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

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

IOL: Man claims key Lockerbie evidence was faked

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

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

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

Science of forgetting - Boing Boing

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

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

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

Inside DCSNet, the FBI's Nationwide Eavesdropping Network

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

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

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

Spy report on Iraq has stark conclusion - Los Angeles Times

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

Santa Barbara News-Press

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

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

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

World | Africa - Reuters.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pentagon to suspend anti-terror database - Yahoo! News

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

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

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

PeoplePC - News

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

WestEnder - Top Stories

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

GoldMoney - Founder's Commentary

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremy Scahill: The Mercenary Revolution

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

Iraq bombs: 500 die in worst terror attack - Telegraph

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

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

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

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

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

'We have broken speed of light' - Telegraph

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dow Sinks 387 on Renewed Credit Concerns - The Huffington Post

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

Russian bombers buzz US base in Guam - Telegraph

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

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

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

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

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

Technology Review: Electric Fields Kill Tumors

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

Pakistan criticizes Obama for air strike remarks | Jerusalem Post

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

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

PC World - Diebold Voting Machines Vulnerable to Virus Attack

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

Iran Makes Major Nuclear Concessions - washingtonpost.com

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

Global Peace Index Rankings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WorldNetDaily: IRS loses challenge to prove tax liability

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

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

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

Press TV

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

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

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

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

Technology Review: Robotic Insect Takes Off

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

Swedish Woman Gets Superfast Internet

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

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

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

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

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

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

BBC NEWS | Americas | US army veterans sue government

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

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

Diet soft drinks linked to health risks: study

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

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

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

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

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

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

Girl talk linked to depression, anxiety - Los Angeles Times

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

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

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

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

Attempted robbery ends in group hug - Yahoo! News

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined - Los Angeles Times

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

Israel 'Approved' to Strike Iran

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Canadians among highest in world pot use, says UN

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

LSD: The Geek's Wonder Drug?

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

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

New Scientist Technology Blog: Are we ready for shockbots?

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

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

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

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

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

Are organic tomatoes more nutritious?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World's Richest Person - News - CNBC.com

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

New Drug Deletes Bad Memories | LiveScience

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

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

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

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

Mechanical Fingers Give Strength, Speed to Amputees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rolling Stone : The Record Industry's Decline

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

Campaigns & Elections

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

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

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

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

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

Evidently, that's not true.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Was 9/11 an 'inside job'?

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

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

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

Top scientist debunks global warming | | The Australian

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

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

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

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

Herbal remedy cut colds in studies

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

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

glumbert.com - Saltwater into Fire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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