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That estimate is out of date.

In the quake case, the investigation started because the people responsible for monitoring the situation explicitly reassured the population by telling them that there would be no big quake. Any responsible scientist, given the continuous small shakes that were ongoing, would have at least said something on the line "We believe there will be no major quake, but please do not lower your guard".

Except for the guy who warned them about it, of course.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L6566682.htm

He was muzzled for attempting to incite a panic after predicting the very same quake these other seismologists said there was no evidence for. In other words, damned if you do, damned if you don't. There was no evidence, really, not anything definitive. It was just an educated guess that happened to be correct.

What's really disgusting is the only reason the scientists said anything at all was because the government set up a panel specifically to reassure the population that there would not be an earthquake. So the scientists told the truth: there was nothing abnormal about the tremors, and there was no evidence for an impending quake. They also said that did not mean there would not be a quake, just that there was nothing to suggest there would be one. Italians obviously missed that part.

The people who should be on trial are the politicians/bureaucrats who set up the panel to begin with, not the scientists who told them exactly what they asked for (and truthfully).

At this point, if you're an Italian seismologist and the government asks you if there is going to be an earthquake, my advice is to respond with "Fuck if I know."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N18147501.htm

Can we at least see indisputable proof that Iran's development of a nuclear weapon is imminent before we go rushing in to yet another poorly-conceived war and spend trillions of dollars trying to rebuild and run a country that most Americans don't give a shit about?

Well well well... And so they pop up. The champions of Israel.

And, like Israel herself they charge with devastating and disproportionate force

Funny that in a reply to GP that I just wrote I mentioned the anti-semite label. It was just like I could see you coming...

First of all, moderate your tongue fool. Your rhetoric does not impress me. Neither do your wikipedia references.

But let me clear up some of your distorted quotes. From your dear wikipedia, the sum of victims in the events the GP mentioned is really 105. Go and check. Don't take me for a fool. I never implied that that was the total number of Jewish victims since you people started colonizing Palestine.

It is also interesting you mention that the number of victims since Sep. 2000 is

1,184 Israelis killed in the Arab terrorist acts.

and you couldn't find a more impartial source than a Jewish website. But I can.

Let's see then:

- Lebanon 2006

from Wikipedia:

The Associated Press estimated the figure at 1,035

and

However, it has been widely reported that the majority of the Lebanese killed were civilians, and UNICEF estimated that 30% of Lebanese killed were children under the age of 13.

while

Hezbollah casualty figures are difficult to ascertain, with claims and estimates by different groups and individuals ranging from 184 to 1,000.

also

Hezbollah rockets killed 43 Israeli civilians during the conflict,[19] including four who died of heart attacks from rocket attacks.

and

In addition, 4,262 civilians were injured–33 seriously wounded, 68 moderately, 1,388 lightly, and 2,773 were treated for shock and anxiety.

from Reuters

LEBANON * CASUALTIES - Nearly 1,200 dead and 4,400 wounded, mostly civilians. The dead include about 270 Hezbollah fighters and 50 Lebanese soldiers and police, as well as five U.N. peacekeepers.

ISRAEL * CASUALTIES - 158 dead, most of them soldiers killed in Lebanon and including 43 civilians killed by Hezbollah rocket attacks. About 1,500 people were wounded in rocket attacks in Israel, and 450 soldiers were hurt in the fighting in Lebanon.

So, in a 34-day conflict, your defense forces almost managed to topple your victims number with the Lebanese. I made the math for you and it gives 23 dead Lebanese civilians per 1 Israeli civilian casualty. Of which 30% are estimated children under 13.

Lets turn to Gaza now. From wikipedia, refered by Reuters and BBC

Palestinian non-combatants

B'Tselem estimate: 773 of which 107 are women and 320 are children

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights estimate: 926 of which 116 are women and 313 are children

Israeli non-combatants

B'Tselem estimate: 3

IDF estimate: 1

Taking the estimates, and doing the math, that gives 257 dead Palestinian civilians per dead Israeli civilian. And that's taking the estimate from a Jewish NGO. And I'm not even going into the Goldstone report issue. I'm just going to remind people that Goldstone is a Jewish South African judge, still that didn't stop you from labeling him an anti-semite!

So, and to finish, while there are 1184 Israeli victims since 2000, you managed to kill around 2000 civilians in two conflicts since 2006!

You'd do better in keeping the insults to yourself and your compatriots. I am no ignorant. It is you that is a deceiving zealot that claims death for those

Well well well... And so they pop up. The champions of Israel.

And, like Israel herself they charge with devastating and disproportionate force

Funny that in a reply to GP that I just wrote I mentioned the anti-semite label. It was just like I could see you coming...

First of all, moderate your tongue fool. Your rhetoric does not impress me. Neither do your wikipedia references.

But let me clear up some of your distorted quotes. From your dear wikipedia, the sum of victims in the events the GP mentioned is really 105. Go and check. Don't take me for a fool. I never implied that that was the total number of Jewish victims since you people started colonizing Palestine.

It is also interesting you mention that the number of victims since Sep. 2000 is

1,184 Israelis killed in the Arab terrorist acts.

and you couldn't find a more impartial source than a Jewish website. But I can.

Let's see then:

- Lebanon 2006

from Wikipedia:

The Associated Press estimated the figure at 1,035

and

However, it has been widely reported that the majority of the Lebanese killed were civilians, and UNICEF estimated that 30% of Lebanese killed were children under the age of 13.

while

Hezbollah casualty figures are difficult to ascertain, with claims and estimates by different groups and individuals ranging from 184 to 1,000.

also

Hezbollah rockets killed 43 Israeli civilians during the conflict,[19] including four who died of heart attacks from rocket attacks.

and

In addition, 4,262 civilians were injured–33 seriously wounded, 68 moderately, 1,388 lightly, and 2,773 were treated for shock and anxiety.

from Reuters

LEBANON * CASUALTIES - Nearly 1,200 dead and 4,400 wounded, mostly civilians. The dead include about 270 Hezbollah fighters and 50 Lebanese soldiers and police, as well as five U.N. peacekeepers.

ISRAEL * CASUALTIES - 158 dead, most of them soldiers killed in Lebanon and including 43 civilians killed by Hezbollah rocket attacks. About 1,500 people were wounded in rocket attacks in Israel, and 450 soldiers were hurt in the fighting in Lebanon.

So, in a 34-day conflict, your defense forces almost managed to topple your victims number with the Lebanese. I made the math for you and it gives 23 dead Lebanese civilians per 1 Israeli civilian casualty. Of which 30% are estimated children under 13.

Lets turn to Gaza now. From wikipedia, refered by Reuters and BBC

Palestinian non-combatants

B'Tselem estimate: 773 of which 107 are women and 320 are children

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights estimate: 926 of which 116 are women and 313 are children

Israeli non-combatants

B'Tselem estimate: 3

IDF estimate: 1

Taking the estimates, and doing the math, that gives 257 dead Palestinian civilians per dead Israeli civilian. And that's taking the estimate from a Jewish NGO. And I'm not even going into the Goldstone report issue. I'm just going to remind people that Goldstone is a Jewish South African judge, still that didn't stop you from labeling him an anti-semite!

So, and to finish, while there are 1184 Israeli victims since 2000, you managed to kill around 2000 civilians in two conflicts since 2006!

You'd do better in keeping the insults to yourself and your compatriots. I am no ignorant. It is you that is a deceiving zealot that claims death for those

You must have a different source of news on the vast Iraq war combat operations for US troops.

Huh? You claimed that "We won the war and the combat troops are coming home."

Well, you got it half right...the troops are coming home:
But the
war is
far from
over

Actually the figure is above 5 million: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L22802012.htm

BUT, it was mostly due to disease and malnutrition which were exacerbated from conflict. And honestly, as horrible as this is it's still better than other localized conflicts that happened before it (e.g. The starving of Ukraine by Russia in the 30's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor).

It's completely overwhelming when you think about how many people died in the 20th century. The bloodiest century we have ever known.

. . . but of course this is Slashdot, so most people won't really take notice. It's much easier to shake your head and say "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss," and get modded up to +5. Here's one recent example anyway:

Obama shrugs off request to drop CIA abuse probe

What a bunch of sensationalist bullshit.

* A third of Americans are obese. (*1)
* Two thirds of Americans are overweight. (*1)
* Ten percent of Americans are on anti-depressants. (*2)

Therefore, chances are that almost every demographic of people short of mountain climbers and marathon runners has a significant portion of their numbers that are obese and/or depressed (not to mention the number of people who are depressed in the general population but are not on medication or have not even been diagnosed because they have no medical coverage or are perhaps embarrassed).

I also suspect that people who are obese and/or depressed tend to watch television. Or listen to a lot of music. Or commit suicide more often. Or spend more time at home. Or any other number of things. Big deal. What is the point for this study even existing, anyway? What is it they're trying to prove? Fat and depressed people are less likely to spend their time running marathons? No fucking shit, geniuses! So what?

(*1) http://www.americansportsdata.com/obesitystats.asp
(*2) http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N03411375.htm?whichcatatetheprozac

Taking advantage of sick and gullible people for profits is NOT free speech. According to a recent reuters article http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N03411375.htm the use of prescription antidepressants DOUBLED in the USA in recent years. Now 1 in 10 americans is on frigging psychiatric medication, so yeah just keep bubbling about "free speach" while your country is going to hell. What is wrong with you??

"from the Egyptian side, if there is a blockade it is not the result of Israeli "oppression""

If they know/believe that Egypt will feel constrainted to keep their part of the border closed, then yes, it is.

Palestinians are the red headed step children of the Arab world, and I don't know, but I can well believe what you say about religion in the Arab world ( my Church is involved in setting up Christian Churches in the Middle East ). I am not sure how that makes the blockade OK. On the "large portion of Israel is Arabic", that is unsuprising, as they were the main people there before the 1947 UN mandate that gave Israel it's original borders( since biblical times, anyway ) in that land.

"So why does Egypt continue to restrict access to Gaza?

THE BURDEN OF GAZA -- Cairo believes that if it left the Egypt-Gaza border wide open Israel would wash its hands of responsibility for ensuring the Gazans receive enough to keep them alive -- food, water, medical supplies, electricity and other essentials. Egyptian diplomats say that Israel would seal the border with Gaza on its side, diverting all trade and traffic through Egypt."

From here

Although U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland yesterday withdrew his earlier comment, domestic criticism of Bush continued to rise. Skeptics said the initial aid sums -- as well as Bush's decision at first to remain cloistered on his Texas ranch for the Christmas holiday rather than speak in person about the tragedy -- showed scant appreciation for the magnitude of suffering and for the rescue and rebuilding work facing such nations as Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Indonesia. Many Bush aides believe [Bill] Clinton was too quick to head for the cameras to hold forth on tragedies with his trademark empathy. "Actions speak louder than words," a top Bush aide said, describing the president's view of his appropriate role.

Among the world's two dozen wealthiest countries, the United States often is among the lowest in donors per capita for official development assistance worldwide, even though the totals are larger. According to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development of 30 wealthy nations, the United States gives the least -- at 0.14 percent of its gross national product, compared with Norway, which gives the most at 0.92 percent.

Reuters has a nice infographic comparing the total amounts donated by 20 countries for the tsunami relief effort. http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/aidtracker/index.htm The United States was at the top in absolute amounts, but lowest in the ratio government aid to private aid (its citizens are more generous the the government) and about 16th in aid per capita.

Or send my son. He's four. I'll consent for him.

With food riots in Haiti you'll not lack for volunteers.

It's a small lifeboat after all. There's not room enough in it for everybody.

Hey, I'm smart, educated, resourceful and healthy. If you won't go send me!

And of course: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L307650.htm So basically, Maliki's government completely failed in the most important objective to actually de-arm these forces.

The video linked to by parent is complete quackery. The autism-vaccine link has been thoroughly disproven many times now. In countries where vaccinations are not combined or where vaccines do not contain thimerosal (e.g. Denmark, Japan), autism rates rise as much as anywhere else; the obvious and correct explanation is better diagnosis and a significant loosening of diagnostic criteria. Contrary to what the "doctor" in the video claims, most autistics do not have anything like the gastroenteritis symptoms that are supposedly indicative of "vaccine poisioning". His claim that 100% of autistics have such symptoms is am intentional lie. Here is some more real information on these issues from the good folks at Quackwatch.

fairly meditate between palestinians and israelis ?

You do realise that the palestinians refuse to shake hands with israeli's as peace conferences, right ? WHO doesn't want peace here ? If this isn't the worst kind of racism, then what is ?

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26424077.htm

There can be no peace with people who want war. And any muslim who doesn't want war is not a muslim (quran 2:219), this is to be interpreted literally (quran 3:7). Also did you know that you are "less than an animal" to any muslim (quran 8:55, again whoever disagrees with this is not a muslim, so speaks allah)

The fact that you even have to ask that question demonstrates the power of long-term propaganda. Growing up knowning nothing but huge, overly complex, insanely powerful government, the average individual can't even imagine that life without the welfare-warfare state is possible. The god-like "right" to choose for another man whether he lives or dies -- an integral part of the welfare-warfare state -- barely raises an eyebrow when it is exercised. Even as airstrikes slaughter women and children in far-away lands, most still cling on to the fairytale that human morality somehow permits one man to choose for another whether he lives or dies.

To even consider that there can be a worse violation of human rights than murder itself just isn't human, if you ask me.

It's interesting how you failed to mention even one instance of "collateral damage", i.e. where occupation troops kill innocents directly, including women and children.

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4

Not to point fingers, but I'm curious as to whether you're simply unaware, or something else held you back.

Of course, a real study of the thickness of the ice sheet shows that it's actually GROWING, an average of 5.4 cm per year. If you only look at the edges, yes they're losing 2 cm per year. Of course, the vast majority of the ice sheet is in the center, and it's GROWING by 6.4 cm per year.

Selective data is oft-used on the pro-AGW side; when a basic flaw in the underlying data is discovered, rather than doing the proper scientific thing - which is to step back, re-examine the data, your process, and your conclusions - the modus operandi seems to be to slander the source, label, attack, and whine.

So I assume we can wait for you to take the ESA to task for their latest measurements showing that Greenland is NOT melting away, since it does not fit the current AGW claims?

Not a denier, just one who's keeping an open mind, looking at the data critically...

Seems if you want something not to be pirated in China, how about adding extras like the Dalai Lama, Falon Gong or Tiananmen Square? Software makers, be sure to feature a Falon Gong extra in the tutorials. Movie makers: How about a cameo by the Dalai Lama in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Google Maps: when you zoom in on Tiananmen, show perspective mapped photos of what really happened.

Seriously: I have a friend who just got back from a visit in China. He said the Communist Party is very scared about losing its grip on society. They've very, very worried about losing control. Something you haven't heard in the mainstream media: Chinese, particularly the poorer ones, are really sick of the rich getting richer. When the Chinese Government wants to build a road, they pick a poor area, flatten it and kick the poor locals out. Increasingly, people are getting sick of it and the government is worried: This is why they're banning things left, right and center: http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/2275.asp http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK165285 .htm http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/21/world/asia/21cnd -china.html?ex=1337400000&en=578ee101ec63e955&ei=5 090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

For instance, the main reasons for the favourable trend in Germany in the 90s are an effort to increase efficiency in power plants and the restructuring of the industry of the former DDR after reunification

s/restructuring/collapse.

Why do you think Europe was so keen to pick 1990 as the base year, and the USA/Canada are not so keen on it? Why do you think Russia signed on to Kyoto at all? The collapse of the communist economies led to emissions reductions, all right, giving Germany a big head start (their CO2 emissions reduced 16% from 1990-1995 as the former DDR's economy collapsed; their emissions have flat-lined since) and Russia a bunch of "hot air" credits that they could sell to the highest bidders (their emissions fell almost 30% in the early 90s and have also flat-lined since).

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L3012256. htm

http://cdiac.ornl.gov/ftp/trends/emissions/rus.dat

You make me sick. The number of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines over there doing good things for the locals VASTLY outnumbers your disgusting stereotypes.

You state the existence of that vast disproportion based on what empirical evidence, exactly?

Because those who know better have this.

Don't fall prey to a blind, unthinking, tibal nationalism. The "Good Germans" have pioneered that one before you to perfection and you should mind the results.

Just because they are "your" guys, that does not automatically make them (or even a vast majority of them) "good".

The enlisted men that are honestly "good guys" trying to to good in a bad situation are many and plenty.

Really?

I am told the "Good Germans" also sang accolades about their "good guys" in the Wehrmacht.

Don't fall prey to a blind, unthinking, tibal nationalism.

Just because they are "your" guys, that does not make them "good".

I'm sorry, but this is just blatent revisionism. The entire media fell in line with the Bush administration during the lead up to war. (The New York Times most notably.) During the invasion of they unquestioningly followed the official line. Anyone that challenged the official line was either thrown off the air (Phil Donahue most notably) or simply ignored. The media was played (The white house spreads the disinformation that Iraq has aluminium tubes to create a centrafuge, and then quotes that same story as support for what they're saying). Everyone got they're war on. The media thouugh, "I've got connections! I can get a Pulitzer! Explosions equal ratings!" The White House said, "My God! Our 9 year wet dream of invading Iraq has finaly come true!"

Of course the invasion worked. No one ever doubted that. The media never questioned the official line right up until Abu Ghraib. Then they said, "What the hell?" just like anyone reasonable person would. Then they decided to report that for all the talk of "supporting the troops," the solidiers didn't have enough armor. It's just that now the official line has diveged so much from reality, you can't ignore it. Do you honestly believe Tony Snow believes himself when he compares Baghdad to when Washington DC was the "murder capital?"

It's convient to say that no one know what's going on, but that's simply isn't true. There's a civil war on, and the situation in Iraq has steadily gotten worse. Hell, Cheney is over there in May 9th and says, "Violence is down fairly dramatically," And then an explosion rocks the very building. This week the State Department said that everyone going outside the buildings in the green zone needs to wear body armor. This is bad. 30 bodies a day are being found. That's the work of militia death squads. Four years ago, we didn't have those problems. The Iraqi Ministry of Education reports that only 30% of school aged children attend class, because they're parents fear for their safety. That's down from 75% last year. There's been a steady exodus of highly educated professionals from that country. We're talking doctors, teachers, people needed to maintain a cohesive society. McCain visits Baghdad and says, "Look I can walk though a market, and the generals don't need armor." He had 100 guards, armor, and attack helicopters with him, to walk through a market that mostly closed becaused no one wanted their picture taken with the Americans. The Army issued a statment saying that McCain was "mistaken" when he said Prateaus would go about Baghdad without armor. McCain didn't even belive himself.

This situation in Iraq is is bad. It is very very bad.

It's very convienent and comforting to believe that Fox is telling the truth, and everyone else is lying, but that simply isn't true. Even if you ignore the fact that Fox News has gone lockstep with the Republican party since its inception; you have the entire world media on one side, and then you have Fox News. Who you going to believe? Well obviously Fox, since everyone hates America, including a majority of Americans.

Fox News demostably has lousy coverage. Numerious media studies have show that people that primarily get their information from Fox News are grossly misinformed. But I'm sure that's just because reality has a well known liberal bias.

Not because they have a laptop, but instead because they have access to textbooks, communication, and unfiltered information.

60% of households in India do not have electricity yet according to Reuters. I assume they are going to have to wait for a massive electrification program before that is possible.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07237764 .htm

Hi all, this is my first post. I know this is off topic, but upon reading this it struck me that the Australian government are quite daft when it comes to the law. I mean I was watching the telly the other day and up pops John Howard; he was saying he's looking at changing the law to stop HIV-positive people coming to Australia. I don't know what you might think but I think the moral implications are scary. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD219295 .htm As far as I'm concerned forcing Internet providers to cut off their customers is out right stupidity. I was reading about this push to revamp the internet and the first thing that struck me is, they're going to force the world to go underground, I mean how many internets do we need? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070413/ap_on_hi_te/re building_the_internet I think most people are decent enough, and will do what they can get away with by and large, but once you open a big door like the internet, I can't see most people being satisfied with it being slammed in their face.

• SlashDot's Firehose
• Reuters AlertNet
• A 10 minute delayed AP wire page (or if I'm at the TV station, I just check the live wire)
• Google News
• Topix
• CNN affiliate newsfeed website
• BBC News
• Local college's news page
• Local news website run by a local
• (2x) Regional newspaper page
• Drudge Report

Google should arm leftist guerillas in key areas with high-value ecosystems: e.g., the rain forest. In exchange for arming the guerillas, they agree to help the environments by killing poachers and blowing up companies that rape the environment.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N17363374 .htm

To put this into perspective you have roughly a 1 in 80,000 chance of dying from an act of terrorism, almost twice the odds that this thing will strike the Earth. Now think about that. The odds of this think hitting the PLANET is greater than any 1 person being killed by a terrorist. Now look back at how much time and money has been spent on combating those that use terrorism to accomplish their goals.

Think about it where our priorities should be.

For reference, Meteor Crater in Arizona, which is about a mile wide and 500 feet deep, was created by a ~66' wide meteor. Apophis is ~450' wide. If another meteor the size of the one from Arizona were to hit a city, which is twice as likely to happen than a terrorist strike, it'd be akin to a nuclear detonation. If something the size of Apophis should strike the earth, well, say goodbye to whatever county (or small state) it lands in.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_mond ay_040412.html

'There is some anecdotal evidence from prior pandemic outbreaks that masks may have helped, but no firm data'

I believe this line of reasoning to be mistaken to some degree - evolution of man and squirrel alike indeed continued apace until ~approx 100 000 years ago, when modern man first left Africa and the laws of evolution ceased to apply to humans, due to the plasticity of spandrels. Hence, positing evolution of humanity is incorrect in timespans extending much further back than a mere 6000 years. After this no evolution whatsoever has taken place among humans, and therefore the article referenced above must be incorrect.

It is hard to determine if this study and many other recent similar ones implying recent evolution in humans are driven by mere ignorance or if more sinister motives are at work. The author referenced here, one Nicholas Wade, is notable for engaging in ideologically dubious activities, such as his recent book "Before the Dawn". He must be watched closely, or his dangerous line of thinking might be allowed to spread among the easily manipulated masses.

Prof. Beata Brattenschlick
Dept. of Deconstruction, University of Copenhagen

References:

"Before the Dawn":
http://www.amazon.com/Before-Dawn-Recovering-Histo ry-Ancestors/dp/1594200793

"Breakthrough in human genetics":
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22205028 .htm

No hurricanes but plenty of force 8 winds in the Aegean throughout the summer months (sorry can't find ref. but have been told about this by Greek friends)

Saddam Hussein and six others face new charges over a campaign of killings, arrests, deportation and property destruction known as the Anfal.

Human rights groups say 180,000 civilians died in the campaign.

Over one million Iraqis are believed to be missing in Iraq as a result of executions, wars and defections, of whom hundreds of thousands are thought to be in mass graves.

Saddam is due to appear for a routine hearing on Tuesday of his second trial, for genocide against ethnic Kurds in 1988. In the meantime, he is held by the U.S. military at Camp Cropper, part of the U.S. base at Baghdad airport. The five judges in the Dujail case are expected also to publish the detailed, unanimous ruling, running to some 200 to 300 pages. It is eagerly awaited by international jurists keen to judge how the court performed.

All eight were tried on charges stemming from a massacre of Shiites from the town of Dujail. When Saddam visited there in 1982 gunmen attempted to assassinate him. In response thousands of men, women, and children were sent to detention camps, huge swathes of farms and groves were destroyed, and 148 men and boys were sentenced to death by Bandar's Revolutionary Court. 46 of those sentenced were tortured to death before they ever reached a courtroom. Some of those sentenced were as young as 11, they were held until they turned 18 and then killed.

Saddam Hussein personally signed documents ordering the killing of 148 Shia villagers in Dujail, handwriting experts have concluded.....

At earlier hearings, Saddam Hussein acknowledged signing execution orders, saying it was his duty as president of Iraq. But he later appeared to dispute their authenticity.

Saddam is due to appear for a routine hearing on Tuesday of his second trial, for genocide against ethnic Kurds in 1988. In the meantime, he is held by the U.S. military at Camp Cropper, part of the U.S. base at Baghdad airport. The five judges in the Dujail case are expected also to publish the detailed, unanimous ruling, running to some 200 to 300 pages. It is eagerly awaited by international jurists keen to judge how the court performed.

things are MUCH worse than that in the US:

"Some US prisons terrorize inmates with dogs-report"

"BOSTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Dogs are allowed to terrify and even bite unruly prisoners who refuse to leave their cells in five U.S. states, a human rights group said on Tuesday, comparing the policy to abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N10550917 .htm

On the contrary.

Good journalism doesn't involve censoring oneself because someone else wants you to do so. In fact, good journalism can and often is the very act of doing the opposite. If you're going to argue that journalistic censorship is a good thing, you then open the door to arguments such as "we shouldn't be talking about Falun Gong and the people who practice it because China hates that" or "we shouldn't be publishing anything that dictator X of country Y feels doesn't advance his/her causes" (in that case, we wouldn't know about illegal warrantless wiretapping here in the US, for example, because the publishing of the story was not in line with the power grab plans of the government).

Good journalism is telling the truth and getting that truth out to the people. Good journalism is not altering the truth to make it more palatable or convenient. Good journalism is not changing what one writes or photographs in order to get a more pleasing reaction to anyone from your words or images.

Reuters AlertNet - Reuters drops freelance Lebanese photographer over image

Fired. For altering the news and obscuring the truth. That's how unacceptable alteration of the truth really is. News organizations have an obligation to their readers or viewers -- and not to present, as one episode of a TV drama once put it as it covered the use of news manipulation, "the illusion of truth". (Guide page: "The Illusion of Truth"; notice in the summary that the writers also were honoring those blacklisted by anti-communist activists in the 1950s for producing material that was inconvenient to others).

Good journalism, then, is not censorship -- by any governmental body or by oneself.

Well, not that I'm a good sample size when it comes to statistics, but I lift weights regularly and most people consider me in excellent physical shape (6 foot, 185 lbs). I'm vegetarian, not vegan, so I do end up drinking milk, though not much cheese. I have a master's degree in biology and while you can find dietary experts claiming completely opposite things, I'd like to think that I've thought about things carefully over the last fifteen years or so.

Processed foods are very much a problem. That includes meat - people who eat large amounts of processed meat appear to have increased cancer risks. I would rather see people replacing them with fruits, vegetables, and grain, however. They cost less, it's better for the environment, and it's better for your health.

Land in America isn't a problem (though you're ignoring the rest of the world wanting beef), but other issues are. Fresh water is being used up faster than it's being stored. Beef requires a lot of grain, and grain requires fresh water. Plus remember that around 20% of our beef is imported, around 3.2 billion pounds in 2002. That requires land and other resources in other countries as well (mostly Canada and Australia).

I'm not saying eating meat is inherently evil. There's lots of other sources of protein in the world that appear to be healthier and use less resources. I see meat being used as a seasoning for dishes, not the main meal at every sitting. Toss in some chicken for your salad, have some slices of turkey on your sandwich. Just don't go out for steak and burgers every meal.

Yeah! Who cares if he executes gays and has the human rights record of Stalin with a bad hangover! He "reads books".

Well, one book, anyway. His thugs like to burn other books, torture journalists and threaten to murder Booker Prize-winning authors.

You're sickening, son.

Sorry you were born without a conscience.

"The photographer has denied deliberately attempting to manipulate the image, saying that he was trying to remove dust marks and that he made mistakes due to the bad lighting conditions he was working under," said Moira Whittle, the head of public relations for Reuters.

The trouble is that Israel doesn't actually try to avoid civillian casualties.

Really?

Israel believes their enemy has taken base in civilian locations. Perhaps Israel should just toss in the towel? "We'd like to bomb our enemies but, crap, they're living in grandma's basement. Guess we concede." Instead, they seem to be making an effort to tell civilians to get the hell out of dodge because the bombs will soon be dropping.

Yeah, it sure sucks for the families in Lebanon who likely don't really have anywhere else to go. Innocents are dying on both sides of the border and it's terrible. But it's pretty bold -- and, from what I've seen at least, wrong -- to say that Israel "doesn't actually try to avoid civilian casualties."

But anti-tank mines can be detonated by things that are not tanks such as busses and lorries and even cars if
the mines become unstable (as most explosives do) due to age.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK168565 .htm

I'm getting 504s on TFA and Google News' link to the ZDNet article covering it. Is it very different from what Reuters is repoting on what Zimbabwe's doing?

-l

Yeah, that was on Fark the other day.

lemme dig up the link (...) ...ah here:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L06153755 .htm

GAZA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - When entrepreneur Ahmed Abu Dayya first heard that Danish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad were being reprinted across Europe, he knew exactly what his customers in Gaza would want: flags to burn.

Abu Dayya ordered 100 hard-to-find Danish and Norwegian flags for his Gaza City shop and has been doing a swift trade.

Funny you should say that. Fark had a link to an article which found out where the people in the Gaza Strip got their hands on Danish flags so quickly. Turns out a businessman was selling them ($11 a flag).

In the article he mentions that he gets the Israeli flags which are regularly burned during protests from an Israeli merchant. Talk about capitalism!

Here's the Reuters link in question.

>Seriously though, isn't it amazing how readily available flags of Nordic Countries seems to be down there?

Capitalism saves the day for outraged fundies!

When entrepreneur Ahmed Abu Dayya first heard that Danish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad were being reprinted across Europe, he knew exactly what his customers in Gaza would want: flags to burn. Reuters

No. When 9/11, anthrax, Afghanistan and Iraq came along, I wasn't scared - because I knew enough about military and terrorist actions and weapons to correctly asses risk. I knew neither Afghanistan nor Iraqi Freedom would be as bad a Vietnam - and they aren't. Our media is full of souless fearmongers. Cars scare me to death. Why? US population: 295,734,134 9/11 deaths: 2,986 Number killed in Iraq (DoD confirmed as of Jan. 5, 2006): 2,182 total deaths Number killed in Afghanistan: 259 Number of people killed by anthrax attacks: 5 TOTAL TERROR RELATED AMERICAN DEATHS: 5,432 Number of murders in the US in 2003: 16,528 Americans are three times better at killing Americans than people who are suicidally desperate to kill Americans. Number killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2001: 42,443 Cars are eight times more deadly than terrorists. According to Reuters on http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30502206 .htm "As many people die every 26 days on U.S. roads as were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks" Vietnam War deaths: 58,226 American deaths in WWII: 400,000 % of Americans killed by terrorism: 0.0018367849279109593754233320932781 TERRORISTS ARE PUSSIES CARS ARE THE REAL KILLERS If Osama wants to be really deadly, he should learn to drive.

This spells the end for revolutions, for insurgents, freedom fighters whatever you want to call them. This is the final nail in the coffin of home made firearms against your government. Oppressive governments rejoice!

Sad?
So you are sad for the romantic freedom fighters, but not for happy rescue workers?
Good idea, lets stop helpful technological advances in order not to let the evil government agents look through walls.

That disn't happen in my country.
While there was a Communist Party, probably helped by the USSR, they didn't have an important role. While they had some armed people, the aremed faction was too small (tens of people in the armed branch, thousands of people affiliated, maybe). Right now they are finding tortured
There was a small independent guerrilla group (MLN-Tupamaros) that wanted something like a full scale revolution. They were all jailed by 1972, and after that, the military, with support from the US in fighting the "communist" threat (again, the CP didn't play a role here) started a regime that lasted 12 years, fighting against a phantom enemy, and holding hostage the population . Some of the remains of the people they were after were found last week: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29267213 .htm (in the article they talk about a 12-year fight aganst Tupamaros, but when they started the "fight", all tumpamaros were already in jail).

What I was trying to tell you is that my country, and I know many others in South America too, have been financially destroyed by US communism fears, that helped stupid dictators acheive power, and scammed them into getting loans we can't pay right now.

So, I am ok with not getting more financial aid from the US. It has proved too costly for us to deal with the US. But that doesn't mean that the US doesn't have anything to do with our problems. They are one of the most important causes.

In short: no, we don't want your aid, and yes, it's your fault, too.