Russia in secret plan to save Earth from asteroid: official
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 12:41 pm
posted by: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
monkey_kong in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif)
ontd_political
MOSCOW — Russian scientists will soon meet in secret to work on a plan for saving Earth from a possible catastrophic collision with a giant asteroid in 26 years, the head of Russia's space agency said Wednesday.
"We will soon hold a closed meeting of our collegium, the science-technical council to look at what can be done" to prevent the asteroid Apophis from slamming into the planet in 2036, Anatoly Perminov told Voice of Russia radio.
"We are talking about people's lives," Perminov was quoted by news agencies as telling the radio station.
"Better to spend a few hundred million dollars to create a system for preventing a collision than to wait until it happens and hundreds of thousands of people are killed," he said.
The Apophis asteroid measures approximately 350 metres (1,150 feet) in diameter and RIA Novosti news agency said that if it were to hit Earth when it passes nearby in 2036 it would create a new desert the size of France.
Perminov said a serious plan to prevent such a catastrophe would probably be an international project involving Russian, European, US and Chinese space experts.
Interfax quoted him as saying that one option would be to build a new "space apparatus" designed solely for the purpose of diverting Apophis from a collision course with Earth safely.
"There won't be any nuclear explosions," Perminov said. "Everything will be done according to the laws of physics. We will examine all of this."
In a statement dated from October and posted on its website, the US space agency NASA said new calculations on the path of Apophis indicated "a significantly reduced likelihood of a hazardous encounter with Earth in 2036."
"Updated computational techniques and newly available data indicate the probability of an Earth encounter on April 13, 2036, for Apophis has dropped from one-in-45,000 to about four-in-a-million," NASA said.
RIA Novosti said the asteroid was expected to pass within 30,000 kilometres (18,600 miles) of Earth in 2029 -- closer than some geo-stationary satellites -- and could shift course to hit Earth seven years years after that.
source
Badass. Nasa should get in on that.
"We will soon hold a closed meeting of our collegium, the science-technical council to look at what can be done" to prevent the asteroid Apophis from slamming into the planet in 2036, Anatoly Perminov told Voice of Russia radio.
"We are talking about people's lives," Perminov was quoted by news agencies as telling the radio station.
"Better to spend a few hundred million dollars to create a system for preventing a collision than to wait until it happens and hundreds of thousands of people are killed," he said.
The Apophis asteroid measures approximately 350 metres (1,150 feet) in diameter and RIA Novosti news agency said that if it were to hit Earth when it passes nearby in 2036 it would create a new desert the size of France.
Perminov said a serious plan to prevent such a catastrophe would probably be an international project involving Russian, European, US and Chinese space experts.
Interfax quoted him as saying that one option would be to build a new "space apparatus" designed solely for the purpose of diverting Apophis from a collision course with Earth safely.
"There won't be any nuclear explosions," Perminov said. "Everything will be done according to the laws of physics. We will examine all of this."
In a statement dated from October and posted on its website, the US space agency NASA said new calculations on the path of Apophis indicated "a significantly reduced likelihood of a hazardous encounter with Earth in 2036."
"Updated computational techniques and newly available data indicate the probability of an Earth encounter on April 13, 2036, for Apophis has dropped from one-in-45,000 to about four-in-a-million," NASA said.
RIA Novosti said the asteroid was expected to pass within 30,000 kilometres (18,600 miles) of Earth in 2029 -- closer than some geo-stationary satellites -- and could shift course to hit Earth seven years years after that.
source
Badass. Nasa should get in on that.
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Chinese zoo tigers being butchered for meat
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 03:42 pm
posted by: fenris_lorsrai in ontd_political
December 29, 2009--Tourists feed tigers at the Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park, a private zoo in Guillin, China, in an undated photograph.
Many such tourist attractions secretly operate as fronts for illegal tiger farming, butchering captive tigers for their parts, National Geographic magazine reports in the January 2010 story "Asia's Wildlife Trade."
On the eve of 2010--the Year of the Tiger in Chinese astrology--the big cats remain highly coveted. A dead adult male can sell for U.S. $10,000 or more on the black market. Tiger bones and penises are often used in traditional medicines, and some restaurants serve tiger meat, including, a recent DNA test suggests, the restaurant at Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park.
( Read more... )
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Brum DJ canned for cutting short Her Maj
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 10:44 pm
posted by: paulnolan in ontd_political
Aborts Liz II's 'bo-ring' Xmas message
A Brum-based DJ has been given his marching orders after cutting Liz II's live Xmas broadcast and declaring: "Two words: Bor-ing."
BRMB presenter Tom Binns was binned after listeners from the station, plus those tuning into Wyvern in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Mercia in Warwickshire, and Beacon Radio in the Black Country, were deprived of their little bit of Yule cheer from Her Maj.
David Lloyd, group programme and marketing director, declared: "On Christmas Day, one of our presenters, Tom Binns, made some inappropriate comments surrounding the Queen's speech.
"We do not condone what he said in any way; whether said in jest or not. We are making contact with the small number of listeners who were offended by Tom's comments and have complained to us to convey our apologies, and have also apologised on air."
According to the BBC, Binns was a freelancer worrying the airwaves on a show-by-show basis. Lloyd said he "would not be featuring again".
While the royal outrage is a serious matter indeed, it's not BRMB's finest hour. In 2003, it was fined £15k after it brilliantly challenged four people to sit on blocks of dry ice in order to win "tickets and back stage passes for a music festival in the city".
The result was "four people being treated in hospital for severe frostbite", with two women and a man laid up for 10 weeks "recovering from extensive skin grafts". ®
Source: The Register
Maybe if they'd fired him for confusing syllables and words I'd understand, but wut? She is boring.. The Channel 4 message from Katie Piper was much more interesting.
A Brum-based DJ has been given his marching orders after cutting Liz II's live Xmas broadcast and declaring: "Two words: Bor-ing."
BRMB presenter Tom Binns was binned after listeners from the station, plus those tuning into Wyvern in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Mercia in Warwickshire, and Beacon Radio in the Black Country, were deprived of their little bit of Yule cheer from Her Maj.
David Lloyd, group programme and marketing director, declared: "On Christmas Day, one of our presenters, Tom Binns, made some inappropriate comments surrounding the Queen's speech.
"We do not condone what he said in any way; whether said in jest or not. We are making contact with the small number of listeners who were offended by Tom's comments and have complained to us to convey our apologies, and have also apologised on air."
According to the BBC, Binns was a freelancer worrying the airwaves on a show-by-show basis. Lloyd said he "would not be featuring again".
While the royal outrage is a serious matter indeed, it's not BRMB's finest hour. In 2003, it was fined £15k after it brilliantly challenged four people to sit on blocks of dry ice in order to win "tickets and back stage passes for a music festival in the city".
The result was "four people being treated in hospital for severe frostbite", with two women and a man laid up for 10 weeks "recovering from extensive skin grafts". ®
Source: The Register
Maybe if they'd fired him for confusing syllables and words I'd understand, but wut? She is boring.. The Channel 4 message from Katie Piper was much more interesting.
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CHENEY SEZ: OUR ADMINISTRATION WAS RUBBER AND YOURS IS GLUE!
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 04:55 pm
posted by: ubiquitous_a in ontd_political
Republican Hypocrisy on Terrorism Reaches New Levels of Awful
Former Vice President Dick Cheney's public relations apparatus was firing on all cylinders Wednesday morning, with the release of a predictable statement about the failed Underpants Bomber fracas. And by "public relations apparatus" I mean "cable news and Politico."
Needless to say, Cheney is well-qualified to take an authoritative posture when it comes to terrorism. After all, he and his little buddy "kept us safe" from terrorist attacks for eight years, right? Other than the worst terrorist attack in American history, of course, along with the Anthrax Attacks, the Beltway Snipers, the thousands of terrorist attacks on our contractors and soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the attacks on our allies in London and Madrid, Cheney did a fine job keeping us safe (more about this in my book). Good job, Mr. Cheney!
( Cut for truthiness )
SOURCE
Oh, Bob Cesca....ILU <3
Former Vice President Dick Cheney's public relations apparatus was firing on all cylinders Wednesday morning, with the release of a predictable statement about the failed Underpants Bomber fracas. And by "public relations apparatus" I mean "cable news and Politico."
Needless to say, Cheney is well-qualified to take an authoritative posture when it comes to terrorism. After all, he and his little buddy "kept us safe" from terrorist attacks for eight years, right? Other than the worst terrorist attack in American history, of course, along with the Anthrax Attacks, the Beltway Snipers, the thousands of terrorist attacks on our contractors and soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the attacks on our allies in London and Madrid, Cheney did a fine job keeping us safe (more about this in my book). Good job, Mr. Cheney!
( Cut for truthiness )
SOURCE
Oh, Bob Cesca....ILU <3
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Anglo-Saxon Historical Fiction
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 04:35 pm
location: Scottsville, VA
mood: 
curious
posted by: skjaere in askahistorian
I'm on a bit of a historical fiction kick at the moment, and I'm looking for good books set in my favourite historical period: Anglo-Saxon England. By "good", I mean both engrossing and with a reasonable amount of historical accuracy. I'm not especially interested in King Arthur, but just about anything else is welcome. Any ideas?
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Some words are just fun to say.
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 03:26 pm
posted by: glhansen in denglish
I find some words, like Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, and verdoppeln, are just fun. I like to say them, I like the way they sound, and I just got some Düsseldorf mustard at the grocery store because I saw it on the shelf and I liked the name Düsseldorf. Bleiben is another that's fun to say.
I was just wondering if Germans feel the same way about their words that I do.
(I feel that way about some English words, too. Like sphincter.)
I was just wondering if Germans feel the same way about their words that I do.
(I feel that way about some English words, too. Like sphincter.)
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Article Request
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 03:08 pm
posted by: mokele in _scientists_
I'd be extremely grateful if anyone with access could send this article my way:
Moss RL, Diffee GM, Greaser ML. Contractile properties of skeletal muscle fibers in relation to myofibrillar protein isoforms. Rev. Physiol. Pharmacol. 126: 1-53, 1995.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/a53
Thanks!
Moss RL, Diffee GM, Greaser ML. Contractile properties of skeletal muscle fibers in relation to myofibrillar protein isoforms. Rev. Physiol. Pharmacol. 126: 1-53, 1995.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/a53
Thanks!
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"Fuel"
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 01:36 pm
posted by: glhansen in denglish
I just looked up "fuel" on Leo. Mein Gott! How do you people know when you have a bottle of Brennmaterial, or Brennstoff, or Kraftstoff, or Treibmittel, or any of the other ten words that popped up?
Leo also gave me "Nassware". Wet-ware? I don't understand that one, and how it's fuel.
Leo also gave me "Nassware". Wet-ware? I don't understand that one, and how it's fuel.
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Harper Suspends Parliament For Two Months
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 02:26 pm
posted by: myabsurdistan in ontd_political
Tories planning new Parliament, to begin March 3
Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked the governor general to prorogue Parliament Wednesday and plans to begin a new session with a throne speech on March 3, his press secretary says.
Dimitri Soudas said the government will present a new budget on March 4.
According to Soudas, Harper spoke with Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean Wednesday morning by telephone.
Parliament is currently on Christmas break and MPs were scheduled to return to the House on January 25. But speculation has been rampant in recent weeks that Harper would ask to shut down Parliament until at least after the Winter Olympics in Vancouver are complete.
The move means a halt to the work of Parliamentary committees, including one that is investigating Afghan detainee abuse, an issue that has been plaguing the Conservatives for months.
"(Prorogation) has the great convenience of course of getting this government out of any kind of political trouble, because Parliament will not be sitting until after the Olympics," CTV's chief political correspondent Craig Oliver said.
Prorogation will also serve another purpose, Oliver said. Harper will likely appoint another group of new Senators, which will mean the Conservatives will finally hold a majority in the Red Chamber, and by extension, on Senate committees, Oliver said.
The Conservatives have been frustrated that the Liberal-dominated Senate has held up legislation already approved by the House, he said.
"So in terms of prime ministerial government power, they will come back to a very different Parliament, one in which the Conservative government will have domination in what has been for years a Liberal-dominated Senate," he said. "So that will be a huge advantage for them."
Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale called the move to suspend Parliament "a shocking insult to democracy."
Source.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked the governor general to prorogue Parliament Wednesday and plans to begin a new session with a throne speech on March 3, his press secretary says.
Dimitri Soudas said the government will present a new budget on March 4.
According to Soudas, Harper spoke with Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean Wednesday morning by telephone.
Parliament is currently on Christmas break and MPs were scheduled to return to the House on January 25. But speculation has been rampant in recent weeks that Harper would ask to shut down Parliament until at least after the Winter Olympics in Vancouver are complete.
The move means a halt to the work of Parliamentary committees, including one that is investigating Afghan detainee abuse, an issue that has been plaguing the Conservatives for months.
"(Prorogation) has the great convenience of course of getting this government out of any kind of political trouble, because Parliament will not be sitting until after the Olympics," CTV's chief political correspondent Craig Oliver said.
Prorogation will also serve another purpose, Oliver said. Harper will likely appoint another group of new Senators, which will mean the Conservatives will finally hold a majority in the Red Chamber, and by extension, on Senate committees, Oliver said.
The Conservatives have been frustrated that the Liberal-dominated Senate has held up legislation already approved by the House, he said.
"So in terms of prime ministerial government power, they will come back to a very different Parliament, one in which the Conservative government will have domination in what has been for years a Liberal-dominated Senate," he said. "So that will be a huge advantage for them."
Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale called the move to suspend Parliament "a shocking insult to democracy."
Source.
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"Michelle Obama's Rules for Staying Healthy and Happy".
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 01:19 pm
music: Madonna - Take a Bow | Powered by Last.fm
posted by: ladypolitik in ontd_political
How Michelle Obama Stays Healthy
The First Lady shares the eating habits, fitness routine, and secrets for inner confidence that she hopes to pass on to her daughters and the nation.
Liz Vaccariello, editor-in-chief of Prevention: My first question actually comes from my own mother. She wanted to know, have you always followed a healthy lifestyle, or did you have an "aha" moment?
First Lady Michelle Obama: I've always been a closet jock, but when I got married and had kids, that fell by the wayside. My "aha" moment came when our first daughter, Malia, was 4 months old. My husband's exercise routine hadn't changed a bit; he was still getting his workouts in, and I was getting irritated (laughs). Then I realized he was just prioritizing it differently. So I said, "If I get up and out before the first feeding, I will work out." That will engage my husband to do that first feeding with the baby. So I started getting up at 4:30 in the morning and going to the gym. With exercising, the more you do it, the more you get into it. And the more you see results, the more you're pushing for the next level. That's when it just clicked for me.
( Full article after the jump. )
_______
- STUNNING, FLAWLESS, SEXY, ETC.
- This is a month old, but--as far as I'm aware--hadn't been posted yet.
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Iran's online protest faces more savvy regime
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 12:16 pm
posted by: popehippo in ontd_political
It was called the "Twitter Revolution" -- the mass street protests following Iran's questionable June elections that were beamed to the world via social media and other online tools despite the government's media blackout.
This week, a loose, multi-national network of protesters, bloggers, Web developers and everyday Internet users has ramped up again in the wake of renewed anti-government street demonstrations that turned deadly Sunday on Ashura, a Shiite Muslim holy day commemorating the death of 7th Century cleric Imam Hussein.
This time, Internet analysists and online activists involved in the movement have told CNN that a government initially caught flat-footed at how easily information flowed out of the country was ready to fight back.
"It's clear the government has been definitely restricting the Internet in a much more controlled way," said Cyrus Farivar, an Iranian-American freelance journalist who writes about technology issues. "They're definitely paying attention and, at the very least, trying to intimidate people."Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, Tehran's chief prosecutor, said Tuesday that seven people were killed in the Ashura riots. The demonstrations were the deadliest since June. Those left at least eight dead, according to Iran's Supreme National Security Council -- although dissidents and observers have said there were many more.
( Read more... )
Via CNN.
This week, a loose, multi-national network of protesters, bloggers, Web developers and everyday Internet users has ramped up again in the wake of renewed anti-government street demonstrations that turned deadly Sunday on Ashura, a Shiite Muslim holy day commemorating the death of 7th Century cleric Imam Hussein.
This time, Internet analysists and online activists involved in the movement have told CNN that a government initially caught flat-footed at how easily information flowed out of the country was ready to fight back.
"It's clear the government has been definitely restricting the Internet in a much more controlled way," said Cyrus Farivar, an Iranian-American freelance journalist who writes about technology issues. "They're definitely paying attention and, at the very least, trying to intimidate people."Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, Tehran's chief prosecutor, said Tuesday that seven people were killed in the Ashura riots. The demonstrations were the deadliest since June. Those left at least eight dead, according to Iran's Supreme National Security Council -- although dissidents and observers have said there were many more.
( Read more... )
Via CNN.
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"Most popular politician on Earth" becomes movie, opposition iz really not amused.
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 03:06 pm
posted by: danyjoncew in ontd_political
Lula on Screen: Brazil's President as Superhero
The Brazilian officials organizing the film premiere of Lula, Son of Brazil probably weren't thinking of the biopic's subject when they chose the music to be played before the curtain went up. But the subliminal connection with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was hard to ignore: "You're the One That I Want," "I Will Always Love You," the theme to the James Bond and Rocky flicks and then, almost inevitably, just moments before the film began, the uplifting bars of Superman.
It's been that kind of a year for Lula; even in the middle of the worst global economic crisis in 80 years, everything went right for him. His government lowered interest rates to a level not seen in decades and foreign reserves rose to a record high. Brazil was last in and first out of the recession; and domestic consumption remained high as the gap between rich and poor narrowed at an unprecedented rate. Rio de Janeiro became the first South American city to win the right to host the Olympics. Meanwhile, Lula's opposition flailed aimlessly. His personal popularity regularly exceeded 70%, leading Barack Obama to call him "the man." In perhaps the most remarkable turnaround, and certainly the most ironic, the former economic basket case even offered to lend money to the International Monetary Fund.
None of this, however, is in Lula, Son of Brazil, the two-hour epic that opens across Latin America's biggest nation on Jan. 1. With a secondary billing that goes "You know the man, but you don't know his story," the film vaults through the episodes that marked Lula's early years and his remarkable rise from poor to powerful. Starting in the scrubland of the northeast where he was born one of eight kids, it follows him to São Paulo, where he suffered at the hands of an abusive and alcoholic father. It shows him as a boy selling fruit and shining shoes for pennies and then struggling through technical college and winning a job as a metalworker in a car factory.
( Read more... )
SOURCE
SOURCE
LOL Veja, you Brazilian Fox News, you. Keep trying to reveal the ~real Lula~ and bringing the lolz. Anyway, can't defend or criticize the movie or how it portrays Lula before seeing it. But my heart goes to Fábio Barreto (director) and his family, he's been in a coma for over 11 days now after a serious car crash =(. Murphy much?
The Brazilian officials organizing the film premiere of Lula, Son of Brazil probably weren't thinking of the biopic's subject when they chose the music to be played before the curtain went up. But the subliminal connection with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was hard to ignore: "You're the One That I Want," "I Will Always Love You," the theme to the James Bond and Rocky flicks and then, almost inevitably, just moments before the film began, the uplifting bars of Superman.
It's been that kind of a year for Lula; even in the middle of the worst global economic crisis in 80 years, everything went right for him. His government lowered interest rates to a level not seen in decades and foreign reserves rose to a record high. Brazil was last in and first out of the recession; and domestic consumption remained high as the gap between rich and poor narrowed at an unprecedented rate. Rio de Janeiro became the first South American city to win the right to host the Olympics. Meanwhile, Lula's opposition flailed aimlessly. His personal popularity regularly exceeded 70%, leading Barack Obama to call him "the man." In perhaps the most remarkable turnaround, and certainly the most ironic, the former economic basket case even offered to lend money to the International Monetary Fund.
None of this, however, is in Lula, Son of Brazil, the two-hour epic that opens across Latin America's biggest nation on Jan. 1. With a secondary billing that goes "You know the man, but you don't know his story," the film vaults through the episodes that marked Lula's early years and his remarkable rise from poor to powerful. Starting in the scrubland of the northeast where he was born one of eight kids, it follows him to São Paulo, where he suffered at the hands of an abusive and alcoholic father. It shows him as a boy selling fruit and shining shoes for pennies and then struggling through technical college and winning a job as a metalworker in a car factory.
( Read more... )
SOURCE
SOURCE
LOL Veja, you Brazilian Fox News, you. Keep trying to reveal the ~real Lula~ and bringing the lolz. Anyway, can't defend or criticize the movie or how it portrays Lula before seeing it. But my heart goes to Fábio Barreto (director) and his family, he's been in a coma for over 11 days now after a serious car crash =(. Murphy much?
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Short stories!
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 03:42 pm
posted by: mr_clarinet in hipsterbookclub
Today I am thinking about short stories. What are some of your favourites? I'm always up for recommendations! Here are some of mine:
Flannery O'Connor - "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"
Flannery O'Connor - "Everything That Rises Must Converge"
J. D. Salinger - "A Perfect Day For Bananafish"
Raymond Carver - "After The Denim"
Franz Kafka - "Metamorphosis"
Lorrie Moore - "How To Become A Writer"
David Foster Wallace - "Little Expressionless Animals"
David Foster Wallace - "Good Old Neon"
Carson McCullers - "The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe"
Angela Carter - "The Bloody Chamber"
Donald Barthelme - "The Balloon"
Flannery O'Connor - "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"
Flannery O'Connor - "Everything That Rises Must Converge"
J. D. Salinger - "A Perfect Day For Bananafish"
Raymond Carver - "After The Denim"
Franz Kafka - "Metamorphosis"
Lorrie Moore - "How To Become A Writer"
David Foster Wallace - "Little Expressionless Animals"
David Foster Wallace - "Good Old Neon"
Carson McCullers - "The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe"
Angela Carter - "The Bloody Chamber"
Donald Barthelme - "The Balloon"
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Osama Bin Laden to Help GOP to Win 2010 Elections. Send Money To The GOP Or The Terrorists Will Win!
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 10:00 am
posted by: evildevil in ontd_political
Republicans see political opportunity in Obama response to failed airplane bomb
Republicans are jumping on President Obama's response to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner as the latest evidence that Democrats do not aggressively fight terrorism to protect the country, returning to a campaign theme that the GOP has employed successfully over the past decade.
Since before Obama was sworn into office, Republicans have been building a case that he is weak on national security, and in the wake of the intelligence and security failures that led to last week's incident, they think that narrative might stick. Congressional Republicans and GOP pollsters said they believe the administration's response to the failed attack on a Detroit-bound plane -- along with Obama's decisions on the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the intelligence lapses connected to November's massacre at Fort Hood, Tex. -- damage the Democratic brand.
( Read more )
DNC Calls GOP Rep. Hoekstra 'Shameful' For Raising Funds Off Botched Attack
The Democratic National Committee is calling a leading Republican lawmaker "shameful" for raising money off the botched terrorist attack on Christmas Day.
Hours after Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee and a Michigan gubernatorial candidate, sent out an email solicitation bashing "weak-kneed liberals" for their response to an attempted attack on a Detroit-bound airliner, the DNC went to work.
( Read more )
Republicans are jumping on President Obama's response to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner as the latest evidence that Democrats do not aggressively fight terrorism to protect the country, returning to a campaign theme that the GOP has employed successfully over the past decade.
Since before Obama was sworn into office, Republicans have been building a case that he is weak on national security, and in the wake of the intelligence and security failures that led to last week's incident, they think that narrative might stick. Congressional Republicans and GOP pollsters said they believe the administration's response to the failed attack on a Detroit-bound plane -- along with Obama's decisions on the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the intelligence lapses connected to November's massacre at Fort Hood, Tex. -- damage the Democratic brand.
( Read more )
DNC Calls GOP Rep. Hoekstra 'Shameful' For Raising Funds Off Botched Attack
The Democratic National Committee is calling a leading Republican lawmaker "shameful" for raising money off the botched terrorist attack on Christmas Day.
Hours after Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee and a Michigan gubernatorial candidate, sent out an email solicitation bashing "weak-kneed liberals" for their response to an attempted attack on a Detroit-bound airliner, the DNC went to work.
( Read more )
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PEACE PRIZE WAR MONGER OF TERROR (THE LIBERAL ONE) DIDN'T TREAT US LIKE POOPYPANTS BABIES — HELP US!
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 11:55 am
posted by: mylaptopisevil in ontd_political
So the president took a few days to speak to the nation about the failed terrorist effort on Christmas Day.
b.f.d.
...
According to the media and the Republican critics, the president erred in not taking immediately to the airwaves to provide his fellow Americans ‘assurance and comfort’ that everything was, indeed, okay.
What are we…five year olds? Obviously, everything was and is not okay and hearing the President of the United States pretend otherwise would only have provided me with assurance that the government was treating me like an imbecile.
But Obama didn’t do that. He waited until he knew what he was talking about before passing the information along to us- a lesson Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano might want to take to heart. When government officials speak before they think, they say stupid things like “The system worked.”
Apparently, President Obama believes that we should be treated like adults. Go figure.
In point of fact, it wasn’t until the last twenty-four hours that Obama had enough facts to tell us something useful. Speaking today from Hawaii, Obama said-A systemic failure has occurred, and I consider that totally unacceptable. There was a mix of human and systemic failures that contributed to this potentially catastrophic breach of security. We need to learn from this episode and quickly fix the flaws in our system because our security is at stake and lives are at stake.
The president went on to report that there had been information provided to the intelligence community that should have been put together and that, had things worked as they are supposed to, the terrorist would never have been permitted to board the plane he attempted to blow up.
While some Americans may find that news in no way reassuring, I find it to be quite to the contrary. I’d much rather the president get to the bottom of the problem and do something about it rather than read me bedtime stories so I can fool myself into sleeping better at night.
It’s time to grow up folks. It’s a rough world we live in and having leaders who would tell us otherwise is not going to do anyone any good.
...
It is often suggested that when someone is treated as an adult, they will, in turn, act like an adult. President Obama is doing his part – maybe the rest of us should get on board and do ours.(source)
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Ladies and gentlemen. Your dream job.
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 12:00 pm
posted by: popehippo in ontd_political
Inside the headquarters of the National Republican Congressional Committee, 25-year-old Adam Conner -- registered Facebook lobbyist, poster of multiple Obama attaboys and a guy whose Facebook photo is a grizzly bear wielding two chain saws -- sits to teach a course. The subject: How to use Facebook better. His student: Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.).
"If we're going to improve our presence on Facebook and really maximize it, what would you recommend as tangible steps?" Roskam asks, thumbing his BlackBerry.
"It looks like you're very comfortable with your BlackBerry," Conner replies earnestly. "Maybe commit to a status message a day? A photo a week? Dive deeper. You'll be surprised at how things that seem routine to you as a congressman are so interesting and cool to constituents."
Conner is Facebook's evangelist in Washington, a social-networking pro summoned by elected officials and bureaucrats alike to teach them, free of charge, how to leverage Facebook -- within strict government rules and security guidelines. The mere existence of Conner's hand-holding lessons illustrates the cultural gulf between Washington and Silicon Valley, and spotlights the complex web of congressional rules that limit social networking among federal workers.
Conner is certainly grateful for his job as associate manager of Facebook's privacy and public-policy division. Compared with many of his highly educated but underemployed peers in Washington, Conner is doing just fine financially, earning about $75,000 a year, with equity to boot. (He declined to give specifics on his salary or stock options.)
But striver that he is, Conner, a 2006 George Washington alumnus who worked on Democrat Mark Warner's exploratory presidential campaign in 2006, chafes at his mechanic's role and the clash of cultures between Facebook's open-book attitude and Washington's need-to-know boundaries.
( Read more... )
via The Washington Post.
"If we're going to improve our presence on Facebook and really maximize it, what would you recommend as tangible steps?" Roskam asks, thumbing his BlackBerry.
"It looks like you're very comfortable with your BlackBerry," Conner replies earnestly. "Maybe commit to a status message a day? A photo a week? Dive deeper. You'll be surprised at how things that seem routine to you as a congressman are so interesting and cool to constituents."
Conner is Facebook's evangelist in Washington, a social-networking pro summoned by elected officials and bureaucrats alike to teach them, free of charge, how to leverage Facebook -- within strict government rules and security guidelines. The mere existence of Conner's hand-holding lessons illustrates the cultural gulf between Washington and Silicon Valley, and spotlights the complex web of congressional rules that limit social networking among federal workers.
Conner is certainly grateful for his job as associate manager of Facebook's privacy and public-policy division. Compared with many of his highly educated but underemployed peers in Washington, Conner is doing just fine financially, earning about $75,000 a year, with equity to boot. (He declined to give specifics on his salary or stock options.)
But striver that he is, Conner, a 2006 George Washington alumnus who worked on Democrat Mark Warner's exploratory presidential campaign in 2006, chafes at his mechanic's role and the clash of cultures between Facebook's open-book attitude and Washington's need-to-know boundaries.
( Read more... )
via The Washington Post.
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Artists to provide GPS water guide to illegal migrants
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 11:45 am
posted by: volksjager in ontd_political
SAN DIEGO - A group of California artists wants Mexicans and Central Americans to have more than just a few cans of tuna and a jug of water for their illegal trek through the harsh desert into the United States.
Faculty at University of California, San Diego, are developing a GPS-enabled cellphone that tells dehydrated migrants where to find water, and pipes in poetry from phone speakers, regaling them on their journey much like the words of Emma Lazarus did a century ago to the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free’’ on Ellis Island.
The Transborder Immigrant Tool is part technology endeavor, part art project. It introduces a high-tech twist to an old debate about how far activists can go to prevent migrants from dying on the border without breaking the law.
Immigration hard-liners argue that the activists are aiding illegal entry to the United States, a felony. Even migrants and their sympathizers question whether the device will make the treacherous journey easier.
The designers - three visual artists on UCSD’s faculty and an English professor at the University of Michigan - are undeterred as they criticize a US policy that they say embraces some illegal immigrants for cheap labor while letting others die crossing the border.
“It’s about giving water to somebody who’s dying in the desert of dehydration,’’ said Micha Cardenas, 32, a UCSD lecturer.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/artic
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More Evidence That Margaret Thatcher Was Racist, Everyone Fairly Unsurprised
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 03:11 pm
mood: 
unimpressed
posted by: jslayeruk in ontd_political
Margaret Thatcher complained about Asian immigration to Britain
Margaret Thatcher thought it was "quite wrong" for immigrants to get council houses ahead of "white citizens", previously unpublished government papers show.
Files released to the National Archives show that soon after becoming prime minister, Lady Thatcher privately complained that too many Asian immigrants were being allowed into Britain.
The documents, which are published today under the "30 year rule", shed further light on Lady Thatcher’s attitudes on race and immigration, political issues that have remained controversial ever since.
( They show that in July 1979, Lady Thatcher met Lord Carrington, her foreign secretary... )
Margaret Thatcher thought it was "quite wrong" for immigrants to get council houses ahead of "white citizens", previously unpublished government papers show.
Files released to the National Archives show that soon after becoming prime minister, Lady Thatcher privately complained that too many Asian immigrants were being allowed into Britain.
The documents, which are published today under the "30 year rule", shed further light on Lady Thatcher’s attitudes on race and immigration, political issues that have remained controversial ever since.
( They show that in July 1979, Lady Thatcher met Lord Carrington, her foreign secretary... )
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Maury would have loved this
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 01:21 am
posted by: akuma_river in ontd_political
Police: Accused shoplifters cause chaos at Walmart
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Chattanooga police said a couple they believe tried to steal a cart full of TVs and a computer caused chaos at a Walmart. According to a news release, Officer Josh Wright was off duty when he saw a man trying to force his way past a greeter with about $2,000 worth of stolen goods Sunday night. Wright displayed his badge, but the man said it was fake and tried to force his way past him. Wright then tackled the suspect and arrested him.
Then the suspect's wife, feigned a heart attack and said she did not know her husband.
After a witness told Wright the couple had been together in the store, the wife followed the witness into the parking lot and attacked her. The witness stabbed her in the arm with a pocket knife, and the wife had to be treated at a local hospital.
The male suspect was charged with theft over $1,000 and assault on a police officer. Charges against the wife were pending.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Chattanooga police said a couple they believe tried to steal a cart full of TVs and a computer caused chaos at a Walmart. According to a news release, Officer Josh Wright was off duty when he saw a man trying to force his way past a greeter with about $2,000 worth of stolen goods Sunday night. Wright displayed his badge, but the man said it was fake and tried to force his way past him. Wright then tackled the suspect and arrested him.
Then the suspect's wife, feigned a heart attack and said she did not know her husband.
After a witness told Wright the couple had been together in the store, the wife followed the witness into the parking lot and attacked her. The witness stabbed her in the arm with a pocket knife, and the wife had to be treated at a local hospital.
The male suspect was charged with theft over $1,000 and assault on a police officer. Charges against the wife were pending.
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Full Moon on New Year's Eve/Day
Dec. 30th, 2009 | 02:47 am
posted by: akuma_river in ontd_political
Rare New Year's Eve 'blue moon' to ring in 2010
By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer Alicia Chang, Ap Science Writer – Tue Dec 29, 7:03 pm ET
LOS ANGELES – Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue — the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.
A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
"If you're in Times Square, you'll see the full moon right above you. It's going to be that brilliant," said Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show.
( cut )
I have no plans for New Year's except staying home, watching the countdown, and possibly drinking something alcholic...depends if I'm willing to shell out the cash for it since there are none in the house.
What about the rest of you ontd_p?
By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer Alicia Chang, Ap Science Writer – Tue Dec 29, 7:03 pm ET
LOS ANGELES – Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue — the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.
A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
"If you're in Times Square, you'll see the full moon right above you. It's going to be that brilliant," said Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show.
( cut )
I have no plans for New Year's except staying home, watching the countdown, and possibly drinking something alcholic...depends if I'm willing to shell out the cash for it since there are none in the house.
What about the rest of you ontd_p?