News -- November 18, 2006

Iraq is a 'disaster' admits Blair - "The Prime Minister stopped short of accepting the blame for plunging Iraq to the brink of civil war - blaming instead the insurgent uprising that has killed 125 British troops. But his admission in an interview with the Arab new channel Al Jazeera will be seen as an historic climbdown for Mr Blair, who has always fought to put a positive gloss on often disastrous events."

Military may ask $127B for wars - "The Pentagon is considering $127 billion to $160 billion in requests from the armed services for the 2007 fiscal year, which began last month, several lawmakers and congressional staff members said. That's on top of $70 billion already approved for 2007."

Maine peace activist condemns U.S. military - "The soul of America is drunk with military spending. The addiction to military jobs - building planes, guns or the Navy's newest destroyers - makes warfare vital and starves the rest of the economy, says peace activist Bruce Gagnon. "We'll be like an alcoholic sitting at a bar, always needing the next drink," said Gagnon, Thursday's speaker at the Great Falls Forum."

Web 'fuelling crisis in politics' - "Tony Blair's outgoing chief strategy adviser fears the internet could be fuelling a "crisis" in the relationship between politicians and voters."

Oil tumbles to lowest level since June 2005 - ""There is rising concern that we could be going into a U.S. economic slowdown," said Rick Mueller, senior oil analyst at consultancy ESAI. "This fall also speaks of a well supplied crude market and a warmer outlook in the U.S., and with those conditions maybe the market is starting to wake up to the fact that prices shouldn't be near $60."" -- Hmmm. Gas prices here started inching upward after the election.

Clear Evidence 2006 Congressional Elections Hacked - "Results Skewed Nationwide In Favor of Republicans by 4 percent, 3 million votes."

Number of U.S. hungry falls, first drop in 6 years - "Last year, 35 million people suffered "food insecurity," meaning they didn't have enough money or resources to get food. ... Despite the positive news, the report is still drawing criticism, this time because analysts decided not to use the word hunger to describe how hungry people are." -- "Food insecurity"? Give me a freakin' break!

Young Borrowers Face A Life of Debt - "If you wonder why borrowed money fuels the lifestyles of all ages, turn on a new documentary, "In Debt We Trust," by the veteran dissenting TV journalist and media critic, Danny Schechter. "In Debt We Trust" vividly shows how Americans get ensnared in a web of debt spun by a "credit industrial complex" that almost seems to function like a conspiracy to drive people into financial servitude. Schechter's central insight is bold, provocative and timely. As he quotes a Brooklyn consumer activist, "Debt is profitable."

Dutch seek ban on burqas in public - "The Dutch government, facing re-election next week, said Friday it plans to draw up legislation "as soon as possible" banning the head-to-toe garment known as burqas and other clothing that covers the entire face in public places. The announcement puts the Netherlands, once considered one of Europe's most welcoming nations for immigrants and asylum seekers, at the forefront of a general European hardening of attitudes toward Muslim minorities." -- Pathetic.

Universal Music Sues MySpace.com - "Universal Music Group on Friday sued MySpace.com, claiming the online social-networking hub illegally encourages its users to share music and music videos on the site without permission. The recording company is seeking unspecified damages, including up to $150,000 for each unauthorized music video or song posted on the Web site."

Few Americans favor abstinence-only sex ed - "This latest study, according to the authors, suggests that the federal government is out of step not only with research, but also with public opinion. Of the nearly 1,110 U.S. adults they surveyed, 82 percent supported programs that discuss abstinence as well as other methods for preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Half were in outright opposition to abstinence-only education. Even among self-described conservatives, 70 percent supported comprehensive sex ed., while 40 percent opposed the abstinence-only strategy."

Infant massage may ease crying, sleep problems - "Infant massage has long been used in many Asian and African cultures to ease babies' colic and fussiness, help them sleep, and even aid their growth and development. There is growing interest in infant massage among parents in Western countries as well."

New robot can sense damage, compensate - "When people hurt a leg they can often make do by limping or using a crutch until they feel better. Now, there's a robot that can also cope with injury."

Natural-born painkiller found in human saliva - "Saliva from humans has yielded a natural painkiller up to six times more powerful than morphine, researchers say. The substance, dubbed opiorphin, may spawn a new generation of natural painkillers that relieve pain as well as morphine but without the addictive and psychological side effects of the traditional drug."

Dark energy traced back to cosmic infancy - "Scientists now have evidence that dark energy has been around for most of the universe's history. Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers measured the expansion of the universe 9 billion years ago based on 23 of the most distant supernovae ever detected. As theoretically expected, they found that the mysterious antigravity force, apparently pushing galaxies outward at an accelerating pace, was acting on the ancient universe much like the present."




Quote of the Day
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them (around the banks), will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
~ Thomas Jefferson

News -- November 17, 2006

Kucinich Calls for Cutting Off Iraq War Funds - ""I want to say that there's one solution here, and it's not to engage in a debate with the President, who has taken us down a path of disaster in Iraq, but it's for Congress to assume the full power that it has under the Constitution to cut off funds. We don't need to keep indulging in this debate about what to do, because as long as we keep temporizing, the situation gets worse in Iraq. "We have to determine that the time has come to cut off funds. There’s enough money in the pipeline to achieve the orderly withdrawal that Senator McGovern is talking about. But cut off funds, we must. That's the ultimate power of the Congress, the power of the purse. That's how we'll end this war, and that’s the only way we’re going to end this war."

Debate Grows Over Beefing Up U.S. Force in Iraq - "Military Leaders Oppose McCain's Push for Thousands of Additional Troops."

The New Media Offensive Against Withdrawal - " The present situation is grimly instructive for anyone who might wonder how the Vietnam War could continue for years while opinion polls showed that most Americans were against it. Now, in the wake of midterm elections widely seen as a rebuke to the Iraq war, powerful media institutions are feverishly spinning against a pullout of U.S. troops." -- There's money to be made in death and destruction.

CIA Acknowledges 2 Interrogation Memos - "After years of denials, the CIA has formally acknowledged the existence of two classified documents governing aggressive interrogation and detention policies for terrorism suspects, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. But CIA lawyers say the documents -- memos from President Bush and the Justice Department -- are still so sensitive that no portion can be released to the public."

President Authorized Abu Ghraib Torture, FBI Email Says - "Among a new batch of documents rights groups have forced the gov't to release, a Bureau communication refers to a presidential Executive Order endorsing some forms of torture witnessed at Iraq prison."

CNN host to first-ever Muslim congressman: "Prove to me that you're not working with our enemies." - ""I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."" -- Shut up Glenn Beck. You're an idiot.

Rice: U.S. Concerned About Rising China - "The United States has some concerns about a rising China, including a military expansion that may be excessive, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday." -- China's military expansion may be excessive?

Report: Israel developing 'bionic hornet' weapon - "Israel is using nanotechnology to try to create a robot no bigger than a hornet that would be able to chase, photograph and kill its targets, an Israeli newspaper reported on Friday."

Americans To Be Tortured For Refusing To Show ID? - "A horror video that wouldn't look out of place in Maoist China or Nazi Germany shows a student being repeatedly shot with a stun gun by UCLA police for the crime of not showing his ID. As similar cases begin to pile up how long will it be before Americans are routinely tortured for noncompliance and refusing to have their 4th amendment violated?"

US to unveil new citizenship test - "Starting this winter, questions will center on American ideals rather than historical facts. ... It will continue to be an oral test, conducted in English, and will have 10 questions. Six correct answers will earn a passing grade. But the content, which is tightly under wraps, is expected to shun simple historical facts about America that can be recounted in a few words for more explanation about the principles of American democracy, such as freedom."

Nev. town to fine for foreign flags - "The Nevada town of Pahrump is taking a stand not just against illegal immigrants but flags they may bring with them."

Belmont to be first U.S. city to ban all smoking - "The Belmont City Council voted unanimously last night to pursue a strict law that will prohibit smoking anywhere in the city except for single-family detached residences. Smoking on the street, in a park and even in one’s car will become illegal and police would have the option of handing out tickets if they catch someone."

Scientists say pollution may be helpful - "If the sun warms the Earth too dangerously, the time may come to draw the shade. The "shade" would be a layer of pollution deliberately spewed into the atmosphere to help cool the planet. This over-the-top idea comes from prominent scientists, among them a Nobel laureate. The reaction here at the U.N. conference on climate change is a mix of caution, curiosity and some resignation to such "massive and drastic" operations, as the chief U.N. climatologist describes them."

Are humans responsible for climate change on the outer reaches of the solar system, or is it the sun? - "But how do we square the fact that almost every planet in our solar system is simultaneously undergoing temperature change and volatile weather patterns. Does this not suggest that global warming is a natural cycle as a result of the evolving nature of the sun? Can Al Gore fill me in on this one?"

Diseases Appear on Rise With Temperature - "A warmer world already seems to be producing a sicker world, health experts reported Tuesday, citing surges in Kenya, China and Europe of such diseases as malaria, heart ailments and dengue fever."

Arctic resists warming - "Yet the researchers also found new patterns of cooling ocean currents and prevailing winds that suggested the Arctic, long considered a bellwether of global warming, may be reverting in some ways to more normal conditions not seen since the 1970s."

Bush has undone a century of environmental progress in America - "It is staggering how much environmental progress President George W. Bush is trying to undo. There is a cumulative sense over the last nearly six years of a level of greed and exploitation encouraged by the White House that at some points of America’s history would have been the stuff of impeachment."

Science, technology not making the grades in U.S. - "The United States may be the world's biggest consumer of technology, but when it comes to churning out scientists and engineers, American schools and families are not generating enough interest, educators say. ... Why aren't American students pursuing degrees in science and technology? ... Research shows that students often decide their career paths long before they reach college, according to Robert H. Tai, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education. ... Moreover, fewer children have family members working in science or engineering to explain it to them, noted Ms. DiGennaro of the Center for Excellence in Education. ... On the national level, Ms. DiGennaro said the U.S. government needs to provide more incentives for students pursuing science and technology degrees in the form of grants and scholarships. Competitors such as China and India have made science and technology education a nationwide priority and, as a result, are seeing an increase in graduates in those areas, she said. ... "A lot of kids in Algeria got into computer engineering because it's very needed," he said. "In Asia, they are forced to learn the math and sciences early. Americans have the choice to stay away from it.""

Genetic archaeology - "Scientists said Wednesday that by unleashing a new kind of DNA analyzer on a 38,000-year-old fragment of fossilized Neanderthal bone, they had reconstructed a portion of that creature's genetic code -- a technological tour de force that has researchers convinced they will soon know the entire DNA sequence of humans' closest cousin."

Wanted: man to land on killer asteroid and gently nudge it from path to Earth - "The US space agency is drawing up plans to land an astronaut on an asteroid hurtling through space at more than 30,000 mph. It wants to know whether humans could master techniques needed to deflect such a doomsday object when it is eventually identified. The proposals are at an early stage, and a spacecraft needed just to send an astronaut that far into space exists only on the drawing board, but they are deadly serious. A smallish asteroid called Apophis has already been identified as a possible threat to Earth in 2036."

Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Expected This Weekend - "At the peak, people in these favorable locations could see up to 150 shooting stars per hour, or more than two per minute."

Is Overachieving Bad for Girls? - "A new book praises hyper-achieving 'alpha girls.' But their behavior may be symptomatic of a larger trend in outwardly high-achieving and inwardly self-hating young women."

School Officials To Investigate Sex Party Reports - "Health and school officials said this week that middle and high school students in Carroll County were participating in sex games that sometimes involved up to 30 people. ... "There are days when seven or so teens come for emergency contraception, and all come from the same high school or middle school," Marucci-Bosley said. "There's a huge number of 16- and 17-year-olds who say they've had 30 or 40 partners.""




Quote of the Day
"The government will never tell you that the asteroid is coming."
~ Gregory J. Hobbs

News -- November 15, 2006

Official says U.S. may mull pre-emptive Iran strike - "The United States or other countries will one day be forced to consider pre-emptive action if Iran and North Korea continue to seek nuclear weapons, a senior U.S. government official said on Tuesday." -- Pre-emptive action is not the right strategy. It smacks more of the bully mentality than anything else.

Bush to Olmert: No international peace convention - "The Olmert-Bush summit which took place in the White House Monday failed to provide any real news. The prime minister said that his stance against an international peace convention was backed by the American president." -- Now isn't that interesting?

Fury in U.S. over Olmert's comments on Iraq war - "Olmert said Israel and other countries in the area should be thankful to the United States and Bush. He said the Iraq war had a dramatic, positive effect on security and stability in the Middle East, as well as having strategic importance from Israel's perspective and that of moderate Arab states."

Bush assures Israel Iran seen as threat - "Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will return to his country with reassurances from the Bush administration that it is not backing down from its view that Iran and its nuclear program are a world threat."

Senate to investigate rendition abuses - "Abuses carried out under the CIA's secret programme of extraordinary rendition are to be investigated by one of the Senate's most powerful committees, it emerged today. The new chairman of the Senate armed services committee, the Democratic senator Carl Levin, revealed that he was "not comfortable" with the rendition system and said it was making the US less secure."

CIA acknowledges existence of presidential order authorizing it to detain, interrogate terror suspects overseas - "In response to an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit, the CIA has finally acknowledged the existence of a presidential order authorizing the agency to detain and interrogate terror suspects overseas."

Administration: Detainees Have No Rights - "The Bush administration said Monday that Guantanamo Bay prisoners have no right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts and that lawsuits by hundreds of detainees should be dismissed."

Rumsfeld may face abuse charges - "Donald Rumsfeld, who quit as US defence secretary this week, may face criminal charges in Germany for alleged abuses in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq."

The Carlyle White House - "There is much more to this than Big George simply trying to shove Little George in a different direction, because Big George never travels alone. All of a sudden, two of the elder's main men - James Baker III and Robert Gates - are back in the saddle. Baker has spent the last weeks riding herd over the Iraq Study Group, a collection of old foreign policy hands tasked to come up with a solution to the Iraq debacle. Gates was a member of this group until he was tapped to replace Don Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense. The Iraq Study Group is slated to produce some tablets of wisdom come December. A third member of the Iraq Study Group, former congressman Lee Hamilton, is the rope that ties this curious historical package together."

Now Daddy Bush Slams Bloggers - "During an appearance with his wife Barbara on Fox News last night, George Bush senior slammed Internet bloggers for creating an adversarial and ugly climate, echoing the rhetoric of fellow Neo-Cons and the White House itself in trashing the reputation of the world wide web."

Intelligence sources question Gates' independence from Cheney, Rumsfeld - "But the Baker vs. Cheney argument does not stand up to scrutiny. Simply put, when Gates served in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, he had far more in common with Cheney than he did with other members of that administration, including those currently involved in attempts to intervene in Iraq policy. The same source, however, cautions that the real action to watch is the newly arrived Democratic majority. The bottom line, the source insists, is that regardless of what Cheney does it will be Congressional oversight, not Gates, that will stand in his way."

Cheney, Libby ask dismissal of civil complaint - "Vice President Cheney's attorneys argue that the suit should be dismissed on various grounds including that, "the Vice President is entitled to qualified immunity," and that Cheney is "absolutely immune from suits for civil damages."" -- Huh?

GOP Leaders to Bush: 'Your Presidency is Effectively Over' - "A growing number of Republican leaders, party strategists and political professional now privately tell President George W. Bush that his presidency "is effectively over" unless he fires embattled White House advisor Karl Rove, apologizes to the American people for misleading the country into war and revamps his administration from top to bottom. "The only show of unity we have now in the Republican Party is the belief that the President has failed the party, the American people and the presidency," says a longtime, and angry, GOP strategist. ... Bush, however, has dug his heels in on Rove. When a GOP strategist suggested last weekend that the President fire Rove, Bush exploded.
"You go to hell," he screamed at the strategist. "You can leave and you can take the rest of these lily-livered motherfuckers with you!" The President then stormed out of the room and refused to meet further with any other party leaders or strategists." -- Nice, George. Is that the sound of panic in your voice?

Stop yawning at Bush's lies - "This is not a matter of vengeance or, God forfend, politics, but of restoring the people's faith in their government. How dare these people lie to you and me and send Americans to die in Iraq for reasons that turned out to be wholly nonexistent? One way to return to the truth is to find the liars. I ask this not for myself but - and I mean it - for the troops."

Are Democrats Turning A Blind Eye to Civil Liberty? - "The Bush regime perpetrated a coup d'état against the Bill of Rights and the jurisdictions of Congress and the courts. Unless Democrats roll back this coup, Americans have seen the last of their civil liberties. Judging by Democrats' statements in the flush of their electoral victory, Democrats have little, if any, awareness of this critical fact. Democrats are anxious to get on with their agendas and have shown no recognition that the first order of business is to repeal the legislation that permits torture, warrantless detention, and domestic spying. If Bush threatens to veto the resurrection of U.S. civil liberty, the Democrats can impeach Bush as a tyrant as well as for pushing America into an illegal and catastrophic war on the basis of lies and deception. Bush is the most impeachable president in American history. However, the incoming speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has declared impeachment to be "off the table." Obviously, this means that Bush will not be held accountable and that the Bill of Rights is a casualty of the vague, undefined, and propagandistic "war on terror.""

Long Debunked Rumor Validated by Giuliani - "Major questions exist as to why FEMA would deny being in New York City prior to 9/11 without mentioning the 9/12 bioterror drill. These questions must now be addressed as the initial suspicions of those who learned of the Tom Kenney statement have been clearly validated. The coincidental presence of a large FEMA team in NYC at the location, Pier 92, which became the Command Center for the entire emergency operation is disturbing. An alert press and a legitimate 9-11 Commission should have raised this issue long ago." -- Hmmm.

Boxer plans Senate hearings on global warming - "Inhofe rejects a wide scientific consensus that human use of fossil fuels is largely responsible for catastrophic climate change, calling it "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." He's accused environmental activists of exploiting people's fears to raise money. And he's blocked legislation aimed at curbing global warming. Boxer, in contrast, is a fiercely liberal environmental activist. She has railed against Inhofe, crusaded for cleaner drinking water and led wilderness protection efforts in her home state and for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."

Climate change is as serious as WMD: Annan - "In his valedictory speech to the annual meeting, the UN secretary-general painted a sombre tableau about the effects of climate change, especially on impoverished countries that were least to blame for it."

U.S. In Greenhouse Doghouse - "Sweden, Britain and Denmark are doing the most to protect against climate change, but their efforts are not nearly enough, according to a report released Monday by environmental groups. The United States — the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases — ranked at 53, with only China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia doing worse."

Listen Up, You Congressional Morons! - "Well, listen up, you morons, particularly those of you in Congress, both coming and going, because I am going to tell you, in plain language and without subtle innuendo, exactly what it is that voters said this past week. ... We are fed up with your bullshit. Let me repeat that in words of one syllable for those of you unaccustomed to listening to your constituents: We are fed up with your bull shit. Admit it - you know the truth when you hear it and this is truth at its simplest and most fundamental level. ... Above all, we are sick to death of being the World's bad guys! We want America once again to be at the forefront of the good guys. We don't need or want to run the world. ... That will do for starters. Accomplish these things and we might just re-elect you next time around to work on an all-new to-do list. Fail and we all fail, because - and make no mistake about this, either - if we go down, we will take you with us ... and it won't be pretty. I, for one, will spend my last pennies on a length of good, solid rope."

U.S. top arms supplier to developing world - "Researchers suggested that the arms trade is now fueled as much by the economic interests of U.S. weapons manufacturers as it is by national security." -- It's always about money.

Bush’s Chernobyl economy; hard times are on the way - "In the next few months, a financial crisis will arise somewhere in the world which will jolt the American economy and trigger a swift and precipitous decline in the value of the dollar. This is not speculation; it will happen and there is nothing that the Bush administration can do to stop it. All of the traditional supports for the dollar have been removed by a shrinking economy, a massive $800 billion account deficit, dramatic increases in the money supply, and the reckless manipulation of interest rates. Now, the noose is tightening."

Democrats May EliminateIRS's Use of Collection Agencies - "Is the IRS's new private tax-collection program heading for an early death?"

Dem Congress may scrap border fence - "The incoming U.S. Congress will review the law mandating 700 miles of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, and may seek to scrap the plan altogether."

Mid-flight sexual play lands US couple afoul of anti-terrorism law - "A couple's ill-concealed sexual play aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles got them charged with violating the Patriot Act, intended for terrorist acts, and could land them in jail for 20 years."

So what's with all the dinosaurs? - "The world's first Creationist museum - dedicated to the idea that the creation of the world, as told in Genesis, is factually correct - will soon open. Stephen Bates is given a sneak preview and asks: was there really a tyrannosaurus in the Bible?"

Why is there a giant elephant penis in my Bible? - "Sorry for the explicit title, but it's really 100% true. As straight laced as many Christians may be about sex, the Bible really can be a sexually frank book. Don't believe me? Read the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) and do some research into the metaphors... steamy stuff indeed. So what about the big animal parts then? Well, during my exchanges with various creationists, they've been very adament that dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible, the Behemoth mentioned in Job being a prime example. Scholars traditionally believe that Behemoth was an elephant, hippo, or rhino, but many creationists say no way- Behemoth is a dinosaur, with the verse "He moves his tail like a cedar" being the one they rest their case on. Little do they know what they're really basing their argument on is a giant elephant penis, and I'll tell you why."

Got God? No way - "Earth below - certainly. Heavens above - he doesn't think so. Langley may be an evangelical, but he's not the typical kind. He's an evangelical atheist. ... "There are misconceptions that atheists hate anyone who is in organized religion, or that atheists are baby killers or old-people killers," she said. "There is a sense that atheists to some extent can't be sensitive to the spiritual views of others.""

Young adults in U.S. abandoning biblical faith - "For example, young adults were more likely than older adults to reject the concept of absolute truth. They were also significantly less likely to believe, as their elders do, that human beings should determine what is right and wrong morally by examining God's principles. Also, young adults were twice as likely as older adults to believe ethics and morality are based on "what is right for the person." Finally, even young Christian adults were more likely than older adults to accept same-sex marriage and premarital sex."

Pope to hold summit on married priests - "The Vatican stressed the meeting would not open a general discussion of the celibacy requirement but would only examine requests for dispensation made by priests wishing to marry and requests for readmission made by clergy who had married in recent years."

3 Christian Groups Move To Condemn Gay Sex - "Faced with rising public acceptance of same-sex relationships, three U.S. Christian denominations are taking strong measures this week to condemn homosexual acts as sinful. ... "In our day and time, no other sin marches so defiantly across our national landscape." -- Jesus.

My Half-Year of Hell With Christian Fundamentalists - "When Polish student Michael Gromek, 19, went to America on a student exchange, he found himself trapped in a host family of Christian fundamentalists. What followed was a six-month hell of dawn church visits and sex education talks as his new family tried to banish the devil from his soul. Here's his story."

Big 3 automakers commit to reducing oil dependence - "The nation's largest automakers told President Bush yesterday they are committed to developing vehicles that use renewable fuels to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil."

1 Percent of Web Deemed Pornographic - "About 1 percent of Web sites indexed by Google and Microsoft are sexually explicit, according to a U.S. government-commissioned study. Government lawyers introduced the study in court this month as the Justice Department seeks to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act, which required commercial Web sites to collect a credit card number or other proof of age before allowing Internet users to view material deemed "harmful to minors."" -- 1 percent? And everyone is up in arms?

Canadian couple forced young girls into sex slavery - " A Canadian couple, described as "evil incarnate" by a prosecutor, were sentenced for kidnapping neighborhood girls and forcing them into sex slavery since 1999."

Still sticking it to the consumer - "These are rights that the entertainment industry will tell you do not exist--witness the RIAA's recent "educational" campaign for students in grades 3 to 8. That campaign counsels that it is always illegal to use a copyright work without permission. It isn't--but so much for the "balance" of fair use that Sherman praises. The collective amnesia the entertainment industry has about its past and recent attempts to limit consumers' rights and technological innovation is nothing short of startling. Beginning with the piano roll at the start of the 20th century, continuing with radio, TV, the VCR, MP3 players and digital video recorders (remember Replay TV?), entertainment companies have tried either to legislate or litigate innovative new technologies out of existence."

Smokers, obese should pay more health insurance: poll - "Most Americans believe smokers and obese people should pay more for health insurance, but they have mixed views on how to help the millions without any health insurance, according to a survey published on Tuesday."

Chocoholics rejoice! More benefits found in heart study - "But chocolate lovers who flunked out of a Johns Hopkins University study on aspirin and heart disease helped researchers stumble on an explanation of why a little chocolate a day can cut the risk of heart attack. It turns out chocolate, like aspirin, affects the platelets that cause blood to clot, Diane Becker of the Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine and her colleagues discovered."

O.J.'s latest: 'If I Did It, Here's How It Happened' - "In a new TV interview and book, O.J. Simpson discusses how he would have committed the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend "if I did it.""




Quote of the Day
"There was never a good war or a bad peace."
~ Benjamin Franklin

News -- November 14, 2006

Iran Says Nuke Program Is Near Complete - ""Initially, they (the U.S. and its allies) were very angry. The reason was clear: They basically wanted to monopolize nuclear power in order to rule the world and impose their will on nations," Ahmadinejad said. "Today, they have finally agreed to live with a nuclear Iran, with an Iran possessing (the whole) nuclear fuel cycle," he said, without elaborating."

Olmert warns US against 'premature pullout' from Iraq - "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has warned the United States, in an interview published on Sunday (local time), against a "premature pullout" from Iraq as US officials ponder a new strategy following a sweeping Democratic win in the mid-term elections."

To Israel with love - "Why America gives Israel its unconditional support."

DU behind the surge in Cancer rates in Iraq - "Many reports and political experts confirmed that the U.S. and British troops fired more than 940,000 depleted uranium projectiles during the 1991 conflict. The Pentagon refuses to clarify the exact effects of depleted uranium, but Iraqi doctors attribute the significant increase in cancer and birth defects in the region to the U.S. and British troops’ use of DU. Many researches conducted outside Iraq, and by several U.S. veterans organizations, suggested that depleted uranium could have played a role in Gulf War Syndrome, the still-unexplained malady that has plagued hundreds of thousands of Gulf War veterans."

Mother Tells All About White House Sex Slave Ring And Son's Kidnapping - "Patricia Johnson-Holm connects the dots with Robert Gates, Jack Abramoff and Bush pedophilia riing. Mother claims son kidnapped in 1985 when he was 12, and she feels gruesome pictures reveal he was involved in the same ring who kidnapped Johnny Gosch."

Trafficking now 'worse than African slavery' - "Human trafficking, including women forced to become prostitutes or minors forced to do child labor, is worse now than the trade in African slaves of past centuries, a top Vatican official said on Tuesday."

'Arrows for the War' - "Quiverfull parents try to have upwards of six children. They home-school their families, attend fundamentalist churches and follow biblical guidelines of male headship--"Father knows best"--and female submissiveness. They refuse any attempt to regulate pregnancy. Quiverfull began with the publication of Rick and Jan Hess's 1989 book, A Full Quiver: Family Planning and the Lordship of Christ, which argues that God, as the "Great Physician" and sole "Birth Controller," opens and closes the womb on a case-by-case basis. Women's attempts to control their own bodies--the Lord's temple--are a seizure of divine power. ... Only a determination among Christian women to take up their submissive, motherly roles with a "military air" and become "maternal missionaries" will lead the Christian army to victory. Thus is Quiverfull part of Mary Pride's whole-cloth solution to women's liberation: embracing an opposing way of life as total and "self-consistent" as feminism, and turning back the tide on a society gone wrong by populating the world with right-thinking Christians. ... Pastor Heneghan of Gospel Community Church sees the issue of population growth in more biblical terms, specifically those taken from Genesis and Revelation. "Some people think that what I'm doing--having eleven children--is wrong. I don't really get into that much. The Bible says 'be fruitful and multiply.' That's my belief system. They don't believe in God, so they think we have to conserve what we have. But in my belief system, He's going to give us a new earth." Overpopulation isn't a problem in a universe where God promises a clean global slate. ... But if the Quiverfull mission is rooted in faith, the unseen, its mandate to be fruitful and multiply has tangible results as well. Namely, in Rick and Jan Hess's words, to provide "arrows for the war."" -- Jesus these people.

Outrage as Church backs calls for severely disabled babies to be killed at birth - "The Church of England has broken with tradition dogma by calling for doctors to be allowed to let sick newborn babies die."

Catholic bishops debate gay ministry - "The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is debating how parishes can be welcoming to gays while also upholding the teaching that gay relationships are "disordered. The proposed guidelines before the bishops Tuesday, called "Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination," condemn discrimination against gays, acknowledge that many try to live faithfully and state that it's not a sin to be attracted to someone of the same gender. But the document also directs gays to be celibate and reaffirms church opposition to same-sex marriage and adoption by the couples. It also discourages gays from disclosing their sexual orientation outside of a close circle of parish friends and advisers."

South Africa legalizes gay marriage - "The South African parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved legislation recognizing gay marriages -- a first for a continent where homosexuality is largely taboo."

World's most deadly bugs... in the hands of terrorists - "NEW technology that would give terrorists the power to create deadly bacteria and viruses from scratch is only years away from completion and threatens to make existing controls on biological weapons obsolete, experts warned yesterday. Synthetic biology is an emerging field that allows scientists to build micro-organisms from simple genetic material, in theory enabling the creation of deadly pathogens such as ebola or anthrax without access to existing stockpiles of the bugs. The technology could also allow terrorists or scientists in rogue states to jumble the genetic signature of the bugs in order to render them unrecognisable to health experts dealing with an outbreak, potentially delaying treatment and preventing authorities from tracing the origin of an attack."

Rich countries 'blocking cheap drugs for developing world' - "Poor people are needlessly dying because drug companies and the governments of rich countries are blocking the developing world from obtaining affordable medicines, a report says today."

Mobile phones that track your buddies - "For nearly a decade, technology visionaries have talked of a day when people would be able to use their cell phones to get directions, track their friends, keep tabs on their kids or simply find the nearest coffee shop. Now those services are finally starting to take trickle into the marketplace."

Caught in the Web - "More People Say Heavy Internet Use Is Disrupting Their Lives, and Medical Experts Are Paying Attention."

Home Buyers Back Out Of Deals in Record Numbers - "A little over a year ago, buyers couldn't wait to sign contracts to purchase homes. Now, many can't wait to get out of them."

AP Interview: Bill Gates says U.S. education system needs work - "Gates, whose children are in private schools, said every state should require students to take three or four years of math and science to graduate from high school -- 25 states currently have such requirements. He wants states to have the power to intervene at low-performing schools."

Books teach toddlers life skills - "The finding suggests that picture books may play a much greater role than simply entertaining toddlers and may help them understand the world."

Breast Cancer Risk Linked To Red Meat, Study Finds - "The study of more than 90,000 women found that the more red meat the women consumed in their 20s, 30s and 40s, the greater their risk for developing breast cancer fueled by hormones in the next 12 years. Those who consumed the most red meat had nearly twice the risk of those who ate red meat infrequently."

Roche's Tamiflu to Add Warning on Psychiatric Risks - " The Food and Drug Administration approved a labeling revision to include information on those risks after reports of self-injury and mutilation among Japanese patients using the drug, the agency said today in an e-mailed statement. Most of these side effects were reported in children."

No Fluoride for Infants, Say Dentists - "To prevent tooth damage, the American Dental Association (ADA) warned its members that fluoridated water should not be mixed into concentrated formula or foods intended for babies one year and younger, in a November 9th ADA e-mail alert."

Blow to chest can be fatal in child athletes, study finds - "Children who play hockey, football, lacrosse or baseball risk sudden death from a hard blow to the chest even if they are clad in protective gear, researchers said Monday."

Want to live to a healthy 85? Stay trim - "One of the largest, longest studies of aging found one more reason to stay trim and active: It could greatly raise your odds of living to at least age 85."

China love boat wants rich, good-looking - "A matchmaking love boat cruise open only to male millionaires and "good-looking and desirable" women is slated to set sail later this month, a state-run Chinese newspaper said Tuesday."

Sea urchins are part-human - "Scientists who have sequenced the genome of the sea urchin say these brainless and limbless invertebrates are surprisingly similar to humans."

T-shirt releases your inner rock star - "It could make an ideal Christmas present in years to come. Australian scientists have built a t-shirt that lets you play 'air guitar' for real."




Quote of the Day
"Israel may have the right to put others on trial, but certainly no one has the right to put the Jewish people and the State of Israel on trial."
~ Ariel Sharon

News -- November 13, 2006

Impeachment and the Table - "However, in stating flatly that "impeachment is off the table," incoming Speaker Pelosi and incoming Chairman Conyers appear to have erred rather substantially. Impeachment, of course, is a matter of Constitutional law, not personal discretion on the part of individual lawmakers. The pre-emptive nature of the decision by Pelosi and Conyers stands in sharp contrast to every principal of law enforcement. Congress - whether controlled by Democrats or Republicans - has a solemn duty to uphold and when necessary enforce the law."

Charges Sought Against Rumsfeld Over Prison Abuse - "A lawsuit in Germany will seek a criminal prosecution of the outgoing Defense Secretary and other U.S. officials for their alleged role in abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo."

Bitch Slapping Dick Cheney - "This was a stinging rebuke to Cheney, who had brought his mentor, Don Rumsfeld, into the Bush 43 tent over the strenuous objections of the Bush 41 crowd. Cheney and Rumsfeld shared the same world view of the NeoCon crowd, which included a fierce distrust and anger toward the CIA. ... The appointment of Gates also marks the end of Cheney's dominance within the Bush Administration. Cheney has been conspicuously absent since the Republicans were routed at the polls. His efforts to save Rummy were rebuffed. And with the Senate in the hands of the Democrats, Cheney's influence on the Hill is over. Don't be surprised if Dick Cheney develops a heart condition in the next couple of months that will force him to resign as the Vice President. Whether he stays or goes, the era of Cheney's supremacy at the White House is done. The neocons are discredited, as is Cheney, and their pet projects--from warrantless wiretapping to torture to trashing habeus corpus--are dead as well."

Cheney in a Box - "He knows what’s going on. He knows that Bush Senior, and Brzezinski, and Baker, and the rest of the “old order” Republicans have muscled in and are taking over. He knows he won’t be able to bomb Iran, kill another 650,000 Iraqis, or declare martial law at home. And, he also knows that Conyers and the rest of them will be nosing-around the Halliburton “no bid” contracts; going through every sordid detail with a fine-tooth comb, and dredging up new scandals on a daily basis. He grasps all of that. He understands the political climate and he knows that he only has two choices left; offense or defense?"

Gates likely to sustain terror war - "Defense Secretary-designate Robert M. Gates is not expected to rein in the aggressive global war on al Qaeda started by predecessor Donald H. Rumsfeld or reverse the transformation of the Army, but instead focus on how to win in Iraq and get American troops home, current and former Pentagon officials say."

Powell aide: Torture 'guidance' from VP - "A former top State Department official said Sunday that Vice President Dick Cheney provided the "philosophical guidance" and "flexibility" that led to the torture of detainees in U.S. facilities."

Democrats are set to subpoena - "The agenda is likely to be dominated by the Iraq war, but could include probes into the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance, environmental policies and new prescription-drug program for seniors. Industries, such as oil companies, could also come under closer scrutiny."

Somber analysis of Iraq's future - "The situation in Iraq is "even worse than we thought,'' with key Iraqi leaders showing no willingness to compromise to avoid increasing violence, said Leon Panetta, a member of the high-powered advisory group that will recommend new options for the war."

Forget democracy and bring home troops, Bush will hear - "A commission of experts appointed by President George W Bush will advise him to abandon his dream of cementing a new democratic system in Iraq and instead tackle the security crisis so that the withdrawal of American troops can begin."

Democrats Push for Troop Cuts Within Months - "Democratic leaders in the Senate vowed on Sunday to use their new Congressional majority to press for troop reductions in Iraq within a matter of months, stepping up pressure on the administration just as President Bush is to be interviewed by a bipartisan panel examining future strategy for the war."

Impeachment Call Echoes Near Independence Hall - "In 1974, Elizabeth Holtzman, then a Congresswoman from New York City, served on the House’s Judiciary Committee, which drafted Impeachment charges against then-President, Richard M. Nixon. On Nov. 11, 2006, she appeared on a panel, in Philadelphia, PA. Holtzman believes George W. Bush has “subverted the Constitution” and that “the people are ahead of the politicians” and will bring Bush and Dick Cheney “to impeachment.”"

Lieberman refuses to close door on switching parties - "Sen. Joe Lieberman on Sunday repeated his pledge to caucus with Senate Democrats when the 110th Congress convenes in January, but refused to slam the door on possibly moving to the Republican side of the aisle."

Pope urges 'firm, humble' dialogue with Muslims - "Pope Benedict XVI urged Catholics to engage in "firm and humble" dialogue with Muslims, in an address to bishops from Germany, which has a sizable Muslim minority."

Letter From Canada: The New Christian Right - "When things get bad in the United States it is reassuring to turn to Canada, a country with a high standard of living, a small military and a national healthcare plan. Canada always seemed to be, if a bit duller than America, also a bit saner. But this is changing. ... The prime minister, who has begun, in very un-Canadian fashion, to close his speeches with the words "God Bless Canada," is also a born-again Christian. And Harper is rapidly building an alliance with the worst elements of the US Christian right."

German scholars unveil "politically correct" Bible - "A group of 52 biblical “specialists” have released a new version of the Bible in which inclusive language and “political correctness” have replaced some “divisive” teachings of Christianity in order to present a “more just language” for groups such as feminists and homosexuals."

A Sneak Peek at a Fractured Web - "Globetrotting researchers are building the first detailed almanac of government internet censorship around the world. The early results aren't pretty."

49 Million U.S. Adults Notified Of Data Breaches: Study - "An estimated 49 million U.S. adults have been told over the last three years that their personal information has been lost, stolen or improperly disclosed, a research firm said Friday."

Raid here ends girl's captivity as a sex slave - "At the age of 13, they say, she was smuggled into the U.S. from Oaxaca, Mexico, the first leg of a horrific journey that led her to a Harding Place area apartment. There she was beaten, raped and forced into a life of prostitution — an ordeal requiring her to have sex with as many as 40 men a day."

Paedophile jailed for transatlantic 'internet rape' - "Once he had the girls' e-mails, the father of two used a highly advanced programme to hack into their PCs, demonstrating the "horrors that lurk within the internet and the minds of some individuals who use it". By threatening to crash their systems, he then blackmailed his victims into stripping and sending revealing poses of themselves."

LA police in YouTube beating film - "An investigation is under way after a video of a man being repeatedly beaten by Los Angeles police officers was posted on the internet site YouTube."

Marijuana, the Anti-Drug - "Legalizing herbal cannabis would devastate the pharmaceutical manufacturers and allied corporations in the chemicals, oil, "food," and banking sectors. Put simply, the synthetic drug makers stand to lose half their sales if and when the American people get legal access to cannabis."

Report to offer climate change evidence - "A long-awaited report by an international scientific network will offer much stronger evidence of how man is changing Earth's climate, and should prompt balky governments into action against global warming, the group's chief scientist said Monday."

Outcry as clinic offers 'designer baby' embryo screening for 200 diseases - "But critics warn the ground-breaking technique is another step towards the creation of the 'designer baby'. They fear extended genetic screening may eventually be used to create babies chosen for physical characteristics, such as blue eyes or blond hair."

Transhumainists See "Cyber" Homo Sapiens Future: Part Digital, Part Biological Man - " Whether events will play out like this or not remains to be seen. But Moravec’s scenario makes a point—the world and the life upon it changes, and simply because we are the agents of change, doesn’t mean we won’t be affected by it."

Manatees may be smarter than we think - "Scientists have long assumed brains with many folds — such as those belonging to dolphins and humans — are a sign of intelligence. But Reep argues the cause behind those brain folds is unknown, and smooth-brained manatees don't seem to be missing anything important." -- I'm thinking most animals are smarter than humans think they are.

Space broadcasts to be in high definition - "The broadcasts, scheduled for Nov. 15, will be carried by Discovery HD Theater and the Japanese broadcast network NHK. ... "For the first time ever, this test lets us stream live HDTV from space so the public can experience what its like to be there," Rodney Grubbs, NASA principal investigator, said."




Quote of the Day
"You appear intelligent, but when you open your mouth the effect is spoiled."
~ Graydon, What Planet Are You From?

News -- November 10, 2006

Howard Dean Says No Impeachment Of Bush - "Howard Dean last night said there would be no impeachment proceedings against President Bush under a Democrat controlled Congress, echoing the pledge of Nancy Pelosi to protect the administration that lied a nation into a war and dismantled the very fabric of America."

The Boys Are Back in Town - "Cheney and Rumsfeld are on the outs. Scowcroft, Baker and Gates are in. Can they get America out of Iraq?"

Iraqi Official: 150,000 Civilians Dead - "A stunning new death count emerged Thursday, as Iraq's health minister estimated at least 150,000 civilians have been killed in the war - about three times previously accepted estimates."

Chávez attacks Bush as a 'genocidal' leader - "In a speech Tuesday, Chávez criticized the decision of an Iraqi court to sentence former dictator Saddam Hussein to the death penalty. ''If sentencing is to be done,'' Chávez said, ``the first one to be given the most severe sentence this planet has to offer should be the president of the United States, if we're talking about genocidal presidents.''"

A Staggering New Bill For Iraq? - "The U.S. armed services have requested a $160 billion supplemental appropriation to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the remainder of fiscal year 2007--a staggering amount that, if approved by the Defense Department, may hasten the showdown between resurgent congressional Democrats and the Bush administration over the budget-busting War on Terror."

The Secret World of Robert Gates - "The 63-year-old Gates has long faced accusations of collaborating with Islamic extremists in Iran, arming Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship in Iraq, and politicizing U.S. intelligence to conform with the desires of policymakers – three key areas that relate to his future job."

Just how cozy is Pelosi with AIPAC? - "Now that Pelosi is slated to become Speaker of the House, let's take a closer look at just how much she supports the zionist cause and vice versa.

Key Republican joins Dems opposing Bolton nomination - "This is probably not what President Bush had in mind when he stressed bipartisanship after the Democratic Party's midterm elections sweep. A key Senate Republican has joined Democrats in opposing one of Bush's initiatives for the lame-duck Congress: John Bolton's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations."

What Vote-Theft Conspiracy? - "The big losers on Election Day were of course President Bush and the Republican Party, but there was another loser too: the conspiracy theory that had it that a slick operation run out of Karl Rove’s office, and working in cahoots with the makers of the electronic voting machines increasingly being installed by voting districts around the country would steal the key elections electronically."

'Aliens could attack at any time' warns former MoD chief - "When he began his job, he too was sceptical about UFOs but access to classified files on the subject and investigation of a series of spectacular UFO sightings gradually changed his mind."

Students at Calif. College ban Pledge of Allegiance - "Student leaders at a California college have touched off a furor by banning the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings, saying they see no reason to publicly swear loyalty to God and the U.S. government."

The DVD War Against Consumers - "Even more extreme is a scheme called BD+ that deals with the problem of what to do when someone cracks the encryption scheme. The players can automatically download new crypto if the old one is broken. But there's an ominous feature buried in this so-called protection mechanism: If a particular brand of player is cryptographically "compromised," the studio can remotely disable all of the affected players. In other words, if some hacker halfway across the globe cracks Sony's software, Sony can shut down my DVD player across the Net. ... What do consumers really want? We want high-quality video and sound, of course. These days we also want interoperability. When we buy content, we expect to play it on every gadget that we own. The newest video servers require content to be copied to the hard drives, so that they can stream video throughout the house. Soon, we'll also want to take the movies that we paid for with us on small multimedia players like video iPods."

Vaccine for Girls Raises Thorny Issues - ""We haven't even talked about the birds and the bees yet," Groff said. "She needs to be innocent a little bit longer.""

New York doctor given go-ahead for world's first womb transplant - "The technique could be a godsend for infertile women who have no womb and so whose only chance of having children currently is through IVF and surrogacy."

Mums can lie about paternity: High Court - "Mothers are not always legally obliged to tell their husbands the truth about their children's paternity, the High Court has ruled."

Would you wear a face bra? - "A new type of bra which is strapped on the face to reverse signs of ageing is the latest wacky beauty fad in America. So, does it really work? We asked three curious writers to test it out - with hilarious results..."




Quote of the Day
"If you're tired of the same old story, then turn some pages."
~ REO Speedwagon

News -- November 9, 2006

The cost of war: Rumsfeld ousted in US poll fallout - "However, Mr Bush made it clear that he would not consider rapid withdrawal from Iraq as an option. "I'd like our troops to come home too, but I want them to come home with victory; and that is a country that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself," he said. He added that he had chosen Mr Gates after finding him to be "of like mind ... He understands that defeat is not an option in Iraq.""

Rumsfeld is casualty of war - "The "agreed" resignation of Mr Rumsfeld appeared to amount to his being fired only a week after Mr Bush insisted that he and Vice-President Dick Cheney were "doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them"."

Gates Has History of Manipulating Intelligence - "Robert Gates, the former director of the CIA during the presidency of George H.W. Bush who was tapped Tuesday by the president to replace Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense, is part of Texas's good ol' boy network. He may be best known for playing a role in arming Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein with American-made weapons in the country's war against Iran in the 1980s.

Bush Replaces Rumsfeld with... Another Rumsfeld - " Because who but another "Rummy" would stay the course in Iraq with the Bush administration?"

Rove, the grand strategist, faces defeat - "Mr Rove, a voracious reader of political history, should have paid more attention to his cautionary tale in his January speech of what can happen to a dominant party, when its thinking becomes ossified, an entitlement mentality takes over and political power becomes an end in itself. He had been referring to Democrats; he picked the wrong party."

Voting in the absence of Choice - "Too many Americans harbor the illusion that we live in a democracy simply because we have the right to vote. But let us be clear about something: voting matters only where real choices are allowed. It is universally understood that special interest money runs the American political system and thus defines what the choices will be. So we are left to choose between candidates who are financed by special interest money, which any fool can see, is no choice at all."

A Bulk Rate on Printing Subpoenas? - "In each of the nine cases in the past when one party has raised impeachment, that party has benefitted in the next elections. In other cases when a party has failed to press for impeachment when the grounds for it were widely known, that party has suffered. (Remember Iran Contra?) And look at what just happened yesterday."

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss - "Pelosi is widely tipped to become speaker of the house but she is already on the record as saying that no impeachment proceedings against President Bush, whether it be for deliberately lying a nation into war or being complicit in 9/11, will take place.
"Impeachment is off the table....it's a pledge....it is a waste of time," Pelosi told 60 Minutes recently. ... If George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are allowed to tear apart the very fabric of America without consequences then what is to stop a President Hillary Clinton or John McCain doing the same? ... Nancy Pelosi voted for the war in Afghanistan, for the Patriot Act, for Homeland Security and against a bill that simply condemned torture of prisoners in Iraq. Pelosi is the pro-torture "savior" who we are told will keep in check the pro-torture Bush administration."

Dobbs: A big 'hallelujah' for American voters - "Voters chose to overturn our current one-party political structure and returned checks and balance to our government. November 7 also demonstrated that the American electorate is far more discerning and independent-minded than either political party or our elites would like to believe. While the Democratic Party was the clear winner, I don't believe for even a moment that the Democrats' ideals prevailed over Republican ideals. Election Day was middle-class America's declaration of independence from a Republican-led administration and Congress that for six years has been telling working men and women and their families in this country to shut up, listen up and go to hell. The middle class just returned the favor and demonstrated discernment while delivering their loud message to Washington, D.C."

'2-Terminator' Arnold to run for Senate? - "Even while ballots are being certified across the country, there's speculation among some California Democrats that freshly re-elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will next seek the U.S. Senate currently held by Democrat Barbara Boxer."

Vatican urges Israel to ban Jerusalem gay parade - "The Vatican has often criticized the rise of gay rights as a potential threat to the traditional model of the family. In June, it said gay marriage, abortion, lesbians wanting to bear children and a host of other practices it saw as threats to the traditional family, were signs of "the eclipse of God.""

Intelligent Design Suffers Further Setback in Midterms - "Intelligent design (ID) received a drubbing yesterday, with pro-evolution candidates taking control of the Kansas State Board of Education and strengthening their representation on the Ohio State Board of Education. Many scientists also cheered the defeat of Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), one of the most politically influential supporters of the ID movement."

Christian Right Agenda In Shambles After GOP Defeat - "“We know that in America the people are with us,” insisted the founder and chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, one of the largest groups in the Christian right. “They’re just confused.”" -- That comment seems to belittle your followers. I'm sure they appreciate that.

Religious right, GOP should stop blaming gays - "According to the Republican Party and the religious right, gay marriage is the single greatest threat to the nuclear family. Let's look at the facts:"

Is marching as a gay the greatest of sins? - "I have always found it puzzling that religious people of all denominations continue to see gay men and women as the single greatest threat to civilization and the ultimate sin. To the Islamic clerics the gay marchers are a greater affront than the thousands who kill in the name of Islam. For religious Christians in America homosexuals are the single greatest threat to the family, even though gays are no more than five percent of the population, while the heterosexual divorce rate stands at 50 percent. So who needs gays to finish off the family when straight men and women are already doing that job admirably?"

A New Social Gospel - "The most common request I received was, "We need to meet with the president on Sudan"—not on gay marriage. This reflects a head-snapping generational change among evangelicals, from leaders like Falwell and Robertson to Rick Warren, focused on fighting poverty and AIDS in Africa, and Gary Haugen, confronting rape and sexual slavery in the developing world. Since leaving government, I've asked young evangelicals on campuses from Wheaton to Harvard who they view as their model of Christian activism. Their answer is nearly unanimous: Bono."

Humanists urged to promote values - ""The term humanism is complete in itself. It does not need any adjectives. Humanists can be emotional but never irrational," he said, urging the young participants to try and understand the difference between `religion' and `spiritualism'."

Bush eyes Democrats for help on amnesty - "President Bush yesterday said he will team up with Democrats to pass an immigration bill with a guest-worker program that his own party blocked this year, and his Republican opponents predicted a bloody intraparty fight but said they cannot stop such a bill from passing."

Attack of the Perv Trackers - "Just a few years ago, satellite tracking of convicts was a newfangled alternative to house arrest. Now, the number of American ex-offenders tracked through GPS-equipped ankle bracelets will likely triple to more than 30,000, thanks to the passage of a California ballot measure." -- It always begins with the mantra: protecting the children.

What the Democrats' win means for tech - "On a wealth of topics--Net neutrality, digital copyright, merger approval, data retention, Internet censorship--a Capitol Hill controlled by Democrats should yield a shift in priorities on technology-related legislation."

FCC backtracks on 2 charges of indecency - "It may be OK to swear on a news show, but profanities on other programs are still verboten, the Federal Communications Commission announced Tuesday."

Oh, the (Lack of) Humanity - "I don't know what this guy's particular problems were or why he landed on the street. Maybe he's a psychological train wreck. Maybe he inherited his addictions, or created his own. Maybe he's a war veteran who never readjusted to civilian life. Maybe his dot-com stock options weren't worth the paper they were printed on and he was dumb enough to think that they would be. Or maybe he's one of a growing number of people who simply dropped out, unable to cope with the insane pressures of modern life. That last one should not be overlooked as a contributing factor to what is an increasingly dysfunctional society. A lot of people are feeling the effects of a world that simply moves too damned fast. Most of us deal with the pressure and ignore the vague sense that life could be better than it is; a few Type A's even thrive on the chaos. But a lot of folks can't handle it. Or don't want to."

'Helicopter parents' try to help their kids land jobs - "Some parents are writing their college-age kids' resumes. Others are acting as their children's "representatives," hounding college career counselors, showing up at job fairs and sometimes going as far as calling employers to ask why their son or daughter didn't get a job. It's the next phase in helicopter parenting, a term coined for those who have hovered over their children's lives from kindergarten to college. Now they are inserting themselves into their kids' job search -- and school officials and employers say it's a problem that may be hampering some young people's careers." -- Pathetic.

More college students taking Web courses - "Roughly one in six students enrolled in higher education — about 3.2 million people — took at least one online course last fall, a sharp increase defying predictions that online learning growth is leveling off."

Norway, Iceland, Australia said best places to live - "Norway, Iceland, Australia, Ireland and Sweden rank as the best five countries to live in but Africa's quality of life has plummeted because of AIDS, said a U.N. report released on Thursday. The United States was ranked in eighth place, after Canada and Japan, in the report that rates not only per-capita income but also educational levels, health care and life expectancy in measuring a nation's well-being."

Could our big brains come from Neanderthals? - "Neanderthals may have given the modern humans who replaced them a priceless gift -- a gene that helped them develop superior brains, U.S. researchers reported Tuesday. And the only way they could have provided that gift would have been by interbreeding, the team at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of Chicago said."

A better way to make seawater drinkable - "Researchers at University of California at Los Angeles have come up with a membrane that can filter salt and impurities out of seawater more efficiently and for less money than current systems, which potentially could help with the world's looming water problems."

Christopher Walken to Play Ozzy Osbourne - "Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil told ABC News Radio in an exclusive interview that the 63-year-old Oscar-winning actor will make a cameo appearance as Osbourne in "The Dirt," a movie based on the band's controversial 2001 autobiography." -- I know, I know, this should be over on the comet.




Quote of the Day
"Every generation must resist the temptation to believe that it lives in the most dangerous time in American history."
~ Ron Paul

News -- November 8, 2006

Dems take House as GOP clings to Senate, CNN projects - "Democratic challengers have picked up four seats in the Senate, CNN projects. Republicans would need to take just one of the two remaining competitive races to keep control of the chamber. Results are still too close to call in Montana and Virginia."

Webb, Allen Too Close to Call - "Democratic challenger James Webb held a slim lead over Republican Sen. George Allen this morning in Virginia's U.S. Senate race, a dramatic and nasty battle that almost certainly will be decided by a recount next month."

South Dakotans Reject Tough Abortion Ban - "The outcome was a blow to conservatives, although they prevailed in five other states where voters approved constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage." -- Can't have gay people get married, that might irritate a god.

Gay Marriage Ban Rejected in Arizona - " In a triple setback for conservatives, South Dakotans rejected a law that would have banned virtually all abortions, Arizona became the first state to defeat an amendment to ban gay marriage and Missouri approved a measure backing stem cell research." -- I guess there is hope for humanity.

A Voter Rebuke For Bush, the War And the Right - "The political pendulum in American politics swung away from the right yesterday, putting an end to the 12-year Republican Revolution on Capitol Hill and delivering a sharp rebuke of President Bush and the Iraq war."

Blame for Iraq Extends Far Beyond the GOP - "It doesn't take much courage to book the Dixie Chicks when George Bush is sitting at 39% in the polls and carrying 3000 American bodies on his back every time he goes outside. It doesn't take much courage for MSNBC's Countdown to do a segment ripping the "Swiftboating of Al Gore" in May of 2006, or much gumption from Newsweek's Eleanor Clift to say that many people in the media "regret" the way Gore was attacked and ridiculed in 2000. We needed those people to act in the moment, not years later, when it's politically expedient. We needed TV news to reject "swift-boating" during the actual Swift Boat controversy, not two years later; we needed ABC and NBC to stand up to Clear Channel when that whole idiotic Dixie Chicks thing was happening, not years later; we needed the networks and the major dailies to actually cover the half-million-strong protests in Washington and New York before the war, instead of burying them in inside pages or describing the numbers as "thousands" or "at least 30,000," as many news outlets did at the time; and we needed David Letterman to have his war epiphany back when taking on Bill O'Reilly might actually have cost him real market share."

Across U.S., voters' loud message: It's time for change - "Americans finally got to vote on the war. They want change. They got to vote on one-party rule. They rejected it. They got a chance to vote local. They voted national. No matter what name was on the ballot, to many voters it read "George W. Bush." ... Indeed, the Democrats essentially beat something with nothing. They offered no clear agenda, no Contract with America, not even a memorable bumper sticker. This was an election driven by feelings of rejection far more than embrace."

E-voting glitches disrupt election day - "From Colorado to Florida, glitches blamed on human error or computer malfunctions yielded long lines and led some precincts to resort temporarily to paper ballots."

Corruption named as key issue by voters in exit polls - "By a wide margin, Americans who voted Tuesday in the midterm election say they disapprove of the war in Iraq. But when asked which issue was extremely important to their vote, more voters said corruption and ethics in government than any other issue, including the war, according to national exit polls."

Let Post-Election Debugging Begin - "E-voting gaffes prove plentiful on Election Day, and both political parties find some reason to complain. Maybe now we can start reforming the system."

Iraqis skeptical Democrat gains will bring change - ""The Democrats have been saying they will withdraw but I'm sure they will disappoint us. The Americans have ruined everything and the only solution is to let Iraqis deal with this mess," he said."

World sees Dems' win as Bush rejection - "The shift in power also was seen as a signal in some capitals that the United States would put a greater emphasis on trade policy and human rights."

War Criminals, Beware - "On November 14 a group of lawyers and other experts will come before the German federal prosecutor and ask him to open a criminal investigation targeting Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzales and other key Bush Administration figures for war crimes. The recent passage of the Military Commissions Act provides a central argument for the legal action, under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction: It demonstrates the intent of the Bush Administration to immunize itself legally from prosecution in the United States, even for the most serious crimes."

Why Hussein ultimately wins, and dies a martyr - "Hussein still wins because in the eyes of most Sunni Arabs in Iraq, and of many elsewhere, he dies a martyr to the cause of Arab nationalism. His sons are dead, his country is in ruins, and he will die at the end of a rope - but he defied the West, and he kept his dignity, so he dies a hero. ... Hussein has not had a fair trial, although that, too, would certainly have found him guilty. He is the victim of a state-sponsored lynching, and so, for many people, he will die a martyr. That will make little difference in Iraq, where people have more immediate things to worry about, but it certainly does not help the cause of international law."

Britain is determined to protect its right to kill civilians at random - "The British and US governments will today join forces in Geneva to block an international ban on cluster bombs."

Pentagon 9/11 Video Being Held Back by FBI - "The FBI has further delayed the release of a video that many bloggers have speculated may show the impact of flight 77 into the Pentagon on September 11th 2001."

China reaching $1 trillion in global clout - "China is growing so fast that it could, less than two decades from now, rival the United States as a key driver of the world economy, economists say."

Stem cell cure for heart attacks - "Emergency heart attack patients will be injected with their own stem cells in a dramatic new treatment."

Patch may one day let you skip the needle - "Dreaded vaccinations one day could be as simple as sticking on a Band-Aid -- ouchless and do-it-yourself."

Sleep around for healthier babies - "Sleeping around can improve a female's chances of having healthier offspring, research shows. Promiscuity in some mammals results in greater competition between sperm, with the winner having the best genes."

Bill Gates says West not supplying enough IT talent - "Many Western firms have also outsourced data management, software development and other high tech operations to lower cost operators in Asia, where education standards are high in some countries but wages are still comparatively low. "There is a shortage of IT skills on a worldwide basis. Anybody who can get those skills here now will have a lot of opportunity," Gates said."

Home-Delivered Pot All The Buzz - "In a city where you can get just about anything delivered to your door - groceries, dry cleaning, Chinese food - pot smokers are increasingly ordering takeout marijuana from drug rings that operate with remarkable corporate-style attention to customer satisfaction. An untold number of otherwise law-abiding professionals in New York are having their pot delivered to their homes instead of visiting drug dens or hanging out on street corners."




Quote of the Day
"The accumulation of all powers legislative, executive and judiciary in the same hands . . . may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
~ James Madison