News -- February 24, 2006

9/11 Revisited - Were Explosives Used? (Yes, it is a rhetorical question) - "A brand new video including media footage from around the time of the attacks, as well as clips from academic, scientific lectures on the impossibility of the 'official' story." -- Check out the video.

Among experts, optimism about Iraq is in short supply - "Already frayed U.S. hopes for Iraq are in danger of unraveling, analysts across the political spectrum agree. They outlined potential pitfalls just ahead:" -- I recall this mess getting started because Iraq was a threat to my way of life.

Chertoff unaware of ports deal until after OK - "Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was not aware a Dubai-owned company was seeking to operate terminals in six U.S. ports and that his agency was leading the review until after the deal's approval, an administration official said yesterday. ... But Mr. Chertoff's exclusion is more noteworthy because his department headed the CFIUS review and is in charge of security at all U.S. ports." -- So everyone claims ignorance. Hmmmm.

Congress: Spilling Secrets - "Controversies over press disclosures about NSA domestic spying and CIA antiterror operations have led to renewed talk about the need for an American version of Britain's Official Secrets Act. House intelligence committee chairman Pete Hoekstra has spoken publicly about the need for a "comprehensive law" to make it easier to prosecute leakers, and last week his Senate counterpart, Pat Roberts, said he, too, thinks new measures may be considered."

Air Force Plan: Hack Your Nervous System - "The brain has always been a battlefield. New weapons might be able to hack directly into your nervous system. "Controlled Effects" is one of the Air Force’s ambitious long-term challenges. It starts with better and more accurate bombs, but moves on to discuss devices that "make selected adversaries think or act according to our needs... By studying and modeling the human brain and nervous system, the ability to mentally influence or confuse personnel is also possible.""

Should the Number One Candidate Criteria be Ability to Buy TV Ads? - "So, what we have is a bizarre, obscene reality-- the number one criteria for a candidate for public office is his or her ability to buy TV advertising. This is not bizarre. It is insane. But it's the exact model that the DCCC, it's head Rahm Emanuel and the leaders of the both parties in Washington embrace. One problem. It's not what the majority of Americans want." -- Since when did what we want matter?

Study Proves that a Single Cell Can Generate a Complete Solid Organ - "A new study describes the enumeration, phenotypic characterization and some of the functional properties of the mouse mammary gland stem cell. This study also shows that a single cell can generate the entire glandular component of the mammary gland, the first time a single cell has been shown to completely generate a solid organ."

Survey: One Out of Five Americans Holy - "The survey's director, Christian researcher George Barna, said that "the results portray a body of Christians who attend church but do not understand the concept or significance of holiness. ... The challenge to the nation's Christian ministries is to foster a genuine hunger for holiness among the masses who claim they love God but who are ignorant about biblical teachings regarding holiness.''"

Colombia man 'jailed over grope' - "A bicycle courier in Colombia has been given a four-year jail sentence for grabbing a woman pedestrian's bottom, a TV station has reported."

Tech makes working harder, not easier - "Most U.S. workers say they feel rushed on the job, but they are getting less accomplished than a decade ago, according to newly released research."

'Jurassic beaver' turns theory on its tail - "For years the mammals living in the era of dinosaurs have been thought of as tiny shrew-like creatures scurrying through the underbrush. Now the discovery of a furry aquatic creature with seal-like teeth and a flat tail like a beaver has demolished that image."

New kind of space blast seen not far from Earth - "The blast seemed a lot like a gamma ray burst, the most distant and powerful type of explosion known to astronomers. But when scientists first detected it with NASA's Swift satellite on Feb. 18, the explosion was about 25 times closer and lasted 100 times longer than a typical gamma ray burst."

Quote of the Day
"I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth."
~ Malcolm X