January 18, 2007

Give us guns – and troops can go, says Iraqi leader - "Nouri al-Maliki said the insurgency had been bloodier and prolonged because Washington had refused to part with equipment. If it released the necessary arms, US forces could “drastically” cut their numbers in three to six months, he told The Times."

Soldiers taunt crippled dog in Iraq - * May be disturbing to some* - "This is a video of several sick-in-the-head US soldiers throwing rocks and laughing at a poor dog with a very severe spinal deformity, who was obviously suffering even before they started abusing the poor, wretched animal." -- Fucking assholes.

Military judge: objector can't raise questions about war legality - "An Army officer cannot try to justify his refusal to report for duty in Iraq by questioning the legality of the war because that is a political issue, a military judge has ruled." -- So much for the Geneva conventions.

How US is deferring war costs - "But to pay for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has used its credit card, counting on the Chinese and other foreign buyers of its debt to pay the bills. Now, as President Bush is promising to boost the number of troops in Iraq, there is increased scrutiny over how the US is going to pay for it all."

Bush Seizes Control Over State Militias - "To the dismay of the nation’s governors, the White House now will be empowered to go over a governor’s head and call up National Guard troops to aid a state in time of natural disasters or other public emergencies. Up to now, governors were the sole commanders in chief of citizen soldiers in local Guard units during emergencies within the state."

Congress to Send Critics to Jail - "In what sounds like a comedy sketch from Jon Stewart's Daily Show, but isn't, the U. S. Senate would impose criminal penalties, even jail time, on grassroots causes and citizens who criticize Congress."

Critics See 'Slippery Slope' in Reintroduced Federal 'Hate Crimes' Law - "As the new Democratic majority continues its 100-hour legislative blitz in the U.S. House, one Democrat has quietly reintroduced controversial legislation that would give the federal government more authority over so-called "hate crimes.""

TV programme reveals the REAL Frankensteins - "Resembling something dreamed up by Mary Shelley's Dr Frankenstein, it seemed literally incredible. But as the Soviet propaganda machine informed the world, this canine curiosity was both very real - and a scientific triumph." -- Imagine what must be held in secret today.

Sex pests 'could have hormone injections' - "Sex offenders could be forced to have hormone injections under radical plans to tackle crime being considered by Downing Street."

US housing bust getting worse, warns Goldman - "The US Federal Reserve will need to slash interest rates three times this year as the housing slump goes from bad to worse and the American consumer begins to buckle, Goldman Sachs has warned."

Weather Channel Climate Expert Calls for Decertifying Global Warming Skeptics - "The Weather Channel’s most prominent climatologist is advocating that broadcast meteorologists be stripped of their scientific certification if they express skepticism about predictions of manmade catastrophic global warming. This latest call to silence skeptics follows a year (2006) in which skeptics were compared to "Holocaust Deniers" and Nuremberg-style war crimes trials were advocated by several climate alarmists."

Crunch year for planet Earth - "This will be a crunch year for action on the climate crisis, a leading environmental lobbyist said on Wednesday."

Music industry threatens ISPs over piracy - "The music industry opened up a new front in the war on online music piracy yesterday, threatening to sue internet service providers that allow customers to illegally share copyrighted tracks over their networks." -- Your antique business model needs to be updated.

Air Force colonel reports lights 'not of this world' - "In the wake of reports of unidentified objects flying over Chicago's O'Hare Airport, a retired Air Force pilot has his own mystery with a rash of bright, colorful lights he photographed hovering in skies over western Arkansas last week. "I believe these lights were not of this world, and I feel a duty and responsibility to come forward," Col. Brian Fields told WND. "I have no idea what they were.""

Cheap, safe drug kills most cancers - "It sounds almost too good to be true: a cheap and simple drug that kills almost all cancers by switching off their “immortality”. The drug, dichloroacetate (DCA), has already been used for years to treat rare metabolic disorders and so is known to be relatively safe. It also has no patent, meaning it could be manufactured for a fraction of the cost of newly developed drugs. Evangelos Michelakis of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and his colleagues tested DCA on human cells cultured outside the body and found that it killed lung, breast and brain cancer cells, but not healthy cells. Tumours in rats deliberately infected with human cancer also shrank drastically when they were fed DCA-laced water for several weeks."

In North Dakota, playing house is a sex crime - "In North Dakota, a man and woman who live together without being married are committing a sex crime. It's right there in the law, a state senator says, alongside the prohibitions against adultery, incest and indecent exposure."

Who's on the other side of that dressing-room mirror? - "A New York-based designer has come up with a mirror equipped with infrared technology that sends a live video feed to any cell phone, e-mail account or personal digital assistant device selected by a shopper."




Quote of the Day
"It is a rule of thumb concerning Black Projects, that any information made public about a technology is 20 years behind where the classified technology has advanced to."
~ Professor James McGee

January 16, 2007

Presidential Candidate Fears "Gulf Of Tonkin" To Provoke Iran War - "Republican Congressman and 2008 Presidential candidate Ron Paul fears a staged Gulf of Tonkin style incident may be used to provoke air strikes on Iran as numerous factors collide to heighten expectations that America may soon be embroiled in its third war in six years."

McClatchy Report: Are Americans Getting Truth on Iraq? - "President Bush and his aides, explaining their reasons for sending more American troops to Iraq, are offering an incomplete, oversimplified and possibly untrue version of events there that raises new questions about the accuracy of the administration's statements about Iraq."

Bush: 'Iraq should be grateful' - "US President George W Bush said Iraqi people should be grateful to the US for the 2003 invasion and the removal of Saddam Hussein." -- How many Iraqis would still be alive had the US not invaded Iraq? And you think they should be grateful?

Bomb blasts in Baghdad leave 89 dead - "Two minivans exploded near a Baghdad university as students were leaving after classes Tuesday, killing at least 65 people in one of several attacks on predominantly Shiite areas." -- Should their families be grateful, George?

Constitution Party of Oregon Calls on Congress to Repeal The Iraqi War Resolution - "In just two paragraphs, H.R. 413 repeals President Bush’s military usurpation of 2002, and calls for the orderly withdrawal of our troops from Iraq."

The Irrelevance of Military Victory - "In real estate, the three important considerations are location, location, location. In Iraq, the three conditions are occupation, occupation, occupation. Nothing can improve in Iraq until we understand that our occupation is the primary source of the chaos and killing. We are a foreign occupying force, strongly resented by the majority of Iraq's citizens."

U.S. officials say Taliban attacks surge - "Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday the United States must engage Pakistan in talks to curb an increasing flow of Taliban fighters across the border into southern and eastern Afghanistan. He did not rule out increasing U.S. forces in the country."

American Caligula / Roman Emperor Caligula: HIstorical Background - "Many have noted that Bush exhibits a strange fascination with death, and like Caligula, he seems to enjoy executing people."

Sen. Clinton: More forces needed in Afghanistan - "U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Monday that Afghanistan has made some progress, but the country is “tottering” and needs more troops to finish off Taliban and al-Qaida forces."

Fox Show "24": Torture on TV - "With at least one big torture scene in every episode and steadily increasing ratings, TV show "24" is more convincing than the White House at making the case for torture."

The Global Energy Race and Its Consequences (Part 1) - "Unlike Islamo-fascism, Energo-fascism will, in time, affect nearly every person on the planet. Either we will be compelled to participate in or finance foreign wars to secure vital supplies of energy, such as the current conflict in Iraq; or we will be at the mercy of those who control the energy spigot, like the customers of the Russian energy juggernaut Gazprom in Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia; or sooner or later we may find ourselves under constant state surveillance, lest we consume more than our allotted share of fuel or engage in illicit energy transactions. This is not simply some future dystopian nightmare, but a potentially all-encompassing reality whose basic features, largely unnoticed, are developing today. "

US comptroller says US taxes would have to double to pay for Bush budget in 2040 - "The head of the GAO also warned that if no action is taken now to control government spending, severe tax hikes could be necessary. He stated that, "balancing the budget in 2040 could require actions as large as cutting total federal spending by 60 percent or raising federal taxes to 2 times today’s level."" -- The people that run this country have no comprehension of budgeting because not very many of them have had to budget their own finances in order to eat or pay rent.

Globalization Has Increased the Wealth Gap - "Globalization was meant to be the great equalizer. Goods would flow easily across borders. Standards of living in poor countries would be raised. Governments would become more stable. Instead it has brought citizen protests, greater economic disparities between first- and third-world nations, and a complex trade regime that may well benefit only the richest in richest countries. What went wrong?"

'Bible-based' marriage counseling under fire - "If successful, the suit could have a chilling effect on faith-based funding. At stake are more than $750 million in marriage-related education and research grants the federal government plans to spend over the next five years."

Adultery could mean life, court finds - "In a ruling sure to make philandering spouses squirm, Michigan's second-highest court says that anyone involved in an extramarital fling can be prosecuted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to life in prison."

51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse - "For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one, according to a New York Times analysis of census results. ... Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a minority of all American households for the first time, the trend could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits. Several factors are driving the statistical shift. At one end of the age spectrum, women are marrying later or living with unmarried partners more often and for longer periods. At the other end, women are living longer as widows and, after a divorce, are more likely than men to delay remarriage, sometimes delighting in their newfound freedom."

Medicare for All: The Only Sound Solution to Our Healthcare Crisis - "Our $2 trillion healthcare industry is not only unhealthy, it is unsustainable. Why universal Medicare is the way to get universal healthcare without collapsing the system."

Dinosaurs, humans coexist in U.S. creation museum - "The $27 million project, which also includes a planetarium, a special-effects theater, nature trails and a small lake, is privately funded by people who believe the Bible's first book, Genesis, is literally true."

Skull shows possible human/Neanderthal breeding - "A 40,000-year-old skull found in a Romanian cave shows traits of both modern humans and Neanderthals and might prove the two interbred, researchers reported on Monday."

Smoking foes bring the fight to apartment buildings - "A year after a statewide smoking ban took effect at workplaces, restaurants, bars and other public places, a new battlefield over secondhand smoke is emerging: apartment buildings. Spurred on by nonsmoking tenants and public-health leaders, more private landlords are considering restricting smoking inside their rental units. And local public-housing agencies are also looking at banning smoking in the units of some buildings."

Big Companies Turning To In-house Health Clinics - "Frustrated by runaway health costs, America's largest employers are moving rapidly to open more primary-care medical centers in their offices and factories as a way to offer convenient service and free or low-cost health care."

New phones feature touch panel, smell - "Japan's top wireless operator NTT DoCoMo Inc. unveiled on Tuesday a mobile phone featuring a touch-sensitive screen, like the popular Nintendo DS portable game console, and another model that gives off a relaxing scent."




Quote of the Day
"Somewhere between the public feeding of Christians to lions at the end of Roman civilization, and the post-apocalyptic death matches of Mad Max in the Thunderdome, there is Fox Television."
~ Eileen Ciesla

January 15, 2007

War costs are hitting historic proportions - "By the time the Vietnam war ended in 1975, it had become America's longest war, shadowed the legacies of four presidents, killed 58,000 Americans along with many thousands more Vietnamese, and cost the U.S. more than $660 billion in today's dollars. ... If U.S. involvement continues on the current scale, the funding for the Iraq war — combined with the conflict in Afghanistan and other foreign fronts in the war on terrorism — is projected to surpass this country's Vietnam spending next year." -- Wasted money. Wasted lives.

Why the US Is Not Leaving Iraq: The Booming Business of War Profiteers - "The fact of matter is that not everyone is losing in Iraq. Indeed, while the Bush administration’s wars of choice have brought unnecessary death, destruction, and disaster to millions, including many from the Unites States, they have also brought fortunes and prosperity to war profiteers. At the heart of the reluctance to withdraw from Iraq lies the profiteers’ unwillingness to give up further fortunes and spoils of war."

Shock and oil: Iraq's billions & the White House connection - "The company changed its name to BearingPoint from KPMG Consulting in 2002, shortly after separating from its parent company. In the years since, contracts with the US government have proved the highlight of the business, while its work for private company clients has failed to live up to hopes. In part because of its reliance on the US federal government - which accounts for about 30 per cent of revenues - BearingPoint has dramatically stepped up its attempts to buy influence in Washington. Its contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan coincide with a big increase in its lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. In 2005, the latest year for which figures have been collated, BearingPoint paid $1m to lobbyists, equalling the record total it paid in 2003. That is five times its average annual bill for lobbyists prior to the war in Iraq."

Bush: Congress can't stop troop increase - ""Frankly, that's not their responsibility," Bush said in an interview on the CBS News program "60 Minutes," which aired Sunday. "It's my responsibility to put forward the plan that I think will succeed. I believe if they start trying to cut off funds, they better explain to the American people and the soldiers why their plan will succeed," the president said."

60 Minutes: CIA Official Reveals Bush, Cheney, Rice Were Personally Told Iraq Had No WMD in Fall 2002 - "Tonight on 60 Minutes, Tyler Drumheller, the former chief of the CIA’s Europe division, revealed that in the fall of 2002, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and others were told by CIA Director George Tenet that Iraq’s foreign minister — who agreed to act as a spy for the United States — had reported that Iraq had no active weapons of mass destruction program."

Next target Tehran - "All the signs are that Bush is planning for a neocon-inspired military assault on Iran ."

White House: Can't rule out attack on Iran - "The White House said Sunday it is not planning military action against Iran, but refused to rule out the possibility, bucking pressure from several senators who said the administration is not authorized to do so."

Top Dem Wesley Clark Says ‘N.Y. Money People’ Pushing War With Iran - "Retired general Wesley Clark drew harsh criticism this week after reportedly saying that “New York money people” are pushing America into a war against Iran. By Tuesday, Clark, a past and likely future Democratic candidate for president, was working to assure Jewish groups that he was in no way attempting to advance an antisemitic conspiracy theory. But the controversy still had Jewish organizations bracing for a new wave of claims that they are the driving force behind any future military strikes against Tehran."

Russian Admiral Says U.S. Navy Prepares Missile Strike on Iran - "U.S. Navy nuclear submarines maintaining vigil off the coast of Iran indicate that the Pentagon’s military plans include not only control over navigation in the Persian Gulf but also strikes against Iranian targets, a former commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Eduard Baltin has told the Interfax news agency."

Iran target of US Gulf military moves, Gates says - "Increased US military activity in the Gulf is aimed at Iran's "very negative" behaviour, the Bush administration said today. The defence secretary, Robert Gates, told reporters that the decision to deploy a Patriot missile battalion and a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf in conjunction with a "surge" of troops in Iraq was designed to show Iran that the US was not "overcommitted" in Iraq."

The Folly of Total War - "Is Dubya's objective to see how many wars he can start at one time? Let's see, there's Iraq Attack II, of course, the family affair, and then there's North Korea, that bit of fifty year old unresolved business, and now there's Pakistan where the US bombed a religious school the other day. If you really want to groom hatred, simply bomb religious schools, hospitals, water purification plants, electrical grids, etc. Then there's Bahrain where the people rioted against the presence of US troops the other day. In Kuwait, policemen are taking potshots at soldiers. According to the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, over a hundred US soldiers are missing in Afghanistan."

Cheney says critics of new US Iraq plan play into hands of Bin Laden - ""Bin Laden doesn't think he can beat us. He believes he can force us to quit," Cheney said, citing US military setbacks in Lebanon and Somalia that led to US withdrawals from those countries. "He believes after Lebanon and Somalia, the United States doesn't have the stomach for a long war and Iraq is the current central battlefield in that war, and it's essential we win there and we will win there," he said." -- Shut up, Dick.

Cheney admits expanded military spying role inside US - " US Vice-President Dick Cheney has admitted that the US military and CIA have been spying on the financial dealings of Americans -- intelligence gathering normally authorized only by civilian policing agencies."

Cheney: Credit Checks Aren't Illegal - "Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday the Pentagon and CIA are not violating people's rights by examining the banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage in the United States. ... "The Department of Defense has legitimate authority in this area. This is an authority that goes back three or four decades. It was reaffirmed in the Patriot Act,'' he said. ``It's perfectly legitimate activity. There's nothing wrong with it or illegal. It doesn't violate people's civil rights.''"

Gates: troops should stay even if Iraq plan fails - "US Defense Secretary rejects Democrats call to withdraw from Iraq in four to six months time."

Blair and Bush’s latest weapon of war: YouTube - "THE WHITE House and Downing Street have signalled they intend to open up a new propaganda war by encouraging frontline soldiers to post positive video news stories about the Iraq occupation on internet websites. ... Blair said that gruesome images showing the "reality of war" were being used as a propaganda weapon by insurgents to influence public opinion that ultimately impacts on the morale of the armed forces." -- Can you believe the world we live in?

The real reason the Bush administration won't back down on Guantanamo. - "But it has finally become clear that the goal of these foolish efforts isn't really to win the war against terrorism; indeed, nothing about Padilla, Guantanamo, or signing statements moves the country an inch closer to eradicating terror. The object is a larger one, and the original overarching goal of this administration: expanding executive power, for its own sake."

Land of Enchantment and Impeachment - "There is a decent chance that within the next month or two the New Mexico State Legislature will ask the U.S. House of Representatives to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney. And there is the definite possibility that a Congress Member from New Mexico will take up the matter when it gets to Washington. The Jefferson Manual, rules used by the U.S. House, allows for impeachment to be begun in this manner. It only takes one state legislature. No governor is needed. One Congress Member, from the same state or any other, is needed to essentially acknowledge receipt of the state's petition. Then impeachment begins."

Terror: 'We're Going to Get Hit' - "But he warned of future attacks. "We don't want to acknowledge we're going to get hit again in the homeland, but we are," he said. "That's a hard, ugly fact. But it's going to happen." Crumpton cited no specific intel, but said the most worrisome scenarios involve lone operatives who slip into the country and take directions through cyberspace." -- Hmmm. I see many other countries that do not have this problem. I wonder what the difference is.

Wanna be Prez? First get $100M - ""The system is broken. Until you cut the dependence between people who are running for office and the special interests who are raising money for them, you are going to have public policy that favors the special interests.""

Despite Lessons on King, Some Unaware of His Dream - "In a recent survey of college students on U.S. civic literacy, more than 81 percent knew that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was expressing hope for "racial justice and brotherhood" in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. That's the good news. Most of the rest surveyed thought King was advocating the abolition of slavery.

Rush Limbaugh and Tony Snow: Feminist police - "You're right, Condi! It is! But if you really think it's okay not to have or want children, you shouldn't be working for an administration that wants do deny women at home and abroad access to family planning. Of course conservatives, who have been enacting anti-woman policies for years, are quick to seize the opportunity to call Boxer an anti-feminist:"

Economists upgrade US outlook after surprisingly strong data - "Economists are hastily upgrading their forecasts for the US economy after a series of surprisingly strong reports suggesting the so-called "soft landing" may be over and growth is accelerating."

Should UK Ban Shoah Denial? - "Britain should hold a debate on whether to introduce a law banning Holocaust denial, a senior government minister said this week."

State sides with ladies night foe - "A self-described "agitator’’ against feminism declared ladies nights at Colorado nightclubs dead today after prevailing in a civil rights complaint against The Proof NiteClub in southeast Denver. Steve Horner learned Thursday that the Division of Civil Rights for the Department of Regulatory Agencies sided with him in his complaint that men were unfairly having to pay cover charges and higher drink prices than women at the Proof’s Ladies Nights. ... "If I was a black or a cripple or a Jew or a gay, you wouldn’t dare ask me that question,’’ Horner said. "I’m standing up for my civil rights. Horner said he has "shut down" ladies nights in three other states — Minnesota, Idaho and Oregon. But, he conceded that the business practice soon reemerged."

School, teen clash over medieval photo - "Seventeen-year-old Patrick Agin often spends a week whittling a single arrow, and he's learning to make chain mail armor by hand. So when it came time to submit a senior yearbook photo, he selected a snapshot of himself wearing chain mail and slinging a prop sword over his shoulder. Portsmouth High School rejected the photo, citing a "zero tolerance policy" for weapons, and Agin and his family sued, claiming the school was violating his right to free speech."

Animal Tags for People? - "Two cousin companies bet the fast-expanding market for animal RFID chips will extend to humans before long."

First U.S. Uterus Transplant Planned - "But the planned operation, which Del Priore and his colleagues could attempt later this year, is stirring objections among some transplant experts, fertility specialists and medical ethicists. They question whether the procedure has been tested sufficiently on animals and whether the benefit of being able to carry a pregnancy outweighs the risks for the woman and fetus."

Scientists identify Alzheimer's gene in study - "A huge international study has identified a gene that apparently can raise the risk of developing the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that may help scientists develop new treatments."




Quote of the Day
"Who made you God to say 'I'll take your life from you!!'"
~ Metallica

January 13, 2007

Gates, Pace Say U.S. Troops Won't Enter Iran or Syria - "American troops seeking to counter Iranian and Syrian aid to violent forces in Iraq won't cross the border into those countries, top Defense Department officials told lawmakers."

Bush vows to 60 Minutes that 'no matter what Congress wants' surge is on - ""Do you believe as Commander in Chief you have the authority to put the troops in there no matter what the Congress wants to do," 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley asks Bush in the short clip uploaded to the CBS News web site Friday night. "I think I've got, in this situation, I do, yeah," Bush said. "Now I fully understand they will," Bush continued, "they could try to stop me from doing it, but, uh, I've made my decision and we're going forward."" -- Forward? More like down the toilet.

Bush: If you don't like my Iraq plan, tell me yours - "President Bush on Saturday challenged lawmakers skeptical of his new Iraq plan to propose their own strategy for stopping the violence in Baghdad. "To oppose everything while proposing nothing is irresponsible," Bush said." -- Hmmmm. I don't recall so much violence in Iraq before the U.S. invasion.

Military Expands Intelligence Role in U.S. - "The Pentagon has been using a little-known power to obtain banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage inside the United States, part of an aggressive expansion by the military into domestic intelligence gathering."

Bush's Iraq Plan - Goading Iran into War - "President George W. Bush's address on Iraq Wednesday night was less about Iraq than about its eastern neighbour, Iran. There was little new about the U.S.'s strategy in Iraq, but on Iran, the president spelled out a plan that appears to be aimed at goading Iran into war with the U.S."

'No proof' of Iran nuclear arms - "The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has not found conclusive evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, a US magazine has reported."

US strikes on al-Qa'ida chiefs kill nomads - "The herdsmen had gathered with their animals around large fires at night to ward off mosquitoes. But lit up by the flames, they became latest victims of America's war on terror. It was their tragedy to be misidentified in a secret operation by special forces attempting to kill three top al-Qa'ida leaders in south-ern Somalia."

CIA says it can’t reveal interrogation method documents - "The CIA cannot reveal "alternative interrogation methods" used on terrorists because doing so would cause exceptionally grave damage to national security by telling enemies how the agency gathers intelligence, the government has told a judge."

Terrorists 'use Google maps to hit UK troops' - "Terrorists attacking British bases in Basra are using aerial footage displayed by the Google Earth internet tool to pinpoint their attacks, say Army intelligence sources."

NGOs to sue US over WMD claims - "SOME 30 non-governmental organisations in Niger said overnight they are going to sue the United States for nearly two billion dollars for "unfairly accusing" Niger of selling uranium to the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein."

Did AP cover same Bush speech as major papers? - "In a January 11 article on President Bush's appearance at the Fort Benning Army military base in Georgia, the Associated Press claimed that Bush was "surrounded ... by cheering soldiers" as he promoted his plan to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq. That characterization of how Bush was received stands in stark contrast with what The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times reported in their coverage of Bush's Fort Benning visit. The AP also did not include a reference to soldiers at the base being forbidden to talk to reporters, as the three papers suggested."

Ron Paul: Next President Of The USA? - "Ron Paul's office has confirmed reports that the Texas Congressman is set to run for the 2008 Presidency. Paul unites opposition to the war and the police state at home across the entire political spectrum and in contrast to the current gaggle of criminals running the White House, represents everything that America truly stands for. A gargantuan effort in support of Ron Paul needs to be mobilized now to prevent Americans from being hoodwinked once again into electing a different puppet of the same dark establishment in 2008."

Christian leader rejects McCain - ""Speaking as a private individual, I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances," said James Dobson, founder of the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family as well as the Focus Action cultural action organization set up specifically to provide a platform for informing and rallying constituents. Dobson, who always is careful to note that he's not speaking for the non-profit ministry, which cannot advocate for or against candidates legally, also doesn't hesitate to state his personal opinions on social or political issues and agendas."

George W. Bush: A Symptom of Disease - "The fact that such a misfit could ascend to the presidency is testimony to the effectiveness of the capital system. Under capitalism, political power is not derived from the people, as would be the case in a democracy; nor does it not flow from the bottom up—it matriculates from the top down. It is really quite simple: The men and women who are in office were put there by people with immense wealth to represent the interests of the wealthy, to make money for them. And that is exactly what they are doing."

Exchange Turns Into Political Flashpoint - "During the Thursday hearing, Ms. Boxer told Ms. Rice: “You’re not going to pay any particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family.” In a separate interview, Senator Boxer said her comments had been misunderstood and were now being turned against her by the White House and other Republicans. “What I was trying to do in this exchange was to find common ground with Condi Rice,” Ms. Boxer said, adding that “my whole point was to focus on the military families who pay the price.” “They’re getting this off on a non-existent thing that I didn’t say,” Ms. Boxer said. “I’m saying, she’s like me, we do not have families who are in the military. What they are doing is a really tortured way to attack a United States Senator who voted against the war.”"

NATIONAL ID: TARGET THE STATE HOUSES - ""Supporters claim it is not a national ID because it is voluntary. However, any state that opts out will automatically make non-persons out of its citizens. The citizens of that state will be unable to have any dealings with the federal government because their ID will not be accepted. They will not be able to fly or to take a train. In essence, in the eyes of the federal government they will cease to exist. It is absurd to call this voluntary." Congressman Ron Paul on HR 418."

It Happened Quite Suddenly… - "…Really, more suddenly than most people thought that it could. Even some of the doomsayers were caught by surprise. Who would have thought that America could go from super-power to third world status, in just two short months?"

First thought on most Jewish Congress ever: Wow. Second thought: Oy - "First thought: Wow, so many Jews in Congress. A record number: 43. That's huge. No wonder people are so excited about it. Second thought: Isn't it too much? Just 2 percent of the population and 13 senators out of 100? Two percent of the population and 30 congressmen? Aren't they going to draw the attention of all the anti-Semites, conspiracy theorists, Walt and Mersheimers of the world? Maybe a lower profile would have been preferable?"

Nancy 'Oops, I did it again!' Pelosi and a special exemption to the Minimum Wage Bill - "Madam Speaker Pelosi has once again hypocritically exempted one of her precious pets from her legislation. As previously mentioned, in HR1 the lobbying reform bill she allowed an exemption for AIPAC and the Aspen group. The very next day, in HR2, she provided an exemption to the Minimum Wage Bill to two companies based in her district, doing business in America Samoa."

Deficit Falls to Lowest Level in 4 Years - "The federal deficit has improved significantly in the first three months of the new budget year, helped by a continued surge in tax revenues."

Rare brain worms latest border disease - "Medical professionals in South Texas have identified another disease that has apparently slipped across the border – caused by a rare brain worm that can be fatal and is being spread by unsanitary food-handling practices."

UFO Crash in Central Iran - "Deputy Governor General of Kerman province Abulghassem Nasrollahi told FNA that the crash which was followed by an explosion and a thick spiral of smoke has caused no casualties or damage to properties. He further denied earlier reports that the explosion has been the result of a plane or chopper crash, reminding that all the passing aircrafts have been reported as sound and safe."

The Pirate Bay plans to buy island - "Swedish file-sharing website The Pirate Bay is planning to buy its own nation in an attempt to circumvent international copyright laws. The group has set up a campaign to raise money to buy Sealand, a former British naval platform in the North Sea that has been designated a 'micronation', and claims to be outside the jurisdiction of the UK or any other country."














Quote of the Day
"There is a foreign terrorist threat in the United States that I don't think we were aware of."
~ Vincent Cannistraro

January 12, 2007

A president thoroughly in the dark - "When Bush talks to us Americans, as he did Wednesday night, about "a year ahead that will demand more patience, sacrifice, and resolve", this is whom he is mainly sacrificing. Today, in our civilized world, we are shocked when we read of the bloody rites, the human sacrifices, of the Aztecs whose priests ripped hearts, still beating, from human chests to appease their bloodthirsty gods. These were, of course, the hearts of captives. In all his fervor, Bush looks ever more like an American high priest who, for his own bloody gods, is similarly ripping hearts from the chests of the living. Make no mistake, in his speech of Wednesday night he was offering up human sacrifices from the captive villages and towns of the United States on the altar of blind faith and pure, abysmal folly."

McCain defends Bush's Iraq strategy - ""I believe that together these moves will give the Iraqis and Americans the best chance of success," said McCain, R-Ariz., a leading presidential contender for 2008." -- And you will not be getting my vote, John.

Democratic Congressman reintroduces bill for military draft in US - "Charles Rangel, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, reintroduced a bill on Thursday that would institute a military draft for all legal residents of the United States between the ages of 18 and 42. In his press release announcing the move, Rangel—a liberal Democrat who claims to oppose the war in Iraq—made clear that the central motivation for the bill is to alleviate the strains on the military, which will be further overextended as Bush moves to increase the number of troops in Iraq. A draft would also provide sufficient cannon fodder to use in Iran, Somalia, North Korea or any other country the United States decides to invade."

Poll: Americans Oppose Iraq Troop Surge - "Seventy percent of Americans oppose sending more troops to Iraq, according to a new poll that provides a devastatingly blunt response to President Bush's plan to bolster military forces there."

The 'Surge' Is A Red Herring - "The "surge" is merely a tactic to buy time while war with Iran and Syria can be orchestrated. The neoconservative/Israeli cabal feared that the pressure that Congress, the public, and the American foreign policy establishment were putting on Bush to de-escalate in Iraq would terminate their plan to achieve hegemony in the Middle East. Failure in Iraq would mean the end of the neoconservatives' influence. It would be impossible to start a new war with Iran after losing the war in Iraq."

Rice, Gates face Hill heat over Iraq plan - "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met hostility yesterday on Capitol Hill when they tried to defend President Bush's decision to send about 21,500 more combat troops to Iraq."

Gates: Appeal for Troops Came From U.S. Commanders in Iraq - "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate panel today that in deciding to send additional U.S. forces to Iraq, President Bush heeded an appeal that initially came from U.S. commanders there, and he cautioned against dismissing the views of "military professionals.""

Bush's legacy: The president who cried wolf - "Most importantly, perhaps, Mr. Bush, the plan fails because it still depends on your credibility. You speak of mistakes and of the responsibility “resting” with you. But you do not admit to making those mistakes. And you offer us nothing to justify this clenched fist toward Iran and Syria. In fact, when you briefed news correspondents off-the-record before the speech, they were told, once again, “if you knew what we knew … if you saw what we saw … ” “If you knew what we knew” was how we got into this morass in Iraq in the first place."

Did the President Declare "Secret War" Against Syria and Iran? - "Washington intelligence, military and foreign policy circles are abuzz today with speculation that the President, yesterday or in recent days, sent a secret Executive Order to the Secretary of Defense and to the Director of the CIA to launch military operations against Syria and Iran. The President may have started a new secret, informal war against Syria and Iran without the consent of Congress or any broad discussion with the country."

Neither sanctions nor bombs will end the Iran nuclear crisis - "Here lies the crux of the Iranian nuclear dilemma. Threats to deny any country its inalienable rights, or the means to defend itself against nuclear neighbours, are always likely to fall on deaf ears. And to talk to Iranians in such terms is likely only to inflame their worst fears. If Iranians are to change their attitudes, America and its allies need to change theirs. They need to accept that Iran has as much right as any country to pursue a programme of civilian energy, and it cannot be blamed for pursuing nuclear weapons when it is surrounded by countries - Israel, Pakistan and the US - that have their own." -- If you always threaten with a big stick, then your victims will someday counter with a similar stick.

Pentagon abandons active-duty time limit - "The Pentagon has abandoned its limit on the time a citizen-soldier can be required to serve on active duty, officials said Thursday, a major change that reflects an Army stretched thin by longer-than-expected combat in Iraq. ... The Pentagon also announced it is proposing to Congress that the size of the Army be increased by 65,000, to 547,000 and that the Marine Corps, the smallest of the services, grow by 27,000, to 202,000, over the next five years. No cost estimate was provided, but officials said it would be at least several billion dollars."

This is a US torture camp - "Tony Blair calls it an "anomaly", but the evidence is overwhelming. Camp Delta, which still houses 470 men never convicted of any crime, is a torture camp. ... According to the Red Cross, the regime at Guantánamo causes psychological suffering that has driven inmates mad, with scores of suicide attempts and three inmates killing themselves last year. ... The FBI is highly sceptical about alleged confessions gained by its military colleagues. A May 2004 FBI memo branded intelligence gained from "special techniques" as "suspect at best". Indeed, one of the Tipton Three confessed to being in a video shot at an Afghan terror camp alongside Osama bin Laden - in fact, at the time he was working in an electronics store in the Midlands. ... A UN report has confirmed evidence of torture, and Amnesty International has declared Guantánamo "the gulag of our time". Guantánamo is not the only US torture camp. Bagram in Afghanistan has been dogged by stories of abuse, and there are secret US prisons around the world where it is widely feared new horrors are occuring. Human rights have been traded away in Guantánamo in the hope of gaining security, and it has not worked. One of the US's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, stated: "He who trades liberty for security deserves neither and will lose both."" -- These are sad, sad days to be an American.

Tax the Rich, End the War - "The Democrats can tax our way out of the war. This would be a Victory Over Terror tax to be levied on incomes of $5 million a year or more. ... The people in this stratospheric income category have enjoyed the big tax cuts that have gone into effect while the nation has been attacked and been at war. Individuals making $1.25 million a year have gotten tax cuts of almost 20 percent, but many of these would be spared paying the Victory Over Terror tax, which only cuts in at the $5 million level. Needless to say, those paying this tax do not represent the Democrats' voter base. As these things go, this is politically pain-free. The tax is aimed at war profiteers, overpaid CEOs and grossly fat cats in general, most of whom carry a lot of weight at the White House. If there is any group of people in the world whom George Bush listens to, it is this bunch of billionaires. Call this a backdoor use of the power of the purse. And since the surcharge expires when the war on terror is won or declared over, those taxed will have a powerful incentive to tell the President it is time to get a move on." -- Good idea.

New U.S. Congress Shaping Up to Promote Israel Over All - "With Bush announcing he is escalating the war in Iraq, a war he and his neocon warmonger buddies started in order to promote the neocon dream of Israel over all and to promote Bush's political career, it appears the government is going to take Americans further down the dark and deadly road required to build and guarantee a Greater Israel of Biblical proportions."

US air strikes killed over 100 Somalians - "Clan elders and residents in southern Somalia said on Thursday that about 100 civilians were killed this week in US and Ethiopian air strikes on suspected al-Qaeda targets in the region." -- Our leaders love the smell of death in the morning.

What's news in America? Let's check the numbers. - "The study, launched Tuesday, will analyze and code 40-plus outlets from five media sectors and report weekly on which stories received the most attention. "The aim of it is to look at the news agenda of the American media - what they're choosing to cover and what they're choosing not to cover," says Amy Mitchell, PEJ's deputy director."

14 Carter Center Advisers Resign Over Former President Jimmy Carter's Book - "Fourteen members of a leadership group under former President Carter's think tank resigned Thursday over concerns that Carter's book on the Middle East does not represent "the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support."" -- Hmmmm. Jimmy must have hit a little too close to the truth.

Gore's 'Truth' restricted at schools - ""Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who doesn't want the film shown at all. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is," Hardison told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."" -- Jesus.

More guns equal more murders in U.S. states: study - "American states where more people own guns have higher murder rates, including murders of children, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health reported on Thursday."

China: 30 million men face bleak future as singles - "A report released here Thursday said there will be 30 million more males of marriageable age in China than females by the year 2020, which will make it difficult for men to find wives."

NSA and Microsoft Worked Together on Windows Vista Security - "The U.S. agency best known for eavesdropping on telephone calls had a hand in the development of Microsoft’s Vista operating system, Microsoft confirmed Tuesday."

Sergeant in trouble for Playboy spread - "An Air Force staff sergeant who posed nude for Playboy magazine has been relieved of her duties while the military investigates, officials said Thursday."

Pizza promotion met with death threats - "A pizza chain has been hit with death threats and hate mail after offering to accept Mexican pesos, becoming another flashpoint in the nation's debate over immigrants."

Lawyer Arrested for Kissing Employee - "A criminal defense attorney has been arrested on a disorderly conduct charge involving kissing as a crime. ... Crozier said the video will prove he meant nothing sexual by the kiss, which he described as a peck on the cheek. He says the incident is an example of political correctness run amok."

2 Mo. malls impose limits on teens - "Starting next month, shoppers younger than 17 will need adult supervision if they want to visit two mid-Missouri malls on Friday and Saturday nights."

House OKs bill expanding study of stem cells - "Thirty-seven Republicans joined 216 Democrats to pass the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would allow federal funding of research on stem cells from embryos slated for destruction at clinics."

Hybrid human-animal egg research 'not illegal' - "Research mixing animal eggs with human cells is not illegal under current laws and potentially falls under the remit of the UK's independent regulator of fertility treatment and embryo research, it was announced this morning."

Gossamer Gel Stands Up to Flame, Speeding Space Particles - "The next time you want protection from a blowtorch--or space dust--consider an aerogel."

Net contest hopes to be 'American Idol' of books - "A major U.S. book publisher is hoping its new Web-based writing contest can tap into the popularity of interactive competitions like hit television show American Idol."




Quote of the Day
"You can call yourself leader 'til your ass bleeds, but that doesn't make it true."
~ Eric Cartman, South Park

January 11, 2007

New Bush Iraq Plan Fails to Bolster American Confidence - "Americans broadly reject President Bush's plan for a surge of U.S. forces into Iraq, with substantial majorities dismissing his arguments that it'll end the war more quickly and increase the odds of victory, an ABC News/Washington Post poll finds. Indeed, rather than Bush bolstering public confidence, the national survey, conducted after his address to the nation on his new Iraq strategy, finds that a new high — 57 percent — think the United States is losing the war. Just 29 percent think it's winning."

Gates: Timetable for Troop Boost Unclear - ""We're not going to baby sit a civil war," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told NBC's "Today" Show. He said the Democratic-controlled Congress would not undercut troops already in Iraq but would explore ways to restrict the president from expanding the mission."

Iraq wants no part of more U.S. soldiers - "As President George W. Bush challenges public opinion at home by committing more soldiers to Iraq, he is confronted by an essential paradox: An Iraqi government that does not really want them."

Bush's Reality-Based Desperation - "But here's the obvious question: given the president's history of false and misleading statements about the war and his record of poor decision-making related to the war, why should anyone accept anything he says or proposes now? He has no credibility--and far too long of a resume of failure. One speech--standing or sitting--will not make a difference in how Americans regard Bush and the war. There will be no surge of popular support for his newest plan: sending 21,000 additional US troops to Iraq for a last-chance stab at securing and stabilizing Baghdad."

Chris Matthews: Bush's 'Alamo' Grounds for Retirement, 'Terrified' of Bush on Iran - ""A lot of people are going to go to bed tonight terrified that the President of the United States admitted to mistakes in terms of implementing his policy over there ... I am worried, well, I shouldn't say I'm worried, I am definitely interested in the fact that the President of the United States maintains that neoconservative aggressiveness, the same attitude that we have the business in this world of going into countries when we don't like their weapons systems and deciding we're in the Middle East, we're going to attack.""

Bush's new strategy - the march of folly - "So into the graveyard of Iraq, George Bush, commander-in-chief, is to send another 21,000 of his soldiers. The march of folly is to continue..."

Surging toward the holy oil grail - "The basic fact remains that Bush's escalation is designed to smash Muqtada's Mehdi Army. That can only mean, in practice, a mini-genocide of vast masses of unruly, extremely dispossessed Shi'ites: the coming battle of Sadr City, which the Pentagon has been itching to launch since the spring of 2004. The Pentagon is actually declaring war on no fewer than 2.2 million (poor) people. A sinister symmetry still applies: the Pentagon will attack dispossessed Shi'ite masses - just as the Israeli Defense Forces attacked dispossessed Shi'ite masses in southern Lebanon in the summer of 2006."

Promising Troops Where They Aren’t Really Wanted - "As President Bush challenges public opinion at home by committing more American troops, he is confronted by a paradox: an Iraqi government that does not really want them. The Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has not publicly opposed the American troop increase, but aides to Mr. Maliki have been saying for weeks that the government is wary of the proposal. They fear that an increased American troop presence, particularly in Baghdad, will be accompanied by a more assertive American role that will conflict with the Shiite government’s haste to cut back on American authority and run the war the way it wants. American troops, Shiite leaders say, should stay out of Shiite neighborhoods and focus on fighting Sunni insurgents."

War With Syria and Iran = Peace With Iraq? - "It is only a threat. But it is a far cry from the diplomatic proposals floated just last month for making Syria and Iran part of the solution. Can the president really be saying that we are willing to risk war with the two countries, and even attack elements inside them, to achieve peace in Iraq?"

Stand Up Against the Surge - "A surge is not acceptable to the people in this country—we have voted overwhelmingly against this war in polls (about 80 percent of the public is against escalation, and a recent Military Times poll shows only 38 percent of active military want more troops sent) and at the polls. We know this is wrong. The people understand, the people have the right to make this decision, and the people have the obligation to make sure our will is implemented."

Vietnam All Over Again - "A well-known leader of Vietnam vets, paralyzed in combat, describes the frighteningly familiar path that is leading us into a widening conflict:"

Bush speech sets stage for contentious battles in Congress on Iraq - "For Bush, the decision to send more troops to Iraq – rather than begin a withdrawal of combat forces as recommended last month by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group – is a huge gamble. If it fails, he will have few if any options left."

Say Good-bye to a Future Republican Presidency - "President George W. Bush, contrary to the will of the American and Iraqi peoples and his own military commanders, seems ready to embark on a potentially disastrous escalation of the Iraq war, which was lost long ago. This mind-numbingly idiotic strategy is sure to needlessly cost more American and Iraqi lives and to lose the presidency for the Republicans in 2008."

Lockheed Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - "If you think the Iraq war hasn't worked out very well for anyone, think again. Defense contractors such as Lockheed are thriving. And no wonder: here's the story of how Lockheed's interests - as opposed to those of the American citizenry - set the course of US policy after 9/11."

Gates looks to add 92,000 troops to military - "At a briefing to add details about President Bush's new Iraq strategy, Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said he would recommend increasing the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 troops over the next five years." -- It just got drafty in here.

Somalia: New Hotbed of Anti-Americanism - "The U.S. foreign policy blundering has created a new violent hotbed of anti-Americanism in the turbulent Horn of Africa by orchestrating the Ethiopian invasion of another Muslim capital of the Arab League, in a clear American message that no Arab or Muslim metropolitan has impunity unless it falls into step with the U.S. vital regional interests."

Study: 744,000 homeless people in U.S. - "A majority of the homeless were single adults, but about 41 percent were in families, the report said." -- But let's escalate war in Iraq? Our government's actions tell us that the United States Government does not work to better the lives of the American people.

U.S. behind reign of terror sweeping Philippines - "The wave of terror currently sweeping the Philippines is part and parcel of U.S. imperialism’s historical and bloody drive to dominate and control the South East Asian region, especially the Philippines. These aims are best capsulated in the words of U.S. Sen. Alfred Beveridge when he said in 1900, “The country that rules the Pacific, rules the world.”"

TV violence found to be more frequent, graphic - "America's children are being exposed to more dead bodies, fistfights and perverts than ever before, according to an analysis of violence on prime-time television released yesterday by the Parents Television Council. "

I got an A in Phallus 101 - "The list of the 12 most bizarre college courses in the U.S. includes offerings such as 'The Phallus' and 'Queer Musicology.'"

Moment 600 years ago that terror came to Mummies of the Amazon - "Hands over her eyes and her face gripped with terror, the woman's fear of death is all too obvious.The remarkable mummy was found in a hidden burial vault in the Amazon."

Scientists find Extraterrestrial genes in Human DNA - "A group of researchers working at the Human Genome Project indicate that they made an astonishing scientific discovery: They believe so-called 97% non-coding sequences in human DNA is no less than genetic code of extraterrestrial life forms."

Evidence mounts for sun's companion star - "The Binary Research Institute (BRI) has found that orbital characteristics of the recently discovered planetoid, "Sedna", demonstrate the possibility that our sun might be part of a binary star system."




Quote of the Day
"It seems almost beyond doubt that since World War II the United States has acquired a reputation for failure and inefficiency in its military operations."
~ US Army Major Richard Gabriel

January 10, 2007

Is Bush's War Winding Down or Heating Up? - "In other news reports Israeli General Oded Tira is quoted as follows: "President Bush lacks the political power to attack Iran. As an American strike in Iran is essential for our existence, we must help him pave the way by lobbying the Democratic Party (which is conducting itself foolishly) and US newspaper editors. We need to do this in order to turn the Iranian issue to a bipartisan one and unrelated to the Iraq failure.""

Pentagon braces for Bush Iraq plan - "US MILITARY officials, expecting President George Bush to order an increase in the size of the force in Iraq, have concluded that such a build-up would require them to reverse Pentagon policy and send the army's National Guard and reserve units on lengthy second tours in Iraq."

Many More Sons Will Die While the Democrats Do Nothing to Stop the War - "They have failed to take on the principal reason they were elected and, tragically, the US public is unlikely to force them to."

Kennedy proposal uncovers party rift - "Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's proposal yesterday to require congressional approval for a troop surge was generally dismissed by fellow Democrats, revealing the deep divisions within the party over how to handle the war in Iraq."

Taking the Vietnam out of Iraq - "President Bush's new plan for Iraq - expected to include reinforcements of 20,000 US troops and to be announced on Wednesday night - has echoes of Vietnam in the belief that another push will get the job done."

Five years on, no end to the horror that is Guantanamo - ""It is remarkable that Guantanamo still exists five years on," said Clive Stafford Smith, legal director of the British group Reprieve, which represents three dozen inmates. "But what is also remarkable is that Guantanamo has distracted attention from other secret prisons the US has. As of August last year we know there are 14,000 prisoners in US custody around the world.""

The United States Of Hysteria - "Two incidents that occurred yesterday morning, dead birds in Austin Texas and a strange odor across New York, and the reaction they elicited, underscores the fact that Americans are living their lives on a day to day basis in abject fear of being a victim of a new terror attack, despite the fact that they have an equally dangerous chance of being struck by lightning. Welcome to the United States of Hysteria."

New 24 Season Showcases Mass Terror, Concentration Camps - " The new season of 24, that is to air this coming weekend, is to prepare the American people for the idea of concentration camps, detention centers and the rounding up of people in times of crisis." -- And this is one reason why I refuse to watch the show.

Democrats Beef Police State With 9/11 Commission Bill - "House Democrats have passed a piece of legislation that was crafted on the back of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission in their 2004 final report. The bill is a tonic for big government, increased federalization of America, and mandates expansion of no fly lists, terror watch lists and further government surveillance of American citizens."

ABC shut down blogger who criticized violent rhetoric on one of its radio stations - "The mainstream media have yet to report on the story of a blogger whose website was shut down after he began spotlighting inflammatory rhetoric common to several talk radio hosts on KSFO, an ABC Radio-owned station in San Francisco."

Democrats push 'Net neutrality - "Democrats, who all but sank major communications reform legislation in the previous congressional session over the issue of so-called 'Net neutrality, marked the first day of the new Congress by introducing a bill that will mandate 'Net neutrality, which is intended to guarantee the equal accessibility and flow of content over the Internet."

Snow Falsely Claims That Bush Said ‘Just The Opposite’ Of ‘Mission Accomplished’ - "In today’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow tried to distance President Bush from his infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech, claiming that Bush said “just the opposite” of “Mission Accomplished”:" -- Orwell rolls.

Militarized America Is Approaching Spiritual Death - "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

They Never Learn - "The series of blunders and willful miscalculations that led to our present predicament in Iraq are now being replicated in Somalia, where a rather large U.S. footprint is being stamped into the hard Somali soil."

What this means for a region consumed by war and chaos - "Will the US attacks escalate the conflict? Probably, because of the number of civilians killed by the American missiles. More Somalis could join the ranks of the Islamists who have just suffered a defeat in their fight against the transitional government. The Americans and their regional allies will say that the operation was a "one off" because it was an opportunity to hit al-Qa'ida leaders in Somalia wanted for the 1998 US embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. However, there is a danger that the Americans will intervene again and be dragged further into the quagmire - at a time when the Bush administration wants to concentrate on boosting the military in Iraq."

Terrorists captured in Somalia 'are British' - "Suspected terrorists from Britain, Canada, Pakistan and elsewhere have been among those taken prisoner or injured in the military operations in Somalia, Ethiopia's prime minister said today."

The Ideological Animal - "Call it the 9/11 effect. ... We tend to believe our political views have evolved by a process of rational thought, as we consider arguments, weigh evidence, and draw conclusions. But the truth is more complicated. Our political preferences are equally the result of factors we're not aware of—such as how educated we are, how scary the world seems at a given moment, and personality traits that are first apparent in early childhood. Among the most potent motivators, it turns out, is fear. How the United States should confront the threat of terrorism remains a subject of endless political debate. But Americans' response to threats of attack is now more clear-cut than ever. The fear of death alone is surprisingly effective in shaping our political decisions—more powerful, often, than thought itself." -- And rest assured that your leaders know this.

Kids kicked off a bus for speaking English - "Imagine sending your kids off to school, but when they get to the bus they are told they can't get on because they speak English. That's right, English."

U.S. home prices unaffordable for many workers: study - "U.S. home prices may have dipped over the past year, but many American workers would still struggle to afford a median-priced home in major cities, a new study said on Wednesday."

Transmitting Canadian coins found in U.S. - "Canadian coins containing tiny transmitters have mysteriously turned up in the pockets of at least three American contractors who visited Canada, says the counterintelligence office of the U.S. Defense Security Service."

Clone farming has arrived - "The black and white calf may look unremarkable. But Dundee Paradise is evidence that clone farming - designed to deliver supersize cows producing an astonishing 70 pints of milk a day - has arrived in Britain."

Warm December Pushes 2006 to Record Year - "Last year was the warmest on record for the United States, with readings pushed over higher than normal by the unusual and unseasonably warm weather during the last half of December. ... Worldwide, the agency said, it was the sixth warmest year on record."

Simple blood test predicts heart attack and stroke risk - "A simple blood test can foretell with strong probability a person's risk of heart attack or stroke and the likelihood cardiovascular disease sufferers will die of their illness, according to a US study published."

Infant outcomes worse with planned C-section - "Newborns who are delivered via planned Caesarean section are more likely to be transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit and to experience lung disorders compared with those delivered via planned vaginal delivery, according to findings published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology."

Visa, Nokia turn cell phones into credit cards - "Consumers will be able to pay for groceries and other purchases by swiping a phone over a reader that electronically communicates with a microchip on the phone. Phone owners confirm the purchase with the push of a button and the deal is complete."

Apple Unveils Long-Awaited Phone, TV Box - "Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs on Tuesday unveiled a new mobile phone that downloads and plays music as well as a set-top box that allows people to stream video from their computers to their televisions."

'Image spam' could bring the internet to a standstill - "But this, experts say, is the spam that could bring the internet to a virtual standstill this year. To bypass anti-spam software, the emails use an image instead of text."

Who Built the Pyramids? - "Not slaves. Archeaologist Mark Lehner, digging deeper, discovers a city of privileged workers."

Study: Andromeda way bigger than thought - "The discovery of several large, metal-poor stars located far from the center of the Andromeda galaxy suggests our nearest galactic neighbor might be up to five times larger than previously thought. The newfound stars are massive, bloated stars known as red giants."

Moon shots: China, Japan in '07; U.S., India in '08 - "The moon is going to be a busy site for space exploration in 2007 as two Asian countries take aim at Earth's natural satellite with the intent of launching robotic survey lunar orbiters."




Quote of the Day
"What have we found? The same old fears."
~ Pink Floyd, (Wish You Were Here)

January 8, 2007

Sources: Iraq plan calls for more troops, more spending - "President Bush's new plan for Iraq will call for increasing the number of U.S. troops in Baghdad -- and perhaps other areas -- by at least 20,000, sources said."

Pelosi threatens to reject funds for troop surge - "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats yesterday said their party might deny funding for President Bush's expected call this week for a troop surge in Iraq if he doesn't meet their demands for detailed consultations and congressional debate on military strategy."

White House uses secret memo to fight court order - "The White House and the Secret Service quietly signed an agreement last spring in the midst of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal declaring records identifying visitors to the White House are not open to the public. The Bush administration did not reveal the existence of the memorandum of understanding until last fall. The White House is using it to deal with a legal problem on a separate front, a ruling by a federal judge ordering the production of Secret Service logs identifying visitors to the office of Vice President Dick Cheney." -- Actions speak much louder than words.

Will Bush Provoke a Constitutional Crisis? - "The new Democratic Congress will likely subpoena documents that the White House may refuse to hand over -- if that happens, we may witness a struggle that puts our democratic republic on the brink."

Intel: A Writer's Blocked - "A CIA panel has told former officer Valerie Plame she can't write about her undercover work for the agency, a position that may threaten a lucrative book project with her publisher. Plame's outing as a CIA officer in July 2003 triggered a criminal probe that culminates next week when Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby goes on trial for perjury and obstruction."

Bush's dusty veto pen may soon get a workout - "President Bush has vetoed just one bill in nearly six years in office. That soon may change. As newly empowered Democrats forge ahead with their own agenda, some items may make it to his desk as prime candidates for veto."

American Passports Found on Bodies of Al Qaeda Fighters in Somalia - "A senior official in the Somali government's new Ministry of the Interior told ABC News government forces had recovered "dozens of foreign passports," including several American passports, on the bodies of al Qaeda fighters killed in combat between forces affiliated with the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) and Ethiopian forces in Somalia."

Immigration debate gets religious - "A number of leading Christian conservative groups have formed a coalition on immigration and illegal aliens that will push religiously grounded positions that both sides of the current immigration debate will both love and hate."

Detroit may shut up to 52 schools - "The Detroit Public Schools announced a massive restructuring plan Friday to close 52 schools, a number that would shrink the state's largest district by more than 20 percent." -- But billions of dollars are used for Iraq.

Mayors Seek to Gain Control Over Schools - "The statistics tell a sorry tale about the public schools in America's capital. A majority of fourth- and eighth-graders are failing to read or do math at basic levels. Roughly four in five schools are not meeting achievement goals under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Just 43 percent of students graduate from high school in five years."

Transforming Fear into Power: The Politicization of Child Sexual Abuse - "Politicians trying to gain points are pushing laws to "get tough" on child sexual offenders. But a new movement has a better idea -- work with offenders instead of ostracizing them."

Desperate waiter's sick offer - "DESPERATE Umer Maqbool calmly laid out his demands — as he sold parts of his OWN body. The waiter revealed: “I’m ready to sell my kidney, a section of liver and maybe after three months do the cornea in my eye. “I’m ready to do it today. I want £100,000 for all three.”"

'New stem cell source' discovered - "The Harvard University team say they have recovered functioning stem cells from amniotic fluid - the liquid that surrounds the baby in the womb."

Brain Scans Predict When People Will Buy Products - "This study challenges the conventional economic account of consumer purchases, which views consumers as deciding between the immediate pleasure of making a purchase and the delayed pleasures of alternative things for which the same money could be used. The results of this paper support an alternative perspective that views consumers as trading off the immediate pleasure of making a purchase against an immediate pain: the pain of forking out the money for the item. The results can explain the growing tendency of consumers to overspend when purchasing items with credit cards instead of cash, because consumers do not immediately pay for items charged to credit cards and the "pain" of the potential loss is minimized. Economic policies designed to promote savings would thus need to take this into account. It also suggests that differences in how much people spend and save may be partly explained by differences in the degree to which they find spending money painful."

Bills would require 6th grade girls to get HPV vaccine - "Now, Texas lawmakers will soon debate two proposed bills requiring all sixth grade girls to be vaccinated against cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine is an issue in 17 other states as well."

Cosmetics Ingredients Linked to Breast Cancer? - "A new study suggests that women who begin using makeup at an earlier age and in greater amounts may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life."

The pill may raise odds of having allergic kids - "Mothers who have previously used oral contraceptive pills seem more likely to have children with nasal allergies, Finnish researchers report."

Who's Killing MP3 and iTunes? - "Here are seven reasons why MP3 is the future of the music industry:"

The universe gives up its deepest secret - "One of the greatest mysteries of the universe is about to be unravelled with the first detailed, three-dimensional map of dark matter - the invisible material that makes up most of the cosmos."

Scientist: NASA found life on Mars -- and killed it - "Two NASA space probes that visited Mars 30 years ago may have found alien microbes on the Red Planet and inadvertently killed them, a scientist is theorizing. The Viking space probes of 1976-77 were looking for the wrong kind of life, so they didn't recognize it, a geology professor at Washington State University said."

Space life search turns to TV, radio signals - "Astronomers plan to search 1,000 nearby stars for television broadcasts and other signals that could indicate extraterrestrial life, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said on Monday."

Birthday-suit parties all the rage for Ivy League students - "STUDENTS at America's prestigious Ivy League universities are rebelling against their colleges' stuffy reputations, casting off society's norms along with their clothes to hold naked parties. The Pundits, a secretive society at Yale University, initiated the events - which profess to be non-sexual in nature - in the mid-1990s, open to a select few. The society claims that president George Bush's daughter, Barbara, attended a naked party during her second year, in 2002. The White House has always declined to comment. But the naked parties are now fixtures among liberal students being primed to become the nation's elite."




Quote of the Day
"All war is deception."
~ Sun Tzu