News -- August 15, 2006

Nuclear war starting in 10 days? - "Such was the conclusion reached in the U.S. Russian generals and political scientists disagree only about its exact starting date. Our world is on the brink of another world war. It will originate August 22nd in the Middle East. The prediction was presented not by Vagna or Nostradamus but by an American political scientist Bernard Lewis in the acclaimed publication of Wall Street Journal. He is a man with close ties to the Bush administration as well as to the non-conservatives pushing for the radical solution of the “Iranian Threat.”"

Muslims face extra checks in new travel crackdown - "The passenger-profiling technique involves selecting people who are behaving suspiciously, have an unusual travel pattern or, most controversially, have a certain ethnic or religious background. The system would be much more sophisticated than simply picking out young men of Asian appearance. But it would cause outrage in the Muslim community because its members would be far more likely to be selected for extra checks."

When all else fails, GOP dials 9/11 - "It's bunk, of course, but Iraq-9/11 worked in 2002 - when Republicans gained control of the Senate - and in 2004 - when President Bush was reelected. This year, especially, it's all the GOP has. The president's poll numbers can't break 40 percent. Ratings for Congress in general and Republicans in particular are in the dumper. Analysts compare the political conditions with those in 1994, when 52 seats shifted in the House and Republicans took control. If you're a Republican, you're scared. So, you try to scare the country."

America's one-eyed view of war: Stars, stripes, and the Star of David - "There are two sides to every conflict - unless you rely on the US media for information about the battle in Lebanon. Viewers have been fed a diet of partisan coverage which treats Israel as the good guys and their Hizbollah enemy as the incarnation of evil."

Israel's verdict: We lost the war - "Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, was obliged to admit "shortcomings" in the 34-day-old conflict in Lebanon yesterday as he launched what may prove a protracted fight for his own political survival."

GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE - "We do not believe in the idea that anybody is “God’s chosen people”. We laugh of this idea and cry over their misdeeds. To behave as God’s chosen people is not only stupid and arrogant, but a crime against humanity. We call that racism. There are limits to our patience, and limits for what we can accept. We do not believe in divine promises for occupation and apartheid. We are not in the Middle Ages any more. We laugh uneasily of those that still believe a God of flowers, life and everything in the galaxy has chosen a specific group as his/her favourites, and given them curious stone tablets, burning bushes and license to kill.. . "

Commentary: Religious Texts vs. Faith - "This is where atheists lose faith altogether. However, I came to a different conclusion. I came to make a distinction between true religion and false religion. I don’t mean that there is only one true religion. I believe that there are many true religions, and they share certain characteristics."

Faith full of folly - "One reason the trend to non-belief can be welcomed is that those countries with high rates of voluntary non-belief (that is, where atheism is not forced by the regime) are also the healthiest and wealthiest countries in the world, as judged by the annual UN Human Development Reports. Cause and effect should not be confused here: it may be that people who are comfortable and secure have less need for religion, rather than that an absence of religion leads to greater happiness; but it does show that an absence of religion doesn't cause societies to break down. I don't think the Swedes are notable for their criminality. ... It is time to get rid of the taboo that says religious beliefs have to be quarantined from criticism. It is time to hold some religious beliefs up to ridicule."

DC's 'Open secret': Rumsfeld wants to quit Iraq - "It is an "open secret" in Washington US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "wants to extricate himself from Iraq" but President George W. Bush "remains resolute," thus the US hangs on, a US investigative reporter has written. The result is a military posture in limbo somewhere between aggressiveness and withdrawal that could bog the US down in Iraq for years. Tragically, it opens the door to escalation of the horrific violence which in Baghdad on kills around 50 people daily and wounds many times more."

No evidence Iran active in Iraq: US general - "There is no evidence the Iranian government is stirring trouble in Iraq, a U.S. general said on Monday, playing down suggestions that Tehran will retaliate for U.S. backing of Israel's war on Hizbollah."

Is conspiracy a war crime? - "The White House urges Congress to say yes, because it makes terror convictions easier. The high court is split."

All Terrorism All the Time: Fear Becomes Reality Show - "By yesterday the morning shows were back to consumer tips — only the advice was about packing for red alerts, not campgrounds and water parks. An expert on “Today” instructed Ann Curry on how to “be a minimalist.” On CBS, Harry Smith performed a cheery show-and-tell about the risks of carrying aboard lip gloss, conditioner and, most of all, nail polish remover."

Nobel winner supported biological warfare as form of population control - "Top-secret files recently declassified from the National Archives of Australia, despite government opposition, has revealed that one of the fathers of modern biotechnology and genetic engineering advocated using biological weapons against Indonesia and other "overpopulated" countries of South-East Asia. Australia's The Age reports that world-famous microbiologist Sir Macfarlane Burnet recommended in a secret report for the Australian Defence Department in 1947 that biological and chemical weapons should be developed to target food crops and spread infectious diseases."

'People power' is a global brand owned by America - "The US and the western media back protests over controversial elections when it suits them, but are silent over those in Mexico."

Asbestos Attacks from the White House - "On order of the White House, the US Environmental Protection Agency concealed atmospheric dangers around Ground Zero. Tens of thousands of persons will die a slow, agonizing death."

FBI: No terror groups in cell phone case - "The FBI said Monday it had no information to indicate that the three Texas men arrested with about 1,000 cell phones in their van had any direct connection to known terrorist groups." -- But it kept the fear factor high.

Gullible Americans - "I was in China when a July Harris Poll reported that 50 percent of Americans still believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when Bush invaded that country, and that 64 percent of Americans still believe that Saddam Hussein had strong links with Al Qaeda. The Chinese leaders and intellectuals with whom I was meeting were incredulous. How could a majority of the population in an allegedly free country with an allegedly free press be so totally misinformed? The only answer I could give the Chinese is that Americans would have been the perfect population for Mao and the Gang of Four, because Americans believe anything their government tells them."

Superman tops Supremes - "Sleepy, Grumpy, Larry, Moe, Krypton -- that's what seems to stick in the national mind-set these days. Americans are more familiar with the Seven Dwarfs, the Three Stooges and Superman than with current events and world leaders, according to yet another poll that reveals our trite side."

Cardin promises cancer cure - "With a month to go before primary voters head to the polls to choose Senate nominees, Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin kicked off yesterday a weeklong effort to highlight his congressional record and vision on health care by making the mother of all campaign promises - to cure cancer."

Hot Dogs May Cause Genetic Mutations - "Everyone knows hot dogs aren't exactly healthy for you, but in a new study chemists find they may contain DNA-mutating compounds that might boost one's risk for cancer."

Mammoths may roam again after 27,000 years - "Research has indicated that mammalian sperm can survive being frozen for much longer than was previously thought, suggesting that it could potentially be recovered from species that have died out."

Pigeons Beam Air Quality Info to Blog - "Pigeons with backpacks and cell phones will be taking to the sky and sending air quality data to a blog as part of a whimsical project that blends science, art and activism."

Advertisers trace paths users leave on Internet - "Still, just how personal even "anonymous" information can be was shown vividly last week as a list of three months of search queries from 657,000 AOL customers began circulating online. Collectively, a person's Web searches, it turns out, can create an eerily intimate portrait--one that some privacy advocates say should never be assembled and stored in the first place."

Metal gets a makeover - "More than three decades after Black Sabbath conjured images of the dark arts, heavy metal is growing up. The genre is increasingly incorporating social and political messages into its dense power chords."




Quote of the Day
"As long as people will accept crap, it will be financially profitable to dispense it."
~ Dick Cavett

News -- August 14, 2006

Nobody's victory, but in the end Israel could not defeat Hizbollah - "A month of fighting, more than 1,000 dead, upwards of 800,000 Lebanese displaced and $2bn worth of damage - for what? Who wins in this bloody debacle, assuming it is coming to an end? Given the continued fighting, that is still a big assumption. Not Israel, certainly. Even while the authors of this military adventure continue to try to carve out some notion of victory to sell the Israeli public, increasingly fewer people are buying it."

Source: U.S., U.K. at odds over timing of arrests - "British officials knowledgeable about the case said British police were planning to continue to run surveillance for at least another week to try to obtain more evidence, while American officials pressured them to arrest the suspects sooner. ... In contrast to previous reports, one senior British official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports." -- That's interesting.

Which Travelers Have 'Hostile Intent'? Biometric Device May Have the Answer - "The biggest challenge in commercializing Cogito is reducing false results that either implicate innocent travelers or let bad guys slip through. Mr. Shoval's company has conducted about 10 trials in Israel, including tests in which control groups were given terrorist missions and tried to beat the system. In the latest Israeli trial, the system caught 85% of the role-acting terrorists, meaning that 15% got through, and incorrectly identified 8% of innocent travelers as potential threats, according to corporate marketing materials. The company's goal is to prove it can catch at least 90% of potential saboteurs -- a 10% false-negative rate -- while inconveniencing just 4% of innocent travelers."

Chertoff: U.S. Should Review Terror Laws - " "What helped the British in this case is the ability to be nimble, to be fast, to be flexible, to operate based on fast-moving information," he said. "We have to make sure our legal system allows us to do that. It's not like the 20th century, where you had time to get warrants."" -- I am a man without a country.

9/11 Detainee Released After Nearly Five Years - ""Now I'm not the same person," he said. "When I came to the United States, I was optimistic. I had so much energy. That's not the case now."" -- This story should anger Americans.

Bush: 'We live in troubled times' - "President Bush, meeting his national security advisers, said Monday that "we live in troubled times" but he expressed confidence about protecting the nation from harm." -- Funny that America created these "troubled times". Enemies are wanted, then created.

Fear and Smear - "An evil symbiosis does exist between Muslim terrorists and American politicians, but it is not the one Republicans describe. The jihadists need George W. Bush to sustain their cause. His bloody crusade in the Middle East bolsters their accusation that America is out to destroy Islam. The president has unwittingly made himself the lead recruiter of willing young martyrs. More to the point, it is equally true that Bush desperately needs the terrorists. They are his last frail hope for political survival. They divert public attention, at least momentarily, from his disastrous war in Iraq and his shameful abuses of the Constitution. The "news" of terror--whether real or fantasized--reduces American politics to its most primitive impulses, the realm of fear-and-smear where George Bush is at his best."

A Convenient Threat - "Dick Cheney was certainly farsighted when he declared Wednesday that Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman would comfort ``Al Qaeda types." Voila! Only a day later, Al Qaeda was revealed as plotting to bring down 10 planes! ... We will face this story line between now and the November election, and beyond: As the terror threat rises, you can't trust critics of the Bush administration to keep America safe. The war in Iraq, the nuclear designs of Iran, Hezbollah's rocketing of Israel, new diabolical tactics by Al Qaeda, and the general ideological and military menace of militant Islamism, are all jumbled into a single all-purpose word -- waronterror. And if you're against the Bush strategy, you are of course with the terrorists."

White House: Lesser Bird Flu May Be Here - " Scientists have discovered the possible presence of bird flu in wild mute swans in Michigan _ but it does not appear to be the worrisome, highly pathogenic strain, the White House announced Monday." -- But we've got to keep up the fear factor!

In evolution, Americans are big non-believers - "The study's authors say that after decades of debate it seems the American public is more confused than ever on the issue of evolution. Over the past 20 years, the number of Americans unsure about their stand on evolution has tripled from 7 per cent in 1985 to 21 per cent in 2005. Jon Miller, the professor who authored the study, said religious fundamentalism in the United States has fuelled skepticism in evolution. “When you compare the U.S. to Europe, it's clear we're way out in right field by ourselves,” said Mr. Miller. “There is a different protestant movement in this country, one that often rejects science. It's different than that of Europe and certainly of Canada.” ..."Now more than ever we're seeing the politicization of this issue and others like stem cells, the morning after pill and global warming. Republicans do it because it works.” Mr. Miller said the results of the study are concerning and paint a grim portrait of American science education."

Non-Christians need not apply - "Thanks to President Bush and his plan to Christianize the nation's provision of social services, one's relationship with Jesus Christ has become a real resume booster. ... But some of these new employers have a shocking job requirement - only Christians need apply. ... It said that the applicant must be "a believer in Christ and Christian Life today, sharing these ideals when the opportunity arises." Apparently, experience and qualifications are secondary. ... Forget the proverbial wall. Here it is, church and state working hand-in-glove, with tax money and the government-sanctioned intolerance as the prize. Meanwhile, money is flowing into religious coffers without anyone watching. ... Just another example of how, under this president, I hardly recognize my country anymore." -- Where's the comet?

Evangelicals urge museum to hide man's ancestors - "Powerful evangelical churches are pressing Kenya's national museum to sideline its world-famous collection of hominid bones pointing to man's evolution from ape to human."

Pope says Church not a string of "nos" - "Pope Benedict said in an interview aired on Sunday that Catholicism should not be seen as a "collection of prohibitions" because of bans on gay marriage, abortion and contraception but as a Church with positive values. ... "Christianity, Catholicism, isn't a collection of prohibitions," the 79-year-old Pope said. "It's a positive option ... We've heard so much about what is not allowed that now it's time to say: we have a positive idea to offer ..."" -- It still boils down to nothing but belief. And just because you may believe in something, doesn't mean that it is right.

Game over for toy guns in heart of the old west - "Alarmed by rising gun crime in Dallas, named the most dangerous city in America by the FBI, and by shootings nationwide by police of offenders carrying toy weapons, councillors have advanced a plan to ban replica firearms."

Study Finds Immigrants Don't Hurt U.S. Jobs - "High levels of immigration in the past 15 years do not appear to have hurt employment opportunities for American workers, according to a new report."

Can you afford to stay alive? - "More patients are confronting this wrenching decision as the latest generation of pricier cancer drugs and heart implants stretches out the final months of advanced disease. Is the chance for several more months of life - maybe a year or more with luck - precious enough to spend a small fortune? Extraordinary care for dying patients can make for inspiring medicine, but its extraordinary costs make it an increasingly debated choice to promote public health."

What's in My Food? - "When you dig into a strawberry Yoplait yogurt, take a moment to contemplate where the beautiful pink color comes from. Strawberries? Think again. It comes from crushed bugs. ... You won't find "crushed bugs" on the list of ingredients for any of these foods, however. ... Food activists are trying to change disclosure requirements."

Chipped Passports Coming Monday - "Despite ongoing privacy concerns and legal disputes involving companies bidding on the project, the U.S. State Department plans to begin issuing smart chip-embedded passports to Americans as planned Monday."

Plasma screens threaten eco-crisis - "Our insatiable appetite for the big picture is threatening the planet. A scientist has warned that if half of British homes buy a plasma-screen TV, two nuclear power stations would have to be built to meet the extra energy demand."

Original moon landing film lost - "The original film footage of astronaut Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon, one of the most important artifacts of the 20th century, has been lost." -- How does something like this happen?

Pluto on the chopping block - "Nearly 2,500 astronomers from 75 countries gathered in Prague Monday to come up with a universal definition of what qualifies as a planet and possibly decide whether Pluto should keep its planet status." -- Poor little Pluto. It gets no respect.




Quote of the Day
"With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil -- that takes religion."
~ Steven Weinberg

News -- August 13, 2006

University students at centre of terror plots - "The recruitment of Muslim students at British universities to take part in terrorist attacks is at the heart of the alleged plot to blow up passenger jets, it is feared."

Chertoff says U.S. needs more authority - "The nation's chief of homeland security said Sunday that the U.S. should consider reviewing its laws to allow for more electronic surveillance and detention of possible terror suspects, citing last week's foiled plot."

Cheney Accused of Politicizing Terrorism - "Some Republicans suggested that Democratic rule could endanger the country."

Can the GOP use terrorism to win -- again? - "Typically, when Americans become fearful their support for the president tends to go up. President Bush and the Republican Party used the security issue to their advantage in the previous two elections, when they portrayed Democrats as weak and vacillating. Republicans give every indication that they intend to run on the security issue again in 2006."

LIQUID TERROR: Training People To Act Like Subservient Slaves - "The latest terror plot facade is nothing more than an exercise to assess how subservient the general population has become and a primer to making permanent the panicked and ridiculous freedom crushing security measures we are seeing being rushed into implementation at the moment."

Bomb Threat Posed by Pants, Belts - "But terrorists armed with liquid or plastic explosives can still make it onto planes because there's little technology to stop them from smuggling bombs on their bodies or in their clothes, experts say."

America: From Freedom to Fascism -- The official blog.

America: From Freedom to Fascism -- The unofficial blog.

Congress cuts out, wrecks cyberprivacy - "Now, thanks to the Senate's indifference, any person in this country who uses a computer in a manner that is of interest to a law enforcement agency of another country that has signed the Cybercrime Treaty may find themselves subject to our government collecting information on them and then sharing it with that foreign agency. The list of other nations that have already signed the treaty is not one that inspires confidence the data thus sought will be afforded proper privacy or constitutional protections. The list of signatory countries already includes Albania, Croatia, Ukraine, South Africa and dozens of others. Why should this treaty, now part of the law of the land, concern the average American citizen? For starters, its scope. The treaty covers not only crimes commonly considered "cybercrimes," that is, crimes of computers by computers. It covers any activities considered a crime by any signatory country that simply involves the use of a computer somewhere along the line. In other words, if the law enforcement officials in Croatia are investigating activities in their country that they consider criminal — political speech, or possession of a firearm, for example — they can now demand of U.S. law enforcement that it collect and turn over to them information they might demand which they allege involves a U.S. citizen, notwithstanding that U.S. citizen has done nothing deemed a crime under U.S. law. Of course, the U.S. citizen would be unaware his own government was thus snooping on him and sharing the fruits thereof with a foreign government."

U.S. Soldiers Are Sick of It - "There is something massively wrong with Herbert Reed, though no one is sure what it is. He believes he knows the cause, but he cannot convince anyone caring for him that the military's new favorite weapon has made him terrifyingly sick. In the sprawling bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs, he has many caretakers. An internist, a neurologist, a pain-management specialist, a psychologist, an orthopedic surgeon and a dermatologist. He cannot function without his stupefying arsenal of medications, but they exact a high price. "I'm just a zombie walking around," he says. Reed believes depleted uranium has contaminated him and his life. He now walks point in a vitriolic war over the Pentagon's arsenal of it -- thousands of shells and hundreds of tanks coated with the metal that is radioactive, chemically toxic, and nearly twice as dense as lead."

Terror suspects not guilty, wife says - "The wife of one of three Texas men arraigned on terrorism-related charges in Michigan says her husband and his relatives are not terrorists, but are simply trying to make money by reselling cell phones."

The land of the free - but free speech is a rare commodity - "You can say what you like in the US, just as long as you don't ask awkward questions about America's role in the Middle East."

"Self Defense" Blinds Us - "Governments have always invented threats in order to pursue aggression and make their people sacrifice their lives, wealth and freedom. If you believe Israel and the West are under attack by Islamic extremism, you are being fooled. There is growing evidence that Israel was involved in the 9-11 attack and is plotting new terror scares to keep the GOP in power."

Spy cameras fail to focus on street crime - "Surveillance cameras like those authorized by the D.C. Council for police investigations and now being put in place have shown limited success in decreasing violent crime in other cities."

Greenland's ice cap is melting at a frighteningly fast rate - "The vast ice cap that covers Greenland nearly three miles thick is melting faster than ever before on record, and the pace is speeding year by year, according to global climate watchers gathering data from twin satellites that probe the effects of warming on the huge northern island."

Religion-related fraud getting worse - "By the time Harding was unmasked as a fraud, he and his partners had stolen more than $50 million from their clients, and Crossroads became yet another cautionary tale in what investigators say is a worsening problem plaguing the nation's churches. Billions of dollars has been stolen in religion-related fraud in recent years, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association, a group of state officials who work to protect investors."

Koochie, Kissing Klick - "According to information obtained by The Examiner, Granger and Bell were involved with what was known as The 3K Club, which provided ninth- and tenth-grade girls to several athletes for sexual favors. The 3K Club is short for “Koochie Kissing Klick.”"

Help save 1-800-suicide! - "Very Important! The most successful Suicide hot line in the nation was almost shut down last night, but got a two week reprieve because of public support that came in during the last hours."

Snubbing Smokers At Work - "A European Commission ruling says that employers can sack workers who light up — even if only out of office hours."

Star Is Descended From Kings. Of Course, Most People Are - "Even without a documented connection to a notable forebear, experts say, the odds are virtually 100 percent that every person on Earth is descended from one royal personage or another."




Quote of the Day
"We need a Fourth Amendment for the Information Age."
~ Louis Freeh, FBI Director

News (Page 2) -- August 11, 2006

U.S., France agree on Mideast resolution - "France and the United States reached a deal Friday on a final draft resolution that would authorize the deployment of 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon to support a Lebanese force as it takes control of the region and Israel withdraws."

Pakistan: Suspected London Plane Terrorists Have Al Qaeda Connection - "Police arrested 40 people in cities throughout Italy in raids on Muslim gathering places in a security crackdown after Britain thwarted an alleged terror plot, the Interior Ministry said Friday, as Pakistani intelligence agents claimed there was an Al Qaeda connection with ties to Afghanistan to the group of suspected terrorists arrested Thursday."

The Thirty Nine Percent Fascists - "The recent hype about the "foiled terror plot" seems oddly timed. Right after Joe Lieberman's loss in the primary was seen as a referendum on 'the war on terror' on cue comes the tightening of security, even though they have been investigating this for the last 18 months. You can always tell when election is near by the "Islamofascist paranoia level" being run by the Republicans. ... Even Michael Chertoff suggested that alQaeda was behind this, because along with 9/11, al Qaeda is the magic shit-your-pants word for the thirty-nine percenters."

Pentagon stopped Bush, Cheney nuking Iran - "In an article published in The New Yorker magazine, Hersh reported senior commanders inside the Pentagon "increasingly challenged the president's plans" on grounds the nuclear attack likely would not succeed in destroying Iran's nuclear program and "could lead to serious economic, political, and military consequences" for the United States." -- The fact this conversation had to happen should scare the shit out of all Americans.

What a fucking crock - "Sir, I'm going to have to take this bottle of water away from you since it might be a liquid explosive, and I'm going to have to mix it with all of these other bottles of possibly liquid explosive, and I'm going to have to dump them all in this trash can... together. Nevermind that the plot specifically mentions mixing chemicals and/or nitroglycerin... which explodes if handled too roughly."

Systems exist to find liquid explosives - "While the process isn't perfect, scanning machines do exist to detect liquid explosives like the ones purportedly at the heart of the terrorist plot broken up this week. But don't expect the machines to be rushed into airports soon. Cost and logistical issues present challenges for these devices."

No evidence of U.S.-based threat found - ""We do not have evidence ... that there was any plan to initiate any activity in the United States or that the plotting was done in the United States," Chertoff said, a day after British authorities announced the arrests of two dozen suspects."

Three Middle Eastern Men Found With 1000 Cell Phones - "The three men were described as being of Pakistani descent but live in Texas. Police say the three, ages 19, 22, and 23 appear to be naturalized citizens. One man was driving while the other two were in the back opening the phone packages with box cutters throwing the phones in one box, batteries in another and the packaging and phone charger in another container. The suspects had 1000 other cell phones in the van. There was also a bag of receipts showing that someone was in Wisconsin the day before."

So you think Bush is just a bumbling idiot? - "Just look at a few of his accomplishments. ... These aren't signs of incompetence. As should be painfully clear, the Bush administration has been overwhelmingly competent in advancing its conservative vision. It has been all too effective in achieving its goals by determinedly pursuing a conservative philosophy. It's not Bush the man who has been so harmful, it's the conservative agenda."

Bush Backers May Abandon Republicans - "Republicans determined to win in November are up against a troublesome trend — growing opposition to President Bush." -- Took long enough.

Detestable Behavior - "Of course, Frist and his other fellow misanthropic greedy-guts never mentioned that since the last raise in the minimum wage ten years ago, the Senate has seen fit to give itself several raises totalling $35,000. How have we come to a time in America when we are led by such men?"

U.S. Lags World in Grasp of Genetics and Acceptance of Evolution - "A comparison of peoples' views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower. Among the factors contributing to America's low score are poor understanding of biology, especially genetics, the politicization of science and the literal interpretation of the Bible by a small but vocal group of American Christians, the researchers say." -- Interesting.

Vatican Lawyers Claim Nazi Regime Violated No Laws in Genocide of 500,000 Serbs and Jews - "Vatican lawyers, including Pope Benedict's personal attorney, recently argued that genocide committed in Croatia during the Second World War by a Nazi regime with complicity by the Papacy was permissible under international law."

ACLU Challenges Denial of Housing Permit to Unmarried Couple in Black Jack, Missouri - "The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri and the ACLU Women’s Rights Project filed a lawsuit today on behalf of a family that was denied a permit to live in the city of Black Jack because of a law that prohibits more than three people from living together unless they are related by “blood, marriage or adoption.” “The City of Black Jack’s behavior is both pompous and unconstitutional,” said Brenda Jones, Executive Director of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri. “Black Jack’s attempt to criminalize people’s choice to live together as a family has earned international ridicule for Missouri.” Fondray Loving and Olivia Shelltrack live in a 2,300-square-foot home in Black Jack, a suburb of St. Louis, with their three children. Because Loving is not the biological father of Shelltrack’s oldest child, the city has denied the family an occupancy permit for the home that they purchased. The family now faces fines of up to $500 every week for living in their home without an approved occupancy permit." -- What the fuck? America, the land of the free. Bullshit.

Pacific 'dead zone' said to exceed fears - "Scientists say the oxygen-starved "dead zone" along the Pacific Coast that is causing massive crab and fish die-offs is worse than initially thought. Scientists say weather, not pollution, appears to be the culprit, and no relief is in sight. However, some say there is no immediate sign yet of long-term damage to the crab fishery."

Scientists make discovery in Alzheimer's - "The finding helps explain why Alzheimer's is a disease of aging. More importantly, it suggests a new weapon: drugs that give nature's cleanup crews a boost."

Finite Simple Group (of Order Two)

Because, yes, here at The Fall of Humanity, we do have a sense of humor, too. Ah, the memories.

News --- August 11, 2006

Lattes, IPods Among Air Security Fears - "Shampoo, iPods and Starbucks lattes have suddenly become security threats. Terrorists could easily slip a few apparently innocuous items past airport security and assemble them into a lethal explosive once aloft, security experts said."

Busted Bamboozlability: Bush Has Lost the War on Terrorism - "George W. Bush proclaimed himself to be a wartime president. In the aftermath of 9/11, he declared a war on terrorism. People are now furiously debating and challenging the particulars of his Iraq policy, whether to leave sooner or later. But it is time to put that conflict into a larger perspective and to realize a more encompassing truth: George W. Bush has lost the war on terrorism."

Gallup: Many Americans Harbor Strong Bias Against U.S. Muslims - "Almost four in ten, 39%, advocate that Muslims here should carry special I.D. That same number admit that they do hold some "prejudice" against Muslims. Forty-four percent say their religious views are too "extreme."" -- Absolutely disgusting. We have learned nothing from history.

Dishonesty by the right on terrorists and eavesdropping - "This point is so obvious, so self-evidently clear, that it should be unnecessary to point it out. The NSA eavesdropping scandal has never been about whether the government should eavesdrop. It is about whether the president has the right to break the law. Those who object to the president's illegal NSA program do not object to eavesdropping on terrorists. To the contrary, everyone favors eavesdropping on terrorists. The objection is to the president's illegal eavesdropping (i.e., in secret and without warrants) rather than eavesdropping in compliance with the law (i.e., with judicial oversight and approval)."

Red Alert For Staged Government Terror Attack - "Developments today indicate that the governments of the US and the UK are engaging in a process of announcing the prevention of numerous terror plots, in order to prepare the groundwork for a real attack, under protest that they did all they could to defend the people, but that one attack slipped through."

Hungry For World War III - "To some of the leading lights of the right-wing commentariat, what we’re seeing unfold is no mere crisis. Instead, it is literally World War III, a clash of civilizations in which everyone everywhere will have to take a side and take up arms. And they couldn’t be happier about it. ... So just why is it that so many conservatives are so eager to characterize the current conflict as another world war? The answer lies in a deep, abiding need among conservatives to exist in a state of war, the bigger the better. It need not be a war in which actual shots are being fired, but it must be defined as a war so that our political reality, both in practical terms and with regard to our discourse, can be ordered in a particular way."

The politics of terrorism - "It took no time for the war on terrorism to become the hot political issue of the week, three months before voters head to the polls and choose which party is going to control Congress next year."

Americans not fazed by latest threat - "Both Wall Street and Main Street have grown accustomed to the idea that the United States is a favored target of extremists since the September 11 terrorist attacks, analysts say, and Americans are inclined to react only if something bad really happens."

Why Do They Want To Kill Us? - "Today, George W. Bush said, "Islamo-facists are trying to use any means to kill us because they hate the freedom we all love." Yes, Islamic terrorists are trying to kill us. But why? Islamic terrrorists are trying to kill us because our government has been funding and arming Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine for decades now. Islamic terrorists are trying to kill us because our government insists upon militarily occupying Muslim soveriegn nations, installing U.S. military bases on their land and stealing their natural resources; namely, oil and gas. Islamic terrorists are trying to kill us because each time Israel kills a muslim with American-made and provided weapons, the entire Muslim world, especially Muslim terrorists, squarely and rightfully blame us for Israel's wholesale murder of Muslims."

Proposed War Crimes Act protection for Bush administration would apply retroactively - "The Bush administration drafted amendments to the War Crimes Act that would retroactively protect policymakers from possible criminal charges for authorizing any humiliating and degrading treatment of detainees, according to lawyers who have seen the proposal. The move by the administration is the latest effort to deal with treatment of those taken into custody in the war on terror." -- And we let them get away with doing this shit.

US Army seen reaching recruiting goal despite war - "The U.S. Army, which fell short in recruiting last year, made its 14th straight monthly goal in July and is expected to hit its 2006 target despite the Iraq war making recruiting harder, officials said on Thursday."

Center for war-related brain injuries faces budget cut - "Congress appears ready to slash funding for the research and treatment of brain injuries caused by bomb blasts, an injury that military scientists describe as a signature wound of the Iraq war."

Homeland Security's worm alert - "The US Department of Homeland Security is urging users of the Windows Operating System to apply security patches released by the company this week as quickly as possible."

Young turning off TV for the Internet - "The 'networked generation' - those aged 16 to 24 - are increasingly turning to the Internet for entertainment and information, said communications regulator Ofcom."

Fewer high school students having sex - "Some 46.8 percent of students said they engaged in sexual intercourse in a 2005 survey, down from 54.1 percent in 1991, according to the report. Some 14.3 percent of students in 2005 said they have had multiple partners, defined as sex with four different people during one's lifetime. That figure is down from 18.7 percent in 1991."

Police: Mother gives daughter to boyfriend for sex - "A woman who feared she would lose her boyfriend while she recuperated from surgery arranged for her 15-year-old daughter to have sex with him, authorities said." -- Do I really need to comment here?

Researchers chase goal of nonhijackable plane - "Can technology create a nonhijackable plane? By 2008, European researchers aim to bring that vision closer to reality through an ambitious security program to combat on-board threats in an industry left reeling this week by a security scare that raised the specter of Sept. 11, 2001."

Arctic thawed in prehistoric global warming - "The last time massive amounts of greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere, the North Pole was an ice-free expanse of open ocean that was teeming with tropical organisms, a study has found. Scientists have discovered that the complete disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, 55 million years ago, coincided with a dramatic increase in concentrations of carbon dioxide or methane in the atmosphere - which must have caused global warming."

Gene researchers find more clues to human individuality - "Scientists at Emory University have developed a new type of map of the human genome that could one day lead to breakthroughs in personalized medicine."

Obesity epidemic hits U.S. infants - "Young children, especially infants, are now more likely to be overweight than two decades ago, according to a U.S. study."

Organic molecules found in diverse space places - "A two-year survey of enormous interstellar dust clouds has turned up eight organic molecules in two different regions of space. One is a stellar nursery awash in light while the other is a cold, starless void."




Quote of the Day
"Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms."
~ Groucho Marx

News -- August 10, 2006

'Airlines terror plot' disrupted - "A plot to blow up planes in flight from the UK to the US and commit "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" has been disrupted, Scotland Yard has said."

Analysis: Was this meant as next 9/11? - "Its scope was ruthlessly ambitious, causing destruction officials say would have been "unimaginable." The alleged plot to take down several U.S.-bound planes with liquid explosives appears to be unlike anything the world has seen in years. Counterterrorism officials said Thursday the London plot appears to bear the fingerprints of al-Qaida, and may have been "the Big One" they have been dreading since Sept. 11, 2001, particularly as the five-year anniversary of the carnage approaches."

US raises air security alert to red for first time - "Homeland Security took immediate steps that included barring passengers from carrying liquids, including beverages, hair gels and lotions, on planes. It said travelers in both countries should expect long delays."

U.S.: Airline terror plot 'close to execution' - "CNN terror analyst Peter Bergen said two factors pointed to the influence of al Qaeda. He said al Qaeda was "obsessed" with commercial aviation and that the timing of the plot was "very interesting." "It's not clear when this was going to be implemented ... but we are coming up on the fifth anniversary of 9/11. They do want to make a big statement," he said on CNN's "American Morning.""

Brief Commentary: I don't know if all the above is a false flag operation or the truth. However, is it true that countries would not have to worry about such things if they did not fuck with other countries? I don't know if the answer is true or false, but it seems to me the answer would lean much farther toward true. Then there is the fact that I just can't help but think of Emmanuael Goldstein.

3,000 MILES FROM DOOM - "Can invading or exerting political influence over another country ever be morally justifiable? If it can, how big a buffer zone is reasonable? The Bush Administration answered the latter question during an August 3rd hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. His answer was: 3,000 miles. If the United States of America fails to control every square millimeter of land and water within a 3,000-mile-wide perimeter beyond its international borders, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testified under oath, it will be absolutely, definitely, inevitably overrun by Islamic insurgents."

Lebanese direct growing anger at US - ""We know who our first enemy is: America," he shouted before tearful mourners at a funeral Wednesday for 30 civilians killed by an Israeli airstrike on Monday. The white-turbaned sheikh led the crowd in a militant chant: "Death to America! Death to America!""

3 Egyptian Students Taken Into Custody - "Eight students remain at large. They arrived in New York on July 29 as part of a group of 17 students. Six students reported to Bozeman on time. The missing students pose no terrorism threat, the FBI said."

Cheney: Lieberman Loss ‘Disturbing’ Because al Qaeda Is ‘Betting They Can Break The Will of The American People’ - "Cheney said that to “purge a man like Joe Lieberman” was “of concern, especially over the issue of Joe’s support with respect to national efforts in the global war on terror.”" -- This whole Lieberman shit seems to prove that there are members of both "parties" that are really members of the same "party." The White House seems very concerned about the Lieberman loss. Too concerned.

Detective Story: Has Rove Been Guiding the Lieberman Campaign All Along? - "Everybody's talking about the report that Karl Rove's offered to help the Lieberman campaign. An offer like this, leaked by one of Joe's top aides, it raises the question: Has Rove been guiding the Lieberman campaign from the very beginning? That alleged "website hacking" could well be Rove's handiwork - and more clues abound. Before you say the idea's too farfetched, consider this:"

Connecticut results mean little for national direction - "Liberal anti-war voters and bloggers angry about Iraq widely claimed victory yesterday after the defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic primary, but the state is unpredictable and not indicative of the rest of the country."

Escaping Illusion? - "In recent years, Scott Atran (In Gods We Trust), Pascal Boyer (And Man Creates God) and David Sloan Wilson (Darwin's Cathedral) have all set forth evolutionary theories of religion. This focus is unsurprising: Like language, moral cognition, elaborate tool use and the extensive division of labor, religious belief seems to be both a typical and a distinctive feature of human intelligence—one of remarkable persistence."

What god? Young people reveal their secular side - "FEWER than half of Australia's young people believe in a god and many believe there is little truth in religion, a new study has found."

Probing under the surface of atheist anger - "The atheists, who sometimes call themselves free thinkers or secular humanists, tried to get across they're not much different from Christians, Jews, Muslims and other religious devotees. Till there's proof of a supernatural existence, they'll sit on the sidelines. ... I kept thinking about the "foxholes" saying, which reflects as much about courage in the face of death as it does about faith. I asked what the atheists believe happens after death. "Everybody dies. It's over," Sorenson said. Picture how terrifyingly blunt an atheist eulogy must be. The prospect of "game over" doesn't seem to scare them." -- Which says to me religion is used to scare people. Huh?

Parents want class teaching secular views of morality - "MOST parents want a non-religious alternative to school scripture classes, a survey has found."

OSU prof says he's fighting ailment, not illusion - "He is doing research based in Tulsa to prove that Morgellons disease is real, not a figment of patients' imaginations."

Western values 'are causing mental illness' - "THE rapid spread of Western business practices in Japan has caused widespread mental illness and is responsible for a deepening demographic crisis, government officials say."

District to set up crime cameras - "D.C. police today will begin installing surveillance cameras in four high-crime neighborhoods, nearly 30 days after officials declared a citywide crime emergency."

Gore isn't quite as green as he's led the world to believe - "Gore is not alone. ... Maybe our very existence isn't threatened. ... The issue here is not simply Gore's hypocrisy; it's a question of credibility. If he genuinely believes the apocalyptic vision he has put forth and calls for radical changes in the way other people live, why hasn't he made any radical change in his life? Giving up the zinc mine or one of his homes is not asking much, given that he wants the rest of us to radically change our lives."

How Many People Is Too Many? - "Everyone from anti-contraception Christians to zero-population-growth advocates is using the U.S's looming 300-million mark to advance their agenda."

Australia: Kids struggle with verbs, adjectives - "FEWER than half of all Year 7 students could identify verbs or adjectives and only 7 per cent could spell "definitely" in a literacy test sat by all NSW students entering high school this year."

Dads may suffer postpartum depression too - "In a study of more than 5,000 U.S. couples that had recently had a baby, 14 percent of mothers and 10 percent of fathers were found to have significant levels of depression."

Mom's dieting can be unhealthy for kids - "Mom's dieting habits can have a bad influence on the children. Some research indicates youngsters learn attitudes about dieting through observation. For some youngsters, that might mean an unhealthy fixation on body image, experts warn."

Death can come early for 'toxic bachelors' - "Academics found that men who were bachelors between the ages of 19 and 44 were 58 per cent more likely to die up to the age of 50 than their peers who were married and living with their spouse."

Robot shopping carts follow you around - "It looks almost like any other shopping cart, except sensors allow it to follow the shopper around the supermarket and slow down when needed so items can be placed in it, and it never crashes into anyone's heels."




Quote of the Day
"Let them hate me. So long as they fear me."
~ Caligula Caesar, Caligula

News (Page 2) -- August 9, 2006

Fox Military Analyst on Syria: ‘We Can Talk To Them When We Line Them Up and Kill Them’ - "With the Bush administration refusing to hold direct talks with Syria, Col. David Hunt, military analyst for Fox News, appeared on Hannity & Colmes last night to offer some advice to the president: “I think we can talk to them when we line them up and kill them.” Stating that “the only reason to talk to some of these guys is to just do that,” Hunt went on to argue that America should “absolutely, 100 percent” seek regime change in both Syria and Iran if they’re “not going to cooperate.” Watch it:" -- Idiot.

God save us - "This is one more example of the incompetence of the Bush presidency. Recently, Bush told reporters at a news conference the world needs more democracies such as Iraq. The reporters burst out laughing at this incredible remark. I wanted to laugh, too, but I felt too much like crying over the disaster Bush has brought to this country and the world. God save us from becoming a democracy like Iraq."

Report: US sailor spied for Israel - "A US Navy sailor, Ariel J. Weinmann, is suspected of spying for Israel and has been held in prison for four months, according to an article published Monday in the Saudi daily Al-Watan." -- Who needs enemies when you have friends like Israel?

George Stephanopoulos: Can Karl help Joe? - "According to a close Lieberman adviser, the President's political guru, Karl Rove, has reached out to the Lieberman camp with a message straight from the Oval Office: "The boss wants to help. Whatever we can do, we will do."" -- Huh? They're all in it together.

9/11 Hit Pieces Get Just Plain Stupid: Part 1 - "Recent advances in the public profile of the 9/11 truth movement, owed in part to C-Span's airing of the American Scholars Symposium and Oliver Stone's World Trade Center movie, have provoked a slurry of new hit pieces against 9/11 truth activists. Most are characterized by their twilight zone illogicality and inability to get basic facts correct."

The Brilliantly Profitable Timing of the Alaska Oil Pipeline Shutdown - "Why shut the pipe now? The timing of a sudden inspection and fix of a decade-long problem has a suspicious smell. A precipitous shutdown in mid-summer, in the middle of Middle East war(s), is guaranteed to raise prices and reap monster profits for BP. ... But $2 a barrel is just the beginning of BP’s shut-down bonus. The Alaskan oil was destined for the California market which now faces a supply crisis at the very height of the summer travel season. The big winner is ARCO petroleum, the largest retailer in the Golden State. ARCO is a 100%-owned subsidiary of … British Petroleum. BP could have fixed the pipeline problem this past winter, after their latest corrosion-caused oil spill. But then ARCO would have lost the summertime supply-squeeze windfall."

Cameras let law enforcement zoom in on trouble - "The camera is part of a new $60,000 portable network of wireless cameras meant to keep watch on fairgoers this week."

You Drove Too Fast And Rapture Car Around A Tree - "I've been reading a whole bunch of articles about how Evangelical Christians are, because of their belief in the Rapture, are widely supporting violence in the Mid East, financially and otherwise. While I'm not doubting that this exists, I wonder the extent to which this exists. Here are some questions that I've not really seen answered to my satisfaction:"

Indian floods worsen, 4.5 mln people homeless - "India's annual monsoon rains -- vital for the country's agriculture-driven economy -- have triggered floods across at least five states since the weekend, killing at least 311 people, submerging villages and causing widespread damage to crops."

The biggest building site on earth - "Those looking for tranquil, unspoilt beaches, rustic charm and authentic maritime culture will probably choose to look elsewhere. But for the world's permatanned classes with bling to display and money to burn this extraordinary construction project in the Persian Gulf is an irresistible draw." -- Disgusting. Check out the pictures.

Comedy, Like Reality, Has a Liberal Bias - "We now routinely watch the mainstream media with the expectation that we're being spun, but when did we start watching comedy for the real deal?"

Report: Teenagers often shun condoms - "Most sexually active teenagers don't regularly use condoms, which puts them at risk of sexually transmitted diseases, a report suggests."

Obsession with virginity is deadly public policy - "Unfortunately, some social conservatives have turned an obsession with virginity into deadly public policy. The controversy over the new cervical-cancer vaccine is a twisted example. ... Their rationale is as follows: Cervical cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus, which is sexually transmitted. By doing away with the fear of most cervical cancers, this vaccine may give adolescent girls a green light to have sex. Let's dispose of the green light. Vaccine or no, the teens would remain vulnerable to a variety of other diseases, including AIDS. There remains plenty to warn them against. Then there's reality. Even before the vaccine was available, 70 percent of American girls were having sex before they reached 18. So much for the deterrent value of cervical cancer."

Feministing's 2nd Annual Disturbing Product Poll - "Let the fun/horror begin..." -- Because I can't make this shit up. Check out the products.

News -- August 9, 2006

Israeli Cabinet approves wider offensive - "Israel's Security Cabinet on Wednesday approved a wider ground offensive in south Lebanon that was expected to take 30 days as part of a new push to badly damage Hezbollah, a Cabinet minister said."

New and unkown deadly weapons used by Israeli forces - "Bodies with dead tissues and no apparent wounds; 'shrunken' corpses; civilians with heavy damage to lower limbs that require amputation, which is nevertheless followed by unstoppable necrosis and death; descriptions of extensive internal wounds with no trace of shrapnel, corpses blackened but not burnt, and others heavily wounded that did not bleed. Many of these descriptions suggest the possibility that the new weapons used include 'direct energy' weapons, and chemical and/or biological agents, in a sort of macabre experiment of future warfare, where there is no respect for anything: International rules (from the Geneva Convention to the treaties on biological and chemical weapons), refugees, hospitals and the Red Cross, not to mention the people, their future, their children, the environment, which is poisoned through dissemination of Depleted Uranium and toxic substances released after oil and chemical depots are bombed."

Alan Dershowitz Argues It's Okay to Kill Israeli Civilians - "According to Alan Dershowitz's logic, it's perfectly acceptable to kill Lebanese civilians because they voted for and support an organization that kills Israeli civilians. By that same exact logic, it's perfectly acceptable for Hezbollah to kill Israeli civilians because they voted for and support a government that kills Lebanese civilians. This is an irrefutable argument."

War Crimes Act Changes Would Reduce Threat Of Prosecution - "The Bush administration has drafted amendments to a war crimes law that would eliminate the risk of prosecution for political appointees, CIA officers and former military personnel for humiliating or degrading war prisoners, according to U.S. officials and a copy of the amendments." -- And we let them get away with this shit.

Sen. Lieberman Is Set on Independent Bid - "Voters in Connecticut rejected three-term Sen. Joe Lieberman for a political newcomer in the nation's first major test of the depth of anger over the Iraq war." -- I'm not just angry about the war.

McKinney loses in runoff - "Cynthia McKinney, the fiery Georgia congresswoman known for her conspiracy theories about the Sept. 11 attacks and the scuffle she had earlier this year with a U.S. Capitol police officer, lost a runoff election Tuesday for her district's Democratic nomination."

Poll: 60 percent of Americans oppose Iraq war - "Sixty percent of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Iraq, the highest number since polling on the subject began with the commencement of the war in March 2003, according to poll results and trends released Wednesday." -- Who are these other 40% that love murder, death, and destruction?

9/11 Commission Chairmen Admit Whitewashing the Cause of the Attacks - "As both the Bush administration and its client government in Israel, with their invasions of Arab states in Iraq and Lebanon respectively, make the United States ever more hated in the Islamic world, a new book by the Chairmen of the 9/11 commission admits that the commission whitewashed the root cause of the 9/11 attacks—that same interventionist U.S. foreign policy."

Bush's fondness for fundamentalism is courting disaster at home and abroad - "Affinity with the Christian right has led to banning stem cell research and turning a blind eye to civilian deaths in Lebanon."

For some evangelicals, Mideast war stirs hope - "Some have ratcheted up support for Israel in its current battle in Lebanon with Hezbollah out of belief that a raging war -- perhaps even a nuclear confrontation -- marks a prelude to the apocalypse. Christian groups are sending millions of dollars to Israeli communities and shelters, hosting pro-Israel rallies and urging U.S. politicians to back Israeli military action."

Crackpot Christianity and America's Current Moral Degeneration - "These Crackpot Christians are largely responsible for placing one of their own, George W. Bush, in the White House. Their astounding ignorance, unquestioning faith, war hawkishness, and fascination with the End of Time subsequently rendered them gullible to the Bush administration's lies and exaggerations about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (especially the apocalyptic "mushroom clouds") and ties to al Qaeda. Thus, they cannot escape responsibility for supporting an illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq."

Christian right steps up pro-Israel lobbying - "The following day, at a well-attended press conference, Hagee said that "The dots are there to be connected, and it is not some big thing called terrorism. It is Islamic fascism … all of the various things and forces that we've seen around the world are not merely hot spots but they are all part of a theme -- a war against Western civilization." ... While other organizations have mostly talked the talk, Hagee's CUFI has set out a bold agenda and it appears to have the resources and political connections to walk the walk: CUFI aims to not only establish a visible presence in hundreds of cities throughout all 50 states, but it also intends to recruit activists to lobby on behalf of Israel."

Presbyterian Church publishes 9/11 conspiracy theory - "The decision by the 160-year-old Westminster John Knox Press, the trade and academic publishing imprint of the Presbyterian Publishing Corp., to attribute the attacks on the World Trade Center brings into the U.S. religious mainstream a conspiracy theory long held by the world's jihadists."

"The Curse" (Anti-Atheist Documentary) - "The documentary explains how God does exist."

Cash machines urged for churches - "A senior clergyman wants cash machines to be installed in churches - because it will help serve the community."

News Corp. profit rises 19 percent - "The media conglomerate run by Rupert Murdoch posted a fourth quarter profit of $852 million, or 27 cents per share, up from a year earlier profit of $717 million, or 22 cents per share."

Disney profit rises 39 pct on films - "Total revenue at the second largest U.S. entertainment company increased 12 percent to $8.6 billion."

Egyptian students disappear in U.S. - "Immigration agents and the FBI are looking for 11 Egyptian students who entered the United States on valid student visas, then failed to show up at a university in Montana, authorities said."

Maori 'warrior' gene linked to aggression - "The genetic epidemiologist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research in Wellington said the gene has been linked to aggressive behaviour as well as addictions to things such as tobacco. Maori leaders said there were many other factors which dictated whether people turned violent, such as poverty."

CDC investigates whether bizarre Morgellons condition is real or imagined - "The CDC has been receiving as many as 20 calls a day from self-diagnosed Morgellons patients. The agency has been urged to investigate by, among others, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California."

Male circumcision 'lowers risk of HIV infection by 60%' - "A study published last month calculated that if all men in sub-Saharan Africa were circumcised, it would prevent almost six million new cases of HIV infection and save three million lives over the next 20 years."

Should papers change your way with words? - "A recent News & Observer story from Robeson County brought up an interesting question about journalistic practice: Should the newspaper clean up the bad grammar of the people it quotes?"

Report says sugary drinks pile on pounds - "Americans have sipped and slurped their way to fatness by drinking far more soda and other sugary drinks over the last four decades, a new scientific review concludes. An extra can of soda a day can pile on 15 pounds in a single year, and the "weight of evidence" strongly suggests that this sort of increased consumption is a key reason that more people have gained weight, the researchers say."




Quote of the Day
"Look, there are a million reasons to be mad. Just check out the morning papers. It's totally and completely nuts out there!"
~ S.L. Goldman

News -- August 8, 2006

Israel drops warnings on Tyre - "The Israeli military dropped leaflets Tuesday over the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, warning of stepped-up operations and urging people to stay off the roads or risk being a target."

Chilling threat as Syria offer to join with Hezbollah - "SYRIA'S foreign minister yesterday offered to join militant group Hezbollah in its fight against Israel and said a regional war would be "most welcome" as more than 30 people in Israel and Lebanon were killed on one of the worst days since the conflict began."

U.S. sells surplus military hardware over the net to the highest bidder (no questions asked) - "AMERICAN defence chiefs are selling millions of dollars worth of military hardware from Iraq and Afghanistan to the highest bidder over the internet. The items - which include rocket launchers and guided missile radar - can easily be used or adapted by criminals and terrorists. ... Within minutes, our registration was accepted without question and we were sent a list of items for sale - many of which were surplus from Afghanistan and Iraq. These items included: Launcher mounts for anti-tank missiles. Full military uniforms, including hi-tech, bullet-proof body armour. Radar sets for guided missile systems and all-band antennae radios which can track enemy aircraft. Small invasion landing craft. Surveillance equipment, including global satellite positioning systems. Grenade vests, ammunition belts, James Bond-style shoulder harnesses for revolvers - and even unused medals."

Video cameras on the lookout for terrorists - "It sounds like something out of science fiction. Researchers at General Electric Co.'s sprawling research center, are creating new "smart video surveillance" systems that can detect explosives by recognizing the electromagnetic waves given off by objects, even under clothing. Scientist Peter Tu and his team are also developing programs that can recognize faces, pinpoint distress in a crowd by honing in on erratic body movements and synthesize the views of several cameras into one bird's eye view, as part of a growing effort to thwart terrorism."

Newt Gingrich Considers Political Opposition, American Citizens, to be an ''Insurgency'' - "Some have expressed concern over Newt Gingrich's use of the term "insurgency", while referring to Ned Lamont supporters in Connecticut. From a personal perspective, Gingrich was correct in obliquely referring to America's blogosphere and directly Lamont supporters, as being an "insurgency". Gingrich, of course, meant the term to be derogatory and a means of linking those that oppose Bush's war follies with terrorists. Still, Crazy Newt the serial divorcer was correct in more ways than he fully understands and, too, revealed the Neo-Conservative agenda in a clear and yet, unintended way. That Gingrich would openly refer to those who oppose Bush-Republican Neo-Conservative madness as being an "insurgency" is, in a very real sense, the first public admission that the Bush regime and Republicans are at war with the American people."

C'mon kids, let's go to Army World! - "The Army is considering a proposal to allow a private developer to build a military-themed park that would include Cobra Gunship rides and bars including a "1st Division Lounge." -- If this goes forward and is a success, then I will be truly "a man without a country."

Brutal US attack on unarmed Afghans captured by photos - "Claims that US troops shot dead up to six unarmed Afghan civilians two months ago in Kabul have been given added credibility with a series of photographs offering visual evidence of military misconduct."

Biggest Oil Field in U.S. Is Forced to Stop Pumping - "Prices at the gas pump began to rise as much as 5 cents a gallon in some cities. Analysts predicted an additional rise of at least another 5 cents in the coming days, particularly on the West Coast."

Big Oil reinvests big profits to tap costlier reserves - "Big Oil's record profits attract attention and outrage, but an independent study has found that oil companies do exactly what economic textbooks say they should do with all that money: They invest it in oil exploration and development efforts that eventually should relieve pressure on prices."

A barbaric kind of beauty - "She has been given the final go-ahead to travel abroad for a cutting edge nonsurgical treatment that promises to make her look ten years younger. She doesn't care if the treatment is expensive, involves babies and is so controversial that it is not allowed to be performed in this country - among her well-heeled friends, this is the ultimate new elixir of youth. The attractive brunette has opted for a controversial stem- cell therapy where umbilical cord tissue from new-born babies will be injected into her body. ... So what is it about stem cells that has set tongues wagging in the beauty world? They are the building blocks of every human body but are far more plentiful in embryos, which are still growing, human foetuses, or newborn babies, than in adults."

Skin Disease Has Doctors Scratching Their Heads - "It's called "Morgellons Disease,'' and it's caused by mysterious fibers that have no DNA or living cells but supposedly poke through wounds in the skin. It's been the subject of debate between skin doctors, many of whom can't find any scientific basis for the ailment."

Mysterious skin ailment surfaces here - "Now the 55-year-old woman's body is plagued with a type of stringy-grayish parasite that continues to multiply within her body. The woman's husband and family dogs also exhibit the same signs. Pulling "worms" out of her head, face, body and even the bottom of her feet has become a daily, mind-maddening and traumatic experience, she said. "You can feel them in your lips. They get in your nose. It drives you up a wall. You can see it if I pull it. You think you've got thin gray hair then you look at it closely. One end is thick and the tail is skinny," she said."

The Better Bitch: Condi or Hillary? - "While Rice is incompetent and thus dangerous, Clinton is dangerous because she is competent but even more devoid of ethics."

House Incumbents at Risk, Poll Finds - "Most Americans describe themselves as being in an anti-incumbent mood heading into this fall's midterm congressional elections, and the percentage of people who approve of their own representative's performance is at the lowest level since 1994, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

Legalizing Marijuana - A New Republican Strategy? - "As I’m filling out my name and address on the petition I notice that the young lady is filling out a very official looking form. Probably just the ballot initiative form, I think to myself. Then, she says "is it OK if I register you as a Republican?" "What?!?" I say "yes, I do mind! What are you doing?" She says that if I register Republican she will get an extra 10 cents. But, I complain, "I don’t want to re-register." She explains that this is just to update the records for the County Clerks office. I repeat that "I do not want or need to update my records." I am repeatedly told that it is OK and that they just want to update my voter registration records. She also tells me that she is working for the Republican party, being paid hourly, and that the ploy about the "10 cent bonus" was not accurate. This Republican party employee goes on to tell me that she is there to attract people to the table that is set up in Fresno’s Courthouse Park, and that the legalize marijuana petition is just a prop. She confirmed that there is no ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. She said that the petition will be given to an elected official in Sacramento. I have my doubts about that."

As Data Point to Slowdown, Housing Market May Land Harder Than Economists Predict - "Home prices in some parts of the country are falling. Builders are scaling back. Bubble or not, the biggest housing boom in recent U.S. history is coming to an end."

15 States Expand Right to Shoot in Self-Defense - "In the last year, 15 states have enacted laws that expand the right of self-defense, allowing crime victims to use deadly force in situations that might formerly have subjected them to prosecution for murder. Supporters call them “stand your ground” laws. Opponents call them “shoot first” laws."

Megachurches Court Cool to Attract Teens - "You can't buy "cool" -- teenagers know that all to well. They respect a big brother-figure who is giving them the straight dope that you can't buy "glory" either. And what's more, this is action-oriented. Pastor Ross warned that "you never know what blessing you might miss" if you sit idly by. This God -- albeit a definitively Republican, homo-hating, pro-life God -- wants you to stop talking and start doing."

A New Kind of Bigotry - "The questions, natural and obvious, point up the problem: a hidden religious prejudice. It has less to do with bigotry than with simple historic and religious illiteracy among Americans. The impact on me grows because I was born and raised in this country as a Greek Orthodox Christian. I left the institutional church because of its patriarchal prejudices. I've come to recognize something even more destructive common to almost all faith-based sects: the belief they are god's chosen people-- having a direct line to what "god" tells them (or that they tell him?) is the truth. Few in the evangelical church are free of such misconceptions. If they choose to be what I view as delusional, that's their privilege in free societies. When it is forced on others, it becomes dangerous and unjust."

Holy Shrimp: Man Sees Jesus In Dinner - "A California man believes he has seen the face of Jesus Christ on a shrimp tail." -- Check out the 6 pictures.

Newfound Book of Psalms Doesn't Predict Doom, Experts Say - "It's not the end of the world, experts announced today. The opening passage of a thousand-year-old Christian prayer book discovered in Ireland does not say that doomsday is near."

Lost document reveals Columbus as tyrant of the Caribbean - "Christopher Columbus, the man credited with discovering the Americas, was a greedy and vindictive tyrant who saved some of his most violent punishments for his own followers, according to a document uncovered by Spanish historians."

Computer hackers get lesson on cloning passport, cash card tags - "High-tech passports touted as advances in national security can be spied on remotely and their identifying radio signals cloned, computers hackers were shown at a conference."

Safety a concern as drones catch on - "Crashes of drone planes flying over the USA are worrying pilots and lawmakers who fear that a surge in interest by federal and local agencies to use the unmanned aircraft could lead to danger in the skies."

Extinction: Bye Bye, Birdie ... - "... and thousands of other creatures. Prominent biologists say we're on par with the five previous mass extinctions in the history of life on earth."

Evolution reversed in mice - "US researchers have taken a mouse back in time some 500 million years by reversing the process of evolution."

Forecasters Lower Hurricane Predictions - "Forecasters now expect there to be 12 to 15 named storms and seven to nine hurricanes."

U.S. HAS ITS SECOND-HOTTEST JULY ON RECORD - "The hottest July on record occurred in 1936, and the third hottest was 1934."

Man Run Over By 3 Vehicles, No One Stops To Help - ""The impact left the victim's body in pieces," Local 6's Jacquie Sosa said."

Dakota Fanning 'raped' in new film - "Prosecutors in Wilmington, N.C., "are aware" of a scene for the movie "Hounddog" in which the character played by 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning reportedly is violently raped, and say if an investigation is launched, authorities could consider sexual exploitation charges."

Hugging can expose infants to smoking health risk - "BABIES can absorb nicotine and other chemicals from cigarettes just by hugging their smoker parents, according to United States researchers. Scientists also found that infants can be exposed to "third-hand smoke" just from touching furniture and other objects in the home."

Ultrasound scans can affect brain development - "The latest concern comes from a study that suggests, in mice at least, that ultrasound can affect the development of the fetal brain. Even so, researchers say the findings should not keep pregnant women from having ultrasound scans when needed for medical reasons."

San Antonio joins hybrid-incentive trend - "Environmentally aware San Antonians are getting the last laugh under a new program allowing drivers of hybrid vehicles to park for free at city meters, while the drivers of Hummers, SUVs and trucks still have to dig around for change. Park your hybrid at a one-hour meter? Save a buck. Stop at an all-day meter? That's $2 left in your coin purse." -- Kind of like "White's only" restrooms.

The perfume that smells of cheese - "But an emerging trend is seeing perfumers break with tradition, as they look to diversify in an over-flooded market. Cheese, cars and the smell of sweat are just some of the latest scents to be captured and bottled for a market eager to try unique and individual new perfumes."

Bedbugs' Bite Back In U.S. - "Absent from the United States for so long that some thought they were a myth, bedbugs are back. Entomologists and pest control professionals are reporting a dramatic increase in infestations throughout the country, and no one knows exactly why."

Allergies linked to Parkinson's disease - "MILLIONS of people who suffer from chronic allergies to pets, dust and spores are up to three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life, research suggests."

Futuristic dish to reveal distant past - ""With Alma we will be able to see these early galaxies as they form. It will allow us to put together a picture of how we got from the Big Bang to the galaxies, stars and planets we have today."

You know anybody who needs an "anti-stupid" pill? - ""With mice and fruit flies we were able to eliminate the loss of short-term memory," Ropers, 62, is quoted saying in the German newspaper, which has dubbed it the "world's first anti-stupidity pill.""

Designer creates floating bed - "A young Dutch architect has created a floating bed which hovers above the ground through magnetic force and comes with a price tag of 1.2 million euros ($1.54 million)."




Quote of the Day
"I hope I live to see the day, when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!"
~ Jerry Falwell