Guardian Unlimited:Scared of spiders? Take this pillScience/ Medicine/ Psychotherapy
I look upon this report with much skepticism. As a lifelong sufferer of a true phobia (birds, of all the stupid things), a sometime claustrophobe, and a person decidedly uneasy when near the edges of high places, (not to mention dozens of competing and conflicting neurotic tensions), I've tried just about everything in the therapy arsenal to try to get a grip. Now they are telling me I just have to take a pill? We'll see.

Mirror.co.uk - Death of the Lightbulb Science/ Energy/ Invention
Soon the horribly inefficient lightbulb will be a thing of the past. Imagine lighting a room with 4 watts of power, using a bulb that will last 60 years, and costs about $3.

The Bush II Success Story: A Global Tragedy in the Making Politics/ Ruling Class/ 2004 Election

1. Successfully catered to heavily bankrolled special interests and giant multinational corporations while totally ignoring the needs of working Americans, retirees, and the environment.

2. Successfully squandered the entire stock of worldwide empathy and goodwill that accrued to America following 9/11 by invading Iraq under false pretenses and without the approval of the United Nations.

3. Successfully told all other nations 'you are either with us or against us,' thus reducing the art of American diplomacy to the language and tactics of schoolyard bullies.

4. Successfully avoided his military responsibilities by deserting from the U. S. Air Force, and then used his father's connections to avoid prosecution.

5. Successfully attended over 40 political fundraisers in 2003, but did not attend any of the funerals for the hundreds of U.S. soldiers who lost their lives.

6. Successfully rammed a prescription drug program through Congress that promises to destroy Medicare by providing windfall profits to drug companies, HMOs, and insurance companies, and hardly any benefits for seniors.

7. Successfully presided over more executions than any other governor in America's history.

8. Successfully rammed the USA Patriot Act through an unwary Congress, thus dealing the greatest blow to civil rights ever experienced in America.

9. Successfully expanded the role of the military to spy on Americans, a mission unprecedented in American history.

10. Successfully ignored the statement of General Tommy Franks, the man appointed by Bush II to plan and execute the disastrous American invasion of Iraq, that any future terrorist attacks on the U.S. would lead to the suspension of the U.S. Constitution and military rule in America.

11. Successfully used counterterrorism law to chill free speech and the right to peaceably assemble by directing the FBI to investigate individuals and groups protesting his pre-emptive military doctrine and elective wars.

12. Successfully smears all those who disagree with his new American militarism as unpatriotic.

13. Successfully ordered American reserve units into action in Iraq without upgrading their equipment to the level of protection afforded regular Army units.

14. Successfully parades as a deeply religious Christian, yet he daily ignores Jesus as he pursues war instead of peace.

15.Successfully looted the U.S. Treasury of nearly $3 trillion to provide payoffs to the 1% of Americans who are already wealthy, effectively saddling 99% of us, and future generations, with new debt of $125,000 to $250,000 per person.

16. Successfully labeled his looting of the U.S. Treasury as tax cuts for for everyone. Actually, the zero to $200 in tax relief that low and middle-income groups did receive was more than offset by increases in local property and state taxes, tuition hikes, and increased energy costs, all made necessary to offset Bush II budget cuts and military adventurism. Meanwhile, the average millionaire (Bush II campaign contributors) received payoffs averaging over $90,000.

17. Successfully transfigured the huge federal budget surplus created by Democrats into an endless sea of Republican red ink (deficits).

18. Successfully cut federal funding for the delivery of vital state and local services to disadvantaged and needy people, deviously labeling the cuts as necessary to reduce the Republican-created deficit.

19. Successfully ignored intelligence reports warning that a 9/11-type attack was imminent, and refuses to cooperate with legally constituted commissions that are investigating what really happened on and before 9/11.

20. Successfully avoided responding to the inquiries of the families of the 9/11 victims, calling their unanswered questions unimportant and unnecessary. By and large the mass media, with only rare exceptions, ignores the unanswered questions.

21. Successfully leaked the name of an undercover CIA agent (a felony) to the press, and has refused to cooperate in the continuing criminal investigation of White House personnel to find the leaker.

22. Successfully expanded weapons spending (including vast new funding for the research and development of new nuclear weapons) beyond anything needed for real national security for the sole purpose on enriching family and friends.

23. Successfully ignored the needs of 45 million Americans, mostly women and children, who cannot afford health insurance.

24. Successfully staged a chauffeured landing on an aircraft carrier to announce victory in Iraq, thus falsely portraying himself as a hero when in fact no such victory had obtained.

25. Successfully promised to find bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but failed to deliver on the promises.

26. Successfully protected approximately 20 members of the bin Laden family by secretly spiriting them out of the U.S. the day after 9/11.

27. Successfully stalled an investigation into whether or not NORAD received orders to stand down on or before 9/11.

28. Successfully drafted a Roadmap for Peace in the Middle East, but has instead pursued a policy of war, war, and more war.

29. Successfully told hundreds of lies to the American people.

30. Successfully aided and abetted the consolidation of the mass media so that a few billionaires now control what is euphemistically called America's free press.

31. Successfully created heightened global instability and insecurity by withdrawing America from important longstanding treaty obligations.

32. Successfully encouraged anti-democratic campaign fund-raising and special interest lobbying practices that are really nothing but outright bribery.

33. Successfully waged a continuing war on women by aggressively trying to restrict a woman's right to choose.

34. Successfully waged war on the environment by dismantling sections of landmark environmental legislation including the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.

35. Successfully waged a continuing war on working Americans by promoting the export of their jobs overseas and hindering the rights of workers to form unions and receive overtime pay.

36. Successfully waged a continuing war on the elderly and on future generations of Americans with efforts to cripple Medicare and Social Security, and failed to do anything protect employee pension plans from unscrupulous employers.

37. Successfully waged a continuing war against the bedrock American principles that separate church from state by attempting to transform our public schools into houses of worship and funding faith-based organizations with taxpayer dollars.

38. Successfully curtailed the development of cures for major diseases by overly restricting stem cell research.

39. Successfully violated two international laws (The Hague Regulations of 1907 and the Geneva Convention of 1949 and the US Army code of war) by ignoring the Iraqi Constitution which forbids the privatization of key state assets and bars foreigners from owning Iraqi firms.

40. Successfully aided and abetted the expansion of the anti-democratic powers of giant multinational corporations, and failed to prosecute gross corporate criminality.

41. Successfully destroyed America's credibility in the United Nations and throughout the world by opting to pursue elective wars, thereby creating conditions favorable for the intensification of terrorism, and removing America from the world's family of nations.

42. Successfully introduced an inept economic program that failed to create a single American job, lowered wage rates, and lost 3 million American jobs.

43. Successfully implemented schemes (phony tax cuts and excessive weapons spending) that served as means to transfer large chunks of our national wealth from working people to the 1% who are already wealthy.

44. Successfully transformed America into the target of choice for ridicule from abroad.

45. Successfully created a Department of Homeland Security to protect Americans from terrorist attacks, but did not provide the funds necessary to do the job.

46. Successfully invaded Iraq without any exit strategy, a catastrophic planning blunder that is now costing hundreds of American lives, thousands of American casualties, thousands of Iraqi lives, and hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars.

47. Successfully created near total chaos in Afghanistan by installing a puppet regime whose authority is limited to Kabul (the capitol city), allowing the rest of the country to fall into violent anarchy and become the world's # 1 supplier of heroin and safe haven of choice for terrorists.

48. Successfully handed global terrorism victories by failing to destroy al Qaeda and the Taliban, and by curtailing the civil rights of every American. Al Qaeda is regrouping and stronger than ever. The Taliban are regrouping in Afghanistan and positioning themselves to topple the American installed government.

49. Successfully cut funds for veterans' health care and raised eligibility requirements.

50. Successfully reduced hazardous duty compensation for veterans.

51. Successfully created an energy plan that entirely fails to address America's strategic need to become energy independent, while providing substantial tax relief to the full array of Republican-run energy companies. Fortunately, the plan failed to win Congressional approval.

52. Successfully aided and abetted the recall of Governor Gray Davis for the purpose of delivering California in 2004 presidential election.

53. Successfully elevated the sophistication of political rhetoric by calling environmentalists 'green, green, lima beans.'

54. Successfully portrays himself as a Texas rancher when even his wife refers to him as a 'windshield cowboy.'

55. Successfully promotes himself as a self-made rugged individualist when, in fact, his entire education and career was built on the use of his father's name to gain entry into Harvard and Yale and to attract large sums of investment capital.

56. Successfully promised to leave no child behind (educationally speaking), and then delivered nothing but an unfunded mandate that thwarts all efforts to level America's educational playing field.

57. Successfully destroyed the infrastructure of Iraq and then committed hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to rebuilding it; meanwhile, the rebuilding of America's crumbling infrastructure is all but ignored.

58. Successfully created numerous opportunities for Republican-run companies to profit from his disastrous pre-emptive war policy (the invasion of Iraq was based on pre-emption even though Bush knew Iraq posed no threat to the U.S. or its neighbors). An example of Republican war profiteering is Halliburton (Cheney's old company), which charges the U.S. Army in Iraq nearly $2.00 a gallon for gas that they could purchase from Iraqis for five to ten cents a gallon.

58. Successfully but unnecessarily put our troops in harms way in Iraq.

60. Successfully announced a series of false terrorist threats that unnecessarily spread fear and loathing throughout America for the sole purpose of promoting Bush's elective wars and fooling the Americans into thinking their government was hard at work protecting them.

61. Successfully transformed the executive branch of government into an operation more secretive than the CIA and far more threatening than organized crime or any terrorist organization ever could be.

www.theamericanchallenge.com,

Chicago Tribune | Rare look at Dean the man Politics/ 2004 Election
A more intimate look at Dean, a candidate who refuses to use the personal for the political.

Critics in Vermont Rally Around Dean (washingtonpost.com) Politics/ 2004 Election
Many of Dean's staunchist political opponents in Vermont none the less will support him for the Presidency.

GOP pulled no punches in struggle for Medicare bill Politics/ Ruling Class
Even the normally loyal Robert Novak is taken aback by the viciousness of the methods used by the leadership to pass the medicare fraud.

Warblogging.com: Republicans and Republic Politics/ Ruling Class
More on the tactics used by BushCo to win approval of the disgraceful medicare payoff to the pharmo-industry.

spiked: Does al-Qaeda exist? Politics/ War on Terror
Article discusses how the West has cast al-Qaida as a mythical multinational all encompassing centralized organization. In fact it is not even a formal alliance of groups. It is a range of groups united more by commonality of ideology rather than control. And not recognizing this fact makes fighting it so much more difficult

Star-Telegram:Molly Ivins--A Couple of Real Turkeys Politics/ Ruling Class
Molly uses her normal tact to discuss the Medicare bill and the big energy company welfare act.

NYTimes: Scholars of Twang Track All the 'Y'Alls' in Texas Popular Culture/ Regional Speech
Nice article on the regional flavor of Texas dialect.

Moscow Times: Global Eye -- Naked Gun Politics/ Ruling Class/ Civil Liberties
The view from Moscow on the latest Ashcroftian maneuvers against our freedom. Particularly useful to read in light of Putty-Put's recent actions against the oligarchs of Russia.

The Century of the 'Son of a Bitch' Politics/ Ruling Class
Erik Alterman on that prize war criminal, Robert McNamara.

The Spectator: How to scare a US marine Science/ Medicine/ Military
American troops in Liberia refused to take malaria pills, because they feared the side effects more than bullets. How rumor, myth and official indifference led to over half the Marines in Liberia contracting serious cases of malaria.

BBC: Fossil fools: Return to Piltdown Science/ /Frauds & Hoaxes/ Anthropology
Fifty years after being proclaimed a forgery, the Piltdown Man still raises a controversy. Who actually perpetrated the fraud?

Science News: Protein Portal: Enzyme acts as door for the SARS Science/ Emerging Diseases
A protein implicated in hypertension may be the point of attack used by the SARS virus.

Independent: Billionaire Soros stakes fortune on 'matter of life and death' - defeating George Bush Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
George Soros continues to put his money where his mouth is. The world's most leftest billionaire strikes again.

Queens Chronicle: Queens County Democrats Give Nod to Dean for President Politics/ 2004 Election
Howard Dean receives endorsement of the powerful NYC Queens Boro party leaders.

NYTimes: Name That War Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
Nicholas Kristof suggests that part of our problem in Iraq is the lack of a catchy title for the war. His readers respond.

John Holt: Blue Light: Battle for the Sweetgrass Hills Politics/ Environment/ Native Rights
Another bit of the spiritual heart of Native America is targeted for destruction. The reason, why thar's gold in them there hills!

National Post:Killer flu plans call for 'fever hospitals' Science/ Emerging Diseases
Hard on the SARS outbreak, Canada plans for a difficult flu season.

BBC: Fiji's 'extinct' bird flies anew Science/ Endangered Species
The Fijian long legged warbler, thought extinct for over a century, reveals itself to birders cataloging the forrests of Fiji.

BBC News Taleban chief 'seen in Pakistan' Politics/ War on Terror
Interesting. The BBC seems to be able to find information on Mullah Omar. Why can't we?

Guardian: Fiachra Gibbons meets Intermission writer Mark O'Rowe Popular Culture/ Film
The New Big Thing in Irish cinema.

CIA Press Release - Iraq's WMD Programs: Culling Hard Facts from Soft Myths Politics/ Iraq/ WMD
The official response from the CIA to the criticism of US intelligence efforts prior to the start of the war. Most interesting to read in light of the strong efforts by the neocons to lay the blame for the mess at the feet of the CIA.

Looking to Lasers, Microwaves and Anti-Matter for Space Travel Science/ Space
Article on research into advanced space propulsion systems. Most interesting.

Wired 11.12: What Would Jesus Play? Popular Culture/ Gaming
The latest thing, religious fantasy epic rpg computer games. A couple of them don't sound half bad...

BBC News: Europe puts France up for reactor Science/ Energy
The scientific consortium trying to develop fushion power has narrowed its choices of reactor locations to two, France or Japan.

PollingReport.com - Public Opinion Online Politics/ Tools
This site collects opinion polls from all over the net. Very Useful.

subversive cross stitch: mind your fingers Weirdness/ Humor
The perfect solstice gift. So many to choose from....

The Universal Translator Assistant Project Popular Culture/ Science Fiction/ Languages
More Galactic languages fun.

The New Galactic Phrasebook Popular Culture/ Star Trek
For your next apperance before the High Council.

Welcome to Engrish.com! Popular Culture/ Humor/ Low Weirdness
Ahh, the joy of fractured English. All you base is ours!

Steve Quayle's World: It's a Blast! Paranoia/ High Weirdness
The mother of all paranoia sites, Steve Quayle tracks everything. Aliens, Mad Cow Disease, missing microbiologists, terrorism, suitcase nukes, unexplained natural phenomena. A modern day Charles Fort with enough scientific information to make his stuff disquieting in extreme. Delightfully full bodied paranoia.

FilmWise Popular Culture/ Film
Quizzes, contests, and trivia about all things filmic. A great time waster.

CBC News: UV light may zap 'sick building' complaints Science/ Environment
'Sick building syndrome' may literally be caused by bacteria.

HTI American Verse Project Poetry/ Tools
The American Verse Project is a collaborative project between the University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative (HTI) and the University of Michigan Press. The project is assembling an electronic archive of volumes of American poetry prior to 1920. The full text of each volume of poetry is being converted into digital form with access provided through the WWW. A great resource.

EarthTrends: The Environmental Information Portal Environment/ Tools
Absolutely the best environmental information/statistics site on the web. LOTS of maps and graphs. Just the place to start research on an environmental question.

Guardian Unlimited Mini-turbine brings 'green power for all' Environment/ Daily Living
British firm develops affordable home based wind generation power units. Units cost about $1200 and generate 750 watts of power at 240 volts with as little as 3 mph of wind.

German Propaganda Archive History/ Politics/ Anti-Semitism
An academic archive of the important documents, visual and written, of the Nazis. Most of Goebbels' major articles and speeches are presented here in translation. A scary and dreadful assemblage. Read. Learn. Remember. Never again.

The Simple Living Network Environment/ Daily Living
Tools for reducing your footprint on the Earth.

Oilcrash: We live in the age of exuberance Energy Policy/ Peak Oil
Many links to material on the peak oil scenario. This is the big one folks. The one that's going to change things more than anything else in our lifetimes.

Poetry CreatOR2 -- Java! (Computer Generated Poetry) Poetry/ Humor
Need a quick bit of verse? Feeling uncreative. Use the handy poetry creator. Enter a few words, hit generate, a bit of judicious editing and viola!

Not bad for five minutes work, eh?

The Swift Meow

She progressed,
Eating sharks as snack food,
The purring for each slaying
Briskly done
Like Semper Fi in the eye,
Or Hermes humming to his scale.
Then onward, watching her sweet Jesus cry,
As he tiptoed homeward in the blood,
And her ghost was stifled in its fit of rage,
Just as the brittle leaf has maimed the tree.

Heads whip back when crushed,
Anvil-like,
Against The Crab Exploded,
Leaving in its wake
A litter of shiny unused subway tokens.

Barnyard Brutalities Popular Culture/ Humor/ Cartoon Violence
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAH. Delightfully sick.

Gay Bar from electric 6 Politics/ Humor
Rather clever and well done video of The Resident singing a luv anthem to his main squeeze, Tony bLiar.

George W. Bush Speech Generator Politics/ Humor
Write your own speech for The Resident and have him read it to you. Try not have it make too much sense or the realism will be lost.

ONE: A Space Odyssey Popular Culture/ Humor
2001, animated with Legos. What more could you ask for?

NationStates Politics/ Games/ Humor
Found your nation today. You know you can do it better than anyone else. Give it a try. The urge to rule must not be denied.

Scouring the Globe to Give Shoppers an $8.63 Polo Shirt Politics/ Trade/ Wal-Mart
How Wal-Mart's clout makes life more difficult for workers in their suppliers factories.

Howard Dean for President Politics/ 2004 Election
Ted Rall, Green Party stalwart, calls for a Dean presidency and urges all ABBers (Anybody But Bush) to vote Dean.

Molly Ivins: What's that nasty smell? Politics/ Ruling Class
As the stench of corruption grows, BushCo doesn't even try to spray a bit of room deodorant about.

BBC: King's grave mystery may be unearthed Science/ Archaeology/ History
Has Harold II's grave been found at last?

The Uncivil War Politics/ Free Speech
Paul Krugman on the odd "pot calling the kettle black" nature of the recent Republican call decrying all criticism of the Resident as uncivil.

The Atlasphere Weirdness/ Politics/ Popular Culture
Just in case you last ex wasn't selfish enough, try looking here at the new dating service just for followers of Ayn Rand. Frankly, I didn't know that Objectivists even acknowledged needing any relationship other than the ongoing one with themselves.

Scientific American: Does Race Exist? Science/ Health/ Politics
If races are defined as genetically discrete groups, no, race does not exist. But researchers can use some genetic information to group individuals into clusters with medical relevance.

Scientific American: Ink Analysis Smudges Case for Forgery of Vinland Map Science/ History/ Exploration
More on the continuing efforts to authenticate the "Vineland" map.

Food for Thought: A Forget-Me-Not Dietary Supplement? Science/ Health/ Memory
A diet high in choline may clear the middle aged fuzzies.

Penn State trustee and RIAA lawyer denies conflict of interests Popular Culture/ Music/ Law
Ah, the Glory of Old State. The Trustees still have no accountabilty.

Craving more juicy reasons to offer up profound gratitude this T-day? Politics/ Ruling Class
14 reasons to be thankful this year, on Thanksgiving Day. Amen to all that.

Grocery Unions Battle to Stop Invasion of the Giant Stores Politics/ Community Development
WalMart vs. Unions in southern California. Long article on the growing battle.

Boston Globe / Op-ed / Undermining the Rx benefit Politics/ Medicare
More on the repercussions of the badly flawed Medicare drug "benefit."

TomPaine.com - The Dean You Don't Know Politics/ 2004 election
Howard Dean is not a "tax and spend liberal" no matter how hard his opponents try to tar him with that brush. In fact, his record in Vermont shows him to be a determined fiscal conservative. More power to him. I say.

Some Experts Foresee Revolt by Elderly Over Drug Benefits(NYTimes) Politics/ Medicare
Will retirees scream bloody murder once they realize the fraud Congress has committed in the new drug "benefit" law? Only time will tell.

Student Group Lists Professors It Considers Too Politicized (washingtonpost.com) Politics/ Ruling Class/ Education
The next step in the free speech war. Don't be too liberal, Mr. Scholar, or you will end up on our little list.

AlterNet: Scheer: For the GOP, Criticism Is Next to Cowardice Politics/ Ruling Class
Once again, the Bushies show their fear of criticism. Ideas with merit stand up to questioning. Only people unsure of the truth of what they are saying react so strongly.

Warblogging.com: Key Component of VICTORY Act Passed Politics/ Ruling Class
Ashcroft tightens the information gathering web another notch. Getting harder to breathe free by the minute.

Historic Tale Construction Kit Weirdness/ Art
Build your own Bayeaux Tapestry. Jolly fun.

The Wrong Bananas by Joel and Alex Veitch Weirdness/ Music
Catchy little tune about the horrors of buying the wrong fruit.

Acme Klein Bottle Science/ Humor
A delightful site. Own your own Klein Stein or the fantabulous Klein Cap. The perfect solstice gift.
With a tip of the old one surface manifold to Frank Gasperik for the listing.

Liberated gnomes are condemned to a life on the shelf Popular Culture/ Weirdness
French police chief gloats as he locks up recaptured garden gnomes who had been thought freed by the Gnome Liberation Front.

Fundrace.org Politics/ 2004 Election
Nice graphical site full of info and comparisons on the fund raising aspect of the presidential election. Info down to the county level for each candidate and a combined map showing which party has done the best on a county by county level. Also has the same info mapped state by state.

BBC- Doctor Who - Scream of the Shalka - Episode One Popular Culture/ Cult
The first part of the new animated Dr. Who episodes are available on the BBC website. Quite nice, and I say that as one not particularly disposed to seek out The Good Doctor.

NOVA | The Elegant Universe Science/ Cosmology
PBS has made the entire three hours of this wonderful program available for viewing on the web. If you haven't seen it, take the time to do so. It's a great overview of modern particle physics and cosmology.

Investigators pin origin of blackout on FirstEnergy failures Politics/ Energy/
It's official. The cause of the summer blackout is laid squarely at the foot of FirstEnergy, the Ohio based utility that is one of the largest contributors to the Resident's campaign.

A millionaire marcher among the anarchists Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
The Resident was welcomed with open scorn from hundreds of thousands of British citizens, who urged him to return home and clean up the mess he had made in Iraq.

Dual Eligibles and The Drug Benefit Archives Politics/ Health Care
Hope on Appalachia Alumni Association links to two reports discussing the proposed changes in Medicare. As written, the seniors with the most need for help would see their fees escalate. Compassionate Conservatism strikes again.

Public Opinion On Iraq Politics/ Iraq
Hope on Appalachia Alumni Association links to results from a new and damning poll by the Program on International Policy Attitudes of public opinion toward the Iraq War. It is not good news for the Resident. Links also to the questionaire used and a discussion on survey methodology. A very useful site.

Computers to Reveal Shakespeare Science/ Linguistics/ Literature
Computers to aid in the study of word patterns and usage.

Gamma-Ray Mystery SolvedScience/ Astronomy
Linked to the collapse of supernovae into black holes.

Strange events on distant Pluto Science/ Astronomy
More exciting events from the outer reaches of the Solar System

Huge rock-ice body circles Sun Science/ Astronomy
Another place discovered for the setting of your Kuiper belt SF novel.

Bush To Veterans - Drop Dead Politics/ Iraq/ Veterans
BushCo continues its relentless attack on the puny rights of those now serving in or with past service to our military. Bush, who will receive a pension of $200,000 a year upon leaving the White House, is trying to lower medical and pension benefits for war veterans. Everything for the Men he has stated. Apparently by this he meant Halliburton execs, not people serving in the Armed Forces.

Get mad - and get even Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
Tony Blair is likely to pay a high price for his support of The Resident Idiot. It's our job to see that The Bush Baby is also put out on the unemployment line come next November.

VOTE FOR BUSH IN 2004, BE DRAFTED IN 2005!!

$28 Million to get DRAFT READY BY JUNE 15, 2005!!

Oh, so there are "no plans" to re-instate the draft? No, there are just EXERCISES and $28 million extra to get the whole Selective Service ready and open for business by June 15, 2005!

Read this official budget carefully and you will see that Bush is gearing up the draft--there is no longer any doubt about it. Selective Service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005, that the system is ready for activation within 75 days. So on June 15, 2005, expect the announcement that the first draft lottery since Vietnam will be held for 20 year-olds.

To put this all into context, the SSS has lain basically dormant for decades and now in the 2004 budget, Bush has added $28 million to get the whole thing ready to fly in 2005. The 4 performance goals below basically make the system ready for activation.

http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html

This FY 2004 APP identifies the activities and strategies that will take place during the fiscal year to achieve Agency goals and objectives. It also identifies relevant performance
measurement target goals to be achieved. The performance goals for FY 2004 are:

1. Develop an Area Office Prototype Exercise that will test the Health Care Personnel Delivery System (HCPDS) work flows and support programs.

2. Redefine Agency infrastructure based on a Quinquennial Workload Study.

3. Prepare and conduct an Area Office Prototype Exercise which tests the activation process from SSS Lottery input to the issuance of the first Armed Forces Examination Orders.

4. Ensure 90% of people tested are capable of implementing activation procedures.

5. Ensure that 95% of the predefined readiness objectives are attained and validated during an Area Office Prototype Exercise.

6. Train 90% of assigned State Directors (SDs) and Reserve Force Officers (RFOs) on HCPDS and Timed-Phased Response (TPR) functions and responsibilities.

7. Attain a 92% or greater compliance rate for men 18 through 25 years old.

8. Attain and appoint Registrars in 85% of the Nation’s high schools.

9. Obtain 75% of all registrations electronically.

10. Maintain an average systems change request implementation time of 39 days.

11. Maintain a functional proponent and customer satisfaction level of 87%.

12. Have a telephone call completion rate of 93% or higher.

13. Answer correspondence in less than 10 days.

14. Train 90% of assigned SDs and RFOs on Alternative Service plans and procedures.

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

An annual report providing the results of the implementation of these performance measures will be submitted by March 31, 2005. This report will address attained versus planned levels of performance, explain unattained target levels, and identify where and how strategies, performance goals, and performance indicators should be changed to ensure that the SSS reaches its strategic and annual goals and objectives.

Bush pulls out of speech to Parliament Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
"Embarrassed" by questions shouted to him by MP's during his speech at the Australian Parliament, The Bush Baby has decided he can't face the questioning he would receive in Britain.

Climate change will allow Scotland to develop wines Science/ Global Warming
Somehow, there's just something fundamentally wrong with the idea of Scottish wines.

Climate change: The human connection Science/ Global Warming
Two new studies strengthen the case for human modification of the climate during the second half of the 20th century.

Racial prejudice makes you stupider, new research finds / Encounters with another race made whites perform worse on cognitive test Science/ Prejudice
This has major implications. I wonder if it holds true for sexist attitudes, homophobes and religion as well?

Perfect math and never surly Economy/ Jobs
First the well paying union manufacturing jobs disapear, now the lowpaying service jobs are going. What's left eBay and blood plasma shops?

Rare Infection Threatens to Spread in Blood Supply Science/ Emerging Diseases
Ahh, a nasty little bit of paranoia for you today, kiddies. Nothing to worry about immediately, this one is rarely fatal during the initial infection. But 30 years or so later your heart and liver literally explode. Happy dreams.

Apple - Trailers - The Triplets Of Belleville Popular Culture/ Movies/ Animation
This just looks wonderful.

Who's who in the Middle East conflict Politics/ Middle East
Having problems keeping things straight without a scorecard? Here's a guide to the 20 odd factions, parties, and governments tangled up in the Palesinian/Israeli morass.

Soldiers battle pay delays, salary errors Politics/ Iraq
One more bit of shabbiness from the government that 'says' the soldiers come first. I'm sure Rumsfeld's checks came on time.

Keeping Watch for Interstellar Computer Viruses Science/ Astronomy
Will the ET's try to take over our keyboards? Lord knows, if they're using Windows XP themselves, they'll be lucky if they don't end up spamming themselves to death.

'Queen of smiles' unleashes wrath on Indian media Politics/ Press Freedom
The Tamil State Prime Minister who took on the press comes out swinging. Other papers In India call her a 'fruitcake." Oh what will she do next?

FBI Documents Explore the Marxist Background of Groucho Popular Culture/ Politics/ Blacklists
Once more, Hoover's Boys defended us against the Marxist threat.

PublicRadioFan.com Internet/ Music/ News/ Tools
Access to the websites of public radio stations from all over the world. A music and talk radio fan's salvation.

Ancient Maize Genetics Amazing Science/ Genetics
The evolution of corn from a grassy weed to a usable food source was both quick and deliberate, according to a new study from Penn State's plant biology dept.

Nazi Chemical Giant Declares Bankruptcy Politics/ The Holocaust
The infamous Nazi poison-gas manufacturer IG Farben is insolvent, possibly leaving thousands of former forced laborers trying to claim compensation out in the cold.

Bush in the Air National Guard: A True History Politics/ Ruling Class
Since it's the time of year we honor those who have served our country by defending it from external enemies, I thought it would be useful to remind ourselves of the true extent of Resident's role in that defense while in the Texas Air National Guard.

Anti-Iraq war veterans pulled from parade Politics/ Iraq/ Free Speech
Ahh, the land of the free apparently isn't the home of the brave as anti-war vets find out when they are ejected from a Veteran's Day parade in Florida

In a Police State Atmosphere, Fascists Will Rise to the Top Politics/ Ruling Class
Long article detailing AG Ashcroft's lifelong history of ties to racist organizations. Many links.

Relations between journalists and U.S. troops in Iraq sour Politics/ Media/ Iraq
Despite proclaiming official policy to the contrary, in the past two months the military has sharply increased its harassment of journalists in Iraq .

Information Clearing House News Headlines Politics/ Media/
A GREAT source for progressive news. Sign up for their free daily news email.

Bill O'Reilly Says He'd Consider Presidential Run Politics/ Media/ Weirdness
And people on the right are worried about Dr. Dean's temper? Oh the humanity!

Borders Readers United Politics/ Unions
The next big unionization fight will be between the big box retailers and their underpaid, underinsured employees. Since the big boxes operate on a cut staffing costs to the bone, then cut below that basis, it promise to be a bitter battle. This is a link to the blog of the union that is fighting for representation at the Border's home store in Ann Arbor.

Despair, Inc. Humor
One of my favorite internet sites. A work of near genius. I'm usually in helpless laughter within minutes, no matter how often I visit it.

Berklee Shares: free music lessons, mp3, quicktime and pdf files download Popular Culture/ Music/ Tools
A great idea: free lessons from a great music school. Check it out.

Why America is losing the intelligence war Politics/ War on Terror
Essay on the "tragic flaw" in the American character that makes winning the intelligence war against terrorists so much more difficult. Quite insightful, and to the point.

Row over Bush security as Blair defends visit Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
The Mayor of London has made it clear to his police chief that he wants no interference with the exercise of free speech during W's London visit. The Americans have made it clear that all demonstrations are to be kept at maximum distance, perhaps in Moscow or Capetown. Who will prevail?

Ex-dictator faces poll oblivion Politics/ Dictators
Wee, at least something went right in the world this week.

Faux Hunting In Pennsylvania Politics/ Environment
New proposal would ok fox hunting (complete with hounds) on private preserves in Pennsylvania. What's next, a PA upperclass twit of the year competition?

'Fagging' for Charles? Politics/ Ruling Class
Did he or didn't he? Only his valet knows for sure.
And, frankly, why should it matter to the rest of us, anyway?

Howard Dean Rises Again Politics/ 2004 Election
Confederate flag flap or not, many African American leaders see Dr. Dean as a strong candidate on their issues and are urging him to form an alliance between their concerns and the concerns of poor white Southerners.

Support the Troops Politics/ Iraq/ Neocon Lies
Paul Krugman discusses the 'truth' behind the Bushies' pledge to improve the lives of Amerca's Armed Services and their families.

Libby Brooks talks to John Simpson Politics/ Iraq/ Media
'I feel guilty to be alive'
The Iraq conflict was John Simpson's 34th war and, thanks to the American bomb that killed his translator, it was nearly his last.

US wants ban on protests during Bush visit Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
Another country's citizens see their right to peaceably assemble denied so that Our Dear Leader won't be seen in the same TV frame as the protestors, thereby saving his image of being universally loved.

UK cuts rainforest funding to meet Iraq costs Politics/ Iraq
Another hidden cost of the war is revealed.

Families of Iraq war dead condemn Bush visit to UK Politics/ Iraq
Anti-war groups plan protests in London, which have contributed to a decision by Downing Street to cancel plans for the (P)Resident to address both Houses of Parliament.

Hey, that's not fair. We had to listen to that fatuous idiot Tony Blair speak before Congress. They should have to listen to our fatuous idiot mumble before Parliament as well.

Soros's Deep Pockets vs. Bush Politics/ 2004 Election
Nyah, Nyah! Our Billionaire can beat your Billionaire!

Al-Qaida threatens more attacks Politics/ War on Terror
Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the attacks in Riyadh and warned "those 'who work and live with Americans', adding that 'their killing was permitted' according to religious edicts."

Frist Freezes Senate Probe of Prewar Iraq Data Politics/ Iraq/ Intelligence
Looks like the Republicans really do intend to take their ball and go home.

In the midst of war, key family benefits face cuts Politics/ Ruling Class
Once again, Rummie is trying to pay for the growing cost of the Iraq War by cutting the pitiful benefits given the families of service personal. Have they no shame at all? And I'll lay odds he's still riding around in a DOD limo.

The 25 of the most provocative questions facing science Science
Science Times ask the what are the 25 most provocative questions?

Back In The Day Calculator Weirdness/Internet/ Humor
Select the year you were born, press submit, and via computers on the "internet" we will tell you your own individual time frame for "back in the day".

The Gematriculator Weirdness/Internet
Determine the level of good or evil inherent in a website by textual numerology. The Daily Blatt sadly proved too complex for this little engine to parse, but it determined that our sister rantblog, Ruptured Spleen, is 45% evil. A bit light, if you ask us.

U.S.-Appointed Iraqi Council Leader Killed Politics/ Iraq
God, are we starting to shoot the 'collaborators' ourselves now? Is this just some new way to save time?

Why A Duck? Popular Culture/ Humor
A GREAT website about my favorite Marxists. Hail Freedonia!

www.brushfirewars.org Politics/ Low Intensity Warfare
Good explanation of weapons being used by "insurgents" in Iraq and elseware

Liberal views force soldier out of military Politics/ Dissent/ Ruling Class
Heaven forfend that the Dear Leader should be questioned. String this guy up by his toes. Flog him!

St. Reagan's Song, a political song parody about the Ronald Reagan movie, CBS, and rightwingers, Politics/ Ruling Class/ Humor
Hah, I say! Hah!

Alternatives to Iraqi Council Eyed Politics/ Iraq
The Bushies' pet Iraqis on the Ruling Council aren't turning out to be as useful as planned.

Cheney expanding even faster than the economy! Politics/ Ruling Class/ Humor
Creates 20,000 Jobs for Halliburton in Last Quarter

Bush's Politics of Fear Politics/ Ruling Class/ Paranoia
Bush's use of fear as a tactical political weapon is enough to take the fun out of Paranoia.

Southern White Male Democrats, Where Ya At? Politics/ Democrats
This piece asks a good question, where have all the white Democrats in the south gone? And if you are one, why don't you say so?

Business improvement districts don’t fit our ordinary categories Politics/ Downtowns
Where do BID's belong on the public/private spectrum?

Biosecurity & Bioterrorism Science/ War on Terror/ Paranoia
Another useful online journal, full of paranoia inducing information.

Emerging Infectious Diseases Science/ Medicine/ Paranoia
The online archive of the CDC's journal on new infectious dieases. A marvelous source of both usable information and paranoia.

Four Popular Diets Equally Effective for Weight Loss Science/ Health
Results indicate that any of the major plans can yield good results. Since the issue becomes your ability to stick to a diet for a sufficient period, the best indicator of success would seem to be picking the diet which you "like" the most.

Vast digital health archive opens Science/ Medicine/ Tools
The entire run of the medical journal Lancet is now available online.

War Comes to the Classroom Politics/ Iraq
Parents fear for their children as schools are targeted in Iraq

Capping a steady erosion of press freedom Politics/ Freedom of the Press
More on the loss of free speech in India

Arrests ordered against journalists of the Hindu and Murasoli. Politics/ Freedom of the Press
Bush's new good buddies in India seem to be well on their way to learning his version of 'democracy'.

The End Apocalypse/ Humor
If only it were this easy.. and funny.

Southern Comforting Politics/Howard Dean
Amen to everything said within this post. Just 'cause we're from the mountains, Dr. Dean, don't mean we just fell off the turnip truck.

Grass stalks fit bill for earliest toothpicks Science/ Anthropology/ Tools
The earliest known human tools are grass stalks used to cean teeth.

Saudis halt sand exports - and not a moment too soon Environment/ Business/ Weirdness
Apparently, the Saudis think they are running out of sand.

Saudi Arabia's nuclear gambit Politics/ Weapons of Mass Destruction
Oh Dear God, No!

The Future of String Theory -- A Conversation with Brian Greene Science/ Cosmology
FAQ's on string theory, from Scientific American

Nuclear weapon lab keys lost Politics/ Science/ War on Terror
Where are the master keys and electronic Id's that are missing from the Lawrence Livermore Lab? Thatr's where we store the plutonium, folks.

Islam's Medieval Outposts Politics/ War on Terror
Our declining efforts to aid primary education in the Arab world have greatly strengthened the power of the madrassas as parents turn to them to educate their children.

Education 'Miracle' Has a Math Problem Politics/ Education
Seems that Bush's "Miracle in Houston" education experiment doesn' quite add up.

DefenseLINK - Official Web Site of the U.S. Department of Defense Politics/ Armed Forces
Latest news from the Department of Defence.

Canine courtship causes concern in the country Dogs/ Humor
A newly arrived Brit finds his relationships with his French village neighbors strained by his straying dog's attentions to their Fifi's and MouMou's.

Etruscan Demons, Monsters Unearthed Science/ Archaeology
Magnificent Etruscan artwork found.

17 dead, 120 wounded in Riyadh attack Politics/ War on Terror
al-Qaida continues to take the war back home to Saudi Arabia.

Blackmask Online Tools
Nice batch of classics in e-book, form ready for downloading.

Lynch says Pentagon used her for propaganda Politics/ Iraq/ Propaganda
Jessica Lynch angrily accuses the Bushies of using her for "propaganda" purposes, thus proving once again that she truly is a hero.

Holes in space are not empty: Universe may be full of great dark voids where rules are different. Science/ Astronomy
Just because we don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.

IBM "conspiracy" claims Business/ Environment
Just what did IBM know about the cancer case cluster among its employees and when did they know it?

Marriages made of the Norse gods Weirdness
By Odin, now you can get married in Denmark under the authority of the Old Gods.

Bush made Osama deal with Musharraf - The Times of India Politics/ War on Terror
Could it be that the reason that Osama bin Laden is still free is that the Bushies have made a deal with Pakistan?

Sao Tome's way to oil wealth Politics/ Development/ Oil
Another small country faces extreme change in the pursuit of oil.

Knowing What’s Nice By Kurt Vonnegut Popular Culture/ Books
The latest ramble from Kurt Vonnegut

White House Puts Limits on Queries From Democrats Politics/ Ruling Class
Now the Bushies are refusing to answer Congressional requests for information that have not been vetted by the Republican Leadership.What's next, being accused of Lese Majeste for questioning the Resident?

Physics Today November 2003- Article: Nuclear Bunker Busters, Mini-Nukes, and the US Nuclear Stockpile Politics/ Weapons of Mass Destruction
Outline of the current program and the difficulties facing iit.

Newsletter 35 from The Association for Peak Oil and Gas Peak Oil
The latest report on peak oil and efforts to understand its ramifications.

"Won't Get Fooled Again Media Resistance to Resistance" Politics/ Media/ Protests
The media consistently underreported the size of the anti-war protests in October.

Lunar Eclipse Saturday Evening Science/ Astronomy

Robert Byrd: A High Price for a Hollow Victory Politics/ Iraq/ War Profiteering
Once again, the surprising Robert Byrd rises to the occasion and speaks as the conscience of the Senate.

Why did the Pentagon pay off Linda Tripp? Politics/ Clinton Bashing
Why was Linda (God I'm so sorry I betrayed you) Tripp rewarded for breaking the law by lying on her security clearance application? Only her handler knows for sure.

How the White House deletes the truth Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
More on the Administration's Orwellian MiniTruth operation.

Possible deal aborted? Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
Don't confuse them with facts. The Neocons KNOW the truth already.

Record loss of ozone over Antarctica this year Science/ Environment
Say it ain't so. Man doesn't affect the environment, the Resident told me so.

Latest Sun Flare Likely Strongest of Modern Era Science/ Astronomy
Meanwhile, back in the real universe....

Free Yourself from Conservative Talk Radio Politics/ Media
Raise your spirits. Embrace your truth. Escape deceit.

Rage erupts over profiteering clause Politics/ Iraq/ War Profiteering
Why would the Republicans fight so hard to remove punishment for something so obviously illegal? Think, Grasshopper, think.

Number of troops in Iraq to expand Politics/ Iraq
And you thought the Resident told you that the major combat was over. You obviously are misremembering or you misheard or mayby you're one of those folks misstating the Dear Leader's statements to create dissension. He'd never lie, would he?

Rule Drafted That Would Dilute the Clean Water Act Politics/ Environment
Shouldn't affect the Bushies bottled water, though.

Halliburton may lose job trucking fuel into Iraq Politics/ Iraq/ War Profiteering
Looks like Cheney might lose a few bucks from his pension.

Stop that Energy Bill! Politics/ Environment
The new energy bill is so bad that it's prompted the conservative Cato Institute and the liberal Sierra Club to issue a joint press release condeming it. Well, Bush did say he was going to bring us together.

THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE IS EVAPORATING Weirdness/ Humor
At current rate every human will die in 8 years -- says top scientist!

Good, I'm glad that's settled.

Bosnian Serbs finally admit truth of Srebrenica deaths Politics/ War
After denying the truth for ten years, the Bosnian Serbs come clean.

Comparing acts of dissent Politics/ Acts of Protest
Some acts of protest require more of the actor than others. This one, by Egypt's foremost novelist, took much courage.

Political Compass Politics/ Tools
Where do you stand on the political compass? Take this test and find out.

Citizen Works - Progressive Reading List Politics/ Self Education
An annotated list of suggested readings about progressive issues.

Double Payment Politics/ Prescription Drug Policy
In America we pay for our drugs twice. Most basic drug research is funded by the government. And then the taxpayers give these drugs to the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture and sell back to us at the highest prices in the industrialized world. No wonder the drug business is the best performing sector on the Stock Exchange.

Grid Wars Politics/ Utility Regulation/ Power Grid
The Bush administration's response to the problems with the power grid? Do away with all government regulation of power generation and allow power companies to invest outside of their industry. This is exactly the behavior that resulted in the regulation of the grid in the first place.

NASA's Visible EarthScience/ Satellite Observations/ Tools
The main web access point to the NASA Earth Observatory satellites.

Dirty Secrets Politics/ Environment
Since taking power, the Bush administration has systematically gutted environmental protection regulations. The damage is critical, even to programs which traditionally have had bipartisan approval.

Patrick Lee's Path to the Reovirus Treatment Medicine/ Cancer Research
A major new advance in the fight against cancer.

Carlos Santana Calls On Bush To End His Evil Ways Politics/ Popular Culture
Oye Tomo Va! Carlos!

Stopping PainScience/ Medicine/ Drug War
A new drug made from sea slugs venom shows great promise in the fight against intractable pain.

Iraq: The missing billions Politics/ Iraq/ Neocons/ Graft
Billions of dollars are missing from the accounts seized during the takeover of Iraq.

The Perfect Fire By Mike Davis Politics/ Environment
California's best writer on the environment discusses the implications of this year's forest fire season.

Meanwhile: The private art of the poet laureate Poetry
Our new Poet Laureate is a much less public person that the previous few PL's have been.

911 Commission Secret Mission To Pakistan Politics/ 9/11 Investigation
The 9-11 Commission gets more answers in Pakistan than they have been able to get from the White House.

In Montana, the next Arctic Refuge debate Politics/ Environment
The next target of the oil at any cost crowd will be Montana's Front Range.

Useful Expressions in 26 Languages Tools
A writer's resource.

He's planting a new idea in prairie conservation Environment/ Gardening
Farmer sells seed mix harvested from naturally growing prairie to add gardeners wishing to restore their land.

climateprediction.net portal Science/ Environment
Enroll your computer in the battle to understand climate change. Similar to Seti@Home, this program hopes to utilize the power of the web's many computers to analyze the climate change puzzle.

Boys Stuff Popular Culture/ Toys
Big Boys Toys, New Gadgets, Weird Ideas. Much fun for the gadget minded.

Paul Krugman: The U.S. debt just can't keep growing Politics/ Economy/ Federal Budget
Essay on the long and short term effects of the Bushies hogfeeding at the budget deficit trough.

Lawyers at E.P.A. Say It Will Drop Pollution Cases Politics/ Environment/ Neocons
Despite giving tesimony in April that new regulations being proposed would not affect then pending litigation, the EPA now plans to drop all such lawsuits and refile under the new, less stringent criteria.

"Who Murdered Chaucer" History/ Popular Culture/ Mystery
Terry Jones and 3 colleagues probe the mystery of Chaucer's final years.

Calif. Halts E-Vote Certification Politics/ E-vote Fraud
Problems during the recall election prompt California to delay further implementation of e-voting

Forsaken Sites Litter Internet Popular Culture/ Internet
The internet is choked with the wreckage of its history

Internet Public Library Tools
A good site full of links and e-texts.

Where's The Voter-verifiable Paper Trail for each ballot cast? Politics/ E-voter Fraud
More opportunities for activism against the e-vote scam

Beer mat flipping 'perfected' Popular Culture/ Bar Games
It's good to see that the time spent at a British university is not all wasted.

German general sacked for praising MP's anti-semitism Politics/ Anti-semitism
I had thought that the Germans, of all people, had at least learned to keep this garbage to themselves. For a high level military commander to state this trash publicly is most disturbing.

The Geek Test Poular Culture/ Geekiness/ Silliness
How much of a True Geek are you? Much to my surprise, I scored a 90.327%, making me a Geek God. I can only ascribe this to being an early adopter of many of the trappings of geekdom. (On Arpanet in mid 80's, first computer 1981, gaming and sf fan from the late 60's) Who Knew?

Physicists discover Guy Fawkes would have devastated Westminster History/ Terrorism
Had this early bit of political terror succeeded, much of central London would have been leveled.

The DEA's War on Pain Doctors Politics/ Drug War
The DEA obviously feels that we were put on Earth to suffer. Now the Puritans at DOJ are chasing after doctors who dare to prescribe adequate pain meds to their seriously ill patients.

White House turns down California request to help fight bark beetle Politics/ Environment
Despite claims that its new forest management policy would have mitigated the effects of the southern California wild fires, The Bush Administration denied earlier requests for aid in suppressing the bark beetle infestation which so terribly exacerbated the fires.

The World Fantasy Awards were announced Sunday, November 2nd, at
the 29th Annual World Fantasy Convention at the Hyatt Regency Washington
in Washington, DC. Winners were:

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT
Donald M. Grant
Lloyd Alexander
BEST NOVEL(tie)
The Facts of Life, Graham Joyce(Gollancz)
Ombria in Shadow, Patricia A. McKillip(Ace)
BEST NOVELLA
"The Library", Zoran Zivkovic(Leviathan 3)
BEST SHORT STORY
"Creation", Jeffrey Ford(F&SF, May 2002)
BEST ANTHOLOGY(tie)
The Green Man: Tales From the Mythic Forest, Ellen Datlow & Terri
Windling, eds.(Viking)
Leviathan Three, Forrest Aguirre & Jeff VanderMeer, eds.(Ministry of
Whimsy Press)
BEST COLLECTION
The Fantasy Writer's Assistant and Other Stories, Jeffrey Ford(Golden
Gryphon Press)
BEST ARTIST
Tom Kidd
SPECIAL AWARD, PROFESSIONAL
Gordon Van Gelder, for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
SPECIAL AWARD, NON-PROFESSIONAL
Jason Williams, Jeremy Lassen, & Benjamin Cossel, for Night Shade Books

An Ill Wind Blows Toward an Even More Inhospitable Climate Environemnt

'DUCK OF DEATH' CLAIMS 8 VICTIMS IN CHINA! Weirdness/ Felonious Fowl
Just remember, you read it here first.

The Warthog Bar Popular Culture/ Weirdness/ What the hey...
Unbelievable. Kitsch doesn't even come close. Appalling almost does....

Pumpkins sail through the air with the greatest of ease Popular Culture/ Contests
Oh fraptious joy, it's time for my favorite annual contest, the Delaware shore's mechanical pumpkin toss. A beacon of ingenuity.

Austen-tatious? That's Bollywood Popular Culture/ Film
Yes! Yes! Yes! A Bollywood musical version of Pride and Prejudice. Oh ecstasy! I can hardly stand to wait.

George Lucas gets animated Popular Culture/ Film
George Lucas is quietly putting together an animation studio to challenge Pixlar, Disney, and DreamWorks.

A new twist on the Land of Oz Popular Culture/ Theatre
"Wicked" comes to the stage as a musical. Dorothy, Oz and the Witches will never be the same.

Movie Review Query Engine Popular Culture/ Film/ Tool
Search site for movie reviews on the web.

Russian prosecutors put Abramovich in their sights Politics/ Russia/ Ruling Class
Another Russian oligarch is about to go to the mat with Putin.

Acceptable hatred Politics/ UK/ Bigotry
"Travellers" or Gypsies as they are called in America, are so universally loathed in Britain that it remains acceptable to denigrate them in the most forceful of terms, even in polite society. One local group recently staged a "burning" to "exorcise" the town of the stain of travellers. A mock traveller caravan trailer, complete with cutouts of family members in its windows, was torched on the community green.

Politics a no-no for university curricula Politics/ Cambodia/ Education
The revolution so traumatized academics that not one Cambodian university has a Department of Political Science. It's become a non discipline.

France faces turmoil after new alliance of Trotskyists Politics/ France/ Ruling Class
Most of the new party members don't even know who Leon Trotsky was.

Oligarchs R Us - Deep politics swirl behind the arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Politics/ Russia/ Ruling Class
Just sit back and marvel as two really bad guys wrestle in the mud to control Russia's wealth.

Iranian Dissident's Sons, Aides Freed Politics/ Iran
Don't expect any liberal transformation in Iran anytime soon.

"Bush's Flawed Revolution" Politics/ Foreign Policy/ Ruling Class
Bush's foreign policy is a failure, but we should not expect him to realize that anytime soon. He is, unfortunately, a True Believer.

The New Know-Nothingism Politics/ Ruling Class
Surely we shouldn't expect neocons to modify their opinions merely when confronted with the truth, should we?

Wal-Mart Violated Immigration Laws Politics/ Immigration Policy/ Ruling Class
Gotcha!

"Starving at the Company Store,Detained immigrants protest for rights at Wackenhut." Politics/ Immigration Policy/ Ruling Class
Once of the Neocons favorite companies is at it again, this time housing illegal immigrants in NYC under brutal conditions.

U.S. to vets tortured by Iraq: Quit your whinin. You get nada Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
The Justice Department has filed to keep Americans from collecting money awarded them in lawsuits brought against Iraq for acts of torture against them during the first Gulf War. Apparently, and this is probably just my cynical soul speaking here, the soldiers have not made large enough campaign contributions to assure getting a piece of the Iraqi war booty.

Enabling Historical revisionism Politics/ Ruling Class
In a move of startling Orwellian brilliance, the White House website has been modified to prevent any easy search for information on Iraq.

Blueprint for a Mess Politics/ Iraq
Long analysis of mistakes made in the Iraqi war policy and what led the Neocons to make them

Hussein Was Sure Of Own Survival Politics/ Iraq
Apparently, Sadam thought Bush was bluffing.

Firms with Iraq pacts politically well-linked Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
War Profiteering 101

100,000 call for peace at Rabin memorial rally Politics/ Peace
Remember a time when there was some hope in the world?

Terrorists escape Saudis Politics/ War on Terror
Darn, and the Saudi's were trying so hard.

Zen Bastard - Paul Krassner - : Take My President–Please! Politics/ Ruling Class/ Humor
Alleged threats from alleged comedians against alleged leaders.

If I Were Bush's Speechwriter ... Politics/ Ruling Class/ Humor
Andy Rooney suggests a novel policy shift for Bush...just tell the truth.

'The Battlefield for All Iraq' Politics/ Iraq
Fallujah stands out as an example of all that is going wrong with Bush's policies in Iraq

Warblogging.com: Lies and the Lying Liars Politics/ Iraq
Bush's claims of massive infiltration of insurgents from Syria are contradicted by soldiers on the ground in Iraq.

Spain Withdraws Most of Baghdad Staff Politics/ Iraq
Another member of the 'coalition of the willing' has second thoughts.

How Many Body Bags? Politics/ Iraq/ Ruling Class
Bush once again puts his manhood on the line while crouching down safely behind the wall of our young service people in Iraq.

Pentagon keeps dead out of sight Politics/ Iraq
The Pentagon has gone to great lengths to make sure there are few images of the dead returning home from Iraq.

Petroeuro Futures Politics/ Economics/ Peak oilTheory
Why the Neocons view the takeover of Iraq as an economic "necessity "

Neocons: The men behind the curtain Politics/ Neocons
More on the intellectual fathers of Neoconservatism, especially the role of the Rand Corporation.

The Prophet of Prevarication and His Disciple Politics/ Neocons
Long article on Leo Strauss and his theories mandating that leaders lie to their followers in the service of a common "good."

A Must-Read Speech: Zbigniew Brzezinski's remarks from the "New American Strategies for Security and Peace" conference Politics/ Neocons
An analysis of the intellectual underpinnings of Neocon foreign policy. Brezezinski is deeply unimpressed.

The 911 Evidence that May Hang George W. Bush Politics/ Conspiracy/ 9-11
More evidence emerges that the Bush administration had at least some advance warning about possible terrorist actions in early September of 2001.

Five men were seen filming as jet liners ploughed into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 ... Politics/ War on Terror/ 9-11
Allegations have been made that a special Mossad team was arrested in New Jersey after they were observed filming the attack on the World Trade Center.

'Voice of Jihad' Al-Qa'ida Online Magazine Politics/ War on Terror
The website associated with al Qaida

American Muslims Told to Leave Major U.S. Cities Politics/ War on Terror
A website associated with al Qaida has warned American Muslems to leave New York, Washington, and Los Angeles for the next few days.

Bin Laden's role in 9/11 emerges Politics/ 9-11
Evidence given by captured al Qaida leaders confirms that Osama bin Laden was centrally involved in the planning of the attacks on 9-11.

Why is it that the subject of Jews enflames so many passions? History/ Antisemitism
Essay exploring the historical and psychological roots of antisemitism and its modern implications.

Salem Selling a Dubious Past History/ Travel
Salem, MA wasn't the actual site of the witch trials. Most of the victims actually lived in a smaller and much more modest town about five miles away. And the trials were held there.

It's not all Greek to me History/ History of Science/ Philosophy of Science
New book compares the scientific and philosophical efforts of the Ancient Greeks and Chinese.

SPACE.com Cam: Aurora Science/ Astronomy
Realtime imaging of the Aurora from orbiting satellites.

Thousands of previously unseen galaxies come into focus Science/ Astronomy
The latest Hubble Space Telescope images are of galaxies formed very close to the beginning of the Universe.

Deep in the Amazon Forest, Vast Questions About Global Climate Change Science/ Climate Change
Scientists are studying the Amazon to learn how deforestation is affecting the CO2 cycle.

Sun more active than for a millennium Science/ Astronmy
Perspective on the intense solar activity of the past year.

Bioterrorism case chills U.S. science community Science/ Homeland Security
A case involving a world famous researcher, some missing vials of plague virus, and the Department of Homeland Security has many scientists concerned about its ultimate effect on research choices.

Hunt for Lost City of Atlantis Science/ Archaeology
A newly proposed possible site for Atlantis, near the Pillars of Hercules, to be studied with submersibles

Plague of locusts causes mass allergy attack Science/ Biology
Locusts cause severe outbreak of respiratory distress in Sudan.

In Mating Games, Spiders May Learn Lessons Faster Than Young Men Science/ Biology
Visual imprinting may play a significant role in sexual attractivenesss, even in lifeforms as simple as spiders.

With thanks for the link to Marcia Bonta via Dave Bonta

Plankton may protect planet from icy fate Science/ Climate Change
The carbon locked up in plankton may be the critical factor in controlling climate.

As Earth Warms, the Hottest Issue Is Energy Science/ Climate Change
The debate must happen now on replacement energy sources.

Closest Known Galaxy Just Discovered Science/ Astronomy
Closest galaxy is being devoured by Milky Way

Killer Cancer in the Cretaceous Science/ Paleontology
Article on the oldest known cancer sufferer.

Is Global Warming Shrinking Harvests? Science/ Climate Change
Short article outlining some of the effects of global warming on agriculture. A good starting point.