http://www.sott.net Signs of the Times, featuring news and commentary on world events. Never wavering in our unending search for the light of truth in a pathocracy driven world! en-us Original content Copyright 2008 by Signs of the Times. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net Mon, 12 May 2008 02:13:23 -0400 http://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net http://www.sott.net http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156156-Number-Of-Fat-Cells-Remains-Constant-From-Teenhood-In-All-Body-Types The radioactive carbon-14 produced by above-ground nuclear testing in the 1950s and '60s has helped researchers determine that the number of fat cells in a human's body, whether lean or obese, is established during the teenage years. Changes in fat mass in adulthood can be attributed mainly to changes in fat cell volume, not an increase in the actual number of fat cells. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156156-Number-Of-Fat-Cells-Remains-Constant-From-Teenhood-In-All-Body-Types Sun, 11 May 2008 23:35:38 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156155-Hot-air-Balloon-Research-May-Improve-Tornado-Predictions Three hot-air balloons dropped asphalt shingles, lumber, sticks, leaves and pine needles onto a north Alabama landfill, so scientists at The University of Alabama in Huntsville could gather data needed to improve tornado warnings. The payloads dropped by the balloons were similar to the types of debris thrown into the air by tornados that touch the ground. Scientists at UAHuntsville's Earth System Science Center hope the Doppler radar data collected will be a first step toward programming National Weather Service Doppler radar to recognize tornado debris, so more timely and precise tornado warnings might be issued. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156155-Hot-air-Balloon-Research-May-Improve-Tornado-Predictions Sun, 11 May 2008 23:28:57 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156154-Merck-Slapped-With-GMP-Warning-Letter-for-Vaccine-Operations Merck's bulk drug substances used to manufacture many of its vaccines are adulterated, and the FDA is requesting a meeting with senior management to expedite the firm's corrective actions, according to a recent warning letter. The FDA cited the company for numerous GMP violations at its vaccine production operations, including those for human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil and combination measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox vaccine ProQuad. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156154-Merck-Slapped-With-GMP-Warning-Letter-for-Vaccine-Operations Sun, 11 May 2008 22:51:23 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156153-Some-Parents-Refusing-Vaccines-For-Their-Kids There is a growing controversy over the number of vaccines that children receive and when they receive them. According to the National Vaccine Information Center, in the 1970s, children received 23 doses of vaccine by the time they were 6 years old. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends more than twice as many. For some doctors and parents, that number is disturbing. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156153-Some-Parents-Refusing-Vaccines-For-Their-Kids Sun, 11 May 2008 22:47:33 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156152-One-Third-of-Hospital-Toilets-Not-Properly-Cleaned-C-Difficile-Germs-Linger A team of Canadian scientists using a lotion which glows under ultraviolet light have shown that up to a third of patient toilets are not properly cleaned. Their findings also show that spores from the nasty bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) linger in the loo even when it has been thoroughly wiped down. Michelle Alfa and a team of scientists from Manitoba, Canada investigated the spread of so-called superbugs in hospitals. Hospital patients are thought to catch bugs like vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE), methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and C. difficile because they are not eradicated from the hospital environment. These bugs may be transferred between patients through cross-contamination in the bathroom. "Various studies have looked at the most effective cleaning agents, but none of these studies considered whether housekeeping staff were actually cleaning the toilets properly," says Alfa. "It is impossible to assess the effectiveness of any action against these bacteria unless you can be sure that cleaners comply with protocols." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156152-One-Third-of-Hospital-Toilets-Not-Properly-Cleaned-C-Difficile-Germs-Linger Sun, 11 May 2008 22:45:46 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156151-Gene-Linked-To-Alcohol-And-Cocaine-Dependence Previous family-based research had linked a broad region on chromosome 4q with alcohol dependence (AD). A new study has found that nine of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) -- DNA sequence variations -- in the 3' region of the tachykinin receptor 3 gene (TACR3), located within chromosome 4q, have a significant association with AD, particularly those with more severe AD, and co-existing cocaine dependence. "We believe it is important to identify genes contributing to AD for two primary reasons," said Tatiana M. Foroud, director of the division of hereditary genomics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and first author of the study. "First, better treatments can be developed which would improve the success rate for those wishing to end their AD," she said. "Second, being able to identify those at greater risk for AD at a young age would allow interventions to be initiated earlier, potentially reducing the likelihood that the individual will become AD." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156151-Gene-Linked-To-Alcohol-And-Cocaine-Dependence Sun, 11 May 2008 22:40:29 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156150-Genetics-Confirm-Oral-Traditions-Of-Druze-In-Israel DNA analysis of residents of Druze villages in Israel suggests these ancient religious communities offer a genetic snapshot of the Near East as it was several thousands of years ago. The Druze harbor a remarkable diversity of mitochondrial DNA types or lineages that appear to have separated from each other many thousands of years ago, according to a new study by multinational team, led by researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Rappaport School of Medicine. But instead of dispersing throughout the world after their separation, the full range of lineages can still be found within the small, tightly knit Druze population. Technion researcher Karl Skorecki noted that the findings are consistent with Druze oral tradition suggesting the adherents came from diverse ancestral lineages "stretching back tens of thousands of years." The Druze represent a "genetic sanctuary" or "living relic" that provides a glimpse of the genetic diversity of the Near East in antiquity, the researchers write in the May 7th issue of the journal PLoS ONE. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156150-Genetics-Confirm-Oral-Traditions-Of-Druze-In-Israel Sun, 11 May 2008 22:34:06 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156149-HPV-Scientist-Speaks-Out Gardasil. It is a first of its kind vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer and approved by the Food and Drug Administration on June 8, 2006 for use in females aged 9 to 26. Within weeks the vaccine was unanimously approved by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for 11 and 12- year old girls. What followed was a cascade of calls by legislators around the country, including in Florida, pushing for this new to the market vaccine to be mandated for scores of young girls. "This is a real danger zone, " says Dr. Diane Harper. Why might you care about what she says? Dr. Harper is one of the world's top experts on the Human Papilloma virus, HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer. In fact, she's one of the leading scientists the pharmaceutical industries turned to for help to conduct clinical trials - including those that led to approval by the US Food and Drug Administration of Gardasil - and the recommendations that followed. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156149-HPV-Scientist-Speaks-Out Sun, 11 May 2008 22:33:20 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156148-Female-Concave-eared-Frogs-Draw-Mates-With-Ultrasonic-Calls Most female frogs don't call; most lack or have only rudimentary vocal cords. A typical female selects a mate from a chorus of males and then --silently -- signals her beau. But the female concave-eared torrent frog, Odorrana tormota, has a more direct method of declaring her interest: She emits a high-pitched chirp that to the human ear sounds like that of a bird. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156148-Female-Concave-eared-Frogs-Draw-Mates-With-Ultrasonic-Calls Sun, 11 May 2008 22:30:18 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156147-US-Senator-Feingold-to-Introduce-Resolution-Censuring-Bush-for-Illegal-Wiretapping U.S. Senator Russ Feingold has announced that he will introduce a resolution in the U.S. Senate on Monday to censure the President of the United States. Feingold's resolution condemns the President's actions in authorizing the illegal wiretapping program and then misleading the country about the existence and legality of the program. Feingold calls the resolution an appropriate and responsible step for Congress to take in response to the President's undermining of the separation of powers and ignoring the rule of law. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156147-US-Senator-Feingold-to-Introduce-Resolution-Censuring-Bush-for-Illegal-Wiretapping Sun, 11 May 2008 22:13:51 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156146-Why-Big-Media-Needs-Propaganda-to-Survive The mainstream media are as likely to report on Pentagon propaganda - and thus, themselves - as President Bush is likely to cede that "mission accomplished" was poor phrasing. That is, it ain't ever gonna happen. The mainstream media have instituted a news blackout on the New York Times exposé, casting a dark cloak over the story with the wave of a magician's wand. Perhaps with this media sleight-of-hand, we'll soon forget that that this story ever existed. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156146-Why-Big-Media-Needs-Propaganda-to-Survive Sun, 11 May 2008 22:05:53 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156145-Neil-Young-gets-new-honor-his-own-spider Iconic singer and songwriter Neil Young has had an honor bestowed upon him that is not received by many musicians -- his own spider. An East Carolina University biologist, Jason Bond, discovered a new species of trapdoor spider and opted to call the arachnid after his favorite musician, Canadian Neil Young, naming it Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi. "There are rather strict rules about how you name new species," Bond said in a statement. "As long as these rules are followed you can give a new species just about any name you please. With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156145-Neil-Young-gets-new-honor-his-own-spider Sun, 11 May 2008 21:23:14 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156144-Wall-Paper-Peeling-Mystery-Explained-By-Physicists When you try to remove adhesive paper from a surface, you inevitably get a pointy flap, while what you want is to remove the entire piece. A team from the Laboratoire de physique et mécanique des milieux hétérogènes (CNRS/ESPCI/Universités Paris 6 and 7), collaborating with the University of Santiago in Chile and with MIT, has explained the physics behind this frustrating experience. The work is published in Nature Materials, and could be used in testing the mechanical properties of very fine adhesive film used in industry. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156144-Wall-Paper-Peeling-Mystery-Explained-By-Physicists Sun, 11 May 2008 21:18:39 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156143-Tornadoes-kill-at-least-22-across-US Rescue crews on Sunday searched through rubble for survivors a day after tornadoes tore across the United States killing at least 22 people and shattering homes and businesses, officials said. US President George W. Bush called it a "sad day" for devastated communities in the states of Missouri, Oklahoma and Georgia and promised emergency federal aid. Missouri's department of emergency management said 14 people were confirmed dead in the state, with scores more injured. "We are still conducting some search and rescue today," department spokeswoman Susie Stonner told AFP, adding that some of the injured were "in hospital in critical condition." Numerous tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma late Saturday as the storms ripped across the state at 35-45 miles per hour (55-70 kmh), killing seven in the area near the town of Picher, the Oklahoma department of emergency management said. Some 150 people were injured. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156143-Tornadoes-kill-at-least-22-across-US Sun, 11 May 2008 21:12:37 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156142-Nightmare-At-Guantanamo-Bay At the age of 19, Murat Kurnaz vanished into America's shadow prison system in the war on terror. He was from Germany, traveling in Pakistan, and was picked up three months after 9/11. But there seemed to be ample evidence that Kurnaz was an innocent man with no connection to terrorism. The FBI thought so, U.S. intelligence thought so, and German intelligence agreed. But once he was picked up, Kurnaz found himself in a prison system that required no evidence and answered to no one. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156142-Nightmare-At-Guantanamo-Bay Sun, 11 May 2008 21:10:08 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156141-Washington-s-Great-Inflation-Hoax The federal government's CPI measurement doesn't capture the pain many Americans are feeling today. Billionaire California bond manager Bill Gross calls it "a haute con job." Bloomberg News columnist John Wasik describes it as "a testament to the art of economic spin." More and more shoppers and consumer simply disbelieve it. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156141-Washington-s-Great-Inflation-Hoax Sun, 11 May 2008 19:43:39 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156140-The-Torture-Drawings-the-Pentagon-Doesn-t-Want-You-to-See Drawings by journalist Sami al-Haj depicting torture at Gitmo have been censored. Sami al-Haj is a journalist, but one unlike any other. For over six years since December 15, 2001 -- when he was seized by Pakistani soldiers on the Afghan border while on assignment as a cameraman for the Qatar-based broadcaster al-Jazeera -- he has been in a disturbing but unique position: a trained journalist held as an "enemy combatant" on the frontline of the Bush administration's "War on Terror," first in Afghanistan, and then in Guantánamo. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156140-The-Torture-Drawings-the-Pentagon-Doesn-t-Want-You-to-See Sun, 11 May 2008 19:35:32 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156139-Victims-of-Israeli-Collective-Punishment-Gaza-blackouts-as-fuel-runs-low There have been widespread electricity blackouts in the Gaza Strip after the territory's only power plant shut down. It ran out of fuel because Israel has not allowed any fuel deliveries for the past five days, officials say. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156139-Victims-of-Israeli-Collective-Punishment-Gaza-blackouts-as-fuel-runs-low Sun, 11 May 2008 19:29:27 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156138-Bangladesh-bans-most-rice-exports Bangladesh has banned exports of nearly all the rice it produces to prevent shortages and keep food costs down. The government said the ban began on Tuesday and will last six months. Bangladesh is the world's fourth largest rice importer but exports a small amount of aromatic rice, such as Basmati, to other countries. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156138-Bangladesh-bans-most-rice-exports Sun, 11 May 2008 19:20:49 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156137-Blaming-the-victim-Abused-Afghan-women-often-end-up-in-jail Trafficked across the border from Pakistan with her 3-year-old son, Rukhma was handed to an Afghan who raped and abused her, then beat the toddler to death as she watched helplessly. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156137-Blaming-the-victim-Abused-Afghan-women-often-end-up-in-jail Sun, 11 May 2008 19:18:22 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156136-Malaysia-Ban-soon-on-taking-rice-out-of-country Foreigners may be banned from taking rice out of the country. Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said the Government was mulling the idea as a move to end fears of a food shortage in the country due to the current global food crisis. The ban is aimed at preventing those from neighbouring countries especially Singapore and Thailand, who come into Malaysia to shop for cheaper essential goods. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156136-Malaysia-Ban-soon-on-taking-rice-out-of-country Sun, 11 May 2008 19:17:58 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156135-Bush-Administration-Sued-for-Allowing-Continued-Use-of-Four-Pesticides Environmental and farm worker groups have now sued the Bush administration for allowing the continued use of four pesticides. They claim that the government brushed aside its own evidence that the chemicals are toxic to workers, children, and animals. The suit challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's 2006 decision to reauthorize the four pesticides used on fruit and vegetable fields in California. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156135-Bush-Administration-Sued-for-Allowing-Continued-Use-of-Four-Pesticides Sun, 11 May 2008 19:05:02 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156134-New-antislavery-law-in-U-S-may-be-wrongheaded Here's an arresting allegation: More slaves are now imported (though the current word for this is trafficked) into the United States annually than were imported in an average year during the American colonial era. That is one of the talking points used lately by the author of an arresting new book on global slavery, "A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery," by E. Benjamin Skinner. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156134-New-antislavery-law-in-U-S-may-be-wrongheaded Sun, 11 May 2008 18:54:58 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156133-Burma-exports-rice-as-cyclone-victims-starve Burma is still exporting rice even as it tries to curb the influx of international donations of food bound for the starving survivors of the cyclone that killed up to 116,000 people. Sacks of rice destined for Bangladesh were being loaded on to a ship at the Thilawa container port at the mouth of the Yangon River at the end of last week, even though Burma's 'rice bowl' region was devastated by the deadly storm a week ago. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156133-Burma-exports-rice-as-cyclone-victims-starve Sun, 11 May 2008 18:38:59 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156132-How-the-U-S-is-Reproducing-Israel-s-Flawed-Occupation-Strategies-in-Iraq The New Walls of Baghdad The new "surge" strategy in Iraq, led by General David Petreaus, has been heavily marketed as an example of the U.S. military's application of the "lessons of history" from previous counterinsurgencies to Iraq, foremost among them the need to win the population over from insurgents through cultivating human relationships, addressing popular grievances and providing security. Yet one glance at the realities on the ground in Iraq today reveal that the cornerstone of current U.S. military strategy is less about cultivating human relationships than about limiting them, primarily through concrete walls and checkpoints. And it has been less about minimizing violence than containing Iraq's population and redirecting the battlefield from the streets to the skies above Iraq. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156132-How-the-U-S-is-Reproducing-Israel-s-Flawed-Occupation-Strategies-in-Iraq Sun, 11 May 2008 18:22:38 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156131-Stupid-Remark-of-the-Week-Sociopaths-Really- I know that Andrew Sullivan is a fan of hyperbolic rhetoric ("fifth column", anyone?), and I also know that a lot of time I enjoy his hyperbole, even when I don't agree with it. But the past few weeks of his tirades against the Clintons have gotten tiresome, and I say that as someone who was never a fan of the Clintons to begin with. But what really takes the cake is this post from today. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156131-Stupid-Remark-of-the-Week-Sociopaths-Really- Sun, 11 May 2008 18:18:00 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156130-EU-condemns-Iran-leader-s-unacceptable-anti-Israel-remarks The EU presidency on Friday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" anti-Israeli remarks made by Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who called the state of Israel "a stinking corpse". Ahmadinejad's comments, delivered Thursday, "are unacceptable, damaging and uncivilised," the European Union's Slovenian presidency said in a statement. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156130-EU-condemns-Iran-leader-s-unacceptable-anti-Israel-remarks Sun, 11 May 2008 17:43:36 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156129-Ahmadinejad-urges-cooperation-among-independent-states President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here on Saturday called for all-out cooperation among world independent states to prevent plunder of their natural resources by bullying powers. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156129-Ahmadinejad-urges-cooperation-among-independent-states Sun, 11 May 2008 17:38:52 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156128-College-Student-Sleep-Patterns-Could-be-Detrimental A Central Michigan University study has determined that many college students have sleep patterns that could have detrimental effects on their daily performance. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156128-College-Student-Sleep-Patterns-Could-be-Detrimental Sun, 11 May 2008 17:29:40 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156127-Shh-VA-s-obfuscation-on-veterans-suicides-continues-a-disgraceful-pattern-of-disservice Legislators are justifiably irate at what they see as yet another area in which the Department of Veterans Affairs is not only failing to provide care to veterans, but also withholding information on their needs from Congress and the public. Last November, CBS, after a five-month investigation, described a "hidden epidemic" of suicides among military veterans, significantly above national averages, with rates three times higher among the youngest veterans. VA officials challenged the validity of the report, but internal agency e-mails gave weight to CBS's claims. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156127-Shh-VA-s-obfuscation-on-veterans-suicides-continues-a-disgraceful-pattern-of-disservice Sun, 11 May 2008 17:25:26 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156126-Monsanto-A-Real-Growth-Stock Shares of this innovative seed and herbicide company will blossom for years to come. Everywhere you look people are grumbling -- and in many cases rioting -- about the high price of food. Before you buy a 20-pound bag of rice at Costco, consider hording shares of Monsanto. Comment: What an association, from people rioting over food to a suggestion to horde Monsanto stock! The writer probably thinks he is very clever. Of course, he'll never suffer from food shortages....or so he thinks. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156126-Monsanto-A-Real-Growth-Stock Sun, 11 May 2008 17:17:23 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156125-Five-science-fiction-movies-that-get-the-science-right Recently we praised the latest sci-fi blockbuster Iron Man for including so many real-world technologies. It makes a change, since all too often Hollywood's use of science involves shocking blunders: including spaceships making whooshing noises in Star Wars to the journey to the centre of the Earth in The Core. So, to give credit where it's due, we have picked out five more sci-fi films that go against the grain, and contain some accurate, plausible science. They may not be completely realistic, but they get it right when it matters most. Be warned: this article inevitably contains a number of spoilers. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156125-Five-science-fiction-movies-that-get-the-science-right Sun, 11 May 2008 16:12:18 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156124-Hezbollah-foiled-US-planned-coup- Hezbollah has foiled a US-planned coup to seize control of Lebanon during tensions sparked by controversial gov't decisions, a report says. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156124-Hezbollah-foiled-US-planned-coup- Sun, 11 May 2008 15:56:02 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156123-The-Pictures-We-See-Do-You-Get-the-Picture- Let's try an experiment. Think of opinions you may have formed, beliefs that may have arisen due to one or a group of photographs that were distributed in the media. When you saw those images, did you feel anger, bitterness, or even hate? Were you elated, joyous, or perhaps confused? Were you compelled to somehow change the way you perceived the world based on the emotions that were triggered by an image? Now imagine for a moment that a certain number of photographs in the media - let's say half, for the sake of this experiment - are forgeries. Would you be compelled to re-evaluate that position if you had learned said photograph was false? http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156123-The-Pictures-We-See-Do-You-Get-the-Picture- Sun, 11 May 2008 15:48:56 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156122-Nepal-arrests-560-Tibetan-women Nepalese police have arrested some 560 Tibetan women, including many Buddhist nuns, after breaking up demonstrations against China's crackdown in Tibet. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156122-Nepal-arrests-560-Tibetan-women Sun, 11 May 2008 15:13:24 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156121-Medvedev-takes-control-of-Russian-nuclear-arsenal Newly inaugurated President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday formally assumed control of Russia's nuclear arsenal at a Kremlin meeting in which a military officer brought him a black nuclear briefcase. Medvedev, who was sworn in to succeed Vladimir Putin earlier, took command in the presence of Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov at a sombre meeting that contrasted with his glittering inauguration ceremony. "Comrade commander-in-chief! Allow me to give you control of the strategic forces of the country," said the officer carrying the nuclear briefcase, in images shown on state television. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156121-Medvedev-takes-control-of-Russian-nuclear-arsenal Sun, 11 May 2008 14:45:28 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156120-Volcano-s-Deadly-Ash-Harming-Stranded-Animals-in-Chile Tens of thousands of animals have been trapped under a blanket of deadly ash in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption in southern Chile. The long-dormant Chaitén volcano began spewing an enormous plume of ash visible from space and scattered debris over towns and villages on May 2. Residents within a 30-mile (50-kilometer) radius of the volcano were forced to evacuate the area, which includes Chaitén - the town nearest the volcano - as well as the Futaleufú Valley, a rural zone populated largely by small farmers. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156120-Volcano-s-Deadly-Ash-Harming-Stranded-Animals-in-Chile Sun, 11 May 2008 14:26:56 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156119-Caribbean-The-coming-storm- As if the Caribbean did not have enough worries on its over-flowing plate to deal with - rising food prices and a neglected agricultural sector, high oil prices and a runaway crime situation to name a few - the region now has to gird itself against the impending impact of the US sub-prime housing crisis and its long reach that is now penetrating the global financial system. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156119-Caribbean-The-coming-storm- Sun, 11 May 2008 14:24:22 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156118-Iraq-war-strains-U-S-army-mental-health-system Fort Drum, a bleak U.S. Army base in upstate New York, is a test case for how the military is handling a looming mental health crisis. The military and its critics agree on one thing -- there are not enough therapists to treat all the soldiers who return from Iraq and Afghanistan traumatized by the experience. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156118-Iraq-war-strains-U-S-army-mental-health-system Sun, 11 May 2008 14:19:06 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156117-Palestinian-refugees-in-Gaza-still-dream-of-going-home Jabaliya Refugee Camp, Gaza Strip - When Israeli soldiers razed his village of Najd during the Jewish state's independence war, Yussef Abu al-Jidyan fled to a Gaza refugee camp where he has now lived for 60 years. But he has never lost hope of returning. Since 1948, he has lost his home three times in Israeli military operations. The latest was in March when the Israeli army came with bulldozers and levelled houses in Jabaliya refugee camp in the besieged Gaza Strip. "Since the Jews chased us from Najd during the Naqba of 1948 we haven't had any peace and quiet. Under occupation life is bitter," laments Abu al-Jidyan, who has been a refugee since he was nine years old. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156117-Palestinian-refugees-in-Gaza-still-dream-of-going-home Sun, 11 May 2008 14:11:37 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156116-Economy-a-lot-worse-than-Bush-Cheney-say President George Bush, in Maryland Heights, Mo., and Vice President Dick Cheney, in Tulsa, Okla., were out recently selling their vision of the nation's economy. Bush said, "I know it's tough times, and I know you are having to pay more at the fuel pump than you want. But this economy is going to come on. I'm confident it will." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156116-Economy-a-lot-worse-than-Bush-Cheney-say Sun, 11 May 2008 14:09:32 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156115-US-Survey-finds-gas-prices-up-about-15-cents-over-past-2-weeks Camarillo Calif. - The national average price for regular gasoline rose about 15 cents in the last two weeks, according to a survey. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156115-US-Survey-finds-gas-prices-up-about-15-cents-over-past-2-weeks Sun, 11 May 2008 14:04:22 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156114-Murder-in-Savvanah-Convicted-killer-contests-death-sentence Three decades ago, Jack Alderman and John Arthur Brown both stood condemned to die for the grisly murder of Alderman's wife in an apartment complex just outside of Savannah. The murder described in court testimony was as crude as it was vicious. Brown bludgeoned Barbara Jean Alderman with a foot-long crescent wrench. Both men then choked her and, to make sure she was dead, placed her underwater in a bathtub. Then they took her body to a creek to make it appear as if she died in a car accident. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156114-Murder-in-Savvanah-Convicted-killer-contests-death-sentence Sun, 11 May 2008 13:56:33 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156112-Copenhagen-Thousand-of-Palestinians-rally-for-right-of-return Palestinians residing in Europe gather for mass event in Denmark; Islamic Movement leader Sheikh Salah tells participants their homes in Israel await them http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156112-Copenhagen-Thousand-of-Palestinians-rally-for-right-of-return Sun, 11 May 2008 13:44:54 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156111-Lying-Murdering-Scoundrels-and-the-People-who-Believe-Them Before I go on to whatever it is that I say today and... I usually don't know what that's going to be, I want all of you to read this fine article from one of the better and more courageous writers going, Israel Shamir and then I want you to read this article on Ted Olsen. These articles aren't connected except that they are both to be found on www.thetruthseeker.co.uk. Across the space of the internet there are all too few sites where you can get real and truthful information. Others are www.whatreallyhappened.com also www.sott.net and www.thepeoplesvoice.org. Prison Planet and others also tell us things we usually don't find anywhere else but you probably know about them and you probably go there. If you don't then you should visit these sites every day because they will tell you what is going on rather than telepathically invade you with messages crafted to form assumptions in your mind; assumptions that have no connection to the truth. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156111-Lying-Murdering-Scoundrels-and-the-People-who-Believe-Them Sun, 11 May 2008 13:44:53 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156110-MI5-outsourced-torture-of-Pak-origin-Britons-to-ISI- British domestic intelligence agency MI5 is facing allegations of "outsourcing" the torture of Pak-origin Britons to Pakistan's ISI, after they were detained during counter-terror operations in that country. Human rights groups and British MPs today called for an investigation into allegations made by four such British citizens of Pakistani-origin, which were detailed by The Guardian on Tuesday. They also asked British government to explain what steps were taken to ensure suspects were not tortured after they are detained in Pakistan at the request of counter-terrorism officials. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156110-MI5-outsourced-torture-of-Pak-origin-Britons-to-ISI- Sun, 11 May 2008 13:38:41 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156109-Even-More-Evidence-Global-Warming-is-a-Joke Recommended for your reading: Are Global Warmists Pulling a Cool Fast One? by Marc Sheppard. This article is published online in the American Thinker, one of the best blogs in existence. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156109-Even-More-Evidence-Global-Warming-is-a-Joke Sun, 11 May 2008 13:37:55 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156108-Are-Global-Warmists-Pulling-a-Cool-Fast-One- Mounting evidence of lower temperature trends despite rising atmospheric CO2 levels is becoming a real problem for the greenhouse gas crowd. And reports that the cooling appears to follow a period of dormant solar activity aren't likely to ease their anxieties. Indeed, without an immediate alarmist course correction, years of "the science is settled" campaigning could prove for naught, as prolonged temperature dips decimate the primary anthropogenic argument. After all, Lord Gore has shouted the IPCC's proclamation of a 0.3°C warming over the next decade from virtually every rooftop. Given new data projecting the contrary, he and his green hordes will need to find a way to not only explain the error, but keep the AGW dream alive. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156108-Are-Global-Warmists-Pulling-a-Cool-Fast-One- Sun, 11 May 2008 13:33:55 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156107-Read-between-the-lines-2-Gaza-rockets-hit-Israel-synagogue-college The Israeli army says a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip fell next to a Jewish seminary in southern Israel and damaged the building. No one was hurt in Saturday's rocket strike in the border town of Sderot, Israel' army said. A second rocket fell in the courtyard of Sapir College in Sderot, it said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156107-Read-between-the-lines-2-Gaza-rockets-hit-Israel-synagogue-college Sun, 11 May 2008 13:23:09 -0400 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156106-Farmers-don-t-reap-benefits-from-higher-food-prices "The American farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything he buys at retail, sells everything he sells at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." This observation by President John F. Kennedy may have greater application today than a generation ago, illustrating the economic reality that faces our farmers and ranchers. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/156106-Farmers-don-t-reap-benefits-from-higher-food-prices Sun, 11 May 2008 13:13:25 -0400