http://www.sott.net Signs of the Times: The World for People who Think. Featuring news and commentary on world events. en-us Original content Copyright 2012 by Signs of the Times/Sott.net. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:59:42 -0600 http://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net http://www.sott.net http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241387-Europe-s-Danube-Freezes-Over-Cold-Snap-Toll-at-460 Belgrade - Thick ice closed vast swathes of the Danube on Thursday, crippling shipping on Europe's busiest waterway, as the death toll from bitter cold across the continent rose to at least 460. As it has every day for nearly two weeks, the brutal cold claimed lives in several countries and killed dozens more in weather-related accidents. The 2,860-kilometre (1,780-mile) Danube, which flows through 10 countries and is vital for transport, power, irrigation, industry and fishing, was wholly or partially blocked from Austria to its mouth on the Black Sea. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241387-Europe-s-Danube-Freezes-Over-Cold-Snap-Toll-at-460 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:59:35 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241386-U-S-officials-tell-NBC-News-Israel-teams-with-terror-group-to-kill-Iran-s-nuclear-scientists- Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel's secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran's leaders. The group, the People's Mujahedin of Iran, has long been designated as a terrorist group by the United States, accused of killing American servicemen and contractors in the 1970s and supporting the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran before breaking with the Iranian mullahs in 1980. The attacks, which have killed five Iranian nuclear scientists since 2007 and may have destroyed a missile research and development site, have been carried out in dramatic fashion, with motorcycle-borne assailants often attaching small magnetic bombs to the exterior of the victims' cars. The Iranians have no doubt who is responsible - Israel and the People's Mujahedin of Iran, known by various acronyms, including MEK, MKO and PMI. Mohammad Javad Larijani, a senior aide to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describes what Iranian leaders believe is a close relationship between Israel's secret service, the Mossad, and the People's Mujahedin of Iran, or MEK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241386-U-S-officials-tell-NBC-News-Israel-teams-with-terror-group-to-kill-Iran-s-nuclear-scientists- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:09:48 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241385-Canada-Scientists-Discover-an-Unusual-Stone-Circle-in-British-Columbia Although it resembles stone circles made by humans, scientists believe that an unusual ring of stones in British Columbia is a natural feature. Scientists investigated an unusual ring of stones that was discovered in the Chilcotin Range of British Columbia and concluded that the stone circle was likely deposited by glacial activity and is not of human origin. The results of their research were published in the December 2011 issue of the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. The ring of stones is composed of white colored felsite rocks that are high in silica. The stones are arranged in circle nearly 50 meters (164 feet) in diameter above the tree line along the Chilcotin Range in British Columbia, Canada. The white rocks stand out in stark contrast to the other darker rocks in the region, which are composed of granitoid gneiss and grandodiorite. The circle can be seen easily from the air and by viewing the terrain on Google Earth. Many stone circles were created by humans during prehistoric times (approximately 3700 BC to 1500 BC). Archeologists believe that these circles were created either for use in religious ceremonies or as an aid in making astronomical observations. Europe contains a high number of stone circles of human origin, but examples of these structures can be found in other regions of the world as well. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241385-Canada-Scientists-Discover-an-Unusual-Stone-Circle-in-British-Columbia Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:03:03 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241384-Cell-Phones-Shown-to-Negatively-Influence-Fetal-Brains Cell phones - an incredibly convenient device that make our lives infinitely easier. While these phones have created great steps forward in communication, talking on them comes at a price. The massive increase in cellular phone use in our current society has resulted in a large degree of research examining the potential negative health effects they have on humans. Very recent research has shown that microwave radiation emitted by cellular devices negatively influences fetal brains. The experiment took 32 pregnant rats and divided them into 4 different groups, with one of them receiving no exposure to microwave radiation. The other three groups were exposed to different intensities of microwave radiation from cellular phones, with each of them being subjected for different amounts of time. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241384-Cell-Phones-Shown-to-Negatively-Influence-Fetal-Brains Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:58:42 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241383-Syria-s-Bloody-CIA-Revolution-A-Distraction- While the mainstream media is going to great lengths to convince the world that events in Syria are the result of yet another 'people's revolution', the facts point clearly to yet another US government-sponsored bloody 'regime change'. Given that the US has been a de facto global empire for at least 60 years, with all of the power, infrastructure and influence that entails, how difficult do we think it would be for agents of the empire to manufacture a 'revolution' in any given country? The answer, surprisingly, is 'not so easily'. But it is doable, as long as the empire is willing to murder innocent civilians to create the impression of a brutal regime in need of removal. And the USA has never balked at murdering a few hundred, a few thousand, or even a few million civilians to ensure it gets its geo-political way, to the delight of psychopaths in power everywhere. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241383-Syria-s-Bloody-CIA-Revolution-A-Distraction- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:38:29 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241382-US-Why-the-Foreclosure-Deal-May-Not-Be-So-Hot-After-All So the foreclosure settlement is through. A few weeks back, I was optimistic about it - I had been worried that it was going to contain broad liability waivers for all sorts of activities, and I was pleasantly surprised when I heard that its scope had essentially been narrowed to robosigning offenses. However, now that the settlement is finalized, and I've had time to think about it and talk to people who know far more than I do about this, I'm feeling pretty queasy. It feels an awful lot like what happened here is the nation's criminal justice honchos collectively realized that a thorough investigation of the problem would require resources they simply do not have, or are reluctant to deploy, and decided to accept a superficially face-saving peace offer rather than fight it out. So they settled the case in a way that reads in headlines like it's a bite out of the banks, but in fact is barely even that. There will be little in the way of real compensation for stuggling homeowners, and there are serious issues in the area of the deal's enforceability. In fact, about the only part of the deal we can be absolutely sure will be honored in full is the liability waiver for the robosigning offenses. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241382-US-Why-the-Foreclosure-Deal-May-Not-Be-So-Hot-After-All Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:33:09 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241381-US-Cardinal-Designate-Dolan-Obama-Reneging-On-Birth-Control-Provision Sources: President Promised Dolan That He Would 'Get Most Of What He Wanted' Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan says President Barack Obama hasn't kept his promise, when it comes to the new White House policy on contraception. Sources told CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer that Archbishop Dolan feels betrayed after his meeting with the president on the issue late last year. A Catholic group in Alabama filed the first lawsuit against the Obama administration's new birth control regulations as the controversy got even more heated Thursday. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241381-US-Cardinal-Designate-Dolan-Obama-Reneging-On-Birth-Control-Provision Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:29:02 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241380-US-California-LAPD-Pioneers-High-Tech-Crime-Fighting-War-Room- The LAPD is fighting crime from a high-tech war room that gives it eyes all over the city. The surveillance hub is now a model for police forces around the world and KCAL9 got an exclusive tour inside from Chief Charlie Beck. "We are targets on our own soil," says Beck. "We have to be ready." What began as a grass roots idea following the 9/11 terrorist attacks is now a state-of-the-art real-time analysis critical response center. It's called RACR, and it's located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. "This is a system that cuts through the red tape, that gets information to the people that need it," says Chief Beck. He calls it "the brains of the department, twenty-four/seven." Police in the activity center monitor live feeds of city and traffic cameras, counter-terrorism information, and real-time crime mapping, with cutting edge software. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241380-US-California-LAPD-Pioneers-High-Tech-Crime-Fighting-War-Room- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:03:40 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241379-US-Missouri-Possessed-Mother-Found-With-Blood-Covered-Baby-After-Slitting-Her-Throat-in-Same-Woods-Where-Ex-Boyfriend-Was-Found-Dead Missouri mother Bradie Simpson 'assaulted baby' Found in woods holding her nine-month-old girl Ex-boyfriend found in same woods in September Told church pastor she's 'possessed' in October A mother allegedly slashed her nine-month-old baby's throat just months after telling a pastor she could be possessed and might hurt the girl. Bradie Simpson, 39, of Camdenton, Missouri, was found in woods 225ft from her home as she held the baby covered in blood with a neck wound. It comes months after the body of her ex-boyfriend, the baby's father, was found in the same woods last September, reported ABC affiliate KSPR. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241379-US-Missouri-Possessed-Mother-Found-With-Blood-Covered-Baby-After-Slitting-Her-Throat-in-Same-Woods-Where-Ex-Boyfriend-Was-Found-Dead Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:58:01 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241378-Russia-Gorbachev-Talks-And-Putin-Won-t-Like-What-He-s-Saying- Mikhail Gorbachev, a man who knows something about losing control of Russia, met with students today and warned of swelling protests against Vladimir Putin if he retakes the presidency. It may be time to add a familiar old face to the gallery of fresh pro-democracy leaders that's been created by Russia's growing anti-Putin street protest movement: the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Mr. Gorbachev, now an octogenarian, was one of the first Russian political figures to start warning - more than a year ago - that Vladimir Putin's autocratic, top-down Kremlin-centric regime risked repeating many of the errors that led to the downfall of the USSR and could face a mass challenge from the streets if it failed to implement democratic reforms. Now that protest movement has materialized and Gorbachev, who faced a popular groundswell of opposition in the dying days of the Soviet Union, is advising Mr. Putin to drop his bid for election to a third presidential term in March 4 polls and leave. With society turning against him, Putin is no longer able to handle the burdens of the presidency, Gorbachev said during a meeting with students at Moscow's International University today. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241378-Russia-Gorbachev-Talks-And-Putin-Won-t-Like-What-He-s-Saying- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:34:05 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241377-Canada-s-Harper-Reaches-Agreement-With-China-on-Uranium-Sale Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reached agreements with China to facilitate uranium exports and air travel as part of efforts to deepen ties. Harper and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced a pact that will give Canadian uranium producers more access to China's civilian nuclear power industry, according to a joint statement released by Harper's office. Canada is home to the world's largest uranium producer, Cameco Corp. No details of the agreement were provided. "This agreement will help Canadian uranium companies to substantially increase exports to China, the world's fastest growing market for these products," Harper said in a statement. "It will generate jobs here at home while contributing to the use of clean reliable energy in China." Harper, who is on a four-day visit to China, is seeking to attract Chinese investment in Canada's natural resources and sell more energy to Asia, while winning business in China for Canadian companies. The two countries announced an investment protection pact Feb. 8. "I think Canada-China relations are continuing along a very positive route," Harper said after meeting President Hu Jintao yesterday. "We are reaching a new level." Wen, who met Harper in Beijing on Feb. 8, called for discussions on a possible free trade agreement, the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday. He said China is "ready to expand imports of energy and resource products from Canada" and boost cooperation in areas including renewable energy and the peaceful use of nuclear power, according to Xinhua. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241377-Canada-s-Harper-Reaches-Agreement-With-China-on-Uranium-Sale Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:15:54 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241376-Pakistani-Man-Fights-Police-Over-40-Foot-Shark Qasim Khan waged the unlikeliest of battles with Pakistani authorities Thursday over the right to charge hundreds of curious visitors the equivalent of 22 cents each to see a roughly 40-foot whale shark he bought from a fisherman. Khan is in the business of buying fish, albeit usually much smaller ones, and jumped at the chance on Tuesday to pay about $2,200 for the 20-ton behemoth, which was discovered dead in the Arabian Sea off the southern Pakistani city of Karachi. Business was brisk Wednesday, as several thousand people paid to see the brown and white-spotted shark, which Khan set up under a cloth tent next to the harbor. People crowded around to put their hands on the massive fish, and families snapped their picture with it - ignoring the pungent smell as it began to rot. But police cracked down Thursday, saying fishery authorities had decided people should be allowed to see the shark for free. Khan resisted and hid his prize attraction under the giant piece of green cloth he had previously used as a tent. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241376-Pakistani-Man-Fights-Police-Over-40-Foot-Shark Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:04:22 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241375-Propaganda-Alert-Iran-helping-al-Qaeda-War-hysteria-builds Reported concerns among some U.S. officials that Iran may have essentially freed a group of al Qaeda militants held for almost a decade under house arrest in the Islamic Republic are adding Friday morning to the escalating war-rhetoric pouring out of Washington and Israel. According to The Wall Street Journal, some government officials believe Iran's move to allow the men greater freedom - which may include permission to leave the country - suggests the nation's hardline rulers are trying to bolster a link between themselves and the radical Muslim terror group as Western pressure mounts on both entities. Comment: In other words, unsubstantiated rumors from unnamed sources. Aka propaganda. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241375-Propaganda-Alert-Iran-helping-al-Qaeda-War-hysteria-builds Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:58:02 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241374-Germany-Expels-Four-Syrian-Diplomats-in-Spy-Case As tensions mount between Western nations and Syria, the German authorities said Thursday that they had ordered the expulsion of four Syrian diplomats after arresting two men accused separately of spying on opponents of President Bashar al-Assad. The police here arrested the two men on Tuesday, saying they were "strongly suspected of investigating Syrian opposition members in Germany for a Syrian intelligence service over a period of years." The men were identified, under standard German procedures, only as Mahmoud El A., 47, of Lebanese descent, and Akram O., 34, a Syrian. State and federal police officers searched the homes of six other suspects "believed to be involved in espionage," prosecutors said. In a statement on Thursday, Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign minister, said the four diplomats - three men and a woman who were not identified by name - had been given three days to leave Germany. Mr. Westerwelle did not go into detail about the expulsions, but officials said the embassy personnel were suspected of carrying out activities incompatible with their diplomatic status, a formulation that usually refers to espionage. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241374-Germany-Expels-Four-Syrian-Diplomats-in-Spy-Case Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:56:48 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241373-Famous-Spain-Judge-Convicted-of-Misusing-Authority The superstar Spanish judge who won global fame for aggressively taking on international human rights cases was convicted Thursday of overstepping his jurisdiction in a domestic corruption probe and barred from the bench for 11 years, marking a spectacular fall from grace for one of the nation's most prominent citizens. Baltasar Garzon was unanimously convicted by a seven-judge panel of the Supreme Court. Because he is 56, the punishment could end his Spanish judicial career. Hours after the verdict, hundreds of Garzon supporters braved freezing weather in Madrid's central Sol plaza shouting "Shame! Shame!" in protest. It was just one of three cases pending against Garzon, who is still awaiting a verdict in trial on the same charge - knowingly overstepping the bounds of his jurisdiction - for launching a probe in 2008 of right-wing atrocities committed during and after the Spanish civil war of 1936-1939 even though the crimes were covered by a 1977 amnesty. In Thursday's verdict, the court ruled that Garzon acted arbitrarily in ordering jailhouse wiretaps of detainees talking to their lawyers, the court said, adding that his actions "these days are only found in totalitarian regimes." Ironically, Garzon is best known for indicting a totalitarian ruler, former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, in 1998, and trying to put him on trial in Madrid for crimes against humanity. He also indicted Osama bin Laden in 2003 over the Sept. 11 attacks. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241373-Famous-Spain-Judge-Convicted-of-Misusing-Authority Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:48:26 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241372-US-NRC-Approves-First-New-Nuclear-Plant-in-3-Decades The nation's first new nuclear power plant in a generation won approval Thursday as federal regulators voted to grant a license for two new reactors in Georgia. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 to approve Atlanta-based Southern Co.'s request to build two nuclear reactors at its Vogtle site south of Augusta. The vote clears the way for officials to issue an operating license for the reactors, which could begin operating as soon as 2016 and 2017. The NRC last approved construction of a nuclear plant in 1978, a year before a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania raised fears of a radiation release and brought new reactor orders nearly to a halt. NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko voted against the Vogtle license, saying he wanted a binding commitment from the company that it would make safety changes prompted by the March 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241372-US-NRC-Approves-First-New-Nuclear-Plant-in-3-Decades Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:36:40 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241370-Sick-US-Dad-makes-boy-4-run-nearly-nude-in-snow A father's harsh parenting has aroused wide controversy after a video was circulated online showing his nearly-nude four-year-old son running in snow. The boy, Duo Duo, was running with only a pair of pants and trainers to combat the morning temperature of minus 13 degrees Celsius in New York, where the family from the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing spent their Spring Festival holiday. The 44-year-old entrepreneur trained his son to run in the freezing weather for five minutes and do push-ups despite the boy's trembling and cries for a hug. He uploaded the training footage online and dubbed it the "eagle dad" parenting approach, the Yangtze Evening News reported yesterday. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241370-Sick-US-Dad-makes-boy-4-run-nearly-nude-in-snow Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:05:46 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241369-US-26B-bank-foreclosure-fraud-settlement-to-be-announced State and federal officials on Thursday will announce a landmark settlement with five of the nation's banks over their flawed and fraudulent foreclosure practices. The $26 billion deal, which officially will be unveiled at a 10 a.m. Department of Justice news conference, aims to help troubled borrowers by reducing the amount they owe on their mortgages, lowering their interest rates and paying restitution to homeowners who suffered mortgage-related abuses. Long-running negotiations over the settlement received a major boost Wednesday when California ­Attorney General Kamala Harris agreed to back the effort after withdrawing her support last fall, according to three people with knowledge of the talks, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241369-US-26B-bank-foreclosure-fraud-settlement-to-be-announced Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:56:09 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241368-Over-200-dolphins-dead-in-northern-Peru This week more than 200 dolphins were found dead along a 106-kilometer stretch at the beaches of Lambayeque. Authorities have not yet been able to determine the cause of the deaths. According to El Comercio, Edward Barriga, head of Peru's Ocean Institute (Imarpe) in Lambayeque, ordered samples be sent to Lima, for further analysis. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241368-Over-200-dolphins-dead-in-northern-Peru Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:55:59 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241367-US-Cape-Cod-dolphin-beachings-rise-to-129-more-expected More strandings are expected after 129 dolphins beached themselves on Cape Cod in the last three weeks, with 92 dying in "the single largest stranding" of dolphins in the Northeast since at least 1999, the International Fund for Animal Welfare reported Monday. On Sunday, four dolphins were stranded along Cape Cod's hook-shaped peninsula and were quickly helped back to sea. The Massachusetts peninsula sees many dolphin strandings each year, but the 129 since Jan. 12 is typically about what rescuers see over an entire year, based on records that go back to 1999, IFAW marine mammal rescue manager Katie Moore told msnbc.com. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241367-US-Cape-Cod-dolphin-beachings-rise-to-129-more-expected Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:48:07 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241366-Air-Canada-Headed-for-Threat-of-Labour-Disruption-as-Pilots-Start-Strike-Vote Air Canada headed closer to another possible labour disruption Thursday after its pilots began a strike vote in response to what they said was a "rigid" company position that appeared aimed at escalating their contract dispute. A strike mandate after the schedule five days of voting would put the airline's 3,000 pilots in a legal strike position early on Feb. 17, or 72 hours after the end of a legally manadatory cooling off period. The strike vote doesn't mean the pilots will actually initiate a labour stoppage, but it gives the union the ability to respond to any unilateral moves by the company. "The corporation has tabled a position that asks for more concessions and threatens our entire careers through scope changes that would ship much of our flying outside Air Canada, possibly offshore," Captain Gary Tarves, chairman of the Air Canada Pilots Association, said in a memo to pilots. Tarves said the airline's "rigid position" raises "the possibility that it simply seeks to run out the legislated time clock and lead us toward an escalation." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241366-Air-Canada-Headed-for-Threat-of-Labour-Disruption-as-Pilots-Start-Strike-Vote Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:30:45 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241333-US-Facebook-unfriending-leads-to-2-Tennessee-shooting-deaths Father upset after couple deletes daughter, charged in double-homicide Mountain City - A father who was upset after a Tennessee couple deleted his adult daughter as a friend on Facebook has been charged in the shooting deaths of the couple, authorities said Wednesday. The victims had complained to police that Marvin Potter's daughter was harassing them after they deleted her as a friend on the social networking site, Johnson County Sheriff Mike Reece said Wednesday. Potter, 60, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in last week's slayings of Billy Payne Jr. and his girlfriend, Billie Jean Hayworth. The couple was shot to death in their Mountain City home in the far northeast corner of the state. Their 8-month-old baby was found unharmed in Hayworth's arms. "It's a senseless thing," the sheriff said. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241333-US-Facebook-unfriending-leads-to-2-Tennessee-shooting-deaths Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:02:57 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241365-US-Marines-posed-with-flag-resembling-Nazi-SS-logo-in-Afghanistan San Diego - The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed Thursday that a sniper team in Afghanistan posed for a photograph in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS. Use of the SS symbol is not acceptable, and the Marine Corps has addressed the issue, Lt. Col. Stewart Upton said in a statement. He did not specify what action was taken. Upton said the Marines in the photograph, posted on an Internet blog, are no longer with the unit. The picture was taken in September 2010 in Sangin province, Afghanistan. The photo shows a flag with what appear to be the letters "SS" in the shape of jagged lightning bolts. The symbol resembles that used by SS units in World War II. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241365-US-Marines-posed-with-flag-resembling-Nazi-SS-logo-in-Afghanistan Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:46:22 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241364-Greek-deputy-minister-quits-over-EU-IMF-bailout-terms A Greek deputy minister resigned on Thursday in an early sign of resistance to tough austerity and reform measures which party leaders accepted as the price of a new international bailout. Deputy Labour Minister Yannis Koutsoukos, a member of the socialist PASOK party and former trade union leader, said he was quitting because the measures were "painful for working people," and accused Greece's foreign lenders of blackmail. He released his resignation letter to Prime Minister Lucas Papademos after the premier announced that leaders of the three parties in his coalition had signed up to conditions demanded by the European Union and IMF. Parliament must approve the agreement in a vote expected to be held on Sunday or Monday. "Our lenders ignored the arguments and concrete proposals made by the Labour Ministry and in a blackmailing way are crushing the edifice of labour relations," Koutsoukos wrote. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241364-Greek-deputy-minister-quits-over-EU-IMF-bailout-terms Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:46:03 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241363-Breaking-the-Code-Why-Yuor-Barin-Can-Raed-Tihs You might not realize it, but your brain is a code-cracking machine. For emaxlpe, it deson't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod aepapr, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit pobelrm. S1M1L4RLY, Y0UR M1ND 15 R34D1NG 7H15 4U70M471C4LLY W17H0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17. Passages like these have been bouncing around the Internet for years. But how do we read them? And what do our incredibly low standards for what's legible say about the way our brains work? According to Marta Kutas, a cognitive neuroscientist and the director of the Center for Research in Language at the University of California, San Diego, the short answer is that no one knows why we're so good at reading garbled nonsense. But they've got strong suspicions. "My guess is that context is very, very, very important," Kutas told Life's Little Mysteries. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241363-Breaking-the-Code-Why-Yuor-Barin-Can-Raed-Tihs Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:41:51 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241362-Is-this-Iceland-s-Loch-Ness-Monster- Iceland's equivalent to the Loch Ness monster has apparently been pictured on footage taken by an amateur cameraman. The video, taken by Hjörtur Kjerúlf at the glacial river Jökulsá í Fljótsdal, east Iceland, appears to show the serpent-like monster known as Lagarfljótsormurinn, or Lagarfljót's Worm. Belief in the existence of the worm, which is said to reside in the lake Lagarfljót, can be sourced back to at least 1345. Sightings of the beast are considered a bad omen. Legends say the monster began life as a tiny worm which a girl placed on a ring of gold to make the it grow, according to Iceland Review Online. But when the owner of the ring returned she found that instead of making the gold grow, the worm had grown into a giant snake. In her terror, she flung both into lake Lagarfljót, where the worm continued to grow and eventually became a fearsome dragon. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241362-Is-this-Iceland-s-Loch-Ness-Monster- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:43:22 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241361-Why-Is-Global-Shipping-Slowing-Down-So-Dramatically- If the global economy is not heading for a recession, then why is global shipping slowing down so dramatically? Many economists believe that measures of global shipping such as the Baltic Dry Index are leading economic indicators. In other words, they change before the overall economic picture changes. For example, back in early 2008 the Baltic Dry Index began falling dramatically. There were those that warned that such a rapid decline in the Baltic Dry Index meant that a significant recession was coming, and it turned out that they were right. Well, the Baltic Dry Index is falling very rapidly once again. In fact, on February 3rd the Baltic Dry Index reached a low that had not been seen since August 1986. Some economists say that there are unique reasons for this (there are too many ships, etc.), but when you add this to all of the other indicators that Europe is heading into a recession, a very frightening picture emerges. We appear to be staring a global economic slowdown right in the face, and we all need to start getting prepared for that. If you don't read about economics much, you might not know what the Baltic Dry Index actually is. Investopedia defines the Baltic Dry Index this way.... A shipping and trade index created by the London-based Baltic Exchange that measures changes in the cost to transport raw materials such as metals, grains and fossil fuels by sea. When the global economy is booming, the demand for shipping tends to go up. When the global economy is slowing down, the demand for shipping tends to decline. And right now, global shipping is slowing way, way down. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241361-Why-Is-Global-Shipping-Slowing-Down-So-Dramatically- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:37:42 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241360-Mystery-of-Britain-s-Largest-Meteorite-Solved With a weight that rivals a baby elephant, a meteorite that fell from space some 30,000 years ago is likely Britain's largest space rock. And after much sleuthing, researchers think they know where it came from and how it survived so long without weathering away. The giant rock, spanning about 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) across and weighing 205 pounds (93 kilograms), was likely discovered by an archaeologist about 200 years ago at a burial site created by the Druids (an ancient Celtic priesthood) near Stonehenge, according to said Colin Pillinger, a professor of planetary sciences at the Open University. Pillinger curated the exhibition "Objects in Space," which opens today (Feb. 9) and is the first time the public will get a chance to see the meteorite. The exhibition will explore not only the mystery that surrounds the origins of the giant meteorite, but also the history and our fascination with space rocks. As for how the meteorite survived its long stint on Earth, researchers point to the ice age. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241360-Mystery-of-Britain-s-Largest-Meteorite-Solved Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:25:41 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241359-US-Postal-Service-posts-3-3-billion-loss The U.S. Postal Service reported quarterly losses of $3.3 billion, and says that at the rate it's going, it will run out of money by October. The agency was hurt by declining mail volume and mounting costs for future retiree health benefits. From October through December of 2011, losses were $3 billion more than during the same period in 2010 - even though the final quarter is typically the strongest, due to increased holiday shipping. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe is warning of a possible suspension in postal operations this fall unless Congress acts to address long-term money problems. He wants new leeway to eliminate Saturday mail delivery, raise stamp prices and reduce health and other labor costs. The Associated Press contributed to this report. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241359-US-Postal-Service-posts-3-3-billion-loss Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:02:36 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241358-US-Fewer-Young-Adults-Hold-Jobs-Than-Ever-Before The share of young adults with jobs has hit its lowest level since the government started keeping records just after World War II. By the end of 2011, only 54.3% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 were employed, according to a Pew Research Center report released Thursday. And the gap in employment between the young and all working-age adults is roughly 15 percentage points -- the widest on record. The Great Recession hurt the young more than most other age groups. Their employment decline has been steeper and their median weekly earnings fell by 6%, while holding steady for others, Pew found. Only part of this can be explained by the growth in college attendance. While a greater share of 18- to 24-year-olds are in school than ever before, the employment rate has fallen regardless of enrollment. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241358-US-Fewer-Young-Adults-Hold-Jobs-Than-Ever-Before Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:55:02 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241357-Hungary-s-Government-Tightens-Grip-on-Arts Right-wing leadership stands accused of controlling the cultural sector for political ends Already under attack from the European Commission for its policies on banking, the law and the media, Hungary's national conservative government is now facing a tide of protest from the arts community. The government, led by Viktor Orban, stands accused of systematically replacing key figures in cultural institutions, staging pro-government exhibitions, rethinking permanent museum displays and replacing historic statues to fit its political agenda. "The fact that an authoritarian government wants to control the arts is in itself not surprising," says the Hungarian economist Janos Kovacs. "But it's incredible that this is happening in the middle of the European Union without provoking angry reactions in Brussels." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241357-Hungary-s-Government-Tightens-Grip-on-Arts Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:54 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241356-Hungary-s-Central-Bank-Burns-Old-Currency-Notes-to-Help-Needy-in-Cold-Snap Hungary's central bank is burning old monetary notes to help the needy in Europe's deadly cold snap. The bank is pulping wads of old notes into briquettes to help heat humanitarian organisations. "It's a very useful charitable act, a vital aid for our foundation because we can save part of our heating costs," said Krisztina Haraszti, the head of a centre for autistic children in the impoverished northeastern town of Miskolc. It helped the centre, which also provides aid to autistic adults, save between 50,000 and 60,000 forints (£200) a month, which is a "considerable sum in this time of crisis," she told AFP. Since the briquettes have a high calorific value, "one only needs to add a few bits of wood and the rooms are really warm," said Haraszti. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241356-Hungary-s-Central-Bank-Burns-Old-Currency-Notes-to-Help-Needy-in-Cold-Snap Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:52:51 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241355-Martians-Landing-or-Putin-s-New-Bomb-Mysterious-Flash-in-the-Sky-Sparks-Conspiracy-Theories-in-Moscow The Russian web was ablaze with bizarre theories today at an extraordinary explosion seen by thousands of commuters in St Petersburg. It must have seemed like the end of the world was nigh when motorists driving along this busy motorway saw a huge flash light up the night sky on the horizon. So far, conspiracy theories of martians and bomb-testing have emerged to explain the astonishing sight. However, the reality was far less exciting. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241355-Martians-Landing-or-Putin-s-New-Bomb-Mysterious-Flash-in-the-Sky-Sparks-Conspiracy-Theories-in-Moscow Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:15:55 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241354-What-are-superbugs-doing-in-Antarctica- A multidrug-resistant strain of E. coli, potentially even more dangerous than the superbug MRSA, has been discovered living in Antarctic seawater. Escherichia coli bacteria, better-known as E. coli, are common in the lower intestines of humans. That means they go everywhere people go - even Antarctica. Many strains of E. coli are harmless when ingested, but some are deadly - as seen during last year's major outbreak of foodborne E. coli in Europe, as well as smaller U.S. outbreaks in Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Virginia. And while antibiotics are rarely used to treat food poisoning, it's nonetheless troubling that many E. coli strains can now withstand such medicine when it is needed - a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance. Drug-busting microbes are mainly a problem in hospitals, whether it's MRSA, C. difficile or NDM-1 superbugs. But they're increasingly common in the broader environment, too, as illustrated by a recent study in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241354-What-are-superbugs-doing-in-Antarctica- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:59:08 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241353-Drinking-large-amounts-of-soft-drinks-associated-with-asthma-and-COPD A new study published in the journal Respirology reveals that a high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Led by Zumin Shi, MD, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, researchers conducted computer assisted telephone interviewing among 16,907 participants aged 16 years and older in South Australia between March 2008 and June 2010 inquiring about soft drink consumption. Soft drinks comprised Coke, lemonade, flavored mineral water, Powerade, and Gatorade etc. Results showed that one in ten adults drink more than half a liter of soft drink daily in South Australia. The amount of soft drink consumption is associated with an increased chance of asthma and/or COPD. There exists a dose-response relationship, which means the more soft drink one consumes, the higher the chance of having these diseases. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241353-Drinking-large-amounts-of-soft-drinks-associated-with-asthma-and-COPD Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:44:08 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241352-Growing-up-on-a-farm-directly-affects-regulation-of-the-immune-system Immunological diseases, such as eczema and asthma, are on the increase in westernised society and represent a major challenge for 21st century medicine. A new study has shown, for the first time, that growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins. The research, led by the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences, found that spending early life in a complex farm environment increased the number of regulatory T-lymphocytes, the cells that damp down the immune system and limit immune responses. Dr Marie Lewis, Research Associate in Infection and Immunity at the School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the research, said: "Many large-scale epidemiological studies have suggested that growing up on a farm is linked to a reduced likelihood of developing allergic disease. However, until now, it has not been possible to demonstrate direct cause and effect: does the farm environment actively protect against allergies, or are allergy-prone families unlikely to live on farms?" http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241352-Growing-up-on-a-farm-directly-affects-regulation-of-the-immune-system Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:32:38 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241351-These-Are-the-Earliest-Human-Paintings-Ever According to new dating tests, these are the first paintings ever made by humans. They are seals painted more than 42,000 years ago, located in the Cave of Nerja, in Málaga, Spain. And they may change our ideas about humanity's evolution. Until now, archeologists thought that the oldest art was created during the Aurignacian period, by modern humans. But these are way older, way more primitive than the ones in Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave, the 32,000-year-old paintings featured in Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams. According to the latest dating of the charcoal found next to the paintings - used either to make the paintings or illuminate them - these seals may have been made more than 42,300 years ago. In fact, they may be as old as 43,500 years. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241351-These-Are-the-Earliest-Human-Paintings-Ever Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:28:38 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241349-Venice-Freezes-As-Deadly-Chill-Grips-Europe More than 30 more deaths have been reported as a result of the bitterly freezing weather that has swept across Europe. A dam wall broke and flooded an entire village in southern Bulgaria when snow melted rapidly as a result of heavy rain. Four residents drowned and four others died when their cars were swept away by the torrent of water. "There are demolished houses and people in distress," the interior ministry said in a statement. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241349-Venice-Freezes-As-Deadly-Chill-Grips-Europe Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:14:58 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241348-New-Study-Finds-Secret-to-a-Faster-Metabolism Eating carbohydrates makes you store belly fat. Eating protein puts on muscle. Most people know that. But a recent study1 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that when you over eat on a low protein diet, you store bad fat around your organs including the liver, kidneys and pancreas. But if you eat a high protein diet, you add muscle and increase your resting metabolism and muscle mass. Since muscle burns seven times as many calories as fat, that's a good thing. In the study, researchers admitted 25 brave volunteers to a hospital ward for 12 weeks. They controlled everything they ate and did. But they made them all overeat about 1,000 calories a day. The only different was where the calories came from - protein or carbs. The low protein group (5% protein) lost 1.5 pounds of muscle, and gained 7.5 pounds of fat. The high protein group (25% protein) gained 6.3 pounds of metabolically active muscle. They also gained fat because they were being force fed. But even though they gained more total weight, they were LESS fat than the low protein group. This has important implications for our thinking about calories. Bottom line: Not all calories are the same. Some calories make you store fat, while others make you store muscle. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241348-New-Study-Finds-Secret-to-a-Faster-Metabolism Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:50:30 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241347-US-California-Los-Angeles-County-OKs-1-000-Fine-For-Throwing-Football-Frisbee-On-Beaches When you head down to the beach for a little fun this summer, county officials want you to leave the pigskin at home. The Board of Supervisors this week agreed to raise fines to up to $1,000 for anyone who throws a football or a Frisbee on any beach in Los Angeles County. In passing the 37-page ordinance on Tuesday, officials sought to outline responsibilities for law enforcement and other public agencies while also providing clarification on beach-goer activities that could potentially disrupt or even injure the public. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241347-US-California-Los-Angeles-County-OKs-1-000-Fine-For-Throwing-Football-Frisbee-On-Beaches Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:38:56 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241346-US-Washington-Seattle-Library-Lets-Man-Watch-Porn-in-View-of-Children A Seattle librarian refused to force a man watching hardcore porn on a computer to move to a more discreet location, even after a woman with two children complained, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The Lake City librarian reportedly could see the screen, and sympathized with the woman's position, but maintained that the library "doesn't censor content" and could not "be in the business of monitoring what their patrons are doing at any given computer." According to newspaper, the woman isn't the first person to speak up. Several parents and teachers have complained about library patrons watching graphic pornography while children are present, the paper said. "Now I don't let my kids wander the aisles at our branch," one mother told the newspaper. This isn't the first time this issue of whether porn and other obscene materials should be allowed in public libraries has come up. In 1998, a U.S. District Court ruled that a Virginia county library could not force website-blocking software on their adult patrons. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241346-US-Washington-Seattle-Library-Lets-Man-Watch-Porn-in-View-of-Children Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:33:19 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241345-India-The-Werewolf-Sisters-Sangli-Sisters-Afflicted-by-Bizarre-Syndrome Pune: In an incredible quirk of fate three sisters are afflicted by one of the rarest condition in the world, affecting just one in a billion. The Sangli sisters are suffering from a rare genetic disorder known as werewolf syndrome - where they are covered from head to toe in thick hair. Savita, 23, Monisha, 18, and 16-year-old Savitri Sangli, who live in a small village near Pune, inherited the hypertrichosis universalis disorder from their father. Hypertrichosis universalis is a genetic mutation, in which cells that normally switch off hair growth in unusual areas, like the eyelids and forehead, are left switched on. The girls have abnormal hair growth on their faces, affecting their eyebrows, nose and giving them appearance of having a beard. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241345-India-The-Werewolf-Sisters-Sangli-Sisters-Afflicted-by-Bizarre-Syndrome Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:31:53 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241344-Palestinian-Rivals-Agree-to-Form-Unity-Government The leaders of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed a deal in Qatar on Monday to form a unity government of independent technocrats for the West Bank and Gaza, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The move, following the failure of exploratory Israeli-Palestinian talks aimed at reviving stalled peace negotiations, was condemned by Israel, which says the Islamist Hamas cannot be part of any peace efforts. The accord signed by President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal is supposed to pave the way for Palestinian presidential and parliamentary election possibly later this year, and to rebuild the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip following a 2008-2009 Israeli offensive against Hamas. It was not known whether the deal would be implemented. No timetable was set. A reconciliation pact Fatah and Hamas struck in May 2011 has had little substantive result but both sides said they were serious about carrying out the new accord. Abbas' Palestinian Authority supports a negotiated peace with Israel that would give Palestinians an independent state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza, co-existing alongside the Jewish state. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241344-Palestinian-Rivals-Agree-to-Form-Unity-Government Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:15:10 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241343-Pakistan-Second-US-Drone-Strike-In-2-Days-3-Dead A U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's northwest tribal region, killing three suspected militants in the second such attack in as many days, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The back-to-back strikes could be an indication the drone program is picking up steam again after a slowdown caused by tensions with Pakistan over accidental American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year. The U.S. held off on carrying out drone strikes for over six weeks after the deadly accident on Nov. 26. There have been a handful of attacks since they resumed in January, but the last two are the first consecutive strikes since the border incident. The house hit before dawn on Thursday was located in the main bazaar in Miran Shah, the biggest town in the North Waziristan tribal area, the country's main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants, said Pakistani intelligence officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241343-Pakistan-Second-US-Drone-Strike-In-2-Days-3-Dead Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:06:57 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241342-Bill-C-11-Has-Disgruntled-Canadians-Taking-Action When news of the threat Bill C-11 potentially poses broke nearly three weeks ago, the majority of Canadian observers took a hard stance against this Canadian SOPA-like anti-piracy legislation. Comments from our Bill C-11 blog were unequivocally opposed to this bill passing through the House of Commons. Tweets responding the the blog echoed that same sentiment. And the poll placed on our SOPA topic page saw an astounding 94 per cent vote against online piracy regulations. But it's not enough to simply draw a line in the sand and choose a side. The 'Stop Bill C-11: Fight Harper's proposed Copyright Act - Defend Your Data' Facebook page is encouraging followers to contact their local MPs and voice their displeasure. Several of the near 2,500 followers have done just that, and the general response has been rather positive. One follower commented on the page, stating she "just got a reply from the NDP leader, regarding my letter of concern about C-11. I can copy and paste the entire thing out, but in short, they will not be backing the bill as it is currently written." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241342-Bill-C-11-Has-Disgruntled-Canadians-Taking-Action Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:45:51 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241341-The-Mysterious-Missing-Eruption-of-1258-A-D- Over the last few weeks, we've seen a number of high-profile studies come out looking at global climate that refer to a mystery. According to ice core and sediment core records from many places on the globe, there was a very large volcanic eruption in 1258 A.D. - so big that it injected somewhere between 190-270 megatonnes into the atmosphere (to put in another way, it produced between 300 and 600 megatonnes of sulfuric acid). This would make the 1258 eruption ~8 times larger than Krakatau in 1883 and two times larger than Tambora in 1815 (when comparing their sulfate injection mass; Emile-Geay et al., 2008). So, how does the geologic community (or historical community for that matter) not have any record of such an massive eruption that happened less than 800 years ago? First, I should discuss a little bit of the evidence for the 1258 A.D. eruption. As mentioned above, there is a record of increased sulfur and ash particles in ice cores from both the North and South Poles, along with other places such as sediment from Lake Malawi (Emile-Geay et al., 2008). Now, many of these ice cores and sediment records have been dated, so we can correlate them across the globe (within error). The combined data points towards an eruption that occurred in 1258 (or possibly 1259) - in fact, based on some of the weather records from Europe, the date could be constrained to between January and mid-May 1258 (Stothers 2000). http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241341-The-Mysterious-Missing-Eruption-of-1258-A-D- Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:25:32 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241340-US-Reid-Sneaks-SOPA-Back-Into-Senate-With-New-Name Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is re-branding SOPA and the Protect IP act under a new name to launch a second round of attacks in an attempt to censor the Internet. After trying to adopt Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA), both pieces of legislation turned out to be a disaster, causing outrage among Internet giants and ordinary users alike. Congress had to retreat. However it's determined to get what it wants this time. After the shelving of SOPA and PIPA back in January Reid stated, "There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved." As RT reported last month, Senator Reid added that lawmakers will "continue engaging with all stakeholders to forge a balance between protecting Americans' intellectual property, and maintaining openness and innovation on the Internet." http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241340-US-Reid-Sneaks-SOPA-Back-Into-Senate-With-New-Name Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:04:43 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241339-US-New-Illinois-Law-Allows-Motorcyclists-to-Drive-Through-Red-Lights Have you ever sat at a red light, watching the seconds tick by wondering if the light will ever turn? Well, motorcyclists and bicycle riders in Illinois no longer have that problem. A new law now allows them to ride through red lights if the light doesn't turn green within a "reasonable period of time." But, according to the Chicago Daily Herald, not everyone thinks it's a good idea. The law was changed because proponents said motorcycles and bicycles aren't heavy enough to activate the road sensors that make lights change. Brian Wenholt, a legislative officer for Will County ABATE, said riders have wanted this law for a while. "It's something I've been complaining about, and a lot of members have too, for years and years," he said to the Orland Park Patch. ABATE stands for A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education and tries to "preserve the universal right to a safe, unrestricted motorcycling environment," reads their website. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241339-US-New-Illinois-Law-Allows-Motorcyclists-to-Drive-Through-Red-Lights Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:52:50 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241338-Facebook-Photos-Still-Viewable-After-Users-Delete-Them-Website-Finds Three years after the issue first came to light, it appears photos on Facebook that users have deleted aren't actually off the server, a website has learned. Writers at the technology blog Ars Technica found that even when they deleted photos, the image file stayed on Facebook's server and was still available, if another user had a direct URL to the image. In effect, all that deleting a photo had accomplished was removing it from Facebook's main interface. Since Ars Technica first learned of this flaw in Facebook's system back in 2009, the social networking giant has responded to say that it is working with its content delivery network (CDN) partner to resolve the issue and reduce the amount of time it takes for a photo to be deleted. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241338-Facebook-Photos-Still-Viewable-After-Users-Delete-Them-Website-Finds Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:40:49 -0600 http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241337-New-Poll-Suggests-Majority-of-Canadians-Support-the-Death-Penalty The death penalty debate in Canada resurfaced last week, when Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu suggested that murderers be given a rope in their cells "to make a decision about his or her life." It turns out, the majority of Canadians have the same sentiments as Boisvenu. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/241337-New-Poll-Suggests-Majority-of-Canadians-Support-the-Death-Penalty Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:34:31 -0600