GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said background noises actually may scramble brain activity as well as make conversations more difficult.
The discovery could explain why even perfectly loud speech can be difficult to understand in a noisy room, University of Florida researchers said.
The researchers studied how alert rats' brain cells responded to specific sounds while one of three standardized noises played in the background. They discovered that brain activity actually decreased in the presence of background noise.
Background noise did not simply cover up sounds, they said. It interfered with the brain's ability to process or interpret information about a sound, even though the sound was heard. Essentially, they said, the brain could not understand what the ear was telling it.
The phenomenon could play a role in an auditory processing disorder first noticed in children in the 1970s. The lack of coordination between the ear and brain that characterizes the disorder is thought to be widespread, although it is difficult to diagnose.
The findings could influence the design of hearing devices, MP3 music players and virtually any audio transmission technology, the researchers said.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 8:39:47 PM ||
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BACKGROUND NOISE CAN ALSO SCREW UP BRAIN FUNCTION IN A WAY TO EFFECT HOW MANY TIMES YOU POST THE SAME ARTICLE!! OR SO I'VE BEEN TOLD...
I figured that out a long time ago - that's why I'm single again ;-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/01/2004 23:37 Comments ||
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#8
thanks sea. thats why i hang out with you folks. buddy brought over the new brian wilson cd smile . it was what i thought it would be. pretty cool but a redo of smiley smile and wild honey.i'm left side challenged. thats pc for help me i'vr fallen and can't get up. man after honing my wordssmityhing for a few years here what a downer to hsve to type two finger. start kemo mondday with radiation. say hi to new rbr jq rider when he stops by. he's into motorcycles and is cool. man. love your friends and family. my surgeon reminded me of dr nick from simpsons.
#9
Lucky jq gave me your addy and I'll send you a card tomorrow. Abu with the flashing eyes and the toothy smile hasn't been around in a while, we miss him!
#1
Regarding his being charged, Mueller says when he demanded the removal of the monetary system and insisted people comply with the universal order of stellar economics, "that's when they began turning ugly and decided on arresting their prophet."
LOL, Mucky! This chap is a piece of work. The s**t hits the intergalactic fan. The internet is not ready for him yet.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/01/2004 19:55 Comments ||
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This is serious! "Neglect to proceed and you will earn judgment from the Starfleet Commanders on your leadership heads!"
#3
Hey, UFOOL? Are you reading this? Don't give me that silent act, I know you're up there. Looks like this guy's nuttier then you. Just remember, he was on our list too.
Posted by: The Mossad ||
10/01/2004 20:52 Comments ||
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The earthquakes beneath Mount St. Helens are a reminder that Mount Rainier and the other mountains of the Cascade Range are part of a volcanic "ring of fire" that encircles the Pacific Ocean.
The ring, which includes about three-fourths of the worldâs active and dormant volcanoes, runs from the tip of South America up through Alaska, over to Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, and down through the Philippines and Indonesia into New Zealand.
The ring of fire has been a steady performer that has produced some spectacular blasts in recent history, including the May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens that blew the top 1,400 feet off the volcano.
#4
Nice pics. The entire Cascade Range is in the link.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 17:33 Comments ||
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We had a great discussion here sometime back about the Yellowstone super volcano. In addition, Mammoth Lake is poised to reenact that movie where the volcano eats Los Angeles.
Then there's the New Madrid fault, the magnetic poles are moving, and Dan Rather is still on the air. [runs screaming into the night]
By GUILLERMO ARIAS, Associated Press Writer Fri, Oct 01, 2004
YERBABUENA, Mexico - Western Mexico's "Volcano of Fire" unleashed a towering column of smoke and ash Friday, after ropes of burning, orange lava poured from its peak overnight.
A light coating of ash dusted nearby communities that are home to about 600 people. Authorities were on heightened alert but said they had no plans to order evacuations.
"The volcano is very active but has not yet reached a risk level that would prompt an evacuation," said Melchor Urzua, director of emergency response teams for Colima state.
Known in Spanish as "Volcan del Fuego," the 12,533-foot-high mountain straddles the border of Colima and Jalisco states, 300 miles west of Mexico City.
Earthquakes (news - web sites) and explosions of hot rock within the volcano began Wednesday, provoked by the collapse of a dome that formed recently in its center. Small landslides tumbled down the volcano's northern and western slopes. Lava flowed Thursday night and early Friday morning.
"The incandescent material won't affect nearby communities because it's running off into valleys," said Jorge Sapien, a spokesman for Jalisco emergency teams.
A major eruption in 1999 sent glowing rock three miles down its slopes and fired a plume of ash more than 5 miles high.
In 1913, an explosion created a crater 1,650 feet deep, blasted fast-moving flows of hot ash down the volcano's slopes and rained ash on Guadalajara, 75 miles to the north.
Vulcanologists consider the Colima volcano to be one of the most active and potentially the most destructive in central Mexico.
It has erupted violently dozens of times since its first recorded eruption in 1560.
All we need now is a massive earthquake to hit Tokyo or Paris
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 4:07:25 PM ||
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I've alway wanted to use lava (the liquid rock, not the soap) for BBQing.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 17:15 Comments ||
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There's a lot of circumstantial evidence available to indicate a major series of volcanic and earthquake activity along North America's west coast. This volcano, if taken in conjunction with the earthquake a few days ago in the Gulf of California and the central California quake day before yesterday, indicate a period of increased activity. IF I lived in southern California or central Oregon, I'd be very worried.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
10/01/2004 18:36 Comments ||
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I've climbed Shasta, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Ranier. They all have active fumeroles with nasty sulfur smells about near the summits. Just letting us humans know that they are not dead, but sleeping.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/01/2004 18:55 Comments ||
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Just short naps on the geologic time scale.
I'm disappointed that Volcano of Fire doesn't overlook the Sea of Fire. Ain't right.
Posted by: Dar ||
10/01/2004 19:25 Comments ||
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And, no, this has nothing to do with the recently defeated gay marriage ban amendment either.
For Ken Livingstone the idea seemed simple enough. Under a new drive for a cleaner London, smokers would face £50 fixed penalties for dumping cigarette ends in the street. The Mayor was keen for his staff to lead by example. There were to be no excuses - the latest newsletter made that clear. They were not allowed to litter the pavement outside City Hall. Those staff members who wanted to smoke would have to use the heat-resistant "Stubbi" cigarette pouch given to them to dispose of the offending item. The small pouch comes with step-bystep instructions. Step one: put cigarette, lit-end first, into Stubbi. Step two: close flap and press button (leave closed for 20 seconds). Step three: ensure cigarette is extinguished before storing or disposing of Stubbi. Step four: empty Stubbi when contents are fully extinguished.
But as details emerged of Mr Livingstone's latest campaign, staff at City Hall seemed to be struggling to comply. In only half an hour the Evening Standard saw 19 workers come out of the building, light up, enjoy a cigarette then stub it out on the pavement. "It's ridiculous," said one. "Look around you - there's nowhere for us to dispose of our cigarettes apart from the pavement. Ken won't give us a smoking room so we have to come out here, endure all types of weather and now we're being told not to litter the streets. "Where does he want us to put our fag ends, in our pockets? We've been given these little pouches which only hold five butts and yet Ken won't let us empty them in the office bins. We have to take them home."
In minutes, a cleaner was out on the concourse sweeping up. But as soon as he left other workers appeared - apparently oblivious to Mr Livingstone's wishes. "These Stubbi pouches are rubbish," said one. Her colleagues agreed. A line manager said: "As you can see, no one is taking a blind bit of notice. Employing 750 wardens to enforce Ken's new policy is going to cost tens of thousands of pounds. Can't he spend the money on something better?" Mr Livingstone has written to 300 firms warning them that their staff who smoke outside should not throw away cigarette ends. To make it easier for smokers to comply he spent ?30,000 on 15,000 pouches. His officials claim 2,700 tons of cigarette waste including packaging, matches and butts are dumped on London's pavements each year. Under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act, council enforcement officers can issue ?50 fixed-penalty notices for littering. Offenders have the option to pay the penalty within a few weeks or they can go to court. For once in his life, Livingstone may be on to something here. When you multiply the number of tobacco smokers in the United States by between five and ten, you get the number of cigarette butts left on the ground or otherwise improperly disposed of EVERY DAY. Most people smoke more than ten cigarettes per day, the lower number is intended to account for those few ethical smokers who do not litter.
Add up the numbers and you get TENS OF TONS of trash being littered into the street and onto our sidewalks every 24 hours. This figure disregards the number of forest and brush fires caused by goons who whip still-smouldering cigarette ends out of their car windows whilst driving. The cost to taxpayers is enormous. Cigarette filters take a very long time to decompose and are extremely unsightly to boot. I wish there was some way to charge a deposit on them so that they had to be returned for reimbursement.
In my entire life, I have run into only a very few scrupulous cigarette smokers who took even the least pains to ensure that they did not litter. The rest are among some of the most thoughtless swine I have ever met.
Posted by: Zenster ||
10/01/2004 5:11:03 AM ||
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Anything that commie waste of skin Livingstone is for I am against. Just to be a prick. He certainly is one a horrible outrageous jerk.
#2
I'm all for fining litterbugs - there's not excuse for not putting your rubbish in a bin (and if there isn't a bin, take the stuff home with you, for heaven's sake), but at least fag butts are biodegraded relatively quickly and insignificantly small, so there's worse rubbish to deal with out there. (Fly tipping, for instance - how many butts would you have to drop to equal one mattress? But I digress...)
I'm inclined to agree with SPoD. It's a good rule of thumb to oppose whatever Red Ken advocates. And why doesn't he provide a bin for his own staff, who he's obliged to stand outside for their fix? I wonder how many rooms he's dedicated to private religious (read: Muslim) observance in City Hall? Intolerant bugger.
#3
No Zenster, I didn't think this was a subject on gays. But your title is a clever play on words.
I'm an expert at giving up smoking - I've done it so many times. I'm currently weed-free and have been for a gestation period of nine months. so I can appreciate both sides of the argument. In terms of sheer obnoxiousness, however, I think the PC non-smoker with his cast-in-stone regulations and conditions has the edge over the smoke-in-your-face butt-flinger.
#4
LOL as an ex-smoker who always packed his butts and trash home I can assuere you there is nothing worse than a reformed smoker except a bleeding heart liberal who know whats best for you in all respects.
Anyone could safely however be the opposite of Ken Livinstone and be in very good company. Having read some of the total crap that has come out of his mouth over the years I am suprised he is still with us. How he has come to be the mayor of the most populated city in the EU is beyond me. Human stupidity still amazes me. It would be like making Willie Brown mayor of Los Angles.
As far as thoughless swine go, aholes who shoot up road signs quite easily out match thoughtlessness of some smokers. At least the smokers are addicted.
#6
#3No Zenster, I didn't think this was a subject on gays. But your title is a clever play on words.
Some titles go well beyond the most warped imaginations, Bryan. Did you click the link? That was the article's running masthead.
As to Livingstone, note how I said "For once in his life, Livingstone may be on to something here." I think old Ken is brain dead meself. I just happen to detest habitual litterers. Especially those who tend to start brush and forest fires with impunity.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/01/2004 10:54 Comments ||
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I've heard tell that there's little or no ground cover in the center of the island. Burned it all up to make charcoal, or some such thing. Now, when the rains come... down comes the mud. Terrible thing to see.
#6
A lot of the blame has to go to the French. Haiti had to pay 90 million gold francs in 1825 to King Charles X of France, as compensation for French settlers who had been expropriated by the newly-independent republic. This sum has been calculated to amount to 21bn dollars today.
This completely ruined the country's economy, never to recover from.
Before the ruling Workers' party begins its rally in S'o Paulo's Ipiranga neighbourhood, campaign co-ordinators rehearse applause with the crowd for the television cameras about to roll. Rap music and pep talks are followed by a hurried, 10-minute speech by Marta Suplicy, the mayor seeking re-election. After fireworks and confetti, Ms Suplicy is whisked off to her next event even before the "real" entertainment - a folk concert - starts. The slick photo opportunity is a far cry from the heartfelt gatherings with which the leftwing Workers' party (PT) made its debut on the political landscape only two decades ago.
After the resounding presidential election victory ofLuiz Inäcio Lula da Silvain 2002, the PT is trying to broaden its grip on power in municipal elections on Oct ober 3. The elections are dominated by local issues but the results will be seen as an assessment of Mr Lula da Silva and his orthodox economic policy. In such a vast country, mayors are not only essential for implementing central government policy but could be crucial to the president's likely re-election bid in two years. "We want to consolidate the PT way of governing and legislating - with responsibility and popular participation," says Gleber Naime, a PT national director.
Police in Russia's western Belgorod region are imposing fines on people who swear in public - and local officials say the campaign is very popular. The officials say young people have been minding their language since the ban was introduced in July. Any person caught uttering profanities in public can face fines of up to $50. The authorities have launched anti-swearing poster competitions, TV ads and comics in their campaign to clean up the Russian language. "We want Russian to remain as pure as in the great classics," said Valentina Trunova, deputy head of Belgorod's department of youth affairs.
#4
There is no better language for profanity; it's too bad.
They've got their priorities mixed up, though. Cheating is the norm in schools there, not the exception, as are fooling government, manipulating the system, blackmail and black markets. Guess they're starting with the littlest problems first?
The russian looks ok on compose, but it gets all mixed up when on preview....
bolshoye spacivuh, TGA
It's all Cyrillic to me, Seafarious.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/01/2004 18:42 Comments ||
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The Army sent one of my brothers through Russian Language School at Monterey. He said that the last class before graduation was a six week study of Russian profanity so that the linguists would recognize what they were hearing in the intercepts. He said that the Russians had some of the most creative, depraved and mentally challenging epithets imaginable. His favorite expression, often applied to high ranking officers, translated loosely to: "He farts wider than his a**h***"
Rescuers in western Japan are digging frantically through mud and rubble trying to reach people buried in the ruins of their own homes after a typhoon killed at least 15 people in floods and landslides. Reuters reports typhoon Meari headed out to sea after being downgraded to a tropical depression, but rescue work has continued in an area east of Osaka. Many roads remain blocked in the worst-hit areas, making it difficult to bring in digging equipment. Television pictures have shown cars turned upside down and houses knocked over by landslides. The typhoon is a record eighth such storm to hit Japan this year with nearly 50 people being killed.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 1:27:08 AM ||
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SKIPPING class in Japan just got harder thanks to computer chips that help track students, Japanese officials say. Schools in Tokyo have started trials where students carry chips that have tiny antennae and can be traced by radio. The chip are attached to backpacks and send signals to receivers at school gates. A computer in the system shows when a student enters or leaves. School officials say rising concerns about student safety prompted the idea. "More than 70 per cent of parents supported the trials, indicating there is wide appreciation for this kind of effort," said Ichiro Ishihara, a teacher at a public elementary school in Iwamura town, Gifu prefecture, about 275 km west of Tokyo.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 12:38:21 AM ||
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Wonder how long till that is tried here?
I can just see the tinfoil hat crowd's reaction.
Posted by: N Guard ||
10/01/2004 13:14 Comments ||
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The tax & spend Dems should read this lol
The president of the tiny South Pacific nation of Nauru declared a state of emergency after firing parliament for failing to pass the national budget, an official at Nauru's Embassy in Australia said Friday. President Ludwig Scotty dissolved the government on Thursday and told the nation in a televised address that he had no choice but to declare a state of emergency, the embassy official told The Associated Press by telephone. The government had no immediate comment, the official said. (Well all of them got pink slips)
The turmoil was the latest crisis to hit Nauru, which once boasted one of the world's highest per capita incomes. Its population of 10,000 used to live off the island's rich reserves of phosphate, a chemical used in fertilizers. But economic mismanagement and graft, coupled with the depletion of the phosphate reserves, has driven the country to the brink of financial collapse. Parliamentary Speaker Russell Kun, who said parliament was deadlocked in an 8-8 vote on the budget, slammed Scotty's decision as unconstitutional and said opposition members of parliament would seek a court injunction. "There's anarchy going on around here," Kun told Australian Associated Press on Friday. "(Nauru) has been single-handedly taken over by one person." Kun said a state of emergency should apply only when the nation's security or economy was threatened. Nauru had a constitutional crisis in June when then-President Rene Harris was ousted in a vote of no-confidence.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 2:46:56 AM ||
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CANBERRA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Australia would be "crazy" to ratify the Kyoto protocol because it would hike power prices and cost the country jobs, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said on Friday after Russia moved to approve the climate change treaty.
Macfarlane told Reuters in an interview that the Kyoto treaty -- aimed at cutting the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming -- could not work because key emitters like the United States, China and Indonesia would never sign up. "Russia has been flirting with this for a while and it's really got more to do with them getting access to the European Economic Union," Macfarlane said. "They are really doing it for their own reasons, not as part of some global drive to reduce greenhouse gases and that really exposes the fundamental flaw in Kyoto," he said.
Despite not signing up to the pact, Macfarlane said Australia, which accounts for 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, was on track to meet its Kyoto target of restricting any increase in emissions to eight percent by 2012. "The potential for an increase in the costs of electricity to consumers in Australia and an obvious potential to have industry driven offshore to non-Kyoto ratifying countries means we would be crazy (to ratify the pact)," Macfarlane said.
"Until there is a system including all countries aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, not simply allowing people to trade away their sins by buying carbon credits or selling their emissions, then really the whole Kyoto system is flawed."
Australia's energy resources are a major source of the nation's wealth, with energy exports worth over A$24 billion ($17.5 billion) a year and the sector employing 120,000 people. Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal, and supplies eight percent of world trade in liquefied natural gas.
But although Australia's conservative government is adamant it would not ratify the agreement, the country's main opposition Labor party has vowed to approve the Kyoto treaty and set up a carbon trading regime if it wins a tight Oct. 9 election. "We need national leadership, this is a big issue for Australia," Labor leader Mark Latham told Australian television. "We're at risk of losing our national icons, our natural assets, and (that's) all the more reason for Australia to follow the international pattern, become part of Kyoto, become part of the effort against global warming.
The move to approve Kyoto by Russia, which accounts for 17 percent of world emissions, takes the pact a step close to being enforced worldwide. Kyoto becomes binding once it has been ratified by 55 percent of the signatories, which must altogether account for 55 percent of developed countries' carbon dioxide emissions. The pact, so far ratified by 122 nations, has met the first condition. But they account for only 44 percent of emissions.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 3:44:28 AM ||
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Kerry slipped in a Kyoto jab last night. Bush should have torn his throat out, but Bush was too busy staying on topic. Did Kerry vote to ratify Kyoto? Who else is on that short list of morons out of 100 senators?
Posted by: Tom ||
10/01/2004 8:00 Comments ||
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Kerry doesn't care if he wrecks our economy or our national defence. Just like the opposition in Australia. International liberal socialism is more than nations or people. The "little people" (thats us) are to stupid to understand that.
#3
Kyoto is on Shikoku Island... A super duper big one in 2-5 years. Kyoto will be gone. Just wait it out and then one can say: "Whadda heck ya' talkin' 'bout? There's no Kyoto!
#6
Well duh! That makes three countries that pretty much rejected Kyoto (Russia, US, and Australia). Seems to me that President Bush had the right direction al along and it's Kerry that is WRONG WRONG WRONG!
#7
Very good, badanov. You are correct. But SPoD has guessed incorrectly:
"Many news stories in 1997 referred to Kerry's support of Kyoto, undeterred by the Massachusetts senator's vote with 94 other senators [in 1995] for a resolution that directed President Clinton to not agree to a global warming pact that exempted developing nations. (Veep Al Gore ignored the Senate and agreed to a pact that exempts China, India and other developing nations from any pollution caps, while requiring the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.)" Source.
Kerry and the Senate voted against Kyoto in 1995, 95-0, and now he tries to club Bush with it.
Posted by: Tom ||
10/01/2004 12:25 Comments ||
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Could the Kyoto Protocols also be known as "The Protocols of the Elders of the Econutballs"?
"Until there is a system including all countries aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, not simply allowing people to trade away their sins by buying carbon credits or selling their emissions, then really the whole Kyoto system is flawed."
He has it dead-on right! You improve the situation by raising everyone's standards, including developing nations. That way, everyone wins and you do it the right way from the git go in the developing nations. The Kyoto Treaty as it is is just a smoke and mirrors scheme that accomplishes little.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/01/2004 19:27 Comments ||
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Putin's move makes a lot of sense. After all Russia's emission limit was calculated on what they produced in... 1990.
Since their economy has slumped so much ever since, they will actually make huge profits with Kyoto... selling emission shares worth up to 22bn dollars. Should Russia reach the limits of 1990 again (which could happen in 2012) they can team up with Germany to work on joint emission reduction. The Germans (leading the field in that technology) would gain emission certificates by modernizing the Russian industry... and Russia sanitizes communities.
And Putin probably gains access to WTO by signing Kyoto. Plus diverts criticism on his increasing authoritarian way of running Russia.
#11
So, TGA, Russia has a money making scheme with Kyoto and the EU and other industrialized suckers nations pay the bill for Russia's economic development. Hell of a deal if you are Russia.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/01/2004 20:04 Comments ||
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AP, Kyoto has degenerated into exactly that. I'm all for emission reduction and we should actively push for that. But the way Kyoto goes about it will not work.
If you want to make this work, devise a bonus scheme for every country that produces less emissions than the year before... encourage modernizing of industries.
HELSINKI, Finland Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Democratic candidate John Kerry would defeat U.S. President Bush in a landslide if only the election was being held in Finland.
In a poll by Gallup Suomen for Helsingin Sanomat, 71 percent of those surveyed preferred the senator and only 13 percent backed the Republican president. The poll found the Kerry preference holds across regional and social lines. Even among conservatives, only 22 percent of members of the National Coalition Party like Bush.
Questioned on their attitudes, 64 percent said they are more negative about the United States under Bush, and 78 percent say that Finland's current leaders are maintaining the correct relationship with Washington. A majority, 59 percent, do not believe that the U.S. election's outcome will have much impact on Finland, whoever wins.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 8:25:08 PM ||
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I vote Stalin for president of Finland. He did such wonderful things with Karelia, why not all of Finland.
Posted by: ed ||
10/01/2004 21:10 Comments ||
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Don't know where you're getting your poll numbers, Chuck, but I can assure you it's a whole lot higher than that.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/01/2004 21:20 Comments ||
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Do we have a foriegn country who will back Nader? Can we get some international love for the Ralphoid. And let me give a shout out to my main man John Anderson... if he is still breathing.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/01/2004 21:28 Comments ||
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#6
He used to comment here...
Posted by: Fred ||
10/01/2004 22:12 Comments ||
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Having lived in Europe and up close and personal with Europeans, including their best and brightest, I would bet that the Finns don't even know who George Bush and John Kerry are. Not in any meaningful sense.
Posted by: V is for Victory ||
10/01/2004 23:01 Comments ||
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What I find really funny about these articles is that "newsmen" bother to ask foreigners questions about subjects on which they know nothing - American politics. Are they going to start asking Americans who foreign leaders should be?
THE Spanish Government today approved a bill to legalise homosexual marriages, which will make it only the third country in Europe to condone same sex marriages, cabinet spokeswoman Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said. The reform notably also grants homosexual couples the right to adopt children. The other two countries where gay marriage is legal are Belgium and the Netherlands, though only the Netherlands allows such unions to adopt children. Calling it "an important day", Fernandez de la Vega said the vote put Spain "in the forefront of Europe and the world in the fight" to end discrimination against same sex unions.
"Oh, Bruce! I'm so happy for them!"
"Oh, Lance! Let's move to Spain!"
"I'll get our turbans!"
Posted by: tipper ||
10/01/2004 11:10:33 AM ||
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I wonder how that will work when they incorporate Sharia.
#5
Some might want to consider what registering with the Government will mean for them when Sharia is implemented. Sort of like firearm registries in the U. S.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
10/01/2004 11:47 Comments ||
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#6
how do they decide which spouse wears the burka?
#7
Does this mean Spain's President (Mr. Bean the 2nd) is now free to marry for a second time?
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 15:56 Comments ||
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LOL at the above comments!
Patrick Fitzgerald marries Gerald Fitzpatrick? Well I suppose the Spanish govt. had to do SOMETHING to make them feel that they are still in control of their own destiny.
A small Spanish fishing boat netted more than it bargained for this week when it hauled up 23 bales of hashish instead of the usual batch of anchovies. The catch off the Mediterranean port of Sant Carles de la Rapita Wednesday was worth more than 1 million euros ($1.2 million), Civil Guards said Thursday. Two other boats separately found two bundles each. The guards said the haul, weighing nearly a ton in total, could be part of a consignment thrown overboard by traffickers interrupted by a patrol boat earlier this month as they were preparing to land.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
10/01/2004 8:11:05 AM ||
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When I lived in Miami several years ago, there were regular reports of catches of "square grouper"...ie the bales of pot and hash tossed over the side of the smugglers' boats when the feds came calling...
#2
Just think. PETA should be pleased. They could smoke the dope. Unless there were any fish caught at the same time. Of course, they could smoke those too. (Sorry. I just couldn't resist).
Posted by: Weird Al ||
10/01/2004 11:33 Comments ||
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The Muslim veil or burqa has found a strong supporter in the Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani. Italian newspapers on Tuesday quoted the internationally famous designer as saying that it was no crime for a woman to wear the burqa. "It's a question of respect for the convictions and culture of others. We need to live with these ideas, we need to learn how to do it," Armani said.
His remarks came after a small town in northern Italy sparked a controversy this month by fining a woman for venturing outdoors in a burqa - a full length robe covering the head and face which is worn by Muslim women.
Though famous for his sexy, sophisticated outfits for women, Armani dismissed as absurd the view that women clad in the burqa are a possible terror threat. "To see a veiled woman on the streets of Paris used to have an exotic appeal. Now they are seen as terrorists and people take fright," he said.
"You can be packed with explosives even with your face uncovered."
A member of Italy's Northern League, which is part of the ruling coalition, denounced the burqa as a "symbol of death" because women involved in the Russian school siege of Beslan - that left over 300 people, more than half of them children, dead - had worn the robes.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 3:16:26 AM ||
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How about a new, full body fashion suit? Simplicity of shape with high degree of elegance, with sexuality ever so faintly hinted--a forbidden fruit, deliciously flavored in marinade of bodily juices. Available in inobtrusive hue of black.
#2
Also, with opur suit, you can wear, inconspicuosly, some specially designed accessories, for instance a belt with higly explosive fashion statements.
#4
If he thinks they're so great, I'd suggest he wear one.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/01/2004 13:58 Comments ||
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#5
Like everyone is going to rush out for the latest burka just because that ginzo likes them?
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 14:29 Comments ||
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#6
He has recongnized a growing market. Check for an aba or two in his srping line. It won't last, though. He start toying with the height of the ankle hem, get flagged with a few fatwas, give up the whole idea, commence attempts to provide a slimmer look to Aluets.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/01/2004 22:24 Comments ||
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EFL - only the more unconventional statements by various Kerry supporters included:
[...]
Del Sandusky, one of Kerry's naval crewmates: "Sure I can understand it -- right. But it doesn't matter if John Kerry made that [1971 speech] or not, they (the POWs) were still going to be tortured. They were prisoners of war."
[...]
Former Democratic presidential candidate General Wesley Clark said Kerry's anti-war activism in the 1970s was designed to "help" U.S. soldiers serving in Vietnam and revealed the candidate's "moral courage."
"He was trying to help the men and women in the United States Army and help the United States by having the courage to go and testify in front of Congress," Clark said.
"So I can understand why people might have misunderstood John Kerry at the time. But that was 30 years ago," he added.
[...]
"I agree with John Kerry 35 years ago. I agree with him now, and those of us band of brothers out there have been traveling around this country [supporting Kerry] for a long time," Cleland added.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/01/2004 10:53:58 PM ||
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#1
Note (mostly for those new to this): Kerry probably lied to congress in 1973. His testimony was based on the so-called Winter Soldier investigation which has since been revealed to have been a fraud. Some of the alledged witnesses had never served in Vietnam, and others were imposters. Kerry was a leader of Vietnam Vets Against the War (VVAW) which staged the event and probably knew that the testimony was false (See below).
When the charges were investigated VVAW told everyone not to cooperate (wasn't an investigation the whole point of it all??). And some 'witness' who were interviewed said that they had never been to Detroit (where Wintersolder was held) showing that imposters were involved. It was found that others never served in Vietnam and/or could never have been where they claimed.
General Gaip, the general of North Vietnam at the time, has publically thanked Kerry and 'Hanoi' Jane Fonda for their help in giving aid and comfort to the enemy and encouraging them to continue and kill more american soldiers instead of seek peace as they were considering.
Scott Swett has filed an affidavit stating that he was pressured make claims in Detroit at Winter Soldier "Itâs a long walk back to Baltimore."
Asshats from beyond the grave!
Send no flowers to commemorate Jane Buffett's death, her husband asks. Instead, send John Kerry to the White House.
In a paid obituary published in Madison's two daily newspapers, Roger Buffett celebrated his wife's years as a mother, homemaker, grandmother and English teacher. But, he said, she was "outraged" by President Bush's decision to invade Iraq and then expecting "her grandchildren to pay the bills." Other Bush administration policies angered her as well. "She saw John Kerry as the candidate who would most conserve everything she valued," the obituary said. An english teacher? Ah, the teacher's union taught her well...
"Jane fought to live long enough to be able to vote this November." Oh, well. Close, but no cigar...
To honor her memory, please do everything you can to elect John Kerry." I'll be working the "Smokes and Cheap Wine for Homeless Voters" program in Milwaukee on election day. In memory of the missus, of course...
Jane Buffett, 64, died of cancer Sept. 25. The obituary, which called her a "fiery woman," appeared Monday. "Why just try to waste obituaries, saying someone was a super nice person, if they want to have their own reach beyond the grave and give them one last breath of life for what they've been living for?" her husband said. God, she must've been one deranged woman...
#1
When my public school teacher wife votes for Bush in November consider that she pooped on your commie ass moonbat wife's grave. She has been a teacher and Republican her entire adult life. The Democat Party and manditory teachers unions like to make the public think they have lots of support. What they have is lots of noisy moonbats and very little "support."
So was your wife a moonbat harpy Mr Turd for brains? You are a Loon thats for damm sure.
#2
I'm sure that her grandchildren are safely stoned and pulling a C-average in Peace Studies at Camp Randall. Odd are some of her students are sweating and protecting us all in Samarra, Ramadi or on the outskirts of Fallujah.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
10/01/2004 23:40 Comments ||
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Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
10/01/2004 14:26 ||
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I am trying to stick with Kerry but, he is making it very difficult. If does not change his mind on the nuclear bunker busting bomb and this stooopid moronic Global Test jargin, I am going to have to vote for Bush.
No matter what feelings we have about Bush or Kerry, I cannot stand by a candidate who lets whole world know that, if you build WMD's below 200ft, we can't get to you.
As we say in Texas, "this really chaps my hide" more than anything.
Anything can happen in election debates, and I can understand how frontrunners would rather sit on a lead than risk the bad hair day that changes history. The pressure on the challenger is more constructive: he will do or he will die. From his view, risk looks good, and should the final nail be hammered in his coffin, it was nevertheless a coffin that was closed.
We have three debates coming up in the States between President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry, the first tomorrow. From the fact Bush aced Gore in their exchanges four years ago, and Mr. Kerry is no match for the debater Mr. Gore was before he lost his marbles (his recent public statements have been incoherent rants), it does not follow that Mr. Bush will land knockout blows this time around. Mr. Kerry has the strength corresponding to his weakness: like our own former prime minister, Jean Chretien, he is impossible to pin down.
But it's deeper than that. Not since Carter v. Reagan has a U.S. presidential election offered so stark a choice, if then. The two sides have shifted farther apart, and the views of Jimmy Carter himself illustrate the progressive evacuation of common ground.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: tipper ||
10/01/2004 12:46:09 AM ||
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#1
I can't speak for any other part of the country but in the part of the midwest that I regularly travel in (MO, KS, NB, OK) this story couldn't ring any truer! I personally don't know a profesed Christian who isn't a Bush backer. Conversely most of the Kerry backers I know or have talked to are agnostic or worse.
This David Warren guy knows what he's talking about.
Posted by: RJB in JC MO ||
10/01/2004 5:34 Comments ||
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#2
Not entirely. African-Americans are intensely religious and just as devoted to the Democrats as white evangelicals are to the Republicans.
Also, there are more than a few hawkish atheists, most prominently Chris Hitchens, who are determined to destroy the jihadists and therefore will support the war party 100%. Some of us hawks reject theocrats of all stripes, mind you.
#3
Well Lex as you know there are very few absolutes. If you'll notice I was refering to my personal experience. That said I believe we both know that Blacks in this country are an aboration of sorts, most of their recognised national leadership, Jesse Jackson, Sharpton, ect, are a bunch of opportunists who have lomg since sold their souls to the crumbs they grub for at the feet of the Democratic party. I think we both could agree that the support the Dems have historicaly enjoyed from the Black community makes little sense and hasn't been in their best interest for some time. I've also noticed that there would seem to be some evidence that all that is starting to change which I see as a positive development and proof that the overall community is starting to mature.
As for Hitchens, yes he has seen the light in reference to the Islamofacists! But I remember Chris from before 9/11, and can't quite forget what a socialist whack job the guy was! Think of all the ills that plague western Europe, Hitchens would have had us follow their lead and I don't think that can be argued.
Sheesh, I've rambled enough for now, you'll have to forgive me if I just hit the submit button without proof reading this. ;)
Regards
RJB in JC MO
Posted by: RJB in JC MO ||
10/01/2004 6:21 Comments ||
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#4
the support the Dems have historicaly enjoyed from the Black community makes little sense and hasn't been in their best interest for some time
Funny, that's exactly what leftists say about white working-class and poor evangelicals' support for economically conservative, pro-business Republicans.
Why don't we have one party for people who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, and another party for those who prefer Darwin?
Myself, I think that in our war with the jihadists we can take more guidance from Darwin or Machiavelli than from any religious text. Not to be snarky, but please don't assume that every American who supports the war is a christian, or even religious.
btw Hitchens is against fascists of all types. He says he now favors Thomas Jefferson over any socialist, and admires Paul Wolfowitz. Which is pretty much my view of things as well.
#5
Leftists may say that it is not in the class interests of the working class to vote Republican, but this shows a major failure to understand basic free market economics. Rich people are the ones who create jobs, build factories and serve as incubators for all kinds of business ventures before they can pay for themselves. Rich folks take risks with their money that the poor can ill afford.
Besides which, a free market economy has a fractal nature. My boss is my customer, I sell (rent?) him my labor and expertese. Just as he has products he sells to his customers, he is my customer for my product which is training, and abilities.
So it makes a lot of sense for poor folks to vote Republican. Republicans are going to defend them, and keep their taxes low. The Republican party is the party of the rich, or anyone who wants to be.
Posted by: Ben ||
10/01/2004 6:53 Comments ||
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#6
C'mon Lex, I don't see how I deserved the comments concerning creationism/Darwinism, or the assumption on your part that I believe every WOT supporter is necessarily a Christian. You might have that knee looked at.
Look, in my humble opinion the Book of Genesis is obviously not a scientific document, nor was it ever intended to be. One must really consider the context and intent of the thing. Conversely Darwin's theories are not spiritual in nature. If you try real hard you could see them as opposite sides of the same coin.
I stand behind my comments about the Black community and their historical allegience to the Democratic party. Further more I don't usually concern myself with the bleatings of the left, and yes that includes Hitchens, it would seem to me that anyone who needed to watch the Trade Towers fall to realise that Jefferson was a wise man (or whatever) will probably revert back to his old ways when things settle down (assuming they ever do). No I remember to much of his rantings pre-9/11, I've yet to be convinced of his sincerity.
Posted by: RJB in JC MO ||
10/01/2004 7:12 Comments ||
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#7
About the whole Christian/Darwin thing, I don't think this is as big an issue as some might want it to be. I have found that one can recover almost, if not all, of Christian morality using memetic evolutionary theory, and without refering to any deity.
Whether you "do unto others as you want them to do unto you" because God, or Jesus tells you to, or because Confucius says so, or because it is the only known way of building a society that will benefit all of its inhabitants, is irrelevant. Why you do it is not important. The consequences of what you is what is important.
Actions have consequences, and those consequences are independent of all the mental effort that goes into picking which actions one take. While that mental effort helps a lot in picking which action we "should" take, it does nothing to influence what results from our chosen actions.
So whether you come at that choice via Christian teaching, or atheistic philosophy, so what? If you do what always did, you'll get what you always got.
Posted by: Ben ||
10/01/2004 8:36 Comments ||
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#8
RJB, Iâm responding to your statement: âare agnostic or worseâ.
I decided a long time ago that a benevolent God would not condone the pain and evil I see in the world. Humanity must make its own good.
Most Christians Iâve met are good people. I suspect that most Muslims are also good people. I also believe that people can get so convinced of the rightness of their cause that they deny the humanity and goodness of others.
I hope that agnostics, atheists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims can work together against thugs, gangsters, demagogues, fascists, and extremists of all types.
#3
Fred, please change the headline to "Kofi Annan Prevents Bush and Gore From Saying One Word About Tibet" and move it back to the year 2000. I apologize for the confusion.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
10/01/2004 15:23 Comments ||
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NEW YORK, Oct 01, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- NYMEX crude settled above $50 per barrel for the first time Friday. Traders appeared unwilling to go into the weekend unprepared should continuing tensions in the Middle East and now Nigeria boil over while the market was closed.
November crude traded in the low $49 range early in the day before rallying and settling 48 cents higher on the day at $50.12 per barrel. Heating oil settled nearly 1 cent higher at $1.395 per gallon while unleaded gasoline gained more than 2 cents to $1.352 per gallon.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 5:24:54 PM ||
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A GAPING hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica appears to have shrunk by about 20 per cent from last year's record-breaking size, scientists said today. Experts in New Zealand said their measurements backed up satellite data showing the hole peaked at about nine million square miles compared with 11 million square miles in 2003. Scientist Stephen Wood said: "We need to see smaller ozone holes over a number of years before we can say for certain that ozone is recovering." presumably long enough to give a Democrat Administration credit, huh? Kyoto who?
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/01/2004 12:26:57 PM ||
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#1
Meh, the ozone layer is always in flux, depending on the season. Hard to tell from this article whether they're talking year-to-year averages or not. I'm not inclined to hyperventilate about the ozone hole, but neither am I willing to accept any science news article this terse and uninformative as proof positive of anything.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
10/01/2004 14:41 Comments ||
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#2
My Dad the retired communications engineer says it's all keyed to sunspot number. We just reached a peak in the number of sunspots (which indicate the amount of energy the sun is putting out, I think) and it'll be a smaller ozone hole -- and colder weather -- for a decade or so now. (Hey, I don't understand it, I just pass it along.)
Posted by: Jonathan ||
10/01/2004 15:28 Comments ||
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#3
To add on to what Jonathan is saying. The (atheist liberals promoting selfish agenda) scientists are taking pictures from outer space during an aurora, which would make it look like there is a huge hole in the ozone. The hole in the ozone data, is skeptical at best.
Aurora: A luminous atmospheric phenomenon appearing as streamers or bands of light sometimes visible in the night sky in northern or southern regions of the earth. It is thought to be caused by charged particles from the sun entering the earth's magnetic field and stimulating molecules in the atmosphere.
While others yearn for the seventh century...
Inflatables are attractive because they offer large volume with enormous launch weight savings. Bigelow Aerospace is also increasing the stakes that low-cost non-government transportation can be available to send astronaut crews to its inflatable space modules in Earth orbit by 2010. Company founder and millionaire Robert T. Bigelow told Aviation Week & Space Technology that he will announce as early as this week a new $50-million space launch contest called America's Space Prize. The objective is to spur development of a low-cost commercial manned orbital vehicle capable of launching 5-7 astronauts at a time to Bigelow inflatable modules by the end of the decade. America's Space Prize will be patterned somewhat after the X Prize that will go to the first team to demonstrate back-to-back suborbital flights.
Posted by: The Caucasus Nerd ||
10/01/2004 4:51:19 AM ||
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Jordan has quietly reshuffled its military command. Jordanian sources said King Abdullah has ordered the dismissal of Jordan's air force commander and deputy in the biggest shakeup since he ascended to the throne in 1999. The king's decision results in the ouster of his younger brother, Jordanian Air Force commander, Prince Faisal Bin Al Hussein, who holds the rank of general. "We're talking about a very serious development that could have repercussions for the next few years," a source said. The reshuffle took place as Jordan has been facing increasing domestic unrest and threats from neighboring Syria. Western diplomatic sources said the Jordanian leadership has been divided over how to respond to the domestic threat.
Faisal became air force commander in 2002 after having served as deputy commander. Faisal was replaced by Col. Ahmed Mohammed Bes, who had been chief operations officer of the air force, the sources said. Faisal's deputy was also dismissed. His replacement was not disclosed. The sources said Abdullah's dismissal of Faisal was not directly connected to the performance of the air force commander. They said the king's move appeared to be part of an effort to reinforce his rule and eliminate the potential of a power struggle with his younger brother.
Prince Faisal had been responsible for air force modernization and regarded in the West as the No. 2 in the Hashemite kingdom. The 40-year-old, who was not next in line for the throne, has maintained excellent relations with Western and Gulf Cooperation Council militaries. Over the last week, Faisal has not been reported to have attended any official functions in the kingdom. He was not said to have met U.S. Assistant Defense Secretary Peter Rodman, responsible for international security affairs.
Moreover, neither Faisal nor Bes was mentioned in official Jordanian communiques regarding a Sept. 27 military exercise near the Syrian border. The exercise, attended by King Abdullah, included maneuvers by air force attack helicopters and fighter-jets. The sources said they did not believe the dismissal of Faisal would affect air force programs. Faisal had overseen Jordan's plans for additional F-16 multi-role fighters as well as the Joint Direct Attack Munition from the United States. The military shakeup was said to have taken place last week. Jordan has not formally announced the appointments, but a Jordanian daily published an announcement that welcomed the selection of a new air force commander. The sources said Abdullah has decreed that Faisal would become a special royal adviser. Faisal was also promoted to the post of lieutenant general.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
10/01/2004 12:31:12 AM ||
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#1
Kick him upstairs - Can't get Machiavellian with kinfolk unless you are personally threatened...
France introduced a Security Council resolution Thursday that would increase the U.N. force in Congo by 5,900 troops.
Not French troops, of course.
The draft resolution, backed by the United States and Britain, would reinforce the 10,800-strong U.N. force in Congo. It would also give peacekeepers a broader mandate to deploy to potentially volatile areas to deter the use of force, seize illegal arms and protect civilians "under imminent threat of physical violence." U.S. deputy ambassador Stuart Holliday said the sponsors "will be looking toward a vote" on Friday, when the force's current mandate expires. In a report to the Security Council last month, Annan said the transition to peace in Congo is at "a critical juncture." He called for the U.N. force to be more than doubled to 23,900 troops to support the country's fragile peace process and move toward free elections in 2005. But the United States, Britain and France - which pay a significant chunk of U.N. peacekeeping costs - decided on a smaller number and to re-evaluate the situation in six months. The draft resolution would authorize an increase of 5,900 troops, including 341 international police officers, and call for "the rapid deployment" of additional forces and logistics support to North and South Kivu in volatile eastern Congo. Four new battalions, totaling about 3,550 troops, are earmarked for the two border provinces. Pakistan's U.N. Ambassador Munir Akram said his country, which already has a large contingent in Congo, would be providing two of the new battalions.
Where are the mighty Uruguayans?
=A new divisional headquarters in Kisangani, a northeastern city on the banks of the Congo River, is expected to be established much closer to the fighting than the capital, Kinshasa. Diplomats said the idea would be to keep a rapid reaction force at the divisional base that could deploy quickly.
Move the headquarters closer to the front -- what a novel idea! Dang, these UN guys are good.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/01/2004 12:09:50 AM ||
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#1
Franch can start by incouraging China to send another 125 to the Congo, just as they did in Haiti!
Supposedly in Haiti, trying to keep the food shipments from being stolen. Besides, the Congo motorboat-leases expired, so the Uraguayans wouldn't be as... effective.
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.
