Twitter Jitters: Can What You Tweet About Police Land You in Jail?

Law.com - Twitter Jitters: Can What You Tweet About Police Land You in Jail?:

"In a statement, Pittsburgh police explained that Madison 'used legal devices for illegal acts.' What exactly those illegal acts were, however, remains unclear. What is clear is that Madison's arrest for sharing information with other protesters online presents broader public policy concerns. Broader because it matters not what medium or Twitter-like technology you use to convey a controversial message. What matters -- and what Madison's arrest here potentially threatens -- is the underlying right to say it. "

As The FTC Goes After Bloggers, Doctors Making Millions Promoting Drugs With Little Oversight | Techdirt

As The FTC Goes After Bloggers, Doctors Making Millions Promoting Drugs With Little Oversight | Techdirt:

"In view of this control and the conflicts of interest that permeate the enterprise, it is not surprising that industry-sponsored trials published in medical journals consistently favor sponsors' drugs--largely because negative results are not published, positive results are repeatedly published in slightly different forms, and a positive spin is put on even negative results. A review of seventy-four clinical trials of antidepressants, for example, found that thirty-seven of thirty-eight positive studies were published. But of the thirty-six negative studies, thirty-three were either not published or published in a form that conveyed a positive outcome. It is not unusual for a published paper to shift the focus from the drug's intended effect to a secondary effect that seems more favorable. "

TEDX — Endocrine Interruption: General Information

TEDX — Endocrine Interruption: General Information:

"The endocrine system is the exquisitely balanced system of glands and hormones that regulates such vital functions as body growth, response to stress, sexual development and behavior, production and utilization of insulin, rate of metabolism, intelligence and behavior, and the ability to reproduce. Hormones are chemicals such as insulin, thyroxin, estrogen, and testosterone that interact with specific target cells. The interactions occur through a number of mechanisms, the easiest of which to conceptualize is the lock and key. For example, target cells such as those in the uterus contain receptors (locks) into which specific estrogenic hormones (keys) can attach and thereby cause specific biological actions, such as regulating ovulation or terminating pregnancy. Other endocrine disrupting mechanisms include binding hormone transport proteins or other proteins involved in signaling pathways, inhibiting or inducing enzymes, interfering with uptake and export from cells, and modifying gene expression."

Genital Deformaties Harbinger of Chemical Effects

Science & Environment Articles | Genital Deformaties Harbinger of Chemical Effects | Miller-McCune Online Magazine:

"Judy Hoy has tracked genital malformations among Montana's roadkill for years. She's been reporting disturbing trends for years, but few are paying her heed."

Gallery: The Gear of War | Boing Boing Gadgets

Gallery: The Gear of War | Boing Boing Gadgets:

""

Snake with foot found in China

Snake with foot found in China - Telegraph:

"Dean Qiongxiu, 66, said she discovered the reptile clinging to the wall of her bedroom with its talons in the middle of the night."

2 flu strains in 1 pig led to new H1N1

2 flu strains in 1 pig led to new H1N1 -- chicagotribune.com:

" Somehow, a single pig became simultaneously infected with that virus and a pure swine flu strain found in pigs in Europe and Asia. The two strains swapped genetic material to produce the new H1N1 strain, which then began to infect humans."

Giant Stone-age Axes Found In African Lake Basin

Giant Stone-age Axes Found In African Lake Basin:

"ScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2009) — A giant African lake basin is providing information about possible migration routes and hunting practices of early humans in the Middle and Late Stone Age periods, between 150,000 and 10,000 years ago."

Necessary Process In Forming Long-term Memory Identified

Necessary Process In Forming Long-term Memory Identified:

"ScienceDaily (Sep. 10, 2009) — A new study that was carried out at the University of Haifa has identified another component in the chain of actions that take place in the neurons in the process of forming memories. This discovery joins a line of findings from previous studies that together provide a better understanding of the most complex processes in nature – the process of memory formation and storage in the human brain. The new study has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience."

Supreme Court hears arguments for corporate funding of candidates -- latimes.com

Supreme Court hears arguments for corporate funding of candidates -- latimes.com:

"Big companies, industries and possibly unions may be allowed to fund ads for and against candidates. A decision could reshape American politics starting with the 2010 congressional campaign."

Saddle Up for the U.S. Army's Robotics Rodeo | Popular Science

Saddle Up for the U.S. Army's Robotics Rodeo | Popular Science:

"At the first Robotics Rodeo, hosted this week by the U.S. Army and the Fort Hood III Corps in Texas, war machines replaced bulls and horses. Soldiers and civilian contractors used the opportunity, starting on Wednesday, to inspect a lineup of robots that could potentially find a place on the battlefield."

Digiprotect Admits It Shares Files Just To Find People To Demand Settlement Money From | Techdirt

Digiprotect Admits It Shares Files Just To Find People To Demand Settlement Money From | Techdirt:

"'We get the legal rights from the companies to distribute these movies to stores, and with these rights we can sue illegal downloaders. Then we take legal action in every country possible, concentrating on the places where such action will be profitable.' "

Don't Exhale: EPA Expected to Declare Carbon Dioxide a Dangerous Pollutant - Political News - FOXNews.com

Don't Exhale: EPA Expected to Declare Carbon Dioxide a Dangerous Pollutant - Political News - FOXNews.com:

"The Environmental Protection Agency is expected in the next few weeks to declare that carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases are pollutants, a move that would require the federal government to regulate them -- even without legislation. "

Africans 'under siege' in Moscow

BBC NEWS | Europe | Africans 'under siege' in Moscow:

"Nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia's capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study."

Voyage confirms plastic pollution

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Voyage confirms plastic pollution:

"Scientists have confirmed that there are millions of tonnes of plastic floating in an area of ocean known as the North Pacific Gyre."

Reincarnated! Our son is a World War II pilot come back to life

Reincarnated! Our son is a World War II pilot come back to life | Mail Online:

"It sounds totally beyond belief. But read the tantalising evidence from this boy's family and you may start to wonder... The agonised screams pierced the air. 'Plane on fire! Airplane crash.' In the dark, a two-year-old boy was just visible, writhing on his bed in the grip of horror. 'He was lying there on his back, kicking and clawing at the covers like he was trying to kick his way out of a coffin,' remembers the boy's father. 'I thought, this looks like The Exorcist. I half expected his head to spin around like that little girl in the movie. But then I heard what James was saying.' Over and over again, the tiny child screamed: 'Plane on fire! Little man can't get out.' "

Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drugmakers Are Desperate to Know Why.

Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drugmakers Are Desperate to Know Why.:

"Behind the scenes, however, MK-869 was starting to unravel. True, many test subjects treated with the medication felt their hopelessness and anxiety lift. But so did nearly the same number who took a placebo, a look-alike pill made of milk sugar or another inert substance given to groups of volunteers in clinical trials to gauge how much more effective the real drug is by comparison. The fact that taking a faux drug can powerfully improve some people's health—the so-called placebo effect—has long been considered an embarrassment to the serious practice of pharmacology."

YouTube - Quarantine or 30 day jail for refusing the toxic vaccine

YouTube - Quarantine or 30 day jail for refusing the toxic vaccine:

""

Arkansas puppy attacked by rabid bat in backyard in the middle of the day.

Arkansas puppy attacked by rabid bat in backyard in the middle of the day.:

"Last week a rabid bat in Arkansas flew down and attacked a three month old puppy in a fenced yard in broad daylight. The family saw the bat and destroyed it, taking all the precautions not to touch it. It had bitten the puppy on the face."

American Vice: Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins

American Vice: Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins:

"We're gluttons for infographics, and a team at Kansas State just served up a feast: maps of sin created by plotting per-capita stats on things like theft (envy) and STDs (lust). Christian clergy, likely noting the Bible Belt's status as Wrath Central, question the 'science.' Valid point—or maybe it's just the pride talking."

Last Temptation

MichaelMoore.com : Last Temptation:

"The former mouthpiece for insurance giant Cigna divulges his role in misleading the public, the emotional day that led to his whistle-blowing, and what should really scare you. "

The Associated Press: Mexico decriminalizes small-scale drug possession

The Associated Press: Mexico decriminalizes small-scale drug possession:

"MEXICO CITY — Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday — a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government's grueling battle against drug traffickers."

YouTube - Dr. John Cannell on vitamin D

YouTube - Dr. John Cannell on vitamin D:

""

Banks to collect $38.5B in overdraft fees in '09

Banks to collect $38.5B in overdraft fees in '09 - report - Aug. 10, 2009:

"U.S. banks will collect a record $38.5 billion in overdraft fees this year, with nearly all the revenue paid by just 10% of customers, according to a research report released Monday"

Elsevier Caught Again: Published Ghost Written, Industry Supporting Articles As Scientific Resesarch

Elsevier Caught Again: Published Ghost Written, Industry Supporting Articles As Scientific Resesarch | Techdirt:

"This time, it involved people hired by certain pharma companies ghostwriting scientific 'review' articles that were supposed to give an overview of all the research on certain treatments, but... 'emphasized the benefits and de-emphasized the risks' of those treatments. And people wonder why we're so skeptical about allowing pharma companies to dictate both our healthcare plans and our patent laws..."

California Judge Declares Red Light Camera Program Illegal and Void

California Judge Declares Red Light Camera Program Illegal and Void | The Truth About Cars:

"Schwartz saw the error in the announcement timing as more than a technicality, citing the false assertion of Police Chief Paul Walters that motorists would be given 4.4 seconds of yellow time at enforced intersections. Records show that seventeen of the city’s eighteen camera intersections had yellow times of 4.0 seconds or less. The vast majority of red light tickets in the city were mailed to vehicle accused of entering an intersection less than half-a-second after the light had turned red."

Strip clubs, marijuana eyed during budget crunch - CNN.com

Strip clubs, marijuana eyed during budget crunch - CNN.com:

"'You see this blizzard of fees popping up all over the country and in very unusual places,' CanagaRetna said.

One of the more controversial ideas is to legalize the sale of marijuana, as proposed in a bill introduced in California's state legislature by Democratic State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano this year. The bill proposed taxing pot by $50 per ounce. If legalized, marijuana could become California's No. 1 cash crop, bringing in an estimated $1 billion a year in state taxes."

YouTube - Kucinich: the Federal Reserve is paying banks NOT to make loans to struggling Americans!

YouTube - Kucinich: the Federal Reserve is paying banks NOT to make loans to struggling Americans!:

""

EMI Quits Selling CDs to Indie Record Stores

EMI Quits Selling CDs to Indie Record Stores:

"The music industry knows how to hang out itself, even if it lacks the correct length pf rope. EMI, certainly reeling from declining physical album sales like the other Big 4 record labels, is now apparently telling independent album retailers that it will no longer sell them CDs."

Lose your property for growing food?

Lose your property for growing food?:

"Some small farms and organic food growers could be placed under direct supervision of the federal government under new legislation making its way through Congress. "

Idaho police sodomize man with Taser

Idaho police sodomize man with Taser:

"Not only was the exchange documented on the cop’s own tape recorder, the suspect ended up with burns on the inside of his right buttock. These were evident in photographs taken ten and 13 days after the incident.

Also, another cop who taped an interview with the suspect at the jail later that night ended up erasing the taped interview."

WHy Michael wore pajamas to court...

YouTube - Michael Jackson's Lawyer Thomas Mesereau Speaks Out:

""

and he said Jackson told him again -- quote -- 'They're trying to kill me

CNN.com - Transcripts:

"KAYE: Right. Dick Gregory is a comedian, a good friend of Michael Jackson's. They met many, many years ago -- decades ago, in fact -- when they were doing 'The Wiz' together.

And he was actually with Michael Jackson during the second child molestation trial. And he told me that Jackson's parents called him and said that Michael wasn't well, can he come and help him. And a few days before the trial ended, Dick Gregory told me that he went back to Neverland with Michael Jackson, and that Jackson hugged him and said -- quote -- 'Please don't leave me. They're trying to kill me.'

Gregory says he asked Jackson when the last time he ate was, because he didn't look well, and that Jackson told him -- quote -- 'They're trying to poison me.' He asked him when he last drank water, and he said Jackson told him again -- quote -- 'They're trying to kill me.' "

Bizarre theory suggests time may be running out

Bizarre theory suggests time may be running out | BreakingNews.ie:

"If time has been slowing down, and clocks are now running more slowly than they did long ago, it would appear from our perspective as if things have been speeding up. Looking back over billions of years, galaxies would seem to be travelling away from each other faster and faster at various intervals since the Big Bang. "

Balkinization

Balkinization:

"Put differently, Cheney sought to go around the Constitution's protections for persons arrested in the United States. The whole point of the enemy combantant theory was to avoid having to abide by constitutional guarantees. It is worth dwelling on this point: This is not a debate about whether the army would have to read Miranda rights to suspects captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan. It was a plan to have the military arrest people in the United States in order to get around civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. "

YouTube - Suspect puts drugs in his mouth; cop breaks his neck

YouTube - Suspect puts drugs in his mouth; cop breaks his neck:

""

Dead Sea Sinkholes Swallowing Up Unwary

Dead Sea Sinkholes Swallowing Up Unwary - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com:

"The Dead Sea is the lowest spot of land on the planet, where the Bible says God rained fire and brimstone down on the misbehaving residents of Sodom and Gomorrah — and where now, the Earth occasionally opens up and swallows peop"

YouTube - "It's a Trick, We Always Use It." (calling people "anti-Semitic")

YouTube - "It's a Trick, We Always Use It." (calling people "anti-Semitic"):

""

Documents Reveal: Cops Planted Pot on 92-Year Old Woman They Killed in Botched Drug Raid | DrugReporter | AlterNet

Documents Reveal: Cops Planted Pot on 92-Year Old Woman They Killed in Botched Drug Raid | DrugReporter | AlterNet:

"According to federal documents released this week, these are the events that led to Kathryn Johnston's death and the steps the officers took to cover their tracks."

9 reasons why there wasn’t stress in the good old days | ZME Science

9 reasons why there wasn’t stress in the good old days | ZME Science:

"Nowadays, people seem to be more and more stressed, even average people that at least apparently don’t take big gambles. Researchers have put a lot of time and money into the study of this problem, and came up with a whole lot of theories, but really, don’t let those fool you. Here’s the real deal, here’s why it was so easy in those days."

Ethnic diversity – when black people are badly Photoshopped

Ethnic diversity – when black people are badly Photoshopped (11 pics) » Izismile.com - In fun we trust! Pictures, photos, videos, flash, games, celebs, hot stuff:

"For some reason, black people and white people still don't seem to like taking photographs together.
Which makes it awfully difficult when a magazine, newspaper or brochure wants to demonstrate diversity.
"

Ireland Makes Blasphemy Illegal

Ireland Makes Blasphemy Illegal | Paliban Daily:

"# Atheists can be prosecuted for saying that God is imaginary. That causes outrage.

# Pagans can be prosecuted for saying they left Christianity because God is violent and bloodthirsty, promotes genocide, and permits slavery.

# Christians can be prosecuted for saying that Allah is a moon god, or for drawing a picture of Mohammed, or for saying that Islam is a violent religion which breeds terrorists.

# Jews can be prosecuted for saying Jesus isn’t the Messiah."

Swine flu vaccine rushed through safety checks

Swine flu vaccine rushed through safety checks - Times Online:

"A vaccine against swine flu will be fast-tracked for use in Britain in just five days, with 130 million doses on order. "

Why play a losing game? Study uncovers why low-income people buy lottery tickets | Science Codex

Why play a losing game? Study uncovers why low-income people buy lottery tickets | Science Codex:

"'Some poor people see playing the lottery as their best opportunity for improving their financial situations, albeit wrongly so,' said the study's lead author Emily Haisley, a doctoral student in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business. 'The hope of getting out of poverty encourages people to continue to buy tickets, even though their chances of stumbling upon a life-changing windfall are nearly impossibly slim and buying lottery tickets in fact exacerbates the very poverty that purchasers are hoping to escape.'"

Toxic Substance Allows Birds to "See" Magnetic Field

Toxic Substance Allows Birds to "See" Magnetic Field:

"A toxic substance plays a key role in helping birds migrate, a new study says. Previous research had shown that birds seem to have an internal compass that allows them to 'see' Earth's magnetic field. This magnetic vision guides them on long journeys. "

Swearing can reduce the feeling of pain - Telegraph

Swearing can reduce the feeling of pain - Telegraph:

"Scientists have discovered that uttering swear words can help to lessen the feeling of physical pain.

The study by researchers at Keele University found that volunteers were able to withstand pain for longer when they swore compared to when they used words which were not offensive. "

FEMA: National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09)

FEMA: National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09):

"National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09) is scheduled for July 27 through July 31, 2009. NLE 09 will be the first major exercise conducted by the United States government that will focus exclusively on terrorism prevention and protection, as opposed to incident response and recovery."

Swine flu vaccine to be given to entire population

Swine flu vaccine to be given to entire population - Telegraph:

"The UK government has ordered enough vaccine to cover the entire population. GPs are being told to prepare for a nationwide vaccination campaign. "

Swine flu vaccine rushed through safety checks

Swine flu vaccine rushed through safety checks - Times Online:

"A vaccine against swine flu will be fast-tracked for use in Britain in just five days, with 130 million doses on order. "

How doctors saved Adenhart crash survivor's life

How doctors saved Adenhart crash survivor's life | wilhite, bhatia, skull, jon, spine - News - OCRegister.com:

"The chief spine surgeon was on duty past midnight. The firefighters, trained to extricate severe trauma patients, kept the patient's spine and head rigid. The ER physician, sensing unforgiving injuries, immediately called for a CAT Scan, which showed the skull had been separated from the spine."

'Put nothing in writing,' Browner told auto execs on secret White House CAFE talks

'Put nothing in writing,' Browner told auto execs on secret White House CAFE talks; Sensenbrenner wants investigation | Washington Examiner:

"Carol Browner, former Clinton administration EPA head and current Obama White House climate czar, instructed auto industry execs 'to put nothing in writing, ever' regarding secret negotiations she orchestrated regarding a deal to increase federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards."

Why The New Webcasting Rates Are A Death Sentence For Webcasters | Techdirt

Why The New Webcasting Rates Are A Death Sentence For Webcasters | Techdirt:

"Meanwhile, small webcasters don't get much of a break either. Live365 is pointing out that these rates will basically kill off every webcaster it hosts by requiring a $25,000 fee. As the company notes, the guy running the Armenian folk music station for $10/month isn't going to pay $25,000 and certainly isn't going to make enough revenue to pay up. "

Sperm Travels Faster Toward Attractive Females

Sperm Travels Faster Toward Attractive Females: Discovery News:

"New research found that males can adjust the speed and effectiveness of their sperm by allocating more or less seminal fluid to copulations. The determining factor is whether the male finds the female attractive."

Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda

Dailymotion - Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda - une vidéo Expression Libre:

""

Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda
Uploaded by Dianequiose-4. - Explore international webcam videos.

Another Must Watch

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion"

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion" | NBC Philadelphia:

"'When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool,' Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. 'The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately.'"

Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells

Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells:

"Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup’s inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells.

"

Clean Energy and Security Act brings auditors into your home

Clean Energy and Security Act brings auditors into your home:

"H.R. 2454 is a 1400-page promise to audit every aspect of your home and life under the guise of creating jobs, clean energy and a sustainable world. However, before we get into the bill lets examine the way it’s been handled.

The secrecy of the bill and the speed of which the legislation is being railroaded is quite alarming. The last two times I’ve seen this was with the Patriot Act and TARP legislation."

Nanomaterial turns radiation directly into electricity - tech - 27 March 2008 - New Scientist

Nanomaterial turns radiation directly into electricity - tech - 27 March 2008 - New Scientist:

"Materials that directly convert radiation into electricity could produce a new era of spacecraft and even Earth-based vehicles powered by high-powered nuclear batteries, say US researchers."

New Massachusetts Pot Law Has Cops in a Tizzy

New Massachusetts Pot Law Has Cops in a Tizzy | The Conscience of Abe’s Turn:

"Last November, in Massachusetts, the ballot asked voters whether to change the state’s marijuana laws. Under the new law, anyone caught with an ounce or less of pot, instead of being arrested and charged with a crime, would simply get a $100 ticket. According to the official election returns, 63% of the voters thought this was a good idea. (Only 33% disapproved, with 4% abstaining.) "

Cancer: Brain Tumour Leading Cause Of Cancer In UK Says Brain Tumour Research | UK News | Sky News

Cancer: Brain Tumour Leading Cause Of Cancer In UK Says Brain Tumour Research | UK News | Sky News:

"They kill more men under 45 and women under 35 than any other cancer, reveals Brain Tumour Research.

And brain tumours have overtaken leukaemia as the biggest cancer killer of children in the UK, with the number of children dying from a brain tumour in 2007, up 33% on 2001.

While overall mortality rates from cancer are falling despite an actual rise in cases, survival rates for brain tumour patients are getting worse."

IRS: The Real Facts

IRS: The Real Facts:

"Many believe that they are required to pay an 'income tax' to a branch of the United States government called 'The Internal Revenue Service'. The origins and history of the IRS shows just how in error these beliefs are. Not only is there no law that requires most Americans to file an individual tax return, but the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wasn't even created by an act of Congress!"

Nine Arctic Nukes Exploded in Eighteen Hours

Nine Arctic Nukes Exploded in Eighteen Hours | Ron Paul Wins! | Campaign for Liberty at the Daily Paul:

"On November 17 and 18, 2008 nine H-Bombs were exploded below the Arctic Ocean near the North Magnetic Pole.

Do Police Always Lie, Or Does It Just Seem That Way?

Do Police Always Lie, Or Does It Just Seem That Way? « LewRockwell.com Blog:

"When Leake finally exited the car, a shaved fraction of a split second transpired before Jackson slugged the taller motorist twice before bull-dogging him to the pavement. During this whole time, as the video clearly shows, Jackson did nothing to provoke the violence; he neither hit nor threatened the officer, nor did he assume a ‘fighting stance.’

After the two of them hit the ground off-camera, a hissing noise and choking can be heard suggesting that the tax-feeder had pepper-sprayed the driver. Jackson is heard accusing the motorist of hitting him and tackling him."

Unveiling the Secret Yellow Printer Dots with the Eyeclops Bionic Eye

Unveiling the Secret Yellow Printer Dots with the Eyeclops Bionic Eye:

"One day, Tim, the boss, introduced me to the secret, invisible marks that our printer was fusing to every sheet that came out of the printer: The marks were designed to help prevent people from printing high-quality counterfeit money. "

Mark Easton's UK: How Portugal treats drug addicts

BBC - Mark Easton's UK: How Portugal treats drug addicts:

"Exactly eight years ago today, on July 1st 2001, Portugal decreed that the purchase, possession and use of any previously-illegal substance would no longer be considered a criminal offence. So, instead of police arresting users, at The End of the World, health and social workers now dispense the paraphernalia of heroin use. "

Nobel Prize genius Crick was high on LSD

Mayan Majix - Articles - Nobel Prize genius Crick was high on LSD:

"FRANCIS CRICK, the Nobel Prize-winning father of modern genetics, was under the influence of LSD when he first deduced thedouble-helix structure of DNA nearly 50 years ago."

Top 10 Famous Quotes About Propaganda

Top Ten - Top 10 Famous Quotes About Propaganda - Top 10 - Jean Anouilh Quote - George Orwell Quote - Robert A. Heinlein Quote - Hannah Arendt Quote - Noam Chomsky Quote - Gore Vidal Quote - Saul Bellow Quote - Charles Mackay Quote - Joseph Conrad Quote -:

#08 - Robert A. Heinlein

"'When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything—you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.' —Robert A. Heinlein, If This Goes On, 1940"

Comics creator stopped by TSA for carrying script about writer under suspicion by TSA - Boing Boing

Comics creator stopped by TSA for carrying script about writer under suspicion by TSA - Boing Boing:

"Comics writer Mark Sable was detained and intensively questioned by the TSA for carrying a script for an upcoming comic book about a writer who is detained and intensively questioned by the TSA for writing a comic about terrorism. "

Battered Men

Battered Men:

"‘Forget what you’ve heard about domestic violence,’ says Patricia Pearson, author of When She Was Bad: Violent Women and the Myth of Innocence. ‘The truth is that women are just as likely to batter as men.’

The largest and most recent survey, conducted three years ago by the U.S. Department of Justice, reported that 39 per cent of spousal assault victims are men. Professor John Archer of the University of Central Lancashire in England reached a similar conclusion after analyzing 17 international studies from the US, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom published over the last 20 years."

Step Away From the Vehicle: The Supreme Court imposes long-overdue limits on car searches. - Reason Magazine

Step Away From the Vehicle: The Supreme Court imposes long-overdue limits on car searches. - Reason Magazine:

"In August 1999 police saw Rodney Gant pull into the driveway of his Tucson home and arrested him for driving with a suspended license. After handcuffing Gant and locking him in a cruiser, Officer Todd Griffith searched his car, finding a bag of cocaine in the pocket of a jacket on the backseat. When he was asked at an evidentiary hearing why he searched the car, Griffith replied, 'Because the law says we can do it.'

Not anymore."

Australian scientists may have worked out the mystery of teleportation | The Daily Telegraph

Australian scientists may have worked out the mystery of teleportation | The Daily Telegraph:

"The research team from the Australian National University developed a new approach to generating quantum entanglement in beams of light using only two parts. Quantum entanglement is a process in which two objects are linked together in such a way that any changes to the properties of one can be measured from the other regardless of the distance between them."

Senate bill fines people refusing health coverage - Yahoo! Finance

Senate bill fines people refusing health coverage - Yahoo! Finance:

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans who refuse to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000 under a health care overhaul bill unveiled Thursday by key Senate Democrats looking to fulfill President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the fines will raise around $36 billion over 10 years. Senate aides said the penalties would be modeled on the approach taken by Massachusetts, which now imposes a fine of about $1,000 a year on individuals who refuse to get coverage. Under the federal legislation, families would pay higher penalties than individuals."

Gov. Jindal approves new diploma — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com | News | Gov. Jindal approves new diploma — Baton Rouge, LA:

"BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Gov. Bobby Jindal approved legislation Thursday creating a new public school curriculum with lowered academic standards, waving aside objections from education advocates who say the change will produce high school graduates who lack basic English and math skills.

Jindal said the new program is part of the state's effort to produce a better-trained work force. He also said the new curriculum, focused on training students for blue collar jobs, would reduce the state's dropout rate."

Dinosaur mummy yields organic molecules

Dinosaur mummy yields organic molecules - Discovery.com- msnbc.com:

"The extremely well-preserved remains of a 66-million-year-old hadrosaur, known as a 'dinosaur mummy,' have just yielded soft-tissue skin structures and organic molecules, according to a new study. "

Pirates of the Mediterranean

Campaign For Liberty — Pirates of the Mediterranean:

"Meanwhile, California, which has become a failed state, has been denied bailout money from Washington.  Israel, which has been a failed state for 60 years, can, unlike the American state of California, always count of Washington to deliver the money and the weapons to keep Israel going.  

The same week that 'our' government in Washington told the Governor of California 'not one red cent,' President Barak Obama handed over $2.775 billion to Israel. 

Online Journal (June 29) reported that the handover to Israel of the unemployed Americans' tax dollars took place in a 'tiny Capitol room' to which members of the press were denied access.  I mean, really, who wants the media writing about US taxpayer dollars for Israel's nuclear weapons while Americans are being kicked out of their homes.  Not that, of course, the 'Christian' supporters of Israel would mind.  "

The science of voodoo: When mind attacks body

The science of voodoo: When mind attacks body - health - 13 May 2009 - New Scientist:

"Take Sam Shoeman, who was diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer in the 1970s and given just months to live. Shoeman duly died in the allotted time frame - yet the autopsy revealed that his doctors had got it wrong. The tumour was tiny and had not spread. 'He didn't die from cancer, but from believing he was dying of cancer,' says Meador. 'If everyone treats you as if you are dying, you buy into it. Everything in your whole being becomes about dying.'"

By-the-mile road tax could replace by-the-gallon federal fuel tax - Kansas City Star

By-the-mile road tax could replace by-the-gallon federal fuel tax - Kansas City Star:

"The idea of shifting to a by-the-mile tax has been discussed for years, but it now appears to be getting more serious attention. A federal commission, after a two-year study, concluded earlier this year that the road tax was the ‘best path forward’ to keep revenues flowing to highway and transportation projects, and could be an important new tool to help manage traffic and relieve congestion.

The decision by the 15-member National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission was unanimous, which surprised Robert Atkinson, the group’s chairman. But he said it became clear as the commission’s work progressed that a road tax on miles traveled was the best option. "

Americans Are Living And Dying In A Militarized Police State

Americans Are Living And Dying In A Militarized Police State:

"Today, police departments across the United States more closely resemble an occupying army than they do public servants responding to calls for help. Police officers can now be seen wearing helmets and body armor and carrying AR-15's, just to deliver simple warrants. The militarization of our police departments not only gives the appearance of a military dictatorship but places the public at great risk. "

EPA's own research expert 'shut up' on climate change

EPA's own research expert 'shut up' on climate change:

"Environmental Protection Agency officials have silenced one of their own senior researchers after the 38-year employee issued an internal critique of the EPA's climate change position.

Alan Carlin, senior operations research analyst at the EPA's National Center for Environmental Economics, or NCEE, submitted his research on the agency's greenhouse gases endangerment findings and offered a fundamental critique on the EPA's approach to combating CO2 emissions. But officials refused to share his conclusion in an open internal discussion, claiming his research would have 'a very negative impact on our office.'

His study was barred from circulation within the EPA and was never disclosed to the public for political reasons, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, or CEI, a group that has accessed four internal e-mails on the subject."

Loophole Helps GE Benefit From Bank Rescue Program - washingtonpost.com

Loophole Helps GE Benefit From Bank Rescue Program - washingtonpost.com:

"General Electric, the world's largest industrial company, has quietly become the biggest beneficiary of one of the government's key rescue programs for banks."

'I'm better off dead. I'm done': How Michael Jackson predicted his death six months ago | Mail Online

'I'm better off dead. I'm done': How Michael Jackson predicted his death six months ago | Mail Online:

"Michael knew it and his advisers knew it. Anyone who caught even a fleeting glimpse of the frail old man hiding beneath the costumes and cosmetics would have understood that the London tour was madness. For Michael Jackson, it was fatal."

States brace for shutdowns - Los Angeles Times

States brace for shutdowns - Los Angeles Times:

" Indiana is one of five states -- along with Arizona, California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania -- bracing for possible shutdowns this week as time runs out for lawmakers to close billion-dollar gaps in their fiscal 2010 budgets. "

The Cap and Tax Fiction - WSJ.com

The Cap and Tax Fiction - WSJ.com:

"The biggest doozy in the CBO analysis was its extraordinary decision to look only at the day-to-day costs of operating a trading program, rather than the wider consequences energy restriction would have on the economy. The CBO acknowledges this in a footnote: 'The resource cost does not indicate the potential decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) that could result from the cap.'"

The real truth behind cap and trade

The real truth behind cap and trade:

"The purpose of cap and trade is to reduce the number of carbon emissions. The costs will be seen in all things that are manufactured, including gas, food, energy, clothing. If consumers are spending less, companies will be producing less. That leads to cut backs, job loss, and higher unemployment. Who will be hit the hardest? That would be low income families who spend the majority of their earnings on energy costs."

Evidence of the Great Flood?

AIMS Media Release - February 17, 2005:

"AIMS biologist Dr Dan Alongi said the expedition was surveying the impact of nutrients on coastal inshore areas when scientists unearthed mangrove forests in old river channels they believe may snake for 30 kilometres to the edge of the continental shelf.

Scientists have long theorised that sea level rose very gradually over several thousand years, but these remnant mangrove forests tell another story.

While it was previously known that relic river beds exist beneath the Great Barrier Reef, formed 9000 years ago when the sea level was lower than the continental shelf, their significance was never studied."

The Raw Story » Milk is a gateway drug to bourbon

The Raw Story » Milk is a gateway drug to bourbon:

"You have never before seen -- nor will you ever see again -- FBI director Robert Mueller so thoroughly humbled in a discussion about drug policy before the United States Congress.

In this instance, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) gets Mueller to admit that marijuana has never killed anybody, then smashes into tiny bits the decades-old 'gateway drug' argument with a unique analogy of milk and bourbon.

This video is from CNN, broadcast May 20."

Scientists Find that Low Self-Esteem & Materialism Goes Hand in Hand

Scientists Find that Low Self-Esteem & Materialism Goes Hand in Hand:

"Researchers have found that low self-esteem and materialism are not just a correlation, but also a causal relationship where low self esteem increases materialism, and materialism can also create low self-esteem. The also found that as self esteem increases, materialism decreases. The study primarily focused on how this relationship affects children and adolescents. Lan Nguyen Chaplin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Deborah Roedder John (University of Minnesota) found that even a simple gesture to raise self-esteem dramatically decreased materialism, which provides a way to cope with insecurity."

US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive - Telegraph

US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive - Telegraph:

"Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic 'shrink to survive' proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline."

Knife-wielding gorilla shocks zoo visitors

Knife-wielding gorilla shocks zoo visitors:

"'He grabbed the knife exactly in the correct position and he smelled it and looked at it,' said Calgarian Joe Scheffler, who was at the zoo with his wife, Heike. 'A few seconds later, another gorilla came and he was very interested.

'He tried to get the knife, but the gorilla with the knife lifted the knife for his buddy....It seems to me that the gorilla with the knife was a little bit angry, and he lifted his hand with the knife.

'It was just a scene from a crime,' added Scheffler, whose wife snapped photos of the morning incident."

Somalis watch double amputations

BBC NEWS | Africa | Somalis watch double amputations:

"Hardline Islamists in Somalia have carried out double amputations on four men for stealing phones and guns.
They have each had a hand and foot cut off after being convicted by a Sharia court in the capital earlier this week."

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears - NYTimes.com

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears - NYTimes.com:

"All seemed to be going well — until Dec. 8, 2006, when the project set off an earthquake, shaking and damaging buildings and terrifying many in a city that, as every schoolchild here learns, had been devastated exactly 650 years before by a quake that sent two steeples of the Münster Cathedral tumbling into the Rhine."

UN Backs Drug Decriminalization In World Drug Report

UN Backs Drug Decriminalization In World Drug Report:

"In an about face, the United Nations on Wednesday lavishly praised drug decriminalization in its annual report on the state of global drug policy. In previous years, the UN drug czar had expressed skepticism about Portugal's decriminalization, which removed criminal penalties in 2001 for personal drug possession and emphasized treatment over incarceration. The UN had suggested the policy was in violation of international drug treaties and would encourage 'drug tourism.'

But in its 2009 World Drug Report, the UN had little but kind words for Portugal's radical (by U.S. standards) approach. 'These conditions keep drugs out of the hands of those who would avoid them under a system of full prohibition, while encouraging treatment, rather than incarceration, for users. Among those who would not welcome a summons from a police officer are tourists, and, as a result, Portugal's policy has reportedly not led to an increase in drug tourism,' reads the report. 'It also appears that a number of drug-related problems have decreased.'"

Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder

Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder:

"The charges contend that these defendants conspired with each other and others to devise, fund and participate in the final phase of the implementation of a covert international bioweapons program involving the pharmaceutical companies Baxter and Novartis. They did this by bioengineering and then releasing lethal biological agents, specifically the 'bird flu' virus and the 'swine flu virus' in order to have a pretext to implement a forced mass vaccination program which would be the means of administering a toxic biological agent to cause death and injury to the people of the U.S. This action is in direct violation of the Biological Weapons Anti-terrorism Act."

Military Hush-Up: Incoming Space Rocks Now Classified

SPACE.com -- Military Hush-Up: Incoming Space Rocks Now Classified:

"For 15 years, scientists have benefited from data gleaned by U.S. classified satellites of natural fireball events in Earth's atmosphere – but no longer.

A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned.

The satellites' main objectives include detecting nuclear bomb tests, and their characterizations of asteroids and lesser meteoroids as they crash through the atmosphere has been a byproduct data bonanza for scientists.

The upshot: Space rocks that explode in the atmosphere are now classified. "

RIP Michael Jackson

YouTube - "Thriller" (original upload):

""

Peter Brimelow: Schultz paints bleak picture of future - MarketWatch

Peter Brimelow: Schultz paints bleak picture of future - MarketWatch:

"In its current issue, HSL reports rumors that 'Some U.S. embassies worldwide are being advised to purchase massive amounts of local currencies; enough to last them a year. Some embassies are being sent enormous amounts of U.S. cash to purchase currencies from those governments, quietly. But not pound sterling. Inside the State Dept., there is a sense of sadness and foreboding that 'something' is about to happen ... within 180 days, but could be 120-150 days.' "

'Ark of the Covenant' about to be unveiled?

'Ark of the Covenant' about to be unveiled?:

"The patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia says he will announce to the world Friday the unveiling of the Ark of the Covenant, perhaps the world's most prized archaeological and spiritual artifact, which he says has been hidden away in a church in his country for millennia, according to the Italian news agency Adnkronos."

'Immortal' jellyfish swarming across the world - Telegraph

'Immortal' jellyfish swarming across the world - Telegraph:

"The Turritopsis Nutricula is able to revert back to a juvenile form once it mates after becoming sexually mature.
Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.
Dr Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute said: "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion."
"

8 secret scores that lenders keep - MSN Money

8 secret scores that lenders keep - MSN Money:

"What you may not know is that credit scores are just the start of the way financial institutions evaluate you, and they're not even the most commonly used scores -- far from it.
While a credit card issuer might check your credit scores once a month as part of its regular account review process, the same company probably checks other kinds of scores every time you pull out your plastic."

Congress to consider allowing marijuana possession — MPP Blog

Congress to consider allowing marijuana possession — MPP Blog:

"Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced legislation today to remove criminal penalties for marijuana possession at the federal level. The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009 would remove penalties for possession of up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of 1 ounce."

Morning people and night owls show different brain function: University of Alberta study

Morning people and night owls show different brain function: University of Alberta study:

"Are you a 'morning person' or a 'night owl?' Scientists at the University of Alberta have found that there are significant differences in the way our brains function depending on whether we're early risers or night owls. "

Silos of the past: New find reveals ancient food storage structures: Scientific American Blog

Silos of the past: New find reveals ancient food storage structures: Scientific American Blog:

"Archeologists have uncovered surprisingly sophisticated grain storage that predates plant domestication. An excavation site near the Dead Sea in Jordan has revealed an 11,000-year-old granary, which even had elevated floors to prevent rodent pilfering and to increase air circulation. "

Anti-cancer products on clinical trials in Cuba

Caribbean Net News: Anti-cancer products on clinical trials in Cuba:

"HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- Cuba is currently developing 36 anti-cancer research projects while 24 biotechnological products are on trial for the treatment of this disease. Thus, Cuba gives priority to the development of research studies in the field of immunotherapy for cancer, which is the second death cause in the country, Granma newspaper reported on Monday. "

Girl who doesn't age baffles doctors

Girl who doesn't age baffles doctors:

"A 16-year-old girl who is the size of an infant and has the mental capacity of a toddler continues to baffle doctors in the US. "

YouTube - Basic Training, Pepper Spray and Handcuffs

YouTube - OC Spray Sucks:

""

Grey hair may be protecting us from cancer

Grey hair may be protecting us from cancer - health - 21 June 2009 - New Scientist:

"GREY hair may be unwelcome, but the processes that produce it are now better understood and could be protecting us from cancer."

Ananova - Burglar bit through steel bars

Ananova - Burglar bit through steel bars:

"Police who solved a spate of mystery burglaries were shocked to find the culprit was biting his way through steel window bars."

Recall Watch: Zicam May Rob Sense of Smell

Recall Watch: Zicam May Rob Sense of Smell | Family Health | Family | Mainstreet:

"In 2006, Matrixx agreed to pay $12 million to settle 340 lawsuits filed by consumers who said they lost their sense of smell after using the zinc treatments."

Radio chip mimics human ear, only better - R & D

Radio chip mimics human ear, only better - R & D:

"MIT engineers have built a fast, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip, modeled on the human inner ear, that could enable wireless devices capable of receiving cell phone, Internet, radio and television signals. "

Appeals Court Backs Prison for E-Mail Obscenity | Threat Level | Wired.com

Appeals Court Backs Prison for E-Mail Obscenity | Threat Level | Wired.com:

"Sharing an obscene sexual fantasy over e-mail is a federal crime that enjoys no protection under the First Amendment, a federal appeals court said Monday, in a decision that drew sharp dissent from one judge and potentially set the stage for a Supreme Court appeal."

Are urban tapeworms on the rise?

Are urban tapeworms on the rise?: Scientific American Blog:

"One hospital in Japan reported 14 cases last year, up from 3 cases in 2000. And starting in 2006, the tapeworm has been popping up for the first time in North America and Europe. Meanwhile, farm-raised salmon from South America have been plagued by a closely related tapeworm that normally infects perch and other freshwater fish."

Bug resurrected after 120,000 years: Scientific American

Bug resurrected after 120,000 years: Scientific American:

"Scientists have brought a newly-discovered bug back to life after more than 120,000 years in hibernation. It raises hopes that dormant life might be revived on Mars. The tiny purple microbe, dubbed called Herminiimonas glaciei, lay trapped beneath nearly two miles of ice in Greenland. It took 11 months to revive it by gently warming it in an incubator. Finally the bug sprang back to life and began producing fresh colonies of purple brown bacteria."

Healthcare CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot

Healthcare CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot | Mother Jones:

"Yesterday the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations decided to investigate the practice of recission.  This is when you pay your premiums for years to a healthcare insurer, then get sick, and then have your insurance cancelled."

Tornado in Siberia

English Russia » Tornado in Siberia:

" Tornado in Siberia Category: Photos, Society, Video | Tornado in Russia 1 Tornado? Well, it’s OK on Cuba, Haiti, in Florida, Louisiana or even Texas, but tornado in cold cold Siberia? Noway! But not in this year, already a few of the have been spotted slashing through Siberian woods. Something is changing in the climate, really."

Smartest Dogs: Moscow Stray Dogs

English Russia » Smartest Dogs: Moscow Stray Dogs:

"Russian scientists say that Moscow stray dogs became much smarter. The four legged oldest human’s friends demonstrate real smartness such as riding the Moscow metro every morning to get from their suburban places of living to the fat regions of Moscow center. Once they arrive to the downtown they demonstrate different new, previously unseen for the dog skills. Those skills can include ‘the hunt for shawarma’ for example, the popular among Muscovites eastern cuisine dish."

forget-me-not panties

forget-me-not panties:

"This amazing device will answer all of your questions! These panties can give you her location, and even her temperature and heart rate, and she will never even know it's there! Unlike the cumbersome and uncomfortable chastity belts of the past, these panties are 100% cotton, and use cutting-edge technology to help you protect what matters most. "

Cheney tied to cash theft and possible murder in Iraq

Cheney tied to cash theft and possible murder in Iraq:

"Sources report to WMR that U.S. troops confiscated ‘billions’ in currency found stored in aluminum containers in various secret caches in Baghdad and elsewhere. Our sources report that the seized cash was transferred to accounts run by Cheney and the money is now being partly used to fund Cheney’s growing political opposition movement to the Obama administration, including secretive payments to a ‘stay behind’ group of Cheney loyalists who burrowed into senior civil service positions from political appointee jobs during the Bush administration. Cheney’s loyalists are now in key positions to stymie Obama’s programs and policies within a variety of cabinet departments and federal agencies."

Life Inside in the Media Bubbles

LIFE INSIDE IN THE MEDIA BUBBLES - New York Post:

"I immersed myself in TV news channels that I don't normally watch and a couple of blogs I don't normally read. Goal? To look closely at the coverage of a single news cycle and sort out how different media package a day for your consumption. Life inside the bubbles. "

YouTube - Rapid Cell Regeneration

YouTube - Rapid Cell Regeneration:

""

Playing Music In A Nightclub Just Got Ridiculously More Expensive In Australia

Playing Music In A Nightclub Just Got Ridiculously More Expensive In Australia | Techdirt:

"Buoyed by the nightclub ruling, the PPCA is now targeting eateries. It wants to increase licensing fees in a 120-seat restaurant to $19,344 a year -- up from $125. Small cafes would be slugged with a 4729 per cent yearly increase from $124 to $5860. "

The Earth’s magnetic field remains a charged mystery

The Earth’s magnetic field remains a charged mystery:

"Professor Gregory Ryskin from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University in Illinois, US, has defied the long-standing convention by applying equations from magnetohydrodynamics to our oceans’ salt water (which conducts electricity) and found that the long-term changes (the secular variation) in the Earth’s main magnetic field are possibly induced by our oceans’ circulation."

YouTube - Israeli children attack Palestinians

YouTube - Israeli children attack Palestinians:

""

DoD Training Manual: Protests are "Low-Level Terrorism" - Dennis Loo - Open Salon

DoD Training Manual: Protests are "Low-Level Terrorism" - Dennis Loo - Open Salon:

"The first question of the Terrorism Threat Factors, 'Knowledge Check 1' section reads as follows:

Which of the following is an example of low-level terrorism activity?

Select the correct answer and then click Check Your Answer. 

O   Attacking the Pentagon

O   IEDs

O   Hate crimes against racial groups

O   Protests

"

Doctors' Slang, Medical Slang and Medical Acronyms, Veterinary Slang, Veterinary Acronyms

Doctors' Slang, Medical Slang and Medical Acronyms, Veterinary Slang, Veterinary Acronyms:

"These have been mostly collected from the UK and USA, with a few non-English contributions (many thanks to all contributors from around the globe). Some of the acronyms are region-specific and have differing meanings in US and UK. It is noticeable that the US has numerous acronyms and slang terms relating to gun-related incidents and injuries."

Man Arrested in OH for Mowing His Neglected Local Park

Man Arrested in OH for Mowing His Neglected Local Park - Defense of Place News Updates:

"In Sandusky, OH, a local man decided to do his part to help out his city by mowing his neighborhood park. After watching local children running through the untended, knee-high grass of Central Park to catch the bus, John Hamilton went home to get his lawn mower. When the police appeared a little while later he was shocked to learn that his civic action wasn't appreciated by the city. When he refused to stop mowing the park lawn he was actually arrested, handcuffed and taken away in a police cruiser! For mowing the lawn of a public park that had been neglected by his city! This is how Mr. Hamilton is repaid for stepping up to make his city a better place for children to play."

Rocket Narrowly Misses Plane - Houston News Story

Rocket Narrowly Misses Plane - Houston News Story - KPRC Houston:

"HOUSTON -- Sheriff's deputies are looking for the person who launched a rocket that narrowly missed a Continental Airlines jet, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday. Crime Stoppers officials said that on May 29 shortly after 8 p.m., a Continental Express jet was taking off from Bush Intercontinental Airport. "

Bad science: cocaine study that got up the nose of the US

Bad science: cocaine study that got up the nose of the US | Ben Goldacre | Comment is free | The Guardian:

"The full report – which has never been published – was extremely critical of most US policies. It suggested that supply reduction and law enforcement strategies have failed, and that options such as decriminalisation might be explored, flagging up such programmes in Australia, Bolivia, Canada and Colombia. 'Approaches which over-emphasise punitive drug control measures may actually contribute to the development of heath-related problems,' it said, before committing heresy by recommending research into the adverse consequences of prohibition, and discussing 'harm reduction' strategies."

America's Black Holocaust Museum

America's Black Holocaust Museum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"America's Black Holocaust Museum located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the only memorial dedicated specifically to the victims of the enslavement of Africans in the United States. It was founded by James Cameron, America's last living survivor of a lynching. In 2008, the museum's board of directors announced that the museum would be closed temporarily because of financial problems.["

The Incredible Story of Strange Fruit

The Incredible Story of Strange Fruit:

"Marion, Indiana, 1930. Three black men accused of murder and rape, were taken from custody by a mob. Two were mutilated, murdered and hung from a tree. This is the story of Strange Fruit and those involved in its planting and cultivation."

Coal Ash Spills Too Dangerous To Reveal To Public, Says DHS (VIDEO)

Coal Ash Spills Too Dangerous To Reveal To Public, Says DHS (VIDEO):

"Just how bad has the coal ash situation gotten in the United States? So bad that the Department of Homeland Security has told Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) that her committee can't publicly disclose the location of coal ash dumps across the country. "

Drug suspect turns tables on NYPD with videotape

Drug suspect turns tables on NYPD with videotape - washingtonpost.com:

"'I knew it would be the only way to defend myself, because I knew the police would not believe me,' he said. "

Dunning-Kruger effect

Dunning-Kruger effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The Dunning-Kruger effect is an example of cognitive bias in which '...people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it'[1]. They therefore suffer an illusory superiority, rating their own ability as above average. This leads to a perverse result where people with less competence will rate their ability more highly than people with relatively more competence."

The Case Against Shell: 'The Hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa Showed the True Cost of Oil'

YouTube - The Case Against Shell: 'The Hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa Showed the True Cost of Oil':

""

Menthol Fight Underreported In Landmark Cigarette Bill

Menthol Fight Underreported In Landmark Cigarette Bill:

"The important point is this, having won the day, what do you think the chances are that our good corporate citizen, Altria/Philip Morris, will actually voluntarily give up menthol additives -- or even cotton to the issue being revisited -- just to do right by the black community? If Congressional compromise and the Times' short memory are any indication, they aren't very high."

Mike Whitney: Bernanke's Next Parlor Trick

Mike Whitney: Bernanke's Next Parlor Trick:

"Federal Reserve boss Ben Bernanke is getting ready to pull another rabbit out of his hat and he's hoping no one figures out what he's up to. Here's the scoop; the Fed chief needs to 'borrow up to $3.25 trillion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30' (Bloomberg) without triggering a run on the dollar. "

Monsanto's Harvest of Fear

Monsanto's Harvest of Fear | vanityfair.com:

"Monsanto already dominates America’s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation’s tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination."

Seven Civil War stories your teacher never told you

Seven Civil War stories your teacher never told you - CNN.com:

"Lincoln proposed voluntary emigration to Central America, seeing it as a more convenient destination than Liberia. This idea didn't sit well with leaders like Frederick Douglass, who considered colonization to be 'a safety valve...for white racism.'"

Teen Diagnoses Her Own Disease In Science Class

Slashdot | Teen Diagnoses Her Own Disease In Science Class:

"'It's weird I had to solve my own medical problem,' Terry told CNN affiliate KOMO in Seattle, Washington. 'There were just no answers anywhere. ... I was always sick.'"

Gangs in the Military - Part 1

Gangs in the Military - Part 1:

"Gangs in the U.S. military are happening more and more. Members of white, black and Latino street gangs are signing up to serve in the armed forces, and Thelma Gutierrez reports it's so serious that the FBI calls it a national security threat."

Using Psychology To Save You From Yourself

Using Psychology To Save You From Yourself : NPR:

"In the city of Greensboro, N.C., there's a program designed for teenage mothers. To prevent these teens from having another child, the city offers each of them $1 a day for every day they are not pregnant. It turns out that the psychological power of that small daily payment is huge. A single dollar a day is enough to push the rate of teen pregnancy down, saving all the incredible costs — human and financial — that go with teen parenting."

How Pirates Shook European Politics

How Pirates Shook European Politics | TorrentFreak:

"With 7.1 percent of the vote, the Swedish Pirate Party has shocked its critics and secured a seat in the European Parliament. The Pirates received more votes from those under 30 than any other party in the European elections yesterday, and this was celebrated with pints of rum and loads of pirate chants."

'No Road Rules' Policy Gets Rid of Traffic Accidents

'No Road Rules' Policy Gets Rid of Traffic Accidents | Gimundo | Good News... Served Daily:

"magine a town with no traffic lights, no stop signs - not even a pedestrian crosswalk. Sound like a recipe for bumper-to-bumper traffic and constant fender-benders? Think again: Since the town of Bohmte, Germany implemented this radical new anti-traffic control procedure a month ago, there hasn’t been a single accident on the busy roads."

2 Japanese carrying $134 bil worth of U.S. bonds detained in Italy › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

2 Japanese carrying $134 bil worth of U.S. bonds detained in Italy › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion:

"According to the report in il Giornale, two unidentified Japanese in their 50s concealed the bonds, including 249 U.S. Treasury bonds each worth $500 million, in a suitcase with a false bottom that was searched by the Italian authorities June 3 when they were in Chiasso"

The Real Cost of Bottled Water

The Real Cost of Bottled Water - DivineCaroline:

"The Environmental Law Foundation has sued eight bottlers for using words such as ‘pure’ to market water that contains bacteria, arsenic, and chlorine. Bottled water is no bargain either: It costs 240 to 10,000 times more than tap water. For the price of one bottle of Evian, a San Franciscan can receive 1,000 gallons of tap water. Forty percent of bottled water should be labeled bottled tap water because that is exactly what it is. But even that doesn’t dampen the demand."

US breakthrough promises "solar panels" that work in the dark

US breakthrough promises "solar panels" that work in the dark - 13 Aug 2008 - BusinessGreen.com:

"Now researchers at the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory (INL) claim to have unlocked the secret of harnessing that energy through the development of microscopic nanoantennas, each with a diameter 1/25 the size of a human hair, capable of absorbing infra red energy. And they are confident commercial products based on the technology could be available within five years."

Pyramids of China

World Mysteries - Mystic Places - Pyramids of China:

"Early stories about the pyramids in China began right around the Second World War. A US Air Force pilot named James Gaussman reportedly saw a white-topped pyramid during a flight between China and India in 1945. "

How Overfishing Almost Got Capt. Phillips Killed by Pirates

How Overfishing Almost Got Capt. Phillips Killed by Pirates : TreeHugger:

"t's estimated that $300 million worth of seafood is stolen from Somali waters altogether every year—a massive amount in any country, but even more so in one with such a depressed economy as Somalia's. Some local fisherman believe there will be no fishing industry to speak of if the practice goes on unchecked—so over-plundered are the fish populations in Somali waters."

All lies? Scientists threatened with legal action over lie detector article

Stockholm University - News and events - All lies? Scientists threatened with legal action over lie detector article:

"The article entitled 'Charlatantry in forensic speech science' gave an overview of the last fifty years of research in the field of lie detectors. The article's conclusion is that there is no scientific evidence to show that lie detectors actually work. "

THC initiates brain cancer cells to destroy themselves

THC initiates brain cancer cells to destroy themselves - WorldHealth.net:

"'These results may help to design new cancer therapies based on the use of medicines containing the active principle of marijuana and/or in the activation of autophagy,' says Velasco. The findings were published in the April 2009 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation."

FDA warns against using Clarcon skin products

FDA warns against using Clarcon skin products - Yahoo! News:

"Examples of products that should be discarded include Citrushield Lotion, Dermasentials DermaBarrier, Dermassentials by Clarcon, Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer, Iron Fist Barrier Hand Treatment, Skin Shield Restaurant, Skin Shield Industrial, Skin Shield Beauty Salon Lotion, Total Skin Care Beauty and Total Skin Care Work."

Jury awards son over $115K for lost finger

NorthJersey.com: UPDATE: Jury awards son over $115K for lost finger:

"PATERSON — A civil jury awarded a Wayne man $95,500 — plus almost $20,000 for medical expenses — in a lawsuit he filed against his mother for tapping him on the shoulder as he used a power saw, which caused him to flinch and cut off his pinky finger."

Frozen caribou

Bits & Pieces » Frozen caribou:

"These pictures come from a friends friend who lives in Alaska.  This caribou froze while standing up in -80°F winds on the North slope at the top of Alaska."

US Attempts to Re-Define Switch Blades– Would Make Most Pocket Knives Illegal

Knife Rights - US ATTEMPTS TO RE-DEFINE SWITCHBLADES – WOULD MAKE MOST POCKET KNIVES ILLEGAL:

"U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) has proposed revoking earlier rulings that assisted opening knives are not switchblades. The proposed new rule would not only outlaw assisted opening knives, its broad definition of a switchblade would also include one-handed opening knives and could be easily interpreted to cover most other pocket knives, even simple old-fashioned slip-joints."

Army Mechanic's Garage Tinkering Yields 18-Foot Mecha Exoskeleton | Popular Science

Army Mechanic's Garage Tinkering Yields 18-Foot Mecha Exoskeleton | Popular Science:

"Owens, 31, began building an 18-foot-tall, one-ton prototype at his home in Wasilla, Alaska, in 2004. Working without blueprints, he first built a full-scale model out of wood. "

Military spending: Arming up

Military spending: Arming up | The Economist:

"The world's biggest military spenders by population
"

Check the link to see the graph.

Health insurers want you to keep smoking, Harvard doctors say

Health insurers want you to keep smoking, Harvard doctors say : Scientific American Blog:

"Health and life insurance companies in the US and abroad have nearly $4.5 billion invested in tobacco stocks, according to Harvard doctors. "

Inmate Sees New Drug Laws as ‘Protection’ for Dealers

Inmate Sees New Drug Laws as ‘Protection’ for Dealers - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com:

"‘So you hear what they did — they just created the beast,’ says the inmate, caught on tape during a telephone conversation with an acquaintance. ‘The beast is coming home to be the juggernaut.’"

How did 100,000,000 women disappear?

TheStar.com | Insight | How did 100,000,000 women disappear?:

"In India, China and sub-Saharan Africa, millions upon millions of women are missing. They are not lost, but dead: victims of violence, discrimination and neglect."

Video of Canadian snipers in Afghanistan

Good Shot!!! Video of Canadian snipers in Afghanistan:

"These are some examples of the fight in Afghanistan.. These video shots are not made through the shooter's telescopic sight... they are made looking through the spotter's scope. The spotter lies right next to the sniper and helps the sniper to find and home in on the target. "

Photographer loses First Amendment claim in Oakland

RCFP: Photographer loses First Amendment claim in Oakland:

"Chavez claimed in his lawsuit that the police had interfered with his First Amendment right to cover vehicle accidents. In granting summary judgment for the city, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer said members of the press do not have a First Amendment right to access accident scenes when the general public is also excluded."

Colorado makes it legal for homeowners to harvest rainwater

Colorado makes it legal for homeowners to harvest rainwater | MNN - Mother Nature Network:

"Luckily for Hanzel and other homeowners, a change in Colorado law legalizes this kind of water collection. But homeowners in other states who just want to use less tap water still face legal barriers."

Drug Freedom Works in Portugal : Narco Polo

Drug Freedom Works in Portugal : Narco Polo:

"On Friday I attended Glenn Greenwald’s presentation of his report, ‘Drug Decriminalization in Portugal,’ at the Cato Institute. Greenwald studied how Portugal’s policy of decriminalizing the personal possession of all drugs in 2001 has fared. Portugal’s policy has been a ‘resounding success.’"

N.J. biologists fear up to 95 percent of bat population died over winter - NJ.com

N.J. biologists fear up to 95 percent of bat population died over winter - NJ.com:

"After mass die-offs of bats in 2006 and 2007 in New York, the phenomenon was named after a strange white fungus found on their snouts and wings. Since then, it has spread to nine states from Vermont to Virginia. Bats began dying in New Jersey in January and a pre-spring inspection of the state's largest hibernating spot, or hibernaculum, the Hibernia mine in Rockaway Township, revealed a 95 percent population drop."

GPS system 'close to breakdown'

GPS system 'close to breakdown' | Technology | guardian.co.uk:

"US government officials are concerned that the quality of the Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to deteriorate as early as next year, resulting in regular blackouts and failures – or even dishing out inaccurate directions to millions of people worldwide."

A new technology may be able to track people's movements by detecting evidence of their diet in their hair

A new technology may be able to track people's movements by detecting evidence of their diet in their hair:

"A group of researchers from the LGC Chemical Metrology Laboratory in the UK havs teamed up with the University of Oviedo, Spain. Together they have developed a 'laser ablation' method that makes it possible ‘to detect variations in the sulfur isotopes of a single hair over time’, says Science Daily. This means that scientists will be able to track a person’s movements between different countries, as the sulphur isotopes reveal changes in eating habits. "

Jamaican Dance Craze Responsible for Threefold Increase in Broken Penises

Nosedigg: Jamaican Dance Craze Responsible for Threefold Increase in Broken Penises:

"Over the past year, a new dance craze in Jamaica known as daggering has resulted in a threefold increase in fractured or broken penises among Jamaican men."

Molest-Bill Pols Catch Holy Hell

MOLEST-BILL POLS CATCH HOLY HELL - New York Post:

"Thou shalt not blackmail.

Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio threatened state lawmakers by vowing to close churches in their districts -- and blame them for the closures -- if they dared support a bill making it easier for people who were sexually assaulted as kids to sue, legislators told The Post."

Did U.S. Export Over 175 Million Ounces of Gold?

Numismaster.com:

"So, for 2007 and 2008 combined, the U.S. exported 22 million ounces of refined gold and over 154 million ounces of 'compound gold.' This is more than 11 times U.S. gold mine production during those two years. In fact, this is higher than global gold mine output. Where did all this gold come from?

This amount of gold exceeds what is held by all private parties in the U.S. combined. When the U.S. government called in gold in 1933, it then melted down the coins without refining. As a result, such bars from the coin melt would have a purity of around 90 percent gold. These would not qualify for description as refined gold, but could fit the definition of compound gold. "

YouTube - Oklahoma Highway Patrol fight with EMT

YouTube - Oklahoma Highway Patrol fight with EMT:

""

Coming SOON to a City near you.

Dozens of whales beached, shot dead in S. Africa

Dozens of whales beached, shot dead in S. Africa - USATODAY.com:

"CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Authorities have shot dozens of exhausted whales that beached on a shore near South Africa's storm-lashed southern tip amid scenes of grief and despair from volunteers who had tried to save them."

What Was THAT? (Friday Market Close)

What Was THAT? (Friday Market Close) - The Market Ticker:

"Volume was light all day, as is somewhat common in the summer on a Friday. The close started its usual increase, and was up to 23,000 contracts at 14:57 with two minutes remaining. Then all hell broke loose."

Leap in U.S. debt hits taxpayers with 12% more red ink

Leap in U.S. debt hits taxpayers with 12% more red ink - USATODAY.com:

"Taxpayers are on the hook for an extra $55,000 a household to cover rising federal commitments made just in the past year for retirement benefits, the national debt and other government promises, a USA TODAY analysis shows."

Chevron fights massive lawsuit in Ecuador

Chevron fights massive lawsuit in Ecuador | csmonitor.com:

"San Carlos sits in the middle of more than 100 wells drilled in the Sacha field by Texaco, which pumped oil as the sole operator of a consortium here from 1972 until 1990. At the time, it was one of the highest concentrations of wells in the Amazonian region, and today this remote town finds itself in the middle of what could be the largest damage claim against the oil industry in its history."

Cancer drug erases fingerprints

BBC NEWS | Health | Cancer drug erases fingerprints:

"A commonly-used cancer drug can make patients' fingerprints disappear, potentially causing problems for foreign travel, a doctor warns."

Incredibly weird, inch-wide single-celled creatures discovered rolling across the sea floor

collision detection: Incredibly weird, inch-wide single-celled creatures discovered rolling across the sea floor:

"« PREVIOUS ENTRY In praise of the 3-hour game: My latest Wired News video-game column NEXT ENTRY » Apparently NASA is filled with Joss Whedon fans March 24, 2009 Incredibly weird, inch-wide single-celled creatures discovered rolling across the sea floor It’s a single cell, it’s the size of a grape, and it propels itself across the ocean floor: Behold the Bahamian Gromia — one of the strangest beasts yet discovered in the briny deep."

The International Federation for Human Rights denounces the Israeli decision to deny its representatives access to Gaza.

מגזין הכיבוש Occupation Magazine:

" The International Federation for Human Rights denounces the Israeli decision to deny its representatives access to Gaza.

FIDH had introduced on April 22nd, 2009 a request to enter Gaza through the Erez entry point, to conduct a mission from May 24th to May 31st, composed of prominent judges and lawyers from France and Germany.

The purpose of the mission was to investigate grave human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by the Israeli army and the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip during the `Cast Lead` military operation. "

Supreme Court overturns rule on right to counsel

Supreme Court overturns rule on right to counsel : Dispatches from the Culture Wars:

"The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a landmark 1986 ruling that forbid the police from questioning suspects without their attorney present. The 1986 case, Michigan v Jackson, was overturned on Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling (PDF) in a similar case, Montejo v Louisiana. "

How GM Seeds Killed More Indians than World War II

How GM Seeds Killed More Indians than World War II | Use Celsias.com - reduce global °Celsius:

"One of the least-reported tragedies that resulted from globalization and corporatization of agriculture is the farmer suicide story of India - a tragedy comprising several hundred thousand individual tragedies, and possibly the ‘largest wave of suicides in history'.

Last month UK Independent carried a report titled '1,500 farmers commit mass suicide in India', and cited falling water table, crop failure and debt as the reasons. The figure and the reasons are - at best - cruelly watered down versions of hard and sad reality. The actual piece of data is nearer 200,000 and the reasons both global and local."