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I once asked a guy from Iraq about this. His country is facing massive starvation, medical problems, and decaying infrasturcture due to the U.N. Sanctions. Sanctions which aren't weakening Saddam any. (see here or here[msword warning])

He personally had no need for a server farm. But he did need a news source. People support the sanctions he feels because the don't know how bad they really are. , but a news source, some way of getting the word out to the public, an Indymedia or a Cryptome. Something to inform the world of what is happening. That alone can make all the difference by motivating others to make changes or even volunteer their time.

I'd suggest looking at one of those sites or starting another if you prefer.
If you'd rather have a job the WHO is advertising for Professional staff (including IT).

I once asked a guy from Iraq about this. His country is facing massive starvation, medical problems, and decaying infrasturcture due to the U.N. Sanctions. Sanctions which aren't weakening Saddam any. (see here or here[msword warning])

He personally had no need for a server farm. But he did need a news source. People support the sanctions he feels because the don't know how bad they really are. , but a news source, some way of getting the word out to the public, an Indymedia or a Cryptome. Something to inform the world of what is happening. That alone can make all the difference by motivating others to make changes or even volunteer their time.

I'd suggest looking at one of those sites or starting another if you prefer.
If you'd rather have a job the WHO is advertising for Professional staff (including IT).

Yeah i am bored and read these, and you can too.

• Some bubonic plauge history.
  
• Center for disease control plague info.
  
• Current Bubonic Plague treatment and here.
  
• Plague outbreak news

A recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report giving field measurements taken around selected impact sites in Kosovo (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) indicates that contamination by DU in the environment was localized to a few tens of metres around impact sites. Contamination by DU dusts to local vegetation and water supplies was found to be extremely low. Thus, the possibility of significant exposure to the local populations was found to be very low.

So if you could provide some links that show that "cancer rates have shot up", I'd appreciate it, because otherwise it looks like you're making things up to push your own particular agenda.

It's not the kids fault for being idiots and talking ot people online that they never knew and then going out behind their parents backs and getting molested.

I know this was meant to be sarcastic, but there are a number of factual errors here which should be pointed out in the interest of accuracy.

As a piece of background, it might be handy to know that I've worked with a number of adult survivors of childhood abuse. My wife has worked with many more than I. In every case we've dealt with, none were abused by a "people [...] that they never knew".

Research (e.g. by the WHO) shows that this is not isolated. The common case is that a child is abused by a male[1], a trusted individual known to them, and usually in a position of authority (often a parent or other relative, neighbour, teacher, priest etc). Furthermore, the child most at risk for this kind of abuse is one who does not have a sufficiently caring and intimate family life. Abusers prey on loneliness and provide the intimacy that children need, albeit in a more damaging form.

Children being abused by the "stranger on the street" (or on the net, for that matter) is extremely rare. Naturally, it gets reported a lot when it does happen.

The moral of the story is that if the protection of children is the desired outcome, looking for paedophiles "out there" is precisely the wrong thing to do.

[1] BTW, in case you're curious why there's a sex disparity here, it might be helpful to know that females tend to abuse in different ways. Women (usually mothers) are more likely to be physically or emotionally abusive than sexually abusive. It does happen, but it's rare. Also, while men tend to physically abuse more, women tend to physically abuse worse, because they tend to use weapons. (Brooms, spoons, belts etc.)

Having done my thesis on just this topic, I'd like to point out that Japan is fifth in the world when it comes to its suicide rates. Hungary has been in the lead for quite a while, but with the recent breakup of the Soviet Union, much higher rates of suicide have emerged from several former Soviet republics. The current suicide rate leader is Estonia.

See the chart here.

It would have been nice to see these in order of ranking, though.

Dancin Santa

Not widespread by any means, but definitely more than a misremembering of an NPR report.

If next time you are going to make a statement as serious as "there is female genital mutilation in india" or "there is no female genital mutilation in india" in a public forum, you would check with Google first, it would be to the betterment for us all. Just a thought.

Not widespread by any means, but definitely more than a misremembering of an NPR report.

If next time you are going to make a statement as serious as "there is female genital mutilation in india" or "there is no female genital mutilation in india" in a public forum, you would check with Google first, it would be to the betterment for us all. Just a thought.

According to the World Health Organization, over 95% of all HIV/AIDS cases and death occur in the developing world. (see the WHO website). Over 2.2 million deaths were reported in 1998 due to AIDS.

Most people are not aware that AIDS receives more money for pharmacutical research per death than any other disease likely to affect a person living in the US, including cancer, heart disease, and other diseases that cause more death in the US. This is unfortunate considering Malaria used to cause more damage on a worldwide basis (and probably continues to do so) than has AIDS (however, the AIDS epidemic is quickly growing). You might ask why pharmacutical companies didn't spend more money earlier on Malaria.

Malaria doesn't really affect people in the United States. But I wonder why more money isn't spent on cancer, heart disease, etc, especially considering that it is rather simple to stop the spread of HIV by not f%@#ing around with other people.

Obviously, drug companies invest money in hopes of making a profit.

Malaria kills at on average one child every thirty seconds, and according to the World Health Organization, Malaria kills about 2.5 million people annually. Malaria used to be by far the leading cause of infectious disease deaths, but AIDS is a fierce competitor at this time.

http://www.ent.orst.edu/burgettm/
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nie/report/ ni e99-17d.html
http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1999/jan/opin_990 10 4.html

safety Sorry No. Go down and have a look at the 'murder' columns, shows a value of deaths per 100k. US ends up w/ double digits with countries like the USSR, Latvia & Brazil - Drastically higher than sub 2 values of star performers like Canada, Belgium, Greece and Japan..

freedom Sorry No. Have a look at the Corruption Index (Scroll to Table 1), American Imperialism (and here), McArthyism.. I wont bother with the links: DMCA, Marijuana Prohibition, Prostitution, Collusive Monopolies (RIAA/MPAA), The Cuban Embargo, Kent State Massacre, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bay of Pigs, Iran-Contra Affair, Watergate, Assassinations of John/Bobby Kennedy & MLK, Invasion of Granada, The War on Drugs, Internet Censorship in Schools/Libraries, Consumerism, Work holism, Invasion of Dominican Republic, Gulf War, Systemic Racism (weak gay rights)... etc etc

quality of life Sorry No. Canada has the highest Standard of Living on the planet - 7 years running...

I went to Chicago for NewYears eve to visit some friends. On the way home we heard a news reporter 'lead out of a story' by saying "...and after all; we are the richest and most powerful people in the world." What I began to think is that Americans have begun to treat their 'democracy' (*ahem*) like a Religion. There is no debate. They have enjoyed a very good 150 years - and like all successful civilizations; it will eventually end. If America didnt have such a large piece of 'virgin' North America to exploit for natural resources, and did host a World War (or two) Im betting the world would be a very different place. The 'success' of America dosnt prove the 'rightness' of Capitalism - so get that out of your head. America's 'success' is not success at all! (See adbusters.org about consumerism and mindlessness). America would do itself a favour and learn a little collective humility. Surely the last election has taught you something...

The system has been horribly corrupt by politicians and business people 'on the take'. Their is no longer anyone in Washington who intends to lead Americans. To help America lead and become better global citizens - and try their best to help set a good example - and take examples from those who are already doing good. No person on this planet should be without the rights described in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the US Constitution (or similar documents written or yet-to-be written). Like it or not this is a Global Village and we should be working together for the good of us all.

I refuse to become cynical and jadded. People will respond that this is 'The Real World' - to that I suggest people decide what we are choosing to make this 'Real World' become? Like it or not our collective action/inaction everyday sets the course for the future. We need to stop the 'present' America from setting the course that it is now (and using arms/propaganda to force others into capitulating). (I wont bother with the globalization/imperialist/enslavement/end-of-the-p lanet scenario that is our current future).

Please American PEOPLE do something about your government.

America, as the most market-oriented society, is pretty damn good at many things, but that their healthcare system is blatantly inefficient (go to Table 1, and look at the "Overall health system performance" index) for such a wealthy and well-equipped country.

This issue is really ridiculous. Things that are cause suffering and chronic hunger include:

• Wasted food and poor food distribution
• Overpopulation
• Poor countries exporting monocultured plants that are meant only for rich western markets, thus using their land to grow stuff for us
• Lack of available Education and Health Care
• Low wages and exploitation of cheap, desperate people for labor

If we attack malnourishment problems one vitamin at a time, we will never solve real issues like lack of viable social infasturctures for countries with chronic hunger problems, (including the UNITED STATES!). The best way to solve a problem with as many causes as malnourishment has is not to throw at it an expensive, narrow soloution that will be merely a remedy for one symptom of chronic hunger...
CHECK OUT for more info:
FOOD FIRST
PUBLIC EDUCATION NETWORK
World Health Organization

"Many users rely on resources that rate web sites that provide information and products. Others rely on "trust-marks" or a seal designating that the site abides by a given standard. Problems with these approaches have been that 1) ratings can never be complete nor comprehensive and depend heavily on the tools used, and 2) adherence to trust-mark standards cannot be enforced."

1. Web site registers its name and address with WHO website
2. WHO official examines site.
3. On approval an approval number is generated, the site name, address, comments and approval number are added to a WHO database, and the webmaster is emailed a link to display on their site, which links to "http://who.int/approve.php?approvalnumber=1234"
4. The DU (Dumb User) clicks the link. The WHO page approve.php reads the parameter, looks up the approval database and displays the site name, address, comments.
5. DU is convinced, order is restored to the galaxy.

They are currently http://www.who.int. I'd never heard of .int before, but the IANA say it's for "organizations established by international treaties between or among national governments", and it's in RFC 1591.
(.un seems to be free as a two-letter pseudo-country code (cf. .eu) if there is a need to distinguish UN related organizations from other international ones.)

1) Yes RF may be non-ionizing, but it does get absorbed by the human body, and it must be converted into something (usually heat). I have heard that exposure to strong RF energy will cause cataracts (the eyes are apparently the most sensitive to RF energy). See this WHO page. Note we talking about power levels in the hundreds of watts. Kinda like your microwave oven, but not enough for you head to explode like an egg or any other immediate effects. The strongest handheld transmitter I have used is 5 watts.

2) Even with the same power level different antennas radiate different amounts of energy towards the human head. Energy that is absorbed by the head is lost and is useless for communication, in addition to possible health hazards. The EE department at my University was doing research in the area. I saw 3D models of the human head and the power absorbed by the different tissues due to particular cell phones. They were working on antennas that radiated less power towards the head, and more away.

Maybe the U.S. isn't planning to invade with its Army, but even as I type the hellish, demonic IMF sits upon the neck of the Russian citizen.

Don't take my word for it. Just look at the real bottom line, national mortality rates. First read the RAND institute on mortality in Russia after the "free market" set bomb on the Russian population; in particular, examine table 4.1, which shows male life expectancy in Russia declined from 64.9 years in 1987 to 59.0 in 1993. Then to be assured that the fatal trend of capitalism versus the Russian working man has not abated, much less reversed, here's the World Health Organization documenting how male life expectancy has continued to drop still further to 56.1 years in 2000! How would you feel, guy, were eight years delibertely axed off your life solely for the benefit of speculators and profiteers?

The fact is that the accursed U.S.A. and the capitaliism for which it stands have achieved a leap in the mortality rate in Russia of which even Hitler would be proud, and jealous.

And capitalism would cheerfully do exactly the same thing to you and all the members of your family and everyone you love, right here at home (wherever your home is), tomorrow, if this week's scheme seemed the slightest bit likely to increase the overall net wealth of the profit gluttons.

Sorry, reader, if I've insulted your intelligence by explicating the blatantly obvious at such tedious length.

Yours WDK - WKiernan@concentric.net

• RF Fields above 10 GHz are absorbed at the skin surface, with very little of the energy penetrating into the underlying tissues.
• For adverse health effects, such as eye cataracts and skin burns, to occur from exposure to RF fields above 10 GHz, power densities above 1000 W/m2 are needed. Such densities are not found in everyday life. They do exist in very close proximity to powerful radars. Current exposure standards preclude human presence in this areas.
• RF fields between 1 MHz and 10 GHz penetrate exposed tissues and produce heating due to energy absorption in these tissues. The depth of pentration of the RF field into the tissue depends on the frequency of the field and is greater for lower frequencies.
• An SAR of at least 4 W/kg is needed to produce adverse health effects in people exposed to RF fields in this frequency range. Such energies are found tens of meters away from powerful FM antennas at the top of high towers, which makes these areas inaccessible.
• Most adverse health effects that could occur from exposure to RF fields between 1 MHz and 10 GHz are consistent with responses to induced heating, resulting in rises in tissue or body temperatures higher than 1C.