So Opinionated

Black Saturday: Follow-up to the 2009 Raging Inferno in Australia

2009-04-22T13:04:00.001-07:00

So many Australian lives were touched by the bush fires this year in Melbourne. Even Australians who were not directly affected at least knew a family member, or had friends who died in the raging maw of hell.

The 100 fires that spread across 208,000 hectares was the largest since the Ash Wednesday fires in Australia back in 1983. As well as homes, 21,000 hectares of pine plantations were also destroyed. The damage to private property was estimated at more than AUD$200 million.

I clearly remember those fires when I was living in Australia. It was all the nation could think about, as the death toll rapidly climbed each day. The fires destroyed 2,029 homes.

There is a natural cycle for Australian bush fires, beginning with severe drought and compounded with limited rainfall, which prior to the Ash Wednesday fires had been 75% less than normal.

To compound the dangers of the fire even further, there had been excessive and strong, powerful winds which lifted 200,000 tonnes of soil into the air, creating a dust storm across the whole of southern Australia.

Over 16,000 firefighters attended the Ash Wednesday fires, including park and forest firefighters and Country Fire Authority volunteers.

Also involved and assisting in fighting the fires were 1,000 police, 500 defense force personnel and many local residents. A variety of equipment was used to fight the fires, including 400 vehicles (fire-trucks, water tankers and dozers), 11 helicopters and 14 fixed wing aircraft.

Back to the Present

As bad as the Ash Wednesday fires had been, the police confirmed this year's death toll at 173 people and the cause identified as arson. This is surely mass murder, how can it be seen as anything else?

The authorities created a task force to investigate the wildfires, which were the worst ever to strike Australia.

They set up crime scenes around huge tracts of land across the southern state of Victoria, and forensic investigators began picking through charred wreckage.

This year's 60 mile-long blaze, burnt down entire towns, towns I used to know and drive through; the familiar landscapes of a sun rich continent and content fauna that could always made me smile.

Where are these animals today?

These fires left nothing of these villages, razing around 750 houses in the hills of north eastern Melbourne. When I lived in Australia, the house I had been living in would not have been in danger, but I probably could have seen the ominous, dangerous glow in the distance.

My eldest son lives with his fiancée closer to the fires than I did and I had been fearful and helpless that their lives could be in danger, along with their lovely brand new home. Thankfully, that was not the case but my son said he could clearly see the fires in the distance.

Driving the fires had been a wind speed of 62 miles per hour and temperatures of 117 degrees Celsius.

Thomas Libreri, a home builder in Kinglake, said his first warning had been the roar of flames coming over a ridge toward his house.

“I heard the noise, and then I had about 20 seconds to react,” Mr. Libreri told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday. Most of the homes on his block were destroyed within minutes. [...]

Mr. Libreri said he and a neighbor had grabbed a man who suffered severe burns and threw him into a swimming pool — then waited six hours for rescue teams to arrive. [...]

"The process of removing and identifying the dead could take days because the police were treating each death as a potential homicide.... " [...]

“ This will take some time" . “It is a complex matter, and we must be accurate.”

Source: nytimes.com

This disastrous event will go down in Victoria's history as the most lives lost in a bushfire and become known as "Black Saturday" in Australia.

Let's hope that today's Inquiry will reveal facts that have been up till now remained undiscovered. Another hope is that the arsonists are caught and charged with mass murder.

Sources

Department of Sustainability and Environment
Ash Wednesday 1983
[Uncredited]

The New York Times
Australia Police Confirm Arson Role in Wildfires
- Meraiah Foley

Wikipedia
February 2009 Bushfires
[Uncredited]

Image Sources

The New York Times
Australia Police Confirms Arson Role in Wildfires
- Scott Barbur/Getty Images

The Herald Son
Those We Have Loved
- Chris Scott

Boston.com
Bushfires in Victoria, Australia
- AP

Boston.com
Bushfires in Victoria, Australia
- William West/AFP/Getty Images

Boston.com
Bushfires in Victoria, Australia
- Brandon Thorne/Getty Images

Boston.com
Bushfires in Victoria, Australia
- Reuters/Mick Tsikas

Boston.com
Bushfires in Victoria, Australia
- Scott Barbur/Getty Images

Boston.com
Bushfires in Victoria, Australia
- Lucas Dawson/Getty Images

-->

NowPublic

Man Bites 13 Foot Python to Save His Life

2009-04-15T10:18:00.001-07:00

What would you do, if a 13' hungry python wrapped itself around you, then literally dragged you up a tree?

This is exactly what happened to Kenyan farm worker Ben Nyaumbe, living in the Malindi area of Kenya.

“I was preparing ugali at 7pm, close to the stable. I stood to pick a packet of flour when the water started boiling.

As I stood up, I stepped on a spongy thing on the ground and suddenly, my leg was entangled with the body of a huge python." [...]

"I would probably have struggled until I was too tired to fight anymore, yet Mr. Nyaumbe had the sense to bite the serpent on the tip of it's tail during a 1 hour exhaustive fight for his life." [ ...]

"It waggled its ragged and scary tail on my mouth. I had to bite it as I struggled, one hand incapacitated,"

Nyaumbe relayed the tale to authorities that he managed to reach his mobile phone in his pocket, just as the python relaxed it's grip at the top of the tree.

His employer contacted the police who arrived with a rope to pull them both out of the tree - hopefully the snake was able to break Nyaumbe's heavy fall to the ground.

Peter Katam, superintendent of police in Malindi district, had this to say:

"The snake had coiled his hands and was trying to swallow him but he struggled very hard. The officers and villagers managed to rescue him and he was freed."

He himself was injured on the lower lip of the mouth - it was bleeding a little bit - as the tip of the snake's tail was sharp when he said he bit it.

When speaking with the Daily Nation newspaper, he told them that the python had probably been hunting livestock (such as goats) when it wrapped his upper body in it's coils.

The police officers were too frightened to shoot the snake, for fear of missing and killing Nyaumbe. Supt., Katam had this to say to the BBC:

"If it wasn't for the villagers and officers who helped him, he would have been swallowed by the snake over the Easter holiday," [...]

He added: "It's very mysterious, this ability to lift the man onto the tree. I've never heard of this before."

Once captured, it was stuffed into 3 sacks and taken to a sanctuary - however, it escaped and has not yet been recaptured.

Such an event would surely be the stuff of nightmares, for the surrounding villagers.

There are plenty of other deadly snakes in Kenya, both venomous and non-venomous.

The green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) hunts and sleeps in trees, and will likely flee rather than engage anyone in a fight.

The black mamba looks threateningly predatory and is brown rather than black. Their name is actually derived from the blue-black color in the inside of their mouths, visible when threatened. They are fast, nervous, lethally venomous and highly aggressive.

Rock pythons are the largest snakes in Africa. They prey on adult impala or gazelles, filling their bellies for 3-6 months.

Python sebae is found in subsaharan Africa and is one of the world's largest species of snakes. Adults reach over 20' and are typically brown in color.

The most dangerous poisonous snake in all of Africa, is the puff adder (Bitis Arietans) - it is culpable for the majority of snake bites in all of Africa. This snake does not try to retreat when bothered, in fact it tends to bask in the sunshine of its own favorite footpaths.

Black Spitting Cobra, this name actually covers several species of cobra whose physiology allows them to spit venom when facing predators. While their poison is relatively harmless to humans (as long there are no cuts or open wounds) it will cause blindness if it spits and successfully reaches the eyes.

After all these aforementioned snakes, we have yet to consider the Black Mamba. It is the fastest and most feared snake in all of Africa. It is aggressive and will bite if threatened.

The snake that is probably the most recognized snake in the world, is the cobra. They are not only fast but they are also huge, having the ability to swim and climb trees.

Sources

BBC News
Man Bites Snake in Epic Trouble
[Uncredited]

Daily Nation
Man Bites Snake in Hour-long Battle to Survive
by Daniel Nyassy

Story of Africa
Snakes of Kenya
[Uncredited]

Image Sources

Story of Africa
Nairobi Snake Park - Green Mamba
[Uncredited]

Story of Africa
Nairobi Snake Park - Black Mamba
[Uncredited]

National Geographic
Animals - Black Mamba
by George Grall

Story of Africa
Nairobi Snake Park - Africa Rock Python
[Uncredited]

Story of Africa
Nairobi Snake Park - Puff Adder
[Uncredited]

Story of Africa
Nairobi Snake Park - Black Spitting Cobra
[Uncredited]

Story of Africa
Nairobi Snake Park - Black Mamba
[Uncredited]

Story of Africa
Forest Cobra - Kisumu Museum
[Uncredited]

Story of Africa
Forest Cobra - Kisumu Museum - Posing to attack
[Uncredited]

Amazon a:

Download Squad d:

Facebook f:

Digg g:

Lifehacker l:

Mashable m:

NYTimes n:

ReadWriteWeb r:

MySpace s:

YouTube u:

Wikipedia w:

Reader x:

-->

NowPublic

Pilot Dies - Passenger Succeeds with Emergency Landing

2009-04-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

A retired jet pilot, Joe Cabuk died just after a smooth take-off in a twin engine plane at Forty Myers, Florida. Doug White, only a novice pilot himself took the pilot's seat, however White had never flown a plane the size of the King Air plane.

This is what occurred between Doug White and air traffic control:

"I need help. I need a King Air pilot to talk to. We're in trouble," he radioed.

Then he turned to his wife and two daughters: "You all start praying hard." Behind him, his wife trembled. Sixteen-year-old Bailey cried. Eighteen-year-old Maggie threw up.

White, 56, landed the plane on his own about 30 minutes later, coaxed through the harrowing ordeal by air traffic controllers who described exactly how to bring the aircraft to safety. The pilot died, but White somehow managed.

When a controller asked whether he was on autopilot, White replied: "I'm in the good Lord's hands flying this Niner Delta Whiskey," giving the code for the aircraft.

White had logged about 150 hours recently flying a single-engine Cessna 172 but had no experience flying the faster, larger King Air. He declared an emergency to air traffic controllers — White already knew how to use the radio.

On Sunday afternoon, he got his first lesson landing the larger craft. They were on their way home from Marco Island, where they'd traveled after his brother died from a heart attack the week before.

White owns the King Air plane and leases it out through his company, Archibald, La.-based White Equipment Leasing LLC.

White got his pilot's license in 1990, but said 18 years had passed until he recently started flying again.

White had his wife try to remove the pilot from his seat — afraid that he'd slump down and hit the controls. But the space was too small. His wife couldn't remove him. They strapped him back in, and White sat at the adjacent set of controls.

White knew they were supposed to stop at 10,000 feet, but he watched as they ascended thousands of feet higher.

Flying the Cessna, White said he's never gone higher than 7,000 feet. White tried to stay calm and listen to the air traffic controllers as they relayed instructions. "It was a focused fear," he said. "And I was in some kind of a zone that I can't explain."

43 year old Kari Sorenson, another pilot, was contacted in Connecticut to assist Doug White, who was already many thousands of feet in the air.

According to the New Haven Register, Sorenson advised that he had not been up in a King Air in many years, but that he had kept all his ".... flight checklists, manuals and cockpit layout sheets."

Sorenson then liaised with the air traffic controller who in turn relayed instructions to White.

At one point, White said he tried putting the autopilot back on, but it steered the plane north, as Cabuk had programmed in the flight's destination in Jackson, Miss.
They had planned on dropping White off there, where he'd left his truck, and having Cabuk continue on home to Louisiana with the rest of the family.

Flying by hand, White navigated the plane through the descent.

"When I touch down, if I ever touch down, do I just kill the throttle or what?" he asked.

"That's correct," the controller replied. "When you touch down, slowly kill the throttle."

They landed safety shortly after 2 p.m. Fire trucks and EMTs were waiting on [the] ground.

"Looks good from here," the controller said. "Good job."[...] "My initial thought was that we had to quit climbing. The cockpit looked like the inside of the space shuttle, but they showed me where the autopilot was and how to disengage it.

From there, I hand flew it for about an hour to landing."

Joe Cabuk, had been a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a former fighter pilot - his cause of death has still not been determined.

I've included more information for aviation buffs, on the King Air aircrafts:

Beechcraft Aircraft Corporation make and sell several models of King Air aircrafts. These include; the 90 and 100 series and those that were once dubbed the Super King Airs, referring to the 200 and 300 series.

These twin-turbo propped aircrafts have been in continuous production since 1964 and with their only competition being the Beechcraft Premier and the Cessna Citation Mustang

Some, might enjoy reading about the King Air Story, on the AV Buyer which comes in 2 parts:

Part 1 and Part 2

Recommended Reading:

Flightglobal
Beechcraft King Air B200 enters service with Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service
by Emma Kelly

The Australian Flying Doctor Service uses these fixed wing planes as an aeromedical service in Queensland and has saved thousands of lives across Australia's rural, remote and coastal areas throughout Australia's "sunshine state."

The Beechcraft King Air B200C used by the Flying Doctor Service, has an interior which also includes an intensive care unit.

Sources:
Telegraph.co.uk
Passenger Lands Plane After Pilot Dies in Mid-air

King Air.org

Wikipedia

Beechcraft King Air

Wikipedia
Beechcraft Super King Air

Image Sources:

News-Press.com
Doug White

Wikipedia
King Air 100

Primary users:

U.S. Navy:
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force:
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia

Cost: USD3.4 million
Image, Public Domain

Super King Air

U.S. Armed Forces
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia

Cost: USD$6.2-7.0 million
Image: Public Domain

Hawker Beechcraft
Beechcraft King Air C90GTi
[Photographer unlisted]

Beech King Air 200/300 Interior
Copyright (c) 1998 Air Broker Center
[Photographer unlisted]

NowPublic

Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific Airlines Finally Emerge!

2009-04-01T13:25:00.001-07:00

Again in the news today, is the topic of yet another new airline taking to the skies this week. The airline is named Trans-Pacific and has a cousin named Trans-Atlantic.

Perhaps there aren't enough airlines going under? It does seem a difficult time to launch a new airline - all we know is that they are owned by an unnamed millionaire. He has told the big-wigs that his anonymity is paramount and that if anyone should slip his name to the papers et al, they will be fired - immediately.

Roy Chandler is a pilot for Trans-Pacific. He had this to say:

"All we know is that he is not American. I am still reeling with more airline news that all flights on both airlines will be free - but not free to all.

In an undisclosed board room, the general manager has advised that there will be a means test for anyone who wants to fly with them. That translates into no immediate bookings for flyers - they will have to apply at least 2 months in advance.

Loyalty will pay off handsomely for pilots and other airline staff, should they stay with the airline longer than 2 years. Their salaries will be upgraded by 1 half of their current salary - with a review each 2 years.

Flying with either airline, will afford it's passengers with free meals, free alcohol and free run of the plane - unless the pilot announces otherwise. This means that while the seatbelt sign is off - people may wander through the plane - even to a higher level where there is a lounge with tables and chairs and a bar.

On another note, the means test will involve two years worth of back tax statements, proof that someone is either unemployed or earns below a USD20,000 pay check per year.

Ostensibly, it will give people who could never afford to fly before, the ability to fly for their very first time. For some, this will mean a visit to family overseas for the first time also.

Lounge lizards in the upper area of the plane, will be organized in shifts. Airline attendants will more through the plane, allowing only a particular section, for a stated amount of time to go upstairs. All sections in the plane will be invited at some point during the flight.

Spacious seats that can lay down (similar to the old 1st class seats) have also been added instead of the limited spaces usually in coach. There will be 2 feet in front of each seat, so that travelers may be more comfortable in the long trans-atlantic or trans-pacific flights.

Daily raffles (tickets included with boarding pass) will also be run on each plane. The prizes with range from a passenger's rent being paid for 6 months - to an around the world all paid for ticket during non-peak times.

An all paid for ticket is quite the prize, since the ticket winner will need to fly on other flights not belonging to Trans-Atlantic or Trans-Pacific.

Yesterday, the lines went completely around the block, with people holding tax returns and whatever else is required for the means test.

NowPublic

Can Religion and Science Be Compatible?

2009-04-01T11:35:00.001-07:00

There has been a veritable tsunami of contradictions regarding religion -v- science for the lifetimes of many people who have considered this question. . It is an old argument, but one that still prevails today.

So I thought I'd research the topic in the hopes of seeing and feeling a story emerge that I could write and I was not disappointed.

Jerry Coyne works on several areas of evolutionary genetics, specifically the origin of our species. He is also a professor at the University of Chicago in ecology and evolution and the co-author of the book, Speciation.

Mr. Coyne has also written an article named "The Case Against Intelligent Design - The Faith that Dare Not Speak it's Name." This article is lengthy but well worth the read if the topic is in your interest.

He examines, an all too familiar argument of scientists and creationists arguing over whether or not high schools in Dover, Pennsylvania should learn about biological evolution.

The Scopes trial of our day — Kitzmiller, et al v. Dover Area School District et al — began innocuously. In the spring of 2004, the district's textbook review committee recommended that a new commercial text replace the outdated biology book.

At a school board meeting in June, William Buckingham, the chair of the board's curriculum committee, complained that the proposed replacement book was "laced with Darwinism." After challenging the audience to trace its roots back to a monkey, he suggested that a more suitable textbook would include biblical theories of creation.

When asked whether this might offend those of other faiths, Buckingham replied, "This country wasn't founded on Muslim beliefs or evolution. This country was founded on Christianity and our students should be taught as such"

Defending his views a week later, Buckingham reportedly pleaded: "Two thousand years ago, someone died on a cross. Can't someone take a stand for him?" And he added: "Nowhere in the Constitution does it call for a separation of church and state."

He emphasizes that Darwin's Theory is just that, a theory that still today cannot be proved. Intelligent design of course argues against the latter.

There was a bitter discourse that eventually was taken to court:

"Intelligent design," as I will show, is merely the latest incarnation of the biblical creationism espoused by William Jennings Bryan in Dayton.
Far from a respectable scientific alternative to evolution, it is a clever attempt to sneak religion, cloaked in the guise of science, into the public schools."

Moving on ....

The PBS website, Evolution has also tackled the subjects of science and faith. The claim is that many people of various faiths are able to reconcile the theory of evolution, while still being faithful to their religious beliefs.

While that may be true, there is a flip side. Fundamentalists and evangelicals still vehemently stick to their literal interpretations of the Bible.

Several people have written that they have thoroughly studied both creation and evolution and find that both are forms of faith in that they assume events that occurred before the time of man. They both have an element of trust needed to believe that either are correct or incorrect.

Indeed - and trust is hard earned. I'm still a little unsure of where I stand on this topic - though I'm inclined to think that I sit on the fence at this point in time. I was born into one religion and converted to another when I was 24.

It was a huge step for me and something that I had struggled with for many years. However, I still believe that science has many undiscovered secrets yet to be revealed and I look forward to any scientific revelations to come.

Arthur Peacocke is a physical biochemist and Anglican priest. He was noted for his pioneering research into the physical chemistry of DNA. He writes:

"I would like to point out that I don't think there is, first of all, a real contrast between religion and science in the sense of one being faith and the other being reason.

I think both can be reasonable. And it's interesting that in science, one often refers to the best explanation, and the best explanation then often involves postulating the existence of something you would never observe or ever could observe."

Mr. Peacocke's stance is certainly a very interesting one - and one that I believe can be adopted quite easily - at least by me. I feel quite comfortable with such an explanation.

The Science and Religion web site has a paragraph that I read twice. It seemed to me, that if everyone thought that way - there would be no deadly religious conflicts, such as jihads and 'holy wars' between religions and the exhaustive question of science -v- religion.

"I cannot think of a better task than to unite religions with science and with each other; to bring religion into the sphere of modern thought; to demonstrate that Nature is slowly trying to reshape the human brain for a multi-dimensional future consciousness, and that we should co-operate with this process, not damage our brains by defying it."

Extremely interesting are the beliefs of the Bahá'í Faith who actually do believe that science and religion are not at odds with one another. In fact, it may be the only religious faith that thinks this way.

A fundamental principle of the Bahá'í Faith is the harmony of religion and science. Bahá'í scripture asserts that true science and true religion can never be in conflict.

`Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, stated that religion without science is superstition and that science without religion is materialism. He also admonished that true religion must conform to the conclusions of science. [...]

The teachings state that whenever conflict arises between religion and science it is due to human error; either through misinterpretation of religious scriptures or the lack of a more complete understanding of science.

`Abdu'l-Bahá explained that religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted; he explained that religion has to be reasonable since God endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth.

I commend the Bahá'í Faith for their open mindedness. Their doctrine should be a lesson to everyone who has ever entered into debate between religion and science.

How do others stand on this question?

Sources

Edge - The Third Culture
by Jerry Coyne
Editor's Note: First published in The New Republic on August 22nd

Evolution
Science and Faith

Science and Religion

Wikipedia
Bahá'í Faith and Science

Image Sources

The Third Culture
Jerry Coyne

NowPublic

Chinese Pork Tainted with Banned Chemicals!

2009-03-31T09:20:00.001-07:00

Why am I not surprised.

Are the Chinese able to do anything right with their exports these days? It seems that they're always in the news, often for dangerous reasons. Today's news is not any different.

GUANGZHOU, China—Police have arrested nine people and revoked the license of a livestock market owner in a case involving pork tainted with a chemical that made 70 people sick in southern China's biggest city, an official said Tuesday.
The incident in Guangzhou has raised new fears about the safety of China's food industry, which in the past year has been rocked by scandals involving milk powder and other items laced with harmful additives.

Let's not forget the toy scandal last year either. There were 550,000 Chinese toys recalled for hazardous levels of lead in them, including baby bibs.

That was a frightening number of toys, most of which were exported to the U.S.

(In 2007) China exported around US$4.9 billion agricultural products to the U.S. Including fish, vegetables and various processed foods. That was when the first food safety issues came to light and we increased our food inspection from China.

To the credit (maybe) of the Chinese, The Food Safety Law was brought in that same year.

'Somehow' though the baby formula tainted with melamine issue just a short while ago, slipped under the radar. A law is no good unless it's enforced.

The incident in Guangzhou has raised new fears about the safety of China's food industry, which in the past year has been rocked by scandals involving milk powder and other items laced with harmful additives.

I don't understand why this poisoned pork news is only coming to light now, when investigators actually found the cause of the currently tainted pork 2 months ago!

All 70 people were found to have eaten pig organs in Guangzhou. The people found to have been poisoned were sent to hospital with symptoms of headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach aches.

GUANGZHOU: Guangzhou Tianhe Livestock Market stopped farmers from bringing in 151 pigs suspected to have been fed clenobuterol hydrochloride early Tuesday morning.
"Urine samples of the animals, transported all the way from Mengjin county in Central China's Henan province, was soon sent for testing," a manager with the market, who wanted to be known as "He", told China Daily Tuesday.

"The pigs are under observation and those that are found with clenobuterol hydrochloride traces will be culled," the manager said. "And we will ban all farmers from Henan province from entering our market with live pigs from tomorrow on."

So what actually is clenobuteral hydrocholride?

Interestingly, I found the Meso Rx website where I found that the public brand name for this chemical is Spriropent. The article advises that the drug stays in your system for days. Not only that, it accelerates your heart rate.

It's used in some Chinese pig farms to fatten the animals for sale, which translates into higher profits, since each pig gains 1 kilogram of weight per day. The higher profits come to around 275% !

Authorities also revoked the business licence of Quanfa Food Co, Ltd, which owned the livestock market that sold the pork, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The company failed to properly inspect the meat and its response was too slow when the food poisoning cases began to be reported, the local Nanfang Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The suspects could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if found guilty of dealing in tainted food, Xinhua said.

As anyone knows that has read any of my articles on China, I have boycotted the country since before the Olympic Games, when their lack of human rights came to light.

Poisonous toys and foods are just another reason for me to add to the pile.

Sources

China Daily
Market Rejects 'Tainted' Livestock

New York Times
550,000 More Chinese Toys Recalled for Lead
by Jad Mouawad

Meso Rx
Clenbuterol Hydrochloride (Spiropent)
by Bill Roberts

Industry Issues
Agriculture and Food

Denver Post
Police Arrest 9 in Tainted Chinese Pork Scandal
- AP

NowPublic

Coke Anyone? Ashley Biden: "Me! (sniff) Me! (sniff) Me!"

2009-03-30T08:25:00.001-07:00

Well hasn't the youngest daughter of our Vice-President been caught in a pickle?

Actually no, she's been caught on a 43 minute video snorting cocaine and the asking price has been touted to be between $250,000 and millions.

I'm mildly surprised that a newspaper hasn't come forward with the money. Or is just an indictment of our times that politicians who abuse drugs are no biggie when it comes to politicians and their wayward children?

After all, this is not the first time that news like this has broken. I'm sure we all remember Gerald Ford's wife, Betty who had an addiction to a lethal duo - alchohol and pain killers.

It is the reason that we now have the benefit of the Betty Ford Center for addicts.

Just as bad, was Roger Clinton, who spent a year in prison after being convicted of trafficking cocaine.

Then there was Jenna Bush (while good ol' George was in office) who embarrassed her family and herself by appearing in court twice for underage drinking, using someone else's I.D.

And while we're there, let's not forget our President who has openly admitted in his memoirs that he has used marijuana and cocaine in the past.

THE White House was rocked yesterday by claims that the daughter of the Vice-President, Joe Biden, was caught on video snorting cocaine. The video purports to show Ashley Biden, 27, snorting lines of white powder at a house party in her home state of Delaware.

It surfaced days after Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, declared that the US shared the blame for Mexico's violent drug wars. "Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade," Mrs Clinton said on a trip to Mexico.

The video will embarrass Mr Biden, a teetotaller and outspoken anti-drug crusader who coined the term "drug czar" in 1982 while campaigning for tougher action against illegal drugs.

While it is certainly no excuse, one has to wonder if these spoilt little rich kids find it difficult to stand up to the media scrutiny at such early ages.

Certainly Princess Di found it horrendous and lamented often about the paparazzi that continuously followed her.

Film celebrities choose to be 'out there' and in my opinion, have no business crying over film crews and reporters. But this is not what happens with the children of politicians.

They are made famous by proxy and one has to wonder if the media attention overwhelms them into looking for ways to escape. Or are they offspring who just want to 'get back at Daddy' for some reason unknown to us?

The video was supposedly taken with Ashley's permission at a house party this month in Delaware - by a friend no less. Uhhh what were you thinking Ashley?

The video allegedly shows her seated at a computer desk, complaining that the lines of cocaine (a man made for her,) were not big enough. She then snorted 3 of the 5 lines through a rolled up dollar bill then lifted her head to wipe her nose.

Ashley seems as if she is going to be the proverbial 'wild child', with this offense not being her first. As a student in Tulane, she partied at a Chicago bar, getting herself into trouble and actually threw a can at a police officer.

At another point in the video, Ashley was alleged to have shouted "Shut the f*** up!"

Nice behavior indeed.[q url="The fact that the New York Post won’t pay for the video doesn’t mean there isn’t a bidding war going on for it. The shooter initially tried to get $2 million for the video, but brought his price down to $400,000.

There are two publications that have offered around $225,000 for the video. Dunlap has said that the person who shot the video has known Ashley for a long time, has more videos of her and a lot more information about her. He has said that the higher the price paid, the more the video shooter will reveal. Nice folks, huh?"[/q]

Nice indeed. Needless to say, YouTube is a bust if you want to try and locate the video.

Sources

The Australian
Joe Biden's Daughter Ashley 'filmed snorting cocaine'
by James Bone

Daily News
Report: Video For Sale Allegedly Shows Joe Biden Daughter, Ashley, Snorting Cocaine
by Rich Schapro

RightPundits.com
Ashley Biden Snorting Cocaine Video
by Beth Shaw

Associated Content
Ashley Biden Apparent Participant in Cocaine Video
by Gary Davis

Image Sources

Daily News
Report: Video For Sale Allegedly Shows Joe Biden Daughter, Ashley, Snorting Cocaine
Dunand/Getty

UniverseBot
Ashley Biden Cocaine Scandal Surfaces with New Video
by Troy Steuwer

Loco News Daily Update
Ashley Biden Cocaine Tape

NowPublic

Selling Police Badges to the Public - No way!

2009-03-27T12:33:00.001-07:00

There is something wrong with allowing fake/real police badges to be bought by the public. Each day, as a news junkie and writer, I scan dozens of headlines in my 80 or more RSS feeds. Then I mentally classify them, sifting through the stories to determine whether or not I want to write about them.

What goes through my head as I choose a story, is:

Junk / Hot News / Rare news / Holy hell - can that be true?! The latter does not include UFOs, miracles, etc., rather, it includes legitimate news that is difficult to believe but has distinct proof to back it up.

My article today, falls into the bolded classification above. I stumbled upon a website that sells collectible law enforcement badges. I certainly do not claim to be an expert on these or the legal badges, but I do know that if someone came to my door, dressed appropriately and flashed one of those badges to me, I might be inclined to trust them.

The badges in question are:

Deputy United States Marshal;

Computer Forensics, Agent;

Executive Body Guard;

Crime Scene Investigation;

Sergeant Los Angeles

CIA badges and clothing;

Police accessories - belt buckles, key rings etc;

Police Counter Terrorism Homefront Security;

Lieutenant-City of New York Police.

......... and many others.

On the website 'Collectible Badges' there is what I call, a 'save our butts' sentence that says:

Gold & Silver Plated Collectible Badges - Badges are for entertainment, collecting or movie prop use.

Along with the badges, they also sell, wallets and holders for the badges and photo I.D., cards.

I admit that there are a few badges that can only be taken tongue in cheek, such as 'Elvis Presley, Chief Deputy Shelby County', but the others that I've mentioned would definitely have fooled me - especially since I've only been in the country around 9 years and had next to nothing to do with any police.

How many other people could be fooled? That number is probably in the vicinity of many thousands. If the badges had simply been tin replicas, I could say they might be identifiable as copies, but the fact that they are silver or gold plated, gives them a true look of authenticity.

If someone came to Mr/Mrs Average's door, showed them one of these badges at the door and asked to come in, many people would allow them access, even if the intruder was not wearing a uniform and claimed to be under cover.

Consider something like the following:

"Hello Ma'am, we're investigating a murder in the area and interviewing anyone who might have heard anything, or were in the area at the time."

Having found the first website, I did a search online, to see if there were any other companies trading on the internet, selling the same merchandise.

I found so many that I was truly floored.

Lawman Badge C. Quality Custom Badges for Professionals.

These people actually do sell their badges to members of the police force:

Custom designed and manufactured quality police badges for your police agency.

Serving the needs of professional Police Agencies all over world, Lawman Badge provides the highest quality Police Badges available. [...]

Serving the needs of professional Police Agencies all over world, Lawman Badge continues to provide the highest quality Police Badges available. Our unique police badge designs, durability and outstanding appearance are unequaled in the industry.

The widest range of services are provided for creating Police Badges that cannot be ignored. Each police badge speaks for itself as it stands out from all the others and never goes unnoticed. All of our resources at Lawman Badge are aimed at creating the finest police badges to be found anywhere regardless of price.

Each police badge must look and feel distinctly refined as more than a police badge. Police badges are emblems of professionalism, authority, distinction and quality that represents the officer wearing the badge.

They then have a section for 'collectors'. Each one has a description, many claiming to have been used within the police force, such as the East Syracuse Police Officer's Badge:

As always, these badges are authentic, highest quality, hallmarked, serial numbered and ORIGINAL DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT with a certificate of authenticity hand signed by the Chief of Police authorizing you to possess this badge for your collection.
A beautiful piece of law enforcement equipment, sure to be very popular with all police badge collectors.

The capital letters used in the above paragraph are original copy - I have not altered the text (other than to emphasize the lettering).

Law Enforcement - The Roberts Company

This website sells the real deal to law enforcement. The difference between the latter and this web site is the following information:

The Roberts Company is committed to preserving the integrity of the Law enforcement profession.

Our badge wizard will assist you in selecting the different badge styles and options available. All final orders must be FAXED OR MAILED to the Roberts Company with a copy of your official ID card or a letter of authorization from your department. You MAY NOT purchase our badges directly online.

This is good wording, concise and clear.

The badges produced here are genuine and a police officer has to prove that he is employed by the police, before a sale can be made. There are many other cute items that can be bought by the public, such as police themed Christmas ornaments and music boxes.

NIC Law Enforcement Supply

I find this site a little more disturbing than the others. They carry similar items to the other websites, but also advertise such items as "CIA T-Shirt" and "CIA Cap".

Having never seen any of these items up close and personal, they look authentic to me (and may well be,) which begs the question - to how many other people would these items look real?

NIC Law Enforcement Supply has a comprehensive selection of badges for a wide variety of professional and personal uses.
We have collectible police badges and historic badges including a diverse selection of intelligence and military institutions from around the world for the collector.

Additionally, NIC has a complete line of professional badges, and badge accessories for people whose careers require permanent identification. NIC also has a huge selection of custom badges to choose from. For more information click on the categories below or browse some of our best sellers highlighted in the featured products section.

Amazon.com

Even Amazon is getting into the act. I assume that whatever Amazon sells is legal, but I did find a few amazing items there that triggered my "you're kidding!" radar.

Here are a few other URLs that might interest you:

Bail Enforcement

NJLawman.com

Chief

I think after seeing all these websites, whether they are lawful, or not, that the only advice I can offer to the public is, if someone comes to your door professing to be police, FBI or CIA:

Ask them for their name and ID number, politely;

Smile and say that you'll be right back;

CLOSE THE DOOR and call the relevant law enforcement office to verify their name and number.

Sources

Collectible Badges

Lawman Badge Co.

Law Enforcement - The Roberts Company

NIC Law Enforcement Supply

Amazon.com

Image Sources

Collectible Badges

Lawman Badge Co.

Law Enforcement - The Roberts Company

NIC Law Enforcement Supply

Amazon.com

NowPublic

Got Milk?

2009-03-26T14:30:00.001-07:00

The milk scandal in China, still reads like a horror story. Six babies poisoned and dead, 300,00 thousand babies still critically ill and grieving mothers crying at their precious baby's death beds.

The poisonous milk additive in question is melamine - a full explanation of that chemical can be found here.

The dairy firm is Sanlu, who have been found to water down their milk, so that supplies are guaranteed to go further. This translates into more money for the firm. They then attempted to hide their actions by adding an industrial chemical (melamine) to boost protein levels in the milk.

Problem? Read my first paragraph again. Melamine can cause kidney stones and kidney failure - just imagine the unbearable pain these babies had to endure before dying and those thousands and upon thousands, who are still suffering in hospital.

Timeline: China Milk Scandal

10 Sept: China reveals that 14 babies fell ill in Gansu province over the previous two months. All drank the same brand of milk powder. Cases start being reported around China;

12 Sept: Sanlu Group admits that its milk powder was contaminated with the toxic chemical melamine;

13 Sept: Production halts at Sanlu Group. Nineteen people are arrested.

19 Sept: Melamine is found in ordinary milk from three well-known dairies. One of the firms involved - Mengniu dairy - recalls all its products. ;

22 Sept: Toll of ill babies rises to 53,000, and the death toll to at least four. The head of China's quality watchdog resigns, becoming the first national leader to step down because of the scandal;

23 Sept: Countries across Asia start either to test Chinese dairy products or to pull them from shops;

26 Sept: The EU bans Chinese baby food with milk traces. Sales of the popular sweet White Rabbit are halted after tests detect melamine;

29 Sept: Cadbury recalls products in Asia after tests find traces of melamine. Reports say 22 people have been arrested in Hebei province, suspected of introducing melamine into the supply chain;

15 Oct: Nearly 6,000 infants remain in hospital across China suffering kidney diseases. Six are in a serious condition;

21 Oct: About 1,500 raccoon dogs bred for their fur on a farm in China die of kidney failure after eating feed tainted with melamine;

23 Oct: Six more people are arrested in connection with the tainted milk scandal;

26 Oct: Hong Kong authorities discover eggs produced by Dalian Hanwei Group's eggs contain melamine. They are pulled off the shelves;

30 Oct: Two more egg brands from Shanxi and Hubei provinces are found to contain melamine;

31 Oct: State media admit that melamine is probably being routinely added to Chinese animal feed;

02 Nov: A Chinese official insists the egg scandal is an individual case and clamps down on illegal producers of feed;

14 Nov: The US issues a nationwide "import alert" for Chinese-made food products;

18 Nov: The Chinese government allows the US to station officials in three cities to help ensure the safety of Chinese exports;

23 Dec: Sanlu files for bankruptcy;

26 Dec: Six men become the first to go on trial in China in connection with the scandal. They are accused of making and selling melamine;

27 Dec: Dairy firms involved in the scandal are to compensate the nearly 300,000 people affected, according to state media;

31 Dec: The trial of four Sanlu company executives begins;

02 Jan 2009: companies involved in the scandal apologise and ask for forgiveness in a New Year text message sent to millions of mobile phone users;

08 Jan: The death of a two-month-old boy after he consumed baby milk powder produced under new guidelines is investigated;

09 Jan: China says it has arrested 60 people in connection with the melamine scandal;

11 Jan: China says a total of 296,000 children had fallen ill from consuming milk products tainted with melamine;

16 Jan: Parents of first baby who died accept a 200,000-yuan ($29,000; £21,000) payout from Sanlu milk company;

19 Jan: Reports reveal that 213 families whose children were made ill or died from tainted milk have petitioned the Supreme Court, demanding higher levels of compensation;

22 Jan: Sentences are handed out to Sanlu executives following their trial. They range from two death sentences to long jail terms.

It came to light that melamine is used to manufacture plastics and fertilizers. Other than trying to fool protein inspectors what were the Chinese thinking?

The trials were held in Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province. All appeals are now over and sentences handed down.

Zhang Yujun - Cattle farmer: Death;

Gao Junjie - Sales of melamine: Death;

Geng Jinping - Sales of melamine: Death.

Tian Wenhua - General Manager of Sanlu: Life. Highest ranking executive at the heart of the melamine scandal.

Approval by the State People's Court, was the only thing standing in the way of those sentenced to death.

According to the state-run China Daily, one man arrested over the scandal confessed that he had added melamine to milk, despite knowing it was a health risk.
He added that his family never drank the contaminated milk.

As a senior official put it at a press conference on Wednesday, China does not test for melamine because it does not expect anyone to add it to milk powder.

Tian Guangcai only feeds his grandchild imported formula milk

"There are no special requirements on the inspection of toxic chemicals… because these kinds of chemicals are not allowed to be added to food," said Li Changjiang, head of the country's quality watchdog.

More and more we here about health risk items appearing in the U.S., whose export origin is in China.

I believe that all governments should look with a focused eye on suspicion for anything manufactured in China and then exported for sale to other countries.

I mentioned some time ago in another one of my articles that I would be boycotting all Chinese products. I have kept to my word and hope that there are others finally doing the same thing.

It feels good - and righteous.

Sources:

Wise Geek
What is Melanine?

BBC News
Timeline: China Milk Scandal

Washington Post
China Court Upholds 5 Sentences in Milk Scandal
by Audra Ang - AP

BBC News
Bitter Taste Over China Baby Milk
By Michael Bristow

BBC News
China Milk Scandal 'Guilty' Plea

Image Sources:

BBC News
Timeline: China Milk Scandal

BBC News
China Milk Scandal 'Guilty' Plea

China View
Appeal Against Death Sentence and Jail Term Rejected in Sanlu Milk Scandal

BBC News
Chinese Milk Scandal Terms Upheld

NowPublic

Camel Spiders Could Eat You for Supper!

2009-03-24T14:43:00.001-07:00

Beware the Camel Spider!

Though it may look like a spider, they are quite different. Like scorpions and harvestmen, camel spiders belong to a distinct arachnid order called Araneae.

I must admit when I came across a picture of a camel spider, I pushed my rolling chair back so hard, that I nearly fell off. I'm a serious arachnophobic, experiencing incredible fear, even panic at the sight of ANY kind of spider.

I also have a morbid fascination with spiders and as long as they're nowhere near me, I can almost tolerate them on television. I've probably watched countless Discovery and Animal Planet programs on all kinds of arachnids, while holding a cushion to my face, in dire fear - peeking around the edge with one eye.

Go figure.

I've found a few YouTubes about camel spiders and the one that freaked me out the most, was the play-by-play commentary of one of these arachnids killing a mouse. These things can even travel up to 16 miles per hour, which is incredibly fast for an animal of it's size!

Regarding the videos, a couple of them are soldiers who have found camel spiders, and I am warning everyone that sometimes, the language can be somewhat ... colorful.

Solifugae - Camel Spiders.

A Solifugid (plural form Solifugae) is an arachnid belonging to the order Solifugae. The name Solifugae comes from Latin and means "flee from the sun", a reference to their nocturnal nature.

The order is also known by the names Solpugida, Solifugae, Solpugides, Solpugae, Galeodea, and Mycetophorae. The order includes 900 known species of wind scorpions, sun spiders and camel spiders.

I've included a picture of the bite from a camel spider and I was surprised to learn that he wasn't even aware of being bitten! I found this interesting considering that they have powerful pincers and a variable amount of teeth.

One thing I have learned, is that they are either omnivores or carnivores, catching much larger prey than itself, including in rare cases, the pursuit of humans.

Ironically, these camel spiders do not attack camels but received their name because they are only found in the desert.

These arachnids are not only found in places such as Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq, but also in Las Vegas, California, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Israel, Libya and Zimbabwe, where they have been reported to be as large as dinner plates.

Interestingly, they are not found in Australia! I suppose box jellyfish, other poisonous arachnids and poisonous snakes are quite enough in that area of the world!

One evening I was walking next to a concrete stormwater drain when I noticed a rat chasing my shadow. I threw a stone at it and hit it with a lucky shot, but when I jumped down into the ditch to look at the "rat" it was actually one of them, the biggest I ever saw

I picked it up, presuming it to be dead, and took it home. It laid along the length of my hand, with the legs dangling over the sides.

At home I put it on the dining room table to look at it and the son of a ***** came alive! And was it angry! [...] These have to be the most repulsive spiders I ever have seen, and fearless too.

They will take on a big scorpion, no problem, I saw it many times, and kill small mice with ease. Aaaaaargh! They have hairs on them which carry an irritant to human skin. One walked across my brother and I as we were sprawled on the floor, and we both had lines of blisters across us afterwards.

Here comes a story that will no doubt provide fodder for your next nightmare:

I was in Iraq in 2003-2004 and had several experiences with these enormous, terrifying creatures. In my time in the military I've seen a lot of interesting bugs, but camel spiders are by far the worst.

Never before have I been chased by a bug and actually ran screaming. I'm suppused to be a tough as nails infantryman who has already made it through the invasion of Iraq and this thing scared the crap out of me.

I was walking around our extremely small FOB (Forward Operating Base) in Haditha, Iraq in my flip-flops and PTs when my buddy waved me over. He had spotted a camel spider amd wanted me to share in his adventure.

We walked up to it slowly, being careful not to disturb it. The CS (Camel Spider) was about five inches in length and cruising around in the sand. After watching it for about a minute I decided to see what it would do if I threw a rock at it

Bad Idea! As soon as the rock landed the CS shot after us faster than anything bug I had ever seen. We both screamed and took off running. I jumped onto a nearby Bradley and the CS sped off into the night. I didn't try to find it.

Another time I was on gaurd during the day on a road near this large field and I saw a huge one running away from me. This one was probably at least 8 inches long. It was enormous. I ran and grabbed something to catch this monster with but in the 15 seconds it took me to grab something it had disappeared.

These are stories from our rough`n`tough soldiers in both Afghanistan and Iraq, how do you think you'd fare against them if you found one?

I know what I'd be doing - I'd be screaming 'blue murder' until someone killed it and showed me it's dead body to prove it was caught, and still not lurking around where I lived.

One would hope that in the U.S. they reach no further South than California - because if they ever cross the state line into Oregon, that's it - I'll be moving to Alaska!

Sources:

Camel Spiders.net
Online Source for Fact and Fiction on the Unique Camel Spider

Wikipedia
Solifugae

Camel Spiders.net
Amazing "Real" Camel Spider Stories from all over the World

Wikipedia
Opilones

Image Sources:

Camel Spiders.net
The Amazing Camel Spider
Copyright © 2003-09 camelspiders.net

{{This is the picture that really freaked me out! It took only two of these horrible arachnids to span an entire soldier's leg.))

Camel Spiders.net

Spider Bite
Copyright © 2003-09 camelspiders.net.

((According to the soldiers relatives; the bite must have happened while he was sleeping. He wasn't even aware that he had been bitten. He woke up to a large lump on his arm. Then while out on maneuvers, the cyst-like area ruptured open. He was then sent on to the MASH Unit in Kuwait.))

Wikimedia
Asian Forest Scorpion
Wikimedia Commons

Wikipedia
Scorpion
by Filip Lazarevic

Wikimedia
Harvestman
Wikimedia Commons

NowPublic

Peas Could Be Your New Best Friend

2009-03-23T11:40:00.001-07:00

Do you have high blood pressure, or chronic kidney disease? If so, this article could be vital to your health.

New research from Canada found that proteins in the common garden pea may provide a natural remedy against high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The pea protein could be used as a natural food product such as an additive or dietary supplement to help the millions of people worldwide that suffer from these conditions, suggested the researchers.

More and more, sciences are finding that our gardens and oceans are valuable sources of health preventatives and treatments.

This time, the research comes from Canada and focuses on conditions that affect literally millions of people world wide. We already know that peas provide us with protein, various vitamins, dietary fiber and are low-fat and cholesterol free.

The new research focuses on the yellow garden pea, a mainstay pea variety enjoyed as a veggie side-dish and used as an ingredient in dozens of recipes around the world.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for CKD, a condition that has been affecting an increasing number of people in the United States and other countries. Estimates suggest that 13 percent of American adults — about 26 million people — have chronic kidney disease, up from 10 percent, or about 20 million people, in the 1990s.

During the week of March 22 - 26, the American Chemical Society based at the University of Manitoba in Winnepeg Canada, will be holding it's 237th meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Rotimi Aluko who is a food chemist at the University of Manitoba, will present his research results in this (peas) area.

The study is the first reporting that a natural food product can relieve symptoms of CKD, the scientists say.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is one of the most difficult to be be treated and very often results end in a need for kidney dialysis, or even a kidney transplant.

"In people with high blood pressure, our protein could potentially delay or prevent the onset of kidney damage," says study presenter Rotimi Aluko, Ph.D. [...] "In people who already have kidney disease, our protein may help them maintain normal blood pressure levels so they can live longer."

It's known that a substantial risk factor with CKD., is high blood pressure, or hypertension. This incredibly serious condition is rising regularly, with estimates at around 26 million people in the U.S., alone.

A colleague and research partner of Dr. Aluko is Dr. Harold Aukema. Together, they worked on this valuable research, which may soon be available to the public.

They extracted pea protein hydrolysate from the yellow garden pea and fed a small dose each day to laboratory rats bred to have a severe type of kidney disease called polycystic kidney disease.

After 8 weeks the rats on the pea protein diet showed a 20 per cent drop in blood pressure compared to diseased rats that had only been fed on a normal diet.

However, eating peas as a part of your diet, will not do the trick. It's the extracted protein in the peas activated with special enzymes, that is needed. After successful human trials, people could possibly take it in the form of a pill or soluble powder added to drinks or food.

Sources:

Thaindian News
Garden Pea Could Help Tackle High Blood Pressure, Kidney Disease

Scientific Blogging
Your Next High Blood Pressure Medication - Garden Peas?

ACS Chemistry for Life
237th ACS National Meeting in Salt Lake City

Image Sources:

Goodness Direct
Yellow Split Peas

Purcell Mountain Farms
Yellow Split Peas

NowPublic

7 Children and 7 Adults Die in Plane Crash

2009-03-23T08:28:00.001-07:00

BREAKING NEWS:

Karen Byrd, a Federal Aviation Administraion operations officer in Renton, Washington, has confirmed the death toll of the plane crash, which crashed into the Holy Cross cemetery in Butte.

Steve Guidoni actually witnessed the crash:

...the turboprop airplane "just went straight into the ground" at Holy Cross Cemetery near the Butte airport.
He said he rushed to the fiery scene in hopes of rescuing someone. He said the biggest piece of wreckage he found was the size of a kitchen table. [...] "You wouldn't even know a plane was there," he said.

A few items of luggage and seat cushions could be seen - but no bodies could be seen.

Another witness described the crash saying that the single engine turboprop, crashed just short of Butte airport. Before actually crashing, the plane jerked to the left, then took a nose dive into the cemetery and burst into flames.

All 14 passengers were immediately incinerated.

Another witness, 14 year old Kenny Gulick, told the Early Show, that because the pilot was making so many turns, he had thought that he was watching a stunt plane.

Gulick went on to say:[q url="He jerked the plane to the left too quickly and lost control of it, but that's just my guess." [...] "He was extremely low to the ground and he didn't pull up in time."[/q]

There is much more news surfacing on this crash and I believe that this tragedy needs other reporters to keep aggregating more news. I'll attempt to keep this story updated.
~ Swan

NowPublic

Baby Ordered to Die Today

2009-03-21T09:11:00.001-07:00

This is what the parents of an unnamed baby will face today.

Parents battling to keep their seriously ill baby alive have failed to overturn a ruling allowing him to die.

The nine-month-old boy has a rare metabolic disorder and has suffered brain damage and respiratory failure.

In the wake of a judgment and two Courts of Appeals verdicts, the parents have no choice now but to let their baby die in peace. The baby had an extremely rare condition (unidentified for legal reasons) and suffered major respiratory failure and brain damage.

The parents, (also unidentified for legal reasons) had been told that so rare is the condition, that only one other child has ever been identified with the same condition by modern medicine.

The parents had this to say about their baby:

"We are and always will be convinced that despite his desperate problems his life is worthwhile and is worth preserving as long as it is possible to do so without causing him undue pain. "[...]

"That was the real argument between us and the doctors - they think his life is intolerable and that his disability is such that his life has little purpose; but we, along with some of the nurses, believed that he experiences pleasure and that he has long periods where he was relaxed and pain free."

Treatment will be withdrawn from the 9 month old baby boy and he will die sometime today. Does anyone else feel that cases like this sound like G-d is being replaced by judgments from an 'Earthly Court'? This story has certainly made my flesh crawl.

The hospital had wanted to discontinue treatment in December, but the parents felt that they had to fight for their baby to be given every possible chance.

Relationships with the doctors and staff became very difficult and there are lots of issues which still worry us, but we think we did the right thing even though we were repeatedly told it was hopeless and that we were being irresponsible in not following the medical advice that he should be allowed to die.

Interestingly, some of the nurses at the hospital supported the parents feelings that the baby does experience pleasure and that there were long periods where he was relaxed and pain free.

The parents claimed that since there was only one other child documented to have had the disorder, that everyone is "unknown territory."

Is this sufficient reason to let a child die, just because no-one knows what to do next?

As judgement was handed down for the third time, the anguished parents painfully waited outside of the court, unable to hear the judgment again first hand.

The judge acknowledged the hearing seeking permission to appeal had been conducted "in a brusque, uncaring, unfeeling way on a crude issue of law".

But he said he would like to have addressed them personally and asked their lawyers to pass on the message that it was impossible not to feel the "deepest sympathy for their predicament".

Predicament? Is this the only way that the judge acknowledged this case?

Why not call it what it is: tragic circumstances?

What about an inability to feel the horror of what will be the death of their child today?

Last year, another baby with a rare disorder also made the news:

THE parents of a 13-month-old boy born with a rare genetic disorder which may see him die before reaching adulthood have spoken of their ordeal.

Ross Phillipson has a vital enzyme missing in his blood – a peroxisomal disorder which has left him with a number of complications including blindness and impairment to his hearing.

Should this baby have been sentenced to death too?

Here is another case back in 2002 where a baby had a rare disorder known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia:

Most new parents are excited to share the news of whether their newborn is a boy or girl.

But for Adina and Robert Hayton of Mesa, the joyous occasion turned into a nightmare.

"It was very scary, it was very embarrassing and we asked for people to stay away from the hospital," Adina said. "They told us at the hospital not to call the baby 'her' and to instead say 'the baby' or 'our baby.' "

The gender confusion was a result of Baby Hayton being born with a rare disorder known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which sometimes causes ambiguous genitalia.

Here are some questions which do not necessarily reflect my own feelings and views. Rather, I have asked the questions to encourage debate:

Why wasn't further research into the disorder conducted in the 9 months that the baby boy lived?

Where is the line drawn to allow babies to die?

Why is the defining decision not left to parents, who have to petition the court to try and keep their baby alive?

Why are the details of today's story shrouded in legalese mystery, yet details of other children with 'rare disorders' are freely available?

If you were the parents, would you allow the hospital's rhetoric; (that it's better to let your baby die,) eclipse your own feelings?

I not only look forward to hearing your views, but I also encouraging debate.

Sources:

Western Telegraph
Parents: Our Agony Over Baby Ruling
Press Association 2009

BBC News | UK
Baby's Right to Life Appeal Fails

Journal Live
Parents' Fears for Baby With Rare Disorder
by Paul Loraine

Image Sources:

Western Telegraph
Parents: Our Agony Over Baby Ruling

Press Association 2009

BBC News | UK
Baby's Right to Life Appeal Fails

NowPublic

Charles Manson - The Story That Stopped the World in it's Tracks

2009-03-20T10:29:00.001-07:00

Few crimes literally strike fear and horror into the collective hearts of this world. However the story of the Manson Family and specifically Charles Manson himself in 1969 managed to do exactly that, with the brutal murder of the beautiful 26 year old actress, Sharon Tate, who was stabbed 51 times, 40 years ago.

At that time, Sharon was 8 months pregnant and living with husband Roman Polanski at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles. Polanski escaped being murdered himself, as he was working in London with the intention of returning for the birth of their baby.

When he was notified of his wife's death, Polanski immediately flew back to the U.S., under heavy sedation.

I'm bringing this story to you now, on what will be the 40th anniversary (in August) of those killings, because today the cult and gang mentality is becoming worse, not only in America, but in many countries.

Many youths today who have terrible home lives, brutalized, or living on the streets, are easily drawn into such groups, with catch phrases such as 'now you have a family to look out for you.'

Young people today, would probably only know about Manson if their parents had passed the story on to them and it's my personal opinion that they should know. It's in their interest to find out how toxic such relationships can become, before they are indoctrinated.

Certainly, I've never seen a crime live on long past itself, with a long reach into the new millenium.

Victor Bugliosi was the prosecuter in the Manson case and eventually wrote a book that I and many thousands of people read, called "Helter Skelter." I read it because the trial had become an enormous media circus and I wanted to find out exactly what did happen from the source - which was probably the same reason that many others read it.

Predictably, a movie was made from the book and I confess that I don't remember whether or not it was absolutely faithful to Bugliosi's book.

Sharon Tate was not the only victim to fall at the hands of 'The Family'. The death list included Jay Sebring (Doris Day's son); Wojciech (Voyteck) Frykowski; Steve Parent and Abilgail Folger (the coffee heiress.)

With the blood still fresh on their knives and perverted minds, they murdered Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, the following day. Manson had hoped that these two murders would incite a race war, believing that it was prophesied by the Beatle's song - "Helter Skelter."

While sourcing this article, I was surprised to find that there is still a fansite dedicated to Sharon Tate by her sister, Debra Tate. Somehow it seems fitting that if Manson and his cronies are still in the news, that this beautiful woman's life should be celebrated beyond their miserable existence.

F.A.C.T.net lists all the current cults of today and I must admit, I wasn't surprised to see Scientology listed, which I believe to be one of the most insidious cults of today.

Here is a synopsis of what happened on that fateful night when Sharon Tate and her friends were brutally murdered:

Manson sent the psycho posse out on their infamous errand. Tex Watson, Pat Krenwinkle, Susan Atkins and Linda Kasabian (coz she was the only one with a driver's license) got in a 1959 Ford, and drove to the house on Cielo Drive.

They arrived around midnite. Tex cut the phone lines, which landed on the gate. They scaled the hillside behind the gate, for fear of electric shock. Once on the other side, they encountered Steve Parent, 18, driving towards them in his white Rambler.

Parent was visiting William Garretson, the caretaker - and trying to sell him a radio. Garretson was staying in the guest cottage, at the far end of the property. Watson tells the girls to hide when the headlights head their way. Tex held up his hand and ordered Parent to "HALT".

"Please don't hurt me, I won't say anything." were Steve's last words. Bang bang bang bang. Point blank distance. Wrong place, wrong time. Big Time.

That was only the beginning of their killing spree - you can read more about that horrific night here if you're interested. Scroll down to the heading in capital letters - NEXT! on the left side.

Here are some of the latest known photographs of Sharon Tate.

Back in 1969, it seemed that Manson, or anything to do with him, was on the lips of the public - disbelief; shock; horror; anger and absolutely no acceptance. The 'Family' were entirely devoted to Manson and that might have something to do with the fact that drugs were freely distributed and taken on the ranch where they lived.

Manson at his best, had an electric and charismatic nature. Put that together with drugs and they loved him even more than they did when they arrived.

He still wears the swastika proudly carved into his forehead this day.

Today he has lost that charisma with age, looking old at 74 (pictured). He still petitions for parole each time it comes up, but he is serving several consecutive life sentences and will not be paroled in his lifetime.

However, his next parole hearing will be in 2012 where I and millions of other people hope, that he'll be denied any kind of freedom again. With any luck, the parole board will restate what they said at a parole hearing in 2007:

Despite his age, Manson "continues to pose an unreasonable danger to others and may still bring harm to anyone he would come in contact with," the board wrote in its denial.

Manson has had 12 disciplinary violations since his last parole hearing in 2002. He refused to take advantage of rehabilitation programs, and he would not participate in a psychiatric evaluation, Sequeira said.

"He refused to cooperate, so the conclusion they drew from the reports is he still remains a danger to the public," Sequeira said in a telephone interview. "He was convicted of nine horrible murders. He has expressed no remorse or empathy for any of the victims."

Manson was originally given the death penalty, but shortly after the trial, the state did away with the death penalty and he is now incarcerated for several consecutive lifetimes.

It is interesting to note here, the differences in the judicial system then - and now. Because Manson was never actually at the murder sites and didn't personally commit any of the murders - it was clear through testimony by the rest of 'the family' that he had been the malevolent mastermind and power that sent them all out to commit the atrocities.

I suppose today, he would have been exonerated, due to 'circumstantial evidence' and he would have been free to add to his 'family' to kill again, and again, and again.

It's amazing how this story will not die. It became news again because of his recent parole hearing and the new movie that is currently out on DVD named: "The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter."

Further Reading:

Profile of Charles Manson
by Charles Montaldo

Parole Block Letters

The Social Effects of Charles Manson and his Trial

The American Meaning of Charley Manson

Charles Manson - The Crime Library

The Tate-LaBianca Murders and The Manson Family

The Manson Family

The Manson Family Today

The following are web sites 'devoted' to Charles Manson

ACCESS MANSON - The Web Site Dedicated To Charles Manson (website down, unsure how long)

In Defense Of Charles Manson: Ecce Homo

Sources

The Buffalo News
Prison Releases Photo of Elderly Charles Manson

Findadeath.com
The Tate Murders

The Official Sharon Tate Fansite

San Francisco Chronicle
Charles Manson Again Denied Parole
- AP

Image Sources

FindaDeath.com
The Tate Murders

Fortune City.com
The Charles Manson Debate

Sharon Tate Official Site

The Tate Family Legacy

The Buffalo News

About.com
The Manson Family

NowPublic

Are We Killing Ourselves With Water?

2009-03-18T10:04:00.001-07:00

It's funny how the mind works.

I've always thought that I prefer bottled water to tap water, and prefer the water that pours from the door of my refrigerator to bottled water.

An interesting and somewhat disturbing fact has come to light, which may eventually
see bottled water companies worried about huge downturns in sales. That is, if the public take heed of the warning found in Science News a few days ago.

The warning, coming from researchers in Frankfurt, Germany, is that both glass and plastic bottled water may contain hormones which effectively mimic estrogen.

The ingredient is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which is included in the process to create plastic bottles. This was discovered by researchers at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt.

Not only is this a health care danger for all of us, but not buying these products, certainly doesn't mean that we're safe from the issue.

Bottled water comes from various sources. At least 25 percent of bottled water is actually bottled tap water. "Purified water" probably means tap water that has been filtered in some fashion. Many bottles labeled spring water come from underground wells or aquifers that may be in close proximity to industrial sites.

A call to your bottled water provider will tell you where the water comes from and may give you reassurance. It will not tell you what is in your water no matter what their testing reports say.

Our vision of bottled water is crystal pure mountain snows and glaciers delivered in their pristine state for your pleasure and delectation. The bottled water industry encourages this utopian vision, even as they defend lawsuits about misrepresentation of the sources of "spring" water.

As if the population needs anything more to worry about, here are a few more 'fun facts' about our plastic water bottles.

Plastic water bottles:

outgas estrogen mimics, xenoestrogens, into the water they hold, which upsets our hormonal balance

pack landfills where they outgas, upsetting hormonal balances of many creatures

boost cost of water higher than gasoline and 240 to 10,000 times higher than tap water

are the fastest growing section of the beverage market

deplete our oil reserves — we could carry our own more durable, non-toxic container for water.

heat up Big Mama through plastic materials, manufacture and easy disposal.

How many brands of bottled water do you think are currently processed in the world?

100? 300? No, the answer is 700 - which translates into a $22 billion a year industry.

How did this mass hypnosis take place that would have us believe bottled water is best over tap water? We have had warnings in the past, but it is clearly apparent that we simply do not listen.

Back in October of 2008, the Environmental Working Group conducted a Bottle Water Quality Investigation of 10 Major Brands and 38 Pollutants.

The results?

The bottled water industry promotes an image of purity, but comprehensive testing by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reveals a surprising array of chemical contaminants in every bottled water brand analyzed, including toxic byproducts of chlorination in Walmart’s Sam’s Choice and Giant Supermarket's Acadia brands, at levels no different than routinely found in tap water.

Several Sam's Choice samples purchased in California exceeded legal limits for bottled water contaminants in that state. Cancer-causing contaminants in bottled water purchased in 5 states (North Carolina, California, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland) and the District of Columbia substantially exceeded the voluntary standards established by the bottled water industry.

So naturally, some people may think, 'ok, so I'll only drink tap water from now on.'

However, tap water comes to our homes via an identified dangerous method, previously unsuspected.

The type of plumbing in your own home.

Heavens, what next?

Polyvinyl chloride tubing, for instance, is widely used by industry. So if mineral water were pumped through PVC piping it could pick up bisphenol-A, organotin- and phthalates — “because [PVC] is a source of all those,” notes Shanna Swan, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.- And, she adds, all of these materials that have been found in PVC have an estrogenic alter ego.

With all this information, I'm still just a little confused as to where that leaves the water from my refrigerator, which is the source of my preferred drinking water.

Martin Wagner and Jörg Oehlmann washed out used water bottles made from either PET or glass and then cultured young mud snails in them. The species that they used (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is particularly sensitive to estrogen, revving up its production of embryos when exposed to elevated quantities of the hormone.
And that’s what was seen in those reared in the PET containers. Compared to snails reared in glass bottles, PET-housed ones produced more young — up to twice as many embryos.

There are some people who think distilling their water might be the healthiest way to drink water in order to circumvent these issues - but this also comes with its own dangers.

The distillation method is not guaranteed to remove all pollutants and chemicals and can in fact, leach necessary minerals from your body, causing dangerous deficiencies. This in itself has the ability to cause serious chronic disease.

If you don't think this is a serious enough problem, I'll tell you about something that happened to me only a couple of years ago: my mother had died and I was so distraught that I barely lifted my head from the 'porcelain god' for three days.

Laying on the sofa on that third night, I noticed my feet began cramping, then about an hour later, my hands contorted into something that can only be described as alien and I could not use them.

I attempted to call my son who was sleeping, but my face had also dropped, the same way as a severe stroke patient. I lay there all night, unable to do or say anything.

I was literally terrified.

When my son awoke and saw what I looked like, he immediately called an ambulance. Once in hospital and several blood tests later, the culprit had been a lack of potassium. It had completely leached out of my body and into the 'porcelain god.'

As if that weren't all, I discovered that potassium is vitally necessary for one's heart and that if I had not gone to hospital, I was a clear candidate for a heart attack.

Scary huh? While my personal story has nothing to do with water, it does tell you what can happen when certain minerals are leached out of your water.

There is a plethora of information on the internet on compromised waters, including tap water and bottled water in both plastic and glass bottles. I strongly urge people to become au fait with these dangerous issues, before making a choice as to where their own drinking water originates.

Recommended Reading:

Get Plastic Out of Your Life
by Paul Goettlich

Alternatives to Plastic
by Paul Goettlich

Coping With Toxins
2007 Bioenergy Balancing Center

Drinking Water - Drinking Water Choices
by Randall Neustaedter OMD
Sources:

Environmental Working Group
FDA Proposes Improved Testing of Bottled Water
Injury Board, Chrissie Cole

Science News
Bottled Water May Contain 'Hormones': Plastics
by Janet Raloff

Bottled Water Contains Disinfection Byproducts, Fertilizer Residue and Pain Medication
by Olga Naidenko PhD, Senior Scientist;
Nneka Leiba, MPH, Researcher;
Renee Sharp, MS, Senior Scientist;
Jane Houlihan, MSCE, Vice President for Research

Plastic Water Bottles a Health Threat
Response to Editorial Paul Goettlich/Post Tribune (Indiana) 2jun01

Environmental Working Group

Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants
by Olga Naidenko, PhD, Senior Scientist;
Nneka Leiba, MPH, Researcher;
Renee Sharp, MS, Senior Scientist;
Jane Houlihan, MSCE, Vice President for Research

WiseGEEK
What is Estrogen?

Image Sources

Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants

Bottled Water Contains Disinfection, Byproducts, Fertilizer Residue and Pain Medication

Figure 1. Pollutants in Walmart and Giant Bottled Water Exceed Industry and California Standards

Figure 2. Walmart and Giant Are Bottling Tap Water

NowPublic

Incest, Slavery, Rape and Murder - Fritzl Trial Today

2009-03-16T10:30:00.001-07:00

Breaking News

What do you say about a man who imprisons his daughter for 24 years in a sound proofed cell he built for her beneath his home?

What do you say about this piece of trash who also fathered 7 children and one miscarriage with her during that time?

3 of those children died (due to lack of health care,) and one of the charges police are bringing against him is murder.

The trial begins today.

The trial of Josef Fritzl, an Austrian man who allegedly held his daughter as a sex slave for 24 years and fathered her seven children got underway on Monday in the Austrian town of St. Poelten, amid tight security.

On Monday, outside the St. Poelten courthouse, police kept watch over media and protesters who gathered outside to report on Fritzl, dubbed by some as the 'Dungeon Dad'. As Fritzl arrived he hid his face behind a blue file folder.

Fritzl continued to cower behind the folder as a judge began the proceedings at the courthouse near Vienna.

According to Sky News, Fritzl told his lawyer: "I'm scared." And he should be. If convicted and given a jail sentence, he'd likely be safer out of jail than in. It's well known that most prison inmates don't take kindly to crimes against children.

He will plead guilty to rape, incest, coercion and imprisonment but will contest both the enslavement and murder charges. His trial takes place today in the Austrian capital of Sankt Poelten and scheduled to last only 5 days.

Proceedings will be closed to the press and public. When he arrived at the court today, the 73 year old Austrian was flanked by several policemen. Sickeningly, Europe correspondent Greg Milam reveals that Fritzl's lawyer:

...is "trying to paint a very different picture of Josef Fritzl ... as a man who is not a sex monster, but someone who loved his daughter and tried to protect her."

Give me a break.

It seems that he is also playing the 'victim card,' hoping to garner sympathy from the jury.

"I had a very difficult childhood," 73-year-old Josef Fritzl said in a trembling voice, at his trial in Sankt Poelten. "My mother didn't want me. She was 42 when she had me. She simply didn't want a child and she treated me correspondingly. I was beaten," Fritzl said.

Prosecutor Christiane Burkheiser, alleges that the babies who died could possibly have survived if he had been taken to hospital for medical treatment. Evidence will be heard that:

Fritzl refused to take action when one boy developed severe breathing problems and turned blue. "He shut (Elisabeth) away in the cellar and made her totally dependent on him, forcing her into sexual acts and treating her as if she was his own property," Fritzl's charge sheet read.

If this is not true, then why when he built the cellar, did he ensure that it was sound proofed?

Why for the first 3 years of her incarceration, did he omit the installation of hot water, a shower or heating?

Why did 3 of her children grow up in that damned cellar?

The other 3 surviving children were presented to Fritzl's wife as abandoned, and he and Rosemarie Fritzl raised them as their own children.

How could Rosemarie Fritzl not know that this was happening in her own home?

Thankfully,

Court officials say they will do everything to protect the privacy of Fritzl's daughter Elisabeth and the six surviving children she bore her father. The family, who have been moved to a different part of the country to begin new lives, will not be in court for the trial but will be under police guard.

Thank Heaven for small mercies.

The trial continues ...

Sources:

NDTV.com
Austrian 'Incest Father' Admits Rape, Denies Murder
Associated Press

Wikipedia

Sky News
Josef Fritzl Incest Trial: 'I'm Scared'
by Greg Milam in Austria

Yahoo News
Josef Fritzl Austria Incest Trial Under Way

Yahoo News
Josef Fritzl Incest: 'I Was Abused Too'

Image Sources

Yahoo! News
Josef Fritzl Austria Incest Trial Under Way

Sky News
Sky News Twitters From Josef Fritzl Trial

Movie Clips Courtesy YouTube

NowPublic

Australia Pledges $10 Million in Aid to Zimbabwe

2009-03-11T10:49:00.001-07:00

Every now and then I'll hear something in the news that makes me proud that I am from Australia. Today Australia is pledging aid and money to those less fortunate in Zimbabwe.

Australia has an embassy in Harare and in kind, Zimbabwe maintains one in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Perhaps the good relations between the two countries is that in the 18th-19th centuries, they were both colonies, (Zimbabwe being Rhodesia at that point) belonging to the British Empire.

Australia says it will provide funding to Zimbabwe, the first Western country to announce aid to the government since the start of power-sharing last month.

Canberra is providing $6.4m (A$10m; £4.7m) in direct aid to restore basic water, sanitation and health services.

Australia has been working in Zimbabwe since 2001, within Oxfam Australia, which is a global organization of dedicated people working extremely hard to fight poverty in places that need them. They invest in long-term projects and respond to emergencies when needed.

Formerly named Rhodesia, the country claimed their independence in 1965 with a Unilateral Declaration of Independence. (UDI) Even after this time, it still fostered an allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II.

At this time, their move to independence was condemned by the Commonwealth; the United Nations and the international community.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) authorised sanctions in 1965 which forbade most trade or financial exchange with Rhodesia, which lasted until December 1979. At that time, the UNSC invoked Resolution 216 which demanded a vote.

With 10 members in the UNSC at that time, the vote was 10-0 with France abstaining.

Skipping forward to the 21st century, a new prime minister in Australia - John Howard, described Robert Mugabe as a "grubby dictator" and also called on other African countries to put pressure on Zimbabwe, whose government was becoming increasingly autocratic.

The sanctions didn't prevent a handful of countries from ignoring them however. A few Arab nations along with Iran; Israel; Portugal and South Africa, still conducted business as usual.

In modern times, even with Australia's good relations with Zimbabwe, Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he was:

"under no illusions about the fragility of the political situation."

February of this year saw Morgan Tsvangirai become prime minister of a new unity government in Zimbabwe, unfortunately with Mugabe still remaining as President.

It is Australia's hope that the $10 million will help to provide clean water to the land-locked country and that health professionals from other countries will be drawn to the area.

Figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) are nothing short of mind-boggling as it reports the figures for cholera in the area.

Water-borne cholera has so far claimed more than 4,000 lives in Zimbabwe, with more than 89,000 people having the disease.

To date, Australia has provided only humanitarian assistance amid concerns that the regime of President Robert Mugabe could somehow swindle foreign aid dollars.

But Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told parliament on Wednesday the time had come for additional assistance.[q]"I think that, provided we take the appropriate balance of circumstances into account, we can render Zimbabwe development assistance and help to build their capacity," he said.

$5 million will be spent via UNICEF who will deal personally through local authorities. This move is supposed to prevent Mugabe from misappropriating the money.

The U.K., Department for International Development (DFID) will receive the other $5 million to assist in reviving Zimbabwe's failed health system.

Mr. Smith said: "DFID has recently introduced a program where they provide health workers and professionals with additional incentive payments."

There are several ways in which individuals and groups can help the people of Zimbabwe through Oxfam Australia:[q]

Donate to the cholera epidemic emergency appeal;

Donate regularly through our aware program;

Make a one-off donation

Sources:

The Age

Australia Gives $10 million in Aid to Zimbabwe
AAP

BBC News
Australia Pledges Aid to Zimbabwe

Oxfam Australia

Wikipedia
Rhodesia

Image Sources:

Wikipedia
Unilateral Declaration of Independency (Rhodesia)
Image is copyrighted but qualifies as Fair Use under U.S. Copyright Law

BBC News
Australia Pledges Aid to Zimbabwe
Image of Robert Mugabe

*BBC does not provide credit for its authors or photographers

World Map Finder
Map and flag of Zimbabwe
Images are covered under the GNU License

NowPublic

Exotic Diseases in the U.S. May Rise

2009-03-10T12:51:00.001-07:00

We know about Dengue Fever, West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease - but have you heard of Leishmaniasis Disease, Chagas Disease and/or Chikungunya Virus?

Probably not, unless you've been to places outside of the U.S. where these diseases and viruses are thriving. However, Americans could come to know these intimately for two reasons:

Rapid international travel;

The recession.

The former seems immediately logical, while the latter takes some explanation. One thing we do know, is that each of these diseases and viruses still kill millions worldwide.

Few believe Americans face a killer epidemic from tropical diseases. But scientists who specialize in emerging infectious diseases say such illnesses may become more common here as the economic downturn batters an already weakened public health system, creating environmental conditions conducive to infectious diseases spread by insects or other animals.

These are called vector-borne diseases, which is basically an organism that does not actually cause the disease, but transmits the infection by carrying pathogens from one host to another. When a disease is transferred from animal to humans - the process is called Zoonosis.

Insect contamination is another, more well known method of disease and virus transference to humans. While commonly thought that rats were the culprits of plague, it's now known that the fleas on rats are the actual carriers.

Zoonosis in the U.S. may happen with bats, birds, cats, cattle, dogs, fish, fleas, flies, geese, goats, hamsters, horses, lice, mice, mosquitos, opossums, pigs, rabbits, hares, raccoons, rats, other rodents, sloths, sheep, snails and ticks.

I'm betting that there were at least a few surprises in that list!

Of these aforementioned diseases, malaria is probably the most well known tropical disease, topping more than 200 million cases per year (around the world) - 1 million of which end in death.

At the same time, such vector-borne diseases are capable of spreading around the world much more rapidly due to massive south-to-north immigration, rapid transportation, and global trade.[/q]Duane Gubler, Director of the Duke/NUS Graduate School of Medicine Emerging Infectious Disease Program in Singapore, had this to say:

“We truly did become a global village,” [...] “It has been a sequence of events over a period of 30 years and has come to a head in the last ten years. So we have sounded the alarm.”

A report coming from the Trust for America's Health, explains that budgets for public health in the U.S., are suffering desperately and are currently $20 billion underfunded because of the economic downturn - and that doesn't even include research for tropical diseases.

One budget cut for example is that of King County in Washington, who were forced to cut around $19 million in the 2009 budget.

Dr. James Maguire, former chief of the CDC's parasitic diseases branch and now a Harvard Professor explains:

“When I started at the CDC in the summer of 2001, I was told my branch budget was zero,” [...] “It was always pretty sparse.”

When asked what the current budget is, the CDC were unable to provide a definite amount, but estimated it at less than $75,000 - which didn't include staff salaries.

In an example of mixed governmental priorities, anti-tobacco advertising was allocated a whopping $103.7 million.

Dr. Ali Kahn, deputy director of the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases at the CDC tells us:

“There is no doubt we could do a lot more in the U.S. and worldwide with additional funds,”

Pretty much a no-brainer statement.

The recession is hitting everyone hard, with harder days yet to come. Despite murmurings of "it's hit rock bottom, and we can only improve," those in the know, incredulously drop their jaws.

Be aware, no matter what the politicians tell you: There is NO bottom in sight, let alone recovery and probably will not be for a few years to come. The government is also weakened by the recession and has only little ability to develop new vaccines or improved treatments to prevent epidemics.

“States do not have resources to keep people on board and these people are monitoring diseases, the epidemiologists doing shoe leather investigations,” said Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America’s Health. “You cannot turn them on and off with a switch. If you lose them you’ve lost them forever.”

Dangerous or life threatening diseases such as leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are found in more than 13 million people in the world - how long do you think it will be before people will suffer - even die with them here in the U.S.? These two diseases were only allocated 4.9% of total funds.

The housing industry is suffering badly too, with constructions still showing half finished skeletons, as work came to a deadly halt. Puddles of water at construction sites are prime breeding grounds for all types of dangerous insects.

To some degree we can help ourselves by making sure that old tires, cans, pottery containers etc., are kept free of water or turned upside down so that puddled water doesn't form.

The eSSORTMENT website paints an even darker picture, by mentioning many other diseases that we need to monitor:

Diptera
Malayan Filariasis
Bancroftian
Yellow fever
Encephalitis
Elephantiasis
Oroya fever
Oriental sore
Onchoceriasis
Tularemia
African sleeping sickness
Parasitic worms
Trachoma
Cholera
Bubonic plague

Murine typhus

Believe it or not, this is still not a complete list of what could be transmitted into the United States. If we, the public want to help gain more funds from the government, the onus is on us - the public, to ensure that certain events happen.

Researchers at the George Institute in Australia have this advice for us:

"Investment decisions are not only influenced by scientific or epidemiological considerations, but may also be influenced by factors such as the presence of advocacy and fundraising groups; by funder perceptions or preferences; or by the presence of policy frameworks and funding mechanisms that prioritize specific diseases,"

Recommended Reading:

Zimbabwe Cholera Outbreak Kills More Than 3,000
Reuters

MRSA A Problem Among Teen Football Players
Reuters

Minnesota Meningitis Cases Worry Officials
Associated Press

5 Deadly Exotic Diseases
CDC, WHO

Kenya Toddler is First Polio Infection in 20 Years
Associated Press

WHO: Zimbabwe Cholera Cases Top 80,000
Reuters

Sources:

MSNBC
More Money Needed to Study Tropical Diseases
Reuters

MSNBC

Recession May Worsen Spread of Exotic Diseases
by Brian Alexander

eSSORTMENT

Wikipedia
Vector (biology)

Wikipedia
Zoonosis

Image Sources:

Many were from Wikimedia and therefore have the Wikimedia Commons license entitling anyone to use them without permission.

NowPublic

Invasion of the Jellyfish

2009-03-09T12:33:00.001-07:00

It seems that people either love fish or consider it repugnant, but either way, one cannot ignore its important relevance to our diet. Speaking on a global scale, millions of people depend on our oceans for their livelihoods, so that restaurant menus are able to offer it's customers a delectable array of seafood.

Here's an eye opener, according to -Overfishing.org :

25% of the entire world's fish stocks are either over exploited or depleted;

52% of fish stocks are fully exploited;

20% are moderately exploited;

17% are over exploited;

7% are depleted;

1% is recovering from depletion.

Another 52% is fully exploited, these are in imminent danger of over exploitation (maximum sustainable production level) and collapse. Thus a total of almost 80% of the world's fisheries are fully - to over-exploited, depleted, or in a state of collapse.

Worldwide about 90% of the stocks of large predatory fish stocks are already gone

In the real world all this comes down to two serious problems.

We are losing species as well as entire ecosystems. As a result the overall ecological unity of our oceans are under stress and at risk of collapse.

We are in risk of losing a valuable food source many depend upon for social, economical or dietary reasons.

For people who dislike eating fish, this probably reads more like 'a solvable problem' as opposed to a 'looming ocean ecology collapse.'

Here is one such discovery about our oceans:

In 1992 the once thriving cod fishing industry (in Canada) came to a sudden and full stop when at the start of the fishing season no cod appeared.

This meant that 40,000 people lost their jobs with an ocean ecosystem in a 'complete state of decay.'

This was caused by decades of massive over fishing and the cod have never returned to the region in 15 years.

The shrimp and and crab fisheries off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are now reporting poor fishing results and are the immediate result of over fishing cod and haddock.

Scientists agree that at current exploitation rates many important fish stocks will be removed from the system within 25 years. [...] The big fish, the bill fish, the groupers, the big things will be gone. It is happening now. If things go unchecked, we'll have a sea full of little horrible things that nobody wants to eat. We might end up with a marine junkyard dominated by plankton.”

Mmmmm appetizing.

Unless these trends are reversed, restaurant favorites such as plaice, hake, haddock and cod will disappear on restaurant menus, to be replaced by exotic alternatives such as jellyfish.

In the west, people for the most part are intolerant of any seafood that comes under the umbrella of an exotic label, whereas China and Japan have been eating such menu items for hundreds of years.

This is not science fiction and it's happening now. Wait till you find out what we might be forced to eat because of a global ignorance that has defied/defies prior warnings concerning over -fishing.

Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and the Census of Marine Life project says:

"We are entering a time of great uncertainty," [...] "If we continue as we have been, in 50 years there may not be much left to take from the ocean."

The census findings were published in 'Science' back in 2006 and even then, the news was gloomy for our oceans. The foretelling by scientists is that unless a solution is found, all current and commercial fish and seafood species will collapse by 2050.

To make up their shortfalls, fishing boats have changed their methods (out of necessity - not altruism) to fish for smaller, more currently available fish, such as plankton eating fish - sardines and anchovies.

This is not a solution but a race towards the creation of a yet another potential catastrophe! We can't just keep fishing down the food chain as the larger species disappear from our oceans!

Fish such as hake (and other large predatory fish) help to maintain the lower forms in the food chain. Tom Anderson, a marine ecologist at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, UK tells us:

"If you remove small fish there is every possibility that other species in the food chain, like jellyfish, will have a good time of it,"

Nets filled with smaller fish deprive the larger fish of their diets and will increase the demise of rapidly disappearing predatory or larger fish from our oceans.

This is already happening in one of the world's most productive fisheries, the Benguela current off the coast of Namibia in southern Africa.

When Christopher Lynam of the University of St Andrews in the UK and his colleagues surveyed the area in 2003, they found that the ecosystem, which once supported large populations of sardines and anchovies, had been taken over by two species of jellyfish.

The study estimated the biomass of jellyfish in the region at 12.2 million tonnes, more than three times that of mackerel, hake, sardine and anchovies combined.

Jellyfish thrive on food that is not consumed by smaller fish - explaining the current situation in Namibia. A profound ecosystem shift has occurred which does not benefit fishing or what had been the local fish in the area.

Since this 'shift' large jellyfish such as Scyphozoa and Hydrozoa have become prominent, whereas the location had been devoid of jellyfish before.

The Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, Alaska, the sea of Japan, and the Black Sea have all reported enormous blooms of phytoplankton from coastal run-off, which in turn has contributed now to the epic proportion of giant jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) which grow up to more than 2 metres in diameter.

Forget my fear of sharks - giant jellyfish? That does sound like science fiction! "The Attack of the Giant Jellyfish!"

In 2003 alone this jellyfish cost the Japanese fishing industry over $100 million, "clogging and bursting nets, causing high mortality of the catch due to venom, increasing the risk of capsizing trawlers and giving fishermen painful stings", says Masato Kawahara, a marine ecologist at Hiroshima University in Japan.

According to George Jackson of the University of Tasmania in Australia, another rapidly increasing species in our oceans are squid, which thrive in all oceans. Their predators have been over-fished, increasing the jellyfish feeding grounds in all directions.

Squid are naturally hunted by larger fish such as tuna, marlin and swordfish, so if the larger fish disappear, the jellyfish will be legion. He calls them "the weeds of the sea."

Closer to home: My father in law, a (sometimes) angler, has lamented many a time that as a child, he remembers when the Columbia River was literally filled with salmon. He describes it as; "you could almost walk across the backs of the salmon to the other side.

It's only taken 60 or so years for it to decline to almost none.

There is so much more to read on this topic so I'll list some recommended reading for readers, rather than continue here.

However, I warn you, further reading, is bordering on frightening.

Recommended Reading:

New Scientist - Tech
Jellyfish Mucous Perfect for Cosmetics
Credit not available.

New Scientist - Tech
Two Recipes for the Seafood of the Future
by Ben Crystall and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

New Scientist - Environment
Fish Numbers Outpace Human Population
by Debora MacKenzie

Sources:

Science Direct
Jellyfish overtake fish in a heavily fished ecosystem
Contributers: Christopher P. Lynam, Mark J. Gibbons, Bjørn E. Axelsen, Conrad A.J. Sparks, Janet Coetzee, Benjamin G. Heywood and Andrew S. Brierley.

Overfishing.org
Overfishing - A Global Disaster
No credit given.

New Scientist - Environment
Jellyfish Sushi: Seafood's Slimy Future
by Caroline Williams

Image Sources:

New Scientist
Jellyfish Sushi: Seafood's Slimy Future
Gordon T. Taylor - Stony Brook University / NOAA

New Scientist
Nomura's Jellyfish
KENPEI - Wikimedia Commons

New Scientist
Going, Going, Gone
Caroline Williams

New Scientist
Jellyfish Sushi: Seafood's Slimy Future

NowPublic

G-d's Hotline, Please Leave a Message!

2009-03-07T08:10:00.001-08:00

Finally, a phone number where I can speak directly to G-d, even if I do have to leave a message!

Before someone accuses me of blasphemy because of my story, let me say that I am a staunch believer in G-d, I respect, love and pray to Him regularly, however, I also believe He has a pretty decent sense of humor.

An art exhibition opening in the Netherlands will allow people to call a telephone number designated for God - but they will have to leave a message.

Dubbed God's Hotline, it aims to focus attention on changes to the ways Dutch people perceive religion.

We have artist Johan van der Dong to thank for this little discovery, or blasphemy, which ever way you look at it. The voicemail message says:

This is the voice of G-d, I am not able to speak to you at the moment, but please leave a message.

Van der Dong is accused of mocking G-d, however, Radio Netherlands says it is supposed to demonstrate that G-d is available anywhere and anytime.

1,000 messages have already been left for G-d and one hopes that he has an efficient secretary (St. Peter perhaps?) to sort them all out for Him. While the G-d Hotline forms part of the exhibition, the messages do not and will be kept private.

Van der Dong told Radio Netherlands:

"I'm not a pastor, I'm an artist and I won't listen to the messages." [...] "It's a secret between the Lord and the people who are calling."

On the whole, I don't see anything wrong with this method of speaking to G-d. You can do so within the privacy of your own home and it will give some people the distinct feeling that their prayers are definitely being heard.

Personally, I prefer praying privately without a phone as a go-between.

The 'G-d phone line' is planned for 6 months only - then people will have to return to their old-fashioned way of praying.

Source Story and Image:

BBC News
Dutch Leave Messages on God Phone

NowPublic

Stabbed 177 Times, Claims - "Not my cup of tea"

2009-03-06T10:05:00.001-08:00

The last couple of months has seen a rash of stabbings both in the U.S., and the U.K. This particular method of killing people, seems to have become the 'crime du jour'.

The story that I'm focusing on today, concerns the case of Kim Butler age 44, who was stabbed 177 times by an alcoholic named Arthur Pitt-Pladdy age 36. His pathetic excuse? He claims that she nagged him.

The jury was informed that Butler had told friends - "he's going to do me in. I know he is." Now I don't know about you, but if that person were me, I wouldn't be hanging around to see if I was right. Where was this person's head?

The weapon of choice had been a breadknife, which had been left buried in the side of Butler's neck. Pitt-Pladdy then called the police and confessed to the heinous crime:

"I have just committed murder" he said, and described the victim as "my missus". When the police arrived, he told the officer: "I have done her in mate. I stabbed her in the leg, then the stomach and to shut her up I stabbed her in the face. I left the knife sticking in her neck."

Astonishingly, in the Swansea Crown Court, Pladdy denied that he had committed murder, using "diminished responsibility" as a defense. He was still convicted with sentence being adjourned. Later, he had admitted manslaughter but wouldn't admit to murder - claiming mental illness.

Why am I not surprised.

A close relationship existed between Andrew Gibbs, his mother and Kim Butler. Mr. Gibbs said "she was like a big sister to me." The last time they visited together, Gibbs said, "She looked scared. She said she was scared of him and that she didn't want to go back to her flat."

Mr. Gibbs also revealed that Pladdy used to force Butler to steal beer for him from local shops.

Pladdy and Butler apparently met shortly after he was released from jail. The relationship became sexual, which he says he made use of "to get a roof over his head."

He made a later statement to the police saying: "She was not really my cup of tea." He further complained that she was "mouthy" and triggered his assault by "hitting and nagging him."

In court, Pladdy announced that he was an alcoholic with a heroin dependency, needing to use the drug twice a day.

In February of this year, the jury became privy to photographs after having been warned about them.

The jury also listened to the emergency call that Pladdy made to the police after he allegedly murdered her. The prosecutor Mr. Thomas, claims that the call reflected his state of mind at the time.

Apparently during the call, Pladdy insisted on hyphenating his surname to the emergency operator, showing that he was in control of his faculties.

You can read more at any of the links I've listed below.

* I could find no credits for these stories or photos.

Sources:

BBC News

Alcoholic Stabbed Woman 177 Times

Western Telegraph

Swansea Crown Court Hears That Victim Kim Butler "Predicted Her Own Death"

Belfast Telegraph

Drunk Man Stabbed 'Nagging' Wife 177 Times, Court Told

Newsvine

The Wire

Photo Sources

BBC News

Alcoholic Stabbed Woman 177 Times

Western Telegraph

Swansea Crown Court Hears That Victim Kim Butler "Predicted Her Own Death"

NowPublic

Child Slave Labor in China

2009-03-04T12:44:00.001-08:00

Just when we think we've heard the worst out of China, another atrocity rears its ugly head. This time it's the push for more child labor.

I know that some of you have read my articles on China in the past, but this information seems to have come out of left field.

BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese education authorities should formulate a regulation on manual labor for schoolchildren as many kids in cities even do not clean their own classrooms, a political advisor has proposed.

One wonders what the Chinese would say if they ever had a close look at our theaters at the conclusion of a movie, or our children's bedrooms on a bad day.

While child labor is not much of a leap to comprehend, it is an impossible leap to condone. Even the good old USA had young sons working on farms (maybe still?) to help ease the manual labor their parents had to shoulder alone. Especially farms that were strapped for cash and couldn't hire farm hands.

The difference is it that they were well fed, had shoes and clothes, played with friends, went to school and could have sick days if they needed them.

This was use - not child abuse.

Feng Shiliang, member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Monday he was concerned that manual labor such as sweeping has been outsourced by some urban primary and middle schools to property management companies.

"The students' ability for labor has been strangled," Feng said.

Why is Shiliang "concerned"? Surely China needs all the jobs it can muster for the millions of unemployed adult Chinese within its borders.

As of January 20th this year, Chinese unemployment has already soared to a new 30 year high at 18 million, or 9% of the workforce. Plus 1 million college graduates are going to find employment a scarce commodity this year.

Yin Weimin, China's social security minister, admits that the employment situation is "critical" with people looking for jobs where none exist.

So with all this unemployment for adults, why is Shiliang seeking to employ its young children?

He went on to say:

Many children in cities are doing little manual labor, as at home their parents do all the housework and at school labor is taken over by employees of property management companies, Feng added.

He refuted the pretext by some schools that manual labor might be "dangerous" for children. "It might be dangerous to clean windows of tall buildings, but how about the classrooms and playgrounds?"

The sad undertones of such thinking reveal children whose day will consist of morning chores before going to school; more chores at school; more chores when they return home from school and homework.

When do these children get to have fun, being silly and hanging out with their friends?

The advisor said he would submit a proposal to the upcoming annual session of the CPPCC National Committee, the country's top political advisory body, to suggest country's education authorities formulate a regulation on manual labor for schoolchildren.

This news is appalling even as it shines it's light on the Japanese ideal for children working manual labor. Shiliang informs us that that it's mandatory for Japanese students to do manual labor. In fact, Japanese schools specifically organize children to work in remote islands and villages.

The subtext there? Japanese children sent to work, away from the eyes of the world.

The China Economics Blog expands it's observations on unemployment:

As a global recession takes hold and China's economy continues to slow, growing legions of unemployed workers are becoming increasingly bold in expressing their unhappiness -- expanding a debate over how to protect the Chinese economy into long-fought disputes over other issues such as freedom of expression and equality before the law.

Equality before the law. Riiiigghht.

The photograph of the Chinese girl in a pink tracksuit, was snapped by Reuters last year after being rescued from a factory, where she had been forced to work in Dongguan, China.

Equality before the law? Give me a break!

SHANGHAI: China said Wednesday that it was investigating whether hundreds or perhaps thousands of children from poor areas in the southwest part of the country had been sold to work as slave laborers in booming coastal factory cities.

Authorities in southern Guangdong Province, near Hong Kong, said they had already rescued more than 100 children from factories in Dongguan, a huge manufacturing city known for producing and exporting toys, textiles and electronics.

It's already known that "employment agencies" in Sichuan Province force children 13 - 15 years old to work. These children don't even go to school. It's like something out of a horror movie - the agencies trick or kidnap children and send them to factory towns in Guangdong.

These kidnapped children are even younger than 13 years of age.

Imagine these sorrowful, displaced children forced to work as much as 300 hours a month. The following is a quote from the Child Labor Cases Uncovered in China and this information makes my skin crawl.

"These youngsters have no ID cards, so it makes it difficult to identify them," said Zhang Xiang, a spokesman for the Guangdong Labor Bureau. The child labor scandal was uncovered by Southern Metropolis Daily, a crusading newspaper based in Guangzhou, in southern China, less than a year after the authorities said they had rescued hundreds of people, including children, from working as "slave laborers" in brick kilns in the north and central part of the country.

In Liangshan, it was discovered that children were transported south and sold to factories. They received the equivalent of 43 cents per hour. Some children were threatened with death, if they tried to escape.

Where the hell is UNICEF?

Where is the International Labor Organization? (ILO)

Where is Zoe's Ark? The latter I know are busy in Darfur these days, but forcing children to slave labor in China has been a problem for decades.

* Back in 2005 the ILO ran an article on Child Slave Labor in China. It was nothing short of astounding.

No more will this reporter buy anything Chinese. I officially boycott a nation of people who unceasingly use children to make the products that are sold here and in other places. I will not have the fruit of sweat shops taking up residence in my home.

I know that my vehement protest alone carries little weight, if any - but if others also took up the cry ....

Sources:

IHSCS/News.org

Child Slave Labor in China

by Megan Grau

International Herald Tribune | Asia Pacific

Child Labor Cases Uncovered in China

by David Barboza

China Economics Blog

Unemployment Just Keeps Rising

China View

Political advisor: children in cities need more labor

NPC, CPPCC Annual Sessions 2009

Naked Capitalism

Chinese Unemployment Jumps, May Hit 30 Year High

Image Sources:

International Herald Tribune | Asia Pacific

Child Labor Cases Uncovered in China

China Daily, via Reuters

Bloomberg.com

National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

China Faces Worst Unemployment in Decades as Slowdown Deepens

by Li Yanping

* This link has been taken down since yesterday.

NowPublic

Now Possible to Design Your Own Baby

2009-03-02T11:16:00.001-08:00

Once again, the stuff of science fiction has not only arrived but has been put into action with success. This time, it is being able to design your own baby. The science is called PGD or Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and involves careful selection of embryos for gene faults.

So how does this work?

Well the Oxford English Dictionary tells us:

“a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics".

We have finally come to the times where we may order a blue-eyed, blonde haired dark/light skinned baby with no defects whatsoever - including the absence of teenage acne.

Doctor Steinberg who pioneered IVF in the 1970s has this to say to his prospective patients on the clinic's web site:

"Not all patients will qualify for these tests and we make NO guarantees as to 'perfect prediction' of things such as eye colour or hair colour,"

Steinberg claims that his clinic will offer this service only to those already having genetic screening for abnormal chromosome conditions.

As would be expected, someone has already raised ethical questions.

Dr. Gillian Lockwood who is a U.K. fertility expert and member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' ethics commitee.

"If it gets to the point where we can decide which gene or combination of genes are responsible for blue eyes or blonde hair, what are you going to do with all those other embryos that turn out like me to be ginger with green eyes?"

Josphine Quintavalle of "Comment on Reproductive Ethics" says:

"This is the inevitable slippery slope of a fertility process which results in many more embryos being created than can be implanted. Choices will always have to be made. Do you choose octuplets or the ones with the prettiest noses?"

One high-profile case, is that of the Hashmi family who fought and finally won a torrid court battle with Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE). They already have one child with a rare blood disorder awaiting a bone marrow transplant.

Sara Nathan of the HFEA ethics committee, is concerned with sex selection though she also acknowledges it could be useful with diseases such as haemophilia (which is sex-linked,) where PGD is used to ensure that the offending gene is not present in female embryos.

The science is nothing new, it just hasn't been publicized as much. PGD seems to have crept up on us, even as many of us are still struggling to form our views on IVF.

PGD was bound to happen no matter what our own personal opinions. Scientific research into embryos would not have ended with IVF.

Because of China's One Child Policy, (which ends next year,) many Chinese families have secretly dealt with it their own way. They drown their female babies in favor of boys. While effective, it breaks this reporter's heart to think of yet another barbaric act in this world.

My imagination conjures up a nation of men with a pool of say 10,000 women donating their eggs and never laying eyes on the baby's father. Knowing China and their non-existent policies on human suffering - it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Cloning is already an alternative method.

Think for a minute: You might be sipping away at a coffee house when you see Angelina Jolie sit down with Brad Pitt (insert anyone else you desire). When they leave, you scour their chairs and table for hairs and their cups for saliva. Retrieve them and your on your way to having a beautiful baby.

There is so much controversy over these two topics that it fills web pages with professional arguments and lay-man opinions.

Here are some questions for you to mull over:

Even if the technologies are safe, can they be morally defended?

Are you for or against Designer Babies? Why?

If you are against them, would it change your mind if you could pass on a deadly disease or defect during conception?

It's possible that in the not too distant future, athleticism, shyness and and a talent in a particular area could be introduced into a genome - how do you feel about this science both professionally and morally?

Should the public have a say whether or not science in this direction continues?

Can you imagine a world filled with genetically modified human beings?

Suggested reading:

The Fertility Institute
100% Sex Selection, Family Balancing and Genetic Embryo Screening

China's One Child Policy
by Matt Rosenberg

Sources:

Spiked Science
Debating Designer Babies
by Ellie Lee

Action Bio-Science.org
Designer Babies: Ethical Considerations
by Nicholas Agar

Time

Designer Babies
by Michael D. Lemonick; Bjerklie and Alice Park/New York and Dick Thompson/Washington

NowPublic

Oh Oh! Those sneaky Israelis!

2009-02-28T10:15:00.001-08:00

Hush! There's a rumor going around that the newest weapon of mass destruction is Harry Potter! Oh, how could we as a nation not have realized this ourselves and be taken in by the wicked Zionists who practice Black Magic and Witchcraft.

In a documentary on local Iranian Memri TV Productions, we are seriously cautioned that:

"The early 1990s brought a revolution in digital technology to the world of cinema, helping the propaganda machinery of the 20th-century "Samaritans" (Jews) adopt useful tools for Witchcraft and brainwashing.

Now, more than ever, this tool serves to spread the dark and evil essence of Zionism and its goals. The creation of new stories, based on mythical themes relating to Witchcraft and devil worship has always been a tool used by contemporary Zionists"

*distinct rolling of the eyes*

As absurd as it sounds, this is what Iranian TV is telling it's people. No wonder they hate the West. Wow! Devil Worshipers, how could we have known that those sneaky Israelis had such an agenda?

Next thing we know, Iran is going to kidnap said Witches and Devil Worshipers to see if they can harness their powers themselves to defeat the Great Satan - America.

That'll show us!

I suggest keeping all your loved ones close, and if you come across an Israeli? Throw some garlic around your neck - I hear that it works for Witches as well as Vampires. In fact keep a wooden stake nearby ... you know ... just in case.

My apology for not actually including the video with the report, but for some reason my You Tube downloader has decided to go off and worship Harry Potter and I'm unable to download it.

Sources:

Comment Central:
Harry Potter and the Ziono-Hollywoodists
by Daniel Finkelstein

Image Sources:

Harry Potter and the Ziono-Hollywoodists
by Daniel Finkelstein

Are Witch Costumes in or ... OUT?

Video, courtesy Iranian TV and YouTube
Harry Potter and the Ziono-Hollywoodist Conspiracy

NowPublic

Official Top Ten Cities - Way to go Sydney!

2008-06-11T09:46:00.001-07:00

Honestly, there is no surprise there. Sydney IS beautiful, even if it would also make it into the Top Ten Most Expensive cities to live. Compounding Sydney's successful placement is not the only gorgeous Australian city to make it into the top thirty-five cities either.

There are four others, making Australia a truly wonderful place to raise your children - as I did, in Melbourne.

Melbourne has stayed at seventeenth, as Perth has done, Adelaide improved by one, to hit twentieth and Brisbane came in at thirty-fourth place. I've been to three out of four, with a wish that one day, I'll manage to see Perth with my husband.

When my children were young, my family and I once took a road trip from Melbourne, traveling north to Alice Springs. My eldest son and I climbed what was then known as Ayer's Rock (now Uluru, since aboriginals won their right to claim it back,) and lay exhausted at the top, breathing heavily, with a little laughter at our struggle and the greatest sense of achievement that I've ever felt in my life. It was that good.

Australian cities usually make it into the top thirty-five list, but it's not often that four have made it there in the same year.

The factors which are considered when rating a city for inclusion are:

established infrastructure;

transport facilities;

quality housing close to the city;

a wide selection of restaurants and other amenities;

good education and environment.

The annual survey is used by international companies and governments as they set pay rates for expat., workers. That and a salary survey (in part,) also reveals exactly what it takes to attract working people from overseas.

In addition to these criteria, Australia also has one of the best standards of living in the world. Therefore it's no wonder that Australia has many Americans in their upper management sector who have requested transfer to one Australian city or another.

The Top Ten Cities global survey relies on data that's been collected over a period of three months to November the previous year, with last minute monitoring conducted to confirm results.

The quality of life factors that are considered are:

political and economic stability;

human rights and personal freedoms;

pollution;

crime rates;

health standards;

cost of consumer staples;

access to education, housing and entertainment;

public transport and traffic congestion;

climate and record of natural disasters.

Zurich came in at number one again with Vienna and Geneva in a tie at second place. The city with the lowest quality of living and the lowest levels of safety, was Baghdad, a country that can now only be described as war-torn, exceedingly dangerous and terribly sad.

With all these factors that are taken into consideration, I'd rather the Olympic committee used the same criteria to choose their host city - it would be far more appropriate and would certainly have cut Beijing out with it's ignorance of human rights as their major issue.

Two American cities also made it into the top thirty five - Honolulu and San Francisco. The latter I've been to and had many wonderful times there with friends but Honolulu, I keep thinking one day ....

Interesting Links:

About.com
Top 10 Free Sydney Attractions
by Larry Rivera

About.com
World's Best Concert Halls - Top 10 Concert Halls
By Aaron Green

Travel Industry Insider
Top 10 Things to do in Sydney, Australia
by Erin JulianTrip Advisor

Sydney, Australia Overview
by Erin JulianTrip Advisor

Vibe Hotels
Top Ten Tourist Attractions

Sources:

The Australian
Sydney cracks top ten cities

Image Sources:

Matthew Field
Wikimedia Commons

Fajitian2
Public Domain

Rob and Jules
Creative Commons

More information together with excellent photos of Sydney

NowPublic

Ordering Condoms by the Thousands ?!?!

2008-06-09T21:25:00.001-07:00

The researchers et al at McMurdo Base in Antarctica are the exceptionally delighted recipients of not only 16 boxes, or even 16 dozen boxes - try, 16,500 colorful little (depends who you ask!) joy enhancing condoms!

Antarctica is almost ready to usher in the all too familiar shroud of winter darkness and Bill Henriksen, the manager of McMurdo Base was clearly ensuring that he and the 'boys,' weren't going to 'miss out' on one of their base 'needs.'

Of course, women have those 'needs' also, but I'm not sure that their particular needs exceed or even come close to using 16,500 of the pregnancy-preventing prophylactics. Surely they must know how to have fun in other ways, other than ... bouncing on the bed. But then boys will be boys. ;)

The curiosity for me, is that according to Reuters, McMurdo consists of 125 scientists and staff and

".. only has a skeleton staff through winter."

Using a little math, 125 people equals 132 condoms per person, or 16,500 divided by 63 equals 264 condoms per couple.

You can tell the manager of McMurdo Base is a man, women would think more about spending research grants .. ohhh on something like silly .. such as enhanced scientific equipment, or even extra blankets.

The mind just boggles.

Am I sexist? No - just factual. ;)

Bill Henrikson told the Southland Times newspaper,

"Since everybody knows everyone, it becomes a little bit uncomfortable."

This is their reasoning for providing 16,500 condoms free, so the skeleton staff of researchers at McMurdo will not have to go to the shop and buy them. Someone should tell them about older teenagers who have been doing it for years!

Stand-up comedians are going to have a field day with this story when they find out.

Antarctica is home to the Aurora Australis or southern polar lights, the spectacular counterpart to the Aurora Borealis which is so often seen in Alaska and elsewhere in the northern hemisphere.

The sunrises too, are breathtaking, however the people at McMurdo Base won't be seeing one for a very long time, not untill August 20 - by then I'll be surprised if the scientists can even walk. ;)

Sources:

Wikipedia
Candidates/South Pole
Written by Bill Henriksen

Reuters
Antarctica Base Gets 16,500 Condoms Before Darkness
By Kazurnori Takada

Images:

Reuters
Antarctica Base Gets 16,500 Condoms Before Darkness

MikeDaub.com
Antarctica
by Mike Daub

ABC News
Free Condoms to U.S. Base in Antarctica
Getty Images

Aurora Images

Wikipedia
Aurora Australis
by Paul Moss
Public Domain

Apology

2008-05-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I'd like to offer my sincere apology for the lack of posts or any explanation over the past few weeks.

Suffice it to say, that I've been in hospital for some time but hope to be back full time at Now Public and writing here and for my other web site Premier Software Reviews.

I nearly fell over when I checked my email this morning, only to be met with the pythonic figure of over 8,000 waiting for me.

Of course I'd never be able to wade through them all, so I plan to delete them altogether, except for those that catch my eye when I quickly scan them. If you have sent me an email, please resend it and I should be able to get back to you fairly quickly.

Till Monday, please everyone .. have a safe, happy and loving weekend.
~ Swan

P.S. The Bassett puppy isn't mine, mine is a blonde cocker spaniel and much cuter! ;)

So Opinionated

Black Saturday: Follow-up to the 2009 Raging Inferno in Australia

Raging Inferno in Victoria Australia

see larger image

Man Bites 13 Foot Python to Save His Life

Pilot Dies - Passenger Succeeds with Emergency Landing

Photos

Various models of King Air planes | Photo 02

Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific Airlines Finally Emerge!

Can Religion and Science Be Compatible?

Chinese Pork Tainted with Banned Chemicals!

Photos

Coke Anyone? Ashley Biden: "Me! (sniff) Me! (sniff) Me!"

Selling Police Badges to the Public - No way!

Photos

East Syracuse Police Officer Badge

Got Milk?

Videos

China Milk Scandal Spreads

Photos

Thousands of babies ill after contaminated milk identified

Camel Spiders Could Eat You for Supper!

Peas Could Be Your New Best Friend

Photos

Yellow Peas in Various Forms | Photo 02

7 Children and 7 Adults Die in Plane Crash

Videos

Baby Ordered to Die Today

Charles Manson - The Story That Stopped the World in it's Tracks

Photos

Mug shots, The Family, members, victims,

Videos

Charles Manson - The Story That Stopped the World in it's Tracks | Video 02

Are We Killing Ourselves With Water?

Videos

Photos

Water | Photo 08

Incest, Slavery, Rape and Murder - Fritzl Trial Today

Videos

Photos

Fritzl in Custody | Photo 02

Australia Pledges $10 Million in Aid to Zimbabwe

Photos

Stephen Smith

Exotic Diseases in the U.S. May Rise

Photos

Invasion of the Jellyfish

G-d's Hotline, Please Leave a Message!

Photos

The G-d Hotline

Stabbed 177 Times, Claims - "Not my cup of tea"

Photos

Child Slave Labor in China

Photos

Rescued Children | Photo 02

Now Possible to Design Your Own Baby

Videos

Photos

The Goal: Beautiful and Perfect Baby

Oh Oh! Those sneaky Israelis!

Official Top Ten Cities - Way to go Sydney!

Ordering Condoms by the Thousands ?!?!

Apology