News -- May 11, 2006

Energy crisis? Venezuela gas is cheaper than water - "Taxi driver Jaime Tinoco works the streets of Caracas in a 1976 Chevy Nova that guzzles 19 gallons (72 liters) of gas a day. But he doesn't worry about fuel efficiency -- filling his tank costs just $2.30. While U.S. consumers struggle with soaring energy prices, Venezuela's gas is now the world's cheapest at 12 cents a gallon and Washington's regional foe, President Hugo Chavez, vows to maintain subsidies that keep fuel dirt-cheap."

Israel will hit Iran in the next few months: Israeli official - "Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in the next “month or two or three,” an Israeli official has been quoted here as saying."

Israel rated world’s sixth-largest nuclear power - "History repeats itself: a Middle Eastern country launches its own nuclear program. The international community suspects it is a cover for building atomic weapons. The United States calls for the country’s nuclear sites to be inspected. Another government urges the country to scrap its nuclear plans. It is answered by defiant boasts that the nation's sovereignty will not be compromised. The country in question is not Iran in 2006, but Israel in 1969."

Putin Chastises U.S. on Democratic Ideals - "During an emotional moment in the nationally televised speech, Putin used the fairy-tale motif on the need to build a fortress-like house and to illustrate Russia's need to bolster its defenses. He also suggested that Washington puts its political interests above the democratic ideals it claims to cherish."

FBI, DoD, NSA: All Spying on You - "Quietly, the war on terror, in which everything is permitted, has laid the ground work for the Bush administration to intrude into the political life of citizens. Over the last several months, it has been revealed that the FBI, the Pentagon and the National Security Agency have each set up apparently independent covert operations to monitor the constitutionally protected political activities of citizens opposed to the Bush administration’s war in Iraq."

NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls - "The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY. The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews."

New security glitch found in Diebold system - "Armed with a little basic knowledge of Diebold voting systems and a standard component available at any computer store, someone with a minute or two of access to a Diebold touch screen could load virtually any software into the machine and disable it, redistribute votes or alter its performance in myriad ways."

No `verify,' no trust - "Scratch your head over a report on the 2004 general election in Miami-Dade from the county's Election Reform Coalition (www.reformcoalition.org). Among a pile of puzzlements, it concludes that seven polling places had between 50 and 99 more voters than ballots and that four polling places had over 100 more voters than ballots. In addition, six polling places had between 52 and 100 more ballots than voters, and one polling place had 282 more ballots than voters."

Another Possible Bump to the Debt Ceiling - "A $2.7 trillion budget plan pending before the House would raise the federal debt ceiling to nearly $10 trillion, less than two months after Congress last raised the federal government's borrowing limit. The provision -- buried on page 121 of the 151-page budget blueprint -- serves as a backdrop to congressional action this week."

Minorities getting closer to the majority - "Bureau figures released Wednesday show the U.S. population grew by 2.8 million between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005. Hispanics accounted for 1.3 million of that increase, with 800,000 attributable to natural causes -- births minus deaths -- rather than immigration."

Congress targets social network sites - "Now MySpace and other social-networking sites like LiveJournal.com and Facebook are facing a new threat: a proposed federal law that would effectively require most schools and libraries to render those Web sites inaccessible to minors, an age group that includes some of the category's most ardent users."

Sen. Clinton Says Bush Has Charm, Charisma - "Clinton, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, said that despite their "many disagreements about many, many issues," she has always had a good personal relationship with the president."

Bush: Brother Jeb would be ‘great president’ - "President Bush suggested Wednesday that he’d like to see his family’s White House legacy continue, perhaps with his younger brother Jeb as the chief executive."

New boss, same as the old boss - "But things won't change if the Democrats take over. We will just replace one cadre of crooks, scoundrels, con-artists and thieves with another. Democrats and Republicans are an equal match when it comes to moral lapses, ethical challenges and lust for power."

Banned In Boston - "Catholic Charities of Boston made the announcement on March 10: It was getting out of the adoption business. "We have encountered a dilemma we cannot resolve. … The issue is adoption to same-sex couples.""

Contraception: The New Abortion - "Gee, imagine that. Reduced use of contraceptives leads to more abortions. Sounds like common sense, doesn't it? So why am I writing about it? Because some people — some relatively influential people — disagree. Some Christian conservatives are starting to jump on the same bandwagon that Catholic groups have occupied for decades: Life begins at fertilization and anything that interferes with that is abortion. And they're willing to use laws and government regulations to force everybody to conform to their beliefs."

Abstinence Backfires - "One of the Christian Right's most cherished ideological victories since the 1990s has been the dominance of federally funded "abstinence only until marriage" programs now taught to millions of teenagers across the country. New evidence, however, suggests that these same programs have contributed to soaring rates of unplanned pregnancies, out-of-wedlock births and, yes, abortions among women who are young or poor. ... Ironically, teenage contraceptive use had nearly doubled during the Reagan era, when comprehensive sex education-including contraception instruction-still remained the norm. In contrast, U.S. law now requires federally funded sexuality education to inform teenagers that ''sexual activity outside the context of [monogamous and heterosexual] marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects.''"

Piracy worse than child porn - "So in other words if you copy a Disney CD and sell it you will be in the same league as a paedophile who is distributing pictures of sexual attacks on children."

Rising number of schools face serious penalties - "Falling short of requirements under President Bush's education law, about 1,750 U.S. schools have been ordered into radical restructuring, subject to mass firings, closure, state takeover or other moves aimed at wiping their slates clean."

Men Pay the Ultimate Price to Attract Women - "While it is tough to be a woman, being a man can be downright deadly. Women live longer than men. And now scientists suggest a simple Darwinian reason: Competing for a mate can wear a guy out or get him killed."

Bill would make sale of sex toys illegal in South Carolina - "But banning the sale of sex toys is actually quite common in some Southern states."

DNA Tests Confirm Bear Was a Hybrid - "But Roger Kuptana, an Inuvialuit guide from Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, was the first to suspect it had actually happened when he proposed that a strange-looking bear shot last month by an American sports hunter might be half polar bear, half grizzly. Territorial officials seized the creature after noticing its white fur was scattered with brown patches and that it had the long claws and humped back of a grizzly. Now a DNA test has confirmed that it is indeed a hybrid - possibly the first documented in the wild."




Quote of the Day
"Liberty has never come from government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of government. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of limitations of government power, not the increase of it."
~ Woodrow Wilson

News -- May 10, 2006

Mossad murdered 530 Iraqi scientists - "Numerous reports for many months have stated that with collaboration from American occupation forces, Israel’s espionage apparatus, Mossad, slaughtered at least 530 Iraqi scientists and academic professors."

Ray McGovern: My Meeting With Rumsfeld - "As soon as the event was over, CNN asked me for my sources, which I was happy to share. The CNN folks seemed a bit surprised that they all checked out. To their credit, they overcame the more customary “McGovern said this, but Rumsfeld said that”—and the dismissive “well, we’ll have to leave it there”—kind of treatment. In Rumsfeldian parlance, what I had said turned out to be “known knowns,” even though he provided an altered version on Thursday of his “we know where they are.” Better still, in its coverage, CNN quoted what Rumsfeld had said in 2003. That evening a friend emailed me about a call she got from a close associate in “upper management at CNN” to ask about me. She quoted the CNN manager: “We checked and double-checked everything this guy had to say and he was 100 percent accurate.” He then asked if those protesting the war “were getting organized or something.” She responded, “Indeed we are and have been for some time, and it’s about time the mainstream media caught up.”" -- I find the media's ignorance repulsive.

For authors, a surprise: U.S. upbeat on diversity, but not on atheists - "Religion, however, is an imperfect proxy for morality. Not only are religious people capable of immoral acts, nonbelievers can be highly moral people. For many atheists, morality is based on law, contracts and understandings of human decency and mutual dependence rather than religious codes or beliefs. Yet most Americans can't imagine this, in part because most Americans don't actually know any self-avowed atheists."

Be Fruitful and Multiply - "How odd that they would think God gave them such marvelous reproductive capacities, commissioned their use, repeatedly celebrated children in Scripture, and then said it was no big deal if they made nothing of it. How can this be? Several reasons, I suppose. I do believe that the "zero population growth" hysterics have taken their toll. Careerism and materialism get much of the credit, too. Children take time and money. Biblical illiteracy is also a factor. But I think that overall, it's a matter of shunning things which might cramp our style. Well, God can be a major style-cramper when that style is sub-Christian. Am I saying we should dismiss all contraception? No. I don't see a moral obligation to use every God-given capacity to the max. I have the capacity to sing, but I don't sing myself hoarse every day. But if I never sang to the glory of God, I should be ashamed of myself. Certainly, there are those who are called to singleness. Of course, there are reasons for couples to delay or interrupt child-bearing. But the burden of justification before God always rests upon the willfully childless."

A Child's Hell in the Lord's Resistance Army - "She is here to put a face on the war. Tell about the atrocities, cruel and brutal; recount the scenes of a war in northern Uganda, where rebels led by a madman steal sleeping children from their beds, because children are easier to brainwash. Tell of rebels who smear the children with oil, promising that the oil will protect them. That the bullets will bounce off the oil. And the children believe them. Then they force the children to kill or be killed."

The housing bubble has popped - "Reports of falling sales and investors stuck with properties they can't sell are just the beginning. Property owners should worry; so should their lenders."

50-year mortgage hits the market - "As home prices and interest rates keep rising, lenders have figured out a way to keep the dream alive for millions of people who want to own their own home. It's called the 50-year mortgage." -- It's not owning a home. It's being a slave to the note holder and making them tons of money.

U.S. has second worst newborn death rate in modern world, report says - "American babies are three times more likely to die in their first month as children born in Japan, and newborn mortality is 2.5 times higher in the United States than in Finland, Iceland or Norway, Save the Children researchers found."

Vaccine makers helped write Frist-backed shield law - "Vaccine industry officials helped shape legislation behind the scenes that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist secretly amended into a bill to shield them from lawsuits, according to e-mails obtained by a public advocacy group." -- Setting the people up to be defenseless guinea pigs?

CDC wants HIV tests for everyone - "Testing for the AIDS virus could become part of routine physical exams for adults and teens if doctors follow new U.S. guidelines expected to be issued by this summer. Federal health officials say they would like HIV testing to be as common as a cholesterol check."

Anti-abortion crowd targets birth control - "It's no secret to those who follow Washington politics that birth control has been "next on the list" of anti-abortion, religious conservatives. Following the enthronement of President Bush's Victorian coterie in 2001, their top priority -- an imposition of "everything but" a ban on abortion -- has been accomplished in five short years. Now there's undeniable proof that abortion was not the home run they longed for, but more tantamount to first base in a long-range plan to ban birth control, too."

Oral and anal sex increasing among teens - "The finding is not all that surprising, Dr. Emily Erbelding from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore told Reuters Health."

In condom fight, it's easy to see who's right - "Today, condoms have become the coin of the political realm, while debates break out in the politest of places -- from the Vatican to the Senate to the pulpit to the pew."

Half of new teachers quit within 5 years: study - "According to a new study from teachers' union the National Education Association, half of new U.S. teachers are likely to quit within the first five years because of poor working conditions and low salaries."




Quote of the Day
"As if there's a God who would understand."
~ Matthew Sweet, (Holy War)

News (Page 2) -- May 8, 2006

The USDA on Iraq: Everything's Coming Up Rosy - "Career appointees at the Department of Agriculture were stunned last week to receive e-mailed instructions that include Bush administration "talking points" -- saying things such as "President Bush has a clear strategy for victory in Iraq" -- in every speech they give for the department. "The President has requested that all members of his cabinet and sub-cabinet incorporate message points on the Global War on Terror into speeches, including specific examples of what each agency is doing to aid the reconstruction of Iraq," the May 2 e-mail from USDA speechwriter Heather Vaughn began." -- Propaganda at its finest.

'Iran can also be wiped off the map' - "Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Monday that "the president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map."" -- This alpha male behavior is getting tiring.

US clamped down on prisoner abuse, officials tell UN - "US officials told the UN's anti-torture body that the United States had held 103 courts martial for mistreatment of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan under a broad clampdown against ill treatment."

Potential Evidence Surfaces of Bush's Illegal Spying - "An Oregon attorney may have proof of Bush's domestic spying operation -- which means the illegal program's days may be numbered."

Life in the Bush Economy: Fat, Drunk and Broke - "American consumers are heavily indebted. The growth of consumer debt is what has been fueling the economy. Social Security and Medicare are in financial trouble, as are many company pension plans. Decide for yourself--is this the economic picture of a superpower that can dictate to the world, or is it the picture of a second-rate country dependent on foreigners to finance its consumption and the operation of its government?"

THE UNITED STATES IS ILL-PREPARED TO WAGE A NEW COLD WAR - "It was just over five years ago when President George W. Bush said he looked into the "soul" of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and pronounced that that their meeting was "the beginning of a very constructive relationship." Now, amid sharp geopolitical maneuvering in the Caucasus and Central Asia, the United States and Russia seem to be girding for Cold War II. Unlike the epic conflict during the last half of the 20th century, however, Washington is poorly positioned to defeat Russia in a new superpower standoff."

North Korea trying to weaponize bird flu - "Bio-warfare experts call it potentially 'greatest threat al-Qaida could unleash'."

Republicans Set Aside Middle-Income Tax Cuts to Focus on Rich - " Six months before elections that may return a Democratic majority in at least one house of Congress, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois are focusing on extending the 15 percent rate on investments and repealing the estate tax. They won't push extensions of lower rates for all taxpayers and expanded breaks for married couples and families with children, which expire after 2010." -- Trying to divide the masses even more.

Rats trained for front-line role in landmine search - "The pilot programme began with eight rats, although two have died during training. The six survivors live in a dedicated laboratory at the police academy and for two hours every day are put in a maze and set tracking down explosives. "The animals are conditioned to receive a prize, normally a sugar lump, when they track down any explosive material," said Luisa Fernanda Méndez, a veterinarian."

Children as young as three may already be racists - "Toddlers at nursery school must be encouraged to play with children of different ethnic backgrounds to help them "unlearn any racist attitudes and behaviour they may have already learnt", said Herman Ouseley, the former chairman of he Commission for Racial Equality."

Teens often break virginity pledges, study finds - "Virginity pledges, in which young people vow to abstain from sex until marriage, have little staying power among those who take them, a Harvard study found. In fact, more than half the adolescents who make such signed, public promises give up on their pledges within a year, according to the study released this week." -- This is because humans are supposed to have sex.

Chip to end lost luggage - "Technology used to monitor cars in cities is being adapted to track airline luggage."

Giant ozone hole may be forming over Tibet, experts warn - "While it does not yet qualify as a regular ozone hole, like the ones over the two poles, the area has seen a dramatic drop in ozone density in recent years, the Xinhua news agency said, citing China's Scientific Report journal. The decrease in ozone over the plateau was caused by atmospheric air movements rather than the global greenhouse effect, Xinhua quoted the journal as saying."

Lesbians' brains respond like straight men - "Lesbians' brains react differently to sex hormones than those of heterosexual women. An earlier study of gay men also showed their brain response was different from straight men -- an even stronger difference than has now been found in lesbians. ... In both cases the findings add weight to the idea that homosexuality has a physical basis and is not learned behavior."

Wal-Mart to own all smiley faces? - "In a battle that's sure to crack a smile on your face, Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is looking to control the rights to the famous yellow smiley face, at least when it comes to the marketplace."

News -- May 8, 2006

Vice Squad - "They terrorize other government officials, and they’re so secretive that their names aren’t even revealed to a harmless federal employee directory. And they’ve helped ruin the country. Meet Dick Cheney’s staff."

Atheists for Peace - "The Atheist Manifesto that Sam Harris has posted at Truth Dig points out that "Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on Earth….The United States is unique among wealthy democracies in its level of religious literalism and opposition to evolutionary theory; it is also uniquely beleaguered by high rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, STD infection and infant mortality. The same comparison holds true within the United States itself: Southern and Midwestern states, characterized by the highest levels of religious superstition and hostility to evolutionary theory, are especially plagued by the above indicators of societal dysfunction, while the comparatively secular states of the Northeast conform to European norms….Countries with high levels of atheism also are the most charitable in terms of giving foreign aid to the developing world….Consider the ratio in salaries between top-tier CEOs and their average employee: in Britain it is 24 to 1; France 15 to 1; Sweden 13 to 1; in the United States, where 83% of the population believes that Jesus literally rose from the dead, it is 475 to 1."While a number of those atheistic countries, particularly the United Kingdom, joined the U.S. in a dishonest, illegal, and aggressive war that has murdered hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, their populations opposed that war from the start, while it took years for a majority in the U.S. to do so. The correlation between atheism and progressive politics doesn't prove causation, but the fact that atheism can be chosen should cause us to look into the matter. ... What if becoming an atheist could help make you a progressive too? Would it then be advantageous to encourage atheism? ... Then there is the question of the damage done to the world by dividing its population up into various religions, into groups of people who place significance on beliefs that others do not share and cannot be brought to share by any coherent arguments. ... Those who claim to believe in all religions probably place themselves in the "other" category. Of course, at some point it has to become hard to believe in all religions, since they conflict with each other even more than each individual one conflicts with itself. While I have no data to prove it, I suspect that "religions are all the same" is often a temporary stopping point along a path from a particular religion to atheism. The same is certainly true of the position that holds that "my religion is best but all the other ones are equally good and I should learn more about them." Because the more you learn about them, the more you see that you cannot respect them all. You can respect the people who believe them, but not the beliefs. And the more you look at other religions, the more you see your own from the viewpoint of others – that is, as a myth created by your culture, and a fairly embarrassing one at that, full of nonsense that requires an intensive course of training to get children to accept it."

Praying for cures: Healing rooms prescribe faith for what ails people - "The five-year-old ministry belongs to the International Association of Healing Rooms, a Seattle-based group with more than 10,000 volunteers and 417 branches worldwide. The movement, founded by the evangelist Cal Pierce in 1999, seeks to revive a style of spiritual healing that flourished in the early 1900s."

The President's New Helicopter - "After decades of upgrades to a fleet of notoriously cramped Sikorsky VH-3 Sea Kings, the White House has tasked Lockheed Martin with a dramatic, $6.1-billion makeover of Marine One, the presidential helicopter, starting this summer." -- That's with a "B".

The RFID Hacking Underground - "They can steal your smartcard, lift your passport, jack your car, even clone the chip in your arm. And you won't feel a thing."

Electronic smog - "The curse of the mobile phone age: around your home there are countless gadgets whose electrical fields, scientists now warn, are linked to depression, miscarriage and cancer."

Ice-capped roof of world turns to desert - "The Chinese Academy of Sciences - the country's top scientific body - has announced that the glaciers of the Tibetan plateau are vanishing so fast that they will be reduced by 50 per cent every decade. Each year enough water permanently melts from them to fill the entire Yellow River."

Colleges see cocktail hour as cure for boozing - "The remedy for rampant drinking at American colleges? It could be a crash course in the art of sensible social drinking, reminiscent of the old-fashioned, formal cocktail hour -- often a showcase for decorum."

No-mow Grass May Be Coming To Your Yard Soon - "Manipulation of plant stature has been a longstanding goal in horticulture, agronomy, and forestry. The ability to precisely control plant size would have broad implications for everything from urban forestry to crop and garden plant development. Beyond perpetually short grass, trees could be made more compact for better growth in crowded cities, and berry bushes could be made taller for ease of harvesting."




Quote of the Day
"You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent but not, as yet, quite intelligent enough."
~ Aldous Huxley

News -- May 7, 2006

The Last Gasp of the Dollar; Iran bourse opens next week - ""Everybody knows the real reason for American belligerence is not the Iranian nuclear program, but the decision to launch an oil bourse where oil will be traded in euros instead of US dollars….The oil market will break the dominance of the dollar and lead to a decline of global American hegemony." Igor Panarin, Russian political scientist."

Opening the debate on Israel - "Routinely, the American news media have ignored or pilloried any strong criticism of Washington's massive support for Israel. But the paper and an article based on it by respected academics John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt, academic dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, first published March 23 in the London Review of Books, are catalysts for some healthy public discussion of key issues."

The Drug of War - "Before I was the soldier, the killer, the destroyer of worlds; I was innocent, and naïve, and unknowing of the horrors that my fellow humans were capable of. I was proud of the soldier and praised him for every enemy he killed, and I lavished in the thought that I too would do the same. I told myself that I would be there if it weren’t for the fact that I was too young, or still in school, or desperately in love with a girl. But this picture of the past is only just that, a picture. As a lethal sword was once nothing more then metal in the earth, I was once but a simple boy before I became a soldier. Just as that sword will never return to the earth, I will never again be a simple boy. I can only hope that by voicing how my experiences have changed my life, I can minimize the number of people that have to go through the same, and those that must, do so for a good reason."

Rumsfeld developing revisionist habits - "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tried to rewrite history last week when he denied making prewar claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction." -- I can not fathom how anyone can support the Bush administration. I am saddened by the ignorance and blind faith of some of my fellow human beings.

Congo's tragedy: the war the world forgot - "In a country the size of Western Europe, a war rages that has lasted eight years and cost four million lives. Rival militias inflict appalling suffering on the civilian population, and what passes for political leadership is powerless to stop it. This is Congo, and the reason for the conflict - control of minerals essential to the electronic gadgetry on which the developed world depends - is what makes our blindness to the horror doubly shaming."

Mainstream Media, Why the Blackout on Stephen Colbert? - "Last week at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner, comedian Stephen Colbert delivered a scathing satirical commentary on the Bush Administration -- right in front of President Bush himself. But unless you get your news from online sources such as the blogs, you probably didn't even hear about it."

Creationism dismissed as 'a kind of paganism' by Vatican's astronomer - "BELIEVING that God created the universe in six days is a form of superstitious paganism, the Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno claimed yesterday. Brother Consolmagno, who works in a Vatican observatory in Arizona and as curator of the Vatican meteorite collection in Italy, said a "destructive myth" had developed in modern society that religion and science were competing ideologies."

Cardinal urges legal action against Da Vinci Code - "In the latest Vatican broadside against "The Da Vinci Code", a leading cardinal says Christians should respond to the book and film with legal action because both offend Christ and the Church he founded."

In Today's Culture, Do You See Evidence of a War on Christianity? - "No. A cultural "war on Christianity" is a social construct dreamed up by right-wing "Christians" who need to operate and motivate out of fear in the absence of sound biblical interpretation and authentic community ethos."

Greek gods prepare for comeback - "It has taken almost 2,000 years, but those who worship the 12 gods of ancient Greece have finally triumphed. An Athens court has ordered that the adulation of Zeus, Hera, Hermes, Athena and co is to be unbanned, paving the way for a comeback of pagans on Mount Olympus. The followers, who say they "defend the genuine traditions, religion and ethos" of the ancients by adhering to a pre-Christian polytheistic culture, are poised to take their battle to the temples of Greece."

Oil giants' charm offensive as US politicians threaten action - "The oil industry is to channel millions of dollars to US Congressional election campaigns this year as part of a desperate plan to squash calls for a windfall tax on their record profits."

Rising Expenses Have Consumers Feeling Pinched - "Higher interest rates, energy prices and other expenses are now causing some consumers to rethink their spending habits. So far, many families have been able to absorb the increases without having to tighten their belts much. But others have started to adjust to the new reality."

ANGER AS US DROPS CUP FLAG - "THE bus carrying the United States football team in the World Cup will not carry the Stars and Stripes flag because of fears of an al-Qaeda attack." -- Or is the worry more than just al-Qaeda?

For television news, the kids aren't all right - "Seldom mentioned, however, is the fact that cable news is equally geriatric. Indeed, Fox News Channel and CNN are two of only three leading basic networks (the other being the Hallmark Channel) whose median viewer age is over 60. Headline News rings in next at 59.9, and MSNBC is still on the rickety side at 57."

Beware Europe's unknown viral nasties - "A VERITABLE zoo of nasty new viruses is circulating in Europe and could be killing people without even being suspected. In a study commissioned by the British government on the risk of insect-borne and other arthropod-borne viruses emerging in the UK, Ernie Gould of the University of Oxford warns that these diseases may be going unrecognised simply because no one is looking for them."

Dolphins ‘know each other’s names’ - "The evidence suggests dolphins share the human ability to recognise themselves and other members of the same species as individuals with separate identities. The research, on wild bottlenose dolphins, will lead to a reassessment of their intelligence and social complexity, raising moral questions over how they should be treated."

Wall-to-Wall Wal-Mart? - "Do you want to know which video clip will soon be scaring the daylights out of policymakers throughout the world? In a scenario that looks uncannily like the spread of a global pandemic, the economist Thomas Holmes has prepared a dynamic map simulation showing the spread of Wal-Mart stores throughout the United States. Starting at the epicenter in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Sam Walton opened his first store in 1962, giant boxy Wal-Mart stores have now multiplied to the point where the average American lives less than seven kilometers from an outlet."




Quote of the Day
"All I know is that it irritates the gods of government."
~ Joseph Farah

News -- May 6, 2006

Russia, China dig in against West on Iran - "Russia and China on Friday opposed key provisions in a U.N. draft resolution that orders Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, making an agreement unlikely before ministers come to New York next week."

White House backs Cheney on Russia - "The White House on Friday backed Vice President Dick Cheney's tough speech on Russia and said Russian President Vladimir Putin should move on democratic reforms before hosting a major international summit in July."

Hawks Looking for New and Bigger Enemies? - "As if rallying fading public support for keeping more than 100,000 U.S. troops in a disintegrating Iraq and preparing the ground for a possible military attack on Iran were not enough, some influential hawks are now promoting a more confrontational stance against Russia and China, as well." -- I have seen the enemy, and it is us.

Bush says fight against terror is 'World War III' - "US President George W. Bush said the September 11 revolt of passengers against their hijackers on board Flight 93 had struck the first blow of "World War III."" -- Humanity will never change.

CIA boss Goss is cooked - "CIA Director Porter Goss abruptly resigned yesterday amid allegations that he and a top aide may have attended Watergate poker parties where bribes and prostitutes were provided to a corrupt congressman."

Senate: No permanent bases in Iraq - "The Senate amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill to bankroll the war, introduced by U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., puts the chamber on record against permanent U.S. military bases or control of oil in Iraq. The House unanimously approved a similar amendment by Lee, D-Oakland, on a March 16 voice vote."

Government 'secrets' expanding - "Some Bush administration officials and members of Congress are casting a longing eye at the British law. If only the United States had a similar law, their reasoning goes, the reporters who revealed CIA-run prisons in Eastern Europe and the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping of terrorism suspects would be prosecuted instead of receiving Pulitzer Prizes. The U.S. Constitution remains a barrier to those who would restrict the flow of information to the media - and thus to the public. But administration policies are chipping away at its protections. The nation is in danger of having an Official Secrets Act not through passage of a law - although that is a possibility - but through incremental steps. The evidence is mounting:"

Spies Among Us - "Despite a troubled history, police across the nation are keeping tabs on ordinary Americans."

Living on borrowed dimes - "A fax came through to my office the other week, touting a book on just that subject. The publishers blurb promised; 'A chilling picture of a debt bloated America that seems headed down the same self destructive path of the Roman Empire.' Now, if that does not get your attention, nothing will. Here are some figures. Whatever your politics, they should scare you. The US federal debt stands at $8.2 trillion. Yes: trillion with a T. American household debt - meaning ordinary Americans' mortgages and such debts - dwarfs even that. It stands at $11 trillion."

Bush losing support of right - "Dissatisfaction with both Congress and President Bush is widespread and deep among conservatives, according to new polls that show Mr. Bush scoring startling low ratings on immigration in particular."

South Dakota's Abortion Revolt - "The state's restrictive abortion ban has galvanized a major grassroots campaign by citizens determined to overturn the law come election day."

I Got Your War On Christianity Right Here - "For all the whining about the "war on Christians" we hear from the fundie set, can you even imagine this show airing on American television? The Root of All Evil? is a two-part series airing in the U.K. on Channel 4 in which Richard Dawkins, the internationally known biologist and evolutionary theorist (his 1976 book The Selfish Gene was a worldwide best seller) delivers a thoroughly reasoned polemic against religion. Not a comparative study — a full-out attack on faith itself. ... When a head case like Fred Phelps uses his church as a platform to attack gays and pickets the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq (like Robertson and Falwell, Phelps believes every bad thing that happens to Americans shows God's wrath over our tolerance of homosexuality), we often hear the defense that they do not represent "true" Christianity. But how do we determine what is meant by "true" Christianity unless we are ready to examine it with a cold, skeptical eye? And will the answer to that question mean anything unless it is given by people who are ready to infuriate a great many believers? Interesting questions. Unfortunately, I don't expect to see any of them even dealt with, much less answered, on American television."

GOP Bible Bill Upsets Liberals, But Ga. Dems See Political Gains - "In a stark reversal of political fortune, Democratic legislators attempting to seize the pro-religion spotlight in Georgia last month have found themselves unexpectedly converted into backers of a Republican bill to teach the Bible in public schools."

The Rapture is Crapture (Part 1) - "You're not the elect, the just or even, we suspect, the saved, who because of your incomparable virtue will be whisked out of harms way by the aforementioned Lord when he comes to wreak genocidal revenge on billions of us unelect, unjust and unsaved. You're the latest in a millennia-long line of money-grubbing power-hungry hypocrites and hucksters who offer the lonely, threatened, frustrated, and as always, those with a limited supply of marbles, a lovely lie. Not only are they saved but those they hate, fear, envy and blame are damned! Not only will they be snatched up to heaven way ahead of schedule, but - A Special Final Days offer! - they DON'T HAVE TO DIE! That's the beauty part of the Rapture, a new American twist on an old, old Euro-scam: no massive heart attack, no terminal cancer, no being crushed by a truck on I-95. You're snatched up to heaven just the way you are."

The Rapture Crapture (Part 2): Make War for Christ's Sake! - "1-2-3-4 -- what are we waiting for? The Rapture Index which uses dozens of categories of disaster to predict the exact date of the Rapture reaches its self-imposed ceiling of 225! All over God's Chosen Nation, the elect (so-called because they win elections), feel lighter in their loafers in anticipation of zipping up to heaven. Rumors fly of multiple fatalities attributed to drivers and pilots being snatched away by the Lord from their 18-wheelers and crop-dusters even as they toil. (Curiously they're all happening south of the Mason-Dixon line). And what would clinch it? What would force the mighty Lamb to return? Simple. Start a glorious blood-and-fireballs WAR! Screams-of-the-damned, billions-dead-as-the-nukes-fly WAR! Christ LOVES war! Didn't He promise way back when to give us the WAR of ALL WARS (Matt. 24.5-31)?"

Churches reap the benefits of belief: $500 million in tax exemptions - "Tax exemptions to Australian churches are costing federal, state and local governments more than $500 million a year, new figures show."

To secure religious freedom, we need to stop shouting and start talking - "A just-released report on "The Future of Religious Freedom in America" exposes one of the nation's best-kept secrets: Civil discourse across deep religious and political differences is alive and well in the United States."

FFRF Takes to the Airwaves! - "The feisty Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis.-based national association of atheists and agnostics, is launching a new radio show, Freethought Radio, this week. Freethought Radio is believed to be the only weekly radio broadcast devoted to "the secular point of view" in North America."

World Cup: United States team bus to show no flag - "The official team bus to be used by the United States during the World Cup will not bear a flag for security reasons. The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt and the other 31 buses have large national flags of the their teams painted on rear sides." -- Oh yes, the U.S. has a terrific standing in the world. Pathetic.

Net censorship spreads worldwide - "Repressive regimes are taking full advantage of the net's ability to censor and stifle reform and debate, reveals a report."

Principal bars Coral Springs student from singing anti-Bush song at talent show - "A 10-year-old Coral Springs girl won't be allowed to sing a controversial President Bush-bashing ballad at her school talent show after her principal deemed it inappropriate and too political."

Genetics might be why some people get bird flu - "“There have been family clusters. So there has to be certainly a genetic aspect to it,” Robert Webster of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital told a bird flu conference organized by the Lancet medical journal in Singapore."

China Makes Artificial Rain for Beijing - "The reaction that occurred brought as much as four-tenths of an inch of rain, the heaviest rainfall this year, helping to "alleviate drought, add soil moisture and remove dust from the air for better air quality," Xinhua said."

One Big Bang, or were there many? - "The universe is at least 986 billion years older than physicists thought and is probably much older still, according to a radical new theory. The revolutionary study suggests that time did not begin with the big bang 14 billion years ago. This mammoth explosion which created all the matter we see around us, was just the most recent of many."

Rock Fin Grows in Mount St. Helens' Crater - "The fin-shaped mass is about 300 feet tall and growing 4 feet to 5 feet a day, said Dan Dzurisin, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey."

Bible college student confesses to torching adult bookstore - "Police in Knoxville say a student at a small Tennessee Bible college has told them he set fire to an adult bookstore to serve God, but now realizes it was a sin." -- Dude, you need to get laid or at least masturbate.

Teacher Out Of Job After X-Rated Video Surfaces - "A teacher in western Kentucky has been suspended and will not have her contract renewed after administrators found out she appeared in an adult movie more than a decade ago."




Quote of the Day
"No wild beasts are so hostile to mankind as are most of the Christians in their savagery toward one another."
~ Ammianus Marcellinus

News -- May 5, 2005

Bush: US must ensure Israel's security - "US President George W. Bush said Thursday at the American Jewish Committee conference in Washington that the United States had a strong and inalienable obligation to ensure the security of Israel, referring to the threats Iran had made against the Jewish state. ... "As you know, I'm a strong believer of democracy and free elections, but that does not mean that we have to support elected officials who are not committed to peace," Bush said."

Cheney speech spurs new Cold War: Russian press - "A speech by Vice President Dick Cheney strongly critical of the Kremlin marks the start of a new Cold War that could drive Moscow away from its new-found Western allies, the Russian press said on Friday." -- Way to go, Dick. Of course, I believe that was your plan all along.

Beating About The Bush? Not With Hersh - "His own lecture was frightening. Bush has a messianic vision – and intends to go down in history (probably he has chosen the right direction) as the man who will have “saved” Iran. “So we’re in a real American crisis ... we’ve had a collapse of congress ... we have had a collapse of the military ... the good news is that when we wake up tomorrow morning, there will be one less day (of Bush). But that is the only good news.”"

Bolton Refuses To Answer Kucinich’s Questions About US Troops In Iran - "“I find it hard to believe that the United States Ambassador to the United Nations does not know about ongoing military activity in one of the world’s most volatile regions, and in a country at the heart of current debate before the UN,” stated Kucinich after the hearing. “Congress has a Constitutional role to play in providing checks and balances of this Administration. Ambassador’s Bolton testimony today, and his refusal to answer even the most basic questions about Iran, is just another example of this Administration’s contempt of Congress.” “This Administration has set our nation on the path to war against Iran,” continued Kucinich. “It has done so without consulting the Congress, and without proper Congressional oversight. Today’s hearing could have been an important moment to educate the public and the Congress about this Administration’s policy towards Iran, and the role US military is already playing in implementing that policy. Unfortunately, Ambassador Bolton’s stonewalling prevent this from happening.” “This Administration has set our nation on a very dangerous path with Iran. Congress must intervene before this Administration begins a wider, and far more dangerous war in the Middle East,” concluded Kucinich."

The Godfather USA - "From early childhood, US citizens are raised on a steady diet of pro-US government propaganda that is fed to them at school and at home through the media of television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, and popular music. The propaganda presents the US government as an ethically superior exemplar of justice for the entire world, as an exceptionally generous contributor to global economic development, and as a benevolent arbiter of world affairs. Furthermore, a great deal of crucial information about US political history, particularly regarding events of the past half-century, is not taught in US schools and is never allowed to appear in the Mainstream Media outlets."

Dole Warns of Disaster - "The head of the Senate Republican committee paints a dire picture of Democratic congressional control, warning that the opposition party would "put the war on terrorism on the back-burner" and maybe even impeach President Bush."

Rumsfeld Called Out On Lies About WMD - "Speaking in Atlanta today, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was sharply questioned about his pre-war claims about WMD in Iraq. An audience member confronted Rumsfeld with his 2003 claim about WMD, “We know where they are.” Rumsfeld falsely claimed he never said it. The audience member then read Rumsfeld’s quote back to him, leaving the defense secretary speechless." -- Check out the video.

Under fire: US's misguided defense budget - "At some $440 billion for 2007, the Pentagon's defense budget would exceed the combined military budgets of the world's 25 next most-powerful nations, according to recent estimates. In fact, the Pentagon's budget substantially understates the amount Washington spends on the military. Nuclear weapons activities, on which the George W Bush administration hopes to spend nearly $22 billion next year, for example, are allocated to the Energy Department. In addition, the regular Pentagon budget does not include the costs of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which currently are running at nearly $10 billion a month. "When these costs are added in, military spending for the coming year will exceed $600 billion - a figure that would exceed both the heights of the [president Ronald] Reagan military buildup [in the early 1980s] and the Vietnam War, in inflation-adjusted terms," said Miriam Pemberton, the report's co-author based at the Institute for Policy Studies."

Possible Darfur deal brings new hope - "Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region appears to be near a peace deal to end three years of violence that has exacerbated what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, officials said Friday."

Bush tells immigrants to learn English - "President Bush yesterday recognized the Mexican celebration of Cinco de Mayo a day early with a call for immigrants to learn English, even as his spokesman denied that the president sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Spanish during the 2000 campaign, saying his Spanish wasn't good enough." -- The accompanying picture made me squeamish.

U.S. bird flu study predicts millions of deaths, billions in losses - "These scenarios, which at least one public health expert said aren't even the worst case, are part of a detailed, 234-page report released Wednesday by the Bush administration."

Christians Plan Boycott of 'Da Vinci Code' - "Christian activists are planning a boycott of the soon-to-be-released Da Vinci Code movie, which one influential pro-family group is calling “blasphemous.”

'Everywhere I turned, I ran into sexual abuse' - "The real conspiracy in the Catholic church has nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code, says Patrick Wall - it's the cover-up of paedophile priests."

Korea, China, Japan to Kickstart Single Asian Currency - "Korea, China and Japan have agreed to start joint research at government level on introducing an Asian single currency comparable to the euro."

Welcome to the dead zone - "The great housing bubble has finally started to deflate, and the fall will be harder in some markets than others."

Florida votes to require high school majors - "The Florida Legislature gave final approval to a bill Thursday that requires high school students to declare a major, similar to college students. ... The bill also requires that high school students take a fourth year of math and that middle school students receive career planning instruction."

Trust in web news grows - "NATIONAL television is the most trusted news source, ahead of newspapers and public radio, but the internet is gaining ground, especially among the young, according to a major worldwide survey of trust in the media."

Korean Scientists Develop Female Android - "Standing 1.6 meters tall and weighing about 50 kilograms, she can understand others, speak, blink with her eyes and makes several facial expressions."

Controversial dig sparks pyramid mania in Bosnia - "Visoko is booming, boosted by a controversial dig that aims to prove that the nearby Visocica hill is a pyramid built 12,000 years ago by the ancestors of the Illyrians, said to be the first inhabitants of the Balkans."

Research Shows Anticipating Pain Hurts - "Anyone who's ever taken a preschooler to the doctor knows they often cry more before the shot than afterward. Now researchers using brain scans to unravel the biology of dread have an explanation: For some people, anticipating pain is truly as bad as experiencing it."

It's hard out there for a virgin... - "A brothel has become the first in Berlin to offer special deals for virgins with prostitutes trained in the delicate art of catering for customers who have never had sex, a German newspaper reported Friday."




Quote of the Day
"We must be mindful that where attitudes go, action is seldom far behind."
~ Paul McMasters

News -- May 4, 2006

Russia, China Promise Not to Back Sanctions Against Iranian Nuclear Program - "Iran’s foreign minister has said that Russia and China had officially informed Tehran they would not support sanctions or military action over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, the Reuters news agency reports."

Cheney: Russia used oil to intimidate, blackmail - ""No legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of intimidation or blackmail, either by supply manipulation or attempts to monopolize transportation," Cheney said. "And no one can justify actions that undermine the territorial integrity of a neighbor, or interfere with democratic movements.""

Torture "widespread" under U.S. custody: Amnesty - "Torture and inhumane treatment are "widespread" in U.S.-run detention centers in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba and elsewhere despite Washington's denials, Amnesty International said on Wednesday."

Colbert Reaction Shows Media Are Frightened Of Bush - "Subsequent reports on the dinner almost completely omitted Colbert's 30 minute speech, focusing instead on the 5 minute tedious two Bushes act, despite the fact that Colbert's performance was one of the most biting and revelatory satirical masterpieces in years, and Colbert had the guts to pull it all off right in front of Bush's face, an action described as "Ballsalicious" by Colbert's cohort John Stewart."

Ron Paul: What Congress Can Do About Soaring Gas Prices - "$100 rebate checks to American motorists won’t cut it, nor will mandatory mileage requirements for new vehicles. Taxing oil profits will only force prices higher. But there are some very important things we can do immediately to help."

Easy Way Out - "But seriously, folks, has Congress become something of a joke? Are these toothless lawmakers no longer capable of passing anything with bite? ... So the House cooks up some thin gruel just to show that it's doing something. (Not that there's much the Hill can do to get prices down in the short term, but everyone has to maintain the fiction that government can fix this problem, preferably by November.)"

High Prices Caused by Iraq War - "When in doubt, ask the experts. Red Cavaney, president of the industry trade group American Petroleum Institute--not left-leaning types--puts the blame squarely on the invasion of Iraq, where unrest and violence has reduced production to less than they were under Saddam in the world's second-largest supplier. Traders of oil futures fix the price per barrel based on their expectations of political stability, especially in the world's largest oil-producing nations. And they don't like what they see in Iraq. "As soon as you can stabilize the civil situation," says Cavaney, "[Iraq will] significantly be able to ramp up production. But it would take years.""

On the Verge of Collapse - "The British and the Americans are guarding Iraq's Persian Gulf oil platforms -- the troubled country's only real sources of revenue -- like crown jewels. But Iraqi oil is flowing sluggishly at best, while hoped-for investments haven't materialized and the Iraqi oil industry is on the verge of collapse -- both technical and political."

In the chaos of Iraq, one project is on target: a giant US embassy - "THE question puzzles and enrages a city: how is it that the Americans cannot keep the electricity running in Baghdad for more than a couple of hours a day, yet still manage to build themselves the biggest embassy on Earth? Irritation grows as residents deprived of air-conditioning and running water three years after the US-led invasion watch the massive US Embassy they call “George W’s palace” rising from the banks of the Tigris."

Cheney has no regrets over Iraq invasion - "Mr Cheney's refusal to admit to doubts about going to war highlights his isolation from an administration which has demonstrated a degree of candour about Iraq, as well as the rest of the country where only 37% approve of the White House's handling of the conflict. Mr Cheney has even less support; his approval ratings have dipped below 20%. But in an interview to appear in June's Vanity Fair magazine, he remained a picture of certitude."

Democracy Versus Freedom - "Throughout the world, democracy is as often a cover for tyranny as it is a protection for liberty. Many countries call themselves “democracies” and have regular elections, yet systematically oppress their own people. For example, Stalinist North Korea calls itself “the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” and communist China calls itself the “People’s Republic of China.” Like the old Soviet Union, they have regular elections, elected legislatures, and even some choice of candidates. However, it’s all a fraud. Voting is mandatory. The only party allowed to run candidates is the Communist Party. Legislatures rubber-stamp the decrees of party bosses. And anyone who objects strongly or tries to set up another party ends up dead or in a slave labor camp." -- Similar in the U.S. where 3rd party candidates are deemed not capable of being president.

Judge Doubts Moussaoui's Claims About 9/11 - "The judge presiding over Zacarias Moussaoui's sentencing told trial lawyers that she doesn't believe Moussaoui's claims on the witness stand that he knew advance details of the Sept. 11 plot."

Israel Marks Independence Day with $1.7 Billion Budget Surplus - "From January 1 to the end of April, the government took in NIS 7.7 billion ($1.7 billion) more than it spent."

The country that wouldn't grow up - "Something is changing in the United States. To be sure, it was only a few short years ago that prime minister Sharon's advisers could gleefully celebrate their success in dictating to U.S. President George W. Bush the terms of a public statement approving Israel's illegal settlements. No U.S. Congressman has yet proposed reducing or rescinding the $3 billion in aid Israel receives annually - 20 percent of the total U.S. foreign aid budget - which has helped sustain the Israeli defense budget and the cost of settlement construction in the West Bank. And Israel and the United States appear increasingly bound together in a symbiotic embrace whereby the actions of each party exacerbate their common unpopularity abroad - and thus their ever-closer association in the eyes of critics. But whereas Israel has no choice but to look to America - it has no other friends, at best only the conditional affection of the enemies of its enemies, such as India - the United States is a great power; and great powers have interests that sooner or later transcend the local obsessions of even the closest of their client states and satellites."

How Kent State Could Happen Again - "It was 36 years ago today that Miller, Allison Krause, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder, were massacred by Army National Guardsmen at a Vietnam war protest on the Kent State campus. It was a watershed event that touched off a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close and signaled the zenith of American opposition to that war. ... The shootings chilled the nation, galvanized a generation and left millions asking how something like that could have happened in America. Could the same thing happen in our country today? Without a shadow of a doubt. Indeed, I would argue that only one thing keeps the same kind of event from happening many times over in George W. Bush's America -- the absence of a military draft."

Universal Admits Defeat, Removes Flight 93 Forum - "The website had been turned into a battle ground for countering the Flight 93 government apologist propaganda being regurgitated in an impetuous lunge to give credibility to a tale about as reality-based as Humpty Dumpty."

Bush Makes Case for Extending Tax Cuts - "President Bush on Wednesday appealed for quick passage of $70 billion in tax cuts, saying lower taxes on dividends and profits from investment selloffs have helped revive the economy. In addition to extending those cuts by two years, the proposal would keep 15 million taxpayers from getting hit this year with a tax aimed at the wealthy."

FCC approves Net-wiretapping taxes - "Broadband providers and Internet phone companies will have to pick up the tab for the cost of building in mandatory wiretap access for police surveillance, federal regulators ruled Wednesday. The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to levy what likely will amount to wiretapping taxes on companies, municipalities and universities, saying it would create an incentive for them to keep costs down and that it was necessary to fight the war on terror. Universities have estimated their cost to be about $7 billion."

Telecoms' Secret Plan to Wire Yellowstone Park - "Yellowstone National Park will soon be blanketed with coverage from cell phone towers, wireless internet service, and two-way radio, as well as television and AM/FM radio signals under a plan being written behind closed doors by the telecommunications industry and park officials, according to agency records released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)."

More Professors Ban Laptops in Class - "As the professor lectured on the law, the student wore a poker face. But that was probably because, under the guise of taking notes on his laptop, the student actually was playing poker — online, using the school's wireless Internet connection. The scenario is not uncommon in today's college classrooms, and some instructors want it stopped. So they have done the unthinkable — banned laptops."

Roast veggies 'as bad for teeth as fizzy drinks' - "You may think roasted vegetables are a healthy side-dish but they are actually as acidic as fizzy drinks, scientists have revealed."




Quote of the Day
"If the people knew what we had done, they would chase us down the street and lynch us."
~ George H.W. Bush

News -- May 3, 2006

Vermonters deliver impeachment resolutions to Congress - "An effort that began in March culminated Monday when three Vermont communities delivered a message to House Speaker Dennis Hastert: Start the process to impeach Pres. George Bush."

Strikes on Iran too risky, says US general - ""And any action by any country will have second-order effects, and that is a strong case to continue the diplomatic process and make it work.""

Why shouldn't Iran have nuclear weapons? - " Iran's antipathy toward the West did not spontaneously generate out of the crazed rhetoric of radical mullahs. It has been spurred by what Iranians see as hypocrisy on the part of members of the world's nuclear community, and the bumbled meddling of the US and UK in Iranian affairs for more than a half century. Iran is dangerous, but the British and the Americans have helped to make it that way. And the situation is even more precarious than it appears. ... But George Bush is still without a respectable presidential legacy. He might be willing to risk everything to mark his place in history as the man who stopped Iran from getting nukes. The greater fear, though, is that he becomes the first person to pull the nuclear trigger since Hiroshima and Nagasaki - and then his place in the history books will be assured."

New Army documents reveal US knew of and approved torture before Abu Ghraib scandal - "New Army documents released by the American Civil Liberties Union today reveal that Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez ordered interrogators to "go to the outer limits" to get information from detainees. The documents also show that senior government officials were aware of abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan before the Abu Ghraib scandal broke."

Oil hovers near $75 on lingering Iran tensions - "Oil hovered near $75 a barrel on Wednesday, within striking distance of record highs, as mounting tension over Iran's nuclear plans and expectations for a small draw in U.S. fuel stocks compounded global supply worries."

Gasoline prices a "crisis" - ""It is a crisis in the sense of the individual," Bodman told reporters after a meeting with Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi. "American families are hurting.""

Bush Economist: Gas Tax Cut Not the Answer - " "Over a longer period of time, it would be a significant problem ... because what it would do is it would encourage us to use more oil, not less and that is the way we got to the situation right now," he explained. "That probably is one of the policies that we would like to avoid," he said."

Bush's Nuclear Madness - "George W. Bush has a vision for a strong, independent nuclear America. He wants nuclear weapons for everyday use -- deterrence is for Democrats -- and he wants to build dozens of new nuclear energy plants across the United States."

The Decider Nominates Chief Polluter for the EPA - "President Bush, the nation’s self-appointed “Decider,” has nominated William Wehrum to serve as Assistant Administrator for the office of air quality at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He’s been serving as legal counsel and interim head of this office since 2001. During his tenure at the EPA, Mr. Wehrum has consistently worked to weaken the nation’s air pollution laws and regulations. And his actions have resulted in a revolt within the EPA and serious criticism by the federal courts."

United 93, anti-war sentiment, and illegal CEOs - "Only a nation sufficiently insulated from the impact of its policies can indulge in such a concern. Forty people died on the doomed United Flight 93. With all due respect, that's a typical Wednesday in Iraq. Thus, I wonder: Is it too soon for a movie about Fallujah? What about the U.S.-enforced sanctions that killed a half-million Iraqi children under the age of five? Creative Iraqis might consider making films on such topics but well...they've got other pressing matters to deal with at the moment. No hand wringing in Baghdad over the issue of too much, too soon."

Time Warner Profit Climbs Almost 60 Pct. - "The New York-based company, whose holdings include Warner Bros., the Time Inc. magazine publisher, CNN and HBO, earned $1.46 billion, or 32 cents a share, in the first three months of the year, up from $915 million, or 19 cents per share, in the same period a year ago. Revenues rose 1 percent to $10.46 billion from $10.36 billion a year ago."

Clear Channel 1Q Profit More Than Doubles - "Net income rose to $96.8 million, or 19 cents per share, compared with $47.9 million, or 9 cents per share, during the year-ago period. Revenue grew 4 percent to $1.5 billion from $1.45 billion last year."

U.S. takes new view on DDT in Africa - "U.S. government officials are enthusiastically endorsing and funding the use of DDT in sub-Saharan Africa after years of resisting calls from scientists who said the insecticide would be the best weapon for fighting malaria, despite lingering objections by some environmentalists."

X-Men may be closer than you think - "Small damages to sequences in the human genome are causing evolutionary changes in our DNA, according to a group of Japanese geneticists. ... Succinctly, the human race is genetically mutating, and we now may know how and why--at least in part."

Scientists gain insight into invisibility through a complex superlens - "The Klingons used it to make their Bird of Prey spacecraft invisible. The Romulans used cloaking too and variants of this stealth technology hid the nasty alien in the Predator films and have been mentioned in Star Wars, Doctor Who and more besides. Scriptwriters will be pleased to discover that this science fiction idea is deemed today to be closer to science fact than we realised, according to a paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences."

The Internet is Dead, Long Live the Internet - "In the space of a few months debate has gone from "pressure on internet service providers" to make available user records to calls for all out mandatory ISP snooping on all US citizens. In a display of bi-partisanship, both Democrats and Republicans are calling for such measures."

MySpace faces call to crackdown on predators - "Massachusetts on Tuesday called on popular teen social networking Web site MySpace.com to strengthen protection of children against sexual predators, including raising the minimum age for users to 18 from 14."

Study: Geography Greek to young Americans - "After more than three years of combat and nearly 2,400 U.S. military deaths in Iraq, nearly two-thirds of Americans aged 18 to 24 still cannot find Iraq on a map, a study released Tuesday showed. The study found that less than six months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, 33 percent could not point out Louisiana on a U.S. map. The National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study paints a dismal picture of the geographic knowledge of the most recent graduates of the U.S. education system." -- I worry for the future.

Women think about sex more than men! - "The survey, of 4,000 Brits by internet giant lastminute.com, found that while men think about sex 150 minutes in every 24 hours, women on the other hand, spend 180 minutes per day thinking about getting hot and heavy."

Alcohol industry profits from underage drinking - "Underage drinking is worth nearly $23 billion a year to the alcohol industry, or 17.5 percent of all money spent on spirits in the US annually, researchers from New York's Columbia University report."

Study Shows Americans Sicker Than English - "White, middle-aged Americans — even those who are rich — are far less healthy than their peers in England, according to stunning new research that erases misconceptions and has experts scratching their heads. Americans had higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, lung disease and cancer — findings that held true no matter what income or education level."




Quote of the Day
"Well, that whole experience sucked."
~ Kyle Broflovski, South Park

News -- May 2, 2006

Iran hits out at 'dangerous' US - "Iran has strongly criticised the US at the United Nations, accusing Washington of threatening to launch a military strike against its nuclear facilities."

Iran will hit Israel if US does "evil": agency - "Iran will target Israel first if the United States does anything "evil", a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday."

The Shadow Government - "The idea that the president would say he has the authority to ignore the strictures of laws passed by the United States Congress might seem like some sort of liberal exaggeration to some. It seems so outlandish. But don't take anyone's word for it, ask the administration -- they readily confirm it. In fact, they're proud of it. They think they are reinstating the real executive powers of the presidency. Powers that the Courts or Congress have never agreed to and that are outside of the plain, or any reasonable, reading of the Constitution, but nonetheless, the administration believes is owed to them. This makes Nixon's imperial presidency look like child's play. In a democracy, we have a president who is literally saying he is above the law. There are 750 laws he does not have to faithfully execute."

Jon Stewart Defends Colbert's Dinner Speech - ""We've never been prouder of him, but HOLY ----," Stewart added."

How Big Is Bush’s Big Government? - "We, in the United States, live under the rule of the largest civil government, measured in budgetary terms, in history. Federal spending alone in fiscal year 2006 is expected to be over $2.7 trillion, which means the federal government spends $7.4 billion a day or $5.1 million in every minute of the year. This is 815 times the level of federal spending in 1930. Things have been getting worse recently. In the first five years of the Bush regime, federal spending increased 45 percent. Readers of Mises.org may remember that they were warned about Bush's fiscal irresponsibility before he took office. For comparison's sake, during the eight Clinton years nominal federal spending increased 32 percent, and under Bush I federal spending increased 23 percent in four years. In the 2000 election, Bush II promised to shovel money into all sorts of programs — and he’s kept that promise."

Dollar starts the big slide against major currencies - "THE dollar has embarked on a big decline that will see it fall against all leading currencies, according to analysts. The plunge is being prompted by America’s $800 billion (£438 billion) current-account deficit, they say."

High Gas Prices Will Last Years, Bush Aides Say - "Gasoline prices will remain high for years to come and will be largely unaffected by a new White House plan to bring them down, Bush administration officials said Sunday."

Fuel Costs Prompt School Closings in Tenn. - "The high price of diesel fuel for school buses meant children in one Tennessee school system got a holiday Monday _ their second in a row."

AP: Government Drafts Pandemic Flu Plan - "Employers should have plans to keep workers at least three feet apart, colleges should consider which dormitories could be used to quarantine the sick, and flight crews should have surgical masks to put on coughing travelers under a draft of the government's pandemic flu plan obtained by The Associated Press."

Senate GOP backs off $100 gas rebate proposal - "Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, under pressure from business leaders, retreated Monday from a plan that would have used a tax increase on oil companies and other businesses to pay for a $100 gasoline rebate for millions of motorists."

The Vatican wrestles with a fraught topic - "Even at the Vatican, few things apart from the reality of God are absolute. Thou shalt not kill, but there is still just war. Now, behind the quiet Vatican walls, a clash is shaping up between two poles of near certainty: the church's long- held ban on condom use and its more recently focused advocacy for human life from the womb to old age."

"666" sense: Date marked with caution - "With June 6, 2006, rapidly approaching, authorities in Colorado and elsewhere are carefully watching to see if that date - 6/6/06 - spurs demonstrations or violent activity."

"Flight 93" the movie, why? - "But maybe the “why” can be answered in part by “who” made Flight 93. It arrived packaged and promoted by Universal Studios, which is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns NBC, which is all owned by General Electric, media giant and major weapons contractor. What’s more according to la.indymedia.org, General Electric donated $1.1 million to GW Bush for his 2000 election “run.” MSNBC is an NBC joint venture with MS or Microsoft that kicked in $2.4 million to get GW Bush elected. Now, where do you think the movie’s point of view is coming from?"

Paying to move Marines - "Japan and the United States have finally agreed on Japan's share of the costs for the relocation of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam. It was announced Sunday that, of the $10.2 billion (1.19 trillion yen) grand total, Japan is to shoulder 59 percent--about $6 billion (700 billion yen). This amount is enormous. Not only that, this is the first time Japan will be picking up part of the tab to build U.S. military facilities on American soil."

The Great American Firewall: Why the Net is Poised to Become a Global Weapon of Mass Deception - "Now unfolding is a legal-political-corporate plot for turning a vibrant, democratic Internet into a global web of corporate and government deceit. The tell-tale signs exist but as in domestic abuse, the perpetrators (federal government and a small group of interconnected, powerful telecom and mainstream media monopolies) have done their utmost to keep it hidden behind closed doors."

Social Security, Medicare Trust Funds Sink - "The trustees for the government's two biggest benefit programs said Monday that the trust fund for
Social Security will be depleted in 2040, a year earlier than expected, while Medicare will exhaust its trust fund just 12 years from now." -- Now, make sure you understand how much money is being spent on the Iraq fiasco.

More species slide to extinction - "The polar bear and hippopotamus are for the first time listed as species threatened with extinction by the world's biodiversity agency. ... "The 2006 Red List shows a clear trend; biodiversity loss is increasing, not slowing down," said IUCN director-general Achim Steiner."

Men should plan on parenthood by 40, new research reveals - "Fertility specialists revealed new evidence yesterday that male fertility declines with age as they warned that men's lack of awareness of their own biology may be playing a part in low birthrates."

Fear the phone, not the doorknob, germ expert says - "Worried about colds, flu and other germs? Go ahead and touch those doorknobs and elevator buttons, but watch out for the telephone, fresh laundry and sinks, a top expert advises."


No bumper sticker today.


Quote of the Day
"You are nothing as long as nothing is on your mind."
~ Malcom X

News -- May 1, 2006

US rejects Iran's offer to allow nuclear inspections - "The United States has rejected Iran's offer to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities and Washington will continue to press the UN Security Council to penalise Tehran. Iran offered to allow inspections to resume if the Security Council turned the dispute over to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice yesterday dismissed the offer as a ploy."

Colbert Does the White House Correspondents' dinner: - ""As he walked from the podium the president and First Lady gave Colbert quick nods, unsmiling, and left. E&P's Joe Strupp, in the crowd, observed that quite a few felt the material was, perhaps, uncomfortably biting.""

Colbert transcript -- Pretty funny.

Data Show How Patriot Act Used - "The FBI issued thousands of subpoenas to banks, phone companies and Internet providers last year, aggressively using a power enhanced under the Patriot Act to monitor the activities of U.S. citizens, Justice Department data released late Friday showed."

Turkey won't allow US to use its bases - "Gul said that facilitating an attack against a neighboring country was "not an option," despite the US offer to build Turkey a nuclear reactor as a counterbalance to Iran's expanding nuclear facilities." -- Was that a bribe? Why yes, it was.

Bush challenges hundreds of laws - "President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution. Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research."

“False Flagg” op called Rosetta Stone of 9/11 - "You know. A false flag op is when a nation attacks itself but makes it appear that an enemy has committed the attack. This way it stirs its more or less peace-loving people into going to war with the demonized “enemy.” It’s false flag ops 1.1. And Flagg is not a misspelling of flag but the name of a former FBI agent, Warren Flagg who (along with a former federal prosecutor) helped direct the New England investigation of the Sept. 11 attacks. Flagg was nice enough in a Newsday.com piece by Michael Dorman to mention that “one bag found in Boston contained far more than what the commission report cited, including the names of the hijackers, their assignments and their al-Qaida connections.” Gee, what luck!"

Divisions Cast Aside in Cry for Darfur - "Clutching signs that read "Never Again," thousands of protesters from across religious and political divides descended on the Mall yesterday along with celebrities and politicians to urge President Bush to take stronger measures to end the violence in Sudan's Darfur region that the United States has labeled genocide."

U.S. Prepares for 'Day Without Immigrants' - "Thousands of illegal immigrants and their allies across the country plan a show of force Monday to illustrate how much immigrants matter in the U.S. economy."

Tens of Thousands in NYC Protest War - "Tens of thousands of protesters marched Saturday through lower Manhattan to demand an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, just hours after this month's death toll reached 70."

New oil shock ahead as $100 spike looms - "A single political shock could be enough to send oil markets into panic, said Adam Sieminski, senior energy economist at Deutsche Bank in New York. 'If we have one more big problem we are going to have triple-digit oil prices.' Sieminski points to confrontation with Iran, a worsening of the situation in Iraq or a recurrence of devastating hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico as potential catalysts for a major rise."

Cutting back only remedy for drivers - "Don't like that $3 price tag at the gasoline pump? Don't buy gas."

The unthinkable: A General Motors bankruptcy - " A GM bankruptcy filing would be the largest in history, challenging Wall Street, organized labor, politicians and the legal system to deal with the fallout. GM's 147,000 workers in the United States and 460,000 retirees would face the prospect of their pension plans' being dumped on the federal government and of seeing their future benefits reduced."

Polygraph Results Often in Question - "The CIA, the FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph machines more than ever to screen applicants and hunt for lawbreakers, even as scientists have become more certain that the equipment is ineffective in accurately detecting when people are lying. Instead, many experts say, the real utility of the polygraph machine, or "lie detector," is that many of the tens of thousands of people who are subjected to it each year believe that it works -- and thus will frequently admit to things they might not otherwise acknowledge during an interview or interrogation."

Typed too fast? Google profits from your typo - "This new form of advertising is turning into a booming business that some say is cluttering the Internet and could be violating trademark rules. It also triggered a speculative frenzy of investment in domain names, pushing the value of some beyond $1 million."

Viruses catch up to the Mac - ""A lot of Mac users are in denial and have blinders on that say, `Nothing is ever going to get to us,' " said Neil Fryer, a computer security consultant who works for an international financial institution in Britain. "I can't say I agree with them.""

Pesticides may affect penis size - "A renowned U.S. scientist who has documented fertility and sex changes -- including decreasing penis size -- due to environmental contamination says he wouldn't apply pesticides on his own lawn."




Quote of the Day
"Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September the 11th.."
~ President Bush, speaking to the United Nations