Archive for August, 2009
Neo-Nazi Radio Host Called for Lynching of Cynthia McKiney while on the Payroll of the FBI
Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney sent an email around on Sunday in which she wrote:
“[I]t has just now come to my attention that a ‘journalist’ who suggested that I be lynched was actually being paid by our own government to say that. Now, when I reported it to the FBI, how in the world was I to know that he was at that time on the FBI’s payroll?”
“Hate blogger” Hal Turner’s lawyer said last week, and prosecutors agreed, that Turner was “trained by the FBI on how to be deliberately provocative” and “worked for the FBI from 2002 to 2007 as an ‘agent provocateur’ and was taught by the agency ‘what he could say that wouldn’t be crossing the line.’”
. . .
John Judge, who worked for McKinney, writes of Turner:
“This is the guy who announced a program topic suggesting that Cynthia McKinney be lynched on her way to the polls to…
Canadian Scientist Aims to Turn Chickens into Dinosaurs
PhysORG: After years spent hunting for the buried remains of prehistoric animals, a Canadian paleontologist now plans to manipulate chicken embryos to show he can create a dinosaur.
Hans Larsson, the Canada Research Chair in Macro Evolution at Montreal’s McGill University, said he aims to develop dinosaur traits that disappeared millions of years ago in birds.
Larsson believes by flipping certain genetic levers during a chicken embryo’s development, he can reproduce the dinosaur anatomy, he told AFP in an interview.
Though still in its infancy, the research could eventually lead to hatching live prehistoric animals, but Larsson said there are no plans for that now, for ethical and practical reasons — a dinosaur hatchery is “too large an enterprise.”
“It’s a demonstration of evolution,” said Larsson, who has studied bird evolution for the last 10 years. “If I can demonstrate clearly that the potential for dinosaur anatomical development exists in birds, then it again…
Amusing Photos Of Elderly Health Care Protestors
Wonkette has a roundup of some choice photos that sum up the mood and message of cranky old people who have been appearing at the recent town hall meetings to protest against health care reform. I’ve heard of “Nobama,” but “Yobama” is a new one to me.
DNA Evidence Can Be Easily Faked, Scientists Find
The New York Times reports:
Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence, undermining the credibility of what has been considered the gold standard of proof in criminal cases.
The scientists fabricated blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva. They also showed that if they had access to a DNA profile in a database, they could construct a sample of DNA to match that profile without obtaining any tissue from that person.
“You can just engineer a crime scene,” said Dan Frumkin, lead author of the paper, which has been published online by the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics. “Any biology undergraduate could perform this.”
Errol Morris: More Lying
There are those who say, Enough already with this philosophical stuff. Get back to stories about photographs. We like stories. But still, readers’ comments to my essay “Seven Lies About Lying” have provided more fodder on the nature of lying and deception. Next time, I promise there will be a story.
Many writers suggested that truth might be “subjective” or “relative.” It is worth taking up each of these claims in its own right. Subjective truth is about individuals. One individual might think truth is one thing; another individual might think it’s something else. “Truth is what I believe it to be.” “The world is how you think it is.” And then there’s the second claim. “Truth is relative.” Relative truth is broader than subjective truth. It purports to consider cross-cultural or historical differences. But when there are too many varieties of truth, the end result is the denial of truth. “There…
CIA Memo Details Procedures For Breaking Detainees
Sleep deprivation, “insult slaps”, water dousing and “walling”, or slamming a detainee’s head against a wall, were techniques used by CIA interrogators to break high-value detainees, according to an agency memo.
The memo, sent to the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel on Dec. 30, 2004, was released on Monday under a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by Amnesty International USA and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Jessica Biel Is The Web’s Most ‘Dangerous’ Celebrity
Publicists love it when their clients top popularity charts, but the most dangerous celebrity on the Internet may be one exception.
When fans of Jessica Biel seek out photos, videos, or downloads like wallpapers and screensavers of her on the Internet, there’s a one-in-five chance of landing on a website that hosts malicious software, according to computer security software maker McAfee, presenting a substantial risk that a user’s computer will be infected with malicious viruses.
Brad Pitt topped the list last year as the most dangerous celeb on the Web.
When screensavers for Biel were searched, “almost half of the sites were identified as containing malicious downloads with spyware, adware and potential viruses,” the McAfee report said.
Gundam wedding photos
A special wedding event was held at the base of the 1/1 Gundam RX78 at Odaiba on August 25, 2009. The couple was chosen out of over 500 entries by T&G wedding planners. They have a new born daughter they have named Seira from the Gundam series.
Gundam wedding photos
A special wedding event was held at the base of the 1/1 Gundam RX78 at Odaiba on August 25, 2009. The couple was chosen out of over 500 entries by T&G wedding planners. They have a new born daughter they have named Seira from the Gundam series.
Warming Oceans May Cause the Earth to Tilt
Global warming and expanding oceans, beyond immediate effects on the surface of our planet, may even cause the earth’s axis to shift.
Molika Ashford, Popular Science: Human activity has widely affected our planet, reshaping surfaces, moving or extinguishing species, and warming the air and water. Now scientists say our reach has been extended even further — warming oceans may even start to shift the Earth’s axis of rotation.
Previously, the effect of warmer water temperatures was thought to be negligible and not strong enough to tilt the earth. But in a new study in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers have found that global warming and the resultant expansion of the oceans could actually shift our rotational axis significantly.
Warming causes our axis to shift because warmer water takes up more space than cooler water, and actually expanding upward and outward as it warms. Increased water volume pushes up onto shallow continental shelves, redistributing weight…
Meth Ring Used Superman Comics To Launder Profits
Michael Roberts, Westworld: One of the more unusual aspects of the enormous meth ring authorities announced they busted was the alleged conspirators’ chosen instrument for cleaning their dirty money: classic comic books.
Investigators seized approximately 100 boxes of comics, including first-edition Batman’s and Superman’s in plastic sheaths to protect their value.
As Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said at a news conference about the 41 arrests, “What we are talking about is money laundering — a means to have something of value that can easily be converted to cash but keeps you from having stashes of cash around.”
It’s a smart method, since comics from the art form’s golden age can go for thousands of dollars, as a quick visit to eBay confirms. Superman No. 3, seen here, is currently priced at $9,500 — although interested parties have the option of making a lower offer.
And good news: Shipping is free! Superman Annual #1 is…
Another Little Ice Age? Solar Activity and Climate Change
Some scientists are suggesting that the slow return to a more active phase of the solar cycle may portend a general decline in solar activity. If sunspots shut down, does that mean that we could stop worrying about climate change?
John Timmer, arstechnica: Over the weekend, a paper published in the American Geophysical Union’s journal Eos attracted a lot of attention, as it suggested that the levels of magnetic activity associated with recent sunspots indicated that the sun might be returning to a state of low activity, similar to that of the Maunder Minimum, which occurred in the late 17th century.
That change in solar activity was notable for setting off what’s called the Little Ice Age, which plunged Europe into a deep chill. Left undiscussed is what that might mean in a world where greenhouse gas changes are threatening a period of extended high temperatures.
To understand how a significant change in sunspot…
Only One Crime Solved for Every 1,000 CCTV Cameras in London
BBC News: Only one crime was solved by each 1,000 CCTV cameras in London last year, a report into the city’s surveillance network has claimed.
The internal police report found the million-plus cameras in London rarely help catch criminals.
In one month CCTV helped capture just eight out of 269 suspected robbers.
David Davis MP, the former shadow home secretary, said: “It should provoke a long overdue rethink on where the crime prevention budget is being spent.”
He added: “CCTV leads to massive expense and minimum effectiveness. “It creates a huge intrusion on privacy, yet provides little or no improvement in security.
“The Metropolitan Police has been extraordinarily slow to act to deal with the ineffectiveness of CCTV.” Nationwide, the government has spent £500m on CCTV cameras.
What Every American Should Learn About The CIA’s Inspector General Torture Report
Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com: I wrote earlier today about Eric Holder’s decision to “review” whether criminal prosecutions are warranted in connection with the torture of Terrorism suspects — that can be read here — but I want to write separately about the release today of the 2004 CIA’s Inspector General Report, both because it’s extraordinary in its own right and because it underscores how unjust it would be to prosecute only low-level interrogators rather than the high-level officials who implemented the torture regime.
Initially, it should be emphasized that yet again, it is not the Congress or the establishment media which is uncovering these abuses and forcing disclosure of government misconduct. Rather, it is the ACLU (with which I consult) that, along with other human rights organizations, has had to fill the void left by those failed institutions, using their own funds to pursue litigation to compel disclosure. Without their efforts, we would…
Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77
‘Liberal Lion’ of the Senate Led Storied Political Family After Deaths of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy
ABC News: Sen. Edward Moore Kennedy, the youngest Kennedy brother who was left to head the family’s political dynasty after his brothers President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated, has died at age 77.
Known as the “liberal lion of the Senate,” Kennedy championed health care reform, working wages and equal rights in his storied career. In August, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — by President Obama. His daughter, Kara Kennedy, accepted the award on his behalf.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, known as Ted or Teddy, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in May 2008 and underwent a successful brain surgery soon after that. But his health continued to deteriorate, and Kennedy suffered a seizure while attending the luncheon…
Have Faith in Jesus But Need Post-Rapture Pet-Care?
You’ve committed your life to Jesus. You know you’re saved. But when the Rapture comes what’s to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.
We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you’ve received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.
We are currently active in 20 states and growing. Our representatives have been screened to ensure that they are atheists, animal lovers, are moral/ethical with no criminal background, have the ability and desire to rescue your pet and the means to retrieve them and ensure their care for your pet’s natural life.
We currently cover the following states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan,…
Five Cobra Commander Terror Plots That Might Actually Work
Chris Sims: Cracked usually runs articles about things you used to watch when you were a kid and how, upon further examination, they are way more retarded than you remember. We secretly hate our younger selves for being such embarrassing dumb asses, and pointing out how stupid the Smurph language is helps us cope with the anger.
So we were all ready to point out how far-fetched Cobra Commander’s plots for world domination were, but the more we remembered, the more we were reminded of the news.
#5. The Wrong Stuff:
“We possess the ultimate weapon of control! People trust television! It’s their friend! They believe what television tells them about the news, television… even G.I. Joe!”
The Plot: In one of their many attempts to use television for evil, Cobra Commander uses stolen satellites and an inexplicable headquarters in the Himalayas to take over the airwaves, broadcasting Cobra TV to turn public opinion against…
Is America Scientifically Illiterate?
Dan Vergano, USA TODAY: Science enjoys the best and the worst of times today, celebrated as the secret sauce behind economic growth, but embattled in high-profile areas such as climate change, stem cells and evolution.
“Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before,” said President Obama, in April at the National Academy of Sciences.
At the same time, Obama noted, federal funding of physics and related sciences has fallen by nearly half since the 1980’s, U.S. schools trail in math and science versus Japan, England, South Korea and others. “And we have watched as scientific integrity has been undermined and scientific research politicized in an effort to advance predetermined ideological agendas,” he said.
In Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future, Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum size up the paradox of American science and offer their…
