November 21, 2006

News -- November 21, 2006

Iran probably has germ weapons, possibly N.Korea-US - "Iran probably has germ warfare weapons, North Korea may have developed them and Syria could have carried out research into such banned weaponry, the United States told an arms control conference on Monday." -- Probably? Not real convincing there.

Iraq, Iran and Syria set for 3-way talks - "Iraqi President Jalal Talabani yesterday agreed to travel to Tehran this weekend for an unprecedented three-way summit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Syrian leader Bashar Assad to deal with Iraq's raging insurgency."

Obama calls for troop withdrawal in 6 months - "Obama, who is considering a run for president in 2008, also advocated negotiating Iraq's future with neighboring Iran and Syria, an option President George Bush has rejected as he blames both countries for meddling in the U.S. effort to install a democratic government."

Usurpation of Power: The 2007 Defense Authorization Act and the "Reform" of the Insurrection Act of 1807 - "Messages are circulating on the Internet that raise an alarm over a provision of the FY2007 Defense Department Authorization Act (PL 109-364) that expands presidential discretion to declare martial law and to federalize the National Guard in case of insurrection. The first to raise the subject was Senator Patrick Leahy (VT)."

CACI: Torture in Iraq, Intimidation at Home - "Dogged by serious allegations of human rights abuses in Iraq, a leading profiteer from the Iraq war engages in intimidation campaigns against journalists in America who seek to expose its practices."

Dear Senator McCain: When and Why Did You Sell Your Soul? - "Political insiders mention you as a possible Republican candidate for 2008. As a fellow veteran, a fellow former prisoner, and a fellow Arizonan, I always respected you. Anyone who survives years of confinement and torture has my respect. Sadly, I've come to respect you less and less, as I see you sell your soul for less and less in return."

US rides weapons wave - "War, instability and high oil prices have created a perfect storm of profit for the world's weapons manufacturers. This year, military analysts predict the biggest arms bonanza since 1993, which is saying something because in the aftermath of the first Gulf War the global industry reaped the benefits of a US$42 billion arms race." -- Because it is always about the money.

Rangel's call for new military draft rebuffed - "Democratic Rep. Charles B. Rangel's latest call to quickly restart the military draft was shot down yesterday by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other party members, who said it will not be part of the Democrats' legislative agenda."

Selective Service: Ready for a draft - "Military experts say it's highly doubtful a military draft would ever again be green-lighted because the volunteer system works. They also say any major attack against the United States would certainly result in a surge of additional volunteers that would make a draft unnecessary." -- Or a false-flag operation.

College students sound off on a military draft - "In reality, he says most students see little chance of a draft measure actually passing."

6 Imams Removed From Twin Cities Flight - "A passenger initially raised concerns about the group through a note passed to a flight attendant, according to Andrea Rader, a spokeswoman for US Airways. ... Three of them stood and said their normal evening prayers together on the plane, as 1.7 billion Muslims around the world do every day, Shahin said. He attributed any concerns by passengers or crew to ignorance about Islam."

Swedish human rights worker viciously attacked by Jewish extremists in Hebron - "They started chanting in Hebrew “We killed Jesus, we’ll kill you too!” — a refrain the settlers had been repeating to internationals in Tel Rumeida all day."

Did 22 SDI Researchers really ALL Commit Suicide? - "Like hundreds of other British scientists, he was working on a pilot program for America's Strategic Defense Initiative--better known as Star Wars. And like at least 21 of his colleagues, he died a bizarre, violent death."

Big Brother To Decide If You Drive - "Just when you thought the Orwellian Big Brother society couldn't possibly accelerate further, it gets even worse. A move is afoot to force 245 million drivers in America to have alcohol breathalyzers fitted in their vehicles, ignition interlocks that prevent the vehicle from being started by an inebriant. "The threat of arrest and punishment, for decades the primary tactic against drunken drivers, is no longer working in the struggle to reduce the death toll, officials say, and they are proposing turning to technology — alcohol detection devices in every vehicle — to address the problem," reports the New York Times."

'Jericho,' 'Heroes' spark concern with civil defense - "Americans are not only eating up the fall's only two hit network TV shows both dealing with nuclear attacks, they are also showing more interest in preparing for the disasters U.S. officials have characterized as inevitable in the future."

California court: websites not liable for libel in third-party postings - "Unless the U.S. Congress revises the existing law, people who claim they were defamed in an Internet posting can only seek damages from the original source of the statement, the court ruled."

CBS appeals FCC indecency rules - "CBS told a federal court Monday that the government's new "zero tolerance" policy for indecent broadcasts is threatening to choke off free speech." -- "Fuck" is just a word. It's the way this country acts that makes it seem bigger than it really is.

US is unfriendly to visitors: survey - "The United States is the world's most unfriendly country for international travellers, a survey suggests. The global survey showed the US was ranked "the worst" because of rude immigration officials and long delays in processing visas." -- The US thinks it is more important than it really is. The egocentrism is nauseating.

Students Dropping Out of High School Reaches Epidemic Levels - "In several of the largest school systems across the country — from Baltimore to Cleveland to Atlanta and Oakland, Calif. — half of the students are dropping out. And the problem is not only in the big cities. ... It is estimated that about 2,500 students drop out of U.S. high schools every day. ... And why is a high school diploma so important? Consider this:"

Nuclear fusion deal 'victory for humanity' - "Representatives of more than 30 countries signed a deal on Tuesday to build the world's most advanced nuclear fusion reactor, aimed at developing a cheap and abundant energy source as the end of fossil fuels looms."

Polygamists Fight to Be Seen As Part of Mainstream Society - "Valerie and others among the estimated 40,000 men, women and children in polygamous communities are part of a new movement to decriminalize bigamy. Consciously taking tactics from the gay-rights movement, polygamists have reframed their struggle, choosing in interviews to de-emphasize their religious beliefs and focus on their desire to live "in freedom," according to Anne Wilde, director of community relations for Principle Voices, a pro-polygamy group based in Salt Lake."

Health fears lead schools to dismantle wireless networks - "But many parents and some scientists fear that low levels of microwave radiation emitted by the transmitters could be harmful, causing loss of concentration, headaches, fatigue, memory and behavioural problems and possibly cancer in the long term. Scientific evidence is inconclusive, but some researchers think that children are vulnerable because of their thinner skulls and developing nervous systems."

Stem cells core of more cancers - "A spate of new discoveries about the basic biology of cancer is pushing researchers toward an astonishing conclusion: For decades, efforts to cure the disease may have targeted the wrong cells. ... But mounting evidence suggests that cancer's real culprits -- the roots of perhaps every tumour -- are actually a small subset of bad seeds known best to the world as stem cells. ... Abnormal stem cells have now been identified as the engines driving certain cancers of the blood, breast, brain, bone and prostate. And today, two research groups -- one in Canada and another in Italy -- report in an advance online publication of the journal Nature that they have pinpointed aberrant stem cells as the source of colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths."

Mushrooms take a trip back to the lab - "Scientists suspect the hallucinogen, whose use dates back to ancient Mexico, may have properties that could improve treatments for some psychological conditions and forms of physical pain. Long dismissed as medically useless, the banned mushrooms — a staple of the psychedelic 1960s — are taking a long, strange trip back to the lab."

Iceberg Spotted From New Zealand Shore - "An iceberg has been spotted from the New Zealand shore for the first time in 75 years, one of about 100 that have been drifting south of the country."

State policy on abusive men: They will never change - "The state switched about seven years ago to a philosophy that allows only what amounts to finger-wagging in the 26-week programs it funds. Instructors can only tell the abusers they were wrong and why. "Why would we do this work if we didn't believe there was a possibility it could help change abusive men?" asked Vera House's executive director, Randi Bregman. The philosophical divide: those who think wife-beaters can change and those who think that even the attempt to change them gives victims false hope for safety."

Danger on the toy shelves - "Issuing their 21st annual "Trouble in Toyland" report Tuesday, the Washington-based U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) warned that there are many toys out there that pose significant safety hazards to children."

In Web world, rich now envy the superrich - "Envy may be a sin in some books, but it is a powerful driving force in Silicon Valley, where technical achievements are admired but financial payoffs are the ultimate form of recognition."

Fox News eyes right-leaning satirical show - "Fox News Channel might air two episodes of a "Daily Show"-like program with a decidedly nonliberal bent on Saturday nights in late January, with the possibility that it could become a weekly show."

Did the CIA kill Bobby Kennedy? - "In 1968, Robert Kennedy seemed likely to follow his brother, John, into the White House. Then, on June 6, he was assassinated - apparently by a lone gunman. But Shane O'Sullivan says he has evidence implicating three CIA agents in the murder."

O.J. Simpson Book, TV Special Canceled - "After a firestorm of criticism, News. Corp. said Monday that it has canceled the O.J. Simpson book and TV special "If I Did It." ... In both the book and show, Simpson speaks in hypothetical terms about how he would have committed the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Goldman."

Mike Tyson To Be A Prostitute - "Former boxing champion Mike Tyson is to become a male escort after agreeing to work at legendary Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss' new legalized brothel for women. Fleiss bought 60 acres of land in Nevada, and his work is scheduled to begin on Heidi's Stud Farm. ... She says, "I told him, 'You're going to be my big stallion.' It's every man's fear that their girlfriend will go for Mike Tyson.""




Quote of the Day
"If you've been wondering when Orwell's Thought Police predictions would actually come true, stop holding your breath. It's here right now. We now live in a world where thinking certain thoughts, writing certain things down, or saying certain things in public is a federal crime."
~ Mike Adams

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