Male mice serenade potential mates with ultrasonic love songs, a study by US scientists has revealed.
"Only yooooouuu
Can make my dreams come truuuuue..."
The research adds mice to the exclusive club of mammals that can sing, which has until now comprised only human beings, bats and cetaceans. A University of Washington, St Louis, team studied ultrasonic squeaks emitted by mice when they smell a female and found that they form complex songs. They have published details in the scientific journal PLoS Biology. Scientists have known for some time that mice emit sounds at a frequency outside the range of human hearing. But it was always possible that these could have been random vocalisations.
"His lips are moving, he's saying stuff, but it don't make no sense..."
Washington researchers Tim Holy and Zhongsheng Guo now demonstrate that this is not the case. They discovered the songs by accident, while investigating how male mice responded to sex pheromones released in the urine of female mice.
"Hmmm... What's this? A puddle of pee? And it's chock full of pheromones... Suddenly I feel the urge to break into song!"
When the males encountered cotton swabs dunked in female mouse urine, they broke into song.
"Ooooo, sweet mystery of life!
"At last I've found you!"
Dr Holy and his team processed the sound recordings to make them audible to humans, lowering the pitch without interfering with the tempo. Instead of making the ultrasonic chirps randomly, the mice used several different types of syllables arranged in regular, repeated time signatures resembling birdsong.
"Louie, Louie! Oh, bebby! Me gotta go!"
Their vocalisations meet the characteristics of song, Dr Holy and Dr Guo claim. Singing plays a prominent role in the courtship rituals of amphibians, birds and insects. But it is known only in a handful of mammals, including bats, humans, cetaceans - including whales and porpoises.
Chimps may be our closest relatives, but you wouldn't want to rely on one in a pinch. Apparently, they don't share the human willingness to do favors for others.
A team of scientists led by Joan B. Silk of the University of California, Los Angeles conducted two sets of experiments with chimps in captivity in Texas and Louisiana to measure their propensity for altruism. More than two dozen were presented with an apparatus that gave them two options: They could choose to get food only for themselves, or they could get food in a way that also gave some to another chimp.
The chimps, though, were no more inclined to go for the option that gave food to another chimp even if they knew the other chimp.
Because chimps collaborate in a variety of ways, researchers suspected they would share the human penchant for altruism.
The study however, may indicate that such behavior is "tied to sophisticated capacities for cultural learning, theory of mind, perspective taking and moral judgment," the researchers wrote. Or not. Mebbe they're just mean little bastards, but then I'm not looking for a grant.
#2
Absolutely ******g amazing. A California research team discovers baboons think differently than people. I wonder how may millions of dollars that piece of information cost the taxpayers. I wish those researchers would catch a little alturim and go get real jobs.
#3
The study however, may indicate that such behavior is "tied to sophisticated capacities for cultural learning, theory of mind, perspective taking and moral judgment," the researchers wrote.
Conclusion: We're on the verge of a major breakthrough here. Send us lots and lots of money so we can continue our vital research.
Our next study: Can chimps play blackjack in Vegas?
In line with the airlift program ordered by the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to assist victims of the earthquake which recently hit Pakistan, a plane carrying medical supplies left for Islamabad on Sunday. Othman Al-Ghuweiri, the Director of follow-up, support and coordination at the Saudi relief team, said the plane was carrying 12 ton of medical supplies.
Wow! Wotta response! So quick we could barely follow it. It's been only... ummm... 23 days.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2005 00:00 ||
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took 23 days to deliver 12 tons of medical supplies.
A 747-400 Freighter can carry 124 tons (113,000 kg) of cargo up to 4,450 nautical miles (8,240 km). More than 90 747-400 Freighters are in service worldwide today, operated by the leading air cargo companies.
The princes probably bring in 12 tons of Viagra every month.
Posted by: Red Dog ||
11/01/2005 1:17 Comments ||
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Link's empty.
And the other 112 tons of capacity? I dunno, but I'd bet the starving people would even eat hummus and schwarmas, Kingy Thingy. Ummm, BTW, whatcha gonna load it up with for the return flight? Nuke stuff and PakiWaki engineers? Just wondering...
#7
Wait, wha? You mean even FEMA beat the Royal Holy mossk holders to the punch? Unfathomable! Why I bet the Paki-Waki's didn't even make off with big-screen plasma TVs from Abdul's Electronics & Bombs Shoppe. Ptuh!
Posted by: BA ||
11/01/2005 12:52 Comments ||
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Heavy presence of plainclothes and uniformed Rab personnel at the markets and on the streets of the capital in this Eid shopping season have kept the usual extortionists away from street vendors at more than a hundred spots, but the police however have filled in the gap.
Disgruntled vendors at different spots in the city told The Daily Star that right before the Eid the police seem to have an open season on them as they are being extorted by almost all tiers of the police department including the sub-inspectors, traffic sergeants, patrol police, local police camps and even by the cashiers of police stations besides the "linemen" (designated toll collectors for the police).
Vendors on the footpath in front of Dhanmandi Hawkers' Market have also not escaped extortions by the police. Mofiz (not his real name), who sells Panjabis, said until recently the vendors used to pay a daily toll of Tk 120 to a lineman named Rafiq. About a month ago when Rafiq was apprehended by Rab the vendors in the area heaved a sigh of relief. "But for the last two weeks we have been paying Tk 200 to Tk 350 to the new toll collector," Latif pointed out.
A Rab source informed this correspondent that about 1000 Rab members from five battalions are working at different city markets. Continuous presence of Rab has succeeded to keep the extortionists at bay to a good extent. But the vendors almost all over the city said while they are enjoying a little respite from the civilian extortionists, extortions by the police is not letting them do their business smoothly.
Asked by The Daily Star to comment on extortions by the police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner SM Mizanur Rahamn put the blame on the street vendors for doing business on the footpaths. "Why should they pay toll to the police. We don't have any complaints regarding such extortions. If anyone complains we are certainly going to take actions against the guilty officers."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2005 00:00 ||
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They are undoubtedly overworked, underpaid, stressed out...in need of a couple of weeks R&R in Vegas.
The British government is considering a proposal to ban drinking on public transport, Defense Secretary John Reid said Sunday.
"Government has an obligation to protect the public from beer burps!"
"It is a proposal for discussion," Reid said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. television's Sunday AM program.
"So stop rolling your eyes!"
He said the government's so-called "respect czar," Louise Casey, had proposed the government should discuss whether drinking should be allowed on public transport. "It is right that people should be able to have a civilized drink at whatever time they want," Reid said.
"Nigel! Pass me the brown paper bag! I need a civilized drink!"
"But it is right also that people should be responsible about not being abusive through drink on buses and other places. That is the balance of rights and responsibilities."
I could be wrong, but I think the Respect Czar has too much time on her hands.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2005 00:00 ||
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We'll know it's time for the revolution when we get our very own "respect czar."
#2
Louise Casey: We are a unit set up in January 2003, only 18 months ago, to lead the governmentâs overall fight to tackle anti-social behaviour. I could be wrong, but I think the Respect Czar has too much time on her hands.
Civic life reduced to preschool.
Posted by: Red Dog ||
11/01/2005 1:01 Comments ||
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R*E*S*P*E*C*T find out what it means to me! (sock it to me, sock it to me......)
Well, someone had to say it 8^P.
Respect Czar, huh, sounds like a job for a Moooselimb
#8
But no bar car on a commuter? What kind of a country is this? Next they'll want to prohibit bridge on the train because it offends moose limb passengers.
A bill under debate in the Peruvian Congress has increased diplomatic tensions with Chile. The parliament in Peru has sped up the passage of legislation aimed at redrawing the sea border between the two Latin American neighbours. If approved, the bill would assert Peruvian control over valuable fishing grounds.
Next step will be Peru seizing Chile's fishing boats. Then their naval forces will start making faces at each other. It'll only take one hot-blooded captain thinking his countries honor is at stake to set things off.
Chile argues that the legislation violates territorial treaties signed in the 1950s. It has launched a diplomatic campaign against the bill, saying that it wants an amicable solution to the dispute. The Peruvian legislation was passed by a second important committee and could get final approval as soon as Thursday.
Peru and Chile have a history of border disputes dating back to the 19th century. Chile fought the War of the Pacific against Peru and Bolivia from 1879 to 1883, winning Bolivia's outlet to the sea and extensive areas from Peru. In recent months, relations have deteriorated over allegations that Chile supplied arms to Ecuador during a 1995 war with Peru - claims that the Chilean government has denied. In May, Peru suspended free trade talks and confidence-building measures with Chile. Peru also refused to support Chile to lead the Organisation of American States.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/01/2005 08:30 ||
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Peru has always been big on border disputes.
It ate 1/2 of Ecuador to create the current boundary, as well as a tussle with Bolivia and this Chilean incident, and even nastiness with Columbia...
Only "Big Dog" Brazil seems to keep Peru's expansion fever at bay...
ARMED Royal Marines race to a disabled boat with £200 million of cocaine on board after a sensational high seas chase.
Four smugglers tried to OUTRUN a 200mph Lynx helicopter after they were rumbled in Caribbean waters patrolled by the frigate HMS Cumberland. But two specialist Marine snipers on the chopper fired at the high-speed boatâs four engines â and knocked out each one.
The incredible shots from 100 metres followed six hours of nerve-jangling drama. HMS Cumberland had rushed to intercept the traffickers after a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Agency. She got within range 100 miles off the coast of Nicaragua with her support vessel, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Wave Knight, in tow.
The smaller ship sent up its Lynx chopper with the expert team on board. But the smugglers â careering along in a vessel dubbed a âgo-fastâ by the Navy â refused to stop despite repeated appeals.
It was only after they were nearing land and looked like escaping that shots were fired â leaving them bobbing in the water. The chopper then hovered overhead as the Marines kept their devastating 0.5 inch AW50 rifles trained on them.
Cumberland arrived an hour later and sent out Marines in two inflatables to arrest the smugglers, who meekly held up their hands.
Last night top brass heaped praise on the operation â and the commando snipers. Marine Lt Col Andy Price, of Fleet Command in Portsmouth, said: âThis type of shooting is unparalleled. Itâs the ultimate professional shot.
âTo hit that small target in rough seas from a moving platform and miss everyone else on the boat is formidable.
good hunting, guys.
âThese guys are highly trained and we are very proud of what they have done.â
Two tonnes of coke wrapped in dozens of tightly-bound bales were found on the boat. It was destined for the streets of Britain and America.
The smugglers, all South American, were handed over to the US Coastguard, who supported Saturdayâs operation.
One British government official said: âThis bust will really hack off the cartel bosses.
don't forget the ones in Amsterdam a few days ago, too
âItâs going to affect supply on the street all over the US and Europe for some time.â
Delighted Defence Secretary John Reid said yesterday: âThis is a great success for the Royal Navy.
âDrugs are a scourge of civilised society, crippling the lives of millions.
âFor that reason, I pay tribute to the crew of HMS Cumberland, whose professionalism and commitment to the task has dealt a sledgehammer blow to the drug traffickers.â
The Type 22 frigate, based at Devonport, is on a four-month patrol in the Caribbean. It is there to give humanitarian aid and disaster relief assistance if needed.
But it also has a role in counter narcotic operations.
Skipper Captain Simon Ancona said modestly: âThe operation was a success and I am pleased HMS Cumberland is involved in the international fight against drugs.
âOperations like these send a strong message that governments, agencies and armed forces worldwide will work together in a determined effort to counter drug running.â
From East Asia Intel, subscription
The just-completed Peace Dam, just south of heavily fortified border, is the latest evidence that the Cold War is not over on the Korean peninsula. Potential hydraulic attack from the NORKS.
After 18 years of on-again off-again work, South Korea finished constructing the large dam last week. The dam is designed to prevent a flood attack from the North should Pyongyang deliberately collapse a dam farther upstream.
In September, North Korea released a massive amount of water from a dam just north of the border without warning, causing massive flooding in the South's border area, reminding residents of the perils of living next to the communist neighbor that invaded the South five decades ago. A Kimmie tantrum could turn to a flood, literally.
[...snip...]
Floods caused by the North occurred in October 2001 and in September 2002 causing hundred of thousands dollars in damages.
The Peace Dam, 601 meters wide at the top and 125 meters high, has a water storage capacity of 2.63 billion tons, according to the Ministry of Construction and Transportation. It cost 400 billion Won ($380 million). Nice little public works project.
The dam is located about 125 kilometers northeast of Seoul and is intended to mitigate damages in case North Korea's Imnam or Mt. Kumgang dam collapsed, ministry officials said.
The North Korean dam is 710 meters wide and 121.5 meters high and has a claimed capacity of 2.62 billion tons of water. The dam was completed in 2003.
"According to computer mock tests, if the Imnam Dam collapses, most of the increased water will be stored in the Peace Dam, and the rest will be stored in Paro Lake, which is in front of the Hwacheon Dam, south of Peace Dam," said Cheon Byung-Sung, director of water resources at the ministry. "There is no reason to worry about a possible flood triggered by a collapse of the North Korean dam," he said. No reason to worry, hokay, if you say so.
In 1986, the South Korean government of President Chun Doo-Hwan announced that North Korea was preparing a "water attack" that could sweep away the northern part of the country, causing huge casualties.
North Korea was "secretly" building the Imnam Dam to hold as much as 20 billion tons of water, which could be used to engulf South Korea, the government said at the time. Construction began in February 1987, initially funded at 63 billion Won ($60 million).
But the announcement was later dismissed as an anti-communist ploy designed to overcome Chun's political crisis, and construction on the dam came to a halt in 1990. In 1993, the Board of Audit and Inspection under President Kim Young-Sam's government found that the flood threat was "absurdly bloated."
The actual North Korean reservoir also turned out to be 2.62 billion tons, less than one-eighth the Chun government's claim.
But construction resumed after satellite photographs in 2002 found that the Imnam dam was eroding, triggering fears that it would rupture in case of heavy rains.
Possible water release from the North's dam has long been a source of security fears in the South, which faces lingering threats from its communist neighbor.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/01/2005 17:32 ||
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Countries across the Asia-Pacific region coping with an outbreak of bird flu plan to stage a mock disease outbreak next year to gauge how well they would respond to a pandemic or other major health threat, an Australian official said Tuesday.
The exercise is expected in the first half of next year and will try to identify major weaknesses in preparedness and coordination, Doug Chester, Australia's ambassador to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, said at the end of a two-day meeting of disaster coordination experts. He did not give any details on the plan, but indicated it would focus more on strategy than field exercises.
Chester, who chaired the meeting in the eastern city of Brisbane, said planning for pandemic preparedness should not incite public panic about the potential for the bird flu virus to mutate and unleash a deadly global flu epidemic among humans.
"There is an element of scare-mongering that is undermining effective planning in some economies, and it's causing unnecessary economic damage to some economies," Chester said. ...more...
Including 2 pix of Chucky Schumer grandstanding, pretending to be on top of this, and demanding Roche license production of Tamiflu. Between the SCOTUS nomination and bird flu, I've more than OD'd on ol' Chucky.
If the german economy stalls with even higher unemployment, we will see armed clashes between 'guest workers' and unemployed germans from the eastern towns. This could get ugly.
A fourth consecutive monthly fall in German retail sales yesterday highlighted the weakness of consumer spending in Europe's largest economy and creates a significant challenge for the incoming government.
Retail sales unexpectedly fell 1 per cent in September, according to seasonally adjusted figures released by the Bundesbank, leaving high-street turnover at the lowest level since May last year and scarcely changed since the start of the decade.
The data illustrated the split character of Germany's economy: business confidence last week reached a five-year high, helped by the strength of exports.
Economists warned that Germany's high-street plight could worsen if the new grand coalition government of Angela Merkel went ahead with a threatened rise in value added tax. "Really, that would be a terrible thing to do," said Dirk Schumacher, economist at Goldman Sachs in Frankfurt.
But Germany appears set to be subjected to a "fiscal squeeze", with the new coalition contemplating the ending of tax breaks and spending cuts to bring the public sector deficit back in line with European Union rules.
Including car sales, German retail sales in the third quarter were down 0.9 per cent compared with the previous three months. The weak figures contrast sharply with the more upbeat mood in France, where household spending in the third quarter jumped 2.4 per cent.
Among other large eurozone countries, Spain has seen strong consumer spending this year but the picture has been weaker in Italy and the Netherlands.
In Germany, retail sales have reflected the downward pressure on labour costs exerted by companies as they have fought successfully to rebuild international competitiveness. In recent months, higher energy costs and September's indecisive election result have further reduced Germans' willingness to spend in shops.
"Depressed by high oil prices and mounting political uncertainty, German consumers apparently went on a buyers strike at the end of the summer," said Holger Schmieding, economist at Bank of America.
The variations in consumer spending within the eurozone have increased the difficulties faced by the European Central Bank as it ponders a possible interest rate rise. Recent eurozone confidence indicators have reinforced the view that economic activity has strengthened in the second half. But the ECB would find it hard to ignore data showing a weakening in retail sales in the bloc's largest economy.
#3
Retail/consumer sales may decrease with an aging population, but expenditures on medical products and services rise. All the money will find a home somewhere; the goal is to get it relocated rapidly and frequently.
Reported on the off-chance that Europe continues to matter.
Negotiations over a "grand coalition" in Germany were thrown into crisis yesterday when the Social Democrats' chairman, Franz MÃŒntefering, announced that he was stepping down.
He said he would not stand again for the leadership after his candidate for the post of SPD general secretary was defeated by a leftwinger, Andrea Nahles. Mr MÃŒntefering left open whether he would serve in a cabinet under chancellor-designate Angela Merkel.
The Christian Democratic Bavarian leader Edmund Stoiber, economics minister designate, has also indicated that he might quit.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/01/2005 00:22 ||
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Sounds like polarization going on. The LLL will push the SPD further left.
#2
I don't know, what I see is that the liberal left is losing elections they used to win. While it may not produce results from this election - the bottom line is that the lefty loonies have lost their grip on power and are not going to get it back.
The Canadian navy has confirmed that the troubled fleet of submarines purchased from Britain has suffered another fire, slightly more than a year after a blaze crippled HMCS Chicoutimi and led to the death of one sailor.
Should have purchased that extended warranty
A navy spokesperson in Halifax said HMCS Windsor was submerged off the Nova Scotia coast on Sunday when a transformer meltdown was reported. A small fire created smoke in the submarine and the crew went to immediate emergency stations.
Water in the electrics will do that. I read a report that sez it's a design flaw, they ran the wires along the lowest point in the boat.
The submarine rose to what the navy calls "a safe depth" and extinguished the fire. No sailors were injured and the Windsor remains at sea.
With a very nervous crew
The vessel is the navy's only operational submarine. Three other Victoria-class submarines purchased by the Canadian navy from the Royal Navy in 1998 are in repair or retrofit.
Who got the contract for the wiring, Lucas?
In October 2004, a fire broke out on Chicoutimi as it was crossing the Atlantic, leading to the death of Lieut. Chris Saunders and injuring eight others. In May 5, 2005, a Canadian naval board of inquiry released a 700-page report on the accident.
Posted by: john ||
11/01/2005 12:09 ||
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You want good quality oats, you pay a premium price. If you're willing to settle for oats that have already been through the horse, you can get them a little cheaper.
The H5 avian influenza virus has been found in wild migratory birds in Canada, officials said, but it is unlikely the deadly H5N1 strain threatening Asia and Europe and there is no threat to human health.
The virus, whose subtype must still be determined, was detected in 28 ducks in the eastern province of Quebec and five in Manitoba in central Canada out of approximately 4,800 samples, said Jim Clark of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
"These findings do not indicate that we are dealing with a virus strain capable of causing significant illness. The evidence we've observed strongly indicates that these healthy birds were not infected with the same virus that is currently present in Asia," Clark said during a press conference.
The H5N1 bird flu virus has killed more than 60 people and prompted the culling of 140 million birds in Asia in the past two years.
In a statement, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the birds tested in the national survey were healthy, and there was "no evidence of influenza-related illness among domestic or wild birds in the test areas."
Tests continue to determine the N type of the virus.
More results are expected in the coming weeks. However, it may not be possible to definitively identify the virus subtype because researchers were not able to isolate a live virus from the samples, Clark said.
The study was conducted to look into the role migratory birds may play in the transmission of avian influenza, particularly the H5 and H7 strains which risk becoming more virulent if introduced into domestic poultry.
"The detection of H5 avian influenza is not unexpected," officials said in a statement, since various types and strains have been detected in North America over the past 30 years.
"It's important to clarify that the avian influenza virus is not new to wild birds. Experts worldwide know that this virus in one form or another has circulated among wild birds around the world for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years," Clark said.
"These findings are not surprising given the natural prevalence of the virus in the wild population," he said, noting that the World Health Organization characterizes "this natural reservoir as benign and stable."
Nonetheless, the government agency has advised poultry producers to continue practicing strict biosecurity measures to ensure that commercial birds are not exposed to wild birds.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will closely monitor the health of wild and domestic birds in and around the tested regions, officials said.
Posted by: bk ||
11/01/2005 11:14 Comments ||
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I glad the bloody Canuks are actively engaged in "bio-security." They've done little in the way of National Security since the retirement of Sergeant Preston up in the Yukon.
Rapper 50 CENT has lashed out at fellow hip-hop star KANYE WEST for accusing US President GEORGE W BUSH of racism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The IN DA CLUB star believes human intervention could not have prevented the effects of the hurricane, which killed over a thousand people in the US gulf states in August (05), and sees no point in reprimanding the President for something which was beyond his control.
He might just lose his keys to DA HOOD for defending W like that
He says, "The New Orleans disaster was meant to happen. It was an act of God.
My jaw just dropped!
"I think people responded to it the best way they can.
"What KANYE WEST was saying, I don't know where that came from."
The judge in Rep. Tom DeLay's conspiracy case was removed at the congressman's request Tuesday because of his donations to Democratic candidates and causes. A new judge will be appointed to preside over the case, a judge who came out of retirement to hear the dispute ruled.
Bwahahahaha!
The ruling came after a hearing in which attorneys for the former House Republican leader argued that state District Judge Bob Perkins' political donations called his impartiality into question. Perkins, a Democrat, has contributed to candidates such as John Kerry and the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org. "The public perception of Judge Perkins' activities shows him to be on opposite sides of the political fence than Tom DeLay," defense attorney Dick DeGuerin told Judge C.W. Duncan, who was called out of retirement to decide the matter.
Perkins had declined to withdraw from the case, and prosecutor Rick Reed argued at the hearing that DeLay must prove that a member of the public would have a "reasonable doubt that the judge is impartial" before Perkins could be removed. "Judges are presumed to be impartial," Reed said.
Judges are elected in Texas and are free to contribute to candidates and political parties. DeGuerin said no one contends Perkins did anything wrong, but "to protect the integrity" of the judicial system, he should not preside over a trial for someone to whom he is opposed politically. The issue has come up for Perkins before. He voluntarily stepped aside in a 1994 case against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Perkins had made a $300 contribution to Hutchison's political opponent. Hutchison, also represented by DeGuerin, was ultimately acquitted of misconduct charges.
DeLay was forced to step down as House majority leaader after being charged with funneling corporate campaign contributions to Republican candidates for the Texas Legislature. Texas law forbids the direct use of corporate money for campaigning.
Delay's lawyers cited 34 contributions Perkins has made to Democrats since 2000, including donations to Kerry and to MoveOn.org, a group that has waged a campaign against DeLay. Perkins has said that his contributions to MoveOn.org were made before it launched its anti-DeLay campaign. Prosecutors also argued that six of the contributions were wrongly counted twice by DeLay's attorneys.
MoveOn will be rending their clothes and wailing at the moon
DeLay's attorneys subpoenaed Perkins to testify, but Duncan said he would not have to take the stand. Perkins argued that his participation would threaten the public's confidence in the judiciary.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/01/2005 16:14 ||
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I'm permitting myself a small, satisfied smile. Ever so ladylike...
'View Tax' Triggers Revolt in Rural N.H.
Oct 31 6:20 PM US/Eastern
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By KATHARINE WEBSTER
Associated Press Writer
ORFORD, N.H.
The one-room cabin David Bischoff built in a cow pasture three years ago has no electricity, no running water, no phone service and no driveway. What it does have is a wide-open view of nearby hills and distant mountains,which makes it seven times more valuable than if it had no view, according to the latest townwide property assessment. He expects his property taxes to shoot up accordingly.
Bischoff and other Orford residents bitterly call that a "view tax," and they are leading a revolt against it that has gained support in many rural towns in New Hampshire.
State officials say there is no such thing as a "view tax", it is a "view factor," Just like New Coke and Classic Coke and it has always been a part of property assessments. The only change is that views have become so valuable in some towns that assessors, and the jealous apartment renters who work for them, are giving them a separate line on appraisal records.
The change has stirred passions in Orford, a town of 1,040 that overlooks the Connecticut River and has views of neighboring Vermont and the White Mountains. As I said, "Git a rope!"
One big reason the reassessment has alarmed townspeople in Orford and beyond is that housing prices, and consequently property taxes, are shooting up in New England because of an influx of vacation-home buyers and retirees willing to pay top dollar for beautiful views. The drooling in the town bureaucracy is palpable and unseemly. "Git a rope!"
The Orford Board of Selectmen, of which Bischoff is chairman, voted in September to set aside the revaluation by Avitar Associates of New England until the Legislature comes up with objective standards for valuing views. I want to live!
Critics complain, for example, that some town assessors assign fixed dollar values to certain types of views, while others multiply a home's base value by a "view factor."
What kind of view does David Souter's house have. How will that affect the Emminent Domain case?
Avitar president Gary Roberge acknowledged that assessing views is partly subjective and said that is why there is an appeals process. "Where we always say NO!, but we have to say there is an appeals process. BTW, I now have 24 hour guards." But he said Orford's revaluation was sound overall. "There's been a huge change in property values in this area," he said. How convienient.
At a packed legislative hearing, Orford timberland owner Tom Thomson warned that unless the state acts, rising property taxes will force family farmers to sell to developers, Which is the whole idea amongst the bureaucrats. "Git a bunch of ropes!" permanently altering New Hampshire's rural character. And, so, how much will David Souter get off of this windfall?
"We're going to drive the people off the land who have been living on it and working it for generations," Thomson said. "It's going to destroy our No. 1 industry: tourism." DUH!
Guy Petell, director of property appraisals for the state, is sympathetic. But reallly copuldn't give a rats ass. He was seen getting aroused, saying under his breath, "Yes! revenue, revenue!" But real estate ads and sales prove that properties with views fetch a premium, and it would be unfair to homeowners without views to ignore that, Petell said. Cue violins. Life is a roll of the dice. The rooms w/ a view should beincreased the same proportions as the rooms without...
"A piece of land on a side of a hill that overlooks a 50-mile or 100- mile radius is going to be worth more than the same piece of land overlooking an industrial complex or a landfill," he said. True, but the rates should be increased the same amount you Socialistic dumf**k
In Bischoff's case, the view added $140,000 to his property's underlying value of $22,900. As a result, he expects his property taxes to jump from less than $500 last year to more than $3,000 this year. If he did something bad and I were on a jury...
Home appraisals, whether in New Hampshire, Texas or California, are supposed to reflect a property's market value. Because the view and other aesthetic considerations affect market value, it is standard practice in the industry to take them into account.
Wayne Trout, president of the International Association of Assessing Officials, a very fishy type of guy, said it is unusual for assessors to assign a specific dollar value to the view. But he said the methods do not really matter as long as total assessed value accurately represents market value.
Trout, the assessor for Norfolk, Va., said the value of waterfront and water-view homes there is rising rapidly, leading to complaints similar to those in New Hampshire. It's all in the fact that when they go up it should be the same percent increase for all, not some jealous fetish-like reaction of a bureaucrat without a life or property of his own.
In Nevada, state law requires assessors to consider views, and Washoe County assessor Bob McGowan said ballooning property values on Lake Tahoe have contributed to protests against his view-ranking system. The state helped ease the pain this year by capping annual property tax increases on primary residences at 3 percent, an approach adopted years ago by voter initiative in Massachusetts and California. God bless Proposition 13!
New Hampshire Agriculture Commissioner Steve Taylor said the underlying problem is the "perversity" of the state's heavy reliance on property taxes. The state has no general income or sales tax, and the resulting high property taxes are hardest on those who are land- rich but income-poor. No. What you do is increase the tax the same percentage for all if you have to increase it, then you don't have that problem. An if you don't understand that you should be institutionalized, because society shouldn't trust you to care for yourself, as your IQ is too low.
Retired engineer John Chandler objected when a revaluation doubled the value of his property in Hill because of its view of the White Mountains in the distance. Chandler noted that he does not own the view and cannot control it, and said it is increasingly obscured by air pollution.
Besides, he is legally blind. Oh goody, {drool-heavy breathing} TAX yes, {heavy breathing} TAX!
"I'm not enjoying that view, at least not as much as Avitar thinks I should be," he said. They don't care - What happens if they do with eye implant, like they did with the cochlear for the ear? See, Mr. Chandeler you could then be defrauding the government without reporting to them you could now enjoy the view. They can't have that now can they?
#1
"...and consequently property taxes, are shooting up in New England because of an influx of vacation-home buyers and retirees willing to pay top dollar for beautiful views."
#2
What if you COULD have a highly taxable view, if those pesky trees were not in the way? Should emminent domain be called into play to make you cut down the trees so your land could be taxed more highly to the benefit of the 'greater' community?
#3
In the SF Bay area, yes. But make sure you have photographs of what the view was when you purchased the property. the trees be trimmed back no further.
Views have economic value. Buyers pay for them. They're just like any other property that has value. Tax them. It's the one tax the rich don't escape.
"It wasn't supposed to be for attribution, but the DNC staffers who wrote the talking points sliming Judge Alito â talking points that Chris Matthews labeled "disgusting" and "amazingly bad politics" â forgot to take clean the metadata before forwarding the MSWord document. RedState has the goods here. Hat tip to NRO Bench Memos and Captain's Quarters who has more.
Posted by: Steve ||
11/01/2005 10:52 ||
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#1
I love watching clueless dumbasses getting nailed. The dems and the UN have more in common than I thought.
#4
Aren't these the same clowns always proclaiming how smart they are and how dumb the rest of us are? Yeah, let's give 'em the White House.. They'ze the right people to be in charge of nuclear weapons. They're likely to accidentally fire nukes at Nebraska or North Dakota..
#5
Since the Pol-hacks are so inept at this, they need to hire a staff IT person to check the file headers, etc before smear campaign documents are sent. But if your shining stars are Joe Wilson and Valerie Plaim, then you are in deep doodoo anyway, you wouldn't know who to hire.
SAN YSIDRO, Calif. â Assaults against U.S. Border Patrol agents nearly doubled along the Mexican border over the last year as patrols cracking down on drug trafficking and migrant smuggling encountered increasing resistance â including the use of rocks, Molotov cocktails and gunfire. At least 687 assaults against agents were reported during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up from the previous year's total of 354 and the highest since the agency began tracking assaults across the Southwest border in the late 1990s, according to Border Patrol officials. Most assaults occurred near urban smuggling havens such as Nogales, Ariz., and Tijuana, but cross-border skirmishes took place from remote California deserts to the banks of the Rio Grande in Texas. In many attacks, smugglers hurled softball-size rocks or fired high-powered slingshot devices loaded with marbles and ball bearings. Some tried to run over agents with vehiclesâŠ
In Tucson and San Diego, the most violent sectors, agents reported being shot at 43 times â up from 18 the previous year. No agents were killed, but three were shot in the leg. At least 20 more were hospitalized, many with head injuries from rocks. Agents fatally shot five suspected smugglers in the Tucson and San Diego sectors. In one recent case, officials said, an agent struggled with and killed a man who was armed with a semiautomatic weapon and was suspected of waiting to pick up migrants. Officials attribute the increased number of assaults to rising frustration among drug and immigrant traffickers, who have seen traditional smuggling routes blocked by the border buildup. About 11,000 agents â more than ever â patrol the 2,000-mile border with Mexico. Stadium lighting, sensors, remote cameras and triple fences protect some frontiers...
#1
Officials attribute the increased number of assaults to rising frustration among drug and immigrant traffickers, who have seen traditional smuggling routes blocked by the border buildup.
Good. We are on the way to being able to say, truthfully, "All our border are belong to us!"
Talks to open on climate change Field trip!
A two-day meeting of energy and environment ministers from 20 nations opens in London on Tuesday. The focus will be on curbing climate change through technology rather than binding international agreements. The British government, which hosts the talks as the current holder of the G8 presidency, may unveil a new domestic initiative on biofuels. The meeting brings the G8 group of industrialised countries alongside major developing world nations. Tech instead of idiot gauge rules. Okaaay... Oh, and the ankle-biters will be there too. Goody.
The discussions follow the climate agreement drawn up at July's G8 summit in Gleneagles, which emphasised the importance of climate-friendly technologies such as clean coal, nuclear power and renewables. Instead of destructive scams. Thanks to whom, may I ask? Wha? Couldn't quite hear you, Beeb. Who has injected a modicum of intelligence into this issue in lieu of the Ponzi schemes of fellow TranziBoy Maurice Strong and the UN Kleptocrats? End of Kyoto? At the weekend, Prime Minister Tony Blair called in a newspaper article for a new international consensus on tackling climate change built around "sound, rational science".
While describing the United Nations as the "only forum in which formal negotiations on future international commitments take place", he has in recent weeks downplayed the impact of the Kyoto Protocol. Mr Blair has expressed doubts that there will ever be another treaty which sets mandatory, binding targets on greenhouse gas emissions. Lol, who'da thunk it, eh? Science, real science. And only in the UN, huh? LOL - this meeting is happening in London, no, Tony? Subtle, but no joy, TranziBoy - the UN isn't necessary at all. For anything.
Major developing countries such as India and China are also known to be sceptical about a "child-of-Kyoto" deal. But that's not noblesse oblige, Beeb - that's cold hard self-interest economics.
The European Union has been leading discussions with both on transferring clean technology as an alternative way to bring emissions down. Have they, now? Well that's comforting... But it seems they were leading when the Kyoto Kool Aid was passed around as the End of the World cure, too... Essential targets
Many opposition politicians and environmental groups are critical of this approach, saying that mandatory targets are the best way forward. "Mr Blair cannot claim to take the environment seriously unless he secures an agreement from the G8 that mandatory national targets are essential to progress," said Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Norman Baker. "It is all very well for the government to trumpet the merits of technology in reducing carbon emissions, but it simply isn't enough; we need robust, measurable targets, not just vague aspirations." Lol. Still flailing away, we see. Sell it, Beeb! Wannabee wankercrats and their mouthpieces are never far apart - and you can never resist presenting the same lame BS as equivalent.
The so-called G20 discussions, hosted by Defra and the DTI - the UK government's environment and industry departments - are one element in what Mr Blair called a "potentially crucial week in the fight against climate change". UK government agencies will also present details of a number of technological approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Still presenting half-baked theory as fact. The spin never ends at the BBC.
Later this week, more than 40 governments will take part alongside business leaders in other London negotiations aimed at improving energy efficiency. Except for lifting the veil of irrationality regards nuclear power that might be achieved here, long overdue and necessary to counteract the fear-mongerers, that other meeting actually sounds more promising, heh.
#2
I know that there are some Global Warming afficianados out there, so could one of you answer a serious question for me?
I understand the C02 is a gas that can increase warmth by reflecting heat yadda yadda, but, my question is, by what mechanism can the tiny amount (relatively) of extra CO2 cause such large increases in temp.?
IIRC the increase is on the order of 60 parts per million. So, by what mechanism can so little do so much? Oh yeah, BTW, since CO2 is heavier than air, why doesn't it just sink and get "eaten" up by plants and oceans?
#4
#2 I know that there are some Global Warming afficianados out there, so could one of you answer a serious question for me?
Serious answer, the recent discovery that "Global Warming" complete with Icecap melting ON THE PLANET MARS, has pretty well shot the "Man made pollutants and greenhouse gasses" hysteria in the nuts.
Look for a quiet vanishing of any serious "Hews" reports as the whole silly idea is ignored and forgotten by the MSM. (Who? Us? we didn't believe it in the first place.)
Yeah, right.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/01/2005 8:23 Comments ||
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Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/01/2005 8:26 Comments ||
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#6
Solar activity cycles not CO2. But nobody gets study grants and socio-power by trying to control the sun
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/01/2005 9:55 Comments ||
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#7
RJ, I know about the "problem" on Mars (it's gotta be those little vehicles using unleaded) but, I want to know if there is ANY scientifically arguable theory as to how a little bit of CO2 can warm the whole F****ng planet!
Just read "State of Fear", and while I had seen most all of the research before, Crichton really asks the questions in a very clear, pointed way.
#9
ah waterworld, one of my favourite films,classic.
Posted by: Shep UK ||
11/01/2005 12:29 Comments ||
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#10
Kyoto was always a fraud. At its highest and best even if the US signed it could only slow global warming by 2/10ths of a degree Celcius by 2050.
Global warming is happening but there is NO way to stop it.
So the best we can do is continue as we are but spend money on levees, drainage ditches, irrigation systems for areas that will lose rainfall, introduce strict building codes and ensure all dwellings conform to them, dig more dams, in short: prepare for it !
Russia, China Could Create Spacecraft To Explore Mars, The Moon
Sanya, China (SPX) Nov 01, 2005
Russia and China are considering jointly creating spacecraft to explore Mars and the Moon, a senior official of the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said Monday, reports RIA Novosti.
Roscosmos deputy head Yury Nosenko said Russia proposed that both countries develop a small satellite to orbit Mars and that the 2008-2009 Mars exploration program proposed launching one or two light satellites into Mars' orbit to transmit data to earth.
The Roscosmos official also said Russia could offer China its help to explore the Moon within the Chinese space program.
"We will participate in exploring the Moon within the Chinese space program until China reaches the stage of a joint project," the official said.
According to Nosenko, Russia plans to create a satellite to study the Moon by 2012 and proposed that China participate in the project. A final stage in the Moon's exploration could be the creation of conditions for sending cosmonauts there, Nosenko said.
China has already added two successful launches of its manned space vehicles into orbit to its resume. China's first manned flight two years ago made it the third country to launch a human into space on its own along with Russia and the U.S.
As part of it's music CD copy protection scheme, apparently Sony adds "rootkits", which both hides their copy-protection malware from registry editors and may expose Windows computers to hacker exploits. A tech article, but you may want to shun using Sony CDs on your computer until it is resolved.
Greenpeace is to be fined after its flagship Rainbow Warrior II damaged a coral reef in the central Philippines during a climate change awareness campaign. The ship's bow sliced through a reef formation measuring 160sq m. The ship and its crew were assessed a 640,000-peso ($15,000) fine after the 55m motor-assisted schooner ran aground at the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park yesterday, park manager Angelique Songco said. A Greenpeace official in the Philippines described the incident as accidental, and said it would comply with the marine park authorities' ruling.
We'd like to see a copy of the cancelled check though. Front and back.
Rainbow Warrior II arrived in the reservation in the middle of the Sulu Sea, about 600km south of Manila, last weekend as part of a four-month Asia-Pacific campaign to promote earth-friendly energy sources, Greenpeace campaign manager Red Constantino said. He said the crew made dive sorties to inspect the effect of global warming on the coral formation. "The chart indicated we were a mile and a half" from the coral reef when the ship ran aground, Mr Constantino said. He said the August 2005 navigational map was provided by the mapping office of the Philippine Government. The ship's own rubber boats safely towed it into deeper water, and it escaped serious damage. Mr Constantino said the ship was now heading back to the Puerto Princesa on the western island of Palawan to file an incident report with the marine park office. Mr Constantino said that Greenpeace divers on the Tubbataha expedition had found that healthy coral and no evidence of bleaching, believed to be caused by warming sea temperatures. He said the healthy state of the Tubbataha Reefs did not disprove the theory of global warming, which he described as an "extremely complicated science".
"Ever so complicated. It takes a full crew of highly trained professionals to [Bonk][Thud][CRUNCH] er, we'll get back to you...Claude, you idiot..."
Posted by: God Save The World AKA Oztralian ||
11/01/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
He said the crew made dive sorties to inspect the effect of global warming on the coral formation. "The chart indicated we were a mile and a half" from the coral reef when the ship ran aground
Translation: We didn't like the data we were getting from the divers, so we fudged it a bit by ramming the reef.
#11
I just had a thought...GP oughta rename the ship the "GSS* Global Warming" and ram reefs all over the world to highlight the damage to the environment caused by...you got it - global warming.
#12
the August 2005 navigational map was provided by the mapping office of the Philippine Government
there's your problem
Posted by: bk ||
11/01/2005 11:08 Comments ||
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#13
There's just too much in this story to make fun of, but I'll try:
The ship and its crew were assessed a 640,000-peso ($15,000) fine after the 55m motor-assisted schooner ran aground at the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park yesterday, park manager Angelique Songco said.
Well, if one truly believed in global warming, then shouldn't one be expected to do away with all fossil-fuel burning instruments, including motors? Reminds me of the video I saw on World's Funniest Videos one night of some GP Yahoo riding a jet-ski off the Alaskan coast, trying to interrupt the Eskimos (who, by the way, was in an ecologically friendly canoe) from hunting whales, when the Coast Guard was called in. This yahoo cut right in front of the Coast Guard cutter (ya know, the kind that doesn't turn on a dime), and, whoops, the cutter ran right over her and her jet-ski. Don't think she was seriously injured, but it gave me a good chuckle.
He said the August 2005 navigational map was provided by the mapping office of the Philippine Government.
Obviously, charts from before Halliburton - Tsunami Division got a hold of the area, eh?
The ship's own rubber boats safely towed it into deeper water, and it escaped serious damage.
You mean, they don't have boats made of hemp? Don't they know what rubber is made of? Egads, it's made from fossil fuels too. Oh, the hypocrisy of it all.
Posted by: BA ||
11/01/2005 13:02 Comments ||
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#14
I still can't figure out why Greenpeace wants to shave the whales.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
11/01/2005 16:00 Comments ||
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#15
These guys are too stoned to do anything right.
#16
He said the healthy state of the Tubbataha Reefs did not disprove the theory of global warming, which he described as an "extremely complicated science".
#18
Rubber is made from the sap of the rubber tree. However, and this is a biggie, almost all the rubber trees on the plantations are clones, and some killing disease is going through them... along the lines of Dutch Elm Disease or whatever wiped out the American Chestnut trees. Last I heard, we may be the last generation to have natural rubber for tires (tyres) and things.
#6
One guy commented on the photos as a street performance by Dad and kid to get money from the crowd. It seems plausible.
What the guy commented:
I'm an Iranian and I've seen these pictures in a report in a local newspaper before.
It's not a 'punishment' or anything like that. If it was a punishment they wouldn't put the soft thing under the boy's arm.
The man in the picture is a poor father making a show of his son's abilities just to make money from the people standing there. This is their everyday activity. Very Very sorrowing.
Please be careful not to post anything that you don't have enough information about.
And don't post such things which are to make hate in the hearts of the people rather than sympathy.
#7
Re Penguin's comment: I've certainly heard of more depraved things being done to kids by parents to earn money. If fake, the kid sure does a great job emoting abject terror.
wow! What does that mean, that "it seems plausible"? It "seems plausible" that this was a street performance that everyone just stood around and watched? Yeah, that would happen in a civilized country, we'd all just stand around, watch and throw a few coins in a jar.
It's not a 'punishment' or anything like that. If it was a punishment they wouldn't put the soft thing under the boy's arm.
Ooookaaay. So from that comment we can assume that we know that this is "an act" because they put a soft cloth under his arm and they would not have done that if it were to be a punishment.
Do you know how CRAZY that sounds to a civilized ear? Don't get so upset, everyone knows that when you really want to punish a child you don't put the soft cloth down.
Seen it before without the cloth, have you?
Barbarians. In case you haven't noticed, it hasn't been the 7th Century for quite some time.
#9
And don't post such things which are to make hate in the hearts of the people rather than sympathy.
There's the nub of it -- "Don't show people what beasts we are."
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
11/01/2005 17:23 Comments ||
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#10
It's not a 'punishment' or anything like that. If it was a punishment they wouldn't put the soft thing under the boy's arm.
Try crap like that in any * CIVILIZED * country and see how long a sentence you get for child abuse. The Iranian Mullocracy is * SCUM * as is anyone who supports or excuses them.
POLICE in north-eastern Iran have launched a new morality drive by confiscating alluring mannequins from boutiques and clothes stalls in the bazaar, authorities in the city of Bojnourd said yesterday.
A spokesman for the city's judiciary said that the drive would help tackle problems of "public chastity". Some 65 mannequins have so far been impounded.
He added the crackdown was part of a wider offensive against anti-social behaviour such as vandalism.
Bojnourd owes its traditional religious climate to the nearby shrine city of Mashhad, a focal point of pilgrimage for the world's Shiite Muslims.
#1
Is it just me or is this whole Islamist thing like watching one of those movies where a caveman unfreezes and wakes up in the 21st Century. These people are so backward. They haven't advanced past the 7th centurcy with the exception of importing western technology. Will it take thousands of years for them to catch up or just one or two generations?
The highest court within the United Methodist Church defrocked a lesbian minister Monday for violating the denomination's ban on "self-avowed, practicing homosexual" clergy...
ISLAMABAD â Earthquake survivors in Pakistan will start dying from lack of food within a month if the world fails to help, and women and children will be the worst hit, the World Food Programme (WFP) said yesterday.
Qazi better step up the pace of all those relief convoys...
There are already early signs of nutritional deficiencies in remote mountain areas hit by the October 8 quake and weakened people will fall prey to disease, the UN agencyâs emergency coordinator Michael Jones told AFP. âIn one monthâs time we will start to see malnutrition-related diseases and we will start to see people dying, they will say from hunger or starvation but it will be from weakened bodies,â Jones said.
You might try releasing them from Ramadan fasting too...
The WFP on Friday more than doubled the number of people it said needed food aid including vitamin-enhanced wheat flour, saying it now had to get supplies to 2.3 million before snow starts to fall in mid-November. The WFP says it needs another 100 million dollars. Food was already a problem in the quake zone before the quake hit, with around 60 per cent of children there being chronically malnourished before the earthquake and 10 per cent affected by wasting of the body, Jones said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/01/2005 00:18 ||
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Mmm! I don't see how an earthquake affects the supply of food, especially after the summer harvest. It might have killed domestic animals but that would mean less meat and more feed grains available.
Hundreds of government troops backed by U.N. peacekeepers began flushing heavily armed Rwandan rebels from eastern Congo on Monday, destroying insurgent camps and sending smoke rising above the restive region. The operation in North Kivu province involving 2,000 Congolese troops and 500 peacekeepers was the first time Congo's government has used force against the Hutu rebels since a deadline for the departure of all foreign armed groups expired a month ago. At least a dozen rebels were captured.
Residents in eastern Congo lauded the mission, saying the foreign fighters had stolen from locals and harassed them. "The Rwandans attacked us every day. They stole our sweet potatoes, peanuts and bananas. They even took our women," said Semikore Sebagabo, a 44-year old father of six. "My children have seen too much war, too much fighting, death and killing. It is time for it to end. We want peace now."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2005 00:00 ||
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I first started reading the newspaper in the late 1950's. Articles of this type were published then as well, different pics, weapons, vehicles, same type of thugs. This is not news, this is a lifestyle.
ISLAMABAD: At least 17,000 Pakistani children died when their schools collapsed in the October 8 earthquake, and the trauma for the survivors is worse than after the Asian tsunami, the UNICEF chief said on Monday. âWe are estimating that at least 17,000 pupils were killed in schools. Thatâs the one number that we have some estimate on,â UN Childrenâs Fund Executive Director Ann Veneman said in Islamabad. According to UNICEF estimates, between 1.6 million and 2.2 million children have been affected by the earthquake. Veneman said that even those children who survived were traumatised. âThe trauma that these children have experienced has been particularly worse, even more than other tragedies like the tsunami,â she said. âThey were in school when the quake struck. Many of the survivors have injuries and lost important people.â
Posted by: Fred ||
11/01/2005 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
In line with the airlift program ordered by the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to assist victims of the earthquake which recently hit Pakistan, a plane carrying medical supplies left for Islamabad on Sunday. Othman Al-Ghuweiri, the Director of follow-up, support and coordination at the Saudi relief team, said the plane was carrying 12 ton of medical supplies.
The British government is considering a proposal to ban drinking on public transport, Defense Secretary John Reid said Sunday.
Greenpeace is to be fined after its flagship Rainbow Warrior II damaged a coral reef in the central Philippines during a climate change awareness campaign. The ship's bow sliced through a reef formation measuring 160sq m. The ship and its crew were assessed a 640,000-peso ($15,000) fine after the 55m motor-assisted schooner ran aground at the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park yesterday, park manager Angelique Songco said. A Greenpeace official in the Philippines described the incident as accidental, and said it would comply with the marine park authorities' ruling. 
Hundreds of government troops backed by U.N. peacekeepers began flushing heavily armed Rwandan rebels from eastern Congo on Monday, destroying insurgent camps and sending smoke rising above the restive region. The operation in North Kivu province involving 2,000 Congolese troops and 500 peacekeepers was the first time Congo's government has used force against the Hutu rebels since a deadline for the departure of all foreign armed groups expired a month ago. At least a dozen rebels were captured.
