The second round of the Iranian Presidential election is slated for tomorrow, and both candidates are out in force attempting to win favour with the electorate. Former President and moderate Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is playing the economic card by promising hard cash for the privatization of government industry and promising that his reign will ease tensions with the outside world. The Islamist candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is campaigning on a greater redistribution of wealth to the poor and a greater fight against corruption. Campaigning through ads in various media is taking on a new importance as the candidates attempt to shape their political images.
The debate over flag-burning is once again alive in the United States, as the House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment, for the fourth time in its history, that prohibits the burning of the American flag. The difference now is that there is a decent chance that the Senate will also pass it with the required 2/3 majority, leaving it up to the President (and you know where he stands) and 38 states to make it the 28th amendment. Other bloggers are already scrambling to figure out ways to get around the proposed law.
Zimbabwe's Operation Restore Order, Operation Murambatsvina, or Operation "Drive Out The Trash," which consists of the systematic destruction of all urban shelters for the poor, has come under increased scrutiny as 2 children have been killed in the demolition process. The Christian Science Monitor has taken out an editorial against the 'systematic cleansing' of the poor, an act that has forced over 100,000 people out of the urban areas.
Well, I may have spoken too soon about the solar sail. First they thought it was lost, but there was still a slim chance that they could find it again. But no, scientists working on the project have stated that the mission was a failure.
Also:
- IBM's Blue Gene tops the supercomputer list even though it is only partially built and expects a final speed of double its current.
- Wired asks, should we be afraid of Google?
- Doctors are educating their patients going under that the anaesthetics can produce intense sexual dreams.
- A cannabis-like substance naturally produced by the brain has an important function in easing pain.
- Sugar subsidies to European farmers are being cut by 40%, in a move that will no doubt hurt European farmers but benefit developing countries like Brazil.
- Farming of the future, done vertically.
- How many times can you fold a paper in half? Apparently 12 times.
- Russia's population is plummeting, with the overall loss of 100 people every hour.
- The Supreme Court of the United States has just ruled that cities can reclaim private property to make way for private development.
- The Onion circa mid-21st century.
- Expiration dates for those food items/household products that do not usually carry them.
- The global image of America is up slightly, but they still rank lower than China. People also almost uniformly hate President Bush, which should come as no surprise.
- The 50 most shoplifted items. (pdf)
- The British were developing an aircraft carrier made out of ice in WWII. Seriously.
- Showing your faith through your sandals.
- If that's not your type of fashion-statement, maybe you'd like a new Japanese trend called 'decorer.'
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