Intel CEO: U.S. faces looming tech decline

Ahmadinejad Drops A Bomb

My Biggest Mistake in the White House

Failing to refute charges that Bush lied us into war has hurt our country.

By KARL ROVE

Seven years ago today, in a speech on the Iraq war, Sen. Ted Kennedy fired the first shot in an all-out assault on President George W. Bush's integrity. "All the evidence points to the conclusion," Kennedy said, that the Bush administration "put a spin on the intelligence and a spin on the truth." Later that day Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle told reporters Mr. Bush needed "to be forthcoming" about the absence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Thus began a shameful episode in our political life whose poisonous fruits are still with us.

The next morning, Democratic presidential candidates John Kerry and John Edwards joined in. Sen. Kerry said, "It is time for a president who will face the truth and tell the truth." Mr. Edwards chimed in, "The administration has a problem with the truth."

The battering would continue, and it was a monument to hypocrisy and cynicism. All these Democrats had said, like Mr. Bush did, that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD. Of the 110 House and Senate Democrats who voted in October 2002 to authorize the use of force against his regime, 67 said in congressional debate that Saddam had these weapons. This didn't keep Democrats from later alleging something they knew was false—that the president had lied America into war. [more]

Oil spill visits get partisan By: Jake Sherman June 30, 2010 11:56 AM EDT

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) wanted to fly 10 lawmakers down to the Gulf of Mexico to see the damage caused by BP’s gigantic oil spill first hand.  House Democrats said no.  Scalise’s trip was rejected for a variety of bureaucratic and logistical reasons, but it has also opened a new vein of partisan squabbling over who should be allowed to arrange a trip to view the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

My 2nd Letter to Saxby Chambliss 

Kagan's confirmation must be filibustered.   This is s real test for the heart of the Republican party.  Is the Republican party willing to let the constitution be further undermined by these appointments of nominees that seek the demise of the constitution?

The economic situation today is drastically worse than a couple years ago, and the euro is doomed as a concept, Nassim Taleb, professor and author of the bestselling book "The Black Swan," told CNBC on Thursday.

CNBC.com Nassim Taleb

"We had less debt cumulatively (two years ago), and more people employed. Today, we have more risk in the system, and a smaller tax base," Taleb said.

"Banks balance sheets are just as bad as they were" two years ago when the crisis began and "the quality of the risks hasn't improved," he added.

 

[More...]

Court accused of covering for Obama in 'Walpingate'

Judge appears to be stonewalling scandal linked to White House

Posted: May 28, 2010 10:40 pm Eastern

By Drew Zahn © 2010 WorldNetDaily

 

Former Inspector General Gerald Walpin

Former Inspector General Gerald Walpin, whose dismissal by President Obama last year has been challenged by congressmen as potentially illegal political retaliation, is now stepping up the battle to get his job back, accusing the judicial system of stalling his case and, thus, doing the White House a convenient favor.

Court documents filed last week accuse U.S. District Court Judge Richard Roberts of failing to act within federally mandated time requirements and "doing nothing at all" to move the case forward.

Similarly, a joint congressional report by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., which found the administration had failed to comply with requirements of the law and "orchestrated an after-the-fact smear campaign to justify the president's action," has been allowed to languish.

[More]

Holder Evades Questions on Probe into Alleged White House Quid Pro Quo

Friday, May 14, 2010
By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer
Washington (CNSNews.com) – Attorney General Eric Holder would not answer whether the Justice Department is looking into an allegation by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) that the White House offered him an administration job as an enticement to drop his primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).  [More]

Commentary

Why Physicians Oppose The Health Care Reform Bill

Daniel Palestrant, 04.28.10, 10:10 AM EDT

Health care without active physician participation is no health care at all.

The Forgotten Spaceship

by D.K. McCombs  4/25/2010

With all of this talk about the reprioritization of  NASA, away from the Orion/Constellation program and a return to the moon, and towards something much more nebulous, maybe we should be looking at a failed attempt to do something truly dramatic.  Once, there was the X-33 program.  A few recoverable blunders, and 1.5 billon dollars  later, and congress refuses to fund the X-33 any further.  

The key problems with the program were quite soluble: Use a different material than the copper alloy on the aerospike engine (perhaps even ceramic) to save weight.  Use  more traditional lithium aluminum alloys for the tank, instead of the composite materials, or at least contract with someone like scaled composites with the know how.   The lithium aluminum tank redesign was in fact already complete by the time the project was canceled.

Some have called the program a 1.5 billion dollar waste.  But any time you make mistakes but learn something in the process, the learning is at least partial justification for the effort and expense.  The surest way to truly waste the money is to not do anything with the effort.

A few key technologies of the program must not be lost:  The innovative thermal protection system from B.F. Goodrich, and the Rocketdyne Aerospike Engine. 

For an intersting perspective on all of this click here. 

3 Republicans Break Promise Against FY2011 Earmarks

Posted by: Meredith Jessup at 3:01 PM

Three House Republicans have ignored their caucus' ban on requesting earmarks this year. Rep. Joseph Cao, R-La., has requested projects totaling more than $500 million for his district.

In addition, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, have also requested millions of dollars worth of earmarks despite the party's moratorium. 

CBO: Health Bill Would Force Families to Buy Insurance Costing a Minimum of $12,000 Per Year--Whether Government or Employer Helps Them or Not

Thursday, March 18, 2010
By Pete Winn, Senior Writer/Editor
(CNSNews.com) – If Congress passes the Senate health-care plan, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, American families will be required by federal law to buy a federally approved health insurance plan that will cost a minimum of $12,000 per year--and, on average, will cost $15,000 per year -- whether their employer or the government helps them with the premium or not.
[More]

Star power

Watch this poor California district and its reborn challenger | Marvin Olasky

This year's campaign for Congress looks to be the liveliest since 1994's "Contract with America" explosion. And, unless she has a last-minute change of heart and mind, Star Parker, president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, is announcing this month her candidacy to represent a poor, heavily Democratic, majority-black congressional district just east and south of Los Angeles.

[More]

Knowledge @Wharton

Dealing With China's 'Quality Fade'

Paul Midler 07.26.07, 11:11 AM ET

Recent media reports detailing a series of quality problems with Chinese-made exports--pet food tainted with prohibited chemicals, toys covered with lead paint and tires that fall apart at high speed--have understandably alarmed the American public and resulted in a number of international product recalls.

But supply chain professionals not directly affected by these recalls remain unusually calm. "Everything will be all right," said one U.S. importer on a buying mission to China. "As the country continues to develop, the quality of its products will naturally rise."

It's the sort of comment that sounds logical, but is not necessarily true. Quality does not always rise over time, as China's own history shows. At the end of the 19th century, the West rushed to buy China's beautiful silk products. Demand quickly expanded, and new players moved into the market. As competition intensified, manufacturers began to cut corners on quality, and silk products out of China soon gained a reputation as inferior goods.

By the beginning of the 20th century, traders were already looking elsewhere, and Japan, which had been building a reputation for delivering a more consistently high-quality product, became an attractive alternative. By 1930, Japan was exporting twice as much silk as China.  [More ]  Ed Note:  I think many of us have experienced this phenomena of Chinese 'Quality Fade';  a deliberate scheme to slowly pull the quality out of the  product.  I have had two flat screen moitors fail in the last six months. Both failed owing to faulty electrolytic capacitors in the power supplies.  Most if not all Chinese made electronics can be expected to fail soon after the first year of use.

UN climate chief admits mistake on Himalayan glaciers warning

Uranium Is So Last Century — Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke

 The thick hardbound volume was sitting on a shelf in a colleague's office when Kirk Sorensen spotted it. A rookie NASA engineer at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Sorensen was researching nuclear-powered propulsion, and the book's title — Fluid Fuel Reactors — jumped out at him. He picked it up and thumbed through it. Hours later, he was still reading, enchanted by the ideas but struggling with the arcane writing. “I took it home that night, but I didn't understand all the nuclear terminology,” Sorensen says. He pored over it in the coming months, ultimately deciding that he held in his hands the key to the world's energy future.

[More] [Ed. Note: With new gigantic gas finds in the Texas and huge oil finds in the Dakotas, we are now energy independent.  Figure in Thorium deposits, and a little leadership, and we could solve the worlds energy problems.  We are currently in desperate need of some leadership.]

Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly speech

By Eric Fingerhut · September 24, 2009

Here's Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly Thursday, in which he responded to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial by holding up documents proving the existence of the Holocaust, blasted the Goldstone Report and urged the international community to stop Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The most urgent challenge facing this body is to prevent the tyrants of Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons," said Netanyahu. "Are the member states of the United Nations up to that challenge? Will the international community confront a despotism that terrorizes its own people as they bravely stand up for freedom?"  [More]

Ed. Note: Benjamin Netanyahu is the moral leader of the free world.

Capping & Taxing U.S. Government Insanity

The house speaker rushed the 1200 plus page bill through the house before the science proved the lack of necessity for the effort.  At a time when the US economy needs every possible measure to strengthen it, the Congress and the President seem intent on legislation to further weaken it.  The EPA had already internally released a draft report indicating that the EPA should not depend on outside bodies like the IPCC for data, and that recent data undermines most of the theories presented before 2007.  The memo, released to and repressed by the EPA leadership, is now being reported on with copies available on the Internet.  The report is available [here] . The cost of the Cap & trade legislation to the average household has been estimated to be several thousand dollars per year.  The cost to American industry may be much worse. [Source]   Ironies abound.  Without cooperation from China, any 'benefit' in reduced carbon dioxide would be negligible. We pollute with every breath (breath mints or not) since carbon dioxide is now deemed a pollutant.  Hopefully, we will not have to trade carbon credits in order to breath.  Those who voted for the bill are certain to have not read it, because the bill in it's final form did not exist at the time of the vote.  This is the second time this Congress has voted for an unread (unreadable) bill. The first was a manifest malfeasance in the non-stimulating stimulus that will surely result in a whole lot of federal easing (aka inflation.) 

Carbongate

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Friday, June 26, 2009 4:20 PM PT

Climate Change: A suppressed EPA study says old U.N. data ignore the decline in global temperatures and other inconvenient truths. Was the report kept under wraps to influence the vote on the cap-and-trade bill? [More...]

Solar Variability: Striking A Balance With Climate Change

ScienceDaily (May 12, 2008) — The sun has powered almost everything on Earth since life began, including its climate. The sun also delivers an annual and seasonal impact, changing the character of each hemisphere as Earth's orientation shifts through the year. Since the Industrial Revolution, however, new forces have begun to exert significant influence on Earth's climate... [More] : [Counterpoint]

Thorium: Earth's Forgotten Treasure

As we face soaring energy prices, future shortages, and the alarming prospect of dramatic climate change brought about by fossil fuel waste, the one thing we desperately need stands out in stark relief: an abundant supply of clean energy - the Holy Grail of the modern world.

Oil and natural gas are running low. Wind power is limited to a few locations, biofuels require much more land than we have, and solar is still far from practical after decades of intensive research. Nuclear fusion has made even less progress. The supply of uranium for conventional nuclear power will run out within this century. Right now, almost every new power plant has to be fueled by dwinding supplies of natural gas or uranium, or by dirty coal, which spews out not only vast amounts of carbon dioxide but millions of tons of toxic soot, poisonous heavy metals, and radioactive isotopes.

Whenever the construction of a nuclear reactor is delayed because of a false hope in "renewable" energies that never materialize, a coal or natural gas plant has to be built instead, polluting the air we breathe and driving global warming faster and faster. But even conventional nuclear reactors produce waste, and because they use only a tiny fraction of the energy in uranium, that resource is also being depleted.

Enter Thorium. Half a century ago, a different kind of nuclear reactor was invented, one that burns Thorium - an inexhaustible supply of fuel, and much cheaper than the enriched-uranium fuel used by current reactors. It can even use the nuclear waste from other reactors as fuel! The Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor, or LFTR for short, operates at low pressures, so it could never explode like the reactor at Chernobyl, and its liquid-fuel design makes it physical impossible to overheat, like the reactor at Three Mile Island.

Unfortunately, it was the Cold War - energy was still cheap, global warming was just a theory, and the LFTR wasn't good for making weapons-grade plutonium, so it was abandoned. Now, a growing group of scientists and engineers are working to bring the LFTR back to life - to free us from filthy coal and turn stockpiles of nuclear waste into the clean, cheap energy we need. [More]

Ed Note: This is an area where the US could lead.   If not Thorium, (why not Thorium?) then fast breeder reactors based on liquid salts for coolant.  These designs are inherently safer that light water reactors, cheaper, more efficient, and can eliminate the nuclear waste now growing in cooling ponds at the various LW reactor sites. 

The Wolfram Alpha web site is alive. 

 www.wolframalpha.com is now taking questions.  It isn't accurate to call it a 'google buster' because it isn't a search engine.  It provides organized and detailed information on key topics.  The Internet has become a lot more interesting and powerful.  For now, it's a little rough around the edges, but I think it's learning.

People of Plenty

By William Tucker on 5.5.09 @ 6:09AM

In my book, Terrestrial Energy, I talk about historian David Potter's 1956 book, People of Plenty, which redefined Frederick Jackson Turner's "Frontier Thesis." Whereas Turner said that an abundance of land had been the defining experience in the American character, Potter argued it was actually an abundance of natural resources.

Following this line of thought, I argued that since our domestic oil production went into decline in 1970 we had entered a new era of American history where we became a "people of scarcity." It was a pretty good argument at the time, but I think now I'm going to have to revise it for the next edition. Once again we have become a People of Plenty -- this time in natural gas.

In a front-page story last week, the Wall Street Journal summed up what has been floating around for more than a year (it's amazing how long it takes these things to reach the public consciousness) -- gas industry roustabouts, wildcatters and innovators in Texas and Louisiana have done it again. They have cracked into gas deposits previously locked up in shale formations and opened Saudi-Arabian-sized reserves. As the Journal summarized, "One industry-backed study estimates the U.S. has more than 2,200 trillion cubic feet of gas waiting to be pumped, enough to satisfy nearly 100 years of current U.S. natural gas demand."  [More]  

Ed. Note: Natural Gas has a significantly smaller carbon footprint than oil or coal:

Fossil Fuel Emission Levels - Pounds per Billion Btu of Energy Input
Pollutant	Natural Gas	Oil	Coal
Carbon Dioxide	117,000	164,000	208,000
Carbon Monoxide	40	33	208
Nitrogen Oxides	92	448	457
Sulfur Dioxide	1	1,122	2,591
Particulates	7	84	2,744
Mercury	0.000	0.007	0.016
Source: EIA - Natural Gas Issues and Trends 1998

 

The end of Consumer Demand for Chrysler and GM Products

It was the NASCAR crowd that bought their cars.  The 'Intellectual Elite' had long ago switched to European or Japanese models.  Now that Chrysler is to be 55% owned by the UAW; with most of the rest owned by the Government I don't expect any recovery in demand.   GM will soon be Government Motors , with UAW/Government ownership around 89%.  I don't see the NASCAR contingent buying into that! The inequitable deal handed to bondholders is really financial shock and awe. 

Who can stomach a Union/Government owned auto company? What kinds of cars would they make?  What kind of executive would work under the new reality, with treasury at the real helm?  I think we can look to fairly recent history to get a clear picture of what's ahead.  All we have to do is look to the former Soviet Union and the crowning achievement of East German production: the Trabant. It really is beginning to look a lot like Venezuela around here.   Speaking of NASCAR, what will become of it without a domestic auto industry?

I can say that as for myself: My next purchase will be probably be a VW, Volvo, Ford, BMW or Honda.  I am done with GM and Chrysler.

 

4.4 Quake hits So Cal.

Version #M: This report supersedes any earlier reports of this event. This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

A light earthquake occurred at 6:11:13 PM (PDT) on Friday, May 1, 2009.
The magnitude 4.4 event occurred 5 km (3 miles) E (81 degrees) of Leo Carrillo State Beach, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 11 km ( 7 miles).  [More]

Fannie Mae Creates Housing Mirage With Bum Loans: David Reilly

Commentary by David Reilly

April 24 (Bloomberg) -- Give money away. That was a solution to the housing crisis mortgage giant Fannie Mae hit on last year.

Faced with growing numbers of homeowners unable to make mortgage payments, Fannie decided to fund loans to borrowers that were instant losers.

The point was to buy time. Even though those loans resulted in a $453 million loss, they helped keep troubled homeowners from defaulting. That meant Fannie for now didn’t have to make good on loan guarantees that may have cost it as much as $2.4 billion.

The big game of kick the can strikes at a deep-seated fear among many investors -- that banks and others faced with mounting housing losses are finding all manner of dubious ways to push a day of reckoning into the future.

If that’s the case, any improvement in the housing outlook might be a mirage obscuring even greater pressures building in the financial system. That would eventually counter better-than- expected first-quarter results from many banks.

Investor angst was made worse by the knowledge that the government is leaning hard on banks to modify troubled loans any way they can. Prevent foreclosures and worry about the consequences later is the mantra of the day.

[More]

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER: The last thing this country needs is a pirate raid on the wealth creators who still dare navigate our stormy waters

 

The opinion polls have uttered. The country loves the new 50 per cent top rate of income tax. Soak the rich. Smash the bankers. So Government spin doctors are in second heaven. The Conservatives' silence redefines a tomb. And I suppose there'd be quite a turnout for the public flogging of Sir Fred the Shred.

But before you book your tickets, hold hard. And before you lynch me as a rich b*****d flying a kite for my own cause, let me beg you to believe that I am not.

I believe that this new top rate of tax could be the final nail in the coffin of Britain plc.

I am 61 years old. I have lived and worked in Britain all my life. Not even in the dark days of penal Labour taxation in the Seventies did I have any intention of leaving the country of my birth.

Despite a rumour put around some years back, I have never contemplated leaving Britain for tax reasons. But in the 40-plus years I have been lucky enough to work here, I've seen a bit. So I must draw your attention to what is really proposed in this Budget.

Here's the truth. The proposed top rate of income tax is not 50 per cent. It is 50 per cent plus 1.5 per cent national insurance paid by employees plus 13.3 per cent paid by employers. That's not 50 per cent. Two years from now, Britain will have the highest tax rate on earned income of any developed country.  [More...]

Drama at GE shareholders meeting 'Open hostility' toward execs over MSNBC's 'leftward tilt'

By Paul Bond April 22, 2009, 06:38 PM ET Updated: April 22, 2009, 07:28 PM ET

Things got testy Wednesday at the GE shareholders meeting courtesy of several complaints about political bias at its media division, NBC Universal. Just don't expect to see the fireworks at the company's webcast of the event, which contains prepared remarks from CEO Jeff Immelt and CFO Keith Sherin but leaves out their interaction with shareholders. A GE spokesman clarified that the corporation doesn't typically broadcast the shareholders meeting in its entirety. Just before GE board members were re-elected, shareholders asked about 10 questions of a mostly political nature concerning the viewpoints of MSNBC and CNBC, according to attendees. First up was a woman asking about a reported meeting in which Immelt and NBC Uni CEO Jeff Zucker supposedly told top CNBC executives and talent to be less critical of President Obama and his policies. Immelt acknowledged a meeting took place but said no one at CNBC was told what to say or not say about politics. During the woman's follow-up question, her microphone was cut off. Later, during the umpteenth question about MSNBC, another shareholder's microphone was cut, according to multiple attendees. "The crowd was very upset with MSNBC because of its leftward tilt," one attendee said. "Some former employees said they were embarrassed by it." One specific complaint about MSNBC concerned Keith Olbermann's interview of actress Janeane Garofalo, who likened conservatives to racists and spoke of "the limbic brain inside a right-winger." "They were upset that Olbermann didn't bother to challenge her," one GE shareholder said. Immelt said he takes a hands-off approach to what is reported on the company's news networks, which prompted a shareholder to criticize him for not managing NBC Uni effectively. "My biggest surprise was the open hostility to MSNBC," another shareholder said. "It was noticeable and loud. I don't remember any of this going on last year." One shareholder at the Orlando, Fla., meeting was Jesse Waters, a producer of "The O'Reilly Factor." Waters asked a question at the meeting, then turned on the Fox News Channel cameras outside the venue and interviewed other shareholders who attended the meeting.

Hugo Chavez Says Venezuelan Socialism Has Begun to Reach U.S. under Obama

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
By Edwin Mora
(CNSNews.com) - Inspired by his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Americas Summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared on Sunday that Venezuelan socialism has begun to reach the United States under the Obama administration.

“I am coming back from Trinidad and Tobago, from the Americas Summit where, without a doubt, the position that Venezuela and its government has always defended, especially starting 10 years ago, of resistance, dignity, sovereignty and independence has obtained in Port of Spain, one of the biggest victories of our history,” Chavez said.
 
“It would seem that the changes that started in Venezuela in the last decade of the 20th century have begun to reach North America,” he added. “It would seem that the changes that started in Venezuela in the last decade of the 20th century have begun to reach North America,” he added.
 
Chavez made the comments Sunday to a crowd gathered for the 199th Commemoration of the Independence Declaration of Venezuela.  [More]   Ed. note: My Venezuela connection article was  apparently prescient.

Minnesota's Missing Votes

Some Senate absentee ballots are more equal than others.

 Meanwhile, back in the Minnesota Senate recount, the three-judge panel reviewing the race has declared Democrat Al Franken the winner. Republican Norm Coleman intends to appeal to the state's Supreme Court, while Democrats and the press corps pressure him to surrender. We hope Mr. Coleman keeps fighting, because the outcome so far hangs on the fact that some votes have been counted differently from others.

Even after the recount and panel-findings, the 312-vote margin separating the two men equals about .01% of the 2.9 million votes cast. Even without any irregularities, this is as close to a "tie" as it gets. And there have been plenty of irregularities. By the end of the recount, the state was awash with evidence of duplicate ballot counting, newly discovered ballots, missing ballots, illegal voting, and wildly diverse standards as to which votes were counted. Any one of these issues was enough to throw the outcome into doubt. Combined, they created a taint more worthy of New Jersey than Minnesota.  [More]

Reinventing Nuclear Power

Jonathan Fahey, 03.25.09, 06:00 PM EDT
Forbes Magazine dated April 13, 2009

A fusion-fission hybrid reactor could produce clean electricity and remove dangerous nuclear waste from the planet. If it ever works.

The light of 192 lasers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility travels more than a half-mile through a stadium-size building toward its target. Along the way, the beams are amplified, shaped and focused into the world's most powerful laser, capable of delivering power in a pulse that lasts 20 billionths of a second and peaks at 500 million megawatts. ... [More]

A Tale of Two Depressions

Barry Eichengreen Kevin H. O’Rourke 6 April 2009

Often cited comparisons – which look only at the US – find that today’s crisis is milder than the Great Depression. In this column, two leading economic historians show that the world economy is now plummeting in a Great-Depression-like manner. Indeed, world industrial production, trade, and stock markets are diving faster now than during 1929-30. Fortunately, the policy response to date is much better.  [MORE]

Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

William Lane Craig

After an appraisal of recent scholarship on the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Professor William Craig contends that "the resurrection appearances, the empty tomb, and the origin of the Christian faith - all point unavoidably to one conclusion: the resurrection of Jesus". Source: "Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ," Truth 1 (1985): 89-95. [MORE]

ON THE PHYSICAL DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST

William D. Edwards, MD; Wesley J. Gabel, MDiv; Floyd E Hosmer, MS, AMI

From the Departments of Pathology (Dr. Edwards) and Medical Graphics (Mr. Hoamer), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; and the Homestead United Methodist Church, Rochester, Minn., and the West Bethel United Methodist Church, Bethel, Minn. (Pastor Gabel).

Reprint requests to Department of Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905 (Dr. Edwards)

* Jesus of Nazareth underwent Jewish and Roman trials, was flogged, and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. The scourging produced deep stripelike lacerations and appreciable blood loss, and it probably set the stage for hypovolemic shock, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus was too weakened to carry the crossbar (patibulum) to Golgotha. At the site of crucifixion, his wrists were nailed to the patibulum and, after the patibulum was lifted onto the upright post (stipes), his feet were nailed to the stipes. The major pathophysiologic effect of crucifixion was an interference with normal respirations. Accordingly death resulted primarily from hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia. Jesus' death was ensured by the thrust of a soldier's spear into his side. Modern medical interpretation of the historical evidence indicate that Jesus was dead when taken down from the cross. [MORE]

Order your Chia Obama at Amazon.com

Yes Amazon.com has it!  Get it before it's banned. 

Also at Amazon.com, the Hillary Nutcracker!

To complement the collection be sure to order Corkscrew Bill.

 

Gov. Perry Backs Resolution Affirming Texas’ Sovereignty Under 10th Amendment

HCR 50 Reiterates Texas’ Rights Over Powers Not Otherwise Granted to Federal Government April 09, 2009

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today joined state Rep. Brandon Creighton and sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 50 in support of states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.” [MORE]

In Recession, Some Cities Printing Own Cash

Reporting Derrick Blakley CHICAGO (CBS)


You've probably heard critics claiming Uncle Sam is printing money like it's going out of style. Now, as CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, some towns are getting into the act since their communities were granted a license to print money.

At a time when money's tighter than ever in Ithaca, New York, they're now printing they're own.

They call their funny money "Ithaca Hours."

In Pittsboro, North Carolina, it's much the same. Local businesses are distributing their own bizzaro dinero called, "The Plenty."  [MORE]

North Korea launches rocket, defying world pressure

AP

South Korean soldier watches a TV news program on the North Korean rocket launch AP – South Korean soldier watches a TV news program on the North Korean rocket launch at a train station in …


By JEAN H. LEE and JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writers Jean H. Lee And Jae-soon Chang, Associated Press Writers – 1 hr 48 mins ago

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired a rocket over Japan on Sunday, defying Washington, Tokyo and others who suspect the launch was cover for a test of its long-range missile technology. President Barack Obama said the move threatens the security of nations "near and far." [MORE]

'Chia Obama' booted from
local stores

Fox Tampa Bay

April 2 (was) National Peanut Butter Day

I, David McCombs, the editor of the news blogs, rediscover the substantial cost savings of PBJ sandwich over eating out for lunch.

Smokers angry over cigarette tax hike

March 30, 2009 06:22 PM

Greenwood - Paying more to light up may force some Hoosiers to kick the habit. A new federal tobacco tax takes effect Wednesday.

It will be the single largest federal tobacco tax hike in history. For a state with the sixth highest rate of smokers in the country, it's forcing many Hoosiers to cut back or cut out smoking all together.

The major cigarette makers raised prices a couple of weeks ago, partly to offset any drop in profits once the per-pack tax climbs from 39 cents to $1.01.

For longtime smoker Dawn Huntzinger, the thought of paying more for her habit has her fuming.

"I would rather my property tax go up," she said.

On Wednesday, the federal tax on cigarettes and tobacco products takes the biggest hike in history. It will cost 62 cents more per pack.

That has customers at a Greenwood discount tobacco store doing the math. [MORE]

Lawmakers trash the Constitution

HENRY LAMB Posted: March 14, 2009 :00 am Eastern

It appears that the lawmakers who assemble in Washington have no idea what the Constitution says, or worse, they simply don't care. The Fourth Amendment says quite clearly:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. …"

Connecticut Democrat Rosa DeLauro has introduced the "Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2009 (H.R. 875). Her bill will create a new Food Safety Administration and give its administrator the authority to "conduct monitoring and surveillance of animals, plants, products or the environment" on every family farm, ranch, vineyard and fishing hole in the country. Moreover, the administrator can visit and inspect the property and demand that the owner present "papers and effects," and all records relating to food production.

There is nothing in this bill that requires the administrator show probable cause or that evidence be presented to a judge to secure a warrant for entry into the property. The Fourth Amendment explicitly prohibits government from entering private property without a warrant, "describing the place to be searched, and the persons or thing to be seized."

DeLauro and the 39 Democratic co-sponsors of this bill must have missed this very clear language when she wrote into the bill authorization for the administrator to seize up to $1 million each day a violation exists. Section 405 of the bill says that "the validity and appropriateness of the order of the Administrator assessing the civil penalty shall not be subject to judicial review." [MORE]

U.N. 'Climate Change' Plan Would Likely Shift Trillions to Form New World Economy

Friday, March 27, 2009
By George Russell

A United Nations document on "climate change" that will be distributed to a major environmental conclave next week envisions a huge reordering of the world economy, likely involving trillions of dollars in wealth transfer, millions of job losses and gains, new taxes, industrial relocations, new tariffs and subsidies, and complicated payments for greenhouse gas abatement schemes and carbon taxes — all under the supervision of the world body.

Those and other results are blandly discussed in a discretely worded United Nations "information note" on potential consequences of the measures that industrialized countries will likely have to take to implement the Copenhagen Accord, the successor to the Kyoto Treaty, after it is negotiated and signed by December 2009. The Obama administration has said it supports the treaty process if, in the words of a U.S. State Department spokesman, it can come up with an "effective framework" for dealing with global warming.  [MORE]

Want to get mad? Well at least get mad at the right people (like Soros).

I'm having a very good crisis,' says Soros as hedge fund managers make billions off recession

By Mail Foreign Service  - Last updated at 5:13 PM on 25th March 2009

George Soros said the current economic crisis has been the culmination of his life's work

A hedge fund manager who predicted the global credit crunch has said the financial crisis has been 'stimulating' and the culmination of his life's work.

George Soros, who predicted the global financial crisis twice before, was one of the few people to anticipate and prepare for the current economic collapse. [MORE]

Geithner plan will rob American taxpayers: Stiglitz

Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:12am EDT  By Susan Fenton and Deborah Kan

HONG KONG (Reuters) - The U.S. government plan to rid banks of toxic assets will rob American taxpayers by exposing them to too much risk and is unlikely to work as long as the economy remains weak, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said on Tuesday.

"The Geithner plan is very badly flawed," Stiglitz told Reuters in an interview during a Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's plan to wipe up to US$1 trillion in bad debt off banks' balance sheets, unveiled on Monday, offered "perverse incentives," Stiglitz said.  [MORE]

EPA Raises Heat on Emissions Debate

By IAN TALLEY

WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency has sent the White House a proposed finding that carbon dioxide is a danger to public health, a step that could trigger a clampdown on emissions of greenhouse gases across a wide swath of the economy.

If approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, the endangerment finding could clear the way for the EPA to use the Clean Air Act to control emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases believed to contribute to climate change. In effect, the government would treat carbon dioxide as a pollutant. The EPA submitted the proposed rule to the White House on Friday, according to federal records published Monday.  [MORE]

Palin Energy Plan Receives High Praise

Alaska Stresses Local Solutions

Written By: Alyssia Carducci
Published In: Environment & Climate News > April 2009
Publication date: 04/01/2009
Publisher: The Heartland Institute

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has announced an ambitious plan to produce half of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

Palin’s plan, which empowers local municipalities to identify and develop the most cost-efficient renewable power sources available to them, won immediate praise from environmental groups, consumer groups, and industry.


Local Solutions Identified

The plan was presented in a 245-page document, Alaska Energy: A First Step Toward Energy Independence. It identifies each community’s current energy needs for electrical generation, space heating, and transportation while developing a list of solutions to lower energy costs.

In a January 16 press conference, Palin said her plan was designed to break away from energy proposals produced in prior years but never implemented. Key to turning ideas into action under the Palin plan is identification of the most cost-effective energy alternatives for each community and region in the state. [MORE]

Concept of 'hypercosmic God' wins Templeton Prize

 11:08 16 March 2009 by Amanda Gefter For similar stories, visit the Quantum World  Topic Guide

Today the John Templeton Foundation announced the winner of the annual Templeton Prize of a colossal £1 million ($1.4 million), the largest annual prize in the world.

This year it goes to French physicist and philosopher of science Bernard d'Espagnat for his "studies into the concept of reality". D'Espagnat, 87, is a professor emeritus of theoretical physics at the University of Paris-Sud, and is known for his work on quantum mechanics. The award will be presented to him by the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace on 5 May.

D'Espagnat boasts an impressive scientific pedigree, having worked with Nobel laureates Louis de Broglie, Enrico Fermi and Niels Bohr. De Broglie was his thesis advisor; he served as a research assistant to Fermi; and he worked at CERN when it was still in Copenhagen under the direction of Bohr. He also served as a visiting professor at the University of Texas, Austin, at the invitation of the legendary physicist John Wheeler. But what has he done that's worth £1 million?

The thrust of d'Espagnat's work was on experimental tests of Bell's theorem. The theorem states that either quantum mechanics is a complete description of the world or that if there is some reality beneath quantum mechanics, it must be nonlocal – that is, things can influence one another instantaneously regardless of how much space stretches between them, violating Einstein's insistence that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. [MORE]

Space Shuttlle Discovery STS-119 Sunday Evening Launch Successful

The Discovery Space Shuttle launches from Cape Kennedy.  A beautiful and error free twilight launch on a windy Florida evening.  The mission will provide new solar panels to ISS that will augment ISS's power generation capability. Commander Lee Archambault will lead Discovery's crew of seven, along with Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata on mission STS-119 to the International Space Station.

The Discovery crew members are set to fly the S6 truss segment and install the final set of power-generating solar arrays to the International Space Station. The S6 truss will complete the backbone of the station and provide one-fourth of the total power needed to support a crew of six.

 

GOP Members of Congress Unveil ‘No Cost Stimulus’ Bill

Friday, March 13, 2009 - By Edwin Mora
Washington (CNSNews.com) - Five conservative Republicans – three from the House and two from the Senate -- have introduced a “common sense” economic stimulus package that includes energy proposals tthey say will boost the economy without adding to the national debt.
 
The “no-cost stimulus plan” calls for expanding offshore oil and gas production and leasing the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas producers, which in turn would generate new federal revenue.  [MORE]
 

Dr. Willie Soon It’s the Sun, Stupid! March 5, 2009

The theory that climate change is chiefly caused by solar influences “is no longer tenable,” says US National Academy of Sciences president Ralph Cicerone. Carbon dioxide, he argues, is the key driver of recent climate change. I beg to differ.

The amount and distribution of solar energy that we receive varies as the Earth revolves around the Sun and also in response to changes in the Sun’s activity. Scientists have now been studying solar influences on climate for 5000 years.

Chinese imperial astronomers kept detailed sunspot records. They noticed that more sunspots meant warmer weather on Earth. In 1801, the celebrated astronomer William Herschel noticed that when there were few spots, the price of wheat soared – because, he surmised, less “light and heat” from the Sun resulted in reduced harvests.

Is it true then that solar radiation, which supplies Earth with the energy that drives our climate, and caused so many climate shifts over the ages, is no longer the principal influence on climate change.  [MORE]

 

Credit unions angry over surprise 'bailout tax'

Column by Tom Philpott

Federal credit unions, in cluding those serving mil lions of military patrons, are fighting to keep off their books nearly $5 billion in charges that regulators have assessed to bail out their largest "corporate" credit union.

The U.S. Central Federal Credit Union was in danger of insolvency due to losses on mortgage-backed securities until regulators adopted a bailout plan Jan. 28 that would be financed by 7,900 member-based credit unions.

"If we were to allow something to happen to U.S. Central, the impact on the industry would have been devastating," said Michael E. Fryzel, board chairman of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

But Fred Becker, chief executive for the National Association of Federal Credit Unions in Arlington, Va., said NCUA's "premiums" on member credit unions, unless lowered by September when scheduled to take effect, "would drive most of the industry's income into the red" for calendar 2009.

Fryzel conceded that some smaller credit unions have warned that their part of the "bailout tax," as some call it, would leave them undercapitalized, threatening their viability. Fryzel said none of these credit unions serve military populations. In any case, NCUA will "work with them," he said, to ensure the special assessment doesn't have such a dire effect.

Credit union officials said there is no reason for members to fear for their deposits. Individual accounts are insured by the government for up to $250,000. Military credit unions contacted for this column said they don't even expect the bailout tax to force them to lower member interest rates paid on savings accounts or to raise interest charges for loans or mortgages.  [MORE]

Report: Fetal stem cells trigger tumors in ill boy Feb 17 08:01 PM US/Eastern

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A family desperate to save a child from a lethal brain disease sought highly experimental injections of fetal stem cells—injections that triggered tumors in the boy's brain and spinal cord, Israeli scientists reported Tuesday.

Scientists are furiously trying to harness different types of stem cells—the building blocks for other cells in the body—to regrow damaged tissues and thus treat devastating diseases. But for all the promise, researchers have long warned that they must learn to control newly injected stem cells so they don't grow where they shouldn't, and small studies in people are only just beginning.

Tuesday's report in the journal PLoS Medicine is the first documented case of a human brain tumor—albeit a benign, slow-growing one—after fetal stem cell therapy, and hammers home the need for careful research. The journal is published by the Public Library of Science.

Ed: Fetal Stem cell lines continue to fail in real therapy.   The REAL Dr. Frankenstein is here. [MORE] This is diverting money against the genuinely effective and proven adult stem cell therapies and research.

The FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm with close ties to Democratic Rep. John Murtha (Penn.), sources tell ABC News.

the PMA Group

The FBI searched the Virginia headquarters of the PMA Group in November, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. PMA was founded by former Murtha aide Paul Magliochetti and specializes in winning earmarked taxpayer funds for its clients.

Good government groups have long criticized Murtha's cozy relationship with a handful of lobbyists and defense firms, ties that see millions of dollars in government spending go out from Murtha's office, and hundreds of thousands in campaign donations come in. Murtha has said his earmarking has helped revive his economically depressed district.

PMA is the second company with close ties to Murtha to be raided by federal agents recently. In January, agents from the FBI, the IRS and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service searched the office of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems, as well as the homes of the firms' founders. The companies reportedly have received over $100 million in earmarks, thanks to Murtha's efforts. [MORE]

HR 40 110th CONGRESS

[MORE]

New Hampshire Secession Movement

If there were ever a state for the other forty nine to model - it would be New Hampshire.

There are no income taxes, no sales taxes, low property taxes, schools funded by local community's (not the federal government),  and a state motto that reflects the very spirit of American independence; 'Live free or die'. 

It is out of such a state that a grass roots movement is growing to advocate the succession of New Hampshire from the United States.  Several reasons are given involving the overreach of the federal government beyond constitutional limits.  These include denials of writ of habeas corpus, domestic spying, cruel and unusual punishment, use of force and powers of government to deny free speech and many other grievances.  A web site has been set up to promote the movement at  http://www.republicofnh.org

Bill would fire ex-Weatherman Ayers

 SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- An Illinois lawmaker says he wants to fire university professor William Ayers because of Ayers' 1960s and '70s involvement in the radical group the Weathermen.

State Sen. Larry Bomke, a Republican in the Democratic-controlled Illinois state Senate, proposed that anyone who committed an act of violence against the governments of the United States or Illinois cannot work at a public university

, the Chicago Tribune reported. [MORE ]

The University of Toronto’s Centre for Urban Schooling issued a statement Monday saying Ayers was denied entry to Canada on Sunday night.

Forty years ago Ayers was a member of the Weather Underground, a radical group that claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

Ayers was a fugitive for years but after surrendering in 1980 the charges were dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct.  [MORE]

Note editor:  Some of the AP story is factually incorrect.  The part where it says: "Obama had a very limited relationship with Ayers" has been a liberal press talking point that is easily refuted,  See S. Kurtz well documented articles at the NRO [HERE].

Bill creates detention camps in U.S. for 'emergencies' Sweeping, undefined purpose raises worries about military police state

By Jerome R. Corsi © 2009 WorldNetDaily

Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., has introduced to the House of Representatives a new bill, H.R. 645, calling for the secretary of homeland security to establish no fewer than six national emergency centers for corralling civilians on military installations. [MORE]

Where Hamas Gets Its Money

Rachel Ehrenfeld, 01.16.09, 05:15 PM EST

The U.N., the E.U., the Gulf States, the U.S.--and Israel.

Amid international condemnation of Israel, one would never guess that humanitarian aid and even cash is flowing into Hamas coffers, while its rockets continue to hit Israel.

It is important to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinians. However, since Gaza is under Hamas control, we have to ask: Will aid reach the suffering populace? If the past is any indication, most funds and supplies will end up with Hamas  [MORE]]

Tens of Thousands Crowd San Francisco Waterfront, Rally Against Abortion

Tens of thousands filled the square by the Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco for the 5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast Saturday, January 24. (PRNewsFoto/Walk for Life West Coast/Photo by Darwin Sayo)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA UNITED STATES

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Tens of thousands of pro-life supporters filled the boulevard along San Francisco's waterfront for more than a mile in the 5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast today, walking behind a 10-foot-long "Abortion Hurts Women" banner.  [MORE]

Two ex-Guantanamo inmates appear in Al-Qaeda video

5 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Two men released from the US "war on terror" prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have appeared in a video posted on a jihadist website, the SITE monitoring service reported.

One of the two former inmates, a Saudi man identified as Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri, or prisoner number 372, has been elevated to the senior ranks of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, a US counter-terrorism official told AFP.

Three other men appear in the video, including Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi, identified as an Al-Qaeda field commander. SITE later said he was prisoner No. 333.

A Pentagon spokesman, Commander Jeffrey Gordon, on Saturday declined to confirm the SITE information. [MORE]

So, Does this mean that Liberal Help Terrorists?  [READ HERE]

Poll: Tax cuts will help economy more than spending

A poll released today confirms that the economy is job one for President Barack Obama, who is pushing a recovery package of $825 billion or more.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey found that 74 percent of Americans believe the economy is the top issue facing the country, far outpacing the Iraq war, which ranks second on their list of concerns at 8 percent.

On the economy, 86 percent said economic conditions are somewhat or very poor, and 52 percent said unemployment is the most serious concern, followed by mortgages at 12 percent. Only 13 percent said they believe the economy will recover within the next year, while 27 percent said it could take as long as 2 years, 23 percent said it could take 3 years, and 24 percent said it will take longer than Obama's four-year term in office.

Obama and House Democrats are pushing a stimulus package that includes about $550 billion in new spending and $275 billion in tax cuts over the next two years. The poll found 58 percent supporting infrastructure spending, and 71 percent in favor of tax cuts. Asked whether the spending or tax cuts would be more effective, 55 percent picked tax cuts.
The higher faith in tax cuts is apparently partly because 42 percent believe that the spending projects would be done mostly for political reasons rather than to help the economy.

The poll, conducted Jan. 12-15, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Five Years in Iraq

My Own Crazy Adventures | January 18, 2009 | Allegra

Posted on Sun 18 Jan 2009 06:05:52 AM EST by Allegra

Five years ago today on January 18, 2004, I arrived at Baghdad International Airport on a charter flight from Dubai with about 60 other people to begin working in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was a mild and cloudy afternoon as we descended onto the tarmac for the short walk into the terminal. The dreary, desolate airport was not operational and didn’t even have electricity, aside from a few lights here and there powered by a generator. We were the only people in the airport, except for a few local national employees wandering around as we lined up just inside to show our passports to a lone Iraqi man who gave each one a cursory glance.

After retrieving our luggage and body armor from a pallet, we were picked up at the front of the airport in three buses by our company’s operations team and driven to nearby Camp Victory North, now called Camp Liberty. We were all quietly taking in our new and starkly different surroundings as we drove past US military tanks and jeeps, anti-missile batteries, T-walls and razor wire. Our adventure had just begun.

December Cooler Than Average in U.S.

The 2008 annual temperature for the contiguous U.S. was near average, while the temperature for December was below average, based on records dating back to 1895, according to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. [MORE ]

Global Warm-mongering: More Silk from a Pig's Ear Gregory Young

It seems that NASA's James Hansen, head of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), is at it again.  He just can't let the data speak for itself.  In yet another egregious display of Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) arrogance, he changed the temperature data from 1910-2008 to reflect what is clearly a cooling trend to reflect a warming trend. [More]

Old gastrointestinal drug slows aging, McGill researchers say

Clioquinol inhibits action of the CLK1 aging gene, may alleviate Alzheimer's

Recent animal studies have shown that clioquinol – an 80-year old drug once used to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders – can reverse the progression of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Scientists, however, had a variety of theories to attempt to explain how a single compound could have such similar effects on three unrelated neurodegenerative disorders.

Researchers at McGill University have discovered a dramatic possible new answer: According to Dr. Siegfried Hekimi and colleagues at McGill's Department of Biology, clioquinol acts directly on a protein called CLK-1, often informally called "clock-1," and might slow down the aging process. The advance online edition of their study was published in Oct. 2008 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

"Clioquinol is a very powerful inhibitor of clock-1," explained Hekimi, McGill's Strathcona Chair of Zoology and Robert Archibald & Catherine Louise Campbell Chair in Developmental Biology. "Because clock-1 affects longevity in invertebrates and mice, and because we're talking about three age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases, we hypothesize that clioquinol affects them by slowing down the rate of aging."

Once commonly prescribed in Europe and Asia for gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and shigella, clioquinol was withdrawn from the market after being blamed for a devastating outbreak of subacute myelo-optic neuropathy (SMON) in Japan in the 1960s. However, because no rigorous scientific study was conducted at the time, and because clioquinol was used safely by millions before and after the Japanese outbreak, some researchers think its connection to SMON has yet to be proven.

The exact mechanism of how clioquinol inhibits CLK-1 is still under investigation, Hekimi said. "One possibility is that metals are involved as clioquinol is a metal chelator," he explained. Chelation is a type of binding to metal ions and is often used to treat heavy metal poisoning.

Hekimi is optimistic but cautious when asked whether clioquinol could eventually become an anti-aging treatment.

"The drug affects a gene which when inhibited can slow down aging," he said. "The implication is that we can change the rate of aging. This might be why clioquinol is able to work on this diversity of diseases that are all age-dependent."

However, he admits to being concerned about how people may interpret his results.

"The danger is that you can buy a kilogram of this compound at a chemical wholesaler, but we don't want people to start experimenting on themselves. Clioquinol can be a very toxic substance if abused, and far more research is required."

 

From DRUDGE...

NBC BANS COULTER FOR LIFE; CUT FROM 'TODAY' SHOW OVER BOOK'S CLAIMS, NO MORE CABLE
Mon Jan 05 2009 17:50:57 ET

The nation's top selling conservative author has been banned from appearing on NBC, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT.  Banned for life! "We are just not going to have her on any more, it's over," a top network source explains. NBC's TODAY show abruptly cut Ann Coulter from its planned Tuesday broadcast, claiming the schedule was overbooked. But executives at NBC TODAY replaced Coulter with showbiz reporter Perez Hilton, who recently offered $1,000 to anyone who would throw a pie at Ann Coulter. Hilton is also launching a new book this week, RED CARPET SUICIDE. Coulter was set to unveil her new book, GUILTY.  But one network insider claims it was the book's theme -- a brutal examination of liberal bias in the new era -- that got executives to dis-invite the controversialist. "We are just not interested in anyone so highly critical of President-elect Obama, right now," a TODAY insider reveals. "It's such a downer. It's just not the time, and it's not what our audience wants, either."  For the book, Coulter reportedly received the most-lucrative advance ever paid to a conservative author.  The TODAY show eagerly invited the author months ago, for her first network interview on GUILTY. 

The exclusive was to air during the show's 7 AM hour. The cut came Monday afternoon.  Coulter was also to appear on the TODAY's fourth hour. A host even teased the segment saying the 'conservative pit bull and bestselling author' would be a guest.  NBC's cable outlet, MSNBC, will also become a Coulter-free zone, insiders explain. Morning host Joe Scarborough is said to be concerned with the new ban. "He's working to overrule it," tips a source. 

Advanced Arrow Radar Deployed, Missile Defense May be Next

(IsraelNN.com) The IDF's advanced Arrow missile defense system has been deployed near Ashkelon to help the Home Front Command detect missile launches. Meanwhile, former army officers are calling on the defense establishment to purchase an American missile defense system capable of shooting down Kassam and Katushya rockets.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has developed an updated radar system named MC4 based on the Arrow missile defense system, which was developed jointly by the U.S. and Israel to counter ballistic missile launches. The new radar can track the launch of smaller missiles, such as the Kassam or Grad rockets, as they are being launched from Gaza. Using GPS and camera sensors, the MC4 system tracks the flight path, and within a minute of launch, it can determine both the launch site and projected landing site of the missile.... [MORE]

Israel Invades Gaza

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon conveyed his "extreme concern and disappointment" to Olmert and called for an "immediate end" to the operation. Israel should ask the secretary general if he intends to personally guarantee the end to rocket fire into Israel.

The U.S. has put the blame on Hamas. At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Saturday night, the U.S. blocked approval of a statement demanded by Arab countries calling for an immediate cease-fire and expressing serious concern at the escalation of violence. The US Administration calls it as it is. Isreal has done everything it can, including steps against it's own self interest, to limit Palestinian casualties. What other nation at war would tell the enemy that they are about to bomb a building so the enemy can evacuate? This is what Israel has done. In the war on terror the whole concept of 'disproportionate response' must be recognized for what it is - an outmoded relic of a different time. In terror, there is no such thing as disproportion. The side being terrorized is forced to do whatever is necessary to eliminate an enemy that cares not a whit for any human life. At the heart of terrorism is hatred and evil.

Sunday Jan 04, 2009

Double Standard Watch: Israel's actions are lawful and commendable

Posted by Alan M. Dershowitz

Israel's military actions in Gaza are entirely justified under international law, and Israel should be commended for its act of self-defense against international terrorism. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter reserves to every nation the right to engage in self-defense against armed attacks. The only limitation international law places on a democracy is that its actions must satisfy the principle of proportionality. Israel's actions certainly satisfy that principles. ... [read full article]

Iraq & Afghanistan 2008:465 Deaths, Chicago: 509, Change We Can Believe In?

Barack Obama’s Chicagoland is a war zone. The community service model seems to have failed in Obama’s home base.

• 314 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq in 2008, down from 904 in the previous year.

• Chicago finished 2008 with 509 homicides, a 15 percent increase from 2007.

• Chicago’s median number of homicides over the years average about 700 per year.

• The combined total of 465 U.S. deaths in both Iraq and Afghanistan for 2008 is lower than the 509 homicides in Chicago for same period.

Chicago the murder capital of the U.S.  Where was Obama during this surge?  Campaigning for the Presidency on the merits of his community involvement in Chicago.

Hamas-cide

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Monday, December 29, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Middle East: While condemned as "disproportionate," Israeli attacks on Hamas in Gaza are the only appropriate response to daily terror. As the U.N. Charter says, when they shoot at you, you can shoot back.The Palestinians, the late Israeli leader Abba Eban once said, never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew to its international border with Gaza and gave peace a chance.

On taking power in Gaza, Hamas decided that rather than build a viable infrastructure with foreign assistance, feed and educate its people and pick up the trash, it would rather turn Gaza into a launching pad for Kasam rockets targeted on Israeli civilians. ...  [MORE]

ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS 20 EXTRA VOTES FOR FRANKEN

December 17, 2008
It's bad enough that the Republican Party can't prevent Democrats from voting in its primaries and saddling us with The New York Times' favorite Republican as our presidential nominee. If the Republican Party can't protect an election won by the incumbent U.S. senator in Minnesota, there is no point in donating to the Republican Party.

The day after the November election, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman had won his re-election to the U.S. Senate, beating challenger Al Franken by 725 votes. ... [Rest at AnnCoulter.com]

ACORN, Soros Linked to Franken Vote Grab

Monday, December 22, 2008 9:22 PM By: David A. Patten 

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who orchestrated the recount that gave Democratic challenger Al Franken a lead some six weeks after incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman appeared to win by 725 votes on Election Day, has extensive ties to both the ACORN organization now under federal investigation for vote fraud, and to MoveOn.org ultra-liberal kingmaker George Soros. In 2006, ACORN endorsed Ritchie in his bid to become secretary of state, and Ritchie also received a campaign contribution that year from Soros. Indeed, Ritchie has credited his own political career in large part to an obscure, Soros-funded group called the Secretary of State Project (SoS), whose express purpose is to seed state election bureaucracies nationwide with partisan activists -- Ritchie among them -- who are strategically positioned to influence the outcome of close recounts like the one now underway in Minnesota. The SoS Web site lauds Ritchie as “arguably the most progressive secretary of state in America,” and states: “Thanks to SoS Project donors, Minnesota’s Mark Ritchie – a true champion for Democracy – was able to defeat a two-term incumbent Republican by less than 5 points. We helped close the gap and make the difference with cable television ads targeting women and seniors.” Nor does Ritchie downplay the role of the Soros-funded nonprofit in his own election win. [MORE]

Tis the Season for Porn?

Mona Charen Mona Charen – Fri Dec 19, 3:00 am ET

Creators Syndicate – I will be called names for writing this column. It always happens. Raise the issue of the pornification of the culture and its fanatical devotees will come gunning for you. If they hope to be intimidating, they've forgotten what delete keys are for.

It's Christmastime and the Fox News Channel, the most conservative of the major media outlets, is running an ad for PajamaGrams, "the only gift guaranteed to get your wife or girlfriend to take her clothes off." The ads feature soft porn images of women disrobing and tossing slips and bras to the floor. The ads run at all times of the day and night. Thus do we usher in the season supposedly devoted to the Prince of Peace and the Festival of Lights...[Full story here]

Researchers target cancer cells; note treatment by SW Florida resident

By MATT CLARK (Contact)
6:12 a.m., Friday, December 19, 2008

Steven A. Curley, M.D., right, and John Kanzius, inventor of this radio wave transmitter, check over the machine before a test is run in Erie, Pa. 

Born out of necessity through his own battle with cancer, John Kanzius has developed a technique which may one day eradicate cancer cells in humans with radio waves in a much less invasive fashion than current radiation techniques.

They've demonstrated the cancer research "holy grail."

In a manuscript published today, researchers say they have successfully targeted and killed two of the most deadly types of cancer cells, colon and pancreatic, using the treatment invented by Sanibel Island and Erie, Pa. resident John Kanzius.

"This is what everybody's been waiting for," Kanzius said. "Can you target cancer cells? And the answer is 'yes.' Can you kill them? Yes. Can you target specific cancers? Yes."  ... [Full Story]