The method used by planetary scientists to estimate the ages of various regions of Mars is flawed.
Something I can agree with...
"This really changes things," says Nadine Barlow of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, US. For instance, the findings will significantly change our understanding of when Mars may have been volcanically active.
To estimate the age of any region on Mars, geologists count the number of meteor craters they can see in images of the area. The idea is that the older a surface, the more craters should have accumulated over time. Crater counts give an indication of the relative age of different Martian regions.
To determine absolute ages, these counts are then compared with crater counts from regions of the moon, some of which have been precisely dated thanks to the rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts. Assuming that the rate of meteor impacts at any given time was roughly uniform throughout the inner solar system, those ages should translate directly to Mars.
Now it seems there is a fatal flaw in this method, at least when it is based on counts of very small craters. According to Barlow, recent infrared images taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft have unexpectedly revealed very long ray patterns around even relatively small craters, showing that much more material was ejected by meteor impacts than had been calculated. Massive plumes of ejected rock would have rained down to produce, in some cases, millions of secondary craters.
It means the vast majority of craters smaller than 2 kilometres in diameter may be secondary craters, making them virtually useless for dating surfaces, says Al McEwen of the University of Arizona in Tucson, US. For example, McEwen studied a 10-kilometre Martian crater called Zunil. The impact of the meteor that produced it could have created millions of secondary craters thousands of kilometres away from the main impact.
William Bottke of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, US, who is an expert on the dynamics of the asteroid belt, also concludes that small craters are predominantly secondaries. He says there are just not enough small objects in the asteroid belt to account for the observed rates of small impacts on Mars. "Small craters may not be telling you much," Bottke says.
Some crater-free areas on Mars have been estimated to be only about 150,000 years old. But based on the new findings, McEwen concludes that the age of such regions can only be pinned down to within 10 million years. And such uncertainty will remain until actual rock samples from Mars are dated. Bottke agrees: "We probably can only set rough limits."
I hate to argue here, but since the small craters are apparently secondaries and thus likely fall into the same time as the biggies and that estimatimg their age is uncertain, it may as well mean that they could have happened withing the last 10,000 years. Or even between ~ 702BCE and 160CE.
The good reverend has joined that other noted right-wing fantatic, Ralph Nader, in calling for Terri's feeding tube to be re-inserted. How long can the media/death cult axis continue to pretend that this is about politics, or even religion.
Jesse Jackson Prays With Schiavo's Parents
Mar 29, 4:22 PM (ET)
By MIKE SCHNEIDER
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (AP) - As Terri Schiavo entered her 12th full day without food or water, the Rev. Jesse Jackson prayed with her parents Tuesday and joined conservatives in calling for state lawmakers to order her feeding tube reinserted.
The former Democratic presidential candidate was invited by Schiavo's parents to meet with activists outside Schiavo's hospice. His arrival was greeted by some applause and cries of "This is about civil rights!"
Amen, Jesse, Amen.
"I feel so passionate about this injustice being done, how unnecessary it is to deny her a feeding tube, water, not even ice to be used for her parched lips," he said. "This is a moral issue and it transcends politics and family disputes."
Jackson's visit provided an emotional boost to Schiavo's parents and siblings, who have maintained that Schiavo would want to be kept alive. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, insists he is carrying out her wishes by having the feeding tube pulled."I wanted the Reverend Jackson here for moral support," said Mary Schindler, Terri Schiavo's mother. "I feel good with him here. Very strong. He gives me strength."
Jackson said he asked Michael Schiavo for permission to see the brain-damaged woman but was denied. George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney, declined comment.
Jackson also telephoned black legislators in a last-ditch effort to bring back a bill that would prohibit severely brain-damaged patients from being denied food and water if they didn't express their wishes in writing. Lawmakers rejected the legislation earlier this month and appeared unlikely to reconsider it.
I think Jackson senses where this path will lead. It has happened before. BTW, Godwin's law is now repealed.
One of those contacted by Jackson, Democratic state Sen. Gary Siplin, said he told Jackson the issue had been "thoroughly discussed." Senate Democratic leader Les Miller added, "I have voted. It's time to move on."
When they've finished with the disabled, the mentally handicapped, the old, the feeble, and the Jews, will they come for you, Les?
Bob Schindler described his daughter as "failing" following his visit Tuesday.
"She still looks pretty darn good under the circumstances," Schindler said. "You can see the impact of no food and water for 12 days. Her bodily functions are still working. We still have her."
During Jackson's visit, a man was tackled to the ground by officers when he tried to storm into the hospice, police said. He became the 47th protester arrested since the feeding tube was removed March 18. The man had two bottles of water with him but did not reach the hospice door, police said.
Suppose 500 people tried it at the same time?
Doctors have said Terri Schiavo, 41, would probably die within a week or two of the tube being removed. She suffered catastrophic brain damage in 1990 when her heart stopped for several minutes because of a chemical imbalance apparently brought on by an eating disorder.
#1
There is significant black support for the Life position in the black community from what I've been able to discern in an urban black elementary school.
(2005-03-29) -- Attorney George Felos today said that his client, Michael Schiavo, entered the 11th day of depriving his wife of food and water looking peaceful and "as beautiful as I've seen him in years."
"Death by dehydration is not the awful specter that so-called 'pro-lifers' have portrayed it to be," said Mr. Felos as he stood outside of Terri Schiavo's Florida hospice. "I was actually in the room with the Schiavos. Michael looked very peaceful. He looked calm. I saw no evidence of any bodily discomfort whatsoever, even though he's not receiving morphine."
"As Terri gets closer to death," Mr. Felos added, "her husband's face has actually taken on an almost euphoric appearance."
"Is the B---- dead yet? No? Damnit! I'll check back in 15 minutes..."
Posted by: BigEd ||
03/29/2005 11:26:48 AM ||
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If I'm Schiavo's new wife, I'm writing EVERYTHING down and avoiding standing too close to edge of the stairs, the curb... all sorts of places where one could have an unfortunate accident.
#3
Attorney Kevorkian Felos is one seriously ghoulish creep. As for Michael, here's my bold prediction: three or four or five years from now, his shack up honeysperm donee new wife shows up in an ER somewhere with a broken arm and a black eye, mumbling something wildly implausible about falling down the basement steps. The creep Michael gets arrested for domestic violence. Curiously, the mainstream press fails to report this.
Posted by: Mike ||
03/29/2005 15:12 Comments ||
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#4
You know it would be a good interview for Barbara Walters to interview Schiavo's new wife and kid's
SO what do you think of you Dad now???? Maybe Katie Couric or Oprah could get an interview.
Would a Rantburger write into a T.V. station with the idea!
Andrea Jackson
Posted by: Andrea Jackson ||
03/29/2005 18:25 Comments ||
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#5
Easier said than done, Andrea. I doubt the MSM would consider the idea for more than a millisecond(with the exception of Fox).
#6
Anybody else think it's a bit suspect that Felos' comatose clients ALWAYS "communicate" that they want to die. Each and every one of them. Hmmm. . .
Posted by: fed up ||
03/29/2005 21:27 Comments ||
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A THREE-metre wave smashed into the Indonesian island of Simeuleu, off the coast of Sumatra, causing extensive damage shortly after a massive earthquake, a military official said today.
Endang Suwaraya, the military commander in the western Indonesian province of Aceh, close to the epicentre of the 8.7-magnitude quake, said he had received reports the wharf in the island's main port was badly damaged.
He said waves also affected the island's airport in the coastal town of Sinabang.
Earlier today, Hong Kong seismologists reported registering a 5.7-magnitude aftershock near the area of this morning's major quake.
According to the Indonesian Government, the quake may have killed up to 2000 people on the island of Nias.
The tremor was one of the biggest of the past 100 years, struck at 2.15am (AEST) and sparked widespread fears of tsunamis similar to the Boxing Day giant waves that killed more than 270,000 people.
At least 300 people have been confirmed dead in western Indonesia, and there are fears thousands more are trapped in buildings that collapsed on Nias, a renowned surfing haven.
Indonesia's Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said today that the death toll on the island was likely between 1000 and 2000 people.
Surfaid - understood to be the only aid group operating there - is trying to make contact with its team of about 10 people.
A spokesman for the organisation said the team comprised both New Zealanders and Indonesians, including several doctors, but no Australians.
He said they were operating in rural areas outside the main towns in response to the devastation caused by the Boxing Day tsunami.
Destruction
Meanwhile, an entire town on the south-western coast of Indonesia's Aceh province has been levelled, according to the state Antara news agency.
More than 10,000 people fled their homes in Aceh Singkil, which was spared by the December 26 tsunami, after the earthquake, Antara said. There were no details of any casualties.
The agency said the town centre was devastated, with private and public buildings either cracked or collapsed, electricity poles and supply down and large cracks appearing on roads and streets.
Aceh Singkil lies on the other side of the epicentre of yesterday's quake from the outlying Nias island.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has cancelled tomorrow's scheduled state visit to Australia because of the emergency.
Soon after the quake struck at around 2.15am AEST, scientists warned of possible 5m waves striking the coast of Western Australia.
The tsunami alert was cancelled as large waves failed to materialise, but the Bureau of Meteorology has warned people on or near the water off the WA coast to take caution because of unusual currents or tidal activity.
The undersea quake measuring up to 8.7 led India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, among others, to join Indonesia in issuing public warnings of imminent tsunamis.
In towns around the rims of the Indian Ocean, alerts rang out on television, radio, by police loud hailer and by alarmed residents ringing bells to tell people in areas devastated by the December 26 tsunamis, caused by a 9.0-magnitude quake also off northwest Indonesia.
Nias, an island of 500,000 people, was already struggling to recover from the earlier tsunami, which caused widespread damage and left many people without homes and food.
The quake brought back fresh memories of the December 26 disaster in which an undersea quake triggered giant waves 15m high that sped across the Indian Ocean at speeds of up to 700km per hour and slammed into 11 countries, killing more than 273,000 people.
Mass evacuations
Tremors shook many parts of Sumatra for three minutes, witnesses said, and rocked buildings in the neighbouring countries of Malaysia and Singapore where people fled high-rise buildings.
"When the earthquake happened, I rode my motorcycle to the airport because I was very afraid the tsunami would hit again," said university student Heri in Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia's devastated Aceh province.
Others tried to reach nearby hills, as the screams of children echoed through streets that were temporarily plunged into darkenss by a power outage.
In northwestern Sri Lanka witnesses said people ran to temples and churches where bells were rung to warn people to run to high ground. In the resorts of southwest Thailand holidaymakers fled hotels as television flashed warnings.
Hundreds of people, with children yanked from their beds and still wearing pajamas, gathered at the town hall on the Thai island of Phuket, sleeping on the lawn and in pickups.
Thai television showed people mounting motorcycles and climbing into pickup trucks as bumper to bumper traffic clogged the streets leaving Phuket's Patong beach.
Shopkeepers scrambled to secure their goods, while fishermen took their boats out to sea in hopes of riding out any possible waves and saving their livelihoods.
In India's Tamil Nadu state radio channels warned people to move away from the ocean. In the town of Kanyakumari, a priest said people started rushing out of their homes as soon as television channels flashed news of the alert.
Governments have pledged to create a high-tech tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean by mid-2006 to prevent a repeat of the disaster.
Kerry Sieh, a seismologist with the US Geological Survey, said the quake measured 8.7 on the Richter Scale and was one of the five biggest earthquakes in the past 100 years. It struck some 245km southwest of the coast of Sumatra.
"People are very tense as they fear that another tsunami is going to hit our coasts. Many of our fishermen have gone to the sea and we are praying for their safe return," Xavier Lawrence, priest of St Alex's church, said.
The quake caused tsunami alerts as far away as the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius and Madagascar, which is over 4000km from the epicentre.
Posted by: God Save The World ||
03/29/2005 2:37:47 AM ||
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#1
Having just read the article that a Muslim Scholar (Is that an Oxymoron?)predicts the United States will come to an end in 2007 by flood.
And now reading that Indonesia has been hit by earthquake and tidal wave for the second time in three months.
And looking up the principal religion of Indonesia (Muslim).
The inescapable conclusion is that the Muslim Scholar has both his Nations and Religions to be destroyed exactly backwards.
#2
Funny that--- they were always insisting that facism and tsunanamis were descending on the United States, but it looks like they actually land somethwere else.
More on bird flu with Dr. Niman's commentary. Ngo Viet Hung, head of the infectious disease ward at Viet Tiep hospital, said in the latest case, the family's symptoms, which included high fever, coughing and a mild lung infection, have largely disappeared.
Family members are currently being kept in an isolation ward. Hung said the family's neighbour, a 32-year-old woman from Haiphong, was admitted on March 25 with high fever and coughing. Test results on her have not been completed, he said.
The neighbor described above is probably Vu Thi Hoan, who was listed as being 41 years-old in an earlier report. She is a neighbor who was admitted to Vist-Ysp hospital on March 25.
The cluster for the commune in the Kien Thuy district of Haiphong province has now grown to eight and all eight were admitted to Viet Tiep within a few days of each other.
In addition to the family of five and their neighbor, two other commune members, a 41 year-old male and a child were admitted into Viet Tiep hospital with breathing difficulties last week.
The admission of five family members on the same day signals efficient transmission of bird flu. There have been many reports of families eating sick chickens, but not reports of 5 family members being hospitalized on the same day. Now there are three more neighbors, also admitted with bird flu symptoms. The close clustering in time and space of all 8 members in possibly 4 different households, strongly suggests efficient transmission of H5N1 spreading through the neighborhood.
Such spread among birds has been seen many times, However, a parallel spread among neighbors signals a more efficient transmssion to humans, which is a major step in the evolution of a pandemic. I found a report yesterday at Novosti about a computer model for flu transmission in Russia. The model said it would take 78 days after the first case for the pandemic to peak and on the peak day there would 180,000 deaths (presumably in Russia). The point to note is how fast it will spread and consequently how little time there will be to react and how quickly healthcare systems will be overwhelmed. There appears to have been another 5 Marburg deaths in the last 24 hours. Two simultaneous epidemics will just overwhelm the available healthcare and disease control resources that much quicker. I have a bad feeling about this.
Posted by: phil_b ||
03/29/2005 2:10:47 AM ||
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.com, from the story it appears that they did not cook their chickens well. I don't want to diminish the threat, but I don't see this as yet a proof of HtoH transmission.
#2
If it is p2p xmission, it will become very obvious very soon. Use the incubation period as the cycle of generation. Current estimate can be anywhere from 2 to 7 days before the onset of symptoms, and a 4 day period before and after onset of symptoms when the victim is most infectious. Assuming this cluster is the "1st generation", the "2nd generation" should then show symptoms any time from about March 27th to April 1st. Calculating out the infectious cycle is a top priority in planning quarantines and other measures. On the plus side, the disease may have too short an incubation period, which would strongly help in its control.
#3
Perhaps, but a 4 month old baby, too? I recognize that there are cultural differences, but as far as I know, you probably don't give 4 month old babies chicken to gum - I sure didn't with mine - it's a serious choking risk. Following the "efficient transmission" link:
"Although the transmission may have come from the dead or culled chickens, it is not clear that a 4 month old baby would be infected from eating chicken."
I'm inclined to believe that the "effiency" of transmission, which is all they will claim at the moment, is not all that they wanted to claim. They are being ultra-cautious, of course. Me - I'm a wild-eyed extremist, y'know. Chicken, Turkey, no difference - they're both foul, er, fowl, heh. I've got to keep up appearances and maintain my rep.
#6
Good point. The timing of the incubation period will probably resolve that, then, as it would mean a delay before the baby's initial exposure. We shall see what sort of clinicians they are, at the least.
#7
P2p can be casual or intimate. The baby nurses. Intimate contact and far more likely to pread the germ. Not just in mom's milk, but also being held close while mom is coughing or sneezing.
Also, isn't it Asian to blow your nose on your fingers, not a handkerchief or tissue?
So far, p2p cases seem to be "all in the family", and still rare.
#8
The women in the family may have had some residue from the chicken on their hands when handling the baby. Chickens can be really messy things to prepare. Because of the threat of salmonella, I bleach my cutting board and utensils after preparing chicken and turkey, and I put newspapers under the cutting board on the table to protect the table from splatter. I also wash the cloth afterward.
And I don't have to kill, singe, and pluck the chicken myself.
Several weeks ago you expressed you would like to have further details about a post I made about the french revolution being a scam and about litteracy rates in pre-civil war United States. You told it would help your daughter. Unfortunately I saw the post when comments were closed and you don't let your e-mail. Feel free to contact me if I can be of any help.
#10
.com (#1) Britain IIRC has stockpiled antiviral meds for the same reason.
Posted by: too true ||
03/29/2005 12:17 Comments ||
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#11
Yes, Britain is stockpiling Tamiflu sufficient for one-quarter of its population. Unfortunately there's no way for the US to do that. Our population is too large, and production capacity is nowhere near sufficient.
#12
Okay, say the infection strikes and hits the third world pretty hard but the Anglosphere is protected by stockpiled medicines. How long until the conspiracy theories or racism charges start?
#13
Even if we have the time to manufacture enough vaccine, and I very much doubt we will have the time, there are issues about how effective the vaccine will be.
From the New Scientist: The first human trials of a vaccine against H5N1 bird flu are likely to be a waste of time and money.
The formulations that the US plans to test are thought likely to be ineffective - and even if they do work it will take far too long to manufacture enough doses to prevent a pandemic strain wreaking havoc. Other countries are following more promising approaches, but they are not ready to start trials.
Fears that the H5N1 virus might mutate into a form capable of triggering a human pandemic have persuaded several countries to change strategy. Instead of waiting for a pandemic strain to emerge, health authorities are creating human vaccines against the current strain. Although these vaccines might not be perfect, the hope is that they will make the difference between life and death.
The sooner prototype vaccines are tested, the sooner vaccine makers can prepare to manufacture the vast quantities that might be needed. But so far the US is the only country to have ordered enough prototype vaccine to do clinical trials - and there are two major problems with its formulations.
The key ingredient in any flu vaccine is the viral protein haemagglutinin, or HA. Vaccines against ordinary flu contain 15 micrograms each of three varieties of HA. The clinical trials planned by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will test doses of 15 and 45 micrograms of H5 - the HA of the H5N1 virus killing people in Vietnam. The aim is to make the vaccine as similar to ordinary flu vaccines as possible, to ease approval by the FDA.
Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Russian upper house, was talking recently about the "real threat of a fascist putsch in Russia" -- "a new fuhrer with fascist-type, nationalist ideology" emerging in the 2008 presidential campaign.
But while it would seem that so grave a danger calls for urgent and resolute action, Mironov sounded vague and nerveless about what should be done. Perhaps, he mused, the looming threat would simply impel the Russian people to ask President Vladimir Putin "to stay, not to leave" in 2008, when his constitutional term expires.
The idea that the Kremlin might use the risk of a nationalist takeover as a justification for scrapping the election and extending Putin's tenure is but one of several 2008 scenarios thought to be circulating in that body. It's telling that the one scenario missing from the political rumor mill and analysts' forecasts is a democratic transfer of presidential authority, something that has never occurred in Russia.
As in any "soft" authoritarian regime, the prospect of yielding power to a political rival is unacceptable to the ruling elite. Putin presides over a political system in which state power is basically usurped by the administration. Other branches of government are reduced to mere decoration, and decision making is confined within the Kremlin walls.
Laws and courts are bent to fit the needs of the regime. In addition, the new Putin elite has increasingly gained control over huge chunks of Russia's resources, the most striking example being the destruction of the oil company Yukos, followed by the sale of its best asset in a farcical auction and its prompt resale to a state-run company controlled by Putin's top aide. Big power and big property have become so closely entangled in Putin's Russia that a change of supreme authority would be bound to result in a new round of property redistribution, stripping those in the Kremlin's inner circle and their clients of their gains. The example of Ukraine's former president, Leonid Kuchma, provides a horrible prospect for Russia's ruling elite: Kuchma failed to preserve the status quo, and now he may be facing legal action at the hands of his political rivals.
Hence the urgency of "the challenge of 2008," as the effort to preserve the political status quo has been called in political circles.
Rumors have it that the Kremlin may attempt a replay of the anointment that propelled Putin to power in 2000, or that it might consider a change in the constitution that would provide for a transition to a parliamentary system, with Putin assuming the role of an all-powerful prime minister and leaving the now-powerless presidency to a trusted puppet. Whatever scenario the Kremlin might opt for, it is not at all sure that it would be able to handle it without provoking a political crisis.
Capitalizing on the nationalist threat appears to be especially destabilizing. Nationalism and xenophobia are not invented dangers but very real ones. Ethnic violence and even the murder of non-Russians -- ranging from Tajik children to African diplomats -- have become almost routine on the streets of Moscow and other cities. Nationalist literature is abundant in respectable Moscow bookstores. In the polls, an increasing number of Russians support ideas such as "Russia is for Russians." Young people are more likely than older ones to share the view that "ethnic minorities have too much power in our country." Overall, more people accept this idea than reject it.
Putin's policies have played a large role in the rise of ethnic bias and hatred. The ongoing, atrocious war in Chechnya has had a brutalizing effect on those who have served in it (about 1 million altogether in the past decade) and on the nation as a whole. Putin and his aides have stirred the besieged-fortress mentality by resorting to militant, Soviet-style rhetoric and implying that the West is seeking to harm Russia. A raving nationalist journalist is granted prime time on television and radio professing extreme anti-Western views to the broad public. Almost invariably the police respond to ethnic violence by denying the ethnic element in it and qualifying such crimes as "mere hooliganism."
Rather than taking drastic measures to curb the nationalist threat, the Kremlin opts for a policy of using it to its own advantage: Such a threat is a sure justification for tough policies. Even the squeamish West is unlikely to insist that democratic procedures be observed if there's real risk of a fascist lunatic emerging as the leader of a nuclear state. Putin or one of his trusted men may come to be regarded as acceptably benign compared with a "fuhrer."
Before the parliamentary election of 2003 the Kremlin masterminded creation of a nationalist party, Rodina, headed by Dmitry Rogozin. Rodina drew the nationalist vote, but it did even better than the Kremlin had expected, and today it is on the rise. To what extent Rogozin himself is controlled by the Kremlin -- or whether he'll be able to keep control of the sentiments and impulses of his constituency -- is an open question. In seeking to ensure the survival of the current political elite, the Kremlin is engaged in a highly dangerous game.
Posted by: Dan Darling ||
03/29/2005 12:18:57 AM ||
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The HUMAN PARADIGM - mr. jefferson's IQ test...
Human is earth's Choicemaker. Psalm 25:12 He is by nature
and nature's God a creature of Choice - and of Criteria.
Psalm 119:30,173 His unique and definitive characteristic
is, and of Right ought to be, the natural foundation of his
environments, institutions, and respectful relations to his
fellow-man. Thus, he is oriented to a Freedom whose roots
are in the Order of the universe.
Posted by: Choicemaker Jim ||
03/29/2005 10:13 Comments ||
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Pyongyang, March 28 (KCNA) -- Nervous diseases are no longer incurable, said Dr. Sim Yong Hwan in an interview with KCNA after developing a new nerve activator Huimang (hope). He has led a research group of the Korea Chilmyong Trading Corporation in Pyongyang.
Huimang is a natural health drinking water. Its main ingredients are substances extracted from kelp and rare medicinal herbs growing in Mt. Myohyang and the northern mountainous areas of the country, and essential amino acid.
They've invented magic water!
It is multi-nerve activator for the central, peripheral, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. It doubles the crossing speed of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves and promotes rejuvenation and normalization of all the nerve cells. It, therefore, is efficacious for all nervous diseases including neuroparalysis and neurological disorder.
It's a multi-nerve parasympathetic rejuvenator! It's a desert topping!
It simply removes affection by geomagnetism and computer and mental and physical stress and prevents various kinds of cancers.
Removes computer stress? Send me a case.
It also decreases the number of pulses by more than ten per minute to extend the life of the heart and extends the wobbling width by 5-10 years. It kills the pain of neuralgia within three days, 10-20 minutes at maximum and takes 7-10 days to completely recover from the disease. It has cured those patients who had suffered from infantile paralysis for 26 years, auditory disorder for 12 years, aphasia caused by cerebral thrombosis for 15 years, quadriplegia for 17 years and cerebral concussion for 15 years.
Ah, but does it regrow hair and give you a 4 hour erection?
Dr. Sim added that the activator would be potent for the treatment of AIDS patients and drug addicts.
"Assuming, of course, we had such things in the Peoples Paradise."
The demand of the nerve activator, with no side-effect, is on an increase at home and abroad.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/29/2005 1:03:28 PM ||
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Steve, how would this product work on my bank account? Its a little low-down right now.
Posted by: George Costanza ||
03/29/2005 14:21 Comments ||
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#3
"Dr. Sim's Nerve Activating Tonic". Good for what ails ya!
No FDA in Norkland I take it? But why should there be when the government is the snake oil salesman?
#4
Last week it was the special pump and now the nerve generator! What will they come up with next? Bet lil Kim is slurping the brew every morning when he crawls out of the bunker. Sign here for advance licensing agreements folks! Send some oil and food and we'll give you a 5% discount.
China's assessment, unlike the sober State Department tome, is a frank indictment and draws a picture of America that approaches caricature. But that doesn't mean it won't buttress the negative image of the United States held by its critics around the world.
Excerpts follow, with the document's grammatical and other errors intact.
Life, Liberty and Security of Person
American society is characterized with rampant violent crimes, severe infringement of people's rights by law enforcement departments and lack of guarantee for people's rights to life, liberty and security of person.
The United States has the biggest number of gun owners, and gun violence has affected lots of innocent lives. About 31,000 Americans are killed and 75,000 wounded by firearms each year, which means more than 80 people are shot dead each day.
The United States characterizes itself as "a paradise for free people," but the ratio of its citizens deprived of freedom has remained among the highest.
According to statistics from the Department of Justice, the number of inmates in the United States jumped from 320,000 in 1980 to two million in 2000, a hike by six times. The number of convicted offenders may total more than six million if parolees and probationers are also counted.
Political Rights and Freedom
The United States claims to be "a paragon of democracy," but American democracy is manipulated by the rich and malpractices are common. Elections in the United States are in fact a contest of money. The presidential and Congressional elections last year cost nearly $4 billion.
Campaign advertisement and political debates were full of distorted facts, false information and lies.
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Poverty, hunger and homelessness have haunted the world richest country.
Upper middle- and upper-class families that constitute the top 10 percent of the income distribution are prospering while many among the remaining 90 percent struggle to maintain their standard of living. According to the statistics released by the United States Census Bureau in 2004, the number of Americans in poverty has been climbing for three years. It rose by 1.3 million year on year in 2003 to 35.9 million.
Racial Discrimination
Racial discrimination has been deeply rooted in the United States, permeating into every aspects of society. The colored people are generally poor, with living condition much worse than the white. The death rate of illness, accident and murder among the black people is twice that of the white. The rate of being victim of murders for the black people is five times that of the white. The rate of being affected by AIDS for the black people is ten times that of the whites while the rate of being diagnosed by diabetes for the black people is twice that of the whites.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the United States received 29,000 complaints in 2003 of racial bias in the workplace
The Declaration of Independence said all men are created equal, so the gap between black and white people is simply an insult to the founding essence of the United States.
After the Sept. 11 incident, the United States openly restricts the rights of citizens under the cloak of homeland security, and uses diverse means including wire tapping of phone conversations and secret investigations, checks on all secret files, and monitoring transfers of fund and cash flows to supervise activities of its citizens, in which, people of ethnic minority groups, foreigners and immigrants become main victims.
The Rights of Women and Children
The situation of American women and children was disturbing. The rates of women and children physically or sexually victimized were high. According to F.B.I. Crime Statistics, in 2003 the United States witnessed 93,233 cases of raping. The statistics also showed that every two minutes one woman was sexually assaulted and every six minutes one woman was raped.
Children were victims of sex crimes. Every year about 400,000 children in the U.S. were forced to engage in prostitution or other sexual dealings on the streets.
In recent years scandals about clergymen molesting children kept breaking out.
It is believed that from 1950 to 2002 more than 10,600 boys and girls were sexually abused by nearly 4,400 clergymen.
The Human Rights of Foreign Nationals
In 2004, United States Army service people were reported to have abused and insulted Iraqi prisoners of war, which stunned the whole world. The United States forces were blamed for their fierce and dirty treatments for these Iraqi P.O.W.'s. They made the P.O.W.'s naked by force, masking their heads with underwear (even women's underwear), locking up their necks with a belt, towing them over the ground, letting military dogs bite them, beating them with a whip, shocking them with electric batons, needling them sometimes and putting chemical fluids containing phosphorus on their wounds.
The United States frequently commits wanton slaughters during external invasions and military attacks. Spain's Uprising newspaper on May 12, 2004, published a list of human rights infringement incidents committed by the United States troops, quoting two bloodthirsty sayings of two American generals, "The only good Indians I ever saw were dead" by Gen. Philip Sheridan, and "we should bomb Vietnam back to the Stone Age" by Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay.
A survey on Iraqi civilian deaths, based on the natural death rate before the war, estimates that the United States-led invasion might have led to 100,000 more deaths in the country, with most victims being women and children. In addition, the United States troops often plunder Iraqi households when tracking down anti-United States militants since the invasion. The American forces has so far committed at least thousands of robberies and 90 percent of the Iraqis that have been rummaged are innocent.
Despite tons of problems in its own human rights, the United States continues to stick to its belligerent stance, wantonly trample on the sovereignty of other countries and constantly stage tragedies of human rights infringement in the world.
Instead of indulging itself in publishing the "human rights country report" to censure other countries unreasonably, the United States should reflect on its erroneous behavior on human rights and take its own human rights problems seriously.
Posted by: tipper ||
03/29/2005 9:43:02 AM ||
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#3
"OK, Mahmoud, youse can either serve your time in an American prison or in a Chinese prison. Your call."
Posted by: Matt ||
03/29/2005 10:51 Comments ||
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#4
Even worse, they credited Sheridan with a paraphrased sentiment normally attributed to Sheridan's commander, Sherman. The actual quote (for the five billionth time) was "I saw a good Indian the other day. He was dead."
The Chinese really ought to subcontract their propaganda to the NorKs. They've clearly lost the capability after thirty years of cats catching mice. Y'see? This is what happens when you let strategic production capabilities die from disuse and neglect. If the ChiComs had just kept a couple Mao-era propaganda mills running with diatribes against the Vietnamese or leprechauns or something like that, they'd really be zinging it to us right now.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
03/29/2005 11:21 Comments ||
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#5
I give the Chinese an F.
As in "F--- you."
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/29/2005 11:55 Comments ||
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#6
or F as in F-18's for Taiwan
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/29/2005 11:58 Comments ||
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#7
F-22s for Japan and Israel. Japan could actually afford a couple of squadrons.
#8
Perhaps with the F-18s to India we will warrant the "F" next time. They musta got the news late, after setting the grade.
Posted by: Dennis Kucinich ||
03/29/2005 19:23 Comments ||
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#9
and "we should bomb Vietnam back to the Stone Age" by Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay.
Apparently they never found out what GEN LeMay wanted to do to them.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
03/29/2005 20:32 Comments ||
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#10
Human is earth's Choicemaker. Psalm 25:12 He is by nature
and nature's God a creature of Choice - and of Criteria.
Psalm 119:30,173 His unique and definitive characteristic
is, and of Right ought to be, the natural foundation of his
environments, institutions, and respectful relations to his
fellow-man. Thus, he is oriented to a Freedom whose roots
are in the Order of the universe.
They've gotta lot to learn!
Posted by: Choicemaker Jim ||
03/29/2005 9:48 Comments ||
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Sweden's statistics bureau has set up a "vice squad" to work out how much Swedes spend on prostitutes, illegal drugs and smuggled alcohol to calculate the true size of the economy in compliance with European Union rules.
The head of the team, Birgitta Magnusson, told Reuters on Tuesday that the overall impact on Sweden's $365-billion gross domestic product (GDP) would be "very, very small."
The European Commission ruled in 1996 that national accounts must include all transactions -- an easier task for states like the Netherlands where some drugs and prostitution are legal, but a tall order for countries like Sweden where they are outlawed.
Drugs and alcohol smuggled from abroad are bought in foreign currency purchased in Swedish crowns, a transaction which already appears in GDP calculations, Magnusson said.
Her three-person team must find out the drugs' street value to calculate "the margin the seller in Sweden puts on top of the import price for selling on the street." This data is tallied with data on how many hard drug users there are in the country.
The value of smuggled alcohol is estimated in the same way but the problem with prostitutes is not one of price but of frequency.
"People offering their services on the Internet have price lists for different services, so you can get an estimate of how much they charge, but you don't know the frequency of how many customers they have a day, so it's very difficult," she said.
One clue is that many prostitutes are drug addicts too "so you can calculate how much they have to earn to finance their drug abuse," said Magnusson.
She would not predict when the data could be included in Swedish GDP, saying all EU members' statisticians would first cross-check methodology to make sure the figures were comparable. "We want to make sure we don't come in first, you know...
#1
Easily solved: pay the crack whores to ask the johns how much they drink. Get data from all parties. Extrapolate. Voila!
Posted by: Jonathan ||
03/29/2005 13:45 Comments ||
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#2
Bad idea. Bd idea...
Posted by: Kofi A. ||
03/29/2005 13:48 Comments ||
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#3
Damn you, Kojo! Can't you do anything right!
Posted by: Kofi A. ||
03/29/2005 13:49 Comments ||
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#4
Is this the same survey that's going to vault Italy's economy into 2nd spot in the EU because of it's off the national books economy? Seems like the Brits screeched about this last time.
OTTAWA -- A group of MPs studying Canada's prostitution laws is seeking $200,000 in federal funds to visit European cities with red-light zones and legal brothels. The five-member justice subcommittee plans to visit Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden. Reno, Nevada, is also on the destination list.
Road trip!
"We want to go to Sweden because they have a particular model there where they decriminalize the sex worker, or the prostitute, and they still criminalize the customers," said NDP MP Libby Davies. "In the U.K. they actually allow women to work out of their own homes. The Netherlands, of course, is a well-known situation where they have a fully operating area for the sex trade, and I think we're very interested to see what the impact of that is from various positions perspectives." John Carpay, Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, is skeptical MPs will see a measurable research benefit from visiting brothels and red-light districts.
Don't know about research, but the benefits rock!
"The onus would have to be on them to show why it's vital to visit those places in person," Carpay said. "There's a lot of research and a lot of literature available that the MPs' staff and the library of Parliament staff can make available."
Ah, but nothing beats hands-on research when it comes to hookers.
More importantly, there's no guarantee a visit will give a more accurate picture of what goes on in a red-light district or brothel - especially behind the scenes, Carpay said.
Depends, how much walking around money you got?
Nevada is the only state in the U.S. to have legalized prostitution, permitted only in licensed brothels. According to the group's $56,526 travel budget request, the Reno-area bawdy houses have endured sharp criticism for the conditions under which sex workers are forced to operate. MPs would benefit from visiting these areas and meeting with law-enforcement agencies, hookers counsellors strippers and call-girls brothel owners, the budget-request document states. The $143,678 travel-budget request for Liverpool, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Stockholm includes $62,840 for transportation, $25,328 for accommodation, $12,000 for food and $43,500 for items like interpretation, official gifts and fees.
Especially, "fees"
The travelling party includes three lucky staff members.
Posted by: Steve ||
03/29/2005 10:38:35 AM ||
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#1
Don't know much about history
Don't know much about biology.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/29/2005 10:57 Comments ||
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#2
The travelling party includes three lucky staff members.
Are you sure that's not: "...three luckystiff members"?
"Can you translate: I would like it doggie style?"
Let's see...
Interpreter ~$3,000
Official gifts ~ $500
Fees $40,000 /3 ; /200
That is about 67 special occassions fee per MP!
(NB: I have no idea what the fees are. The $200 is an arbitrary figure that may, or may not, correspond to current special occassion market price). ;-)
#7
prostitution is illegal in Reno and Vegas. Outlying counties like Nye, Douglas, Lyon allow it
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/29/2005 11:56 Comments ||
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#8
Frank G, Yes, I am sure that the MPs will appreciate your correction as it would save some travel expenses trying to locate the proper special occassion distribution center and may provide ample funds for even more special occassions. ;-)
#10
family's all from NV - Never been in one, but I know where they are - like the moonlight bunny ranch outside Carson City or Conforte's old place outside Sparks
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/29/2005 13:39 Comments ||
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#11
I think the term "Staff Members" is appropriate. FYI I heard that fees at the Nevada Brothels run from $300-$500 depending on what kind of "Party" you want. The Navy guys stationed near Fallon always regaled us with stories of the brothels there.
To any of you who consider this a "religious right" issue, or cannot bring yourselves to care enough to take a position or even think about the issue, you MUST read this. Its written by a guy who had his feeding tube pulled. Now at Harvard (Class of '06) despite cerebral palsy.
"Misery can only be removed from the world by painless extermination of the miserable."
—a Nazi writer quoted by Robert J. Lifton in The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide
The case of Terri Schiavo has been framed by the media as the battle between the "right to die" and pro-life groups, with the latter often referred to as "right-wing Christians." Little attention has been paid to the more than twenty major disability rights organizations firmly supporting Schiavo's right to nutrition and hydration. Terri Schindler-Schiavo, a severely disabled woman, is being starved and dehydrated to death in the name of supposed "dignity."
...
A close examination of the facts of the Schiavo case reveals not a case of difficult decisions but a basic test of this country's decency.
...
Essentially, then, we have arrived at the point where we starve people to death because he or she cannot communicate their experiences to us. What is this but sheer egotism?
...
As Schiavo starves to death, we are entering a world last encountered in Nazi Europe. Prior to the genocide of Jews, Gypsies, and Poles, the Nazis engaged in the mass murder of disabled children and adults, many of whom were taken from their families under the guise of receiving treatment for their disabling conditions. The Nazis believed that killing was the highest form of treatment for disability.As the opening quote suggests, Nazi doctors believed, or claimed to believe, they were performing humanitarian acts. Doctors were trained to believe that curing society required the elimination of individual patients.
...
In the midst of her starvation, Terri will most likely be treated for "pain or discomfort" and nausea which may arise as the result of the supposedly humane process of bringing about her death. (Remember that Schiavo is not terminally ill.) She may be given morphine for respiratory distress and may experience seizures. This protocol confirms what we have learned from famines and death camps: death by starvation is a horrible death.
...
When will America wake up? How long do I and others like me need to continue yelling? Hat Tip to Powerline
Posted by: OldSpook ||
03/29/2005 2:39:47 AM ||
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#1
Thanks, Old Spook. Good post.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/29/2005 7:28 Comments ||
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#2
There is a psychological theory called Skill Theory (Fisher, 1980), that surmises that all higher level cognitive skills are simply built from lower level ones in this fashion (as far as I remember):
Mostly between conception and birth, Reflexes combine together to ultimately form Reflexive systems known as Sensory-motor sets.
Mostly between birth and early toddler-hood, Sensory-motor sets combine together to ultimately form Sensory-motor systems known as Representations (age 1 to 2).
Mostly between early childhood and up into mid-teens, Representations combine together to ultimately form Representational systems known as Abstractions.
Throughout the teen years into at least middle adulthood, Abstractions combine together in increasingly complex fashions and give rise to wisdom.
Fisherâs Skill theory is actually fairly predictive (in terms of being outcome predictive of psychological and social research) for a psychological theory of cognition, and it tends to be explanative and unifying of competing theories. It is fairly complex, and Iâve grossly oversimplified it here.
The point?
Who gives a damn if Terri Schiavo is merely making âreflexiveâ responses!? Thatâs how we all start out! AND HAVE NO DOUBT, SHE IS FEELING PAIN, if only at a âreflexiveâ level. With decent therapy, I have no doubt that those âreflexesâ Terri Schiavo retained could have been retrained and reconstituted to cause her to regain at least a number of higher cognitive skills. Perhaps not as high a level as Judge Greer and his entourage would deem worthy enough for life, but probably high enough for those who love her.
IT IS AN GRIEVOUS INJURY TO OUR SOCIETY AND THE SOCIAL COMPACT OF GOVERNMENT THAT THE STATE HAS ABANDONED THIS WOMAN, AND HAS LEFT HER TO DIE A SLOW AND TORTUROUS DEATH IN THE UNCARING HANDS OF HER BRUTAL HUSBAND.
#3
Dr.Steve,If you do not mind I have a couple of questions for you.What is"superficial sulci and sylvian fissures are prominant,inapprpriate for age"?What causes it?What are the symptoms and treatmaents?I would greatly appreciate any info you could provide.I tried looking it up at webmd and got nothing back,plus the patient's PA couldn't provide any info.
#5
Here's a place where the medical avenues are being explored. I'm no doctor, but it is interesting reading to me nonetheless: http://codeblueblog.blogs.com/
#6
With decent therapy, I have no doubt that those âreflexesâ Terri Schiavo retained could have been retrained and reconstituted to cause her to regain at least a number of higher cognitive skills.
I agree totally with cingold. This is a real slide into barbarism. As for the therapy, Michael Schiavo was the one who denied any semblence of therapy for his wife. link
#7
Wasn't there a documented case of a hydrocephalic woman who had normal intellegence despite the fact that her cortex was only a thin layer of tissue just inside the skull?
#8
What feel pain? Her brain is gone don't you know, that medical wiseman {fart} Felos say she is peaceful and angelic, and besides, just in case we are wrong, we are giving her morophene. Yeah. Right.
And she has a stuffed kitty under her arm. Ooooooooh I am so touched....
Besides, there is something wrong here. There has to be some reason the NO ONE in talk radio wants to touch this campaign contriibution issue with a 10-foot pole!
Any ideas? I am at work and cannot be on such a call (See my attempt at Bill Bennett 5:00 AM my time - yesterday on RB) Is there anyone else who can attempt to get thru on Laura Ingraham, Rush, Prager, Hannity, Medved, or Hewitt???
Just get in on Schiavo, then bring it up as "by the way"... The more people know the better, though its about 10 days too late to help Terri, but at least we can put the spotlight on Greer...
Remember it is on the FLORIDA DIVISION OF ELECTION - CONTRIBUTION QUERY...
#10
I was a little nervous when the Shiavo family starting calling for a backlash against conservatives if they didnât save their daughter. Now that Jesse âShakedownâ Jackson is on the scene the conspiracy seems to be falling into place. I hate to be so cynical but I donât see what they expect of the Governor or President. Aside from calling out the troops, they have done everything legally they could to save Terri from her husband. Now with the call for a backlash against Conservatives and Jesse Jackson on the scene makes me suspicious of the motives of the family. I am a parent and I would not want to be in their shoes, but the LAST thing I would be calling for is the head of elected officials that acted in good conscience. How about keeping the attacks in the arena that they belong? How about lobbying AGAINST the judges that THEY elected in Florida? Asking the Governor or President to start a civil war over your child (and thatâs what they apparently want) is nothing any good Christian or American would ask. I prayed for Terriâs soul on Easter and maybe I should pray for the parents as well.
#11
"With decent therapy, I have no doubt that those âreflexesâ Terri Schiavo retained could have been retrained and reconstituted to cause her to regain at least a number of higher cognitive skills." Without commenting on the merits of this situation, this comment needs to be examined. Essentially what is being claimed here is that inherent basal reflexes arising from the medulla can somehow be retrained and tricked into emulating the functions of the cerebral cortex. This goes beyond even the claims of PT people that they can remap the cortex. At least they're talking about the same general region of the brain. Find out what this guy smokes and how I can hook up with his pusher.
Posted by: Weird Al ||
03/29/2005 12:52 Comments ||
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#12
Cyber Sarge - I'm assuming you mean the "Schindler family" here.
I hadn't heard about any such backlash. Who said it and where?
#13
The list of Attorneys Grows who are connected to Michael Schiavo and "contributed" - Greer must be very Proud!
Hamden Baskin : $500 March 22 2004
"According to Hamdin Baskin III, Schiavo's attorney, "The harm is the further delay of the right to privacy that Terri has already been given and that she desired and wished."
"The entire process was redone in 2003. There were no medical experts ... found to have any validity whatsoever that would support a finding of anything except a permanent vegetative state." Baskin
George Felos : $250 May 7 2004
On May 6 2004, Florida courts overturned "terri's Law"
Well previously documented by me...
Deborah Bushnell : $250 March 12
"Attorney Deborah Bushnell told Monsignor Thaddeus Malanowski, who has been Terri's spiritual provider for three years, that ''because of court order and doctor's orders, you can't put anything in her mouth,'' not even a morsel of moistened communion wafer. " Bushnell
G(w)yneth Stanley received $10,668.05 from Michael Schiavo and contributed $150 on April 2, 2004, and $200 on July 2 2004, one month after the decision...
Steve Nilsson March 14, and July 14 $250.00 each time, total $500.00
Beth Wilson : Mar 15 $100, July 8 $250 total to Greer $350.00
Reached Wednesday, Pecarek said: "In my opinion, he was doing a great
job for his wife."
Pecarek & Herman = $500.00 March 22 2004...
A minor player ($1,500 legal fees, but...)
Richard L Pearse - $250.00 July 16 2004
And...Legal Fees Received
(terrisfight.org)
NOTE: In his November 1993 Petition Schiavo alleges the 1993 guardianship asset balance as $761,507.50
Atty Gwyneth Stanley - $10,668.05
Atty Deborah Bushnell - $65,607.00
Atty Steve Nilson - $7,404.95
Atty (John) Pacarek - $1,500
Atty Richard Pearse (GAL) - $4,511.95
Atty George Felos $ 397,249.99
FROM "CABARET"
Money makes the world go 'round,
the world go 'round,
the world go 'round,
Money makes the world go 'round,
that clinking, clanking sound,
that makes the wourld go 'round....
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/29/2005 14:53 Comments ||
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#17
Good work BigEd. It is appreciated.
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
03/29/2005 15:07 Comments ||
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#18
Great evil supported by petty corruption and approved of by a frighteningly large population of ill-informed Americans. This is very scary. At the same time German volunteers are helping toads and newts cross the roads so that none get hurt by the traffic on their way to breed. Wake up people.
#19
This Sherriff Rice left office in January, and it was his deputy who issued the ultimatum. My err in reading. However there is no error in the fact that Rice gave $500 to Greer in June 2004. Rice was elected to the Florida House. Anyone know how he voted on the measure that failed in the State Senate? I am looking for Vote records on the Florida house site. No luck yet...
#20
What most people donât realize is that Governor Bushâs powers really are limited. Nationwide, the primary check on the Judicial Branch is not entrusted to the Executive Branch, it rests with the Legislature.
The check on the Judiciary by the Executive Branch is only: (1) to use the âbully pulpit,â (2) to convene the Legislature to address an emergency, and (3) to appoint judges (with the advice and consent of the Legislature). It is the Legislature that has the power to rein in the Judiciary by passing new laws and/or amending a constitution in response to judicial rulings. Further, the Legislature can impeach a judge who has crossed the line or is otherwise failing to show the proper judicial temperament.
THE LEGISLATURE OF FLORIDA SHOULD AND COULD STOP THE SUFFERING OF TERRI SCHIAVO TODAY! It is the legislature that could act immediately to remove Judge Greer, and to pass laws that would allow Governor Bush to intervene on Terriâs behalf.
WHAT I WISH GOVERNOR BUSH WOULD DO IS TO AGAIN CONVENE THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IN EMERGENCY SESSION TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. Clearly, a profound emergency exists that the legislature must address. Terri is suffering pain so severe that she is now being given morphine for the pain we were all told she could not feel. The last charades are just about over.
#23
Wasn't there a documented case of a hydrocephalic woman who had normal intellegence despite the fact that her cortex was only a thin layer of tissue just inside the skull.I remember something like this, but don't have time to look it up right now. Similar things have actually occurred neurologically numerous times with numerous people. I especially remember there was a case of a very successful business man who only later in life realized he was missing major portions of his brain (true story). These things are rare, but not unheard of. Remember, we still don't really know how the brain and cognition truly work. All we have in many areas of neurology and psychology are theories -- some more predictive than others.
"With decent therapy . . ." Without commenting on the merits of this situation <Oh, really?>, this comment needs to be examined. Essentially what is being claimed here is that inherent basal reflexes arising from the medulla can somehow be retrained and tricked into emulating the functions of the cerebral cortex. . . . Find out what this guy smokes and how I can hook up with his pusher.<Oh, that's cute.>
Why don't you try reading the whole post? I never said "inherent basal reflexes arising from the medulla." With my masterâs degree in developmental and counseling psychology, I tend to be pretty specific with my use of psychological terms. Here, I was speaking about Fisher's Skill theory, so you've got to know that my commentary was specifically focused on the development of complex abstract thought out of the seemingly reflexive cortex and lower brain activity that seems to power newbornsâ sensory motor activity.
#24
Jesse Jackson has now joined those other right-wing Bible-thumper fanatics, Ralph Nader and the Raving Atheist, in calling for Schiavo's feeding tube to be re-inserted.
#25
Atomic, you beat me to it, but I'm still going to post this. Kind of seconding the motion, as it were.
OldSpook,
You are totally correct that this is not a âreligious rightâ issue. And, thanks for posting this article. Hereâs Hentoff and Jackson weighing in, along the same lines as Nader (hat tip to Drudge Report).
Radical liberal Nat Hentoff writes:
For all the world to see, a 41-year-old woman, who has committed no crime, will die of dehydration and starvation in the longest public execution in American history.
Likewise, Jesse Jackson, the longstanding democrat mainstay, notes:
She is being starved to death, she is being dehydrated to death. That's immoral and unnecessary . . . This is one of the profound moral issues of our time . . .
When liberals of these stripes join their voices with the conservatives now being tar-brushed by the Main Stream Media (and tar-brushed by the skewed polls commissioned by the Main Stream Media), you should know the true feelings of the great majority of the people of this great nation. May it be that politicians who ignore the health and well being of Terri Schiavo do so at their own political peril.
#27
During the 30 years plus that I taught 5th Grade, I would often ask my class of 35,
"Boys and girls, if 1 = 0 what does 35 = ?" A wrong answer got an "F Grade."
If they said,"Zero," they got an "A."
America's human value system is based on the value of each Individual person; One.
If One equals Zero what will 160 million be worth?
Abortion/cannibalism is devaluing each and every individual in our Country including you
and me -- and each One in our families -- and each Individual American.
Terri is now being used to teach that each individual is in further jeopardy. She is being
placed there by law. Law which is minimal in describing human behavior and worth in a
civilized society.
Law raises no maxim high standard but only a minimum of acceptance -- not the highest.
Ethics and morality are higher standards which are not being used in Terri's protection
because lawyers and judges revere law as the highest standard -- when it is not. It is the
least standard. "Grade: F "
"Woe unto you lawyers and judges!" Your stewardship before The Creator is non-existent.
The Lord God will not be mocked. As you sow you will reap. Legalists are individuals and
will be weighed in the balances of their own choosing.
Observe.......Behold!
Posted by: Choicemaker Jim ||
03/29/2005 9:56 Comments ||
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French President Jacques Chirac called Monday for a tax on airline fuel and tickets by the end of the year to fight epidemics in Africa in what could be a test for a more far-reaching tax on financial transactions. Chirac made his proposal at the end of a three-day visit to Japan, which was marked by a dispute over his push to lift a European Union embargo on selling weapons to China. "France and Germany together are calling for the creation by the end of the year, along with all countries that wish, for a first international solidarity tax on kerosene and airline tickets to fund the fight against AIDS and the great pandemics that are decimating Africa," Chirac said. "More than three million lives saved each year: that's what is at stake," Chirac told a French-Japanese economic forum in Tokyo. The French leader said he presented the idea during talks Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and wanted to take it forward at the July Group of Eight summit in Scotland and the September summit of the United Nations in New York. "I hope strongly that we can accomplish these goals together in the upcoming G8 and United Nations summits," Chirac said.
#1
Nuther inane Chirac idea. Tax is all he knows, it seems: "A problem? Tax someone!"
85% admin cost;
15% actual proceeds. As always.
Well, he can tax his subjects, if they are so inclined.
#2
Africa has always been a French, Belgium, Port, Spainish, English sphere of influence. They can levy the tax on themselves all they want and call it paying for colonial sin if they want to ... just don't include the US.
#3
a "tax on somebody to pay for my current get out of jail idea!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/29/2005 0:25 Comments ||
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#4
I think the way to aid Africa is not just do nothing, but to actively deny the whole continent food and water. It's humane, painless and it's the new morality.
Posted by: ed ||
03/29/2005 0:38 Comments ||
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#6
French President Jacques Chirac called Monday for a tax on airline fuel and tickets by the end of the year to fight epidemics in Africa in what could be a test for a more far-reaching tax on financial transactions.
Nobody's stopping the jerk from imposing his own taxes on his own subjects. Just leave us the hell OUT of it.
#10
Europe has a problem which the USA and Australia don't share which is most short haul flights are between different tax regimes and airlines naturally buy fuel where it is cheapest. Its a bit like gasing up your car in the place that has the cheapest fuel. This is really about replacing national taxes with EU wide taxes. Saving Africa is just a piece of theatre to help the pill go down.
#12
How about an international tax on the purchase of that Aerobus bloat-hog aircraft? It could go to building one new runway a year that they could actually land the damn thing on.
#13
There is trial in Paris involving politicians for corruption. They are accused of taking 90 (ninety) million euros in kickbacks That is six times the French anual budget for fighting AIDS. If my memory doesn't fail me just some weeks ago Chirak proposed an international tax for fighting AIDS...
#16
Phil_b, it's not just an EU tax he wants - US airlines typically fly longer distances, using more fuel.
Posted by: too true ||
03/29/2005 12:19 Comments ||
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#17
Let's do a feasibility test of this tax, by putting it on all Air France flights. Then if after, say ten years, it seems to be working we can talk about extending it.
#18
hmmmm - a lot of American money goes to Africa to fight AIDS, epidemics, improve water supply/quality, living conditions. It's called charity, and we don't need a corrupt frog taking it as a tax. We do it willingly. That's what makes us better than you, Jack
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/29/2005 20:33 Comments ||
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#19
We will just deduct the tax from the aids contributions or deduct the aids contributions from the tax, bwahahahahaha!
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/29/2005 21:10 Comments ||
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#20
How about we just give Chirac AIDS and send him to Africa?
#6
I thought the Chewbacca Defense involved Chewbacca living on Endor, but being from somewhere else, thus causing a jurors head to explode and everyone to be confused until Cochrane says something like "IF the Wookie lives on Endor, Aquit you must with Splendor!"
Was I wrong?
Posted by: Charles ||
03/29/2005 23:48 Comments ||
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Afghani authorities are seeking the death penalty against a woman charged with killing at least 27 men, the Telegraph said Tuesday. Shirin Gul admitted to the slayings after the bodies of 18 men, mostly taxi drivers who were allegedly drugged and killed so their vehicles could be sold near the Pakistan border, were found buried at her Jalalabad residence, officials said.
"They find a measly 18 bodies buried in the flower bed and all of a sudden you're being called a seriel killer. There ain't no justice in the world fur a woman trying to raise a family!"
Six others, including her teenage son, also have been charged in the deaths.
"He's a good boy, always listened to his Ma."
One of the bodies was that of her husband, whom authorities believe was killed when Gul and one of the couple's gang members became lovers.
It's got everything, dead bodies, bloodthirsty female killer, missing taxis, hot henchman lust! Quick, call my agent!
Detectives have been pursuing the case since last June when a wealthy businessman disappeared in Kabul.
Yeah, nobody misses a dozen taxi drivers, but when a rich guy disappears, the cops put down their doughnuts
Gen. Mohammed Zahir Nahem, senior investigator for Afghanistan's National Security Directorate, said he was seeking the death penalty against Gul.
Ma Gul, you've come a long way baby!
Posted by: Steve ||
03/29/2005 10:49:55 AM ||
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#1
Great news! Sounds like those Afghan women are getting equality after all!
Posted by: Dar ||
03/29/2005 15:09 Comments ||
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#2
Angela Landsbury?
Maybe it should be "Sweeny Todd", that is if there are any "Meat Pies" involved...
#1
As 95% behaviorist, I don't know where to begin. I know where to end, however - by thanking him for the rousing affirmation of Skinner's solid (though unconventional and frightening, to some, work). He never makes his own dissenting points stick, but he gives Skinner due credit - and that made it an interesting read for me. Indeed, it has been 3 decades since I read Beyond Freedom and Dignity. It was nice to recall it's breadth in such a small volume.
#3
I got my PhD at West Virginia University in psychology. Skinner's daughter, Julie, and other well known behaviorists were (and still are) on faculty there. Indeed, Skinner came to our school quite often. The program prided itself on being exclusively and purely behavior analytic (behavior analysis the technical name of the science "behaviorists" subscribe to). It's the only school I wanted to attend. So put me squarely in the behaviorist camp.
Skinner always believed that organisms (human and otherwise) were born with predisposed behavior. He was an evolutionist at heart, and considered behavior (and learning new behavior) a mechanism by which organisms adapt to their environment. Indeed, he factored the notion of variations in behavior between species and within species into his thinking.
One of the problems Skinner faced was as a result of the way he explained his ideas. Often, they were provocative and difficult for lay people to understand.
In a famous ongoing debate which distorted many of Skinner's views, Noam Chomsky (yes, THAT Chomsky) appealed to people's fears and biases to make his own points. This only served to draw Skinner in a mean light - strange and out of touch.
The fact of the matter is that in the ensuing years, Skinner's ideas have sparked real advances in applied psychology. Even those who reject Skinner unknowingly embrace the scion of his ideas.
Psychotherapy with real, measurable results lasts 8-12 sessions instead of years of questionable psychoanalytic navel-pondering.
Once considered the fringe of Human Resources because of it's touchy-feely patina, my own field of organizational development (building effective leaders, organizations and organizational processes that drive execution) has made great strides in being a force for competitive advantage.
#4
Speaking as someone firmly on the nature side of the 'nature nurture' debate and who thinks Skinner and the Behaviourists were mostly wrong in their emphasis on learning (the tabula rasa kind) as the primary determinant of behaviour, I recognize Skinner was a giant in the field - one of the great minds of the 20th century.
A thorough analysis of the Koran reveals that the US will cease to exist in the year 2007, according to research published by Palestinian scholar Ziad Silwadi.
Whew. That's a relief. I was really worried about Social Security...
The study, which has caught the attention of millions of Muslims worldwide, is based on in-depth interpretations of various verses in the Koran.
"Mahmoud! What's this word mean?"
It predicts that the US will be hit by a tsunami larger than that which recently struck southeast Asia. "The tsunami waves are a minor rehearsal in comparison with what awaits the US in 2007," the researcher concluded in his study. "The Holy Koran warns against the Omnipotent Allah's force. A great sin will cause a huge flood in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans."
"Hoo, boy! Are they gonna get it! They'll be sorry Britney shook them titties! They'll be sorry for Janet Jackson's mipple! They'll be sorry Paris Hilton... uhhh... uhhh... Oh, where is my gun? I must... I must... I must shoot off!"
Silwadi, who is from the village of Silwad near Ramallah — the home of Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal — is not a world-renowned scholar.
In fact, he's a nut...
He said he decided to publish the findings of his research "out of a sense of responsibility because what is about to happen is extremely shocking and frightening." His fear, he said, is that the world economy, which relies heavily on the US dollar, would be deeply affected by the collapse of the US. "It would be fair to say that the world would be better off with a US that is not a superpower and that does not take advantage of weak nations than a world where this country does not exist at all," he added.
"But since it's gonna go down the tubes, we should be getting ready. Put your money in dinars!"
"The world will certainly lose a lot if and when this disaster occurs because of the great services that American society has rendered to the economy, industry and science."
"But really, we'll be better off without 'em. I mean, we don't need all them porn sites..."
Silwadi said his study of the Koran showed that the US would perish mainly because of its great sins against mankind, including the Native Americans and blacks. "As soon as the Europeans started arriving in the new world discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, they declared a war on the so-called Red Indians, the legitimate owners of the land," he wrote. "Then they began enslaving and humiliating Africans after kidnapping them from their countries and bringing them to America. Millions of blacks were brought to the US and treated with unprecedented harshness. Those who became ill during the journey were thrown overboard to feed the fish."
"The Arabs and Africans who were selling them never would have sold them if they'd known they were getting into that kind of a mess!"
Silwadi pointed out that the US continued to commit war crimes and "ethnic cleansing" against humanity by becoming the first country to use nuclear weapons during World War II. "International law penalizes such crimes," he said. "If these laws were not applied then, they are certainly implemented in heaven. If no one on earth is capable of punishing [the US], Allah was and remains able to do so. All these actions have been documented by Allah in a big archive called the Koran."
"So he's gonna do it, see? And he's gonna do it in 2007. If it don't happen then, well, I guess Allah's just a load of bunk and we should all become agnostics. Guess we'll have to wait and see, huh?"
Silwadi said he reached the conclusion that several suras (chapters) in the Koran that talk about punishment for those who perpetrate heinous sins actually refer to the US. As an example, he quotes in his study verse 40 of the Spider Sura, which states: "So each We [God] punished for his sin; of them was he on whom We sent down a violent storm, and of them was he whom the rumbling overtook, and of them was he whom We made to be swallowed up by the earth, and of them he whom We drowned; and it did not beseem Allah that He should be unjust to them, but they were unjust to their own souls."
Well, I guess that settles the matter then, doesn't it? Who can argue with that?
Drawing parallels between Pharaoh and the US, who share the same "sin" of arrogance and excessive pride, Silwadi noted that the Koran mentions at least 12 times the fact that Pharaoh was punished by drowning for his evil deeds. The Narrative Sura, he noted, clearly suggests that the US will drown in the sea: "And Firon [Pharaoh] said: O chiefs! I do not know of any god for you besides myself; therefore kindle a fire for me And he was unjustly proud in the land, he and his hosts, and they deemed that they would not be brought back to Us. So We caught hold of him and his hosts, then We cast them into the sea, and see how was the end of the unjust [verses 38-40]."
Uhhh... What happened to all the other pharoahs? How about the ones who lived long and fruitful lives and died of old age?
Explaining his theory about the approaching extinction of the US, the scholar went on to analyze many numbers and letters mentioned in the Koran.
"... and the number 19 is a pregnant number..."
He said a careful reading and analysis of words appearing in the Opening and Yusuf suras show that the US will exist for only 231 years. How did he reach that number? Silwadi said that by combing a number of suras hinting at US sins he reached the numbers 1776 (the year the US achieved independence) and 231. He added the two numbers and the result was 2007, the year when the US is expected to disappear.
Ahah! Just as I thought! He forgot to multiply by the square root of the number of suras that mention camels! His research is obviously invalid!
In his lengthy study, which is being circulated in many Muslim countries, Silwadi noted that the US has often been compared to a tree that grows very quickly and bears fruit, but has no roots.
Damn. I thought we were growing kinda slowly, and that our tap root was deep in Europe, but with the rest of the roots all over the world...
In an attempt to find a reference to this metaphor in the Koran, Silwadi said he counted 1776 verses from the beginning of the Koran until he reached verse 26 of the Ibrahim Sura, which states: "And the parable of an evil word is as an evil tree pulled up from the earth's surface; it has no stability." In a year holding a three, or seven, or five, or nine, or maybe not,/Two things, might be people, or armies, or buildings,/Or anything really, blades of grass, or stoats, or crapulous charlatans spouting mimsy,/Might do something nebulous./Insert made-up-bit here.
--Generic Nostradamus Quatrain from "The Guardian"
Gawd, I love the scientific method!
Posted by: Anonymoose ||
03/29/2005 7:51:20 AM ||
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#1
Fuckin' A, huh? Well then, I guess that settles that. Thanks for the heads-up there, ragbrain.
We'll see you in 2008
and don't you dare be late
cuz now we have a solid date
to set Islam's narrow ass straight.
#4
well if there is a great flood in the Atlantic wouldn't that peoceed too raise the level of the mediterraenean sea (sp?) and thus maybe "palestine" be under water too? Also i think it was the uropeans doing the slavery thing too the blacks long before america existed.
#7
"Then they began enslaving and humiliating Africans after kidnapping them from their countries and bringing them to America. Millions of blacks were brought to the US and treated with unprecedented harshness. Those who became ill during the journey were thrown overboard to feed the fish."
Odd, my history books say the slave trade was run by the british and dutch, and the blacks were bought from the Muslims (Arab) tribes.
So suddenly we Americans hold ALL the blame.
Crap religious teachings are still crap.
I recall the old saying, "If a million people believe a lie, it's still a lie."
#8
One of the sins that will bring this tradegy accordling with this retard, is the sin of slavery. But what he "forgat" to mention is that the Americans bought slaves, did not make slaves. The ones who sold slaves, were the Arabs. And also he "forgat" to mention that even in our days, Arabs still sell Black slaves,
Posted by: LENA ||
03/29/2005 8:45 Comments ||
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#9
That little piggy's been thinking too hard! When creepy self proclaimed religious scholars with whacky ideas garner great interest and attention in the public you can be sure your culture is FK'd. This is the curse of the nutjobs, they can't seem to realistically focus on practical solutions to their pressing problems. Does the word "introspection" exist in their language?
#11
In fact the XIXth century colonization of Africa was sold to the european public opinions as needed for protecting local populations against Arab slave merchants. And Soudan has reinstated slave trade while Pakistani islmits nutjobs promise slaves to every Pakistani once India is conquered. So I guess Soudan and Pakistan will be covered by water.
#12
Somehow "we're gonna party like it's 2006" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Sorry, Muslim Scholar Dudeâ¢, I'm gonna have to pass.
Posted by: Dar ||
03/29/2005 9:44 Comments ||
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#13
Odd that he fails to mention that the US fought a brutal civil war to end slavery yet slavery still exists in many Islamic countries to this day. Perhaps there is a tie in with the tsunami's in the Indian Ocean, just not the one he thinks.
#15
He forgot the first rule of predictions. Make the prediction far enough out that (a) people forget so that when it doesn't come true it's no big deal (see Population Bomb, World Freezing predictions of the 70s) (b) Far enough out that you've squeezed every last drop of publishing sales out of the issue before you're proven wrong.
As the wise man Peter Vinkmen once said (I'm paraphrasing) in Ghostbusters 2, "are you sure you don't want to revise your prediction, that's not even enough time for the paperback to come out."
#16
It predicts that the US will be hit by a tsunami larger than that which recently struck southeast Asia.
So that's the five miles land on one or the other coast. The rest of the country will be just fine, thank you.
As soon as the Europeans started arriving in the new world discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, they declared a war on the so-called Red Indians, the legitimate owners of the land
Don't tell me -- he was taught history using European textbooks, right? Eurotrash always blames the US for "genocide" against the Native Americans, conveniently ignoring the 300-odd years of history before anyone uttered the words "these United States".
While the US treatment of the Indians was often horrible, it pales in comparison to the policies of the Spanish, English, and French.
The Narrative Sura, he noted, clearly suggests that the US will drown in the sea
Yep. Denver, Colorado will be inundated. That will leave, what, maybe two or three other cities IN THE WORLD above water?
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
03/29/2005 10:08 Comments ||
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#17
They also ignore the fact that the Indians' treatment of the newly-arrived Europeans was often horrible. Ask the inhabitants of Roanoke.
Posted by: Virginia Dare ||
03/29/2005 10:26 Comments ||
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#19
Woo-Hoo! I'm in Colorado at 6247 feet so I should be ok! If the water hits this high, the world is fooked anyway, including the "prophet" (eat seaweed goatfooker!)
He also ignores all the other "sins" that have gone on in the world by other countries throughout history and most of them lasted for centuries.
#22
Maybe the Islamic Deep Thoughts committee should redirect some of this brainpower toward really coming to market with the last good idea to have its roots in Arabic thought- Bring the Flying Carpet to market cause the Americans will certainly want to buy a camel load to prepare for Y2K_07.
And to think the Persiamn Carpet place downtown (everywhere) is "Going out of Business- FOREVER!!!"
Seems like a poor time to exit the market.
#27
Is that the year 2007 according to the "infidel Christian" calendar, or the "holy Muslim" one?
Posted by: James ||
03/29/2005 11:31 Comments ||
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#28
I live inland at San Diego - Ima thinkr I'll have beachfront property...cool!
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/29/2005 11:34 Comments ||
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#29
If I have to admit that this esteemed Muslim scholar may have seen my 1995 classic "Waterworld" too many times.
Posted by: Kevin Costner ||
03/29/2005 11:37 Comments ||
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#30
James, that is a good question. Why would Koran have predictions related to non-mooselimb calendar? Wouldn't that be, like, ah, blasphemous?
If the 'scholar' pulled these numbers in mooselimb calendar system, I would give him some points for consistency. But what we have here is not even a good crap.
#31
"...the Koran mentions at least 12 times the fact that Pharaoh was punished by drowning for his evil deeds..."
I guess they kind of missed the part where the plagues came for abusing the Israelis.
"...the Koran showed that the US would perish mainly because of its great sins against mankind, including the Native Americans and blacks..."
So Alan is going to drown the Native Americans and blacks?
Typical Alan scholar -- selective data and no logic.
Posted by: Tom ||
03/29/2005 12:02 Comments ||
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#32
#1 .com - ROFL!
You're a man of many talents. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/29/2005 12:06 Comments ||
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#33
Uh, has this clown been talking to Miss Cleo?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
03/29/2005 12:06 Comments ||
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#34
Crazy Fool
There are generally thought, by Moslems, to be from 20 to 25 prophesies in the Quran (claiming a new prophesy is borderline heresy except; however this fellow may get a pass because the prophesy is against the infidel and thus justified by jihad theology).
Most of the so called prophesies concern victory in battles that were fought during the early days of Islam. Since the Quran was put into final form several hundred years after Muhamet's death, a typical westerner wouldn't consider them prophesies at all. The other prophesies are hard to pin down because of the disjoint and unfocused style of the Quran (much like the poetry of Nostradamus). A good site to read on this is:
#35
< predicts that the US will be hit by a tsunami larger than that which recently struck southeast Asia.>
So that's the five miles land on one or the other coast. The rest of the country will be just fine, thank you.
So Allah's working for Karl Rove, huh. Who'd a thought the Koran would predict such a clear victory Dick Cheney's Presidential campaign in 2008???
Heh.
Posted by: too true ||
03/29/2005 12:14 Comments ||
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#36
I live in Carlsbad San Diego. Up the hill and 10 miles inland from the coast. I can see the ocean by looking out my window. And still, for some reason, I feel safe. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the Tsunami that hit in December wouldn't have been big enough to get my carpets wet.
#41
He said a careful reading and analysis of words appearing in the Opening and Yusuf suras show that the US will exist for only 231 years. How did he reach that number? Silwadi said that by combing a number of suras hinting at US sins he reached the numbers 1776 (the year the US achieved independence) and 231. He added the two numbers and the result was 2007, the year when the US is expected to disappear.
Does anyone else think it odd that Mohammed, the one true prophet of Allah, in his writing of the Koran thought to use the Christian calendar for important dates regarding the US? This guy doesn't even realize how pathetic Arab culture has become in the last 500 - 600 years.
#43
Sorry, James, should have read a little closer. Besides, I live in the Pacific Beach section of San Diego and was hoping for some really good waves.
#44
Spot, even if the U.S. ceases to exist, the Koran is still crap.
BTW, just in case anyone is interested, I had an angel tell me last night (I think he said his name was Gabriel) to write a book and say it's from God, no shit, I swear it's all true, send me $19.99 right away for your own copy and I'll even autograph it, peace be upon me. P.S. I put lots of good prophecies and shit in there that the almighty wants you to know about.
Zimbabwean authorities have lashed out at Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo for criticisng President Robert Mugabe. Ncube in an interview had accused Mugabe of starving opposition supporters and using food aid as a weapon to buy votes ahead of Thursday's parliamentary elections. "He wants to cause the breakup of the unity of our country," said Labour Minister Paul Mangwana. "He is against the peace and stability that is prevailing in our country. I am not sure that he is still a man of God right now."
"Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?"
Ruling ZANU-PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira blasted Ncube, saying: "He is a mad, inveterate liar. He has been lying from the past two years. As an archbishop, we expect him to tell the truth." The archbishop has been a thorn in Mugabe's side over the past years, attacking the president's record on human rights and openly supporting the opposition in its bid to come to power. In an interview to a South African broadcaster, Ncube wished for Mugabe's demise. "If the Lord did take him away there would be a chance that people will live peacefully because as long as he is around, his cabinet ministers are so afraid that there will be no change," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/29/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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Wouldn't that be rather "Mugabe critic over fire"? Ya know, different places different customs...
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.
French President Jacques Chirac called Monday for a tax on airline fuel and tickets by the end of the year to fight epidemics in Africa in what could be a test for a more far-reaching tax on financial transactions. Chirac made his proposal at the end of a three-day visit to Japan, which was marked by a dispute over his push to lift a European Union embargo on selling weapons to China. "France and Germany together are calling for the creation by the end of the year, along with all countries that wish, for a first international solidarity tax on kerosene and airline tickets to fund the fight against AIDS and the great pandemics that are decimating Africa," Chirac said. "More than three million lives saved each year: that's what is at stake," Chirac told a French-Japanese economic forum in Tokyo. The French leader said he presented the idea during talks Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and wanted to take it forward at the July Group of Eight summit in Scotland and the September summit of the United Nations in New York. "I hope strongly that we can accomplish these goals together in the upcoming G8 and United Nations summits," Chirac said.
Afghani authorities are seeking the death penalty against a woman charged with killing at least 27 men, the Telegraph said Tuesday. 
A thorough analysis of the Koran reveals that the US will cease to exist in the year 2007, according to research published by Palestinian scholar Ziad Silwadi. 
Zimbabwean authorities have lashed out at Archbishop 
