverick Republican from Texas who has long been critical of Bush's misguided approach to fighting terrorism, invoked Reagan's legacy as part of a call for withdrawal.
Supporters of the war in Iraq, as well as some non-supporters, warn of the dangers if we leave. But isn't it quite possible that these dangers are simply a consequence of having gone into Iraq in the first place, rather than a consequence of leaving? Isn't it possible that staying only makes the situation worse? If chaos results after our departure, it's because we occupied Iraq, not because we left."
Supporters of the war in Iraq, as well as some non-supporters, warn of the dangers if we leave. But isn't it quite possible that these dangers are simply a consequence of having gone into Iraq in the first place, rather than a consequence of leaving? Isn't it possible that staying only makes the situation worse? If chaos results after our departure, it's because we occupied Iraq, not because we left."
Majority of Americans now feel Iraq war was wrong: poll - Yahoo! News
Majority of Americans now feel Iraq war was wrong: poll - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (AFP) - For the first time, a majority of Americans believe the
Iraq war was the 'wrong thing to do', according to a poll published in The Wall Street Journal.
Fifty-three percent of those asked in the Harris Interactive survey felt that 'taking military action against Iraq was the... wrong thing to do', against 34 percent who thought it was correct, the newspaper said.
The percentage of people opposing the US-led invasion of the country in March 2003 was up from a figure of 49 percent in a parallel poll in September, rising above 50 percent for the first time since the surveys began.
A year before, in September 2004, both sides were even at 43 percent."
Iraq war was the 'wrong thing to do', according to a poll published in The Wall Street Journal.
Fifty-three percent of those asked in the Harris Interactive survey felt that 'taking military action against Iraq was the... wrong thing to do', against 34 percent who thought it was correct, the newspaper said.
The percentage of people opposing the US-led invasion of the country in March 2003 was up from a figure of 49 percent in a parallel poll in September, rising above 50 percent for the first time since the surveys began.
A year before, in September 2004, both sides were even at 43 percent."
25.10.05
Savant for a Day
Savant for a Day: "In a concrete basement at the University of Sydney, I sat in a chair waiting to have my brain altered by an electromagnetic pulse. My forehead was connected, by a series of electrodes, to a machine that looked something like an old-fashioned beauty-salon hair dryer and was sunnily described to me as a ''Danish-made transcranial magnetic stimulator.'' This was not just any old Danish-made transcranial magnetic stimulator, however; this was the Medtronic Mag Pro, and it was being operated by Allan Snyder, one of the world's most remarkable scientists of human cognition.
Nonetheless, the anticipation of electricity being beamed into my frontal lobes (and the consent form I had just signed) made me a bit nervous. Snyder found that amusing. ''Oh, relax now!'' he said in the thick local accent he has acquired since moving here from America. ''I've done it on myself a hundred times. This is Australia. Legally, it's far more difficult to damage people in Australia than it is in the United States.''
''Damage?'' I groaned.
''You're not going to be damaged,'' he said. ''You're going to be enhanced.''
The Medtronic was originally developed as a tool for brain surgery: by stimulating or slowing down specific regions of the brain, it allowed doctors to monitor the effects of surgery in real time. But it also produced, they noted, strange and unexpected effects on patients' mental functions: one minute they would lose the ability to speak, another minute they would speak easily but would make odd linguistic errors and so on. A number of researchers started to look into the possibilities, but one in particular intrigued Snyder: that people undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, could suddenly exhibit savant intelligence -- those isolated pockets of geniuslike mental ability that most often appear in autistic people.
Snyder is an impish presence, the very opposite of a venerable professor, let alone an internationally acclaimed scientist. There is a whiff of Woody Allen about him. Did I really want him, I couldn't help thinking, rewiring my hard drive? ''We're not changing your brain physically,'' he assured me. ''You'll only experience differences in your thought processes while you're actually on the machine.'' His assistant made a few final adjustments to the electrodes, and then, as everyone stood back, Snyder flicked the switch.
A series of electromagnetic pulses were being directed into my frontal lobes, but I felt nothing. Snyder instructed me to draw something. ''What would you like to draw?'' he said merrily. ''A cat? You like drawing cats? Cats it is.''
I've seen a million cats in my life, so when I close my eyes, I have no trouble picturing them. But what does a cat really look like, and how do you put it down on paper? I gave it a try but came up with some sort of stick figure, perhaps an insect.
While I drew, Snyder continued his lecture. ''You could call this a creativity-amplifying machine. It's a way of altering our states of mind without taking drugs like mescaline. You can make people see the raw data of the world as it is. As it is actually represented in the unconscious mind of all of us.''
Two minutes after I started the first drawing, I was instructed to try again. After another two minutes, I tried a third cat, and then in due course a fourth. Then the experiment was over, and the electrodes were removed. I looked down at my work. The first felines were boxy and stiffly unconvincing. But after I had been subjected to about 10 minutes of transcranial magnetic stimulation, their tails had grown more vibrant, more nervous; their faces were personable and convincing. They were even beginning to wear clever expressions.
I could hardly recognize them as my own drawings, though I had watched myself render each one, in all its loving detail. Somehow over the course of a very few minutes, and with no additional instruction, I had gone from an incompetent draftsman to a very impressive artist of the feline form.
Snyder looked over my shoulder. ''Well, how about that? Leonardo would be envious.'' Or turning in his grave, I thought."
Nonetheless, the anticipation of electricity being beamed into my frontal lobes (and the consent form I had just signed) made me a bit nervous. Snyder found that amusing. ''Oh, relax now!'' he said in the thick local accent he has acquired since moving here from America. ''I've done it on myself a hundred times. This is Australia. Legally, it's far more difficult to damage people in Australia than it is in the United States.''
''Damage?'' I groaned.
''You're not going to be damaged,'' he said. ''You're going to be enhanced.''
The Medtronic was originally developed as a tool for brain surgery: by stimulating or slowing down specific regions of the brain, it allowed doctors to monitor the effects of surgery in real time. But it also produced, they noted, strange and unexpected effects on patients' mental functions: one minute they would lose the ability to speak, another minute they would speak easily but would make odd linguistic errors and so on. A number of researchers started to look into the possibilities, but one in particular intrigued Snyder: that people undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, could suddenly exhibit savant intelligence -- those isolated pockets of geniuslike mental ability that most often appear in autistic people.
Snyder is an impish presence, the very opposite of a venerable professor, let alone an internationally acclaimed scientist. There is a whiff of Woody Allen about him. Did I really want him, I couldn't help thinking, rewiring my hard drive? ''We're not changing your brain physically,'' he assured me. ''You'll only experience differences in your thought processes while you're actually on the machine.'' His assistant made a few final adjustments to the electrodes, and then, as everyone stood back, Snyder flicked the switch.
A series of electromagnetic pulses were being directed into my frontal lobes, but I felt nothing. Snyder instructed me to draw something. ''What would you like to draw?'' he said merrily. ''A cat? You like drawing cats? Cats it is.''
I've seen a million cats in my life, so when I close my eyes, I have no trouble picturing them. But what does a cat really look like, and how do you put it down on paper? I gave it a try but came up with some sort of stick figure, perhaps an insect.
While I drew, Snyder continued his lecture. ''You could call this a creativity-amplifying machine. It's a way of altering our states of mind without taking drugs like mescaline. You can make people see the raw data of the world as it is. As it is actually represented in the unconscious mind of all of us.''
Two minutes after I started the first drawing, I was instructed to try again. After another two minutes, I tried a third cat, and then in due course a fourth. Then the experiment was over, and the electrodes were removed. I looked down at my work. The first felines were boxy and stiffly unconvincing. But after I had been subjected to about 10 minutes of transcranial magnetic stimulation, their tails had grown more vibrant, more nervous; their faces were personable and convincing. They were even beginning to wear clever expressions.
I could hardly recognize them as my own drawings, though I had watched myself render each one, in all its loving detail. Somehow over the course of a very few minutes, and with no additional instruction, I had gone from an incompetent draftsman to a very impressive artist of the feline form.
Snyder looked over my shoulder. ''Well, how about that? Leonardo would be envious.'' Or turning in his grave, I thought."
CNN.com - U.S. military death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000 - Oct 25, 2005
CNN.com - U.S. military death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000 - Oct 25, 2005: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The war in Iraq saw two milestones Tuesday that reflect the country's path toward democracy and its human toll as officials said the referendum on a draft constitution passed and the number of U.S. military deaths reached 2,000."
Janet's 'secret' | Music | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (25-10-2005)
Janet's 'secret' | Music | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (25-10-2005): "A FRESH scandal is threatening to engulf the superstar Jackson clan with reports youngest sister Janet has a secret teenage daughter called Renee.
The singer's former brother-in-law, Young DeBarge, whose brother James was married to Jackson from 1984 to 1985, claims Renee now 18 was sent away to live with the star's eldest sister Rebbie."
The singer's former brother-in-law, Young DeBarge, whose brother James was married to Jackson from 1984 to 1985, claims Renee now 18 was sent away to live with the star's eldest sister Rebbie."
Anne Rice Finds Christ, Moves From Vampires And The Occult To Writing “Only For the Lord”… | The Huffington Post
Anne Rice Finds Christ, Moves From Vampires And The Occult To Writing “Only For the Lord”… | The Huffington Post: "In two weeks, Anne Rice, the chronicler of vampires, witches and—under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure—of soft-core S&M encounters, will publish 'Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt,' a novel about the 7-year-old Jesus, narrated by Christ himself. 'I promised,' she says, 'that from now on I would write only for the Lord.' It's the most startling public turnaround since Bob Dylan's 'Slow Train Coming' announced that he'd been born again."
CNN.com - NYT: Notes expose discrepancy in testimony of Cheney's aide - Oct 25, 2005
CNN.com - NYT: Notes expose discrepancy in testimony of Cheney's aide - Oct 25, 2005: "NEW YORK (AP) -- Documents in the CIA leak investigation indicate the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney first heard of the covert CIA officer from Cheney himself, The New York Times reported in Tuesday editions.
The newspaper said notes of a previously undisclosed June 12, 2003, conversation between I. Lewis Libby and Cheney appear to differ from Libby's grand jury testimony that he first heard of Valerie Plame from journalists. The newspaper identified its sources as lawyers who are involved in the case."
The newspaper said notes of a previously undisclosed June 12, 2003, conversation between I. Lewis Libby and Cheney appear to differ from Libby's grand jury testimony that he first heard of Valerie Plame from journalists. The newspaper identified its sources as lawyers who are involved in the case."
Bringing a Little Sunshine into Our Lives
Bringing a Little Sunshine into Our Lives: "With hybrid cars making waves in the auto industry, hybrid solar lighting might be the next big splash – combining the benefits of sunlight with the consistency of traditional electric lighting.
Hybrid solar lighting (HSL) is different than traditional solar power, which converts sunlight into electricity. HSL captures sunlight and channels it directly into a room, using optical fibers."
Hybrid solar lighting (HSL) is different than traditional solar power, which converts sunlight into electricity. HSL captures sunlight and channels it directly into a room, using optical fibers."
New York Daily News - Home - Daily News Exclusive: Bushies feeling the boss' wrath
New York Daily News - Home - Daily News Exclusive: Bushies feeling the boss' wrath: "WASHINGTON - Facing the darkest days of his presidency, President Bush is frustrated, sometimes angry and even bitter, his associates say.
With a seemingly uncontrollable insurgency in Iraq, the White House is bracing for the political fallout from a grim milestone that could come any day: the combat death of the 2,000th American G.I."
With a seemingly uncontrollable insurgency in Iraq, the White House is bracing for the political fallout from a grim milestone that could come any day: the combat death of the 2,000th American G.I."
24.10.05
22.10.05
- toledoblade.com -
- toledoblade.com -: "AS I suspected six months ago, and U.S. military and Bush Administration civilian officials confirmed, U.S. forces have invaded Syria and engaged in combat with Syrian forces."
t r u t h o u t - Barry Lando | Saddam Hussein, a Biased Trial
t r u t h o u t - Barry Lando | Saddam Hussein, a Biased Trial: "On December 13, 2003, American troops pulled Saddam Hussein out of the narrow lair in which he was hiding. In an article written in the heat of the moment for Salon.com, I presumed that many important people around the world, rather than rejoicing to finally see the former Iraqi tyrant captured alive, would have preferred to see him dead. That would have supplied a clear and clean end to the story. There would have been no need for a trial."
321energy :: The Inevitable Peaking of World Oil Production
321energy :: The Inevitable Peaking of World Oil Production: "The era of plentiful, low-cost petroleum is approaching an end. The good news is that commercially viable mitigation options are ready for implementation. The bad news is that unless mitigation is orchestrated on a timely basis, the economic damage to the world economy will be dire and long-lasting.
Oil is the lifeblood of modern civilization. It fuels most transportation worldwide and is a feedstock for pharmaceuticals, agriculture, plastics and a myriad of other products used in everyday life. The earth has been generous in yielding copious quantities of oil to fuel world economic growth for over a century, but that period of plenty is changing."
Oil is the lifeblood of modern civilization. It fuels most transportation worldwide and is a feedstock for pharmaceuticals, agriculture, plastics and a myriad of other products used in everyday life. The earth has been generous in yielding copious quantities of oil to fuel world economic growth for over a century, but that period of plenty is changing."
BBC NEWS | UK | Avian flu found in parrot in UK
BBC NEWS | UK | Avian flu found in parrot in UK: "A parrot that died in quarantine in the UK has tested positive for avian flu, the government has said.
A highly pathogenic H5 strain of the disease has been found, but it is not known if it is the H5N1 variant which has killed at least 60 people in Asia.
Because the bird - imported from south America - was in quarantine, the UK's disease-free status is not affected."
A highly pathogenic H5 strain of the disease has been found, but it is not known if it is the H5N1 variant which has killed at least 60 people in Asia.
Because the bird - imported from south America - was in quarantine, the UK's disease-free status is not affected."
21.10.05
CNN.com - Chavez warns U.S. against invasion - Oct 20, 2005
CNN.com - Chavez warns U.S. against invasion - Oct 20, 2005: "PARIS, France (AP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that his government is preparing for a possible U.S. invasion, and he warned that such 'aggression' would send gasoline prices in the United States soaring."
Film rolls as troops burn dead - World - smh.com.au
Film rolls as troops burn dead - World - smh.com.au: "US soldiers in Afghanistan burnt the bodies of dead Taliban and taunted their opponents about the corpses, in an act deeply offensive to Muslims and in breach of the Geneva conventions.
An investigation by SBS's Dateline program, to be aired tonight, filmed the burning of the bodies.
It also filmed a US Army psychological operations unit broadcasting a message boasting of the burnt corpses into a village believed to be harbouring Taliban."
An investigation by SBS's Dateline program, to be aired tonight, filmed the burning of the bodies.
It also filmed a US Army psychological operations unit broadcasting a message boasting of the burnt corpses into a village believed to be harbouring Taliban."
20.10.05
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: A 30 000 MW Wind Farm in Canada?
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: A 30 000 MW Wind Farm in Canada?: "Gilbert Parent, recently retired from political life in Canada, has proposed building a 30 GW wind farm in the country's northern regions. That's roughly the current power generation capacity of Ontario (home to about 40% of Canada's population of 32 million)."
America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times
America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times: "STEM cells have for the first time been harvested from embryos without killing them, using a technique that could eventually provide children with a personal store of spare part tissue for treating diseases later in life. The successful experiment in the United States paves the way for scientists to create and “bank” master cells that are genetically identical to children before they are born. Should the child grow up to develop a disease such as diabetes or Parkinson’s, the cells could be used for therapy."
D'oh! Arabized Simpsons not getting many laughs
D'oh! Arabized Simpsons not getting many laughs: "DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- When an Arab satellite TV network, MBC, decided to introduce 'The Simpsons' to the Middle East, they knew the family would have to make some fundamental lifestyle changes."
CBS4 Boston - New England's Source For Breaking News, Weather, and Sports for Boston, Worcester, Cape Cod, Nashua, and More: World Wire
CBS4 Boston - New England's Source For Breaking News, Weather, and Sports for Boston, Worcester, Cape Cod, Nashua, and More: World Wire: "MADRID, Spain (AP) A judge has issued an international arrest warrant for three U.S. soldiers whose tank fired on a Baghdad hotel during the Iraq war, killing a Spanish journalist and one other, a court official said Wednesday.
Judge Santiago Pedraz issued the warrant for Sgt. Shawn Gibson, Capt. Philip Wolford and Lt. Col. Philip de Camp, all from the U.S. 3rd Infantry.
Jose Couso, who worked for the Spanish television network Telecinco, died April 8, 2003, after a U.S. army tank crew fired a shell on Hotel Palestine in Baghdad where several journalists were staying to cover the war.
Reuters cameraman Taras Portsyuk, a Ukrainian, also was killed.
The Spanish judge said he issued the arrest order because of a lack of judicial cooperation from the United States regarding the case."
Judge Santiago Pedraz issued the warrant for Sgt. Shawn Gibson, Capt. Philip Wolford and Lt. Col. Philip de Camp, all from the U.S. 3rd Infantry.
Jose Couso, who worked for the Spanish television network Telecinco, died April 8, 2003, after a U.S. army tank crew fired a shell on Hotel Palestine in Baghdad where several journalists were staying to cover the war.
Reuters cameraman Taras Portsyuk, a Ukrainian, also was killed.
The Spanish judge said he issued the arrest order because of a lack of judicial cooperation from the United States regarding the case."
Impearls
Impearls: "Nuclear power is the only green solution by James Lovelock
James Lovelock is an atmospheric chemist who has made a profound contribution to our understanding of how the atmospheres of living worlds betray their nature, is a Fellow of the British Royal Society of distinguished scientists, and along with American biologist Lynn Margulis originated the “Gaia Hypothesis.” Climate authority Kenneth Hare, writing in Encyclopedia Britannica, described the theory thusly: 1 “In effect the Earth is, in Lovelock's most recent restatement (1988), a living organism, with self-regulating processes (homeostasis) capable of ensuring the survival of a life-sustaining global climate.” Partly as a result of this conceptual leap forward, Locklock has attained the status of something of an environmentalist scientist hero in the minds of many people, including yours truly.
Now James Lovelock has written an important piece on nuclear power as a vital component in a campaign and strategy for ameliorating the probable growing impact of global warming during the coming century. Lovelock's article was originally published in the newspaper The Independent, on earthdate 2004-05-24 (May 24, 2004), but it is apparently no longer available online there. Now, with Dr. Lovelock's kind permission, Impearls reissues this first-rate essay. We'll let James Lovelock's own bold title speak for itself: 2 “Nuclear power is the only green solution: We have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilisation is in imminent danger”! "
James Lovelock is an atmospheric chemist who has made a profound contribution to our understanding of how the atmospheres of living worlds betray their nature, is a Fellow of the British Royal Society of distinguished scientists, and along with American biologist Lynn Margulis originated the “Gaia Hypothesis.” Climate authority Kenneth Hare, writing in Encyclopedia Britannica, described the theory thusly: 1 “In effect the Earth is, in Lovelock's most recent restatement (1988), a living organism, with self-regulating processes (homeostasis) capable of ensuring the survival of a life-sustaining global climate.” Partly as a result of this conceptual leap forward, Locklock has attained the status of something of an environmentalist scientist hero in the minds of many people, including yours truly.
Now James Lovelock has written an important piece on nuclear power as a vital component in a campaign and strategy for ameliorating the probable growing impact of global warming during the coming century. Lovelock's article was originally published in the newspaper The Independent, on earthdate 2004-05-24 (May 24, 2004), but it is apparently no longer available online there. Now, with Dr. Lovelock's kind permission, Impearls reissues this first-rate essay. We'll let James Lovelock's own bold title speak for itself: 2 “Nuclear power is the only green solution: We have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilisation is in imminent danger”! "
15.10.05
Chinese 4x4 gets zero in safety test - News - Times Online
: "The first Chinese car to be sold in Europe has scored zero — the worst-ever score — in safety tests."
14.10.05
Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com
Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com: "BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Four years ago, Etienne Verhees broke two vertebrae falling off a ladder, after which doctors put a metal plate in his neck to help heal the wound.
This week, the Belgian coughed up one of four screws used to hold the plate in place."
This week, the Belgian coughed up one of four screws used to hold the plate in place."
The Globe and Mail: Study turns pot wisdom on head
: "Calgary — Forget the stereotype about dopey potheads. It seems marijuana could be good for your brain.
While other studies have shown that periodic use of marijuana can cause memory loss and impair learning and a host of other health problems down the road, new research suggests the drug could have some benefits when administered regularly in a highly potent form.
Most "drugs of abuse" such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine suppress growth of new brain cells. However, researchers found that cannabinoids promoted generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampuses.
Hippocampuses are the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory, and the study held true for either plant-derived or the synthetic version of cannabinoids.
"This is quite a surprise," said Xia Zhang, an associate professor with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon."
While other studies have shown that periodic use of marijuana can cause memory loss and impair learning and a host of other health problems down the road, new research suggests the drug could have some benefits when administered regularly in a highly potent form.
Most "drugs of abuse" such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine suppress growth of new brain cells. However, researchers found that cannabinoids promoted generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampuses.
Hippocampuses are the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory, and the study held true for either plant-derived or the synthetic version of cannabinoids.
"This is quite a surprise," said Xia Zhang, an associate professor with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon."
Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | EU says internet could fall apart
Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | EU says internet could fall apart: "A battle has erupted over who governs the internet, with America demanding to maintain a key role in the network it helped create and other countries demanding more control.
The European commission is warning that if a deal cannot be reached at a meeting in Tunisia next month the internet will split apart."
The European commission is warning that if a deal cannot be reached at a meeting in Tunisia next month the internet will split apart."
BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey bird flu is deadly strain
BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkey bird flu is deadly strain: "EU states have been urged to stockpile anti-viral drugs after confirmation that the bird flu virus found in Turkey is the H5N1 strain dangerous to humans."
12.10.05
Microsoft, Yahoo to Link IM Networks
Microsoft, Yahoo to Link IM Networks: "Microsoft and Yahoo are set to announce on Wednesday a blockbuster interoperability deal that will reshape the landscape of the fragmented instant messaging market.
The companies will connect their IM networks so users on each can communicate with one another using text and voice chat free of charge."
The companies will connect their IM networks so users on each can communicate with one another using text and voice chat free of charge."
11.10.05
TorontoSun.com - Peter Worthington - Bush's judge riles right
TorontoSun.com - Peter Worthington - Bush's judge riles right: "President George Bush seems to have achieved the unthinkable -- he's alienated the conservative 'right' in a way not even Democrats anticipated.
By nominating his Texan friend and White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to the U.S. Supreme Court (replacing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who is retiring) he's outraged some of his most steady and loyal media allies -- the likes of George Will, Rush Limbaugh, Robert Novak, Laura Ingraham, Bill Bennett, Bill Kristol, Pat and Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, John Fund, Michelle Malkin and, of course, that nice David Frum."
By nominating his Texan friend and White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to the U.S. Supreme Court (replacing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who is retiring) he's outraged some of his most steady and loyal media allies -- the likes of George Will, Rush Limbaugh, Robert Novak, Laura Ingraham, Bill Bennett, Bill Kristol, Pat and Bay Buchanan, Ann Coulter, John Fund, Michelle Malkin and, of course, that nice David Frum."
Schwarzenegger signs video game bill | CNET News.com
Schwarzenegger signs video game bill | CNET News.com: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Friday to outlaw the sale to teenagers of electronic games featuring reckless mayhem and explicit sexuality."
New Scientist Technology - Shock tactics to destroy torpedoes
New Scientist Technology - Shock tactics to destroy torpedoes: "THE US navy wants to protect its warships with a system that will destroy incoming torpedoes by firing massive underwater shock waves at them.
The ships would be equipped with arrays of 360 transducers each 1 metre square - effectively big flat-panel loudspeakers - running along either side of the hull below the waterline. When the ship's sonar detects an incoming torpedo, the transducers simultaneously fire an acoustic shock wave of such intensity that the torpedo either detonates early or is disabled by the pulse's crushing force."
The ships would be equipped with arrays of 360 transducers each 1 metre square - effectively big flat-panel loudspeakers - running along either side of the hull below the waterline. When the ship's sonar detects an incoming torpedo, the transducers simultaneously fire an acoustic shock wave of such intensity that the torpedo either detonates early or is disabled by the pulse's crushing force."
Mob boss ordered JFK hit, book says
Mob boss ordered JFK hit, book says: "'Mafia Princess' Antoinette Giancana, daughter of the late Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana, claims in a new book that her father ordered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
If true, this would make Sam Giancana guilty of one of history's worst crimes. But that doesn't trouble Antoinette Giancana.
'The Kennedys were not kind to my father,' she said. 'They were just as evil and corrupt as any mafioso.'"
If true, this would make Sam Giancana guilty of one of history's worst crimes. But that doesn't trouble Antoinette Giancana.
'The Kennedys were not kind to my father,' she said. 'They were just as evil and corrupt as any mafioso.'"
10.10.05
World's oldest party girl - The Other Side - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au
World's oldest party girl - The Other Side - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au: "SOON to turn 175 years of age, Harriet the Galapagos tortoise - possibly the world's oldest living creature - is finally getting the recognition she surely deserves."
GIGWISE.com | Relationship Advice From Gene Simmons
GIGWISE.com | Relationship Advice From Gene Simmons: "Veteran Kiss rocker, Gene Simmons, is offering some pearls of wisdom on how to copulate with numerous ladies and remain happy in a long-term relationship. The key is – get involved with someone that doesn’t mind you bedding birds left, right and centre. And maybe even from behind.
Simmons, who claims to have sex with about four and a half thousand women has been with his girlfriend Shannon Tweed for 22 years and thanks his lucky stars that the pair never got married: “I have been happily unmarried for 22 years and we have two great kids but neither of us has dominion. Loving and caring about someone does not mean they have the right to own you. She will mount the milkman if she wants, so relax, why torture each other?”
“I’m the only one I know who has never been divorced. The biggest cause of divorce is marriage.”
Simmons also claims he has never had a complaint from any of the women he has slept with, because of his total honesty. He is quoted on femalefirst.com as saying: “I have not heard a complaint. That’s because I am straight with them. I don’t lie, like most men do. I will tell a girl I want and desire her, but I’ll tell her straight, “I want your sister and your mommy as well.”
Tempting, Gene, very tempting…"
Simmons, who claims to have sex with about four and a half thousand women has been with his girlfriend Shannon Tweed for 22 years and thanks his lucky stars that the pair never got married: “I have been happily unmarried for 22 years and we have two great kids but neither of us has dominion. Loving and caring about someone does not mean they have the right to own you. She will mount the milkman if she wants, so relax, why torture each other?”
“I’m the only one I know who has never been divorced. The biggest cause of divorce is marriage.”
Simmons also claims he has never had a complaint from any of the women he has slept with, because of his total honesty. He is quoted on femalefirst.com as saying: “I have not heard a complaint. That’s because I am straight with them. I don’t lie, like most men do. I will tell a girl I want and desire her, but I’ll tell her straight, “I want your sister and your mommy as well.”
Tempting, Gene, very tempting…"
,0263 FBI May Relax Rules on Marijuana Use From Asap
,0263 FBI May Relax Rules on Marijuana Use From Asap: "WASHINGTON (AP) - Just Say No is still the doctrine, but the FBI may decide it's OK that some applicants didn't heed Nancy Reagan's advice once or twice in college.
Senior FBI managers have been deeply frustrated that they could not hire applicants who acknowledged occasional marijuana use in college, but in some cases already perform top-secret work at other government agencies.
Some officials want to ease limits about how often - and how many years ago - applicants for jobs such as intelligence analysts, linguists, computer specialists, accountants and others had used illegal drugs.
FBI Director Robert Mueller will make the final decision. 'We can't say when or if this is going to happen, but we are exploring the possibility,' spokesman Stephen Kodak said"
Senior FBI managers have been deeply frustrated that they could not hire applicants who acknowledged occasional marijuana use in college, but in some cases already perform top-secret work at other government agencies.
Some officials want to ease limits about how often - and how many years ago - applicants for jobs such as intelligence analysts, linguists, computer specialists, accountants and others had used illegal drugs.
FBI Director Robert Mueller will make the final decision. 'We can't say when or if this is going to happen, but we are exploring the possibility,' spokesman Stephen Kodak said"
Telegraph | News | Bush will veto anti-torture law after Senate revolt
Telegraph | News | Bush will veto anti-torture law after Senate revolt: "The Bush administration pledged yesterday to veto legislation banning the torture of prisoners by US troops after an overwhelming and almost unprecedented revolt by loyalist congressmen.
The mutiny was the latest setback for an administration facing an increasingly independent and bloody-minded legislature. But it also marked a key moment in Congress's campaign to curtail the huge powers it has granted the White House since 2001 in its war against terrorism."
The mutiny was the latest setback for an administration facing an increasingly independent and bloody-minded legislature. But it also marked a key moment in Congress's campaign to curtail the huge powers it has granted the White House since 2001 in its war against terrorism."
9.10.05
News | canada.com network
After all, Americans are brash, arrogant and aggressive. We Canadians, on the other hand, are polite, modest and somewhat introverted.
We're as different from our neighbours to the south as, well, beavers are from bald eagles.
Aren't we?
Not according to a study of national personalities, which found that this time-honoured perception of our oh-so-unique Canadian psyche -- and other cultures' stereotypes of themselves -- are in fact just so much hooey.
"These stereotypes are as Canadians see themselves and Americans as they see themselves," said Robert McCrae of the U.S. National Institute on Aging, a principal investigator of the study on national personalities around the world.
"Canadians think they're extremely agreeable; the Americans think they're very disagreeable," he said. "Canadians believe that they're very calm and not irritable, very even-tempered, whereas Americans think they're more anxious and hostile.
"The fact is Canadians and Americans have almost identical average personality traits."
In a measure of five main areas of personality, covering a total of 30 traits, Canadians and their U.S. cousins fell roughly in the middle. Not only that, but they weren't all that different from other cultures around the globe, researchers found.">
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