Hiasl, a 26-year old Austrian-based chimpanzee, is petitioning the courts for human status, and let me be the first to extend him a warm welcome to our species.
My animal rights activism has never gone beyond the cage-free eggs' stage; it's the human possibilities raised by Hiasl's case that caught my attention. If a chimpanzee can be declared a person, then there's nothing in the way of a person becoming an ape -- and I'm not just talking about a retroactive status applied to ex-husbands. In fact, I predict a surge in trans-specied people, who will eagerly go over to the side of the chimps.
...
There are is another, less selfish reason, to seek chimpanzee status. Like me, you may be a wee bit disappointed in our own species. Here we are - the tool-wielding, word-spouting brainiacs of the earth -- and what have we done with our powers? We've poisoned the world, encrusted it with our unsightly infrastructure, and exterminated most of our fellow earth-dwellers, from elephants and tigers to fish.
Of course, what makes humans especially obnoxious is our tendency to believe in our absolute superiority over all creatures. We alone, of all species, have come up with religions and philosophies that declare us uniquely deserving of global hegemony. Yet one by one, our "unique" human traits have turned out to be shared: Chimpanzees have culture; dolphins make art (in the form of bubble patterns); female vampire bats share food with their friends; male baboons will die to defend their troop; rats have recently demonstrated a capability for reflection that resembles consciousness. We are animals, and they are us.
I couldn't have said it better.
Read the entire article.
May 11, 2007
Accused Impersonator Freed in Rape Case
A woman who had sex with her boyfriend's brother in her darkened room late one night claimed she was raped, saying the man tricked her into the act by impersonating her boyfriend.
But Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court disagreed Thursday, citing a half-century-old state law that says it is not rape when consent to sexual intercourse is obtained through fraud or deceit.
Thoughts?
Read the rest.
But Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court disagreed Thursday, citing a half-century-old state law that says it is not rape when consent to sexual intercourse is obtained through fraud or deceit.
Thoughts?
Read the rest.
Put It Out, Shweetheart
Depictions of smoking in movies will now be a factor when deciding what a film's rating will be, possibly making a PG-13 movie R-rated, the Motion Picture Association of America said yesterday. The policy affects only new movies.
Here ya go.
Here ya go.
States' rebellion at Real ID echoes in Congress
Two states leading a revolt against the Real ID Act have picked up new firepower in the U.S. Senate in their fight to roll back an unprecedented federal overhaul of state driver's licenses.
...
Driving the momentum in Congress, Montana and Washington state last month passed nearly unheard-of statutes rejecting the federal law, which they charge will infringe on their residents' privacy and saddle states with a $14 billion unfunded mandate. More than 30 other states have taken up similar bills or resolutions calling on Congress to repeal Real ID or fully fund it.
Read more.
...
Driving the momentum in Congress, Montana and Washington state last month passed nearly unheard-of statutes rejecting the federal law, which they charge will infringe on their residents' privacy and saddle states with a $14 billion unfunded mandate. More than 30 other states have taken up similar bills or resolutions calling on Congress to repeal Real ID or fully fund it.
Read more.
Vatican changes transcript of abortion remarks
Pope Benedict XVI caused such a stir with his comments on the excommunication of lawmakers who vote in favor of legalizing abortion that the Vatican released a transcript Thursday changing what he said.
...
Lombardi told reporters such edits are common. “Every time the pope speaks off-the-cuff the Secretariat of State reviews and cleans up his remarks,” he said.
Orwell rolls over again.
Read the rest.
...
Lombardi told reporters such edits are common. “Every time the pope speaks off-the-cuff the Secretariat of State reviews and cleans up his remarks,” he said.
Orwell rolls over again.
Read the rest.
College cost crunch felt worldwide, not just in U.S.
A college cost crunch is bearing down on governments worldwide -- not just in America -- and some innovative approaches to student loans are being taken overseas, although you wouldn't know it on Capitol Hill.
As another round of debate gets going in Congress on how to help debt-burdened university students, aides said lawmakers were largely ignoring how other countries do it.
Make sure to go and check out what other countries are doing.
"Very useful and important things are happening in other countries," said Robert Shireman, executive director of the Project on Student Debt, a group that aims to improve America's labyrinthine and politically sensitive student loan system.
But getting U.S. lawmakers to look abroad for ideas is hard. "It's fascinating how insular Americans are. Discussions of what happens in other countries fall flat," Shireman said.
Read the rest here.
As another round of debate gets going in Congress on how to help debt-burdened university students, aides said lawmakers were largely ignoring how other countries do it.
Make sure to go and check out what other countries are doing.
"Very useful and important things are happening in other countries," said Robert Shireman, executive director of the Project on Student Debt, a group that aims to improve America's labyrinthine and politically sensitive student loan system.
But getting U.S. lawmakers to look abroad for ideas is hard. "It's fascinating how insular Americans are. Discussions of what happens in other countries fall flat," Shireman said.
Read the rest here.
College cost crunch felt worldwide, not just in U.S.
A college cost crunch is bearing down on governments worldwide -- not just in America -- and some innovative approaches to student loans are being taken overseas, although you wouldn't know it on Capitol Hill.
As another round of debate gets going in Congress on how to help debt-burdened university students, aides said lawmakers were largely ignoring how other countries do it.
Make sure to go and check out what other countries are doing.
"Very useful and important things are happening in other countries," said Robert Shireman, executive director of the Project on Student Debt, a group that aims to improve America's labyrinthine and politically sensitive student loan system.
But getting U.S. lawmakers to look abroad for ideas is hard. "It's fascinating how insular Americans are. Discussions of what happens in other countries fall flat," Shireman said.
Read the rest here.
As another round of debate gets going in Congress on how to help debt-burdened university students, aides said lawmakers were largely ignoring how other countries do it.
Make sure to go and check out what other countries are doing.
"Very useful and important things are happening in other countries," said Robert Shireman, executive director of the Project on Student Debt, a group that aims to improve America's labyrinthine and politically sensitive student loan system.
But getting U.S. lawmakers to look abroad for ideas is hard. "It's fascinating how insular Americans are. Discussions of what happens in other countries fall flat," Shireman said.
Read the rest here.
Pentagon restricting testimony in Congress
Somebody's afraid of something...
Robert L. Wilkie , a former Bush administration national security official who left the White House to become assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs last year, has outlined a half-dozen guidelines that prohibit most officers below the rank of colonel from appearing in hearings, restricting testimony to high-ranking officers and civilians appointed by President Bush.
Here's the rest.
Robert L. Wilkie , a former Bush administration national security official who left the White House to become assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs last year, has outlined a half-dozen guidelines that prohibit most officers below the rank of colonel from appearing in hearings, restricting testimony to high-ranking officers and civilians appointed by President Bush.
Here's the rest.
Global Dimming
We are all seeing rather less of the Sun. Scientists looking at five decades of sunlight measurements have reached the disturbing conclusion that the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface has been gradually falling. Paradoxically, the decline in sunlight may mean that global warming is a far greater threat to society than previously thought.
Learn more here.
Learn more here.
Administration Withheld E-Mails About Rove
The Bush administration has withheld a series of e-mails from Congress showing that senior White House and Justice Department officials worked together to conceal the role of Karl Rove in installing Timothy Griffin, a protégé of Rove's, as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
Now what else do you think they've withheld?
Here ya go.
Now what else do you think they've withheld?
Here ya go.
Cheney vows Iran will not get nuclear weapons
"We'll stand with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating this region," he told thousands of sailors on the nuclear-powered USS John C. Stennis as it cruised roughly 240 kilometres (150 miles) from Iran.
He's so manly.
In reality, he think the U.S. should dominate the region.
Any country without nuclear weapons is at the mercy of those countries that have them.
Read more here.
He's so manly.
In reality, he think the U.S. should dominate the region.
Any country without nuclear weapons is at the mercy of those countries that have them.
Read more here.
May 10, 2007
Only Ron Paul Can Defeat Hillary Clinton
There is only one Republican candidate that can prevent Hillary Clinton from walking into the Oval Office after the next election and that's Ron Paul - which is why the corporate interests that have already selected Hillary are busy trying to stem the tide of a populist onslaught to bring the Texas Congressman to the attention of the American people.
Read more here.
Read more here.
'Memory-freezing' tool to help fight crime
Tests have shown that witnesses using the form were 42 per cent more accurate than other witnesses who were simply asked to report as much as they could remember.
Read more about this new tool here.
Read more about this new tool here.
Teenage girls strangled their best friend ‘just because we felt like it’
If children are our future then...
The girl who twisted the wire around Eliza’s throat told police how she watched with detachment as her friends’s emotions shifted from anger, to terror and eventually the realisation that she was going to die.
For the next five to ten minutes both girls watched as the life ebbed out of their friend.
They said that they knew it was wrong, but that it just “felt right” and that they did not feel any remorse.
I'm too disgusted to comment.
The girl who twisted the wire around Eliza’s throat told police how she watched with detachment as her friends’s emotions shifted from anger, to terror and eventually the realisation that she was going to die.
For the next five to ten minutes both girls watched as the life ebbed out of their friend.
They said that they knew it was wrong, but that it just “felt right” and that they did not feel any remorse.
I'm too disgusted to comment.
Atheist offers to send letters post-Rapture
I wonder how much this guy is making off this.
As Witter sees it, it will fall to the unsaved to serve as the postmen of the Apocalypse.
As Witter sees it, it will fall to the unsaved to serve as the postmen of the Apocalypse.
'Mercy killing' husband convicted of murder
A devoted husband has been found guilty of murder for killing his wife after she repeatedly begged him to help end her life.
...
Nobody during the trial questioned that the pair were anything but a "passionate and devoted couple" or that Lund had acted out of anything but compassion for his wife, who had attempted suicide on five previous occasions and was severely depressed by the affects of irritable bowel syndrome.
Now, however, Lund faces an automatic life sentence after being convicted of murdering her at their home in New Brighton, Merseyside, last September.
Here's more.
...
Nobody during the trial questioned that the pair were anything but a "passionate and devoted couple" or that Lund had acted out of anything but compassion for his wife, who had attempted suicide on five previous occasions and was severely depressed by the affects of irritable bowel syndrome.
Now, however, Lund faces an automatic life sentence after being convicted of murdering her at their home in New Brighton, Merseyside, last September.
Here's more.
War debate cited as aiding al Qaeda
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday told Congress that al Qaeda will establish a stronghold in Iraq's Anbar province if U.S. troops pull out prematurely and that the group is reacting to the war debate in Washington by stepping up attacks.
Orwell rolls in his grave.
There's more here.
Orwell rolls in his grave.
There's more here.
Record Shops: Used CDs? Ihre papieren, bitte!
From the paranoia file, we get this gem:
New "pawn shop" laws are springing up across the United States that will make selling your used CDs at the local record shop something akin to getting arrested. No, you won't spend any time in jail, but you'll certainly feel like a criminal once the local record shop makes copies of all of your identifying information and even collects your fingerprints. Such is the state of affairs in Florida, which now has the dubious distinction of being so anal about the sale of used music CDs that record shops there are starting to get out of the business of dealing with used content because they don't want to pay a $10,000 bond for the "right" to treat their customers like criminals.
The legislation is supposed to stop the sale of counterfeit and/or stolen music CDs, despite the fact that there has been no proof that this is a particularly pressing problem for record shops in general.
'We don't need no stinkin' proof!'
New "pawn shop" laws are springing up across the United States that will make selling your used CDs at the local record shop something akin to getting arrested. No, you won't spend any time in jail, but you'll certainly feel like a criminal once the local record shop makes copies of all of your identifying information and even collects your fingerprints. Such is the state of affairs in Florida, which now has the dubious distinction of being so anal about the sale of used music CDs that record shops there are starting to get out of the business of dealing with used content because they don't want to pay a $10,000 bond for the "right" to treat their customers like criminals.
The legislation is supposed to stop the sale of counterfeit and/or stolen music CDs, despite the fact that there has been no proof that this is a particularly pressing problem for record shops in general.
'We don't need no stinkin' proof!'
Research confirms theory that all modern humans descended from the same small group of people
So wars are just really big family fueds?
The research confirms the “Out Of Africa” hypothesis that all modern humans stem from a single group of Homo sapiens who emigrated from Africa 2,000 generations ago and spread throughout Eurasia over thousands of years. These settlers replaced other early humans (such as Neanderthals), rather than interbreeding with them.
Read more.
The research confirms the “Out Of Africa” hypothesis that all modern humans stem from a single group of Homo sapiens who emigrated from Africa 2,000 generations ago and spread throughout Eurasia over thousands of years. These settlers replaced other early humans (such as Neanderthals), rather than interbreeding with them.
Read more.
Comics = Terrorism
Details are sketchy at this time, but it appears that making a comic about his experience counts as making terroristic threats. I realize that by this logic, me reporting on the making of a comic that’s seen as a terroristic threat may count as lending support to terrorists. If I wake up in Gitmo, tell my wife that I love her, and I’m sorry I’m not there to help walk the dog.
Here's the comic in question.
Read the rest of the story.
Here's the comic in question.
Read the rest of the story.
Coming Soon to a Toll Booth Near You
The future looks bleak this morning.
These governors and lawmakers, unwilling to tax the rich to maintain America’s roads, are now taking bids to sell these roads to the rich.
Learn more.
These governors and lawmakers, unwilling to tax the rich to maintain America’s roads, are now taking bids to sell these roads to the rich.
Learn more.
Widespread 'Twilight Zone' Detected Around Clouds
There seems to be something new under the sun -- in the sky, specifically -- that could complicate scientists' efforts to get a fix on how much the world will warm in the future. Greenhouse gases are not the only things in the air that influence the temperature of our atmosphere. Clouds and small airborne particles called aerosols also play an important and complicated role. And now a new ingredient has been discovered: an extensive and previously unseen “twilight zone” of particles that represents a gradual transition from cloud droplets to dry particles.
Find out more here.
Find out more here.
Japan's first 'baby hatch' opens to controversy
Japan's first "baby hatch", where parents can drop off unwanted infants anonymously, opened Thursday despite opposition from the conservative national government.
The baby hatch, modelled on a project in Germany, went into operation at a Roman Catholic hospital in the city of Kumamoto, some 900 kilometres (560 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
Read the rest.
The baby hatch, modelled on a project in Germany, went into operation at a Roman Catholic hospital in the city of Kumamoto, some 900 kilometres (560 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
Read the rest.
Face recognition next in terror fight
Ah, the future...
Homeland Security leaders are exploring futuristic and possibly privacy-invading technology aimed at finding terrorists and criminals by using digital surveillance photos that analyze facial characteristics.
Read more.
Homeland Security leaders are exploring futuristic and possibly privacy-invading technology aimed at finding terrorists and criminals by using digital surveillance photos that analyze facial characteristics.
Read more.
May 9, 2007
Internet Calls Subject To Phone Tapping
Companies that provide Internet phone service have just six days to meet a deadline from the Justice Department. By next Monday, they'll have to make their systems easier to tap. That's right -- make it easier to secretly listen in on your phone calls, or face daily fines of $10,000 dollars.
Where's my carrier pigeon?
Here's the story.
Where's my carrier pigeon?
Here's the story.
New Jersey to consider abolishing death penalty
New Jersey lawmakers will consider abolishing the death penalty this week, starting a process that could see the liberal state become the first to scrap capital punishment since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated it in 1976.
Read the rest.
Read the rest.
Glendale professor faces termination over e-mail
Hmmmm.
"This case would be almost funny if it wasn't having such serious implications for the professor's life and livelihood," Lukianoff said.
Link.
"This case would be almost funny if it wasn't having such serious implications for the professor's life and livelihood," Lukianoff said.
Link.
More TV time means worse school performance
In the duh column:
The more TV adolescents watch, the more likely they are to develop attention and learning problems, and to do poorly in school in the long-run, a new study confirms.
Here ya go.
The more TV adolescents watch, the more likely they are to develop attention and learning problems, and to do poorly in school in the long-run, a new study confirms.
Here ya go.
Majority of Iraqi Lawmakers Now Reject Occupation
Because you probably didn't hear about this:
On Tuesday, without note in the U.S. media, more than half of the members of Iraq's parliament rejected the continuing occupation of their country. 144 lawmakers signed onto a legislative petition calling on the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal, according to Nassar Al-Rubaie, a spokesman for the Al Sadr movement, the nationalist Shia group that sponsored the petition.
On Tuesday, without note in the U.S. media, more than half of the members of Iraq's parliament rejected the continuing occupation of their country. 144 lawmakers signed onto a legislative petition calling on the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal, according to Nassar Al-Rubaie, a spokesman for the Al Sadr movement, the nationalist Shia group that sponsored the petition.
On Your Feet
Among women's shoes, fashion has truly trumped function. As the summer months approach, colorful sandals, flip-flops, wedges, high heels and ballet flats dot the sidewalks. One of trendiest shoes this season is YSL's platform "Tribute" -- with a tottering 5 1/2 -inch heel. Often painstakingly selected to complete outfits, shoes like these put stress not just on feet, but on ankles, knees and backs, contributing to the approximately $3.5 billion spent annually in the United States for women's foot surgeries, which cause them to lose 15 million work days yearly.
$3.5 billion is a lot dough, so I don't expect a major push any time soon to get women to stop wearing high-heels.
Stay off your feet and read the rest here.
$3.5 billion is a lot dough, so I don't expect a major push any time soon to get women to stop wearing high-heels.
Stay off your feet and read the rest here.
Not the End of the World as We Know It
How bad is climate change really? Are catastrophic floods and terrible droughts headed our way? Despite widespread fears of a greenhouse hell, the latest computer simulations are delivering far less dramatic predictions about tomorrow's climate.
In other words: no one really knows what will happen.
Here's the story.
In other words: no one really knows what will happen.
Here's the story.
May 8, 2007
GOP is pro-life in the womb, not necessarily after
It's nice to see this issue being discussed in the mainstream media.
And I'll be the first to tell you that many Christians -- especially right-wing conservatives -- are staunch anti-abortion advocates on Monday. And on Tuesday, if there is an execution, they are right there supporting that one as well.
And I'll be the first to tell you that many Christians -- especially right-wing conservatives -- are staunch anti-abortion advocates on Monday. And on Tuesday, if there is an execution, they are right there supporting that one as well.
Bring them home
Some of us have been advocating this course of action for quite some time. I'm glad to see the L.A. Times joining the chorus:
WHATEVER THE future holds, the United States has not "lost" and cannot "lose" Iraq. It was never ours in the first place. And however history will judge the war, some key U.S. goals have been accomplished: Saddam Hussein has been ousted, tried and executed; Iraqis have held three elections, adopted a constitution and established a rudimentary democracy.
But what now? After four years of war, more than $350 billion spent and 3,363 U.S. soldiers killed and 24,310 wounded, it seems increasingly obvious that an Iraqi political settlement cannot be achieved in the shadow of an indefinite foreign occupation. The U.S. military presence — opposed by more than three-quarters of Iraqis — inflames terrorism and delays what should be the primary and most pressing goal: meaningful reconciliation among the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
The bottom line:
We are not naive. U.S. withdrawal, whether concluded next year or five years from now, entails grave risks. But so does U.S. occupation. The question is how best to manage the risks.
Read the rest here.
WHATEVER THE future holds, the United States has not "lost" and cannot "lose" Iraq. It was never ours in the first place. And however history will judge the war, some key U.S. goals have been accomplished: Saddam Hussein has been ousted, tried and executed; Iraqis have held three elections, adopted a constitution and established a rudimentary democracy.
But what now? After four years of war, more than $350 billion spent and 3,363 U.S. soldiers killed and 24,310 wounded, it seems increasingly obvious that an Iraqi political settlement cannot be achieved in the shadow of an indefinite foreign occupation. The U.S. military presence — opposed by more than three-quarters of Iraqis — inflames terrorism and delays what should be the primary and most pressing goal: meaningful reconciliation among the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
The bottom line:
We are not naive. U.S. withdrawal, whether concluded next year or five years from now, entails grave risks. But so does U.S. occupation. The question is how best to manage the risks.
Read the rest here.
May 7, 2007
Cap gives you full kip in 3hrs
From the "Welcome to our Brave New World" file, we get this wonderful story:
SCIENTISTS have devised a way to cram a good night’s kip into THREE HOURS.
They have created a machine placed above the head like a “cap” that puts wearers in deep sleep.
It could mean we all might one day wake up refreshed after just a few hours in the sack.
How is this a good thing? I see it being abused by companies/governments by forcing us to work longer hours.
SCIENTISTS have devised a way to cram a good night’s kip into THREE HOURS.
They have created a machine placed above the head like a “cap” that puts wearers in deep sleep.
It could mean we all might one day wake up refreshed after just a few hours in the sack.
How is this a good thing? I see it being abused by companies/governments by forcing us to work longer hours.
The lethal media silence on Kent State's smoking guns
After 37 years of official denial and cover-up, tape-recorded evidence, that has existed for decades and has been in the possession of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has finally been made public.
It proves what "conspiracy theorists" have argued since 1970---that there was a direct military order leading to the unprovoked assassination of unarmed students. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents show collusion between Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes and the FBI that aimed to terrorize anti-war demonstrators and their protests that were raging throughout the nation.
You may not want to believe it, but yes, conspiracies do happen, and more frequently than you can imagine.
Here's the rest of the story.
It proves what "conspiracy theorists" have argued since 1970---that there was a direct military order leading to the unprovoked assassination of unarmed students. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents show collusion between Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes and the FBI that aimed to terrorize anti-war demonstrators and their protests that were raging throughout the nation.
You may not want to believe it, but yes, conspiracies do happen, and more frequently than you can imagine.
Here's the rest of the story.
Homeland Security woos Arab tourists with fingerprint demo
If this is the way they are going to be treated, then really, tourists (particularly Arab tourists) should not visit the U.S.
Promoters from 64 countries vied last week to lure big-spending Arab tourists to their countries at the Middle East's largest tourism convention.
But not a single promoter from the United States turned up.
Instead, the U.S. government sent officials from the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate its mandatory fingerprinting of Arab and other foreign visitors.
...
A pair of U.S. Homeland Security officials at the show did their best to give details on America's tourist sights, such as the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, while explaining that being fingerprinted by U.S. immigration officials doesn't mean a person should feel like a criminal.
Oh, no. You have no reason to feel like a criminal. Wait, where did you say you wanted to visit?
"We tell them, 'We want you to come to the United States,'" said DHS spokeswoman Kimberly Weissman. "They ask us about destinations and we give them our personal anecdotes."
Visitors at the show said the lack of U.S. promoters gives the impression that Arabs are no longer welcome in America.
Actions do speak much, much louder than words.
There's more here.
Promoters from 64 countries vied last week to lure big-spending Arab tourists to their countries at the Middle East's largest tourism convention.
But not a single promoter from the United States turned up.
Instead, the U.S. government sent officials from the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate its mandatory fingerprinting of Arab and other foreign visitors.
...
A pair of U.S. Homeland Security officials at the show did their best to give details on America's tourist sights, such as the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, while explaining that being fingerprinted by U.S. immigration officials doesn't mean a person should feel like a criminal.
Oh, no. You have no reason to feel like a criminal. Wait, where did you say you wanted to visit?
"We tell them, 'We want you to come to the United States,'" said DHS spokeswoman Kimberly Weissman. "They ask us about destinations and we give them our personal anecdotes."
Visitors at the show said the lack of U.S. promoters gives the impression that Arabs are no longer welcome in America.
Actions do speak much, much louder than words.
There's more here.
Scientists Have Found the Gene That Decides How Long We Live
In the never ending search to live longer without doing much, we get this:
Scientists believe that the findings could unlock a genetic treasure-chest of potential pharmacological targets for developing drugs that can extend the human lifespan without having to follow a rigorous and difficult diet.
The pill society continues to flourish.
Scientists believe that the findings could unlock a genetic treasure-chest of potential pharmacological targets for developing drugs that can extend the human lifespan without having to follow a rigorous and difficult diet.
The pill society continues to flourish.
The New Land Rush
We all saw this one coming:
Recent news reports state that global warming and the shrinking Arctic icecaps are opening new sea lanes and making barren islands suddenly very valuable. In fact, the international community might experience a new race of exploration, conquest and acquisition for this "new world" -- these newly available lands and sea routes. Conflicts could arise over shipping lanes, islands, fish stocks, minerals and oil that are now becoming accessible and commercially exploitable.
Governments are even now engaged in asserting their sovereignty over these areas and assets. Canada, Denmark and the United States are already involved in diplomatic disputes over these issues. For example, Canada and Denmark have sent diplomats and warships to plant their flags on tiny Hans Island near northwestern Greenland.
The new frontier.
Recent news reports state that global warming and the shrinking Arctic icecaps are opening new sea lanes and making barren islands suddenly very valuable. In fact, the international community might experience a new race of exploration, conquest and acquisition for this "new world" -- these newly available lands and sea routes. Conflicts could arise over shipping lanes, islands, fish stocks, minerals and oil that are now becoming accessible and commercially exploitable.
Governments are even now engaged in asserting their sovereignty over these areas and assets. Canada, Denmark and the United States are already involved in diplomatic disputes over these issues. For example, Canada and Denmark have sent diplomats and warships to plant their flags on tiny Hans Island near northwestern Greenland.
The new frontier.
Age of Innocence Revisited
So, some people fear the "Girls Gone Wild" culture:
Is there anything to be done? Curtailing the demand side of such a "market" is difficult, requiring moralistic sermons and abridgements of speech. But the supply side is more vulnerable to change. It is time to raise the age of consent from 18 to 21--"consent," in this case, referring not to sexual relations but to providing erotic content on film.
Hmmm. Raise the age of consent from 18 to 21?
Ok. Then for military enlistment, how about raising the age from 18 to 21, as well. You know, war is just a different kind of "porn", but it's porn all the same.
This guy continues:
In certain obvious respects, 18 years is old enough to ward off the threat of "child porn." But the "Girls Gone Wild" problem concerns adult porn: At what age is a girl ready to make that decision, one that she will live with--technologically speaking, at least--for the rest of her life? A woman of 18 may be physically indistinguishable from one who is 21, but they are developmentally worlds apart.
Couldn't the same argument be made for our enlisted men and women in the military?
Read the rest.
Is there anything to be done? Curtailing the demand side of such a "market" is difficult, requiring moralistic sermons and abridgements of speech. But the supply side is more vulnerable to change. It is time to raise the age of consent from 18 to 21--"consent," in this case, referring not to sexual relations but to providing erotic content on film.
Hmmm. Raise the age of consent from 18 to 21?
Ok. Then for military enlistment, how about raising the age from 18 to 21, as well. You know, war is just a different kind of "porn", but it's porn all the same.
This guy continues:
In certain obvious respects, 18 years is old enough to ward off the threat of "child porn." But the "Girls Gone Wild" problem concerns adult porn: At what age is a girl ready to make that decision, one that she will live with--technologically speaking, at least--for the rest of her life? A woman of 18 may be physically indistinguishable from one who is 21, but they are developmentally worlds apart.
Couldn't the same argument be made for our enlisted men and women in the military?
Read the rest.
Couple burnt alive for "black magic"
From India we get this:
An elderly husband and wife were burnt to death in Andhra Pradesh after villagers accused them of practising black magic, tied them together on a pyre and set them on fire, police said on Thursday.
"The aged couple died screaming for help," said police superintendent P.V. Sunil Kumar.
Sayanna, 70, and his 61-year-old wife, Pochamma, were set ablaze after being doused with kerosene.
And don't forget:
Dozens of women are murdered each year after being accused of witchcraft.
An elderly husband and wife were burnt to death in Andhra Pradesh after villagers accused them of practising black magic, tied them together on a pyre and set them on fire, police said on Thursday.
"The aged couple died screaming for help," said police superintendent P.V. Sunil Kumar.
Sayanna, 70, and his 61-year-old wife, Pochamma, were set ablaze after being doused with kerosene.
And don't forget:
Dozens of women are murdered each year after being accused of witchcraft.
Children 'bad for planet'
HAVING large families should be frowned upon as an environmental misdemeanour in the same way as frequent long-haul flights, driving a big car and failing to reuse plastic bags, says a report to be published today by a green think tank.
...
"The decision to have children should be seen as a very big one and one that should take the environment into account," he added.
Here's more.
...
"The decision to have children should be seen as a very big one and one that should take the environment into account," he added.
Here's more.
Smart teens don’t have sex (or kiss much either)
High intelligence is the best protection against early sexual activity during adolescence, research has shown. Can it be that intelligent kids don't need free condoms to be convinced they shouldn't have sex? Well, yes, that may be, but it may also be that smart kids just can't get dates.
...
Their results showed a distinct bell curve. Teens at the upper and lower ends of the intelligence distribution were found less likely to have had sex. And even once they started being sexually active, the more intelligent ones postponed the full range of partnered sexual activities until later than the rest.
So it's really only the average intelligence kids we have to worry about.
But...
What the study leaves out is whether or not the kids in this study could have had sex. It's easy to correlate intelligence with not getting sex if you don't ask about willingness.
And then:
Mr. Malloy also notes this survey from Wellesley that says 72% of biology majors were virgins.
Do you believe 72% of biology majors could have sex but still don't? Granted, I think biology students are enlightened ( though not as enlightened as math students, with 83% virginity ) but they can't be that enlightened.
83% virginity? Good to see I was in the minority once again. ;-)
But don't forget:
Girls, even among biology majors, can get sex whenever they want - and they're all intelligent enough to know it.
Learn more.
...
Their results showed a distinct bell curve. Teens at the upper and lower ends of the intelligence distribution were found less likely to have had sex. And even once they started being sexually active, the more intelligent ones postponed the full range of partnered sexual activities until later than the rest.
So it's really only the average intelligence kids we have to worry about.
But...
What the study leaves out is whether or not the kids in this study could have had sex. It's easy to correlate intelligence with not getting sex if you don't ask about willingness.
And then:
Mr. Malloy also notes this survey from Wellesley that says 72% of biology majors were virgins.
Do you believe 72% of biology majors could have sex but still don't? Granted, I think biology students are enlightened ( though not as enlightened as math students, with 83% virginity ) but they can't be that enlightened.
83% virginity? Good to see I was in the minority once again. ;-)
But don't forget:
Girls, even among biology majors, can get sex whenever they want - and they're all intelligent enough to know it.
Learn more.
ABC to air debate on God online
Comfort, who says he can prove God exists scientifically, said ABC originally offered him four minutes to present his case. After conferring with Cameron and the atheists, the time was raised to 13 minutes.
"I'm ecstatic. I can prove the existence of God in that amount of time," Comfort said.
Jesus.
Here ya go.
"I'm ecstatic. I can prove the existence of God in that amount of time," Comfort said.
Jesus.
Here ya go.
Empty Pews
"Through the years, lots of people of differing perspectives have grown tired of division on topics, such as homosexuality and abortion," Donovan said. "You find people leaving churches -- or not drawn to them -- because they don't want to be part of something where this is always being raised."
And yet 80 percent of Americans routinely say in the polls they believe in God.
Because, as we have seen, to say otherwise is too big of a risk for most people to take.
In fact, most of the more than 300,000 U.S. congregations are not growing.
"I know people who say they love Jesus but can't take the institutional church," said the Rev. Al Taylor, pastor of Chester-Bethel United Methodist Church in Brandywine Hundred. "They say we've made it too structured, with too many rules."
Ya think?
Anyway, read the rest on declining church attendance.
And yet 80 percent of Americans routinely say in the polls they believe in God.
Because, as we have seen, to say otherwise is too big of a risk for most people to take.
In fact, most of the more than 300,000 U.S. congregations are not growing.
"I know people who say they love Jesus but can't take the institutional church," said the Rev. Al Taylor, pastor of Chester-Bethel United Methodist Church in Brandywine Hundred. "They say we've made it too structured, with too many rules."
Ya think?
Anyway, read the rest on declining church attendance.
Fighting fund: The US$564 billion war for profit
From the "I wish more people understood this" file, we get this:
That sort of money could go a long way to addressing so many of the world’s most urgent problems. But war is a very profitable business for some very big and powerful corporations such as Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Vinnell and Blackwater. It has been argued that rather than profiteering from war, these corporations are making war for profit. Many of them would not exist as we know them without war.
Halliburton alone has already taken more than $13 billion from no-bid/no-audit US government contracts for providing everything from pizzas to security personnel in Iraq.
That sort of money could go a long way to addressing so many of the world’s most urgent problems. But war is a very profitable business for some very big and powerful corporations such as Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Vinnell and Blackwater. It has been argued that rather than profiteering from war, these corporations are making war for profit. Many of them would not exist as we know them without war.
Halliburton alone has already taken more than $13 billion from no-bid/no-audit US government contracts for providing everything from pizzas to security personnel in Iraq.
Crowd Packs Amphitheater For Man Claiming He's Jesus Christ Reincarnated
A controversial religious figure who claims he is Jesus Christ incarnate with a following of millions with "666" tattoos on their bodies, filled an amphitheater in Orlando this weekend, and promised joy, peace and prosperity.
It's the "filled an amphitheater" that is most disturbing.
If you really want to know more, go here.
It's the "filled an amphitheater" that is most disturbing.
If you really want to know more, go here.
Effort To Rebuild Kansas Town Hampered
And you guessed it...
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said the state's response will likely be hampered because much of the equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is now in Iraq. That includes things like tents, trucks and semitrailers.
Here's the rest.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said the state's response will likely be hampered because much of the equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is now in Iraq. That includes things like tents, trucks and semitrailers.
Here's the rest.
May 6, 2007
U.S. refiners set for big profits as pump prices soar
I know you're surprised by this:
"The profit outlook is incredible, the refinery margins are significantly higher than last year or the past three years," Fadel Gheit, an analyst with Oppenheimer& Co., told Reuters.
"It would be safe to say that if margins don't collapse from here, the refiners will probably do 20 to 30 percent higher profits this year than last year," added Gheit.
"The profit outlook is incredible, the refinery margins are significantly higher than last year or the past three years," Fadel Gheit, an analyst with Oppenheimer& Co., told Reuters.
"It would be safe to say that if margins don't collapse from here, the refiners will probably do 20 to 30 percent higher profits this year than last year," added Gheit.
Vaporized marijuana may be easier on the lungs
Will we ever see wide use of marijuana for medical purposes?
"The argument that the medical use of cannabis is inappropriate because of its potential to create (lung) problems is now clearly invalid. Regular users of joints, blunts, pipes, and water pipes might decrease respiratory symptoms by switching to a vaporizer."
Read the rest.
"The argument that the medical use of cannabis is inappropriate because of its potential to create (lung) problems is now clearly invalid. Regular users of joints, blunts, pipes, and water pipes might decrease respiratory symptoms by switching to a vaporizer."
Read the rest.
May 5, 2007
US Iraq troops 'condone torture'
The fall never slows down...
A US survey of battlefield ethics among troops in Iraq has found widespread tolerance for torture in certain circumstances and problems with morale.
...
A Pentagon official said the survey had looked under every rock and what was found was not always easy to look at.
And now the telling part:
The Pentagon survey found that less than half the troops in Iraq thought Iraqi civilians should be treated with dignity and respect.
More than a third believed that torture was acceptable if it helped save the life of a fellow soldier or if it helped get information about the insurgents.
It's attitudes such as these that bring the fall of civilizations.
Read the rest.
A US survey of battlefield ethics among troops in Iraq has found widespread tolerance for torture in certain circumstances and problems with morale.
...
A Pentagon official said the survey had looked under every rock and what was found was not always easy to look at.
And now the telling part:
The Pentagon survey found that less than half the troops in Iraq thought Iraqi civilians should be treated with dignity and respect.
More than a third believed that torture was acceptable if it helped save the life of a fellow soldier or if it helped get information about the insurgents.
It's attitudes such as these that bring the fall of civilizations.
Read the rest.
May 4, 2007
State looks to pull anti-Bush license plate
Heather Moriah loves the personalized license plates on her silver Prius encouraging the impeachment of President George W. Bush.
But somebody doesn’t agree. And that somebody complained to the state. Now, the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles is trying to recall the plates -- which read MPEACHW. And if Moriah doesn’t turn them in voluntarily, the state might send law-enforcement officers to pick them up.
But then:
But it gives DMV officials the right to refuse to issue “any letter combination which carries connotations offensive to good taste and decency.”
Hillmer said MPEACHW meets that criterion. The plates never would have been issued if DMV officials had caught their meaning at the time Moriah applied, Hillmer said.
Who are these people that read these things? How could they miss the meaning? It sure looks like the DMV is backpeddling on this one.
Here's more.
But somebody doesn’t agree. And that somebody complained to the state. Now, the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles is trying to recall the plates -- which read MPEACHW. And if Moriah doesn’t turn them in voluntarily, the state might send law-enforcement officers to pick them up.
But then:
But it gives DMV officials the right to refuse to issue “any letter combination which carries connotations offensive to good taste and decency.”
Hillmer said MPEACHW meets that criterion. The plates never would have been issued if DMV officials had caught their meaning at the time Moriah applied, Hillmer said.
Who are these people that read these things? How could they miss the meaning? It sure looks like the DMV is backpeddling on this one.
Here's more.
Ending Nuclear Hypocrisy
This record of anti-proliferation activity - however uneven in its application - certainly gives the impression that stopping the spread of nuclear weapons is a top administration priority. But a closer look at its policy on this issue suggests that nothing could be further from the truth.
Perhaps the clearest example of President Bush’s “do as I say, not as I do” policy is the Department of Energy’s “Complex 2030″ plan to build a new generation of nuclear weapons. With a potential price tag of $175 billion or more over the next two decades, the initiative calls for the replacement of every deployed warhead in the U.S. arsenal and the construction of a series of new facilities, including a multi-billion dollar plutonium production plant. It’s hard to tell other countries that building nuclear weapons is dangerous and unnecessary while the United States proceeds with a plan that will have us in the nuclear weapons business well into the middle of this century.
Any country that does not have nuclear weapons is in potential danger from those countries that do. Thus, in the current state of world affairs, it is in a country's best interest to develop nuclear weapons. Otherwise, they will not be taken seriously on the world stage.
Here's the story.
Perhaps the clearest example of President Bush’s “do as I say, not as I do” policy is the Department of Energy’s “Complex 2030″ plan to build a new generation of nuclear weapons. With a potential price tag of $175 billion or more over the next two decades, the initiative calls for the replacement of every deployed warhead in the U.S. arsenal and the construction of a series of new facilities, including a multi-billion dollar plutonium production plant. It’s hard to tell other countries that building nuclear weapons is dangerous and unnecessary while the United States proceeds with a plan that will have us in the nuclear weapons business well into the middle of this century.
Any country that does not have nuclear weapons is in potential danger from those countries that do. Thus, in the current state of world affairs, it is in a country's best interest to develop nuclear weapons. Otherwise, they will not be taken seriously on the world stage.
Here's the story.
A Clear Choice for America
America watched tonight as the ten would-be-Presidents took the stage tonight in the first republican presidential debate. When the dust settled it should have become clear to America, none of them care what Americans think. This country is clearly now in favor of ending the Iraq disaster. Seventy percent of the people in this country in fact have been consistently saying it needs to end now. What did these aspiring leaders do in response tonight? They nearly all wanted to go to war with Iran.
The only sane voice on the stage; the only true republican-conservative voice was Ron Paul. Paul of course was barely given any face time, about four questions in an hour and a half by my count. The media is still trying to shape who will run.
And then:
It was frightening to watch as at one point the response to the question about 70% of Americans wanting an end to the Iraq debacle was essentially that they did not feel that was what America wanted. Say what? The failure of Chris Matthews to follow up on the lunacy of that statement was stark. Instead of speaking to the American people about what THEY want will be upheld by their elected leader, they launched into saber-rattling against Iran. The message could not be clearer. The republicans tonight, sans Paul, could care less what Americans actually want. They used the typical right-wingnut talking points and lies about Iran. Once again Paul was the only voice of reason when he pointed out that during the cold war we faced down a country with tens of thousands of nuclear weapons we were able to emerge victorious without the preemptive war policies of this faux republican administration but now we are talking about invading another country, in case there is a chance that a third-world country might be able to get their hands on one?
Disgusting.
Too bad Ron Paul will be "Howard Deaned", if you will.
Read more about who wants to wage the next war here.
The only sane voice on the stage; the only true republican-conservative voice was Ron Paul. Paul of course was barely given any face time, about four questions in an hour and a half by my count. The media is still trying to shape who will run.
And then:
It was frightening to watch as at one point the response to the question about 70% of Americans wanting an end to the Iraq debacle was essentially that they did not feel that was what America wanted. Say what? The failure of Chris Matthews to follow up on the lunacy of that statement was stark. Instead of speaking to the American people about what THEY want will be upheld by their elected leader, they launched into saber-rattling against Iran. The message could not be clearer. The republicans tonight, sans Paul, could care less what Americans actually want. They used the typical right-wingnut talking points and lies about Iran. Once again Paul was the only voice of reason when he pointed out that during the cold war we faced down a country with tens of thousands of nuclear weapons we were able to emerge victorious without the preemptive war policies of this faux republican administration but now we are talking about invading another country, in case there is a chance that a third-world country might be able to get their hands on one?
Disgusting.
Too bad Ron Paul will be "Howard Deaned", if you will.
Read more about who wants to wage the next war here.
Is Stripping a Feminist Act?
If a woman chooses to objectify herself -- shedding her clothes to obtain power through money -- is she helping to eliminate gender inequality or simply degrading herself? A former adult entertainer shares her story.
Here's the link.
Here's the link.
Virtual Rape Is Traumatic, but Is It a Crime?
Where does reality end and the virtual world begin? Or should there even be that line?
There is no question that forced online sexual activity -- whether through text, animation, malicious scripts or other means -- is real; and is a traumatic experience that can have a profound and unpleasant aftermath, shaking your faith in yourself, in the community, in the platform, even in sex itself.
Our laws say that an adult subjecting a teenager or child to sexual words, images or suggestions on the internet is preying on their mental and emotional state in a sexual way. Even if you never try to meet the minor in person, and even if you never touch them or expose your naked self to them, it is a crime to attempt to engage sexually with a minor.
If it is a criminal offense to sexually abuse a child on the internet, how can we say it is not possible to rape an adult online?
Regina goes on to say:
But that doesn't make the psychological upheaval of virtual rape anywhere near the trauma of real rape. And I can't see us making virtual rape a matter for the real-life police.
It's a shitty thing to do to someone. But it's not a crime.
What do you think?
Here's the story.
There is no question that forced online sexual activity -- whether through text, animation, malicious scripts or other means -- is real; and is a traumatic experience that can have a profound and unpleasant aftermath, shaking your faith in yourself, in the community, in the platform, even in sex itself.
Our laws say that an adult subjecting a teenager or child to sexual words, images or suggestions on the internet is preying on their mental and emotional state in a sexual way. Even if you never try to meet the minor in person, and even if you never touch them or expose your naked self to them, it is a crime to attempt to engage sexually with a minor.
If it is a criminal offense to sexually abuse a child on the internet, how can we say it is not possible to rape an adult online?
Regina goes on to say:
But that doesn't make the psychological upheaval of virtual rape anywhere near the trauma of real rape. And I can't see us making virtual rape a matter for the real-life police.
It's a shitty thing to do to someone. But it's not a crime.
What do you think?
Here's the story.
The Christian Taliban is Running the Department of Defense
What’s certain, in any case, is that a lot of people in high and low places within the Bush administration - and in particular, the military - heard him literally, and regard the war on terror as a religious war:
And here's the kicker:
If you think this is just a fight over some abstract principle, with ramifications only for atheist, Jewish, Buddhist and other cadets who may be “offended” by fundamentalist God talk, I urge you to check out Weinstein’s book or website. He documents a chilling phenomenon: The whole U.S. military, up and down the chain of command, is coming to be dominated by members of a small, characteristically intolerant sliver of Christianity who truly regard themselves as Christian soldiers, on a God-appointed mission to harvest souls and battle evil.
Read more on the new Crusaders here.
And here's the kicker:
If you think this is just a fight over some abstract principle, with ramifications only for atheist, Jewish, Buddhist and other cadets who may be “offended” by fundamentalist God talk, I urge you to check out Weinstein’s book or website. He documents a chilling phenomenon: The whole U.S. military, up and down the chain of command, is coming to be dominated by members of a small, characteristically intolerant sliver of Christianity who truly regard themselves as Christian soldiers, on a God-appointed mission to harvest souls and battle evil.
Read more on the new Crusaders here.
Psychiatrists and Psychologists: Government's 9/11 Story is Crazy
Should people who question the government's version of the events of 9/11 have their heads examined?
Well, the following psychiatrists and psychologists have concluded that the official version of 9/11 is false. Moreover, many of these mental health experts have concluded that the government's account is so obviously false that people who believe the government's version are in psychological denial:
Here ya go.
Well, the following psychiatrists and psychologists have concluded that the official version of 9/11 is false. Moreover, many of these mental health experts have concluded that the government's account is so obviously false that people who believe the government's version are in psychological denial:
Here ya go.
Campaigners: Don't play God
CAMPAIGNERS last night warned couples “not to play God” with a revolutionary home test that reveals an unborn baby’s sex at six weeks.
The fear?
And Julia Millington, of the Prolife Alliance, said: “There is a real risk that some people would choose to abort babies of a certain gender.”
...
The Pink or Blue Early Test Kit, launched on the internet this week by DNA Worldwide, is claimed to be 98 per cent reliable.
Here's the rest.
The fear?
And Julia Millington, of the Prolife Alliance, said: “There is a real risk that some people would choose to abort babies of a certain gender.”
...
The Pink or Blue Early Test Kit, launched on the internet this week by DNA Worldwide, is claimed to be 98 per cent reliable.
Here's the rest.
May 3, 2007
Deserted beehives, starving young stun scientists
The vanishing bees story just keeps getting more interesting.
"The bees were gone," David Hackenberg says. "The honey was still there. There's young brood (eggs) still in the hive. Bees just don't do that."
...
The $15-billion-a-year honeybee industry is about more than honey: The nimble insects pollinate 90% to 100% of at least 19 kinds of fruits, vegetables and nuts nationwide, from almonds and apples to onions and broccoli.
"Basically, everything fun and nutritious on your table - fruits, nuts, berries, everything but the grains - require bee pollinators," Hackett says.
Which means we could be in some trouble.
Here's more on this fascinating mystery.
"The bees were gone," David Hackenberg says. "The honey was still there. There's young brood (eggs) still in the hive. Bees just don't do that."
...
The $15-billion-a-year honeybee industry is about more than honey: The nimble insects pollinate 90% to 100% of at least 19 kinds of fruits, vegetables and nuts nationwide, from almonds and apples to onions and broccoli.
"Basically, everything fun and nutritious on your table - fruits, nuts, berries, everything but the grains - require bee pollinators," Hackett says.
Which means we could be in some trouble.
Here's more on this fascinating mystery.
Son Of JFK Conspirator Drops New Bombshell Revelations
As the explosive revelation of E. Howard Hunt's deathbed confession, in which the former CIA agent and Watergate conspirator admits that he was part of a CIA conspiracy to assassinate JFK, continues to rage across the Internet, the establishment media remains almost mute on what is undoubtedly one of the biggest stories of the decade.
Hunt was first made aware of what his father knew about the events of November 22nd 1963 when he came into receipt of hand-written memos that outlined the birth of the plot to kill JFK in Miami where it was discussed that a coup needed to take place in order to topple Kennedy and save the CIA from being splintered into a thousand pieces, as JFK had promised.
Saint John then opened his mailbox one January morning in 2004 to discover an unlabeled cassette tape on which his father details the identity of the individuals that were involved in the actual assassination of JFK.
Interesting read. Check it out here.
Hunt was first made aware of what his father knew about the events of November 22nd 1963 when he came into receipt of hand-written memos that outlined the birth of the plot to kill JFK in Miami where it was discussed that a coup needed to take place in order to topple Kennedy and save the CIA from being splintered into a thousand pieces, as JFK had promised.
Saint John then opened his mailbox one January morning in 2004 to discover an unlabeled cassette tape on which his father details the identity of the individuals that were involved in the actual assassination of JFK.
Interesting read. Check it out here.
Would somebody finally tell me why Cuba is my enemy?
While I was watching some Halliburton related Senate hearing I heard a Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, mention that Cuba was included in the Trading with the Enemies Act. This caused me to once again ask the obvious question that has never once in my lifetime been answered, not by a US politician and surely not by the US establishment media: why is Cuba my enemy? Sure, I have heard the dreaded “C” word, “communist”, but like the word itself nobody in the media has ever told me why communism is bad, why a country that chooses communism as an economic system is a threat to me or any American for that matter, or why the people of that nation should be made to suffer because they are not capitalists.
I hear the word “communist” used as an insult constantly, but I never heard anyone who uses that word explain why a communist should be considered an enemy of the United States forget an enemy of mine! I have never been threatened by a communist. The capitalist system on the other hand has scared the hell out of me. The IRS has harassed me about returns that they claim I did not send. I feared for my life for the three or so years that I went without health insurance. My credit card company started charging me $10 for paying my bill over the phone. I see veterans who risked their lives for our nation living on the streets in this country. I see people all over who can’t read, can’t do math, are absolutely clueless about what goes on in the world, and I am watching the cost of an education skyrocket to a point where only a very small percentage of the population in this nation will be able to afford an education; a rather pathetic development for a proud nation with any hope of a future. Yet for some reason I am told all the time that Cuba is my enemy! Why Cuba?
Read the rest.
I hear the word “communist” used as an insult constantly, but I never heard anyone who uses that word explain why a communist should be considered an enemy of the United States forget an enemy of mine! I have never been threatened by a communist. The capitalist system on the other hand has scared the hell out of me. The IRS has harassed me about returns that they claim I did not send. I feared for my life for the three or so years that I went without health insurance. My credit card company started charging me $10 for paying my bill over the phone. I see veterans who risked their lives for our nation living on the streets in this country. I see people all over who can’t read, can’t do math, are absolutely clueless about what goes on in the world, and I am watching the cost of an education skyrocket to a point where only a very small percentage of the population in this nation will be able to afford an education; a rather pathetic development for a proud nation with any hope of a future. Yet for some reason I am told all the time that Cuba is my enemy! Why Cuba?
Read the rest.
The gambling scam on America's poor
Some scandals don't involve illegal activity – they're just outrageous and unjust. Take gambling in America. Abetted by Congress, legislatures from 48 states now sponsor gambling operations and lottery monopolies to balance their budgets on the backs of their poorest and most vulnerable citizens – while basking in the virtue of fighting tax increases.
"I guess I think of lotteries as a tax on the mathematically challenged." ~ Roger Jones
But the kicker:
Clearly, America's appetite for what industry officials benignly call "gaming" has grown. It's all legal, so what's the big deal? Here's the scandal: In 1999, the bipartisan National Gambling Impact Commission found that 80 percent of gambling revenue comes from households with incomes of less than $50,000 a year.
More remarkably, players with annual incomes of less than $10,000 spent almost three times as much on gambling – in aggregate, real dollars – as those with incomes of more than $50,000. With the aggressive encouragement of state governments, US gamblers – most of them scraping by on limited incomes – had to lose $84 billion last year in casinos and lotteries for the states to raise $24 billion in new revenues.
Read the rest.
"I guess I think of lotteries as a tax on the mathematically challenged." ~ Roger Jones
But the kicker:
Clearly, America's appetite for what industry officials benignly call "gaming" has grown. It's all legal, so what's the big deal? Here's the scandal: In 1999, the bipartisan National Gambling Impact Commission found that 80 percent of gambling revenue comes from households with incomes of less than $50,000 a year.
More remarkably, players with annual incomes of less than $10,000 spent almost three times as much on gambling – in aggregate, real dollars – as those with incomes of more than $50,000. With the aggressive encouragement of state governments, US gamblers – most of them scraping by on limited incomes – had to lose $84 billion last year in casinos and lotteries for the states to raise $24 billion in new revenues.
Read the rest.
Blogs Chronicle War from Soldiers' Perspectives
Today, many of the stories coming from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are being written by those fighting them, in the form of thousands of soldiers' military blogs, or "milblogs." Their tales are unfolding as they occur, with limited censorship from the military, and they are attracting a growing readership from inside and outside the military.
Ward Carroll, the editor of military.com, an online military and veteran membership organization, said some of the best milbloggers have the ability to shape opinions on the war.
Thus, these blogs are important not just for the soldiers writing them, but for those that desire a non-sanitized version of war.
Read the rest here.
Ward Carroll, the editor of military.com, an online military and veteran membership organization, said some of the best milbloggers have the ability to shape opinions on the war.
Thus, these blogs are important not just for the soldiers writing them, but for those that desire a non-sanitized version of war.
Read the rest here.
On Trip to Mars, NASA Must Rethink Death
How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and back?
Have these people not watched any science fiction shows on space travel? Surely those shows can give them some ideas.
Then there are more interesting questions:
When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who is using up precious oxygen and endangering the rest of the crew? Should NASA employ DNA testing to weed out astronauts who might get a disease on a long flight?
Ah, but now for the taboo issue:
One topic that is evidently too hot to handle: How do you cope with sexual desire among healthy young men and women during a mission years long?
Well, they'll have sex. It's what humans are supposed to do. Now, the question becomes what about pregnancy?
Read more here.
Have these people not watched any science fiction shows on space travel? Surely those shows can give them some ideas.
Then there are more interesting questions:
When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who is using up precious oxygen and endangering the rest of the crew? Should NASA employ DNA testing to weed out astronauts who might get a disease on a long flight?
Ah, but now for the taboo issue:
One topic that is evidently too hot to handle: How do you cope with sexual desire among healthy young men and women during a mission years long?
Well, they'll have sex. It's what humans are supposed to do. Now, the question becomes what about pregnancy?
Read more here.
Evangelicals Start Adoption Push
Prominent evangelical Christians are urging churchgoers to strongly consider adoption or foster care, not just out of kindness or biblical calling but also to answer criticism that their movement, while condemning abortion and same-sex adoption, doesn't do enough for children without parents.
Well, that would be a start.
"In some people's minds, the church has been very pro-life up until the point of birth," said Michael Monroe, who co-founded an adoption and foster care ministry at Irving Bible Church outside Dallas. "I don't know if that's a completely fair observation. But a lot of people are saying it's not enough to be pro-life, we need to be pro-children, as well."
Is that because children are needed to be soldiers for future wars? Which, incidently, is not pro-life.
Here's the story.
Well, that would be a start.
"In some people's minds, the church has been very pro-life up until the point of birth," said Michael Monroe, who co-founded an adoption and foster care ministry at Irving Bible Church outside Dallas. "I don't know if that's a completely fair observation. But a lot of people are saying it's not enough to be pro-life, we need to be pro-children, as well."
Is that because children are needed to be soldiers for future wars? Which, incidently, is not pro-life.
Here's the story.
Religion gets an 'A' at U.S. colleges
Across the country, on secular campuses as varied as Colgate University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of California, Berkeley, chaplains, professors and administrators say students are drawn to religion and spirituality with more fervor than at any time they can remember.
...
Some sociologists who study religion are skeptical that students' attitudes have changed significantly, citing a lack of data to compare current students with those of previous generations. But even some of those concerned about the data say something has shifted.
Read about the trend here.
...
Some sociologists who study religion are skeptical that students' attitudes have changed significantly, citing a lack of data to compare current students with those of previous generations. But even some of those concerned about the data say something has shifted.
Read about the trend here.
School bans teen from taking same-sex friend to dance
Marian High School student Amanda Howe, 18, planned to bring Justine Werley, a 2006 graduate of the Catholic school, but was informed by school officials that she could not bring a same-sex friend to the formal event.
'You bring who we approve of or you don't go!'
"We're not trying to go as a couple or anything," Howe said. "So I don't see why they're having a problem with this."
As you have probably guessed:
The school, which is run by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, allows only male-female couples to attend the prom and the semiformal dance, Marian officials said.
The fall gets faster.
'You bring who we approve of or you don't go!'
"We're not trying to go as a couple or anything," Howe said. "So I don't see why they're having a problem with this."
As you have probably guessed:
The school, which is run by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, allows only male-female couples to attend the prom and the semiformal dance, Marian officials said.
The fall gets faster.
Do We Really Need a Security Industry?
The primary reason the IT security industry exists is because IT products and services aren't naturally secure. If computers were already secure against viruses, there wouldn't be any need for antivirus products. If bad network traffic couldn't be used to attack computers, no one would bother buying a firewall. If there were no more buffer overflows, no one would have to buy products to protect against their effects. If the IT products we purchased were secure out of the box, we wouldn't have to spend billions every year making them secure.
And that's the point. We are spending billions every year.
Here's the story.
And that's the point. We are spending billions every year.
Here's the story.
HD DVD Battle Stakes Digg Against Futility of DRM
After initially complying with a cease-and-desist order to remove posts citing the encryption key for the HD DVD format, the site was deluged with protests and Rose quickly reversed course. But the outpouring of nerd outrage has continued, and Digg has suddenly found itself leading the charge against the full might of the movie studios, even as it fends off sellout charges from its own members.
...
Posts citing the offending code, the hexadecimal series "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0" that unlocks AACS encryption used on HD DVDs, have multiplied across the web.
Read all about the lawsuits and the fight agains DRM here.
...
Posts citing the offending code, the hexadecimal series "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0" that unlocks AACS encryption used on HD DVDs, have multiplied across the web.
Read all about the lawsuits and the fight agains DRM here.
Survey: Moms' work would bring in $138,095 a year
Moms do not get enough respect.
The typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, the company concluded, and works at least 10 jobs. In order of hours spent on them per week, these are: housekeeper, day-care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive officer and psychologist. By figuring out the median salaries for each position, and calculating the average number of hours worked at each, the firm came up with $138,095 -- three percent higher than last year's results.
Here's the story to help you think about your mom.
The typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, the company concluded, and works at least 10 jobs. In order of hours spent on them per week, these are: housekeeper, day-care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive officer and psychologist. By figuring out the median salaries for each position, and calculating the average number of hours worked at each, the firm came up with $138,095 -- three percent higher than last year's results.
Here's the story to help you think about your mom.
Avoiding ads with TiVo? Not these, TiVo hopes
Because damn it, you are to buy shit!
The holy grail on Madison Avenue these days is to create advertising that is "TiVo-proof"--compelling enough to owners of digital video recorders that they will watch the commercials rather than zip past them when replaying recorded programs.
Read more about how they want to steal your money here.
The holy grail on Madison Avenue these days is to create advertising that is "TiVo-proof"--compelling enough to owners of digital video recorders that they will watch the commercials rather than zip past them when replaying recorded programs.
Read more about how they want to steal your money here.
Bush administration pulls back on surveillance agreement
Another depressing report highlighting the death of due process:
Senior U.S. administration officials have told the U.S. Congress that they could not promise that the Bush administration would fulfill its January pledge to continue to seek warrants from a secret court for a domestic wiretapping program.
Rather, they argued that the president had the constitutional authority to decide for himself whether to conduct surveillance without warrants.
So, no one oversees the President's actions and he can do what he wants? Sounds like the creation of a dictatorship.
You may not be on the wiretap list today, but you don't know what the future holds.
Senior U.S. administration officials have told the U.S. Congress that they could not promise that the Bush administration would fulfill its January pledge to continue to seek warrants from a secret court for a domestic wiretapping program.
Rather, they argued that the president had the constitutional authority to decide for himself whether to conduct surveillance without warrants.
So, no one oversees the President's actions and he can do what he wants? Sounds like the creation of a dictatorship.
You may not be on the wiretap list today, but you don't know what the future holds.
The marketers have your ear
Isn't this wonderful?
Marketers around the world are using innovative audio technology that sends sound in a narrow beam, just like light, making it possible to direct messages right into consumers' ears while they shop or sit in waiting rooms.
A little eerie? Possibly. However, it is being spun as:
The flat disk speakers with precision targeting have made sound possible in unlikely places -- from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts to the New York Public Library -- and are increasingly attractive to merchants trying to improve the shopping experience with a peaceful environment.
But we all know the real reason:
"Advertisers look to capture people -- especially when they are in the buying mood," said Tim Bilgor , chief executive of Innovative Media Solutions in London, which has installed the audio spotlight in Istanbul and Madrid airports, in shopping malls in China, and in the showrooms of Fiat car dealerships, where messages about product features are beamed to consumers as they approach the cars.
Is psychology at play here in order to get us to buy more shit? I'm thinking if there's not, then there soon will be.
So, do you like this idea?
Marketers around the world are using innovative audio technology that sends sound in a narrow beam, just like light, making it possible to direct messages right into consumers' ears while they shop or sit in waiting rooms.
A little eerie? Possibly. However, it is being spun as:
The flat disk speakers with precision targeting have made sound possible in unlikely places -- from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts to the New York Public Library -- and are increasingly attractive to merchants trying to improve the shopping experience with a peaceful environment.
But we all know the real reason:
"Advertisers look to capture people -- especially when they are in the buying mood," said Tim Bilgor , chief executive of Innovative Media Solutions in London, which has installed the audio spotlight in Istanbul and Madrid airports, in shopping malls in China, and in the showrooms of Fiat car dealerships, where messages about product features are beamed to consumers as they approach the cars.
Is psychology at play here in order to get us to buy more shit? I'm thinking if there's not, then there soon will be.
So, do you like this idea?
Researchers: Bill O'Reilly calls someone a derogatory name every 6.8 seconds
"It's obvious he's very big into calling people names, and he's very big into glittering generalities," Mike Conway, a journalism professor, says in a press release. "He's not very subtle. He's going to call people names, or he's going to paint something in a positive way, often without any real evidence to support that viewpoint."
Just another reason he's not worth watching.
Here's the link.
Just another reason he's not worth watching.
Here's the link.
Please Lord, Not the Bees
Perhaps the most ominous thing about CCD, and one of its most distinguishing characteristics, is that bees and other animals living nearby refrain from raiding the honey and pollen stored away in the dead hive. In previously observed cases of hive collapse (and it is certainly not a rare occurrence) these energy stores are quickly stolen. But, with CCD the invasion of hive pests such as the wax moth and small hive beetle is noticeably delayed.
Ok. That is rather interesting. Or is that ominous?
Read more on what's happening with the bees here.
Ok. That is rather interesting. Or is that ominous?
Read more on what's happening with the bees here.
Virulent New Strain of TB Raising Fears of Pandemic
Because evolution is a reality:
A virulent strain of tuberculosis resistant to most available drugs is surfacing around the globe, raising fears of a pandemic that could devastate efforts to contain TB and prove deadly to people with immune-deficiency diseases such as HIV-AIDS.
...
Doctors in Phoenix diagnosed his illness as the new resistant strain of TB. Daniels again failed to follow doctors' orders, authorities say. So health officials got a court order, and he was locked up in the prison wing of a Phoenix hospital, where he has spent the past nine months in hermetically sealed isolation.
"It's not right," Daniels said in a telephone interview. "I'm not a criminal."
Daniels has become a case study in the bleak choices society faces in dealing with the new strain and attempting to balance protection of individual rights with protection of the public.
Here's the story.
A virulent strain of tuberculosis resistant to most available drugs is surfacing around the globe, raising fears of a pandemic that could devastate efforts to contain TB and prove deadly to people with immune-deficiency diseases such as HIV-AIDS.
...
Doctors in Phoenix diagnosed his illness as the new resistant strain of TB. Daniels again failed to follow doctors' orders, authorities say. So health officials got a court order, and he was locked up in the prison wing of a Phoenix hospital, where he has spent the past nine months in hermetically sealed isolation.
"It's not right," Daniels said in a telephone interview. "I'm not a criminal."
Daniels has become a case study in the bleak choices society faces in dealing with the new strain and attempting to balance protection of individual rights with protection of the public.
Here's the story.
Sea serpent off our shore
Ok, what the hell is this?
As an underwater videographer, Jay has captured images for National Geographic and the Discovery Channel.
For this, he turned to his connections at the Smithsonian.
"They seem to have identified it as a Nemertean Worm."
Chandra Bill, reporter: "But they're not sure that's exactly what this is."
Make sure to check out the video.
As an underwater videographer, Jay has captured images for National Geographic and the Discovery Channel.
For this, he turned to his connections at the Smithsonian.
"They seem to have identified it as a Nemertean Worm."
Chandra Bill, reporter: "But they're not sure that's exactly what this is."
Make sure to check out the video.
May 2, 2007
Prime-Time TV Sweeps Women to All-Time Lows
As TV networks head into their big sweeps and hotly compete for ratings and advertisers, Sandra Kobrin gapes at the demeaning and downright scary portrayal of women in our most powerful communication medium.
...
When I was little, women on TV aspired to be homemakers. Now they aspire to be strippers. I was never a fan of Joan Cleaver or Harriet Nelson, but this?
Read about increasing the speed of humanity's fall.
...
When I was little, women on TV aspired to be homemakers. Now they aspire to be strippers. I was never a fan of Joan Cleaver or Harriet Nelson, but this?
Read about increasing the speed of humanity's fall.
The Higher Education Scam
Here's an interesting theory:
My theory is that employers prefer college grads because they see a college degree chiefly as mark of one’s ability to obey and conform. Whatever else you learn in college, you learn to sit still for long periods while appearing to be awake. And whatever else you do in a white collar job, most of the time you’ll be sitting and feigning attention. Sitting still for hours on end—whether in library carrels or office cubicles-- does not come naturally to humans. It must be learned – although no college has yet been honest enough to offer a degree in seat-warming.
Thoughts?
My theory is that employers prefer college grads because they see a college degree chiefly as mark of one’s ability to obey and conform. Whatever else you learn in college, you learn to sit still for long periods while appearing to be awake. And whatever else you do in a white collar job, most of the time you’ll be sitting and feigning attention. Sitting still for hours on end—whether in library carrels or office cubicles-- does not come naturally to humans. It must be learned – although no college has yet been honest enough to offer a degree in seat-warming.
Thoughts?
New Studies Destroy the Last Objection to Medical Marijuana
Anyone who advocates for medical marijuana sooner or later runs into arguments about smoking: "No real medicine is smoked." "Smoking is bad for the lungs; why would any doctor recommend something so harmful?" It's a line of reasoning that medical marijuana opponents have used to great effect in Congress, state legislatures, and elsewhere. Indeed, the FDA's controversial 2006 statement opposing medical marijuana was couched in repeated references to "smoked marijuana."
But new research demonstrates that all those fears of "smoked marijuana" as medicine are 100 percent obsolete.
Read the rest here.
But new research demonstrates that all those fears of "smoked marijuana" as medicine are 100 percent obsolete.
Read the rest here.
Superb sci-fi anthology series gathers dust on shelf
It's called "Masters of Science Fiction," and it's a stunning collection of grand stories, relevant themes, mesmerizing performances and riveting dialogue. Intrigued? You should be.
But.
I've seen all six of the completed episodes, but it's possible you won't get that chance. "Masters of Science Fiction" appears to be stuck in a time warp that's keeping it out of the prime-time universe.
...
But this isn't at all mysterious to anyone who has observed the depressing trends of youth-obsessed, reality-chasing, thought-avoiding network television. In this era dominated by American idols and dancing stars, "Masters of Science Fiction" is the type of show that represents everything that scares the demographics out of a network executive.
It's brainy. It's literate. It's challenging. It tackles the great issues of our day under the guise of futuristic storytelling. It has no recurring characters, again recalling the greatness of television's landmark fantasy anthologies.
And although it's a visually compelling series, "Masters of Science Fiction" also dares to be talky, allowing two or more great actors to dramatically dance around one another for an hour of intrigue and insight. This is a different kind of dancing with stars.
The stakes aren't which team survives to dance again next week. The stakes being kicked around in these masterful episodes are whether our society will survive - and how.
In short, this is a series that assumes there is intelligent life on the other side of the television screen.
Yes, I am intrigued. Unfortunately, I agree with the writer: this show may scare the shit out of the network. Isn't most of what's on television geared toward a 6th grade education?
Read about this cool sounding series that you will probably never get to see.
But.
I've seen all six of the completed episodes, but it's possible you won't get that chance. "Masters of Science Fiction" appears to be stuck in a time warp that's keeping it out of the prime-time universe.
...
But this isn't at all mysterious to anyone who has observed the depressing trends of youth-obsessed, reality-chasing, thought-avoiding network television. In this era dominated by American idols and dancing stars, "Masters of Science Fiction" is the type of show that represents everything that scares the demographics out of a network executive.
It's brainy. It's literate. It's challenging. It tackles the great issues of our day under the guise of futuristic storytelling. It has no recurring characters, again recalling the greatness of television's landmark fantasy anthologies.
And although it's a visually compelling series, "Masters of Science Fiction" also dares to be talky, allowing two or more great actors to dramatically dance around one another for an hour of intrigue and insight. This is a different kind of dancing with stars.
The stakes aren't which team survives to dance again next week. The stakes being kicked around in these masterful episodes are whether our society will survive - and how.
In short, this is a series that assumes there is intelligent life on the other side of the television screen.
Yes, I am intrigued. Unfortunately, I agree with the writer: this show may scare the shit out of the network. Isn't most of what's on television geared toward a 6th grade education?
Read about this cool sounding series that you will probably never get to see.
Hope for sex-boost slimming pill
Scientists are developing a pill which could boost women's libido and reduce their appetite.
I'm thinking this would be a success for the company that markets it.
Read about this development here.
I'm thinking this would be a success for the company that markets it.
Read about this development here.
Australian outcry over women jibe
In the stupid-things-moronic-politicians-say file, we get this:
An Australian senator has caused a storm of protest for describing a female politician as "deliberately barren" and therefore unfit to govern.
Fucking idiot.
An Australian senator has caused a storm of protest for describing a female politician as "deliberately barren" and therefore unfit to govern.
Fucking idiot.
Scientists protest new reading of ESA
Because all that matters is who is doing the "interpreting."
More than three dozen scientists have signed a letter to protest a new Bush administration interpretation of the Endangered Species Act, saying it jeopardizes animals such as wolves and grizzly bears.
The new reading of the law proposed by Interior Department Solicitor David Bernhardt would enable the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect animals and plants only where they are battling for survival. The agency wouldn't have to protect them where they're in good shape.
Read more about these scientists fighting this human arrogance here.
More than three dozen scientists have signed a letter to protest a new Bush administration interpretation of the Endangered Species Act, saying it jeopardizes animals such as wolves and grizzly bears.
The new reading of the law proposed by Interior Department Solicitor David Bernhardt would enable the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect animals and plants only where they are battling for survival. The agency wouldn't have to protect them where they're in good shape.
Read more about these scientists fighting this human arrogance here.
Arctic ice cap melting 30 years ahead of forecast
This means the ocean at the top of the world could be free or nearly free of summer ice by 2020, three decades sooner than the global panel's gloomiest forecast of 2050.
...
"Right now ... the Arctic helps keep the Earth cool," Scambos said in a telephone interview. "Without that Arctic ice, or with much less of it, the Earth will warm much faster."
Read the rest here.
...
"Right now ... the Arctic helps keep the Earth cool," Scambos said in a telephone interview. "Without that Arctic ice, or with much less of it, the Earth will warm much faster."
Read the rest here.
Secret of board member success? Sucking up
As if we didn't already know this:
The most sought-after corporate board members are those who curry favor with fellow directors, not those who are active in standing up for shareholders, a new academic study has concluded.
Doesn't that mean it's not what you know but who you blow? ;-)
The most sought-after corporate board members are those who curry favor with fellow directors, not those who are active in standing up for shareholders, a new academic study has concluded.
Doesn't that mean it's not what you know but who you blow? ;-)
Around globe, walls spring up to divide neighbors
They are meant to keep job-hungry immigrants, terrorists and smugglers out, thwart invaders, and keep antagonists apart.
"Mother should I build a wall?" ~ Pink Floyd
Try to see over the walls here.
"Mother should I build a wall?" ~ Pink Floyd
Try to see over the walls here.
New Telescopes to Scan Earth-Like Planet for Life
In science news:
But confirming life there, and in other yet-to-be-discovered systems, will require a new generation of space telescopes capable of picking up "signatures" such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane. NASA and the European Space Agency are developing planet finders that will do just that by 2020, assuming funding comes through.
What was that earlier story? Oh, yeah, the Iraq war is headed to $500 billion. Looks like funding for these new telescopes might not happen. I prefer my tax dollars to go to the funding of these new telescopes and not to fund wars of aggression.
But confirming life there, and in other yet-to-be-discovered systems, will require a new generation of space telescopes capable of picking up "signatures" such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane. NASA and the European Space Agency are developing planet finders that will do just that by 2020, assuming funding comes through.
What was that earlier story? Oh, yeah, the Iraq war is headed to $500 billion. Looks like funding for these new telescopes might not happen. I prefer my tax dollars to go to the funding of these new telescopes and not to fund wars of aggression.
Army Squeezes Soldier Blogs, Maybe to Death
The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops' online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say.
And that would be the point.
Here's the rest.
And that would be the point.
Here's the rest.
Bush's farewell tantrum
And his tantrum will only get worse:
In the end, President Bush's failure to heed the will of the people isn't so much an act of principle, but rather an outburst of sheer peevishness. With Democrats in control of Congress, he's no longer getting a blank check to fund his military adventures. He finds this frustrating, so he's stamping his foot, covering his ears, and taking his party down with him.
All this is exactly what one would expect in the way of a political farewell gesture from a spoiled rich kid who never grew up. Future generations of historians will note George W. Bush made a mess of every real job he ever had - and, unfortunately for America, the presidency of the United States proved to be no exception.
Read more about the spoiled rich kid here.
In the end, President Bush's failure to heed the will of the people isn't so much an act of principle, but rather an outburst of sheer peevishness. With Democrats in control of Congress, he's no longer getting a blank check to fund his military adventures. He finds this frustrating, so he's stamping his foot, covering his ears, and taking his party down with him.
All this is exactly what one would expect in the way of a political farewell gesture from a spoiled rich kid who never grew up. Future generations of historians will note George W. Bush made a mess of every real job he ever had - and, unfortunately for America, the presidency of the United States proved to be no exception.
Read more about the spoiled rich kid here.
Seven Out of 10 GOP 2008 Hopefuls Could Be Excluded from TV Debate
Rep. Ron Paul of Texas wants to bring American troops back from Iraq, having opposed the war from the outset. He's also a Republican candidate for president - possibly the most contrarian in the field of 10 - and he may be excluded from a forthcoming GOP candidate debate.
'You will only be allowed to hear who WE want you to hear!'
What better way than a debate for 'unknown' candidates to get, well, known?
The ball's in your court.
Here's the rest of the story.
'You will only be allowed to hear who WE want you to hear!'
What better way than a debate for 'unknown' candidates to get, well, known?
The ball's in your court.
Here's the rest of the story.
Google Knows Where You Live
He's mentioned Google Web History, last week's update to Search History that remembers not just what you've Googled for, but everything you've looked at on the Web.
Are you worried about privacy issues?
If not, then you'll have no problem with a future Google feature:
So, he's announcing, Google will now use your default location in Google Maps (if you have one) to push stuff located near you up to the top of search results in the main Google search engine.
Read more here.
Are you worried about privacy issues?
If not, then you'll have no problem with a future Google feature:
So, he's announcing, Google will now use your default location in Google Maps (if you have one) to push stuff located near you up to the top of search results in the main Google search engine.
Read more here.
Price tag for war in Iraq on track to top $500 billion
The bitter fight over the latest Iraq spending bill has all but obscured a sobering fact: The war will soon cost more than $500 billion.
I know these big numbers can be difficult to comprehend but the reality is that at $3600 an hour (most people don't make $3600 a month) it takes about 16,000 years to acquire $500 billion. That's a shitload of money that could be better spent elsewhere for humanity.
Keep in mind that:
Before the war, administration officials confidently predicted that the conflict would cost about $50 billion. White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey lost his job after he offered a $200 billion estimate - a prediction that drew scorn from his administration colleagues.
Here's the rest.
I know these big numbers can be difficult to comprehend but the reality is that at $3600 an hour (most people don't make $3600 a month) it takes about 16,000 years to acquire $500 billion. That's a shitload of money that could be better spent elsewhere for humanity.
Keep in mind that:
Before the war, administration officials confidently predicted that the conflict would cost about $50 billion. White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey lost his job after he offered a $200 billion estimate - a prediction that drew scorn from his administration colleagues.
Here's the rest.
Christians Demand Bush be Impeached for Worshiping Satan
Seems not every Christian thinks Bush is their savior.
A Christian based group known as the Christian’s Liberation Movement has concluded that George W. Bush is a fake Christian and worships Satan. The group is demanding his impeachment not only for his crimes against humanity but for lying to the American people about his worship of Satan. It is highly doubtful that George W. Bush would have been elected President two times had the American people known about his secretive worship of Satan. Although this claim might seem difficult to believe, when one looks at the secret societies that George W. Bush has been involved with it becomes clear that George W. Bush is anything but a good Christian man.
To us non-Chrisitians, George W. Bush has given Christianity a bad name.
A Christian based group known as the Christian’s Liberation Movement has concluded that George W. Bush is a fake Christian and worships Satan. The group is demanding his impeachment not only for his crimes against humanity but for lying to the American people about his worship of Satan. It is highly doubtful that George W. Bush would have been elected President two times had the American people known about his secretive worship of Satan. Although this claim might seem difficult to believe, when one looks at the secret societies that George W. Bush has been involved with it becomes clear that George W. Bush is anything but a good Christian man.
To us non-Chrisitians, George W. Bush has given Christianity a bad name.
May 1, 2007
Washington Editors: Reluctant to Publish 'D.C. Madam' Client List
"You would have to evaluate it to the extent humanly possible and verify it," said Michael Tackett, Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune. "If one of the names is wrong and you print it, how do you unring that bell for that person?" He said reprinting a list from another news outlet is not an excuse for getting it wrong. "You've got to verify it yourself," he said.
Would've been nice had you all verified the accusations the Bush adminstration made when making their case to invade Iraq. Why the sudden belief now that things should be verified? How do you unring the bells tolling for those who have died in Iraq?
If anyone has it, I'll take a copy of the list.
Read the rest here.
Would've been nice had you all verified the accusations the Bush adminstration made when making their case to invade Iraq. Why the sudden belief now that things should be verified? How do you unring the bells tolling for those who have died in Iraq?
If anyone has it, I'll take a copy of the list.
Read the rest here.
Teenagers 'oppose leaving age plan'
In the never ending saga of the government putting it's hands in everything it can, we get this:
Teenagers oppose the Government's plans to force them to stay on in education until the age of 18, research has suggested. A poll found 71% of 13- to 18-year-olds wanted to keep the right to drop out of education and start full-time work.
But wait! There's more:
And few parents want teenagers to be "criminalised" for failing to attend school or work-related training after the age of 16, according to the study for the Learning and Skills Network (LSN).
So let me get this straight. Teenagers who skip classes or drop out altogether will be "criminalised"?
The reasoning:
He believes that raising the compulsory leaving age is necessary to make sure young people are qualified for work because there will be far fewer jobs for unskilled workers in future.
That sounds like a noble goal, but oftentimes noble goals do more harm than good. You can't imprison people who, for reasons more complex than this guy can apparently imagine, stop attending school. Instead if punishment, these teenagers need to be getting support and assistance.
But I had to keep reading:
A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "Our own research shows there is overwhelming support for the Government's plans. Nine out of 10 people support the idea. And two thirds of respondents agree that staying in education until 18 should be made a legal requirement.
Apparently, I'm in the minority on this issue.
It saddens me that the solution to this problem has to be punishment. Thus, this really means using fear to manipulate teenagers. That will breed resentment. One can not force someone to learn something. Instead, the possible drop-outs have to be shown the value of learning and getting an education. Just because they are imprisoned in school doesn't mean they are learning anything. Many will view it as serving a sentence and will be counting the days until they are released.
Teenagers oppose the Government's plans to force them to stay on in education until the age of 18, research has suggested. A poll found 71% of 13- to 18-year-olds wanted to keep the right to drop out of education and start full-time work.
But wait! There's more:
And few parents want teenagers to be "criminalised" for failing to attend school or work-related training after the age of 16, according to the study for the Learning and Skills Network (LSN).
So let me get this straight. Teenagers who skip classes or drop out altogether will be "criminalised"?
The reasoning:
He believes that raising the compulsory leaving age is necessary to make sure young people are qualified for work because there will be far fewer jobs for unskilled workers in future.
That sounds like a noble goal, but oftentimes noble goals do more harm than good. You can't imprison people who, for reasons more complex than this guy can apparently imagine, stop attending school. Instead if punishment, these teenagers need to be getting support and assistance.
But I had to keep reading:
A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "Our own research shows there is overwhelming support for the Government's plans. Nine out of 10 people support the idea. And two thirds of respondents agree that staying in education until 18 should be made a legal requirement.
Apparently, I'm in the minority on this issue.
It saddens me that the solution to this problem has to be punishment. Thus, this really means using fear to manipulate teenagers. That will breed resentment. One can not force someone to learn something. Instead, the possible drop-outs have to be shown the value of learning and getting an education. Just because they are imprisoned in school doesn't mean they are learning anything. Many will view it as serving a sentence and will be counting the days until they are released.
City life 'is getting faster'
And you wondered why you were so freakin' tired all the time:
The pace of life in cities around the world is literally getting faster, a study has shown. Psychologists have measured the speed at which people walk and discovered a 10% increase in the last decade.
Now what's the damn rush?
The pace of life in cities around the world is literally getting faster, a study has shown. Psychologists have measured the speed at which people walk and discovered a 10% increase in the last decade.
Now what's the damn rush?
Ebola-like virus killing fish in Great Lakes
This can't be good.
A deadly Ebola-like virus is killing fish of all types in the Great Lakes, a development some scientists fear could trigger disaster for the USA's freshwater fish.
A deadly Ebola-like virus is killing fish of all types in the Great Lakes, a development some scientists fear could trigger disaster for the USA's freshwater fish.
'Epidemic' of sleep deprivation spreads among busy Britons
Getting eight hours' sleep a night has long been seen as one of the keys to a healthy and happy life.
But for most of us the figure is little more than an ideal, with the average worker losing two and a half years of sleep over the course of their career, according to a survey.
No, I didn't get 8 hours of sleep last night either.
Here's the rest.
But for most of us the figure is little more than an ideal, with the average worker losing two and a half years of sleep over the course of their career, according to a survey.
No, I didn't get 8 hours of sleep last night either.
Here's the rest.
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