Global warming yields “glacial earthquakes,” future sea level rise
In new studies, scientists report that global warming may be responsible for a newfound and growing phenomenon, “glacial earthquakes".
Three studies published in the March 24 issue of the research journal Science warn of the events.
Two studies found that the Earth may be warm enough by 2100 for widespread melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and partial collapse of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
In a third study, seismologists reported an unexpected offshoot of global warming: “glacial earthquakes,” in which island-sized glaciers lurch unexpectedly. Glaciers are normally slow-moving masses of ice.
The lurches yield temblors up to magnitude 5.1 on the moment-magnitude scale, which is similar to the Richter scale, the researchers said.
[Glacial earthquakes in Greenland, they added, are most common in July and August, and have more than doubled in number since 2002.]
Monday, March 27, 2006
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
SEPARATION OF POWERS
Former top judge says US risks edging near to dictatorship
Sandra Day O'Connor, a Republican-appointed judge who retired last month after 24 years on the supreme court, has said the US is in danger of edging towards dictatorship if the party's rightwingers continue to attack the judiciary.
In a strongly worded speech at Georgetown University, reported by National Public Radio and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Ms O'Connor took aim at Republican leaders whose repeated denunciations of the courts for alleged liberal bias could, she said, be contributing to a climate of violence against judges.
[After the decision last March that ordered a brain-dead woman in Florida, Terri Schiavo, removed from life support, Texan Republican Bushite Tom DeLay said: "The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behaviour."
Mr DeLay later called for the impeachment of judges involved in the Schiavo case, and called for more scrutiny of "an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable judiciary that thumbed their nose at Congress and the president".]
Sandra Day O'Connor, a Republican-appointed judge who retired last month after 24 years on the supreme court, has said the US is in danger of edging towards dictatorship if the party's rightwingers continue to attack the judiciary.
In a strongly worded speech at Georgetown University, reported by National Public Radio and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Ms O'Connor took aim at Republican leaders whose repeated denunciations of the courts for alleged liberal bias could, she said, be contributing to a climate of violence against judges.
[After the decision last March that ordered a brain-dead woman in Florida, Terri Schiavo, removed from life support, Texan Republican Bushite Tom DeLay said: "The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behaviour."
Mr DeLay later called for the impeachment of judges involved in the Schiavo case, and called for more scrutiny of "an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable judiciary that thumbed their nose at Congress and the president".]
CLOAK AND DAGGER
Witness coaching puts Moussaoui sentencing in doubt
Judge Brinkema said in all her years on the bench she had "never seen a more egregious violation of the rule about witnesses".
A government lawyer emailed the prosecution's opening statement, and a commentary on an FBI government witness, to officials scheduled to appear.
Judge Brinkema said the rule against witnesses hearing testimony in advance is "a very important protection of the truth-seeking process".
[FLASHBACK: May 13, 2004: Beheaded American had links to Moussaoui
When Nicholas Berg took an Oklahoma bus to a remote college campus a few years ago, the American recently beheaded by terrorists allowed a man with terrorist connections to use his laptop computer, according to his father.
Michael Berg said the FBI investigated the matter more than a year ago. He stressed that his son was in no way connected to the terrorists who captured and killed him.
Government sources told CNN that the encounter involved an acquaintance of Zacarias Moussaoui -- the only person publicly charged in the United States in connection with the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.]
Saturday, March 11, 2006
WHODUNNIT
Witness Ties Moussaoui To 'Dream' Terror Plot
VIDEO SHOWN TO JURORS: Zacarias Moussaoui stroked his beard. He scratched his chin. Finally, he asked the question that everyone in the federal courtroom yesterday had waited much of the day to hear.
"You said you met someone by the name of John, correct?" Moussaoui asked the witness.
Although Moussaoui never attended law school, he demonstrated in the videotape that he knew how to object, which he did repeatedly, often on the grounds that the question being asked lacked the proper foundation.
The witness Bafana said he was treasurer of a chapter of Jemaah Islamiya in Singapore. He said he helped raise money for terrorist attacks -- including one on a train station in Manila in December 2000 that killed 22 people -- and served as a host for visitors, such as John, when they stopped in Malaysia.
["That is not Zacary," said Moussaoui's mother Aicha el-Wafi, 59, speaking in French during a break in her son's sentencing trial on Tuesday. "He is too calm. He doesn't even budge."]
VIDEO SHOWN TO JURORS: Zacarias Moussaoui stroked his beard. He scratched his chin. Finally, he asked the question that everyone in the federal courtroom yesterday had waited much of the day to hear.
"You said you met someone by the name of John, correct?" Moussaoui asked the witness.
Although Moussaoui never attended law school, he demonstrated in the videotape that he knew how to object, which he did repeatedly, often on the grounds that the question being asked lacked the proper foundation.
The witness Bafana said he was treasurer of a chapter of Jemaah Islamiya in Singapore. He said he helped raise money for terrorist attacks -- including one on a train station in Manila in December 2000 that killed 22 people -- and served as a host for visitors, such as John, when they stopped in Malaysia.
["That is not Zacary," said Moussaoui's mother Aicha el-Wafi, 59, speaking in French during a break in her son's sentencing trial on Tuesday. "He is too calm. He doesn't even budge."]
TRUTH IN FICTION
Kurt Vonnegut tells it like it is
“We have people in this country who are richer than whole countries,” says Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “They run everything. We have no Democratic Party. It’s financed by the same millionaires and billionaires as the Republicans. So we have no representatives in Washington. Working people have no leverage whatsoever.
“I’m trying to write a novel about the end of the world. But the world is really ending! It’s becoming more and more uninhabitable because of our addiction to oil. “Bush used that line recently,” Vonnegut adds. “I should sue him for plagiarism.”
Things have gotten so bad, he says, “people are in revolt again life itself.”
Our economy has been making money, but “all the money that should have gone into research and development has gone into executive compensation. If people insist on living as if there’s no tomorrow, there really won’t be one. "
[“As the world is ending, I’m always glad to be entertained for a few moments. The best way to do that is with music. You should practice once a night."]
“We have people in this country who are richer than whole countries,” says Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “They run everything. We have no Democratic Party. It’s financed by the same millionaires and billionaires as the Republicans. So we have no representatives in Washington. Working people have no leverage whatsoever.
“I’m trying to write a novel about the end of the world. But the world is really ending! It’s becoming more and more uninhabitable because of our addiction to oil. “Bush used that line recently,” Vonnegut adds. “I should sue him for plagiarism.”
Things have gotten so bad, he says, “people are in revolt again life itself.”
Our economy has been making money, but “all the money that should have gone into research and development has gone into executive compensation. If people insist on living as if there’s no tomorrow, there really won’t be one. "
[“As the world is ending, I’m always glad to be entertained for a few moments. The best way to do that is with music. You should practice once a night."]
WAR ON EVERYONE
Walt Cronkite tells it like it is
Nicole Richardson was 18-years-old when her boyfriend, Jeff, sold nine grams of LSD to undercover federal agents. She had nothing to do with the sale. There was no reason to believe she was involved in drug dealing in any way.
But then an agent posing as another dealer called and asked to speak with Jeff. Nicole replied that he wasn't home, but gave the man a number where she thought Jeff could be reached.
An innocent gesture? It sounds that way to me. But to federal prosecutors, simply giving out a phone number made Nicole Richardson part of a drug dealing conspiracy. Under draconian mandatory minimum sentences, she was sent to federal prison for ten years without possibility of parole.
To pile irony on top of injustice, her boyfriend - who actually knew something about dealing drugs - was able to trade information for a reduced sentence of five years. Precisely because she knew nothing, Nicole had nothing with which to barter.
Nicole Richardson was 18-years-old when her boyfriend, Jeff, sold nine grams of LSD to undercover federal agents. She had nothing to do with the sale. There was no reason to believe she was involved in drug dealing in any way.
But then an agent posing as another dealer called and asked to speak with Jeff. Nicole replied that he wasn't home, but gave the man a number where she thought Jeff could be reached.
An innocent gesture? It sounds that way to me. But to federal prosecutors, simply giving out a phone number made Nicole Richardson part of a drug dealing conspiracy. Under draconian mandatory minimum sentences, she was sent to federal prison for ten years without possibility of parole.
To pile irony on top of injustice, her boyfriend - who actually knew something about dealing drugs - was able to trade information for a reduced sentence of five years. Precisely because she knew nothing, Nicole had nothing with which to barter.
Friday, March 10, 2006
FOR THE RECORD
This is what the original Jyllands-Posten page looked like. Notice that there were only 12 cartoons.
In the wake of the deaths: the Jyllands-Posten cartoons
Prohibitions on the depiction of Islam's prophet Mohammed (PBUH) have not always been observed. The Mohammed Image Archive is a compendium of images that depict the 7th-century founder of the faith spanning all historical periods, cultures and genres.
[NB This site contains many beautiful historic artworks but also images which may offend.]
The entire controversy started when Danish author Kåre Bluitgen complained that he could not find an artist brave enought to illustrate his upcoming book about Mohammed. The newspaper Jyllands-Posten issued a call for submissions from any artists willing to take up the challenge.
In the ensuing brouhaha, the original book was almost forgotten; it has now been released, and does feature page after page of Mohammed depictions. This site features scans of several of the pages. One image, taken from the book (titled Koranen og profeten Muhammeds liv, or The Koran and the life of the prophet Mohammed), apparently shows Mohammed with his child-bride Aisha.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
BIG BROTHER
Pay a credit card debt, expect Homeland Security to investigate
A retired couple paid the $6,522 balance on their credit card. An alarm went off. A red flag went up. Their behavior was found questionable.
They didn't call a suspected terrorist on their cell phone. They didn't try to sneak a machine gun through customs. But they did learn how frighteningly wide the net of suspicion has been cast.
They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified.
[Adding injury to insult, the money doesn't come off the balance until the threat alert is lifted.]
A retired couple paid the $6,522 balance on their credit card. An alarm went off. A red flag went up. Their behavior was found questionable.
They didn't call a suspected terrorist on their cell phone. They didn't try to sneak a machine gun through customs. But they did learn how frighteningly wide the net of suspicion has been cast.
They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified.
[Adding injury to insult, the money doesn't come off the balance until the threat alert is lifted.]
Sunday, March 05, 2006
HISTORY CHANNEL
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is a comedian who provides more accurate and cutting edge journalism than most of the major news networks.
Surveys show that an astonishing number of young people claim they get most of their news from watching The Daily Show.
[In 2003, when news anchor Bill Moyers interviewed Stewart for the PBS program NOW, he introduced his guest this way: “When future historians come to write the political story of our times, they will first have to review hundreds of hours of a cable television program called The Daily Show. You simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show.”]
Jon Stewart is a comedian who provides more accurate and cutting edge journalism than most of the major news networks.
Surveys show that an astonishing number of young people claim they get most of their news from watching The Daily Show.
[In 2003, when news anchor Bill Moyers interviewed Stewart for the PBS program NOW, he introduced his guest this way: “When future historians come to write the political story of our times, they will first have to review hundreds of hours of a cable television program called The Daily Show. You simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show.”]
OUR GREAT LEADERS
Video shows Bush Katrina warning
Video showing President George W Bush being warned on the eve of Hurricane Katrina that New Orleans' flood defences could be overcome.
The footage, obtained by the Associated Press, also shows Mr Bush being told of the risk to evacuees in the Superdome.
TRY OR RELEASE
Many innocents, few released
"Two FBI agents began the questioning, convinced I was involved in some nefarious web of plots, from planning to assassinate the Pope to masterminding al-Qaeda's finance operation in Europe, or being an instructor in one of its Afghan training camps. They had their perceptions about me and were searching for ways to confirm them -- preferably from my own mouth. By now I'd been raised to the status of some rogue James Bond-type figure. They thought I was a graduate from some prestigious British university, that I was fluent in a dozen languages, that I was an expert in computers and several martial arts… Had it not been for this ludicrous situation I'm in, I would have been flattered. I once said to them, 'I should ask you to write my résumé -- I'd find a job anywhere.'"
[A British citizen of Pakistani heritage who was held and tortured at Abu Ghraib and Camp X-Ray for years in solitary confinement before being released when it became obvious he was 'the wrong guy'.]
"Two FBI agents began the questioning, convinced I was involved in some nefarious web of plots, from planning to assassinate the Pope to masterminding al-Qaeda's finance operation in Europe, or being an instructor in one of its Afghan training camps. They had their perceptions about me and were searching for ways to confirm them -- preferably from my own mouth. By now I'd been raised to the status of some rogue James Bond-type figure. They thought I was a graduate from some prestigious British university, that I was fluent in a dozen languages, that I was an expert in computers and several martial arts… Had it not been for this ludicrous situation I'm in, I would have been flattered. I once said to them, 'I should ask you to write my résumé -- I'd find a job anywhere.'"
[A British citizen of Pakistani heritage who was held and tortured at Abu Ghraib and Camp X-Ray for years in solitary confinement before being released when it became obvious he was 'the wrong guy'.]
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