Pentagon plans lightning war
US military planners are preparing airstrikes on Iraq of such unparalleled intensity that some senior Pentagon officials believe that a ground war could be won in two days.
A surprise combination of ferocious bombardment and a near-simultaneous advance on Baghdad is intended to cause Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime to "implode".
The Pentagon's plans for a lightning overland thrust from Kuwait are based on the belief that Mr Hussein expects a prolonged air campaign, followed by a cautious advance.
Monday, December 23, 2002
US puts forces at Iraq's border
US forces deployed in the Gulf for a looming strike aimed at toppling Saddam Hussein have launched their biggest manoeuvres since the 1991 Gulf War, only kilometres from the Iraqi border, as British military sources said plans were well advanced for a massive seaborne invasion. Britain's Sunday Telegraph reported that the Royal Marines' elite 3 Commando Brigade would join US marines in a 40,000-strong force to seize the strategically vital southern Iraqi port of Basra.
Washington acted at the weekend on its promise to share with the UN sensitive intelligence on the locations of factories and stores of weapons of mass destruction that Baghdad denies exist. US intelligence, drawn primarily from spy satellites, includes locations of possible biological and chemical weapons sites and identifies Iraqi scientists for UN weapons inspectors to target, according to The Washington Post.
US forces deployed in the Gulf for a looming strike aimed at toppling Saddam Hussein have launched their biggest manoeuvres since the 1991 Gulf War, only kilometres from the Iraqi border, as British military sources said plans were well advanced for a massive seaborne invasion. Britain's Sunday Telegraph reported that the Royal Marines' elite 3 Commando Brigade would join US marines in a 40,000-strong force to seize the strategically vital southern Iraqi port of Basra.
Washington acted at the weekend on its promise to share with the UN sensitive intelligence on the locations of factories and stores of weapons of mass destruction that Baghdad denies exist. US intelligence, drawn primarily from spy satellites, includes locations of possible biological and chemical weapons sites and identifies Iraqi scientists for UN weapons inspectors to target, according to The Washington Post.
Instead of a debate over war, there's been a national shrug
Hands up all those who really think that George Bush is not determined to attack Iraq some time soon. Hands up all those who think that if he does so without UN authority Tony Blair will turn round and say: "Sorry Buddy, you're on your own." Not many takers, I bet. And yet the political conversation in this country has become surreal. Tony Blair and the rest of the government speak and act as if we are going through a patient, careful, international review of Iraq's weaponry. War, they say, may still not happen, so it's pointless to discuss "what ifs".
Everyone knows this is nonsense. We are preparing for conflict very soon: tens of thousands of American troops are already in the region, British and US warships are sailing, special forces and marines are being inoculated against anthrax, Bush has cancelled his trip to Africa. We are going to war, but Tony hasn't quite got round to telling us.
Hands up all those who really think that George Bush is not determined to attack Iraq some time soon. Hands up all those who think that if he does so without UN authority Tony Blair will turn round and say: "Sorry Buddy, you're on your own." Not many takers, I bet. And yet the political conversation in this country has become surreal. Tony Blair and the rest of the government speak and act as if we are going through a patient, careful, international review of Iraq's weaponry. War, they say, may still not happen, so it's pointless to discuss "what ifs".
Everyone knows this is nonsense. We are preparing for conflict very soon: tens of thousands of American troops are already in the region, British and US warships are sailing, special forces and marines are being inoculated against anthrax, Bush has cancelled his trip to Africa. We are going to war, but Tony hasn't quite got round to telling us.
Iraq hits back with CIA offer: US agents invited to search for weapons
Baghdad fought back in the highly charged propaganda battle with the US and Britain yesterday by inviting its arch-enemy, the CIA, to enter Iraq and track down the country's elusive weapons of mass destruction.
The Iraqi offer of unhindered access to US intelligence agents came after intensive pressure from Washington that made war early in the new year appear almost inevitable.
After four days of diplomatic pounding, Iraq hit back yesterday, accusing the Bush administration of rehashing old lies.
Baghdad fought back in the highly charged propaganda battle with the US and Britain yesterday by inviting its arch-enemy, the CIA, to enter Iraq and track down the country's elusive weapons of mass destruction.
The Iraqi offer of unhindered access to US intelligence agents came after intensive pressure from Washington that made war early in the new year appear almost inevitable.
After four days of diplomatic pounding, Iraq hit back yesterday, accusing the Bush administration of rehashing old lies.
Pentagon Wants to Recruit Iraqi Exiles
The Pentagon wants to recruit Iraqi exiles and train them to be part of a future Iraqi national army, the U.S. military's top general said Sunday.
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that planning is under way for training Iraqi volunteer soldiers in Europe.
Following this week's Iraqi opposition conference in London on forming a post-Saddam Hussein government, reports emerged that several thousand Iraqis exiles would be recruited to guide coalition troops for a possible war against Baghdad. The exiles would form the core of the Arab country's new armed forces if Saddam Hussein is ousted.
The Pentagon wants to recruit Iraqi exiles and train them to be part of a future Iraqi national army, the U.S. military's top general said Sunday.
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that planning is under way for training Iraqi volunteer soldiers in Europe.
Following this week's Iraqi opposition conference in London on forming a post-Saddam Hussein government, reports emerged that several thousand Iraqis exiles would be recruited to guide coalition troops for a possible war against Baghdad. The exiles would form the core of the Arab country's new armed forces if Saddam Hussein is ousted.
Weapons inspectors turn fire on Britain and US
George Bush was under intense pressure yesterday to give UN weapons inspectors intelligence data that the US says proves Iraq is lying when it claims to have given up its weapons of mass destruction.
Hours before Mr Bush was to meet the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, and senior Russian and European representatives, Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector, delivered a stinging attack on the US and Britain, accusing them of failing to co-operate with his team.
George Bush was under intense pressure yesterday to give UN weapons inspectors intelligence data that the US says proves Iraq is lying when it claims to have given up its weapons of mass destruction.
Hours before Mr Bush was to meet the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, and senior Russian and European representatives, Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector, delivered a stinging attack on the US and Britain, accusing them of failing to co-operate with his team.
Grieving Canadians stunned U.S. pilots took drugs
The family of a Canadian soldier killed in a U.S. bomb attack is dumbfounded by reports that American commanders let their pilots fly warplanes while on drugs.
The family of a Canadian soldier killed in a U.S. bomb attack is dumbfounded by reports that American commanders let their pilots fly warplanes while on drugs.
Thursday, December 19, 2002
Iraq Plans Scorched-Earth Strategy
Iraq is preparing to destroy its own oil fields, food supplies and power plants and blame America for the devastation in the event of war, U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday.
Iraq is preparing to destroy its own oil fields, food supplies and power plants and blame America for the devastation in the event of war, U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday.
Philip K. Dick's Black Iron Subdermal Prison
While the current administration continues to play "The Grand Chessboard" under the Orwellian facade of peace through war and freedom through slavery, we must ask ourselves: to what end? While some have compared Bush's tactics to those of Adolf Hitler, others feverishly argue that this is necessary to protect America's self interests. The prison-builders have always strived to coerce the citizenry into sacrificing liberty for pseudo-security. As H.L. Mencken observed:
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
While the current administration continues to play "The Grand Chessboard" under the Orwellian facade of peace through war and freedom through slavery, we must ask ourselves: to what end? While some have compared Bush's tactics to those of Adolf Hitler, others feverishly argue that this is necessary to protect America's self interests. The prison-builders have always strived to coerce the citizenry into sacrificing liberty for pseudo-security. As H.L. Mencken observed:
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
Military Seeking Ways to Skip Sleep
The U.S. military is funding efforts to help soldiers stay awake and alert for up to seven days.
For reasons that scientists don't yet understand, sleep is critical for normal functioning of the human brain. If we skimp on it, we start making mistakes — from putting cereal in the refrigerator to falling asleep at the wheel.
Lack of sleep has been blamed for a number of infamous mishaps from the Chernobyl meltdown to the space shuttle Challenger disaster.
It's a problem that the military takes a keen interest in, since whether or not troops get their zzz's can determine the outcome of a battle. By devising superhuman ways of staying awake for up to seven straight days and nights, military officials hope to lend U.S. soldiers a strategic edge in future conflicts.
The U.S. military is funding efforts to help soldiers stay awake and alert for up to seven days.
For reasons that scientists don't yet understand, sleep is critical for normal functioning of the human brain. If we skimp on it, we start making mistakes — from putting cereal in the refrigerator to falling asleep at the wheel.
Lack of sleep has been blamed for a number of infamous mishaps from the Chernobyl meltdown to the space shuttle Challenger disaster.
It's a problem that the military takes a keen interest in, since whether or not troops get their zzz's can determine the outcome of a battle. By devising superhuman ways of staying awake for up to seven straight days and nights, military officials hope to lend U.S. soldiers a strategic edge in future conflicts.
Technically Legal Signs for Use in US Libraries
The Patriot Act makes it illegal for librarians to tell users if computers are being monitored by Federal agents. These signs provide some kind of loophole :)
The Patriot Act makes it illegal for librarians to tell users if computers are being monitored by Federal agents. These signs provide some kind of loophole :)
Homeland Security Roots in Council of Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations was the original source of the [Homeland] concept/plan back in 1998, via its United States Commission on National Security headed by members Warren Rudman and Gary Hart. (In fact 9 of the 12 commissioners were CFR members, including its president Leslie Gelb and senior vice-president Charles Boyd.
Part of the Homeland plan is the eventual merging of the CIA and the FBI into one mega agency. Throw in NSA and DIA and you'll have a scene out of any number of sci-fi movies. In real life.
I know, there would be much, much opposition to this grand merger, but time (and staged provocations) does strange things.
The Council on Foreign Relations was the original source of the [Homeland] concept/plan back in 1998, via its United States Commission on National Security headed by members Warren Rudman and Gary Hart. (In fact 9 of the 12 commissioners were CFR members, including its president Leslie Gelb and senior vice-president Charles Boyd.
Part of the Homeland plan is the eventual merging of the CIA and the FBI into one mega agency. Throw in NSA and DIA and you'll have a scene out of any number of sci-fi movies. In real life.
I know, there would be much, much opposition to this grand merger, but time (and staged provocations) does strange things.
Wednesday, December 18, 2002
BIN DUPED
Debunking the bin Laden tape: voice detective wonders why U.S. called it genuine
MARTIGNY, Switzerland?In this sleepy hamlet at the foot of the snow-capped Alps, the mysterious fate of the world's most wanted man takes the form of coloured patterns and frequency signals generated by an ominous drone.
"You will be killed just as you kill," threatens the voice, purportedly that of Osama bin Laden, specifically naming Canada and other Western countries as targets.
The sound lights up a computer screen with clusters of vertical lines and patches of blues and greens, making a "voice print" that is matched against others confirmed to be the Al Qaeda leader's.
"The more I work on this, the more I'm confident that it's not him," says Herv? Bourlard, director of the Dalle Molle Institute for Perceptual Artificial Intelligence, one of the world's leading voice-recognition institutes.
MARTIGNY, Switzerland?In this sleepy hamlet at the foot of the snow-capped Alps, the mysterious fate of the world's most wanted man takes the form of coloured patterns and frequency signals generated by an ominous drone.
"You will be killed just as you kill," threatens the voice, purportedly that of Osama bin Laden, specifically naming Canada and other Western countries as targets.
The sound lights up a computer screen with clusters of vertical lines and patches of blues and greens, making a "voice print" that is matched against others confirmed to be the Al Qaeda leader's.
"The more I work on this, the more I'm confident that it's not him," says Herv? Bourlard, director of the Dalle Molle Institute for Perceptual Artificial Intelligence, one of the world's leading voice-recognition institutes.
Sweden Offers Free-speech Refuge To U.S. Officials Blaine Williams hasn't stopped grinning since he arrived in Sweden two weeks ago. Several times a day he'll approach a complete stranger, offer a handshake and a smile, introduce himself as a former CIA analyst from America, and proceed to tell the bewildered Swede all the things he knows that directly contradict President George W. Bush's declarations about Saddam Hussein's intentions and capabilities.
"Free at last!" Williams exclaimed to a reporter as he sat on his front porch and waved to new neighbors. "I was stuck in a totalitarian bureaucracy for 14 months. What a relief it is to say in public who I am and what I think."
"Free at last!" Williams exclaimed to a reporter as he sat on his front porch and waved to new neighbors. "I was stuck in a totalitarian bureaucracy for 14 months. What a relief it is to say in public who I am and what I think."
Israel Threatens to Bomb Lebanon Back to Stone Age
Israel's Defense Minister has threatened from Washington to wipe out Hizbullah's missile arsenal "once and for all," charging that Syria has supplied the Party of God with long-range missiles capable of hitting all cities in the Jewish state.
The threat by Shaul Mofaz came with a chilling report from London that Israel was planning a major offensive in which Beirut's power plants would be devastated and Lebanon bombed back to the Stone Age.
Israel's Defense Minister has threatened from Washington to wipe out Hizbullah's missile arsenal "once and for all," charging that Syria has supplied the Party of God with long-range missiles capable of hitting all cities in the Jewish state.
The threat by Shaul Mofaz came with a chilling report from London that Israel was planning a major offensive in which Beirut's power plants would be devastated and Lebanon bombed back to the Stone Age.
NASA plans to read terrorist's minds at airports
Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have told Northwest Airlines security specialists that the agency is developing brain-monitoring devices in cooperation with a commercial firm, which it did not identify.
Space technology would be adapted to receive and analyze brain-wave and heartbeat patterns, then feed that data into computerized programs "to detect passengers who potentially might pose a threat," according to briefing documents obtained by The Washington Times.
Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have told Northwest Airlines security specialists that the agency is developing brain-monitoring devices in cooperation with a commercial firm, which it did not identify.
Space technology would be adapted to receive and analyze brain-wave and heartbeat patterns, then feed that data into computerized programs "to detect passengers who potentially might pose a threat," according to briefing documents obtained by The Washington Times.
Troops prepare for March Iraq attack
Australian report says Bush expected to OK 60-day countdown in January.
Senior Australian defense commanders have been briefed to prepare for a war against Iraq in March, according to a report in tomorrow's Sydney Daily Telegraph.
Officers told the paper they expected President Bush to give the green light early next month to begin the final 60-day preparations for the March campaign.
Australian report says Bush expected to OK 60-day countdown in January.
Senior Australian defense commanders have been briefed to prepare for a war against Iraq in March, according to a report in tomorrow's Sydney Daily Telegraph.
Officers told the paper they expected President Bush to give the green light early next month to begin the final 60-day preparations for the March campaign.
Former governor to head September 11 inquiry
President George W. Bush on Monday named a respected Republican moderate to head a commission of inquiry into the September 11 attacks, moving quickly to try to erase any embarrassment following the resignation of former secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
The White House announced on Monday that Thomas Kean, the former governor of New Jersey, would replace Mr Kissinger, who resigned on Friday amid controversy over whether he would be forced to disclose his consulting clients to avoid conflicts of interest.
President George W. Bush on Monday named a respected Republican moderate to head a commission of inquiry into the September 11 attacks, moving quickly to try to erase any embarrassment following the resignation of former secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
The White House announced on Monday that Thomas Kean, the former governor of New Jersey, would replace Mr Kissinger, who resigned on Friday amid controversy over whether he would be forced to disclose his consulting clients to avoid conflicts of interest.
Concept of race a social invention, research shows
There is fresh evidence that, ethnically speaking, you really can't judge a book by its cover: A new study has found that skin colour is a poor indication of ancestry.
Men and women who look like black Africans can carry genetic traits similar to those of white Europeans, according to a multipronged study carried out on Brazilian populations. Some of the lighter-skinned Brazilians showed more genetic evidence of African heritage than their darker-skinned counterparts.
The research, published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds to the growing body of science that says race is merely a social invention and, biologically, does not exist.
There is fresh evidence that, ethnically speaking, you really can't judge a book by its cover: A new study has found that skin colour is a poor indication of ancestry.
Men and women who look like black Africans can carry genetic traits similar to those of white Europeans, according to a multipronged study carried out on Brazilian populations. Some of the lighter-skinned Brazilians showed more genetic evidence of African heritage than their darker-skinned counterparts.
The research, published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds to the growing body of science that says race is merely a social invention and, biologically, does not exist.
Earth Simulator spawns high-tech race
"The U.S. has lost the lead in climate science research," it said in a June report. "Since computational science contributes to DOE's energy and national security missions, the implications will be widespread and potentially grave."
For now, the Earth Simulator is being used to track global sea temperatures, rainfall and crustal movement to predict natural disasters over the next few centuries.
"The U.S. has lost the lead in climate science research," it said in a June report. "Since computational science contributes to DOE's energy and national security missions, the implications will be widespread and potentially grave."
For now, the Earth Simulator is being used to track global sea temperatures, rainfall and crustal movement to predict natural disasters over the next few centuries.
Bush and the Saudi princess
How did Omar al Bayoumi, the penultimate recipient of the royal largesse, get to hook up with the two terrorists anyway? Well, there's another amazing coincidence. Omar happened to be at the airport in Los Angeles, heard a couple of fellows speaking Arabic, struck up a conversation with them and waddayaknow, one thing led to another, they seemed like decent coves and so, even though he'd never met 'em before, before you know it he's throwing 'em a big welcome party in San Diego and paying up the first couple of months' rent for them on the apartment next door to his. How was he to know Khalid Almidhar and Nawaf Alhamzi had just jetted in from an al-Qa'eda training camp and would go on to hijack Flight 77 and plough it into the Pentagon' Just one of those things, coulda happened to any guy who wanders round airport concourses looking for perfect strangers to cover the accommodation expenses of.
How did Omar al Bayoumi, the penultimate recipient of the royal largesse, get to hook up with the two terrorists anyway? Well, there's another amazing coincidence. Omar happened to be at the airport in Los Angeles, heard a couple of fellows speaking Arabic, struck up a conversation with them and waddayaknow, one thing led to another, they seemed like decent coves and so, even though he'd never met 'em before, before you know it he's throwing 'em a big welcome party in San Diego and paying up the first couple of months' rent for them on the apartment next door to his. How was he to know Khalid Almidhar and Nawaf Alhamzi had just jetted in from an al-Qa'eda training camp and would go on to hijack Flight 77 and plough it into the Pentagon' Just one of those things, coulda happened to any guy who wanders round airport concourses looking for perfect strangers to cover the accommodation expenses of.
Mary not virgin, BBC documentary claims
A BBC documentary to be screened this Christmas will question the beliefs of billions of Christians by suggesting that Mary was not a virgin when she conceived Jesus.
The Virgin Mary, which is to be aired on Dec 22, investigates three explanations, other than the immaculate conception, for Mary's pregnancy.
Firstly it looks at the possibility that she slept with Joseph while she was engaged to be married to him, secondly that she was raped by a Roman soldier and thirdly that she fell pregnant to an unidentified man before marrying Joseph. It concludes that Mary was most likely to have concieved Jesus with Joseph before their marriage as Joseph stood by her; an unmarried pregnant woman at that time in Palestine would have been cast out from the community or may even have been stoned to death.
A BBC documentary to be screened this Christmas will question the beliefs of billions of Christians by suggesting that Mary was not a virgin when she conceived Jesus.
The Virgin Mary, which is to be aired on Dec 22, investigates three explanations, other than the immaculate conception, for Mary's pregnancy.
Firstly it looks at the possibility that she slept with Joseph while she was engaged to be married to him, secondly that she was raped by a Roman soldier and thirdly that she fell pregnant to an unidentified man before marrying Joseph. It concludes that Mary was most likely to have concieved Jesus with Joseph before their marriage as Joseph stood by her; an unmarried pregnant woman at that time in Palestine would have been cast out from the community or may even have been stoned to death.
Bush Orders Death For 24 "Terrorists"
US President George W Bush has given the CIA permission to kill about 24 top terrorism suspects around the world whom it believes are plotting to attack American interests, a report said last night. The New York Times said Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders top the list.
Bush has given the CIA the go-ahead to kill the listed suspects if it is impractical to capture them and if civilian casualties can be minimised, the paper said.
But it quoted unnamed officials as saying that the approval of the list did not abolish a long-standing presidential executive order banning assassinations, as the terrorists are defined as "enemy combatants" and thus legal targets.
US President George W Bush has given the CIA permission to kill about 24 top terrorism suspects around the world whom it believes are plotting to attack American interests, a report said last night. The New York Times said Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders top the list.
Bush has given the CIA the go-ahead to kill the listed suspects if it is impractical to capture them and if civilian casualties can be minimised, the paper said.
But it quoted unnamed officials as saying that the approval of the list did not abolish a long-standing presidential executive order banning assassinations, as the terrorists are defined as "enemy combatants" and thus legal targets.
Post-Taliban Warlords Oppress Afghan Women
Human Rights Watch, in a 52-page report, singled out warlord Ismail Khan in the city of Herat, instrumental in helping the United States topple the Taliban, for bundling women back into the all-enveloping burka and forcing them to undergo "chastity checks."
"Many people outside the country believe that Afghan women and girls have had their rights restored," when the Taliban was removed from power a year ago, said Zama Coursen-Neff, co-author of the report, "We Want to Live as Humans."
"It's just not true. Women and girls are still being abused, harassed and threatened all over Afghanistan, often by government troops and officials," she said in the report.
Human Rights Watch, in a 52-page report, singled out warlord Ismail Khan in the city of Herat, instrumental in helping the United States topple the Taliban, for bundling women back into the all-enveloping burka and forcing them to undergo "chastity checks."
"Many people outside the country believe that Afghan women and girls have had their rights restored," when the Taliban was removed from power a year ago, said Zama Coursen-Neff, co-author of the report, "We Want to Live as Humans."
"It's just not true. Women and girls are still being abused, harassed and threatened all over Afghanistan, often by government troops and officials," she said in the report.
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Sci Fi's 'Taken' Grabs You and Doesn't Let Go
The official full-length title is "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken." Yes, that old dreamy-eyed spacenik Spielberg is back, but he didn't exactly produce the miniseries, nor did he direct any of the episodes. He is one of the executive producers and he "presents" it -- starting tonight at 9 on Sci Fi, continuing for nine weeknights and ending Friday, Dec. 13.
Although it deals with aliens from outer space, these are by no means the friendly neighbors who dropped by for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" or, by a long shot, the cuddly and homesick sweetie of "E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial." Even so, "Taken" has many Spielbergian traits, mixing intense suspense with a stubbornly sentimental streak. Emblematically, the final chapter is a riveting combination of the heart-pounding and the tear-jerking, and there'll be a spectacular light show as well.
The official full-length title is "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken." Yes, that old dreamy-eyed spacenik Spielberg is back, but he didn't exactly produce the miniseries, nor did he direct any of the episodes. He is one of the executive producers and he "presents" it -- starting tonight at 9 on Sci Fi, continuing for nine weeknights and ending Friday, Dec. 13.
Although it deals with aliens from outer space, these are by no means the friendly neighbors who dropped by for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" or, by a long shot, the cuddly and homesick sweetie of "E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial." Even so, "Taken" has many Spielbergian traits, mixing intense suspense with a stubbornly sentimental streak. Emblematically, the final chapter is a riveting combination of the heart-pounding and the tear-jerking, and there'll be a spectacular light show as well.
At least 6 eyewitnesses saw a military-style jet in the vicinity of Flight 93
Witness Susan Mcelwain, who lives two miles from the crash site, says, "(A white military jet) came right over me, I reckon just 40 or 50 feet above my mini-van. It was so low I ducked instinctively. It was traveling real fast, but hardly made any sound. Then it disappeared behind some trees. A few seconds later I heard this great explosion and saw this fireball rise up over the trees, so I figured the jet had crashed. The ground really shook. So I dialed 911 and told them what happened. I'd heard nothing about the other attacks and it was only when I got home and saw the TV that I realized it wasn't the white jet, but Flight 93. I didn't think much more about it until the authorities started to say there had been no other plane.
Tom Spinelli was working at nearby India Lake Marina. "I saw the white plane," he says. "It was flying around all over the place like it was looking for something. I saw it before and after the crash." Debris from the crash rained down on the lake, which would not have happened if there was no midair explosion and the plane was intact when it crashed. "It was mainly mail, bits of in-flight magazine and scraps of seat cloth," Tom says. "The authorities say it was blown here by the wind." But that’s unlikely, since there was only a 10 mph breeze at that time and the lake was a mile and a half away.
Witness Susan Mcelwain, who lives two miles from the crash site, says, "(A white military jet) came right over me, I reckon just 40 or 50 feet above my mini-van. It was so low I ducked instinctively. It was traveling real fast, but hardly made any sound. Then it disappeared behind some trees. A few seconds later I heard this great explosion and saw this fireball rise up over the trees, so I figured the jet had crashed. The ground really shook. So I dialed 911 and told them what happened. I'd heard nothing about the other attacks and it was only when I got home and saw the TV that I realized it wasn't the white jet, but Flight 93. I didn't think much more about it until the authorities started to say there had been no other plane.
Tom Spinelli was working at nearby India Lake Marina. "I saw the white plane," he says. "It was flying around all over the place like it was looking for something. I saw it before and after the crash." Debris from the crash rained down on the lake, which would not have happened if there was no midair explosion and the plane was intact when it crashed. "It was mainly mail, bits of in-flight magazine and scraps of seat cloth," Tom says. "The authorities say it was blown here by the wind." But that’s unlikely, since there was only a 10 mph breeze at that time and the lake was a mile and a half away.
Close encounters, part two
Cutting-edge physicists have proposed the existence of alternate dimensions or parallel universes. Quantum physicists believe that portals may exist between our world and other worlds. The concept of wormholes is no longer considered to be the stuff of science fiction. New York physicist and author Michio Kaku theorizes that there are 11 dimensions in our universe, although humans have only identified four. Might a wormhole resemble the portal of light that was seen on the ranch? And if such portals do exist, could they allow beings on the other side to travel into our world? As wacky as it all sounds, leading scientists believe that wormholes and alternate dimensions are perfectly consistent with known laws of physics.
Cutting-edge physicists have proposed the existence of alternate dimensions or parallel universes. Quantum physicists believe that portals may exist between our world and other worlds. The concept of wormholes is no longer considered to be the stuff of science fiction. New York physicist and author Michio Kaku theorizes that there are 11 dimensions in our universe, although humans have only identified four. Might a wormhole resemble the portal of light that was seen on the ranch? And if such portals do exist, could they allow beings on the other side to travel into our world? As wacky as it all sounds, leading scientists believe that wormholes and alternate dimensions are perfectly consistent with known laws of physics.
Path of the Skinwalker
Some very strange things have happened at the precise spot where I'm sitting. It is here that a visitor was accosted by a roaring but nearly invisible creature, something akin to the Predator of movie fame. It is here that a Ph.D. physicist reported that his mind was invaded, literally taken over, by some sort of hostile intelligence that warned him that he was not welcome. It is here that an entire team of researchers watched in awe as a bright door or portal opened up in the darkness and a large humanoid creature crawled out before quickly vanishing. And it is here that several animals--cattle and dogs--were mutilated, obliterated or simply disappeared.
Some very strange things have happened at the precise spot where I'm sitting. It is here that a visitor was accosted by a roaring but nearly invisible creature, something akin to the Predator of movie fame. It is here that a Ph.D. physicist reported that his mind was invaded, literally taken over, by some sort of hostile intelligence that warned him that he was not welcome. It is here that an entire team of researchers watched in awe as a bright door or portal opened up in the darkness and a large humanoid creature crawled out before quickly vanishing. And it is here that several animals--cattle and dogs--were mutilated, obliterated or simply disappeared.
What Congress Does Not Know about Enron and 9/11
A captured Al Qaida document reveals that US energy companies were secretly negotiating with the Taliban to build a pipeline. The document was obtained by the FBI but was not allowed to be shared with other agencies in order to protect Enron. Multiple sources confirm that American law enforcement agencies were deliberately kept in the dark and systematically prevented from connecting the dots before 9/11 in order to aid Enron’s secret and immoral Taliban negotiations.
The suppressed Al Qaida document tends to support recent claims of a cover-up made by several mid-level intelligence and law enforcement figures. Their ongoing terrorist investigations appear to have been hindered during the same sensitive time period while the Enron Corporation was still negotiating with the Taliban. An inadvertent result of the Taliban pipeline cover-up was that the Taliban’s friends in Al Qaida were able to complete their last eight months of preparations for 9/11 while the Enron secrecy block was still in force.
A captured Al Qaida document reveals that US energy companies were secretly negotiating with the Taliban to build a pipeline. The document was obtained by the FBI but was not allowed to be shared with other agencies in order to protect Enron. Multiple sources confirm that American law enforcement agencies were deliberately kept in the dark and systematically prevented from connecting the dots before 9/11 in order to aid Enron’s secret and immoral Taliban negotiations.
The suppressed Al Qaida document tends to support recent claims of a cover-up made by several mid-level intelligence and law enforcement figures. Their ongoing terrorist investigations appear to have been hindered during the same sensitive time period while the Enron Corporation was still negotiating with the Taliban. An inadvertent result of the Taliban pipeline cover-up was that the Taliban’s friends in Al Qaida were able to complete their last eight months of preparations for 9/11 while the Enron secrecy block was still in force.
U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War With Cuba
In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba.
Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban ?migr?s, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities.
In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba.
Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban ?migr?s, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities.
9-11: George W. Bush had nothing to do with it ... did he?
Just as there remains lingering doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald fired a burst of fatally accurate shots from the Texas Book Depository, so there is skepticism that cells of Islamic terrorists secretly coordinated and simultaneously commandeered four commercial jetliners.
The culprit responsible for the Sept. 11 attack is now rumoured to be the same one who lurked behind the grassy knoll: the oil-dependent U.S. military-industrial complex.
Not everyone is ready to accept this -- a substitute teacher in North Vancouver's Sherwood Park elementary school has been called on the mat for suggesting to Grade 5 students the Central Intelligence Agency might have been involved in 9/11.
n Germany, a former minister of technology, Andreas von Buelow, made headlines when in an interview he dismissed the U.S. government's explanation that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network is responsible for the attacks. His own explanation implicated the White House.
"I wonder why many questions are not asked," von Buelow said. "For 60 decisive minutes, the military and intelligence agencies let the fighter planes stay on the ground; 48 hours later, however, the FBI presented a list of suicide attackers. Within 10 days, it emerged that seven of them were still alive."
Just as there remains lingering doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald fired a burst of fatally accurate shots from the Texas Book Depository, so there is skepticism that cells of Islamic terrorists secretly coordinated and simultaneously commandeered four commercial jetliners.
The culprit responsible for the Sept. 11 attack is now rumoured to be the same one who lurked behind the grassy knoll: the oil-dependent U.S. military-industrial complex.
Not everyone is ready to accept this -- a substitute teacher in North Vancouver's Sherwood Park elementary school has been called on the mat for suggesting to Grade 5 students the Central Intelligence Agency might have been involved in 9/11.
n Germany, a former minister of technology, Andreas von Buelow, made headlines when in an interview he dismissed the U.S. government's explanation that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network is responsible for the attacks. His own explanation implicated the White House.
"I wonder why many questions are not asked," von Buelow said. "For 60 decisive minutes, the military and intelligence agencies let the fighter planes stay on the ground; 48 hours later, however, the FBI presented a list of suicide attackers. Within 10 days, it emerged that seven of them were still alive."
Researchers find possible precursors to early life on earth in meteorite
The Tagish Lake meteorite fell to Earth over the Yukon Territory of Canada on Jan. 18, 2000. Parts of the meteorite were collected and kept frozen in an unprecedented level of cleanliness to ensure that it was not contaminated by any terrestrial sources.
Through extensive testing using, in part, electron microscopes, the researchers found numerous hollow, bubble-like hydrocarbon globules in the meteorite. They believe these organic globules, the first found in any natural sample, are very similar to those produced in laboratory simulations designed to recreate the initial conditions present when life first formed in the universe.
The Tagish Lake meteorite fell to Earth over the Yukon Territory of Canada on Jan. 18, 2000. Parts of the meteorite were collected and kept frozen in an unprecedented level of cleanliness to ensure that it was not contaminated by any terrestrial sources.
Through extensive testing using, in part, electron microscopes, the researchers found numerous hollow, bubble-like hydrocarbon globules in the meteorite. They believe these organic globules, the first found in any natural sample, are very similar to those produced in laboratory simulations designed to recreate the initial conditions present when life first formed in the universe.
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
Did Terrorist Pilots Train at U.S. Military Schools?
As many as six of the terrorists, including ringleader Mohammed Atta, received training at U.S. military facilities, according to a flurry of stories between Sept 15 and 17 in the Washington Post, Newsweek, and Knight Ridder newspapers. The story had an extremely short life.
[The only real news you get after something big is in the first couple of days.]
As many as six of the terrorists, including ringleader Mohammed Atta, received training at U.S. military facilities, according to a flurry of stories between Sept 15 and 17 in the Washington Post, Newsweek, and Knight Ridder newspapers. The story had an extremely short life.
[The only real news you get after something big is in the first couple of days.]
Cheney losing war on home renovation front
"The noise sounds just like a big boom," Nancy Nord, neighbour of 3450 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, said. "It can be quite loud and when it is, you not only hear it, you feel it. It's like a small earthquake. You really do feel the house shake, and it can happen any time from seven in the morning until 11 at night".
The most popular assumption is that a bunker is being built for Mr Cheney, who was famously billeted to a "secure and undisclosed" location during the terrorist attacks on September 11 last year. Other theories include the building of a tunnel to help spy on nearby embassies or a helicopter hangar. Possibly Mr Cheney, an enthusiastic gunman, is taking potshots at the deer that roam his grounds.
"The noise sounds just like a big boom," Nancy Nord, neighbour of 3450 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, said. "It can be quite loud and when it is, you not only hear it, you feel it. It's like a small earthquake. You really do feel the house shake, and it can happen any time from seven in the morning until 11 at night".
The most popular assumption is that a bunker is being built for Mr Cheney, who was famously billeted to a "secure and undisclosed" location during the terrorist attacks on September 11 last year. Other theories include the building of a tunnel to help spy on nearby embassies or a helicopter hangar. Possibly Mr Cheney, an enthusiastic gunman, is taking potshots at the deer that roam his grounds.
Sunday, December 08, 2002
Man Sentenced for 'Burning Bush' Comment
A man who made a remark about a "burning Bush" during the president's March 2001 trip to Sioux Falls was sentenced Friday to 37 months in prison.
Richard Humphreys, of Portland, Ore., was convicted in September of threatening to kill or harm the president and said he plans to appeal. He has said the comment was a prophecy protected under his right to free speech.
Humphreys said he got into a barroom discussion in nearby Watertown with a truck driver. A bartender who overheard the conversation realized the president was to visit Sioux Falls the next day and told police Humphreys talked about a "burning Bush" and the possibility of someone pouring a flammable liquid on Bush and lighting it.
"I said God might speak to the world through a burning Bush," Humphreys testified during his trial. "I had said that before and I thought it was funny."
A man who made a remark about a "burning Bush" during the president's March 2001 trip to Sioux Falls was sentenced Friday to 37 months in prison.
Richard Humphreys, of Portland, Ore., was convicted in September of threatening to kill or harm the president and said he plans to appeal. He has said the comment was a prophecy protected under his right to free speech.
Humphreys said he got into a barroom discussion in nearby Watertown with a truck driver. A bartender who overheard the conversation realized the president was to visit Sioux Falls the next day and told police Humphreys talked about a "burning Bush" and the possibility of someone pouring a flammable liquid on Bush and lighting it.
"I said God might speak to the world through a burning Bush," Humphreys testified during his trial. "I had said that before and I thought it was funny."
Nat Hentoff: Resistance Rising!
Despite the self-satisfaction of George W. Bush and John Ashcroft, and the somnolence of the press, there is rising resistance around the country to the serial abuses of our liberties. More Americans are becoming aware of what Wisconsin Democratic senator Russ Feingold prophesied from the Senate floor on October 11, 2001, when he was the only Senator to vote against Ashcroft's USA Patriot Act: "There is no doubt that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists. If we lived in a country where police were allowed to search your home at any time for any reason; if we lived in a country where the government is entitled to open your mail, eavesdrop on your phone conversations, or intercept your e-mail communications; if we lived in a country where people could be held in jail indefinitely based on what they write or think, or based on mere suspicion that they are up to no good, the government would probably discover more terrorists or would-be terrorists, just as it would find more lawbreakers generally. But that wouldn't be a country in which we would want to live."
Despite the self-satisfaction of George W. Bush and John Ashcroft, and the somnolence of the press, there is rising resistance around the country to the serial abuses of our liberties. More Americans are becoming aware of what Wisconsin Democratic senator Russ Feingold prophesied from the Senate floor on October 11, 2001, when he was the only Senator to vote against Ashcroft's USA Patriot Act: "There is no doubt that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists. If we lived in a country where police were allowed to search your home at any time for any reason; if we lived in a country where the government is entitled to open your mail, eavesdrop on your phone conversations, or intercept your e-mail communications; if we lived in a country where people could be held in jail indefinitely based on what they write or think, or based on mere suspicion that they are up to no good, the government would probably discover more terrorists or would-be terrorists, just as it would find more lawbreakers generally. But that wouldn't be a country in which we would want to live."
Bernard Weiner: Ten Cracks in the Bush Facade
I talked about how things are going to get worse before they get worse, and then even more worse, and then things will start to get better. In my darker periods -- which these days is most of the time -- I still believe this, that what is about to come down from Bush&Co. in the next few years is going to be horrendous, both for Americans domestically and for those in the way of U.S. imperial moves abroad.
Domestically, due-process Constitutional protections, already in shreds thanks to Bush & Ashcroft, will nearly disappear. Big Brother government will invade our privacy in virtually every area of our lives, thanks to technological breakthroughs and the magic word "terrorists." More citizens will be yanked off to the American gulags, cut off from judicial review or even their attorneys. Internationally, Bush&Co. will continue to march forward belligerently, arrogantly and theateningly in their desire to bring "benevolent hegemony" to those areas of the world rich in minerals and energy sources, thus stirring up anti-U.S. rebellions and fueling more terrorism.
I talked about how things are going to get worse before they get worse, and then even more worse, and then things will start to get better. In my darker periods -- which these days is most of the time -- I still believe this, that what is about to come down from Bush&Co. in the next few years is going to be horrendous, both for Americans domestically and for those in the way of U.S. imperial moves abroad.
Domestically, due-process Constitutional protections, already in shreds thanks to Bush & Ashcroft, will nearly disappear. Big Brother government will invade our privacy in virtually every area of our lives, thanks to technological breakthroughs and the magic word "terrorists." More citizens will be yanked off to the American gulags, cut off from judicial review or even their attorneys. Internationally, Bush&Co. will continue to march forward belligerently, arrogantly and theateningly in their desire to bring "benevolent hegemony" to those areas of the world rich in minerals and energy sources, thus stirring up anti-U.S. rebellions and fueling more terrorism.
Thursday, December 05, 2002
Fuel Cell Generates Power Out of Thin Air
Coleman Powermate, a leading power equipment manufacturer, today introduced the AirGenTM fuel cell generator -- a machine that converts two of the most abundant elements in the universe (hydrogen and oxygen) into electricity.
While it sounds like science fiction, fuel cells have played a pivotal role in space exploration, and they are now making their way into the marketplace.
Coleman Powermate, a leading power equipment manufacturer, today introduced the AirGenTM fuel cell generator -- a machine that converts two of the most abundant elements in the universe (hydrogen and oxygen) into electricity.
While it sounds like science fiction, fuel cells have played a pivotal role in space exploration, and they are now making their way into the marketplace.
Washington sniper's spree ends with trigger phrase
Hours before the arrest yesterday morning of the two men now believed to be responsible for the string of murders around Washington, the Montgomery county police chief, Charles Moose, made his strangest communication with the then-unknown suspects.
Swallowing hard, he began to read from a prepared statement. "You indicated that you wanted us to do and say certain things," he said, as mystified reporters looked on. "You asked us to say, quote: 'We have caught the sniper like a duck in a noose.' We understand that hearing us say this is important to you."
[Sounds like a post-hypnotic, 'triggering' cue]
Hours before the arrest yesterday morning of the two men now believed to be responsible for the string of murders around Washington, the Montgomery county police chief, Charles Moose, made his strangest communication with the then-unknown suspects.
Swallowing hard, he began to read from a prepared statement. "You indicated that you wanted us to do and say certain things," he said, as mystified reporters looked on. "You asked us to say, quote: 'We have caught the sniper like a duck in a noose.' We understand that hearing us say this is important to you."
[Sounds like a post-hypnotic, 'triggering' cue]
Noam makes a Modest Proposal
The dedicated efforts of the Bush administration to take control of Iraq -- by war, military coup, or some other means -- have elicited various analyses of the guiding motives.
Offering one interpretation, Anatol Lieven of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace observes that these plans conform to "the classic modern strategy of an endangered right-wing oligarchy, which is to divert mass discontent into nationalism," inspired by fear of enemies about to destroy us.
That strategy is of critical importance if the "radical nationalists" setting policy in Washington hope to advance their announced plan for "unilateral world domination through absolute military superiority," while conducting a major assault against the interests of the large majority of the domestic population.
Lieven doubtless speaks for many when he describes the US as "a menace to itself and to mankind," on its present course.
The dedicated efforts of the Bush administration to take control of Iraq -- by war, military coup, or some other means -- have elicited various analyses of the guiding motives.
Offering one interpretation, Anatol Lieven of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace observes that these plans conform to "the classic modern strategy of an endangered right-wing oligarchy, which is to divert mass discontent into nationalism," inspired by fear of enemies about to destroy us.
That strategy is of critical importance if the "radical nationalists" setting policy in Washington hope to advance their announced plan for "unilateral world domination through absolute military superiority," while conducting a major assault against the interests of the large majority of the domestic population.
Lieven doubtless speaks for many when he describes the US as "a menace to itself and to mankind," on its present course.
The inspections are going unhindered. And what does Bush tell us? 'The signs are not encouraging'
In North Carolina last month, a woman attending a lecture I was giving asked me when America would go to war in Iraq. I told her to watch the front page of The New York Times and The Washington Post for the first smear campaigns against the UN inspectors. And bingo, right on time, the smears have begun.
One of the UN inspectors, it's now stated - a man appointed at the behest of the State Department - is involved with pornography. Another senior official, we're now told - again appointed at the urging of the State Department - was previously fired from his job as head of a nuclear safety agency. Why, I wonder, did the Americans want these men on the inspection team? So they could trash it later?
In North Carolina last month, a woman attending a lecture I was giving asked me when America would go to war in Iraq. I told her to watch the front page of The New York Times and The Washington Post for the first smear campaigns against the UN inspectors. And bingo, right on time, the smears have begun.
One of the UN inspectors, it's now stated - a man appointed at the behest of the State Department - is involved with pornography. Another senior official, we're now told - again appointed at the urging of the State Department - was previously fired from his job as head of a nuclear safety agency. Why, I wonder, did the Americans want these men on the inspection team? So they could trash it later?
Wednesday, December 04, 2002
A sick joke: vilify Saddam while closing Sangatte
Yesterday's publication of the Government's 23-page document, Saddam Hussein: crimes and human rights abuses, has been roundly condemned by Amnesty International, a group dedicated to the exposure of human rights abuses. Amnesty International has no quibble at all with the information contained within the publication. So why is the global justice organisation being so shirty?
Because, of course, it seems pretty obvious that the dossier (coinciding as it does with such matters as the establishment of a US military command centre in Qatar) exists only to make imminent war with Iraq more palatable to the British public. Amnesty International has been banging on about these and other abuses for years, but until now had found the Government none too keen to publicise them.
Yesterday's publication of the Government's 23-page document, Saddam Hussein: crimes and human rights abuses, has been roundly condemned by Amnesty International, a group dedicated to the exposure of human rights abuses. Amnesty International has no quibble at all with the information contained within the publication. So why is the global justice organisation being so shirty?
Because, of course, it seems pretty obvious that the dossier (coinciding as it does with such matters as the establishment of a US military command centre in Qatar) exists only to make imminent war with Iraq more palatable to the British public. Amnesty International has been banging on about these and other abuses for years, but until now had found the Government none too keen to publicise them.
Inspector's Resignation Rejected by U.N.'s Blix
Chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix rejected yesterday a resignation offer tendered by one of his Iraq-bound inspectors after reports appeared that the Virginia man lacked a specialized degree and has played a leadership role in sadomasochistic sex clubs.
Asked if the inspector's S&M background might offend his Muslim hosts, a U.N. spokeswoman said all inspectors have been briefed on the local culture and religion.
Chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix rejected yesterday a resignation offer tendered by one of his Iraq-bound inspectors after reports appeared that the Virginia man lacked a specialized degree and has played a leadership role in sadomasochistic sex clubs.
Asked if the inspector's S&M background might offend his Muslim hosts, a U.N. spokeswoman said all inspectors have been briefed on the local culture and religion.
Blair attacked for 'terrifying' dossier on Saddam's brutality
Tony Blair launched an onslaught against Saddam Hussein's human rights record yesterday in an attempt to sway public opinion in favour of military action against Iraq.
The Foreign Office released a graphic 23-page dossier giving details of the Iraqi regime. But the publication sparked accusations of political opportunism from human rights groups, while left-wing Labour MPs claimed the Government was "softening up" the public for war.
Tony Blair launched an onslaught against Saddam Hussein's human rights record yesterday in an attempt to sway public opinion in favour of military action against Iraq.
The Foreign Office released a graphic 23-page dossier giving details of the Iraqi regime. But the publication sparked accusations of political opportunism from human rights groups, while left-wing Labour MPs claimed the Government was "softening up" the public for war.
Tuesday, December 03, 2002
Russian pyramid power tackles worldly woes
People fearful of epidemics, terrorism, regional conflicts and earthquakes need fret no more - the solution, apparently, lies in the numerous pyramids rising on Russia's skyline.
They may pale beside the Great Pyramids of Giza, but 24 smaller examples built in Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan by mathematician Alexander Golod, including a 44-metre-high showpiece in Moscow, have baffled scientists with their healing and preserving properties.
People fearful of epidemics, terrorism, regional conflicts and earthquakes need fret no more - the solution, apparently, lies in the numerous pyramids rising on Russia's skyline.
They may pale beside the Great Pyramids of Giza, but 24 smaller examples built in Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan by mathematician Alexander Golod, including a 44-metre-high showpiece in Moscow, have baffled scientists with their healing and preserving properties.
The Kissinger Commission: a maneuver by the White House to contain an investigation it long opposed
In naming Henry Kissinger to direct a comprehensive examination of the government's failure to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush has selected a consummate Washington insider. Mr. Kissinger obviously has a keen intellect and vast experience in national security matters. Unfortunately, his affinity for power and the commercial interests he has cultivated since leaving government may make him less than the staunchly independent figure that is needed for this critical post. Indeed, it is tempting to wonder if the choice of Mr. Kissinger is not a clever maneuver by the White House to contain an investigation it long opposed.
In naming Henry Kissinger to direct a comprehensive examination of the government's failure to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush has selected a consummate Washington insider. Mr. Kissinger obviously has a keen intellect and vast experience in national security matters. Unfortunately, his affinity for power and the commercial interests he has cultivated since leaving government may make him less than the staunchly independent figure that is needed for this critical post. Indeed, it is tempting to wonder if the choice of Mr. Kissinger is not a clever maneuver by the White House to contain an investigation it long opposed.
Monday, December 02, 2002
Dolphins and the Mystery of the Silver Rings
The young dolphin gives a quick flip of her head, and an undulating silver ring appears--as if by magic--in front of her. The ring is a solid, toroidal bubble two feet across--and yet it does not rise to the surface! It stands erect in the water like the rim of a magic mirror, or the doorway to an unseen dimension. For long seconds the dolphin regards its creation, from varying aspects and angles, with its vision and sonar. Seemingly making a judgement, the dolphin then quickly pulls a small silver donut from the larger structure, which collapses into small bubbles. She then "pushes" the donut, which stays just inches ahead of her rostrum, perhaps 20 feet over a period of up to 10 seconds. Then, stopping again, she regards the twisting ring for a last time and bites it--causing it to collapse into a thousand tiny bubbles which head--as they should--for the water's surface. After a few moments of reflection, she creates another.
This isn't fantasy, it's real. And it isn't magic, just marvelous. It is a rare dolphin behavior, and we first saw it in the play of two baby dolphins. It gives us a little more insight into the superb level of control dolphins can exercise on their water environment, and underscores the fact that we can still discover things about dolphins by simply watching them.
The young dolphin gives a quick flip of her head, and an undulating silver ring appears--as if by magic--in front of her. The ring is a solid, toroidal bubble two feet across--and yet it does not rise to the surface! It stands erect in the water like the rim of a magic mirror, or the doorway to an unseen dimension. For long seconds the dolphin regards its creation, from varying aspects and angles, with its vision and sonar. Seemingly making a judgement, the dolphin then quickly pulls a small silver donut from the larger structure, which collapses into small bubbles. She then "pushes" the donut, which stays just inches ahead of her rostrum, perhaps 20 feet over a period of up to 10 seconds. Then, stopping again, she regards the twisting ring for a last time and bites it--causing it to collapse into a thousand tiny bubbles which head--as they should--for the water's surface. After a few moments of reflection, she creates another.
This isn't fantasy, it's real. And it isn't magic, just marvelous. It is a rare dolphin behavior, and we first saw it in the play of two baby dolphins. It gives us a little more insight into the superb level of control dolphins can exercise on their water environment, and underscores the fact that we can still discover things about dolphins by simply watching them.
An old cancer cure?
Chinese folk medicine has yielded a promising new approach for treating cancer. Using a dash of logic and modern lab techniques, Seattle scientists have shown that a compound extracted from the wormwood plant seeks out and destroys breast cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unscathed.
In experiments, the compound killed within 16 hours virtually all human breast cancer cells exposed to it in the test tube, reports Dr. Henry Lai, a bioengineering researcher at the University of Washington. Just as importantly, he says, nearly all of the normal cells exposed to it were still alive. "And a dog with a type of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma so severe that it couldn't walk across the room made a complete recovery within five days of receiving the treatment. X-rays showed the animal's tumor "had basically disappeared," says Lai, adding that he believes the dog is still alive two years later.
Chinese folk medicine has yielded a promising new approach for treating cancer. Using a dash of logic and modern lab techniques, Seattle scientists have shown that a compound extracted from the wormwood plant seeks out and destroys breast cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unscathed.
In experiments, the compound killed within 16 hours virtually all human breast cancer cells exposed to it in the test tube, reports Dr. Henry Lai, a bioengineering researcher at the University of Washington. Just as importantly, he says, nearly all of the normal cells exposed to it were still alive. "And a dog with a type of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma so severe that it couldn't walk across the room made a complete recovery within five days of receiving the treatment. X-rays showed the animal's tumor "had basically disappeared," says Lai, adding that he believes the dog is still alive two years later.
Britain 'bombed itself to fool Nazis'
British MI5 intelligence officials in World War II allowed double agents to bomb targets in the UK to protect their cover, newly declassified documents show.
A power station and a food dump were fire-bombed to keep up the pretence that the two agents were working for the Germans.
British MI5 intelligence officials in World War II allowed double agents to bomb targets in the UK to protect their cover, newly declassified documents show.
A power station and a food dump were fire-bombed to keep up the pretence that the two agents were working for the Germans.
9-11 Probers Undecided on Calling Bush, Clinton
Former Sen. George Mitchell, who was tapped last week to serve as vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission under former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, said Sunday that no decision has been made on whether to request testimony from President Bush or ex-President Clinton.
Former Sen. George Mitchell, who was tapped last week to serve as vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission under former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, said Sunday that no decision has been made on whether to request testimony from President Bush or ex-President Clinton.
Pennsylvania Goes After Thought Crimes
A bill passed by the Pennsylvania legislature may make it illegal for preachers to quote Bible passages condemning homosexuality, according to a group that opposes the measure.
The measure amends the state's Ethnic Intimidation Act to include "sexual orientation, gender or gender identity." The pro-family Urban Family Council worries that the bill will be enforced too liberally.
A bill passed by the Pennsylvania legislature may make it illegal for preachers to quote Bible passages condemning homosexuality, according to a group that opposes the measure.
The measure amends the state's Ethnic Intimidation Act to include "sexual orientation, gender or gender identity." The pro-family Urban Family Council worries that the bill will be enforced too liberally.
Kissinger Promises 'Thorough' 911 Probe Henry Kissinger, chairman of the commission to investigate the Sept. 11 attacks, said Sunday he will have no qualms recommending an examination of possible involvement by foreign countries if facts point that way.
"If they lead in the direction of the need for looking into the actions of foreign countries or what foreign countries knew, my personal recommendation will be to explore that," the former secretary of state said on CNN's "Late Edition." "But I would like to wait until we have the commission together."
"If they lead in the direction of the need for looking into the actions of foreign countries or what foreign countries knew, my personal recommendation will be to explore that," the former secretary of state said on CNN's "Late Edition." "But I would like to wait until we have the commission together."
Sunday, December 01, 2002
Bush anything but moronic, according to author
When Mark Crispin Miller first set out to write Dyslexicon: Observations on a National Disorder, about the ever-growing catalogue of President George W. Bush's verbal gaffes, he meant it for a laugh. But what he came to realize wasn't entirely amusing.
Since the 2000 presidential campaign, Miller has been compiling his own collection of Bush-isms, which have revealed, he says, a disquieting truth about what lurks behind the cock-eyed leer of the leader of the free world. He's not a moron at all ? on that point, Miller and Prime Minister Jean Chr?tien agree.
But according to Miller, he's no friend.
"I did initially intend it to be a funny book. But that was before I had a chance to read through all the transcripts," Miller, an American author and a professor of culture and communication at New York University, said recently in Toronto.
"Bush is not an imbecile. He's not a puppet. I think that Bush is a sociopathic personality. I think he's incapable of empathy. He has an inordinate sense of his own entitlement, and he's a very skilled manipulator. And in all the snickering about his alleged idiocy, this is what a lot of people miss." (Toronto Star)
When Mark Crispin Miller first set out to write Dyslexicon: Observations on a National Disorder, about the ever-growing catalogue of President George W. Bush's verbal gaffes, he meant it for a laugh. But what he came to realize wasn't entirely amusing.
Since the 2000 presidential campaign, Miller has been compiling his own collection of Bush-isms, which have revealed, he says, a disquieting truth about what lurks behind the cock-eyed leer of the leader of the free world. He's not a moron at all ? on that point, Miller and Prime Minister Jean Chr?tien agree.
But according to Miller, he's no friend.
"I did initially intend it to be a funny book. But that was before I had a chance to read through all the transcripts," Miller, an American author and a professor of culture and communication at New York University, said recently in Toronto.
"Bush is not an imbecile. He's not a puppet. I think that Bush is a sociopathic personality. I think he's incapable of empathy. He has an inordinate sense of his own entitlement, and he's a very skilled manipulator. And in all the snickering about his alleged idiocy, this is what a lot of people miss." (Toronto Star)
NORAD investigates vapor trail reports - Nov. 28, 2002
Fighter jets scrambled in an unsuccessful attempt to investigate a contrail of unknown origin first seen over the Caribbean and later reported over the midwestern United States, the Department of Defense said Thursday.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled the jets soon after unverified reports were received around 4 p.m. Wednesday that the contrail, seen near the Turks and Caicos Islands, was headed northwest toward the United States, said Lt. Cmdr. Curtis Jenkins, a spokesman for the Colorado Springs-based group.
A contrail is a white trail of condensed water vapor that sometimes forms in the wake of an aircraft.
Fighter jets scrambled in an unsuccessful attempt to investigate a contrail of unknown origin first seen over the Caribbean and later reported over the midwestern United States, the Department of Defense said Thursday.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled the jets soon after unverified reports were received around 4 p.m. Wednesday that the contrail, seen near the Turks and Caicos Islands, was headed northwest toward the United States, said Lt. Cmdr. Curtis Jenkins, a spokesman for the Colorado Springs-based group.
A contrail is a white trail of condensed water vapor that sometimes forms in the wake of an aircraft.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
