Al Gore Endorses Steve Jobs 100%
Al Gore (Apple Board member) and Apple’s audit committee stated they were sure any “irregularities” with Jobs’ options (fraud and lying) had been completely corrected and they had total confidence Steve could continue to be Knight of Apple, warrior of all things not Microsoft, defender of real creative and community code.
Top Ten Ways the US Enabled Saddam Hussein
The tendency to treat Saddam and Iraq in a historical vacuum, and in isolation from the superpowers, however, has hidden from Americans their own culpability in the horror show that has been Iraq for the past few decades. Initially, the US used the Baath Party as a nationalist foil to the Communists. Then Washington used it against Iran. The welfare of Iraqis themselves appears to have been on no one's mind, either in Washington or in Baghdad.
Club America-Chivas Guadalajara on Univision drew highest U.S. TV viewership for a professional club soccer match in 12 years
The Club America-Chivas Guadalajara match, dubbed the superclasico because the match pits the two biggest professional soccer clubs in Mexico, drew 2.048 million U.S. TV households (1.8% rating), and 3.956 million U.S. TV viewers age 2 and over when it aired live in the U.S. on Univision on Sunday December 10 at 9pm Eastern Time/6pm Pacific Time.
Not only did the viewership of the superclasico surpass the viewership of any other professional club soccer match on U.S. television (including both Major League Soccer and the Mexican First Division) in the past 12 years, the US TV viewership of the match surpassed the U.S. TV viewership of every National Hockey League (NHL) telecast on both NBC Sports and OLN (now known as Versus) during the 2005-2006 NHL season with the exception of Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final series on NBC Sports (which drew 5.45 million viewers age 2 and over).
DAMN!
Not only did the viewership of the superclasico surpass the viewership of any other professional club soccer match on U.S. television (including both Major League Soccer and the Mexican First Division) in the past 12 years, the US TV viewership of the match surpassed the U.S. TV viewership of every National Hockey League (NHL) telecast on both NBC Sports and OLN (now known as Versus) during the 2005-2006 NHL season with the exception of Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final series on NBC Sports (which drew 5.45 million viewers age 2 and over).
DAMN!
Steve Jobs Allegedly Steals $455,625,000 Worth of Apple Shares in 2001
CEO’s and Apple behave like this for two reasons: one, the $450 million payout comes from suckers in the stock market, lied to and fooled that Apple is a reputable company. The money isn’t earned in the traditional sense, there’s never any screaming that $450 million were taken out of cash revenues of the company. Two, until very recently under American accounting rules that $450 million wasn’t even expensed as a cost!
Normally $450 million in CEO compensation would be subtracted from Apple’s profit statement at the end of the year, but since they were options, incredibly, $450 million would never appear on the books as the compensation payout it is. Free money from the market, free money in accounting. A setup like that was irresistible to thousands of CEO’s who abused it terribly, netting vast fortunes for literally nothing.
"Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud"
A small tribute to the Godfather of Soul. The wife and I were lucky enough to catch JB in concert back in 2003 in Battery Park for a free concert. He didn't do the splits but he did get funky!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Happy New Year from California. Haven't been posting as much since I have been on holiday. Hope you are yours are having a nice break as well.
Kebmodee...
Kebmodee...
Giant squid caught in Sea of Japan
A Japanese research team has succeeded in filming a giant squid live — possibly for the first time — and says the elusive creatures may be more plentiful than previously believed, a researcher said Friday.
Man vs. Toad?
The Australian military is being asked to help fight a ground war with cane toads in that country's north.
The redacted Iran op-ed revealed
The New York Times has taken the unusual step of publishing an op-ed in which parts of the contents have been "redacted" or blacked out by government censors, who believe that its contents would reveal "sensitive" information that the White House wants to withold. Below is RAW STORY's best informed guess at what might hide behind the redactions.
Study: Psilocybin Relieves OCD Symptoms
TUCSON, Ariz. - A preliminary study of the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms has found it is effective in relieving the symptoms of people suffering from severe obsessive compulsive disorder, a University of Arizona psychiatrist reports.
Dr. Francisco A. Moreno led the first FDA-approved clinical study of psilocybin since it was outlawed in 1970. The results of the small-scale study are published in the latest edition of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
U.S. trips to Canada plummet
An unprecedented number of Americans avoided the hassle and cost of a same-day cross-border car trip in October, as overall U.S. travel to Canada dropped to its lowest level since record-keeping began in 1972.
In all, Americans made 2.29 million trips to Canada in October, according to a report from Statistics Canada. That marks a 2.2-per-cent drop from September and a 12.1-per-cent tumble from a year ago.
The largest monthly plunge was in September, 2001, and in the five years since terrorist attacks brought down the World Trade Center towers, day-long U.S. visits to Canada have never topped two million.
Although Statscan does not track the reasons for shifts in travel, economists and experts believe the drop is being driven by the weaker U.S and stronger Canadian dollars, the high cost of gasoline, and the U.S. push to tighten security.
us officials were quoted as saying, "stay at home, do not travel and experience life, work work work."
Slaughter asks Bush why he censored op-ed
"If, indeed, redacting the information from the op-ed was necessary for national security purposes, then the CIA's failure to deem the information in the previously published version of the article as classified may have put our security at risk. If classifying information in the previously published version of the article was not necessary, then I am left to believe that your Administration redacted information for political purposes."
No money to treat 9/11 workers, $3 billion a week to fight Iraq?
Is this a new 9/11 conspiracy The New York Times is reporting? That “roughly $40 million that was set aside by the federal government to treat rescue workers, volunteers and firefighters who became ill after helping with the 9/11 cleanup and recovery will run out in months, physicians and federal officials said yesterday.” And the fund goes broke while the war meter ticks in Iraq at nearly $3 billion a week?
NYC violated Constitution by jailing protesters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City violated the U.S. Constitution for more than two months in 2001 with a policy to detain arrested protesters overnight instead of giving them summonses to appear in court, a U.S. federal jury found on Monday.
The suit stemmed from the city's handling of the mass protests and arrests in New York immediately after the 1999 killing by police of unarmed Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo, who was hit by 19 shots.
An eight-person jury in Manhattan federal court found that the city's police department violated the First Amendment right to free speech and the 14th Amendment right to due process between May 1, 2001, and July 13, 2001, by its policy of locking up protesters overnight in city jails.
However, the same jury ruled that the 350 protester plaintiffs failed to show that in the two years before 2001 the city followed an unwritten policy of locking up protesters.
and what about all those jailed protestors during the republican convention, eh?
The suit stemmed from the city's handling of the mass protests and arrests in New York immediately after the 1999 killing by police of unarmed Guinean immigrant Amadou Diallo, who was hit by 19 shots.
An eight-person jury in Manhattan federal court found that the city's police department violated the First Amendment right to free speech and the 14th Amendment right to due process between May 1, 2001, and July 13, 2001, by its policy of locking up protesters overnight in city jails.
However, the same jury ruled that the 350 protester plaintiffs failed to show that in the two years before 2001 the city followed an unwritten policy of locking up protesters.
and what about all those jailed protestors during the republican convention, eh?
Animation Legend Joe Barbera Dead At 95
Another popular offering from Hanna-Barbera featured a cowardly Great Dane named Scooby-Doo, who eventually made his own place in television history. The popular series "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" remained in production for 17 years and maintains the title as television's longest-running animated series.
We all grew up with Hanna-Barbera, eh? Quality.
We all grew up with Hanna-Barbera, eh? Quality.
War on the homeless in Sin City
Getting thrown in the slammer for sleeping within 500 ft of a feces would be tough on a lot of levels. Not to mention there are better way to get in trouble in Vegas!
Catastrophic Failure. Foundations, Nonprofits, and the Continuing Crisis in New Orleans.
In conversations this week with scores of New Orleans residents, including organizers, social welfare advocates, health care providers, educators, artists and media makers, I heard countless stories of diverted funding and unmet needs. While many stressed that they have had important positive experiences with national allies, few received anything close to the funding, resources, or staff they need for their work, and most are working unsustainable hours while living in a devastated city.
Research backs up the anecdotal reports. A January 2006 article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy argued that the amount given to post-Katrina New Orleans was “small-potato giving for America's foundations, which collectively have $500-billion in assets.” The article added, “just as deplorable as the small sums poured into the region, are the choices foundations have made about where the money should go.” In other words, little had gone to organizations directed by or accountable to New Orleanians. One prominent New Orleans-born advocate and lobbyist called this phenomenon the “Halliburtization of the nonprofit sector.”
Research backs up the anecdotal reports. A January 2006 article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy argued that the amount given to post-Katrina New Orleans was “small-potato giving for America's foundations, which collectively have $500-billion in assets.” The article added, “just as deplorable as the small sums poured into the region, are the choices foundations have made about where the money should go.” In other words, little had gone to organizations directed by or accountable to New Orleanians. One prominent New Orleans-born advocate and lobbyist called this phenomenon the “Halliburtization of the nonprofit sector.”
Objections to Bush library mount at Texas university
...regret to see SMU enshrine attitudes and actions widely deemed as ethically egregious: degradation of habeas corpus, outright denial of global warming, flagrant disregard for international treaties, alienation of long-term U.S. allies, environmental predation, shameful disrespect for gay persons and their rights, a pre-emptive war based on false and misleading premises, and a host of other erosions of respect for the global human community and for this good Earth on which our flourishing depends.
Diplomat's suppressed document lays bare the lies behind Iraq war
No surprise here but good to see the proof nonetheless: And I quote:
"His hitherto secret evidence threatens to reopen the row over the legality of the conflict, under which Mr Blair has sought to draw a line as the internecine bloodshed in Iraq has worsened."
Methinks one wouldn't see that sentence in an American pape, eh?
"His hitherto secret evidence threatens to reopen the row over the legality of the conflict, under which Mr Blair has sought to draw a line as the internecine bloodshed in Iraq has worsened."
Methinks one wouldn't see that sentence in an American pape, eh?
Fattest People on Planet? Americans Take the Cake.
Americans consumed more than twice as much high-fructose corn syrup per person as in 1980 and remained the fattest inhabitants of the planet, although Mexicans, Australians, Greeks, New Zealanders and Britons are not too far behind.
At the same time, we spent more of our lives than ever -- about 8 1/2 hours a day -- watching television, using computers, listening to the radio, going to the movies or reading.
At the same time, we spent more of our lives than ever -- about 8 1/2 hours a day -- watching television, using computers, listening to the radio, going to the movies or reading.
About Face: Soldiers Call for Iraq Withdrawal
After appearing only seven weeks ago on the Internet, the Appeal for Redress, brainchild of 29-year-old Navy seaman Jonathan Hutto, has already been signed by nearly 1,000 US soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, including dozens of officers--most of whom are on active duty. Not since 1969, when some 1,300 active-duty military personnel signed an open letter in the New York Times opposing the war in Vietnam, has there been such a dramatic barometer of rising military dissent.
Rice: No talks will happen with Syria or Iran
Condoleeza Rice will not actively recruit Iran or Syria to help stabilize Iraq, despite it being a major recommendation of the Baker bi-partisan panel. Stubborness and a lack of effort to reach out and utilize diplomacy will be included in the "new" course of action on Iraq by the Bush team. We've seen this movie before.
Federal judge issues split decision on new Military Commissions Act
WASHINGTON — In the first legal decision on a federal law that denies access to U.S. courts to detainees in the war on terrorism, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that foreign prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, could not sue for freedom.
But, in a split decision, U.S. District Judge James Robertson also ruled that the law's denial of that right to the more than 12 million legal immigrants living in the United States was unconstitutional
Impeach the President: The Case Against Bush and Cheney
Impeach the President is a comprehensive analysis of a criminal administration. It unearths the stories behind voter fraud in 2000 and 2004, the overt lies used to justify pre-emptive war on Iraq, the extensive, ongoing commission of war crimes and torture, the tragic failures in the lead-up to and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and lesser-known but equally alarming offences of propaganda and disinformation, illegal spying, environmental destruction, and the violation of the separation of church and state. Loo and Phillips chillingly reveal the full threat behind the radical right-wing force that has taken over the most powerful office in the world.
The collection includes a striking introduction by Howard Zinn and contributions from Dennis Loo, Peter Phillips, Judith Volkart, Dahr Jamail, Jeremy Brecher, Jill Cutler, Brendan Smith, Larry Everest, Greg Palast, Nancy Snow, Barbara J. Bowley, Mark Crispin Miller, Kevin Wehr, Richard Heinberg, Lyn Duff, Dennis Bernstein, Bridget Thornton, Lew Brown, Andrew Sloan, Cynthia Boaz, and Michael Nagler
The collection includes a striking introduction by Howard Zinn and contributions from Dennis Loo, Peter Phillips, Judith Volkart, Dahr Jamail, Jeremy Brecher, Jill Cutler, Brendan Smith, Larry Everest, Greg Palast, Nancy Snow, Barbara J. Bowley, Mark Crispin Miller, Kevin Wehr, Richard Heinberg, Lyn Duff, Dennis Bernstein, Bridget Thornton, Lew Brown, Andrew Sloan, Cynthia Boaz, and Michael Nagler
New Forecast: Severe Space Storm Headed to Earth
Space weather forecasters revised their predictions for storminess after a major flare erupted on the Sun overnight threatening damage to communication systems and power grids while offering up the wonder of Northern Lights.
"We're looking for very strong, severe geomagnetic storming" to begin probably around mid-day Thursday, Joe Kunches, Lead Forecaster at the NOAA Space Environment Center, told SPACE.com this afternoon.
The storm is expected to generate aurora or Northern Lights, as far south as the northern United States Thursday night. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are not expected to be put at additional risk, Kunches said.
Radio communications, satellites and power grids could face potential interruptions or damage, however.
Solar flares send radiation to Earth within minutes. Some are also accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CME), clouds of charged particles that arrive in a day or two. This flare unleashed a strong CME that's aimed squarely at Earth.
The baiji is gone
Very sad news for the environment. A rare species of white dolphin that had evolved and survived for over 20 millions of years was declared extinct yesterday, due mainly to overfishing, ship traffic and pollution. The baiji had been fighting for survival for many years, but ultimately lost out to man. More at:
http://www.baiji.org/
http://www.baiji.org/
Conference Call with Sunil Gulati and Bob Bradley, the new US Soccer head coach
For the soccer junkies...
NI soldiers convicted of 1,300 offences
"People will be shocked at the extent to which criminality permeates the ranks of the British Army serving in the six counties (Northern Ireland)," the North Antrim MLA said.
"Well over 1,000 members of the British Army serving in the six counties have received criminal convictions in magistrates' and crown courts over the past six years."
"Well over 1,000 members of the British Army serving in the six counties have received criminal convictions in magistrates' and crown courts over the past six years."
Not the best idea
Well, this guy won't be invited to join the mensa club anytime soon after calling 911 to report that someone stole his spleef.
Texas city haunted by 'no blacks after dark' past
Just unbelievable that this sort of thing still exists.
Dancing Water in Texas
What could possibly make more sense for a perenially drought-stricken city than to help build a $3 million water fountain to decorate a ritzy shopping mall? Plano City Council members approved the use of $1 million of tax payer money towards the fountain which was designed by the creator of the famous Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas and requires 220,000 gallons of water to operate. What's in the water down there?
Also see: http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_339212422.html
http://www.planostar.com/articles/2006/12/01/plano_star-courier/news/0001news.txt
EPA May Delist Lead as a Pollutant
Environmental PROTECTION Agency? Well, only in name when powerful lobbyists keep speed-dialing the boss, and that's exactly what has been happening between the lead smelter industry (and others) and the Bush Administration. Ironic since the President said in 2004 he wanted to be considered a "good steward of the environment." What, the broken promise to reduce CO2 emissions wasn't enough?
Congress Demands Answers on Anthrax
Thirty-three members of Congress have written Attorney General Alberto Gonzales demanding that the FBI update lawmakers on the investigation into the anthrax attacks five years ago that paralyzed the nation with bio-terror fears.
The bipartisan letter escalates efforts by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., to get the FBI to tell lawmakers what it has learned during the five-year case that remains unsolved. The FBI has refused, citing concerns about possible leaks.
Soldier killed three days after returning armour
Samantha Roberts, the dead man's widow, campaigned to find out the truth about his death and called for an apology from Mr Hoon for the "unfillable void" it left in her life.
Before yesterday's hearing in Oxford, she said: "I'm just going to go with an open mind and see what happens."
Initially it had been believed that Sgt Roberts had been shot by an Iraqi who had been throwing stones at him.
But a later investigation revealed he was hit by a gunner in a Challenger tank 20 yards away, who was unaware that the L94 machinegun he used was known to be inaccurate at short range.
Before yesterday's hearing in Oxford, she said: "I'm just going to go with an open mind and see what happens."
Initially it had been believed that Sgt Roberts had been shot by an Iraqi who had been throwing stones at him.
But a later investigation revealed he was hit by a gunner in a Challenger tank 20 yards away, who was unaware that the L94 machinegun he used was known to be inaccurate at short range.
Desmond Tutu cancels UN mission to Gaza, blames Israel
Geneva- The South African Archbishop and Nobel peace prize winner, Desmond Tutu has called off his UN mission to Gaza, Monday blaming delays by the Israeli Government.
He had been due to depart on Sunday on a visit on behalf of the Human Rights Council to Beit Hanoun, the northern Gaza town which came under a barrage of artillery fire by Israel last month. Nineteen people were killed.
The Archbishop said Monday that an important part of his mission would have involved meeting high-level government officials but the necessary visas did not arrive in time.
Impeachment rallies held coast to coast
As her final legislative act on Friday, outgoing Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney introduced an impeachment bill, although it was just a "symbolic parting shot" by the controversial Democrat and has no chance of passing. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had promised before the midterm elections that impeachment would be "off the table," and after the Democrats regained control of Congress, Rep. John Conyers, the soon-to-be chairman for the Judiciary Committee agreed.
Renowned Cancer Scientist Was Paid by Chemical Firm for 20 Years
While he was being paid by Monsanto, Sir Richard wrote to a royal Australian commission investigating the potential cancer-causing properties of Agent Orange, made by Monsanto and used by the US in the Vietnam war. Sir Richard said there was no evidence that the chemical caused cancer...
Sir Richard died last year. Among his papers in the Wellcome Foundation library archive is a contract he signed with Monsanto. Dated April 29 1986, it extends for a year the consulting agreement that began on May 10 1979 and offers improved terms. "During the one-year period of this extension your consulting fee shall be $1,500 per day," it says.
Monsanto said yesterday it did not know how much work Sir Richard did for the company, but said he was an expert witness for Solutia, a chemical business spun off from Monsanto, as recently as 2000.
Sir Richard died last year. Among his papers in the Wellcome Foundation library archive is a contract he signed with Monsanto. Dated April 29 1986, it extends for a year the consulting agreement that began on May 10 1979 and offers improved terms. "During the one-year period of this extension your consulting fee shall be $1,500 per day," it says.
Monsanto said yesterday it did not know how much work Sir Richard did for the company, but said he was an expert witness for Solutia, a chemical business spun off from Monsanto, as recently as 2000.
Watch out for Phlogs!
A "WHOIS" search of the domain name for the website claims that it is registered to one "Aaron Wilson" of Van Nuys, CA, and provides a phone number and e-mail address for the registrant of the website. However, one watcher of this website and others suggested in October that the name is fake, although the e-mail address associated with the registration had been used for other websites as well.
USSF acts fast after Klinsmann snub with Bradley hire
The conditions attached to Bradley's hiring are hardly ideal. It's not clear yet how long his interim period will last, but it would be silly not to let Bradley coach the U.S. men through the 2007 Gold Cup and Copa América. (The guy deserves a legitimate chance.) If Bradley can get results, he may well earn the job permanently (as Steve Sampson did after guiding the U.S. to a fourth-place finish in the 1995 Copa América). But the first year of a four-year cycle leading to the 2010 World Cup should be more about developing young players and less about results on the field. Since Bradley will have to win from the start to keep his job, developing younger players will be a more difficult proposition. That's exactly why Bruce Arena wanted (and got) four-year guaranteed contracts.
The Decline and Fall of American Conservatism
Here are some hard facts. Government spending has increased faster under George Bush and his Republican Congress than it did under Bill Clinton, and more people work for the federal government today than at any time since the end of the Cold War...
Increased spending inevitably means increased taxes. Thus, despite President Bush’s much vaunted tax cuts, Americans actually pay more in taxes today than they did during Bill Clinton’s last year in office. The 2006 annual report from Americans for Tax Reform, titled “Cost of Government Day,” sums up rather nicely the intrusive role played by Republican government in the lives of ordinary Americans. The report says that Americans had to work 86.5 days just to pay their federal taxes, as compared to 78.5 days in 2000 under Bill Clinton. In other words, the average American has worked 10.2 percent more for the federal government under George Bush than under Bill Clinton. When state and local taxes (controlled in the majority of places by Republicans) are added to federal taxes, Americans worked for the government eight hours a day, five days a week, from January 1 until July 12, meaning they worked full-time for the government for more than half the year. As Tom Feeney, a congressional Republican put it: “I remember growing up and reading in some school textbooks that if more than half your paycheck went to the government, then you were living in a socialist society.”7 Just so, Mr. Feeney.
Increased spending inevitably means increased taxes. Thus, despite President Bush’s much vaunted tax cuts, Americans actually pay more in taxes today than they did during Bill Clinton’s last year in office. The 2006 annual report from Americans for Tax Reform, titled “Cost of Government Day,” sums up rather nicely the intrusive role played by Republican government in the lives of ordinary Americans. The report says that Americans had to work 86.5 days just to pay their federal taxes, as compared to 78.5 days in 2000 under Bill Clinton. In other words, the average American has worked 10.2 percent more for the federal government under George Bush than under Bill Clinton. When state and local taxes (controlled in the majority of places by Republicans) are added to federal taxes, Americans worked for the government eight hours a day, five days a week, from January 1 until July 12, meaning they worked full-time for the government for more than half the year. As Tom Feeney, a congressional Republican put it: “I remember growing up and reading in some school textbooks that if more than half your paycheck went to the government, then you were living in a socialist society.”7 Just so, Mr. Feeney.
New Orleans to Raze Public Housing
Public housing officials decided Thursday to proceed with the demolition of more than 4,500 government apartments here, brushing aside an outcry from residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina who said the move was intended to reduce the ability of poor black people to repopulate the city.
TOP-LEVEL INSIDERS SELLING THEIR STOCK
America's corporate chiefs are unloading their own stocks at one of the boldest paces in 20 years...
Analysts say a take-the-money-and-run flight from their own companies signals a growing lack of confidence in the economy's future course, as well as fears of a possible global meltdown if the Iraq crisis escalates across borders.
It's also a good time to take profits, with the Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 15 percent this year, the S&P 500 ahead 13 percent, and the Nasdaq 11 percent higher.
Wall Street investors are displaying fresh worries that the Federal Reserve might pull the trigger too quickly on hiking rates again, possibly plunging the U.S. into a recession as the Fed did in 2000.
Analysts say a take-the-money-and-run flight from their own companies signals a growing lack of confidence in the economy's future course, as well as fears of a possible global meltdown if the Iraq crisis escalates across borders.
It's also a good time to take profits, with the Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 15 percent this year, the S&P 500 ahead 13 percent, and the Nasdaq 11 percent higher.
Wall Street investors are displaying fresh worries that the Federal Reserve might pull the trigger too quickly on hiking rates again, possibly plunging the U.S. into a recession as the Fed did in 2000.
Trial for Rummy?
As he said goodbye to his position at the Pentagon, outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld may soon have a new one: defendant. While the chances are still slim, the ACLU is pursuing torture allegations against Rumsfeld, and the judge has not been quick to dismiss them. Very interesting!
Forget Scrooge, watch out for those elves!
Talk about low. Cops down in Orlando, Florida aren't too concerned about appearances as they generate some revenue for the Sunshine State. Ho, ho, ho!
Radical New Tire design by Michelin
Very cool!
These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.
This is what great R&D will do and just think of the impact on existing technology:
a.. no more air valves
a.. no more air compressors at gas stations
a.. no more repair kits ...
These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.
This is what great R&D will do and just think of the impact on existing technology:
a.. no more air valves
a.. no more air compressors at gas stations
a.. no more repair kits ...
Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
After months of speculation culminating in an intense final round of back-and-forth negotiations and erroneous reports, Juergen Klinsmann has withdrawn his name from consideration to become the next U.S. men's national team coach.
hattip to dunord as usual with the scoop.
After months of speculation culminating in an intense final round of back-and-forth negotiations and erroneous reports, Juergen Klinsmann has withdrawn his name from consideration to become the next U.S. men's national team coach.
hattip to dunord as usual with the scoop.
Yeah, this guy is going to straighten out Iraq....
A bipartisan panel of very smart people unanimously agreed that the US must talk to Iran if we have any hope of avoiding hell-on-earth in the Middle East after what we've done to Iraq. Bush's reply: he will only talk to Iran if they suspend their nuclear enrichment program because he believes that Iran is developing nucelar weapons. All intelligence, however, has told us that Iran is not developing weapons. How can Bush expect anyone in the world, even anyone in the USA, to believe him, after the blatant lies he told us on weapons of mass destruction several years ago in order to justify the invasion of Iraq (which got us into this ridiculous mess in the first place)? Bush is a liar, and we need a democracy in this country, not an oligarchy.
Rat out thy neighbor
Still, McKinney then threatened to suspend the student — identified in the lawsuit only by his initials — unless he joined McKinney’s “Narc Program” and went undercover to find real drug users at the school, according to the suit.
CONCACAF just got punked by FIFA
Now, FIFA has the CONCACAF 4th place side playing the CONMEBOL 5th place side and the Oceania champion playing the Asian fifth place side. FIFA has also said that they are considering having the Oceania champion play in the later stages of the Asian qualifying, instead of a playoff. FIFA did not change the number of nations that make the Finals.
New York Times: Supreme Court 'declining in relevance'
The number of cases the court decided with signed opinions last term, 69, was the lowest since 1953 and fewer than half the number the court was deciding as recently as the mid-1980s. And aside from the school integration and global warming cases the court heard last week, along with the terrorism-related cases of the last few years, relatively few of the cases the court is deciding nowadays speak to the core of the country's concerns.
Dawg and tranzport i am sure have some thoughts on this, eh?
Dawg and tranzport i am sure have some thoughts on this, eh?
BUSH ADMINSTRATION IMPLICATED IN NARCO DEATH SQUAD COVER UP
The Bush gov't, a coverup?
A group calling itself the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition has filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit against the Department of Justice which seeks to expose information implicating government officials behind the death squads involved on both sides of the border in more than 50 murders related to DEA, Homeland Security and Mexican police covert operations.
A group calling itself the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition has filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit against the Department of Justice which seeks to expose information implicating government officials behind the death squads involved on both sides of the border in more than 50 murders related to DEA, Homeland Security and Mexican police covert operations.
Marijuana's Active Ingredient Kills Leukemia Cells
While leukemia treatment is largely successful, some patients cannot be treated with conventional therapy; 25 percent of children fail treatment, leaving them with a poor-prognosis outcome. Scientists have previously reported that Δ9-THC has anti-cancer properties, so its use as an anti-leukemia drug may be promising, however, the psychoactive side effects, as well as its current legal status, complicate its use in cancer chemotherapy. Researchers are now trying to identify the molecular pathways targeted by Δ9-THC in order to develop new drugs that combat the same disease-pathway without the unwanted side effects.
In a study published in the February 2005 issue of Blood, Dr. Wai Man Liu and colleagues at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London reported that Δ9-THC induced cell death in a panel of leukemia cells, including two AML cell lines. Surprisingly, Dr. Lui's group found that neither CB1 or CB2—the two receptors thought to mediate Δ9-THC effects—were involved in the leukemia cell death. Activation of the CB1 receptor in the brain produces the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana use. The CB2 receptor is usually found in cells of the immune system and may regulate immune function. Moreover, the anti-leukemia properties of Δ9-THC did not involve the p53 protein, which is often involved in cancer cell death; thus Δ9-THC did not appear to function through known pathways.
In a study published in the February 2005 issue of Blood, Dr. Wai Man Liu and colleagues at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London reported that Δ9-THC induced cell death in a panel of leukemia cells, including two AML cell lines. Surprisingly, Dr. Lui's group found that neither CB1 or CB2—the two receptors thought to mediate Δ9-THC effects—were involved in the leukemia cell death. Activation of the CB1 receptor in the brain produces the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana use. The CB2 receptor is usually found in cells of the immune system and may regulate immune function. Moreover, the anti-leukemia properties of Δ9-THC did not involve the p53 protein, which is often involved in cancer cell death; thus Δ9-THC did not appear to function through known pathways.
Iraq News Manipulated
The bipartisan Iraq Study Group has reported that military and intelligence officials have manipulated the news coming out of Iraq to paint a picture more suitable to the Bush administration. The level of violence which has been described as "satanic" by other high placed government officials upon return from Iraq, has consistently been underreported. Hmmm...is that why the Pentagon set up their own News Correction Unit at the end of October??
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6100906.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6100906.stm
Does water STILL flow on Mars?
Scientists in the USA decided to retake images of the gullies to search for any sign of recent activity.
Two of those originally photographed in 1999 and 2001 then photographed again in 2004 and 2005 showed changes consistent with water having flowed down the side of the crater. The discovery was made by scientists at the San Diego-based Malin Space Systems which operated a camera aboard the spacecraft.
Writing in the journal Science, the researchers led by Michael Malin said the properties and settings of the deposits in the gullies are consistent with water flow.
Say Hello to the Goodbye Weapon
The crowd is getting ugly. Soldiers roll up in a Hummer. Suddenly, the whole right half of your body is screaming in agony. You feel like you've been dipped in molten lava. You almost faint from shock and pain, but instead you stumble backwards -- and then start running. To your surprise, everyone else is running too. In a few seconds, the street is completely empty.
You've just been hit with a new nonlethal weapon that has been certified for use in Iraq -- even though critics argue there may be unforeseen effects.
According to documents obtained for Wired News under federal sunshine laws, the Air Force's Active Denial System, or ADS, has been certified safe after lengthy tests by military scientists in the lab and in war games...
i'm sure those volunteers were real happy to not get paid. blisters? shoot, count me in!
You've just been hit with a new nonlethal weapon that has been certified for use in Iraq -- even though critics argue there may be unforeseen effects.
According to documents obtained for Wired News under federal sunshine laws, the Air Force's Active Denial System, or ADS, has been certified safe after lengthy tests by military scientists in the lab and in war games...
i'm sure those volunteers were real happy to not get paid. blisters? shoot, count me in!
NASA telescope sees black hole gulping remote star
For the past two years, scientists have monitored the dramatic events as the star, residing in a galaxy in the Bootes constellation, was ripped apart by the black hole.
Report: Israel, Iran Holding Debt Talks
So Iran and Israel and can sit down and discuss things but we can't sit down with Iran or North Korea. Such BS.
Israel and Iran had a close relationship in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, when Iran was ruled by the pro-Western Shah. Israeli companies were given large construction contracts in Iran, the countries cooperated on security and weapons development, and, according to the report, a joint Israeli-Iranian company, Trans Asiatic Oil Ltd., supplied Iranian oil to Israel.
Privacy advocates push for investigation, oversight of Bush wiretapping
"Civil liberties watchdogs on Tuesday urged a federal advisory committee to aggressively investigate the Bush administration's program of wiretapping without warrants, arguing that oversight is only effective when the truth prevails and not deference to those in power," writes Andrew Noyes. An ACLU lobbyist told Noyes that "the group's first order of business should be to review how the National Security Agency and other federal agencies target innocent citizens or other lawful residents with anti-terrorism efforts."
Survivors Dispute NYPD Account of Queens Shooting
"No,'' he said in a soft voice. "No fourth man.''...
The officers "never'' identified themselves, Guzman said, speaking from his bed at Mary Immaculate Hospital in a separate interview published Tuesday by the New York Daily News.
The officers "never'' identified themselves, Guzman said, speaking from his bed at Mary Immaculate Hospital in a separate interview published Tuesday by the New York Daily News.
50 Shots
Link to a rapid response rap from Papoose
Hattip to the Brooklyn Vegan:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2006/12/50_shots_papoos.html
The voice belonged to Papoose, a rapper from Brooklyn whose new song, “50 Shots,” is a furious — and surprisingly detailed — response to the shooting of Mr. Bell. In the last few days, the song has been circulating online. And DJ Kay Slay, who has become a mentor to Papoose, began his midnight radio show by playing it......Certainly he wasted no time in responding to the events of Saturday morning, when five police officers fired 50 shots at a car, killing Mr. Bell, who was to be married later that day, and wounding two others, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. [NY Times]
Nas weighs in...
"The one who reloaded should go before the judge and plead guilty," the rapper said in a statement released to MTV News referring to the detective who took 31 of the shots and reloaded his weapon during the incident. "If he was a man, he would be brave enough to face the charges as a man. ... This brutality bullsh-- is played out with that slave sh--. It has to end now. The cops need to be charged the way gangsters are charged."[MTV]
Hattip to the Brooklyn Vegan:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2006/12/50_shots_papoos.html
The voice belonged to Papoose, a rapper from Brooklyn whose new song, “50 Shots,” is a furious — and surprisingly detailed — response to the shooting of Mr. Bell. In the last few days, the song has been circulating online. And DJ Kay Slay, who has become a mentor to Papoose, began his midnight radio show by playing it......Certainly he wasted no time in responding to the events of Saturday morning, when five police officers fired 50 shots at a car, killing Mr. Bell, who was to be married later that day, and wounding two others, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. [NY Times]
Nas weighs in...
"The one who reloaded should go before the judge and plead guilty," the rapper said in a statement released to MTV News referring to the detective who took 31 of the shots and reloaded his weapon during the incident. "If he was a man, he would be brave enough to face the charges as a man. ... This brutality bullsh-- is played out with that slave sh--. It has to end now. The cops need to be charged the way gangsters are charged."[MTV]
Overpopulation Concerns Force U.S. To Reopen South Dakota
"Though no human being has stepped foot on that desolate soil for the better part of a century, we believe it is the best option for addressing the overcrowding we see in the country's habitable states," Kempthorne said.
Government blacks out whole response to ethics watchdog's FOIA request
A response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) yielded 100 pages of almost entirely redacted or blacked out material, RAW STORY has learned.
He's the Worst Ever!
Bush has taken this disdain for law even further. He has sought to strip people accused of crimes of rights that date as far back as the Magna Carta in Anglo-American jurisprudence: trial by impartial jury, access to lawyers and knowledge of evidence against them. In dozens of statements when signing legislation, he has asserted the right to ignore the parts of laws with which he disagrees. His administration has adopted policies regarding the treatment of prisoners of war that have disgraced the nation and alienated virtually the entire world. Usually, during wartime, the Supreme Court has refrained from passing judgment on presidential actions related to national defense. The court's unprecedented rebukes of Bush's policies on detainees indicate how far the administration has strayed from the rule of law.
Global Warming thwarts European World Cup
It's tough to ski without snow, as folks in the International Ski Federation are finding out, but are driving habits to blame? At least some would say yes.
Commenting on the effect global warming could have on his sport, 2006 Olympic champion Ted Ligety stated "It's important for people to minimize energy use. There is no need to drive an SUV that gets 14 miles per gallon." But how else will commuters compensate for their deficient libidos and need for status??? Ahh, Ligety must be a sports-car fan!
Commenting on the effect global warming could have on his sport, 2006 Olympic champion Ted Ligety stated "It's important for people to minimize energy use. There is no need to drive an SUV that gets 14 miles per gallon." But how else will commuters compensate for their deficient libidos and need for status??? Ahh, Ligety must be a sports-car fan!
Jingle Jingle...it's Dingell
The incoming chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) is planning to hold the Bush adminstration accountable on how it has dodged...er, I mean complied with federal environmental laws while promoting its energy policies. Dingell will be joined in the House and Senate by other democrats trying to find a basis behind the rollback of more than 350 environmental laws since Bush took office. Dingell has previously stated that the Big Oil subsidies and Dick Cheney's shadowy energy task force would be in his crosshairs. Commenting on the environmental oversight during the past six years, Dingell stated "It's been nothing more than Kabuki theater." Domo Arigato John Dingell!
Don't Ask … Don't E-mail
Everyone knew Mark Foley was gay. Everyone. And everyone who had a stake in his success—party, press, parents, staff, supporters, and pages—conspired for their own purposes to keep the closet half closed.
Archaeologists discover stone snake carved in cave in Botswana
The cave in the Tsodilo hills has a rock with a marked resemblance to a python's head, The Times of London reported. The rock has manmade marks on it and a hiding place behind it that could have been used by a shaman appearing to speak for the python.
Sheila Coulson of the University of Oslo said the indentations on the rock in daylight look like scales. In the light of a fire, the snake appears to move.
Sheila Coulson of the University of Oslo said the indentations on the rock in daylight look like scales. In the light of a fire, the snake appears to move.
Bush the worst ever?
Just the simple fact that there is a debate over Chimpy being the worst is enough. Like being slightly better than Nixon is somehow good...
Mmmm...tasty!
New Yorkers might have a harder time finding their iguana and armadillo meat (not to mention cow's lungs...yummy!) after a crackdown by food safety.
Kofi Annan says Iraqis better under Sadaam
Kofi Annan said today that the life of average Iraqis was better under Sadaam Hussein and that the ongoing fighting is "much worse" than Lebanon's own civil war years ago. Annan also stated that international community should help to rebuild the country and expressed doubts that Iraq could rebuild on their own. The U.N. estimates that more than 100 Iraqis die each day now from secretarian violence.
Iraq already dividing
Despite the attempts by President Bush and the newly created national Iraqi government, Iraq is already beginning to experience divisions that would ultimately create a land with three separate ruling states. The Baker group's plan will need to address the fact that Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish areas are already defining themselves through violence, and their unification will be a difficult task. Joe Biden has suggested dividing Iraq for a while now. Is it time for the United States to stop swimming upstream and go with the flow?
Mysteries of computer from 65BC are solved
Cool!
Remarkably, scans showed the device uses a differential gear, which was previously believed to have been invented in the 16th century. The level of miniaturisation and complexity of its parts is comparable to that of 18th century clocks.
Some researchers believe the machine, known as the Antikythera Mechanism, may have been among other treasure looted from Rhodes that was en route to Rome for a celebration staged by Julius Caesar.
Remarkably, scans showed the device uses a differential gear, which was previously believed to have been invented in the 16th century. The level of miniaturisation and complexity of its parts is comparable to that of 18th century clocks.
Some researchers believe the machine, known as the Antikythera Mechanism, may have been among other treasure looted from Rhodes that was en route to Rome for a celebration staged by Julius Caesar.
Talk-radio spoof exposes prejudices
A pervasive fear and lack of understanding of Muslims and their faith came out during this radio spoof. The radio host suggested that Muslims should be forced to be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, and the resulting reactions to this idea speak for themselves.
Ex-CIA Worker Pleads Guilty To Burglary
Search warrants list 1,074 pairs of women's undergarments that he stole. Many were stuffed in shopping bags and a filing cabinet at his home in Falls Church.
Dalmas did not explain his actions during his guilty plea in Fairfax County Circuit Court, and neither his attorney nor prosecutors mentioned the panties during the hearing.
"I don't profess to be that knowledgeable about ladies' undergarments," Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ian M. Rodway said after the court hearing. "They ran the gamut from frilly things to mundane things."
Dalmas did not explain his actions during his guilty plea in Fairfax County Circuit Court, and neither his attorney nor prosecutors mentioned the panties during the hearing.
"I don't profess to be that knowledgeable about ladies' undergarments," Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ian M. Rodway said after the court hearing. "They ran the gamut from frilly things to mundane things."
Refuge of Last Resort
Refuge of Last Resort - The only Hi Definition Katrina documentary filmed, edited and experienced by the filmmaker.
Riding into history--Russell Baze
SAN MATEO, Calif. – This one was for the grizzled railbirds who remember when Seabiscuit used to pack them in 30,000 strong. This one was for the small-time owners and breeders who still live paycheck to paycheck. This one was for Bay Meadows and other race tracks across the country fighting for survival.
This one was for the record books.
Far from the glitz of Churchill Downs and the glamour of Santa Anita, at a one-mile track without pretense or luxury boxes, Russell Baze tied the record for victories by a jockey with this 9,530th win on Thursday. He still needs one victory to pass Laffit Pincay, and it's likely to come Friday when Baze has seven mounts. But the celebration started early for a 48-year-old jockey whose grandmother rode horses when she was pregnant and whose family made a living riding and training horses at small tracks across the northwest.
Lawsuit stirs up guacamole labeling controversy
If consumers read the fine print, they would discover that Kraft Dips Guacamole contains less than 2% avocado. But few of them do. California avocado growers, who account for 95% of the nation's avocado crop, said they didn't know that store-bought guacamole contained little of their produce.
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