August 1, 2006

News -- August 1, 2006

'There is no ceasefire. There will not be any ceasefire' - "Israeli PM Olmert issues grim warning as US blocks moves for immediate cessation of hostilities."

Israel Plans Deeper Push Into Lebanon - "In a major expansion of its ground offensive, Israel has decided to send troops deeper into Lebanon to clear out Hezbollah fighters and secure the territory until a multinational force is deployed there, senior officials said Tuesday."

Americans stand fast with Israeli ally - "Spot checks across the country found that sympathy for Israel is still strong. Those sentiments are consistent with the results of a New York Times/CBS News poll released late last week, before the Qana incident, that found that 48 percent of respondents characterized Israel's response as "about right," while 9 percent felt it had not gone far enough. Twenty-six percent said they think Israel has gone too far." -- Who are these people who love murder and destruction?

Jimmy Carter: Stop the Band-Aid Treatment - "It is inarguable that Israel has a right to defend itself against attacks on its citizens, but it is inhumane and counterproductive to punish civilian populations in the illogical hope that somehow they will blame Hamas and Hezbollah for provoking the devastating response. The result instead has been that broad Arab and worldwide support has been rallied for these groups, while condemnation of both Israel and the United States has intensified."

Bush's Enemy du Jour - "Hezbollah is a convenient way for Bush to shift focus from the escalating tide of gruesome violence in Iraq."

Key Republican breaks with Bush on Mideast - "Urging President Bush to turn all U.S. efforts toward "ending this madness," a leading Republican senator Monday broke with the Bush administration and called for an immediate cease-fire in the Mideast."

Key Democrats united on Iraq pullout - "House and Senate Democratic leaders have joined together to urge President Bush to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq this year. The move is part of an effort to shake the notion that Democrats are split on the Iraq war and keep the focus on what they see as a winning issue against Republicans."

Primary interest growing - "In a possible harbinger of a larger-than-expected turnout for next week's primaries, 6,715 unaffiliated voters have switched their political status from unaffiliated to Democrat in the past three months."

We Can't Make It Here -- In case you have not heard this James McMurtry song, it's a free download in two versions: acoustic and with the band.

Castro hands power to brother temporarily - "Fidel Castro has temporarily handed over power to his brother Raul due to intestinal surgery, Cuban television reported, the first time the communist leader has ceded control of the island nation in 47 years."

Gingrich continues to warn of World War III - "Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) painted a grim picture for a group of young conservatives Monday, telling them that unless terrorism is defeated overseas then the United States will be fighting this war on the home front."

C-Span Firestorm: 9/11 Truth Symposium Gains Momentum - "Judging by the reaction on the web to C-Span's airing of the American Scholars Symposium, the 9/11 truth movement has been afforded another jolt of momentum in its quest to bring criminal proceedings against those complicit in the attack and its subsequent cover-up. C-Span repeated the show Sunday and set to re-air it again Tuesday at 6:10PM EST, 5:10 CST. The show is currently archived on C-Span's website and you can watch it for free here."

Thousands Face Expulsion From France - "The French government is poised to expel about 20,000 illegal immigrants, mostly Sub-Saharan Africans, campaigners say. The French move runs contrary to the trend across Europe."

Bird Flu Continues To Be Difficult to Spread - "Scientists failed in multiple attempts to make a more contagious form of the H5N1 bird flu, suggesting the virus may have to undergo massive change to cause a human pandemic."

Nitrogen a gas for better mileage - "Many motorists seeking to improve their mileage as gas prices soar this summer are examining everything, right down to the air in their tires. And for a growing number, plain old air isn't good enough. George Bourque of Fairfield, Maine, is one of those who is driving around on tires filled with pure nitrogen, the same stuff that NASCAR racers use."

Thousands of microbes in one gulp - "One litre of seawater can contain more than 20,000 different types of bacteria, scientists have found."

It's Alive (ish) - "Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology figured they could learn more from neuron clumps that acted more like real brains, so they've developed "neurally controlled animats" -- a few thousand rat neurons grown atop a grid of electrodes and connected to a robot body or computer-simulated virtual environment."

Scientists Spot Chronic Pain 'On/Off' Switch - "U.S. researchers say they've identified a protein in nerve cells that acts as a kind of gatekeeper for chronic pain."




Quote of the Day
"Violence is as American as apple pie."
~ H. Rap Brown

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