February 26, 2007

Israel, U.S. to discuss new annual aid program - "Israel receives about $2.4 billion a year in mostly military aid from the United States. Most of that is spent on U.S. military equipment."

Israel seeks all clear for Iran air strike - "Israel is negotiating with the United States for permission to fly over Iraq as part of a plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, The Daily Telegraph can reveal."

Al-Jazeera Cameraman Still at Guantanamo - "A TV cameraman is getting an inside view of life at Guantanamo Bay prison - only he is unable to get out and tell the story."

US-Russia tensions rise over antimissile bases - "Russia has threatened to withdraw from INF missile treaty, and target proposed US bases in Poland, Czech Republic."

Voice of the White House February 23, 2008 - "“In 2002, a special high level telephone and computer tapping sub-agency was set up by order of Rumsfeld at the suggestion of Cheney. Their job? To spy on important people; diplomats, Democratic senators and congressmen, potential enemies of the administration and people neither Cheney nor Bush personally liked. Like Topsy, this growed to the point where the group was spying on people the senior military at the Pentagon didn’t like or trust. One of their top targets has been Israeli diplomats, their intelligence agents operating here, quite openly, and at the CIA especially and so-called Israeli action groups like AIPAC. When Cheney got wind of that, he screamed like a scalded cat and the group was ordered to immediately cease and desist spying…but only on the Israelis. Much of this material, reams and reams of it, have been Xeroxed and have been circulating around Washington for about two years. Although much of this material relates directly to the American political and diplomatic endeavors, the American media will never touch any of it. Bush himself is fanatically pro-Isreal as was John Ashcroft and woe to anyone who issued one word of criticism of that problematical state."

The US psychological torture system is finally on trial - "Something remarkable is going on in a Miami courtroom. The cruel methods US interrogators have used since September 11 to "break" prisoners are finally being put on trial. This was not supposed to happen. The Bush administration's plan was to put José Padilla on trial for allegedly being part of a network linked to international terrorists. But Padilla's lawyers are arguing that he is not fit to stand trial because he has been driven insane by the government."

US defiant on cluster bombs - "THE United States said last night that cluster bombs should be preserved as a military option, rejecting a call by 46 nations for a ban. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "We take the position that these munitions do have a place and a use in military inventories."The 46 nations adopted a declaration – accepted by Britain – at a meeting in Norway yesterday calling for a 2008 treaty banning cluster bombs, saying the weapons, which kill and maim long after conflicts end, inflict "unacceptable harm" on civilians."

Not ONE Member of the Bush Extended Family Has Served in Iraq! Not One! Take a Look. - "Yet, not one -- not one -- of any of Bush's children or his nieces and nephews have volunteered for service in any branch of the military or volunteered to serve in any capacity in Iraq. Not one of them has felt the cause was noble enough to put his or her life on the line. If Iraq is such an "honorable" cause, how come not one -- not one -- of Bush's extended family has joined the military to fight there? Not one. Same for Cheney's family."

Edwards: Israel not a threat to world peace - "John Edwards' presidential campaign wants to make it clear that he doesn't consider Israel a threat to world peace."

Does Being a Feminist Mean Voting for Hillary? - "Are feminists obligated to support a political candidate just because she's a woman?"

U.S. economy leaving record numbers in severe poverty - "The percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line and the gulf between the nation's "haves" and "have-nots" continues to widen."

When God sanctions killing, people listen - "New research published in the March issue of Psychological Science may help elucidate the relationship between religious indoctrination and violence, a topic that has gained renewed notoriety in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks. In the article, University of Michigan psychologist Brad Bushman and his colleagues suggest that scriptural violence sanctioned by God can increase aggression, especially in believers. ... The research sheds light on the possible origins of violent religious fundamentalism and falls in line with theories proposed by scholars of religious terrorism, who hypothesize that exposure to violent scriptures may induce extremists to engage in aggressive actions. "To the extent religious extremists engage in prolonged, selective reading of the scriptures, focusing on violent retribution toward unbelievers instead of the overall message of acceptance and understanding," writes Bushman "one might expect to see increased brutality.""

I've found the coffin of Jesus, says film director - "James Cameron says he has proof that Jesus married Mary and that she bore him a son, Judah, who was buried alongside them."

Archaeologists, scholars dispute Jesus documentary - "Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by the Oscar-winning director James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets."

Questions Your Pastor Will Hate - "I remember asking why the Bible, a book which had to know better since it was written by God himself, said Joshua raised his hands and the "sun stopped for the space of about a day," when clearly it would be the earth that stopped rotating? I asked him how oceans would not slop out of their basins in such a scenario and drown the whole world? I asked him if humans would not be cast into space by such a sudden stop of the entire planet? I even asked if this really happened, why did no one else on the whole planet notice it, or write about it? I got that dumb look again."

Is America Too Damn Religious? - "As if it weren't provocative enough to hold a debate on religion in America, panelists in a recent debate were tasked with answering the following: "Is America Too Damn Religious?""

Miami Church Brands Members With '666' Tattoos - "Church members say the symbol doesn't connect them to Satan but rather to De Jesus' claim that he has replaced Christ's teachings with a new gospel. ... Experts on new religious movements say De Jesus' opposition to other religions, and his claim to be the only legitimate spiritual authority, resemble the teachings of some cults." -- Man, that last statement sounds familiar.

Becoming an atheist - "I had believed that it was impossible to know whether or not God is real, but had always accepted His existence on faith. Eventually, I came to abandon that, as I realized that the argument in favour of God was not particularly strong."

Christian pediatrician denies child service because parents are tattooed - "A family is turned away by a local pediatrician, they say because of the way they look. The doctor said he is just following his beliefs, creating a Christian atmosphere for his patients. Tasha Childress said it’s discrimination."

Surveillance Cameras Get Smarter - "Researchers and security companies are developing cameras that not only watch the world but also interpret what they see. Soon, some cameras may be able to find unattended bags at airports, guess your height or analyze the way you walk to see if you are hiding something."

Teens Can Multitask, But What Are Costs? - "The students who do it say multitasking makes them feel more productive and less stressed. Researchers aren't sure what the long-term impact will be because no studies have probed its effect on teenage development. But some fear that the penchant for flitting from task to task could have serious consequences on young people's ability to focus and develop analytical skills."

Job seekers can cash in as baby boomers age - "Pay close attention in biology class -- students who pursue science and math careers will be earning far more money than their peers. "

Record number in U.S. relying on public aid - "Nearly one in six people relies on some form of public assistance, a larger share than at any time since the government started measuring two decades ago. "

Scientific Body Backs Creation Of Human-Animal Chimeras - "Scientists should be allowed to create human-animal hybrid embryos in the search for treatments for nervous system disorders, a Government advisory body said yesterday."

Mobile phones boost brain tumor risk by up to 270 percent on side of brain where phone is held - "The study, done by a collection of researchers from many universities and led by Anna Lahkola of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland, found firm corollary evidence that using a cell phone causes the risk of getting a brain tumor called a glioma to rise by 40 to 270 percent on the side of the head preferred for using the phone."

Antarctic ice melt reveals exotic creatures - "Spindly orange sea stars, fan-finned ice fish and herds of roving sea cucumbers are among the exotic creatures spied off the Antarctic coast in an area formerly covered by ice, scientists reported Sunday."

Site lets you buy friends (and they're hot) - "Now, prospective employers and others can gain some insights into an applicant's lifestyle and character by looking at a person's social-networking page, including the roster of friends. So what if a job applicant's networking page lacks friends? Enter FakeYourSpace.com, a business founded by Brant Walker, which offered users of MySpace.com and similar sites a way to enhance their page with photographs and comments from hired "friends"--mainly attractive models--for 99 cents a month each."

Fake Private Parts Are No Joke, Myers Says - "As the General Assembly debates global warming and the death penalty, Myers (R-Washington) has something else on his mind: the outsized plastic testicles that truckers dangle from the trailer hitches of their pickups. To some truckers, they are manly expressions of rural chic. But Myers, who says his Western Maryland district is brimming with giant fakes on the roadways, calls them vulgar and immoral -- and filed legislation this week to outlaw them."




Quote of the Day
"If you want truly to understand something, try to change it."
~ Kurt Lewin