Iran's nuclear ambitions seen similar to Holocaust - "Iran's reported drive to make an atomic bomb has become an existential threat to Israel that some Israelis are likening to the Holocaust -- especially with the United States appearing to back away from confrontation with Tehran."
Powell says world should recognize Iraq at civil war - "Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday Iraq had descended into civil war and urged world leaders to accept that "reality"."
Report: Panel to call for U.S. pullback - "Such recommendations would require a shift in policy for the Bush administration that President Bush has shown no hint of implementing."
Democrats Reject Key 9/11 Panel Suggestion - "But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation's intelligence agencies."
Why we love government - "Unlike today's Americans, the founders of our nation were suspicious, if not contemptuous, of government. Consider just a few of their words. ... With sentiments like these, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison became presidents. Could a person with similar sentiments win the presidency today? My guess is no. Today's Americans hold such liberty-oriented values in contempt, and any presidential aspirant holding them would have a zero chance of winning office. Today's Americans hold a different vision of government. It's one that says Congress has the right to do just about anything upon which it can secure a majority vote. Most of what Congress does fits the description of forcing one American to serve the purposes of another American. That description differs only in degree, but not in kind, from slavery."
U.S. to unveil new citizenship questions - "No longer would it be sufficient to know the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial). Applicants could also be asked why there are three branches of government." -- Isn't the question: Are there still 3 branches of government?
Supreme Court clashes over climate change - "The global political battle over climate change was also being fought at the US Supreme Court on Wednesday as judges bickered over the role of greenhouse gas emissions in global warming and disagreed on whether the Environmental Protection Agency had the power to refuse to regulate such emissions."
7M in U.S. Jails, on Probation or Parole - "A record 7 million people _ or one in every 32 American adults _ were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the end of last year, according to the Justice Department. Of those, 2.2 million were in prison or jail, an increase of 2.7 percent over the previous year, according to a report released Wednesday."
Federal case may redefine child porn - "... prosecutors acknowledge there's no evidence he has ever taken a single photograph of an unclothed minor. Rather, they argue, his models struck poses that were illegally provocative. ... Because no sex or nudity is involved, the prosecutions raise unusual First Amendment concerns that stretch beyond mere modeling-related Web sites: children and teens in various degrees of undress appear in everything from newspaper underwear advertisements to the covers of Seventeen and Vogue."
N.H. to Offer Girls Free Cancer Vaccine - "Beginning in January, the vaccine against the human papilloma virus, or HPV, will be provided to girls ages 11 through 18 as part of a state program that offers various immunizations to children at no cost."
Federal government launches marketing campaign for psychiatric industry - "Under the guise of combating the stigma of mental illness, the U.S. government will soon begin a massive campaign of psychiatric indoctrination, designed to increase the acceptance of psychiatric chemical imbalance theories and labeling, and to pave the way for national psychiatric screening, driving more Americans into seeking psychiatric drug treatment."
Nike+ IPod = Surveillance - "If you enhance your workout with the new Nike+ iPod Sport Kit, you may be making yourself a surveillance target."
Tobacco-related diseases to take high toll, study finds - "Tobacco-related diseases including cancers and heart disease will kill 6.4 million people a year by 2015, 50 percent more than AIDS, a study said this week."
McDonald's puts patent on sandwiches - "McDonald's wants to own the rights to how a sandwich is made. The fast-food chain has applied for a patent relating to the 'method and apparatus' used to prepare the snack. The burger company says owning the 'intellectual property rights' would help its hot deli sandwiches look and taste the same at all of its restaurants."
Hawking: Man must leave planet Earth - "Mankind will need to venture far beyond planet Earth to ensure the long-term survival of our species, according to the world's best known scientist, Professor Stephen Hawking."
Africa Faces Growing Obesity Problem - "Africa, a continent usually synonymous with hunger, is falling prey to obesity. It's a trend driven by new lifestyles and old beliefs that big is beautiful. Ask Nodo Njobo, a plump hairdressing assistant. She is coy about her weight, but like many African women, proud of her "big bum." She says she'd like to be slimmer, but worries how her friends would react."
Scientists Unravel Mystery of Ancient Greek Machine - " Scientists have finally demystified the incredible workings of a 2,000-year-old astronomical calculator built by ancient Greeks. A new analysis of the Antikythera Mechanism, a clock-like machine consisting of more than 30 precise, hand-cut bronze gears, show it to be more advanced than previously thought—so much so that nothing comparable was built for another thousand years."
Quote of the Day
"If other planets aren't now in danger from Earth, they soon will be."
~ Billy Pilgrim, Slaughterhouse Five
No comments:
Post a Comment