German Chancellor Schroeder's decision to force a confidence vote is getting some German constitutional experts upset, as it is unclear whether the article that will dissolve the government is being legitimately used. One thing is for sure, it looks like the red-green coalition is over, as the SPD and the Greens will be running separate campaigns this time around, with the Chancellor expected to run a very personal campaign focusing on his leadership abilities over those of the CDU candidate Angela Merkel. This split has caused many analysts to question the political future of the German Greens.
The Guardian Council in Iran has officially reinstated two additional reformist presidential candidates at the request of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after moderates threatened to boycott the election. The election is making life more difficult for Europeans negotiating with Iran over their nuclear weapons programme, since it is unlikely that Iran will concede much before a new President is chosen. One candidate, Ali Akhbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, is reinventing himself as a moderate reformer after being a key player in the Islamic Revolution.
In the human rights arena, Amnesty International has released its 2005 Annual Report, criticising many of the tactics taken by governments fighting the 'war on terror' as being harmful to the global advancement of rights. The United States was targeted for allowing the torture of prisoners without proper investigation. Canada was not immune from scrutiny either.
The fight for political rights continues in Syria, where several reformers were arrested after trying to capitalize on the attention given to the country over its involvement in Lebanon. Back in Uzbekistan, Human Rights Watch is calling for the release of a human rights activist who was detained for attempting to explain to the rest of the world what was happening during the armed crackdown on protesters. The Uzbek leader, attempting to rally some international support, is now visiting a country also not concerned about killing unarmed protestors, China.
The debate over stem cell research has just been turned up a notch with the House of Representatives passing a bill that would allow federal funds to cover the research. Though this line of research is expected to generate a large number of medical advances that would help people suffering from various diseases, President Bush has repeatedly threatened to veto the bill under pressure from hard-core pro-life activists.
Speaking of the way that conservative Christians control the Republican party, the Washington Post ran a story about how big business, the other traditional pillar of the party, is getting upset over the focus on social issues over economic issues. It's a toss-up for me - would I rather want the government to focus on how everyone can be forced to pray in school or how to cut school funding in favour of tax cuts for the upper class so they can buy their third Lexus? At least some Republicans reform -- Walter Jones, a Republican congressman made 'famous' by his bill to change all references of french fries to freedom fries, has recently apologized for the bill, in addition to acknowledging that there was no justification for the Iraq war.
Also:
- Voyager 1, the farthest manmade object from the Earth, is just about to reach the end of the solar system.
- It's not a conspiracy by the moon men, but some people think that the gravitational force of Earth's satellite might trigger earthquakes.
- Energy for all our needs and much, much more awaits at the bottom of the ocean.
- A recent publication sees anti-social behaviour has having a strong inherited tendency.
- Life in 2050, according to a British futurologist.
- Australia and Japan are getting into it over commercial whaling.
- Book publishers are going after Google's for its attempt to make rare books available on the web.
- The Pat Tillman story has gone international, making the BBC News.
- An interesting piece that updates work by Amartya Sen on the relative lack of females in Asia.
- Want to stop the Christian Right from boycotting you? Apparently you just have to buy them out by making a C.S. Lewis film.
- The Donald isn't doing as well as he used to be doing.
- Most interesting CBC headline I've seen: No Lineup For Free Heroin.
- Why pouring gas in fluorescent light tubes and setting it on fire is a bad idea, even if you are trying to make a 'light sabre.'
- Pics of some cool cloud formations.
- Quake is coming back on the new Xbox 360.
- A site that lets you play with a Mandelbrot set, plus an explanation of what it is.
- I'm not sure I'd use the washroom with this sign posted to it.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Change to Comments
I've decided to switch to native Blogger comments rather than Haloscan which I had previously been using for a number of 'ease of use' reasons. Unfortunately it means that previous comments are now blown away. My apologies to anyone whose posts were deleted, but think of it as a sacrifice in the name of progress... :)
- Vincent
- Vincent
The Beginning of the End for Gerhard Schroeder
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has called for an early federal election, planning to hold a confidence vote on July 1st after his Social Democrats lost another provincial election. His party has been in a poll freefall for the past couple of months over reforms made to the social system. News of the election has sent German stocks higher in trading, anticipating a conservative Christian-Democrat win, and created the possibility of a female German Chancellor.
The continuing violence in Iraq is seriously hampering rebuilding efforts, with many major civil construction jobs unfinished and almost 300 contractors killed since the official war ended. Talks between Sunni and Shiite leaders are scheduled in an attempt to stop some of the violence, a development made easier as Sunni leaders are beginning to come together to compete politically with the other groups instead of continuing to boycott the process. Spiegel also reports on al-Hurra, an American Arabic channel that is attempting to bridge the gap, or at least have Arabs buy into their propaganda. Another film about the war in Iraq, Kilometre Zero, has gotten some attention at Cannes, although this one primarily focuses on the brutality of Saddam Hussein.
As protestors in Uzbek towns continue their protests, as the world continues to piece together exactly what happened and to what extent militant Islam had anything to do with the original or current protests. Neighbouring Kyrgyzstan is planning on sending refugees from the violence back into the country, despite some claims that they could be victims of retaliation for their participation in anti-government demonstrations.
In the ongoing crazy Evolutionists saga, I found this article about how they plan to open a museum in Kentucky, called the Creation Museum, that will show, among other things, how the world is only 6000 years old, how the Grand Canyon was created in a matter of weeks, how man lived side-by-side with dinosaurs at some point and even how there were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark (since this was a real event, right?). Wow, that's a lot to support a literalist view of the Bible. If they would only look up the word allegory in the dictionary, it might help this whole situation out. And just in case any of my readers have been swayed by such arguments, I would like to point to an article where Scientific American took Evolutionists/ID people to task a couple of years ago titled 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense.
The Guardian Council in Iran has rejected all but 6 out of over 1000 Presidential candidates, leaving four conservatives and barring all well-known progressives. However, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for a review of the selection process that would include two additional reformist candidates.
Remember how the Tillman story was fabricated to allow for good press for the military? It looks like his parents found out about it, and needless to say, they are less than impressed.
Also:
- Bittorrent is about to get a search engine.
- In an example of how the recent South Korean advance in stem cell research has positive benefit, a story on how it can be used to treat chronic liver disease.
- An article about a new map showing the potential wind power sources in the world, allowing for the production of energy far greater than what is currently needed.
- Slate reports about efforts of people whose habitat is endangered by global warming sueing private industry over their pollution.
- Sorry all you sci-fi fans out there, but wormholes that allow for fast space/time travel are unlikely to ever be created.
- Results from Ethiopia's elections are being summed, and it looks like a victory for the current government.
- Comments from OPEC hearken to higher future oil prices.
- Islamic fundamentalism still exists in Afghanistan, as a female TV personality is killed preportedly over her Western-style dress.
- Australia, one of America's allies in the War on Terror, is using its influence to keep the United States in the nuclear test ban treaty.
- The Swedish PM comes out against the use of sex, especially women, used to sell publications.
- An article about 'robust peacekeeping,' or how peacekeepers finally got some chutzpah.
- In a very underreported situation, Al-Jazeera looks at the lack of resolution in the Western Sahara conflict.
- An article called Leaving the Left, in which I identified with the author's frustration about some of the incoherence of 'activist' philosophies.
- Speaking of incoherent, the Columbia Journalism Review looks into an example of Bill O'Rielly's hypocrisy.
- The Protestant-crossover appeal of Mary.
- Star Wars is Satan's Tool.
- Norwegian peacekeepers make a pretty funny video (WMV) about their work, which then gets turned into a minor international incident.
The continuing violence in Iraq is seriously hampering rebuilding efforts, with many major civil construction jobs unfinished and almost 300 contractors killed since the official war ended. Talks between Sunni and Shiite leaders are scheduled in an attempt to stop some of the violence, a development made easier as Sunni leaders are beginning to come together to compete politically with the other groups instead of continuing to boycott the process. Spiegel also reports on al-Hurra, an American Arabic channel that is attempting to bridge the gap, or at least have Arabs buy into their propaganda. Another film about the war in Iraq, Kilometre Zero, has gotten some attention at Cannes, although this one primarily focuses on the brutality of Saddam Hussein.
As protestors in Uzbek towns continue their protests, as the world continues to piece together exactly what happened and to what extent militant Islam had anything to do with the original or current protests. Neighbouring Kyrgyzstan is planning on sending refugees from the violence back into the country, despite some claims that they could be victims of retaliation for their participation in anti-government demonstrations.
In the ongoing crazy Evolutionists saga, I found this article about how they plan to open a museum in Kentucky, called the Creation Museum, that will show, among other things, how the world is only 6000 years old, how the Grand Canyon was created in a matter of weeks, how man lived side-by-side with dinosaurs at some point and even how there were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark (since this was a real event, right?). Wow, that's a lot to support a literalist view of the Bible. If they would only look up the word allegory in the dictionary, it might help this whole situation out. And just in case any of my readers have been swayed by such arguments, I would like to point to an article where Scientific American took Evolutionists/ID people to task a couple of years ago titled 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense.
The Guardian Council in Iran has rejected all but 6 out of over 1000 Presidential candidates, leaving four conservatives and barring all well-known progressives. However, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for a review of the selection process that would include two additional reformist candidates.
Remember how the Tillman story was fabricated to allow for good press for the military? It looks like his parents found out about it, and needless to say, they are less than impressed.
Also:
- Bittorrent is about to get a search engine.
- In an example of how the recent South Korean advance in stem cell research has positive benefit, a story on how it can be used to treat chronic liver disease.
- An article about a new map showing the potential wind power sources in the world, allowing for the production of energy far greater than what is currently needed.
- Slate reports about efforts of people whose habitat is endangered by global warming sueing private industry over their pollution.
- Sorry all you sci-fi fans out there, but wormholes that allow for fast space/time travel are unlikely to ever be created.
- Results from Ethiopia's elections are being summed, and it looks like a victory for the current government.
- Comments from OPEC hearken to higher future oil prices.
- Islamic fundamentalism still exists in Afghanistan, as a female TV personality is killed preportedly over her Western-style dress.
- Australia, one of America's allies in the War on Terror, is using its influence to keep the United States in the nuclear test ban treaty.
- The Swedish PM comes out against the use of sex, especially women, used to sell publications.
- An article about 'robust peacekeeping,' or how peacekeepers finally got some chutzpah.
- In a very underreported situation, Al-Jazeera looks at the lack of resolution in the Western Sahara conflict.
- An article called Leaving the Left, in which I identified with the author's frustration about some of the incoherence of 'activist' philosophies.
- Speaking of incoherent, the Columbia Journalism Review looks into an example of Bill O'Rielly's hypocrisy.
- The Protestant-crossover appeal of Mary.
- Star Wars is Satan's Tool.
- Norwegian peacekeepers make a pretty funny video (WMV) about their work, which then gets turned into a minor international incident.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Paul Martin Survivies Another Round
In case you missed, it, which is unlikely if you live in Canada, the Liberal government won it's non-confidence vote on Thursday, paving the way for at least another couple of months of government before the next challenge to the government's legitimacy. It all came down to independent member Chuck Cadman voting for both bills, the original budget and the NDP amendment that added more social spending. For the first time in Canadian history, a confidence vote was decided by the Speaker of the House, who broke the 152-152 tie in favour of the government. Stephen Harper tried to put the best spin on what was an obvious defeat for his party, calling it a pyrric victory for the Liberals.
The pressure for an inquiry into police action in Uzbekistan continues to increase, almost at the same rate as government refusal to hold any type of inquiry. Small demonstrations against the government continue in towns such as Korasuv seeking the release of a government detainee. Slate suggests that it might be time for the United States to reduce their relations with the authoritarian country.
The National Electoral Board in Ethiopia is probing allegations of fraud in last weekend's vote. Western donors are urging calm, and at least one opposition group is calling for a unity government.
New details surrounding American mistreatment of prisoners in Afghanistan have come out, leading to an official announcement of 'shock' by Afghani President Hamid Karzai. He has his own problems though, as a CIA document recently published criticizes him for his lack of effort in stemming the heroin trade.
A South Korean team has recently developed a method for cloning human embryos in order to extract stem cells from them, thus creating exactly genetic matches that could be grown into any part of the body. Despite what is seen as a large advance in medical science, Bush immediately stepped into the debate by announcing that he would veto any bill that allowed funding for research of this nature.
Also:
- You can now check your daily earthquake forecast in California online.
- The United Nations reported that almost half the world's population is now living in urban areas.
- Americans are finally buying fewer SUVs in favour of normal cars.
- Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe has somewhat reversed his position on seizing white farmer's property after the disastrous economic consequences of the policy crippled the country, calling for a return of white farmers to the country.
- Sweden has been accused of violating the international convention against torture when they deported a terrorist suspect to Egypt, who was later said to been tortured by authorities. The Washington Post wrote a good article on this subject.
- A reformist cleric in Iran is calling for democratic reforms of the government before the upcoming presidential election.
- Hundreds of Pakistani women have defied the ban against mixed-gender road racing in protest of the law.
- A CSM piece on the slavery issue in Niger.
- Another CSM piece on the possibility of independence for Kosovo.
- Putting weapons in orbit don't seem to bother the United States, but billboards -- that's going too far.
- Apparently comparing the Democrats filibustering to Nazis isn't going too far either.
- And speaking of the judicial fight in the Senate, it's impact is tainting both parties.
- An interesting piece in Slate about the impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
- Relations between the Vatican and China are on the mend.
- Those activists, they're so witty.
- New Half-Life 2 panoramas using QuickTime VR.
The pressure for an inquiry into police action in Uzbekistan continues to increase, almost at the same rate as government refusal to hold any type of inquiry. Small demonstrations against the government continue in towns such as Korasuv seeking the release of a government detainee. Slate suggests that it might be time for the United States to reduce their relations with the authoritarian country.
The National Electoral Board in Ethiopia is probing allegations of fraud in last weekend's vote. Western donors are urging calm, and at least one opposition group is calling for a unity government.
New details surrounding American mistreatment of prisoners in Afghanistan have come out, leading to an official announcement of 'shock' by Afghani President Hamid Karzai. He has his own problems though, as a CIA document recently published criticizes him for his lack of effort in stemming the heroin trade.
A South Korean team has recently developed a method for cloning human embryos in order to extract stem cells from them, thus creating exactly genetic matches that could be grown into any part of the body. Despite what is seen as a large advance in medical science, Bush immediately stepped into the debate by announcing that he would veto any bill that allowed funding for research of this nature.
Also:
- You can now check your daily earthquake forecast in California online.
- The United Nations reported that almost half the world's population is now living in urban areas.
- Americans are finally buying fewer SUVs in favour of normal cars.
- Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe has somewhat reversed his position on seizing white farmer's property after the disastrous economic consequences of the policy crippled the country, calling for a return of white farmers to the country.
- Sweden has been accused of violating the international convention against torture when they deported a terrorist suspect to Egypt, who was later said to been tortured by authorities. The Washington Post wrote a good article on this subject.
- A reformist cleric in Iran is calling for democratic reforms of the government before the upcoming presidential election.
- Hundreds of Pakistani women have defied the ban against mixed-gender road racing in protest of the law.
- A CSM piece on the slavery issue in Niger.
- Another CSM piece on the possibility of independence for Kosovo.
- Putting weapons in orbit don't seem to bother the United States, but billboards -- that's going too far.
- Apparently comparing the Democrats filibustering to Nazis isn't going too far either.
- And speaking of the judicial fight in the Senate, it's impact is tainting both parties.
- An interesting piece in Slate about the impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
- Relations between the Vatican and China are on the mend.
- Those activists, they're so witty.
- New Half-Life 2 panoramas using QuickTime VR.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
1 1/2 Hours to go!
Just a quick one today. In a couple of hours, the Canadian parliament will find out whether or not the Liberal budget will pass, and subsequently whether we'll be going into an election. You can watch it all live on CPAC (website, live English WMV stream) starting at 5:30 EDT. Political drama continues, with a budget-supporter reported sick earlier today, and a couple of allegations of vote-buying by the Liberal party.
The US Council of Foreign Relations has issued a report stating that the United States still has a chance to win the hearts of the Muslim world through listening to their concerns and emphasizing the aid money that they put into the area.. This comes with some more grim news from American Generals in Iraq, who are backtracking on their prior plans to remove a good number of American troops by the end of 2006.
In science, a British conference has recommended that all IVF embryos be checked for genetic defect before the pregnancy is allowed to occur, a decision likely to upset pro-life activists. Other British scientists have proven that the words used to describe a food contribute to its taste. Japanese scientists believe that they have created the world's most accurate clock, losing only 10E-18 seconds every day.
Also:
- Carrots, as it turns out, do not improve your eyesight.
- 2,000 people march in Niger to free two anti-slavery activists. As many as 43,000 people still live as de facto slaves, a practice that was finally outlawed in 2003.
- Offhand comments by Mexican President Vicente Fox about immigration spark a new discussion about racism in Mexico.
- On the politicization of the latest Star Wars film.
- Canada is getting a new $10 bill.
- The University of Minnesota's Human Rights Library.
The US Council of Foreign Relations has issued a report stating that the United States still has a chance to win the hearts of the Muslim world through listening to their concerns and emphasizing the aid money that they put into the area.. This comes with some more grim news from American Generals in Iraq, who are backtracking on their prior plans to remove a good number of American troops by the end of 2006.
In science, a British conference has recommended that all IVF embryos be checked for genetic defect before the pregnancy is allowed to occur, a decision likely to upset pro-life activists. Other British scientists have proven that the words used to describe a food contribute to its taste. Japanese scientists believe that they have created the world's most accurate clock, losing only 10E-18 seconds every day.
Also:
- Carrots, as it turns out, do not improve your eyesight.
- 2,000 people march in Niger to free two anti-slavery activists. As many as 43,000 people still live as de facto slaves, a practice that was finally outlawed in 2003.
- Offhand comments by Mexican President Vicente Fox about immigration spark a new discussion about racism in Mexico.
- On the politicization of the latest Star Wars film.
- Canada is getting a new $10 bill.
- The University of Minnesota's Human Rights Library.
The Big Vote Tomorrow!
Since Belinda Stronach's defection to the Liberals has made things close for the government, there has been no end to the stories about the confidence vote on Thursday. Even an MP with heartburn apparently qualifies as news these days, so long as it might keep them from voting on the budget. Perhaps I overstate, since at the time he was sent to hospital from the Parliament floor they didn't know what was wrong. Of course, you have to get the personal angle in, since Ms. Stronach happened to be dating high-profile Conservative MP Peter MacKay, who apparently wasn't aware that she was making this move. Of the two independent MPs, one of which needs to vote with the government in order for it to pass the budget, David Kilgor stated that he is leaning towards toppling Paul Martin's government. I guess that might leave it all up to Chuck Cadman, a former Conservative MP, who has been hinting lately that he will support the government.
The situation in Uzbekistan continues to receive coverage today. Louise Arbour, the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner, has called for an inquiry to deal with allegations of human rights abuses by government forces. Foreign diplomats have been allowed to visit the sites of the conflict that killed hundreds of Uzbeki citizens for the first time today. The Uzbeki prosecutor-general has publicly stated that no citizens were killed in the violence, claiming that those killed were armed rebels. This is a sensitive issue for both Russia and the United States, as, harking back to the Cold War days, they are both supporting the dictatorial yet secular government to ensure that more extremist Islamists don't take control. If history repeats itself, the US should be going into Uzbekistan to free people from this tyranny in another 10-15 years or so, or whenever the leader becomes inconvenient for them.
New stories today about Iraq show the difficulties that the United States and allied countries still face in their attempt to create a stable society. For instance, there has been a recent tiff between the Shias and the Sunnis, with the latter claiming that the former of using militias to kill their clerics. The recent engagement of insurgent forces that has gotten so much media publicity seems to have been more of a general levelling of the territory. Recent reports from the ground have detailed the general destruction of villages, indepedent of whether insurgents or civilians were there. On top of it all, the Congressional Budget Office has tabled a report that puts the cost of the war at an almost unthinkable $600 billion by 2010, or about $5 billion a month.
Of course if this goes on for long enough, maybe they could just trash the whole place with the American Air Force's new proposal to weaponize space that they are sending to GW. A couple of metal rods dropped from orbit at 7200 mph on Iraq should quell things nicely, if not the other proposals outlined in this article.
Also:
- Wearing the colour red can give a real advantage to people playing sports.
- Recent studies seem to point to the apparent functionless nature of the female orgasm, at least from an evolutionary perspective.
- The PS3 has been unveiled, and it looks like it's going to be quite the gaming console.
- The United States is putting pressure on China to get rid of the constant exchange rate of the Yuan.
- The economic boom in China is expected to have serious environmental consequences if current trends continue unabated.
- Germany is moving forward with laws on the disclosure of CEO salaries and a ban on tobacco advertisements.
- The EU is planning on holding new talks with Iran over its nuclear programme.
- A story on Pakistan's first female fighter pilot.
- A personal commentary on why Wolfowitz might be good for the World Bank. Apparently he's a nice guy one-to-one, although I don't know if that's what qualifies you for the job.
- Consider yourself a food person? The Guardian lists the top 50 things that you have to experience in your lifetime.
- If you ever need to, how to fake your fingerprint.
- An article I ran across entitled "Ontology is Overrated." More interesting than the title might make it seem.
The situation in Uzbekistan continues to receive coverage today. Louise Arbour, the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner, has called for an inquiry to deal with allegations of human rights abuses by government forces. Foreign diplomats have been allowed to visit the sites of the conflict that killed hundreds of Uzbeki citizens for the first time today. The Uzbeki prosecutor-general has publicly stated that no citizens were killed in the violence, claiming that those killed were armed rebels. This is a sensitive issue for both Russia and the United States, as, harking back to the Cold War days, they are both supporting the dictatorial yet secular government to ensure that more extremist Islamists don't take control. If history repeats itself, the US should be going into Uzbekistan to free people from this tyranny in another 10-15 years or so, or whenever the leader becomes inconvenient for them.
New stories today about Iraq show the difficulties that the United States and allied countries still face in their attempt to create a stable society. For instance, there has been a recent tiff between the Shias and the Sunnis, with the latter claiming that the former of using militias to kill their clerics. The recent engagement of insurgent forces that has gotten so much media publicity seems to have been more of a general levelling of the territory. Recent reports from the ground have detailed the general destruction of villages, indepedent of whether insurgents or civilians were there. On top of it all, the Congressional Budget Office has tabled a report that puts the cost of the war at an almost unthinkable $600 billion by 2010, or about $5 billion a month.
Of course if this goes on for long enough, maybe they could just trash the whole place with the American Air Force's new proposal to weaponize space that they are sending to GW. A couple of metal rods dropped from orbit at 7200 mph on Iraq should quell things nicely, if not the other proposals outlined in this article.
Also:
- Wearing the colour red can give a real advantage to people playing sports.
- Recent studies seem to point to the apparent functionless nature of the female orgasm, at least from an evolutionary perspective.
- The PS3 has been unveiled, and it looks like it's going to be quite the gaming console.
- The United States is putting pressure on China to get rid of the constant exchange rate of the Yuan.
- The economic boom in China is expected to have serious environmental consequences if current trends continue unabated.
- Germany is moving forward with laws on the disclosure of CEO salaries and a ban on tobacco advertisements.
- The EU is planning on holding new talks with Iran over its nuclear programme.
- A story on Pakistan's first female fighter pilot.
- A personal commentary on why Wolfowitz might be good for the World Bank. Apparently he's a nice guy one-to-one, although I don't know if that's what qualifies you for the job.
- Consider yourself a food person? The Guardian lists the top 50 things that you have to experience in your lifetime.
- If you ever need to, how to fake your fingerprint.
- An article I ran across entitled "Ontology is Overrated." More interesting than the title might make it seem.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Belinda on the Move
The big news in Canada today is that Belinda Stronach, former Conservative leadership contender and MP, has crossed the floor to the Liberals, becoming the new Minister of Human Resources. This makes Paul Martin a very happy man, as it makes it much more likely that his government will withstand a confidence vote on the budget this Thursday. I think this is great, as it means a significantly reduced chance at an election, which I don't think anyone wants. I also like how Stephen Harper blamed her crossing the floor on 'ambition.' I would think that the Conservatives might want to come up with a line that doesn't make it sound like your party is going nowhere, if people with 'ambition' have to cross the floor.
As an aside, in listening to a panel interview on CBC Newsworld, the NDP speaker, Brad Lavigne, proved himself to be completely incoherent about the issue, mostly by attacking a government that I think he momentarily forgot his own party was supporting. I'm not sure what type of patronage got him that job, but I think someone in the central campaign might want to deep-six this guy before he does more damage.
Uzbekistan has seen protest and violent government reprisals in the past few days. 4000 protesters who stormed a jail to release prisoners charges with Islamic extremism were shot at by government forces, killing hundreds of protesters and 10 soldiers. The government eventually regained control of the city. The government blames Islamic radicals for the civil disturbance, stating the the soldiers were provoked by the protesters, causing them to open fire. Still, the United States and the world community have expressed concern over the actions taken, as recent reports tell of over 700 people killed. A large group of refugees now fears for their life if they return after crossing the border to escape the violence. The Christian Science Monitor, Der Spiegel and the New York Times all have good overviews of the situation.
Recent American war efforts might have prevented additional terrorist attacks, but they are leading to major defeats in the infamous 'war on drugs.' Afghanistan is plagued by money coming in from its opium fields, a force that "permeates every stratum of Afghanistan's society." Although a new oil pipeline going in will bring some revenue, the sheer lack of modes of economic production in the country will make alternatives to the quick and easy opium money difficult to come by. Iraq has also been named a key drug route for international trafficking, but given that the Americans just announced that they will be in the country for at least another two years, we can assume that they have some time to clean this up. Of course, they will have to deal with the continuing insurgency first, but with recent moves by Sunni leaders to come to a power compromise, this problem might begin to solve itself.
While there is some progress in human rights in the Middle East, a series of stories shows how much there is left to be done. In terms of access to jobs an equal pay for women, a recent survey had Jordon, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt at the bottom of the list. Canada rolls in at number 7, the United States at 17 out of 58. The top of the list, as would be expected, were all the Nordic countries. Pakistan has been accused, once again, of police brutality after an attempt to break up a mixed-sex road race, enforcing a law banning women from taking part in such activities. Saudi Arabia has recently arrested reformers for collecting signatures for a petition. Iran has announced over one thousand candidates for President, at least before approval from the head clerics. The list includes 89 women, who have automatically been disqualified. The only good news comes from Kuwait, where women have been granted political rights for the first time ever.
Another story also came across my radar this week. It turns out that Pat Tillman, the NFL draftee who was reportedly killed in some sort of glorious action over in Afganistan, thus becoming the poster-boy for the military, actually died in a friendly fire incident. What's worse, is that the government apparently knew this, yet let the story continue unabated, basking in the glory of a dead soldier for their own PR purposes. Aren't the Republicans supposed to be the 'moral' ones?
In Ethiopia, the government arrested election observers before the election last Sunday. The government also outlawed any types of protest around the election time. Still, election day went forward, and as expected, the ruling party has declared itself the winner.
Also:
- NASA's Cassini spacecraft has taken new pictures of Saturn's moon, Titan.
- A Japanese team of scientists have created a fuel cell that runs on blood, representing a leap forward in the production of artificial organs.
- Recent studies in genetics have found that a group in Africa is responsible for modern humans.
- An increase in whales beaching themselves might be due to an increase in solar activity causing disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field.
- More on Republican plans to drill for oil on nature reserves in Alaska.
- The UN is meeting to organize the next environmental agreement after Kyoto.
- The world community is turning up the heat on Iran, as France, Great Britain and Germany all warn the country about the consequences of not suspending their nuclear research.
- The last rebel group in Burundi has reached a peace agreement with the government.
- The Spanish government has been given permission from parliament to engage in peace talks with the Basque separatist movement, ETA.
- Speaking of left-right, is Newt Gingrich talking up Clinton '08?
- Pope Benedict XVI has waved the five-year waiting period normally reserved for sainthood candidates after their death for the beautification of Pope John Paul II.
- Mexico's Interior Minister Santiago Creel has announced his bid for the Presidency under Vicente Fox's National Action Party.
- Perhaps in response to its President's comments about how women naturally do not excel in science, Harvard University is putting $50 million into developing female scientists.
- A recent study has shown that both black and white people show more fear when shown an expressionless black face versus a white face.
- Wal-Mart has had to apologize for running an ad comparing a law preventing it from expanding a store to Nazi book burning.
- Dispite all the trashing I give Wal-Mart, some studies have shown their presence to be a net benefit for the lower classes.
- Illegal immigration heats up as a 2008 campaign issue, especially for Democrats.
- A federal court has struck down Nebraska's anti-same-sex union law for banning any type of legal recognition of their relationships.
- Slate examines the move of pro-life activists to pre-life issues.
- George Lucas hopes that the latest Star Wars film will remind people of how easy democracies can change into dictatorships, especially in the United States.
- Another story about how nuts animal rights activists are.
- The Encyclopedia of Chicago.
- Wired reviews an apparently excellent Firefox extension.
- Remember the self-replicating robot story? Here's a video of the thing itself. (wmv)
- An index of Tibetan regional music in mp3 and wma format.
- A Pew Research project finds considerable rifts in the traditional left and right political spectrum. Now you can test yourself. Not surprisingly, I'm a "Liberal."
As an aside, in listening to a panel interview on CBC Newsworld, the NDP speaker, Brad Lavigne, proved himself to be completely incoherent about the issue, mostly by attacking a government that I think he momentarily forgot his own party was supporting. I'm not sure what type of patronage got him that job, but I think someone in the central campaign might want to deep-six this guy before he does more damage.
Uzbekistan has seen protest and violent government reprisals in the past few days. 4000 protesters who stormed a jail to release prisoners charges with Islamic extremism were shot at by government forces, killing hundreds of protesters and 10 soldiers. The government eventually regained control of the city. The government blames Islamic radicals for the civil disturbance, stating the the soldiers were provoked by the protesters, causing them to open fire. Still, the United States and the world community have expressed concern over the actions taken, as recent reports tell of over 700 people killed. A large group of refugees now fears for their life if they return after crossing the border to escape the violence. The Christian Science Monitor, Der Spiegel and the New York Times all have good overviews of the situation.
Recent American war efforts might have prevented additional terrorist attacks, but they are leading to major defeats in the infamous 'war on drugs.' Afghanistan is plagued by money coming in from its opium fields, a force that "permeates every stratum of Afghanistan's society." Although a new oil pipeline going in will bring some revenue, the sheer lack of modes of economic production in the country will make alternatives to the quick and easy opium money difficult to come by. Iraq has also been named a key drug route for international trafficking, but given that the Americans just announced that they will be in the country for at least another two years, we can assume that they have some time to clean this up. Of course, they will have to deal with the continuing insurgency first, but with recent moves by Sunni leaders to come to a power compromise, this problem might begin to solve itself.
While there is some progress in human rights in the Middle East, a series of stories shows how much there is left to be done. In terms of access to jobs an equal pay for women, a recent survey had Jordon, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt at the bottom of the list. Canada rolls in at number 7, the United States at 17 out of 58. The top of the list, as would be expected, were all the Nordic countries. Pakistan has been accused, once again, of police brutality after an attempt to break up a mixed-sex road race, enforcing a law banning women from taking part in such activities. Saudi Arabia has recently arrested reformers for collecting signatures for a petition. Iran has announced over one thousand candidates for President, at least before approval from the head clerics. The list includes 89 women, who have automatically been disqualified. The only good news comes from Kuwait, where women have been granted political rights for the first time ever.
Another story also came across my radar this week. It turns out that Pat Tillman, the NFL draftee who was reportedly killed in some sort of glorious action over in Afganistan, thus becoming the poster-boy for the military, actually died in a friendly fire incident. What's worse, is that the government apparently knew this, yet let the story continue unabated, basking in the glory of a dead soldier for their own PR purposes. Aren't the Republicans supposed to be the 'moral' ones?
In Ethiopia, the government arrested election observers before the election last Sunday. The government also outlawed any types of protest around the election time. Still, election day went forward, and as expected, the ruling party has declared itself the winner.
Also:
- NASA's Cassini spacecraft has taken new pictures of Saturn's moon, Titan.
- A Japanese team of scientists have created a fuel cell that runs on blood, representing a leap forward in the production of artificial organs.
- Recent studies in genetics have found that a group in Africa is responsible for modern humans.
- An increase in whales beaching themselves might be due to an increase in solar activity causing disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field.
- More on Republican plans to drill for oil on nature reserves in Alaska.
- The UN is meeting to organize the next environmental agreement after Kyoto.
- The world community is turning up the heat on Iran, as France, Great Britain and Germany all warn the country about the consequences of not suspending their nuclear research.
- The last rebel group in Burundi has reached a peace agreement with the government.
- The Spanish government has been given permission from parliament to engage in peace talks with the Basque separatist movement, ETA.
- Speaking of left-right, is Newt Gingrich talking up Clinton '08?
- Pope Benedict XVI has waved the five-year waiting period normally reserved for sainthood candidates after their death for the beautification of Pope John Paul II.
- Mexico's Interior Minister Santiago Creel has announced his bid for the Presidency under Vicente Fox's National Action Party.
- Perhaps in response to its President's comments about how women naturally do not excel in science, Harvard University is putting $50 million into developing female scientists.
- A recent study has shown that both black and white people show more fear when shown an expressionless black face versus a white face.
- Wal-Mart has had to apologize for running an ad comparing a law preventing it from expanding a store to Nazi book burning.
- Dispite all the trashing I give Wal-Mart, some studies have shown their presence to be a net benefit for the lower classes.
- Illegal immigration heats up as a 2008 campaign issue, especially for Democrats.
- A federal court has struck down Nebraska's anti-same-sex union law for banning any type of legal recognition of their relationships.
- Slate examines the move of pro-life activists to pre-life issues.
- George Lucas hopes that the latest Star Wars film will remind people of how easy democracies can change into dictatorships, especially in the United States.
- Another story about how nuts animal rights activists are.
- The Encyclopedia of Chicago.
- Wired reviews an apparently excellent Firefox extension.
- Remember the self-replicating robot story? Here's a video of the thing itself. (wmv)
- An index of Tibetan regional music in mp3 and wma format.
- A Pew Research project finds considerable rifts in the traditional left and right political spectrum. Now you can test yourself. Not surprisingly, I'm a "Liberal."
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Improvements in the African Situation?
African finance ministers have ended a three-day meeting calling for renewed efforts to reduce the amount of debt their countries owe to international institutions. In Burundi, a small breakthrough has occurred between the Hutus and Tutsis in their negotiations for a power-sharing government. Recent talks between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are also looking somewhat better, though there is a long way to go. In Ethiopia, the legitimacy of the upcoming election has already been called into question by both the EU and Human Rights Watch over numerous reports of opposition intimidation.
In the Congo, the UN peacekeepers are starting to clean house after Pakistani soldiers had enough of the indiscriminate violence. In other UN peacekeeping, Canada has recently committed 150 troops to a stabilization and relief effort in the Darfur region of Sudan. Over 10 years after the genocide in Rwanda, two suspects are finally going before a court for their role in the killings. The CSM ponders whether war crimes tribunals are actually the way to go in terms of facilitating peace in war torn countries.
Slate published a couple of good articles covering the whole Kansas Evolution vs. ID thing, as well as whether conservative religious beliefs are a matter of mass pathology or a real utilitarian choice. Whatever the cause, it certainly has impact, as a chaplain in the Air Force recently complained about the religious coercion by Evangelical officers on their cadets.
An image scientist believes that he has found the spot where NASA's Mars Polar Lander crash landed in 1999, a crash that I believe was caused from the confusion of metric and imperial measures. NASA might have other problems, as it faces a lawsuit by a Russian astrologer over is Deep Impact project, a project designed to destroy and analyze a comet. The astrologer, who's lawsuit has recently been approved for hearing by a Russian court, is looking for $300 million in damages and a restriction preventing the experiment, claiming that it will "disrupt the natural balance of the universe" On a more sane note, astronomers, now having visually discovered the first extrasolar planet in addition to 145 others through non-visual means, fully expect to find an earth-type planet in the near future.
Also:
- British scientists, using exceptionally strong magnetism, have made normally non-magnetic objects float, creating the first 'anti-gravity' machine.
- Scientists at Duke University have trained monkeys to manipulate a robotic arm using only their brains.
- In another blow to the 'gay as a lifestyle' crowd, Swedish scientists have found that gay men respond differently to odourless pheromones than do straight men.
- Scientists at Cornell have produced the first self-replicating robots. But don't worry, they're not going to be taking over any time soon.
- Switzerland has recently had to cover a glacier in a reflective coating to protect it from global warming.
- A NYT story about the export of female labour in Sri Lanka and the perils the workers can face in their new jobs, especially in the Middle East. Related to this story is one from the BBC reporting about the millions of people around the world who live as virtual slaves.
- One of Latin America's greatest living artists, Fernando Botero, has put together an exhibit depicting the torture that occurred at Abu Ghraib. The latter link is the Wikipedia article on it, which I suggest you check out to remind everyone of what we're talking about, and why Botero calls it a 'great crime.'
- In what could even deepening the ideological rift between the United States and the other countries in North and South America, the popular leftist mayor of Mexico City, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has announced that he is stepping down to run in the upcoming Presidential election.
- Microcredit isn't just a banking thing anymore - religious groups are now getting into it.
- Canadian Steve Nash pulls in the NBA's MVP award.
In the Congo, the UN peacekeepers are starting to clean house after Pakistani soldiers had enough of the indiscriminate violence. In other UN peacekeeping, Canada has recently committed 150 troops to a stabilization and relief effort in the Darfur region of Sudan. Over 10 years after the genocide in Rwanda, two suspects are finally going before a court for their role in the killings. The CSM ponders whether war crimes tribunals are actually the way to go in terms of facilitating peace in war torn countries.
Slate published a couple of good articles covering the whole Kansas Evolution vs. ID thing, as well as whether conservative religious beliefs are a matter of mass pathology or a real utilitarian choice. Whatever the cause, it certainly has impact, as a chaplain in the Air Force recently complained about the religious coercion by Evangelical officers on their cadets.
An image scientist believes that he has found the spot where NASA's Mars Polar Lander crash landed in 1999, a crash that I believe was caused from the confusion of metric and imperial measures. NASA might have other problems, as it faces a lawsuit by a Russian astrologer over is Deep Impact project, a project designed to destroy and analyze a comet. The astrologer, who's lawsuit has recently been approved for hearing by a Russian court, is looking for $300 million in damages and a restriction preventing the experiment, claiming that it will "disrupt the natural balance of the universe" On a more sane note, astronomers, now having visually discovered the first extrasolar planet in addition to 145 others through non-visual means, fully expect to find an earth-type planet in the near future.
Also:
- British scientists, using exceptionally strong magnetism, have made normally non-magnetic objects float, creating the first 'anti-gravity' machine.
- Scientists at Duke University have trained monkeys to manipulate a robotic arm using only their brains.
- In another blow to the 'gay as a lifestyle' crowd, Swedish scientists have found that gay men respond differently to odourless pheromones than do straight men.
- Scientists at Cornell have produced the first self-replicating robots. But don't worry, they're not going to be taking over any time soon.
- Switzerland has recently had to cover a glacier in a reflective coating to protect it from global warming.
- A NYT story about the export of female labour in Sri Lanka and the perils the workers can face in their new jobs, especially in the Middle East. Related to this story is one from the BBC reporting about the millions of people around the world who live as virtual slaves.
- One of Latin America's greatest living artists, Fernando Botero, has put together an exhibit depicting the torture that occurred at Abu Ghraib. The latter link is the Wikipedia article on it, which I suggest you check out to remind everyone of what we're talking about, and why Botero calls it a 'great crime.'
- In what could even deepening the ideological rift between the United States and the other countries in North and South America, the popular leftist mayor of Mexico City, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has announced that he is stepping down to run in the upcoming Presidential election.
- Microcredit isn't just a banking thing anymore - religious groups are now getting into it.
- Canadian Steve Nash pulls in the NBA's MVP award.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Threepeat for Tony
The big news of the day is an historic third-consecutive majority Labour government for Tony Blair. With Labour winning 355 seats to the Conservative's 197 and Liberal Democrats' 62, the leader of the Conservative Party, Michael Howard, has already announced his intentions to resign from his position. Charles Kennedy is sticking around though, after leading his Liberal Democrats to their best electoral outcome since the 1920s. In a surprising upset, leader of the Ulster Unionists, key Ireland peace-deal figure and Nobel Peace Prize winner David Trimble lost his seat in Upper Bann to a more hard-line Unionist party candidate.
In other elections, early results show that Fatah has a lead over Hamas in the Palistinian election. In Ethiopia, the current Prime Minister is accusing opposition parties of stirring up ethnic hatred, while the opposition claim that the police and military are intimidating their supporters. This election is more important than you might think, since the United States has a military operation currently underway in Ethiopia to expose terrorist cells.
Kansas is once again going through the teaching evolution vs. intelligent design debate, holding four days of hearings on the matter. Mainstream scientists have boycotted the event, stating that the conservative panel is biased against their case. Instead, they have held a news conference where a wheelbarrow and two crates of journal articles supporting the case for evolution were presented to the media. The council for the evolutionists in the hearing in the meantime had ID's supporters admit that there was nothing in the curriculum currently that did not allow challenges to the theory of evolution.
The whole argument can be summed up first by William Harris of the Intelligent Design Network: "Part of our overall goal is to remove the bias against religion that is currently in schools." And second by Jack Krebs of the opposing Kansas Citizens for Science: "They have created a straw man. They are trying to make science stand for atheism, so they can fight atheism." This has nothing to do with science, with whether evolution is right or wrong, only about whether fundamentalist Christians can force their teachings on everyone in the school system.
In addition:
- More studies have shows the large benefits of antioxidants on human life span.
- The editor in Sudan has denied he made a slur against the Prophet Muhammad, apparently he was just joking.
- Egypt has arrested up to a thousand members of the Muslim Brotherhood for engaging in an unauthorized protest.
- A true popemobile, or the 1999 Golf that was formerly owned by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, has been sold on eBay to an American casino for $244,000US.
- American automobile manufacturers are doing less well. Standard and Poor has just reduced both GM and Ford to junk bond status.
- How Stuff Works commemorates the upcoming Star Wars movie with a new feature: How Light Sabres Work. I especially liked the 'how to use your light sabre around the home' pics.
- Just to show that this page is not solely about the esoteric -- this page shows the solution of a practical problem that has always haunted me: how to fold a fitted sheet properly.
In other elections, early results show that Fatah has a lead over Hamas in the Palistinian election. In Ethiopia, the current Prime Minister is accusing opposition parties of stirring up ethnic hatred, while the opposition claim that the police and military are intimidating their supporters. This election is more important than you might think, since the United States has a military operation currently underway in Ethiopia to expose terrorist cells.
Kansas is once again going through the teaching evolution vs. intelligent design debate, holding four days of hearings on the matter. Mainstream scientists have boycotted the event, stating that the conservative panel is biased against their case. Instead, they have held a news conference where a wheelbarrow and two crates of journal articles supporting the case for evolution were presented to the media. The council for the evolutionists in the hearing in the meantime had ID's supporters admit that there was nothing in the curriculum currently that did not allow challenges to the theory of evolution.
The whole argument can be summed up first by William Harris of the Intelligent Design Network: "Part of our overall goal is to remove the bias against religion that is currently in schools." And second by Jack Krebs of the opposing Kansas Citizens for Science: "They have created a straw man. They are trying to make science stand for atheism, so they can fight atheism." This has nothing to do with science, with whether evolution is right or wrong, only about whether fundamentalist Christians can force their teachings on everyone in the school system.
In addition:
- More studies have shows the large benefits of antioxidants on human life span.
- The editor in Sudan has denied he made a slur against the Prophet Muhammad, apparently he was just joking.
- Egypt has arrested up to a thousand members of the Muslim Brotherhood for engaging in an unauthorized protest.
- A true popemobile, or the 1999 Golf that was formerly owned by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, has been sold on eBay to an American casino for $244,000US.
- American automobile manufacturers are doing less well. Standard and Poor has just reduced both GM and Ford to junk bond status.
- How Stuff Works commemorates the upcoming Star Wars movie with a new feature: How Light Sabres Work. I especially liked the 'how to use your light sabre around the home' pics.
- Just to show that this page is not solely about the esoteric -- this page shows the solution of a practical problem that has always haunted me: how to fold a fitted sheet properly.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
More on the Religion and Evolution
Michael Ruse, a philosopher of science, believes that the Darwinists are their own worst enemy because they have used evolution to bolster theories of progress and materialism, which have caused the conflict with religious views. Well, sort of. I tend to think that the problem comes more from a literal interpretation of the Bible. I'm just glad that the Catholic tradition has separated out the two things, as Pope John Paul II was once quoted, "New knowledge leads to the recognition of the theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis. It is indeed remarkable that this theory has been progressively accepted by researchers following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge." They continue on (scroll down to Science and the stewardship of knowledge) to talk about how there needs to be a congruence between human progress and spiritual progress, and how given that basic assumptions about the nature of God as the first mover are not invalidated, they really do not have a problem with evolution.
Republicans continue their newsmaking week, with new legislation in Texas to outlaw 'suggestive' cheerleading. What exactly is 'suggestive' vs. not 'suggestive,' is apparently up to the courts to decide. Slate has an article explaining why formerly 'small government' Republicans are now feeding at the trough -- turns out its because they can. Brazil has rejected $40 million US in aid to combat the AIDS epidemic, since Republicans attached riders to the money that would have ensured that the philosophies of the religious right, anti-contraception, pro-abstinence, i.e., all the stuff that has been proven not to work, be incorporated into the program. This is backed somewhat by recent StatsCanada data that puts the rate of teenage sexual participation and pregnancy rate in Canada at half the rate of the United States, despite a virtual lack of abstinence-only programmes. The restrictions coming with the aid money was particularly a problem in Brazil, where a program to promote condom use in sex workers would have had to be scuttled if they accepted the money.
Speaking of differences between Canada and the US, the Canadian same-sex marriage bill has passed second reading 164-137, requiring one additional reading and vote before it becomes law. In the United States, the news on the gay rights front has recently been negative, but the Christian Science Monitor reports that there are some states that are moving in the opposite direction with new civil union and antidiscrimination laws.
Over in Africa, the President of Nigeria is calling for a clean up of the civil service with the hope of gaining a $35 billion reductions in foreign debt. African governments have historically been closely associated with patronage, and thus generally have an overbloated civil service. International organizations such as the IMF have made the greater efficiency of government a stipulation for granting loans. Corruption in another African country, Burundi, has reportedly led to the murder of an aid worker by the local police. In Sudan, a newspaper editor is receiving public threats of death after he published an article that questioned the Prophet Muhammed's ancestry.
In science, astronomers have discovered an additional 12 moons orbiting Saturn, bringing the combined total to 46. They have also confirmed the visual discovery of an 'exoplanet' orbiting another star. Scientists in Utah have discovered carnivorous dinosaurs that turned to veggies, providing a link between carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs.
Also:
- The British go the polls today. I'll be up watching for a third Labour victory!
- The 13-year-old girl, having passed all psychological evaluations, is now being permitted to choose whether she wants to have an abortion.
- Better watch out! Illegal downloading in the United States just became equivalent to domestic terrorism.
- A fourth man has been arrested for the theft of Munch's The Scream.
- The Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon is going well, according to UN monitors.
- A top US general has warned about the strain currently put on the American armed forces from their participation in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Ed Broadbent, former federal NDP leader, is stepping down from politics again because of his wife's ill-health.
- A Guardian article about the ties between Sinatra and the mob.
- An institute in Tel Aviv has reported that anti-Semitic violence is at a global 15-year high.
- Stephen Colbert, a correspondent on the Daily Show, is getting promoted to host his own show.
- Cable news networks look silly again, this time over the Jennifer Wilbanks story.
- Now you never have to worry about your cupcake getting damaged on your way to work or school!
- A question we must all ask ourselves at least once in our lives. Are you a Republican?? Turns out that I'm 16% Republican - put yours in the comment section!
Republicans continue their newsmaking week, with new legislation in Texas to outlaw 'suggestive' cheerleading. What exactly is 'suggestive' vs. not 'suggestive,' is apparently up to the courts to decide. Slate has an article explaining why formerly 'small government' Republicans are now feeding at the trough -- turns out its because they can. Brazil has rejected $40 million US in aid to combat the AIDS epidemic, since Republicans attached riders to the money that would have ensured that the philosophies of the religious right, anti-contraception, pro-abstinence, i.e., all the stuff that has been proven not to work, be incorporated into the program. This is backed somewhat by recent StatsCanada data that puts the rate of teenage sexual participation and pregnancy rate in Canada at half the rate of the United States, despite a virtual lack of abstinence-only programmes. The restrictions coming with the aid money was particularly a problem in Brazil, where a program to promote condom use in sex workers would have had to be scuttled if they accepted the money.
Speaking of differences between Canada and the US, the Canadian same-sex marriage bill has passed second reading 164-137, requiring one additional reading and vote before it becomes law. In the United States, the news on the gay rights front has recently been negative, but the Christian Science Monitor reports that there are some states that are moving in the opposite direction with new civil union and antidiscrimination laws.
Over in Africa, the President of Nigeria is calling for a clean up of the civil service with the hope of gaining a $35 billion reductions in foreign debt. African governments have historically been closely associated with patronage, and thus generally have an overbloated civil service. International organizations such as the IMF have made the greater efficiency of government a stipulation for granting loans. Corruption in another African country, Burundi, has reportedly led to the murder of an aid worker by the local police. In Sudan, a newspaper editor is receiving public threats of death after he published an article that questioned the Prophet Muhammed's ancestry.
In science, astronomers have discovered an additional 12 moons orbiting Saturn, bringing the combined total to 46. They have also confirmed the visual discovery of an 'exoplanet' orbiting another star. Scientists in Utah have discovered carnivorous dinosaurs that turned to veggies, providing a link between carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs.
Also:
- The British go the polls today. I'll be up watching for a third Labour victory!
- The 13-year-old girl, having passed all psychological evaluations, is now being permitted to choose whether she wants to have an abortion.
- Better watch out! Illegal downloading in the United States just became equivalent to domestic terrorism.
- A fourth man has been arrested for the theft of Munch's The Scream.
- The Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon is going well, according to UN monitors.
- A top US general has warned about the strain currently put on the American armed forces from their participation in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Ed Broadbent, former federal NDP leader, is stepping down from politics again because of his wife's ill-health.
- A Guardian article about the ties between Sinatra and the mob.
- An institute in Tel Aviv has reported that anti-Semitic violence is at a global 15-year high.
- Stephen Colbert, a correspondent on the Daily Show, is getting promoted to host his own show.
- Cable news networks look silly again, this time over the Jennifer Wilbanks story.
- Now you never have to worry about your cupcake getting damaged on your way to work or school!
- A question we must all ask ourselves at least once in our lives. Are you a Republican?? Turns out that I'm 16% Republican - put yours in the comment section!
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Evolution, schmevolution
In a continuation of the main theme of yesterday's post, I found another story on how the Republican's continue to enforce their Christianity on the rest of the nation (if not eventually the world). Now instead of just legislating against the teaching of evolution, they are arming their children with questions to challenge their biology teachers about the theory. Aside from the classroom disruptions that this will obviously cause, not to mention the nature of the questions are a little above high-school level, what blew my mind about this article was that a recent Gallup poll showed that only 28% of Americans believe in the theory of evolution compared to 48% who believe in creationism. Like, WTF? How backwards can you get?
Continuing on in the culture war, Kenneth Tomlinson, a Republican in charge of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, is on the warpath in an attempt to eliminate all of the 'liberal' bias from PBS. Of course, anything that's not Fox News, i.e.., anything that doesn't parrot back exactly what Republicans want to hear, must be inherently bad and must be changed. The Chief Executive of the corporation has already come out decrying these efforts as a means to stifle editorial independence.
Speaking of Republicans, some recent polls have shown that the superstar governor of California is now suffering from a large reality check as his approval ratings fall below 50%. No worries though, since even if his presidential bid is looking less lustrous, there is still always J-Lo to fill his shoes in the actor-candidate category.
In a minor defeat to the United States, former Chilean minister Jose Miguel Insulza has become the new leader of the Organization of American States. This election is a continuation of the problems between the United States and several South American countries, all of whom have elected socialist governments against American wishes.
In science, recent studies have shown that pregnant women who witnessed the 9/11 attacks have passed on biological signs of stress to their babies, most of whom had low levels of a hormone cortisol which is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Though this has no immediate effect on the health of the baby, scientists speculate that it might leave them more prone to PTSD as an adult. In Germany, a new taxi-bicycle service is all the rage in their congested streets, providing a greener way of moving people around. I also ran across a site that lists the one thing the top 100 scientists in the world would like the public to know about science.
Also:
- The government of China is having some difficulty reigning in public opposition to Japan that they only recently used as a political tool.
- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has managed to get away with changing the law to avoid personal prosecution, as the European Court of Justice has come back saying they cannot challenge the law.
- In a case I'm sure we're all going to be hearing more of, a 13-year-old girl in Florida has been denied access to an abortion by the state because she was deemed unfit to make the decision.
- Be the first on your block to own the new 96-processor computer that can plug into your wall!
- Why geeks are 'worth it,' according to a post on Craigslist.
- I'm resurrecting this link because of a post I recently saw that reminded me of it. Weeeeeeeeee!!! (flash - nsfw)
Continuing on in the culture war, Kenneth Tomlinson, a Republican in charge of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, is on the warpath in an attempt to eliminate all of the 'liberal' bias from PBS. Of course, anything that's not Fox News, i.e.., anything that doesn't parrot back exactly what Republicans want to hear, must be inherently bad and must be changed. The Chief Executive of the corporation has already come out decrying these efforts as a means to stifle editorial independence.
Speaking of Republicans, some recent polls have shown that the superstar governor of California is now suffering from a large reality check as his approval ratings fall below 50%. No worries though, since even if his presidential bid is looking less lustrous, there is still always J-Lo to fill his shoes in the actor-candidate category.
In a minor defeat to the United States, former Chilean minister Jose Miguel Insulza has become the new leader of the Organization of American States. This election is a continuation of the problems between the United States and several South American countries, all of whom have elected socialist governments against American wishes.
In science, recent studies have shown that pregnant women who witnessed the 9/11 attacks have passed on biological signs of stress to their babies, most of whom had low levels of a hormone cortisol which is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Though this has no immediate effect on the health of the baby, scientists speculate that it might leave them more prone to PTSD as an adult. In Germany, a new taxi-bicycle service is all the rage in their congested streets, providing a greener way of moving people around. I also ran across a site that lists the one thing the top 100 scientists in the world would like the public to know about science.
Also:
- The government of China is having some difficulty reigning in public opposition to Japan that they only recently used as a political tool.
- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has managed to get away with changing the law to avoid personal prosecution, as the European Court of Justice has come back saying they cannot challenge the law.
- In a case I'm sure we're all going to be hearing more of, a 13-year-old girl in Florida has been denied access to an abortion by the state because she was deemed unfit to make the decision.
- Be the first on your block to own the new 96-processor computer that can plug into your wall!
- Why geeks are 'worth it,' according to a post on Craigslist.
- I'm resurrecting this link because of a post I recently saw that reminded me of it. Weeeeeeeeee!!! (flash - nsfw)
Monday, May 02, 2005
Hans Bethe
Just stumbled across a series of lectures titled "Physics Made Relatively Simple," a series given by Hans Bethe on quantum physics. Bethe was a German physicist who won the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on stellar nucleosynthesis, or the reactions that make stars work He died this year in March. The site is comprised of an introduction and three lectures, all in Quicktime format.
Margaret Atwood was right!
Ah, Republicans. When they're not attempting to cripple services of the EPA in favour of corporations, they seem to be trying to turn the United States into a modern-day Republic of Gilead. First, since there are all kinds of academics out there that might make their students think, just pass legislation that allows students to sue their professors if they think that their views are not being represented. This will work particularly well in Biology classes where alternatives to that silly Evolution theory will have to be presented. Even Scientific American has recently come out apologizing for overhyping evolution over competing theories such as intelligent design, stating, "True, the theory of common descent through natural selection has been called the unifying concept for all of biology and one of the greatest scientific ideas of all time, but that was no excuse to be fanatics about it."
After that you can stigmatize all your opponents as being against the faith to stir up the ever-present Christian persecution complex. Then you can appoint some judges to the bench that talk about how "people of faith were embroiled in a "war" against secular humanists who threatened to divorce America from its religious roots." Then you can use your influence to ensure that large corporations don't support same-sex right legislation. Why stop there though, when you can also explicitly ban any book that has any mention of homosexuality in it. Perhaps it is actions such as these that caused people like University of St. Thomas president Rev. Dennis Dease to denounce the speech of conservative pundit Ann Coulter as "hateful speech [that] vulgarizes our culture and goes against everything the University of St. Thomas stands for."
Spain has recently become the 3rd country in Europe to legalize same-sex marriages. The Vatican, needless to say, came out against the change. Homosexuals faired less well in Texas, where new legislation prevents them from being foster parents, and, since they are clearly deviant and might lie about their sexual history, allows for authorities to investigate the sexual background of any applicants. See the Gilead note above.
90 years ago the first major genocidal action of the 20th century occurred. Armenians are still demanding recognition of the genocide by modern-day Turkey, who denies that the actions taken by the Ottoman troops were any different from normal wartime operations. remembrance services were held to commemorate the event, and Deutsche Welle notes that Turkey's lack of acknowledgement of the genocide is hindering their EU bid. Japan, on the other hand, has recently apologized for the atrocities committed against the Chinese prior to World War II.
On the human rights front, save the Children has published a report noting with some alarm an increase in the use of abducted females in wartime situations. Former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour is shaking things up at the United Nations Human Rights Commission, calling for major reforms to ensure the organization's credibility. Some bad news for Canada in the human rights world though, as recent documents suggest that Canadian authorities were involved in the Syrian torture of Canadian citizen Maher Arar. Afghanistan, despite the current occupation, still has many human rights problems, as recently a woman was stoned to death for committing adultery while her male partner suffered only 100 lashes of the whip. In Pakistan, a woman who was raped by assailant and then by the police when she reported it, is threatening to commit suicide if the government does nothing about the crime. According to Amnesty International, despite the scandal involving detainees at Abu Ghraib, torture continues to be used in Iraqi prisons.
In health/science news, a Japanese chewing gum claims that it can enhance your breast size up to 80%. The downsize is that the same substance in the gum that increases the breast size also might put you at a greater risk of breast cancer. The New Scientist published an interesting article about how group cohesion and altruism led to the success of our species, as opposed to strict individualistic and competitive behaviour. Can someone fax this article to anyone on the right? Scientists have also successfully placed mice in near suspended animation, boosting hopes for a solution to long-term space flight. On the environment, it looks like our problems with the ozone layer aren't over yet, as scientists report that this year's ozone levels are the lowest ever recorded. Finally, astronomers have taken the first picture of a planet orbiting a star outside our solar system.
In other news:
- Found this site that lists the top cities in the world according to the prominence of their skyline. Has information about each individual building, etc.
- The New York Times published a story on the difficulties facing otherwise-bright Mexican students from poor areas in obtaining the educational opportunities that they require.
- Despite being rabidly anti-Castro, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom DeLay seems to like his Cubans.
- The Scream and Madonna have reportedly been destroyed after being stolen last year.
- A link to the BBC 4 Reith lectures, this year on "The Triumph of Technology."
- Have money to burn? Try buying your own island off of Dubai shaped like the world.
- On the other hand, if you have no money and just got a speeding ticket, here's how to beat it.
- No one is safe from airport security, not even penguins.
- For your entertainment pleasure: a dude falling. (flash)
After that you can stigmatize all your opponents as being against the faith to stir up the ever-present Christian persecution complex. Then you can appoint some judges to the bench that talk about how "people of faith were embroiled in a "war" against secular humanists who threatened to divorce America from its religious roots." Then you can use your influence to ensure that large corporations don't support same-sex right legislation. Why stop there though, when you can also explicitly ban any book that has any mention of homosexuality in it. Perhaps it is actions such as these that caused people like University of St. Thomas president Rev. Dennis Dease to denounce the speech of conservative pundit Ann Coulter as "hateful speech [that] vulgarizes our culture and goes against everything the University of St. Thomas stands for."
Spain has recently become the 3rd country in Europe to legalize same-sex marriages. The Vatican, needless to say, came out against the change. Homosexuals faired less well in Texas, where new legislation prevents them from being foster parents, and, since they are clearly deviant and might lie about their sexual history, allows for authorities to investigate the sexual background of any applicants. See the Gilead note above.
90 years ago the first major genocidal action of the 20th century occurred. Armenians are still demanding recognition of the genocide by modern-day Turkey, who denies that the actions taken by the Ottoman troops were any different from normal wartime operations. remembrance services were held to commemorate the event, and Deutsche Welle notes that Turkey's lack of acknowledgement of the genocide is hindering their EU bid. Japan, on the other hand, has recently apologized for the atrocities committed against the Chinese prior to World War II.
On the human rights front, save the Children has published a report noting with some alarm an increase in the use of abducted females in wartime situations. Former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour is shaking things up at the United Nations Human Rights Commission, calling for major reforms to ensure the organization's credibility. Some bad news for Canada in the human rights world though, as recent documents suggest that Canadian authorities were involved in the Syrian torture of Canadian citizen Maher Arar. Afghanistan, despite the current occupation, still has many human rights problems, as recently a woman was stoned to death for committing adultery while her male partner suffered only 100 lashes of the whip. In Pakistan, a woman who was raped by assailant and then by the police when she reported it, is threatening to commit suicide if the government does nothing about the crime. According to Amnesty International, despite the scandal involving detainees at Abu Ghraib, torture continues to be used in Iraqi prisons.
In health/science news, a Japanese chewing gum claims that it can enhance your breast size up to 80%. The downsize is that the same substance in the gum that increases the breast size also might put you at a greater risk of breast cancer. The New Scientist published an interesting article about how group cohesion and altruism led to the success of our species, as opposed to strict individualistic and competitive behaviour. Can someone fax this article to anyone on the right? Scientists have also successfully placed mice in near suspended animation, boosting hopes for a solution to long-term space flight. On the environment, it looks like our problems with the ozone layer aren't over yet, as scientists report that this year's ozone levels are the lowest ever recorded. Finally, astronomers have taken the first picture of a planet orbiting a star outside our solar system.
In other news:
- Found this site that lists the top cities in the world according to the prominence of their skyline. Has information about each individual building, etc.
- The New York Times published a story on the difficulties facing otherwise-bright Mexican students from poor areas in obtaining the educational opportunities that they require.
- Despite being rabidly anti-Castro, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom DeLay seems to like his Cubans.
- The Scream and Madonna have reportedly been destroyed after being stolen last year.
- A link to the BBC 4 Reith lectures, this year on "The Triumph of Technology."
- Have money to burn? Try buying your own island off of Dubai shaped like the world.
- On the other hand, if you have no money and just got a speeding ticket, here's how to beat it.
- No one is safe from airport security, not even penguins.
- For your entertainment pleasure: a dude falling. (flash)
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