Wednesday - July 26, 2006

Ban the Sun

Sun kills 60,000 a year, WHO says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As many as 60,000 people a year die from too much sun, mostly from malignant skin cancer, the World Health Organization reported on Wednesday.

It found that 48,000 deaths every year are caused by malignant melanomas, and 12,000 by other kinds of skin cancer. About 90 percent of such cancers are caused by ultraviolet light from the sun.

Radiation from the sun also causes often serious sunburn, skin aging, eye cataracts, pterygium—a fleshy growth on the surface of the eye, cold sores and other ills, according to the report, the first to detail the global effects of sun exposure.

Whitey is hurt most

“A person’s skin type is also important. Fair skinned people suffer from sunburn much more readily than dark-skinned people,” WHO said in a statement.

Posted by Drew458     on 07/26/2006 at 03:48 PM   
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   Saturday - July 15, 2006

World War III

And so it begins. Just as in 1914 and 1939, a simple act of killing triggers a response and then a counter-response and before you know it countries are signing defense treaties and the alignment of opposing sides begins. The calm before the storm is over and the gods of war are rousing from their half-century-long sleep ready to plunge the world into global conflict all over again.

Forget the Cold War. That was only “realpolitik” taken to a new level. What is happening now is the first step to all out conflict. It has been a long time coming and once again we find ourselves in the dilemna of figuring out how to extricate ourselves from this mess. With the latest escalation, described below, we now have Iranian soldiers in Lebanon firing missiles at Israeli warships, killing Israeli sailors and even managing to sink a civilian Egyptian vessel as an extra bonus.

The insane leaders of Hezbullah and Hamas are going to get their war, it seems. They continue to ratchet up the verbage and scream shrilly for the destruction of Israel. Unfortunately for all of us, the surrounding countries are even now being drawn into the conflict. The killing spreads slowly at first and then takes on a life of its own as Hezbullah fires rockets into Israel and the IDF strikes back.

The Jews are fighting for their lives once again. Their backs are up against the wall and they are being left with absolutely no alternative. Fight or die. If you think they are going to calmly accept destruction, think again. What would you do in their place? You can’t reason with the Muslims in any shape or form. In 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973 the Muslims got their noses bloodied. They have yet to feel the impact of total warfare and that is why this will become the next World War.

Just as in 1914, people have forgotten how miserable, painful, shocking and damaging a conflict on this scale can be. The human race has too short a memory. We always forget the horror of total war in the periods of peace. So we rush blindly into the next big war expecting different results than the last time. Remember the definition of insanity? Based on that criteria, the human race, as a whole, is as barking mad as it gets. We never learn ...

Update I: Israeli has delivered an ulitmatum to Syria - 72 hours to back down or else ...

Update II: Russian Defense Minister - “other nations could be drawn into the escalating Middle East conflict, which he called ‘a war that has begun.’”

Update III: US evacuating American citizens from Lebanon

Israel Official: Iran Helping Hezbollah
—JERUSALEM (AP) - July 15, 2006

A missile fired by Hezbollah, not an unmanned drone laden with explosives, damaged an Israeli warship off Lebanon, the army said Saturday. Iranian troops helped fire the missile, a senior intelligence official said. One sailor was killed and three were missing.

The intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information, said about 100 Iranian soldiers are in Lebanon and helped fire the Iranian-made, radar-guided C-102 at the ship late Friday.

The attack alarmed Israel because initial information indicated the guerrillas had used a drone for the first time to attack Israeli forces. But the army’s investigation showed that Hezbollah had fired an Iranian-made missile at the vessel from the shores of Lebanon, said Brig. Gen. Ido Nehushtan.

“We can confirm that it was hit by an Iranian-made missile launched by Hezbollah. We see this as very profound fingerprint of Iranian involvement in Hezbollah,” Nehushtan said in an interview with The Associated Press. Another Hezbollah missile also hit and sank a nearby merchant ship at around the same time, Nehushtan said. He said that ship apparently was Egyptian, but had no other information.

Nehushtan said the body of one of the four Israeli soldiers missing in the attack was found aboard the damaged warship. Other Israeli military officials said two bodies had been found. Israel launched an offensive after Hezbollah guerrillas crossed the Israel-Lebanon border on Wednesday and captured two Israeli soldiers. Israel has bombarded Lebanon’s airport and main roads in the most intensive offensive against the country in 24 years, while Hezbollah has launched hundreds of rockets into Israel.

The intense fighting has sent shock waves through a region already traumatized by Israel’s battle against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. With Israeli officials pointing fingers at Hezbollah’s close allies, Syria and Iran, the crisis could soon spread.

Posted by The Skipper     on 07/15/2006 at 10:27 AM   
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   Thursday - July 13, 2006

The Drudge Report: YIKES!

A nice, relaxing, uneventful day at work. I was one with Nature, thanks to Nature deciding to hit me with cloudbursts about once an hour. Ho Hum. Then I went to read the Drudge Report as I do every evening after work and find that the world is falling apart. Here are the top headlines:

Hezbollah Wants To ‘Transfer Captured Israeli Soldiers To Iran’…
US vetoes UN resolution urging end to Israeli attacks in Gaza…
Now Jewish Extremist Group Declares: We Kidnapped 2 Palestinians!
Rockets Hit Israel Port City; No Injuries…
Israel Blasts Lebanon Airport, Air Bases…
Sea and air blockade…
Hizbollah fires 70+ rockets onto Israel…
Bush Backs Israel’s Right to Self Defense ...
Russia and France condemned Israel’s strikes…
Israel intends to ‘break’ Hezbollah…
Greece says Israel using ‘excessive’ and ‘pointless’ force…

The Arab-Israeli War has gotten very hot indeed. And again, Israel is fighting on two fronts. The good thing is GWB is backing the Israelis and vetoed the Security Council resolution against Israel. Guess the Oslo Accords are dead. If that isn’t enough, Japan is thinking pre-emptive strike on North Korea. China is up in arms about this. Probably a bad idea for Japan. Hope they remember the results of their last pre-emptive strike. I think we are looking at a real World War III. A hot one with theaters in the Mid-East and the Pacific rim. And just maybe Hugo Chavez will step into it somehow.

With all the instability, oil prices hit a new high of $77/barrel. I need to dig out my bicycle to ride to work. 

Posted by Christopher     on 07/13/2006 at 06:35 PM   
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   Wednesday - July 05, 2006

Breaking News

I guess there’s one sure way to avoid going to prison and paying nearly $200 million in fines. Ken Lay won’t have to worry about Enron any more.

Enron Founder Ken Lay Dead of Heart Attack
_{(WASHINGTON POST) - Wednesday, July 5, 2006 10:40am EDT}

The recently convicted and former Enron CEO Kenneth L. Lay, 64, died early today near Aspen, Colorado, a family spokeswoman said. “The Lays have a very large family with whom they need to communicate, and out of respect for the family we will release further details at a later time,” a statement from the Lay family said.

On Friday, federal prosecutors asked a judge to order Lay and former fellow Enron Corp. executive Jeffrey K. Skilling to turn over $182.2 million in assets, arguing that their homes and other assets were acquired by fraud.

Posted by The Skipper     on 07/05/2006 at 10:45 AM   
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   Wednesday - June 28, 2006

New Freedom Tower Design

Well, they removed the first attempted cornerstone and shipped it off to parts unknown. Now they’ve gone back to the drawing board and come up with an all-new design for That Which Shall Replace The World Trade Center. It’s still called the Freedom Tower and it looks a bit better than the last crappy design they came up with. Something seems to be missing though. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Hmmmm. Finger. Now there’s a thought.

Oddly enough, the base will be protected from truck bombs by “a series of thigh-high rectangular slabs on the site’s perimeter—resembling tombstones”. That doesnt’ quite cut it either. I prefer dragon’s teeth made from pure titanium with razor sharp edges and laser guided 50mm cannons. Now you’re talking FREEDOM! So tell me ... what do you think of the new design. Good? Bad? Mundane? Garbage? Don’t hold back ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The redesigned Freedom Tower at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, planned to become America’s tallest building, will be a monolithic glass structure reflecting the sky and topped by a sculpted antenna, the architects said on Wednesday.

Symbolic of the Declaration of Independence, the reworked 1,776-foot centerpiece of the World Trade Center site unveiled by architect David Childs will have a base sheathed with rolled, heat-treated glass over concrete.

The new design uses a high-tech laminated safety glass, which if attacked by a truck bomb would shatter into falling pebbles, not break into flying shards. The exterior glass to be used is rolled with molten metal and the design features a vertical triangular rib motif, echoed throughout the building and on the antenna. 

The tower will be surrounded by groups of steps leading to the entrance, serving as a public plaza and security buffer zone. A series of thigh-high rectangular slabs on the site’s perimeter—resembling tombstones in an artist’s rendering—will guard against truck bombs. The antenna, to be used by radio and television broadcasters, has been given a more sculptural feel by Kenneth Snelson, a sculptor best-known for his Needle Tower, installed in New York’s Bryant Park in 1968.

The antenna raises the building from 1,338 feet—the height of the original World Trade Center’s 110-story twin towers—to the full 1,776 feet. Unlike most other glass-clad office buildings, the Freedom Tower will appear clear because they will remove the iron, which tints glass green, Kenneth Lewis of architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill told reporters at a preview.

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/28/2006 at 03:06 PM   
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   Monday - June 26, 2006

On My Honor …

The ACLU calls these kids “homophobic” and “religious wing-nuts”. I call them fine young men learning timeless values of honesty, courage and duty. These boys will grow up to be the leaders of the world I will leave behind. I think it will be in good hands. Don’t you?

Boy Scouts Foil Arson Attempt In California
_{June 26, 2006 (ABC NEWS)}

CHINO, Calif. (AP) — Maybe the Boy Scouts should start handing out arson prevention badges. A group of Scouts preparing for a camping trip spotted a 17-year-old boy setting fire to a museum building, yelled at him and chased him and two female companions into the street Sunday morning, according to a police statement.

The three flagged down a passing motorist and tried to climb in his vehicle, but an adult Boy Scout leader caught up to them and held the boy until police arrived. The boy, who was determined to be drunk, was booked into San Bernardino County Juvenile Hall for investigation of arson and attempted carjacking.

The Old School House Museum suffered minor damage, said Chino Valley Fire District Battalion Chief Gaul.

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/26/2006 at 10:29 AM   
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   Tuesday - May 23, 2006

Coincidentally

• The Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines is in the news again - bashing President Bush. Just by coincidence, the group has a new album being released this week.


• All of the recent arguments and threats of boycotts over “The DaVinci Code” have reached a peak. Just by coincidence, the movie opened Friday and has already grossed $77 million, making it 13th on the list of all time opening weekend boxoffice, just behind “Passion Of The Christ”.


• The House and Senate are trying to complete an immigration bill this week. Just by coincidence, Mexico’s President Vicente Fox is kicking off a publicity tour of the US, starting in Utah.


• Al Gore is making headlines again promising doom and gloom from global warming. Just by coincidence, Gore has a documentary opening at the Cannes Film Festival about global warming and oddly enough summer (and hurricane season) is only weeks away.


• Forecasters are predicting a very busy hurricane season again this year with at least 10 named storms. Just by coincidence, folks in New Orleans are practicing “Operation Bugout” this week and half the city still refuses to move back.

Posted by The Skipper     on 05/23/2006 at 12:32 PM   
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   Thursday - May 04, 2006

Obituary

Earl Woods
1932-2006

CYPRESS, Calif. (AP)—Earl Woods, who was more determined to raise a good son than a great golfer and became the architect and driving force behind Tiger Woods’ phenomenal career, died Wednesday morning at his home in Cypress, Calif. He was 74.

“My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply,” Tiger Woods said on his Web site. “I’m overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life.

He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him, and I’m honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring.”

Earl Woods was more than a golf dad, more than a zealous father who lived vicariously through his son’s achievements.

He had played catcher for Kansas State, the first black to play baseball in the Big Eight Conference, and he had been a Green Beret for two tours in Vietnam.

But he felt his true purpose was to train Tiger, and he watched his son evolve into the dominant player of his time—the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam—and one of the most celebrated athletes in the world.

Posted by The Skipper     on 05/04/2006 at 01:30 AM   
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   Wednesday - April 26, 2006

Breaking News

This just in. The White House just made the announcement that there will be fresh meat thrown to the press. Fox News commentator Tony Snow is in for the ride of his life. Kinda like a crash-test dummy ...

Tony Snow to Be White House Press Secretary
_{Wednesday, April 26, 2006; 9:36 AM}

Fox News commentator Tony Snow was named White House press secretary today after top officials assured him that he would be not just a spokesman but an active participant in administration policy debates, people familiar with the discussions said.

A former director of speechwriting for President Bush’s father, Snow views himself as well positioned to ease the tensions between this White House and the press corps because he understands both politics and journalism, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the appointment had not been officially confirmed, although an announcement is expected today.

Snow will become the first Washington pundit—and an outspoken ideological voice at that—to take over the pressroom lectern at a time when tensions between journalists and the administration have been running high, over issues ranging from the Iraq war to investigations involving leaks of classified information.

“President Bush hates responding to the press, hates responding to political enemies—he thinks it’s beneath him,” Snow said on Fox News in March. “He’s got a stubborn streak.” What the president needed, he said, was “a series of vigorous defenses” of his position.

Brit Hume, Fox’s Washington managing editor, said he was “a little surprised” that Snow would give up his new radio show to take one of the capital’s most demanding jobs.

“I think he’s excited by the idea of being on the inside,” Hume said. “He believes he will be at the table when decisions are made. For someone of his bent, that’s too good to pass up.”

- More on this breaking news at the Washington Post ...

Posted by Ronald Reagan's Ghost     on 04/26/2006 at 08:42 AM   
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   Tuesday - April 25, 2006

Around The World In 80 Bytes

- AP: “Hispanic Leaders In California Receiving Death Threats”

- Reuters: “Israel Launching New Spy Satellite Over Iran”

- BBC: “1023 Foreign Criminals Not Deported From Britain”

- Reuters: “Police In South Africa Hunt Killer Chimps”

Posted by Ronald Reagan's Ghost     on 04/25/2006 at 11:03 AM   
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   Friday - March 17, 2006

Cows, Immigrants & Flames

Flying Cow Leaves Two Police Cars in Flames

woai.com - San Antonio
Talk about a wild night near Seguin. A cow came flying out of its trailer, sent DPS and police scrambling, and left two police cars going up in flames.

“It was almost hard to believe,” said Detective Sergeant Maureen Watson. She has been in law enforcement for 15 years, and says she “never had a day like this. I mean the best way to characterize this it, is it’s bizarre. It’s really really strange.”

Watson told News 4 WOAI, “We believe the gate of the cattle trailer came open, and the cow, for lack of a better phrase spilled out onto the Interstate. It was pretty chaotic for a while.”

Several cars hit some of the cows. One cow died. DPS troopers called for backup.

That’s when one officer was nearly run down by a speeding truck, carrying two illegal immigrants inside.

Seguin Police were out looking for those illegal immigrants. They parked their cars in the hot grass, burning two of them including that brand new 2006 Crown Victoria. Watson said, “Well, all of a sudden, another officer who’d arrived on the scene, alerted the sergeant that there was a fire.”

The two mexican immigrants, ages 21 and 23, are in custody for illegally entering the country and evading arrest.

Some silver lining in the story at least.

Posted by Drew458     on 03/17/2006 at 09:16 AM   
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   Wednesday - March 15, 2006

Things You Shouldn’t Do When You’re Deaf #127

Walk on Train Tracks While Text Messaging

AUSTIN, Texas—Austin police now say the reigning Miss Deaf Texas was killed by a freight train apparently while text-messaging family and friends on her cell phone.

Tara Rose McAvoy, 18, was killed Monday while walking along the Union Pacific tracks in South Austin. Police said she apparently was walking from her family’s home to her mother’s workplace when she was hit.

Tragic.

Posted by Drew458     on 03/15/2006 at 04:53 PM   
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   Friday - March 10, 2006

Headline Of The Day

I only wish this headline meant what it sounded like. When are we all going to stop yelling, screaming and cursing at each other, inventing all kinds of conspiracy theories, throwing out all manner of accusations - in other words, acting like children. This means you, Liberal America.

Census Foresees an Older, and Wiser, America
_{March 10, 2006}

(WASHINGTON POST)

The U.S. population age 65 and older will double in 25 years, and the new elders will be healthier, wealthier and more highly educated than previous generations, redefining what it means to be older in America, a Census Bureau report issued yesterday shows. By 2030, about 72 million Americans, or one in every five, will be 65 or older, the report found.

“The aging of our society will have profound consequences on our future, and, in fact, it’s a not-very-distant future,” Census Bureau Director C. Louis Kincannon said in a teleconference with reporters. The first of the baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are turning 60 this year at the rate of about 8,000 a day, Kincannon said.

While much of the data is not new, the study puts more data in one place than ever before with the goal of benefiting the public and policymakers, said officials of the Census Bureau and the National Institute on Aging, which commissioned the report. The boomers “will enter retirement as the most educated generation in American history,” Kincannon said.

- More on the aging of America at the WAPO...

Posted by The Skipper     on 03/10/2006 at 06:04 AM   
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   Wednesday - March 01, 2006

Bush In Kabul

Dubya slipped into Afghanistan yesterday while no one was looking. Fortunately, the side trip was safely completed ... not that it couldn’t have been a problem thanks to every mainstream media asshat on the planet speculating for the last few days about the possibility of such a quick trip into the danger zone. I’m surprised the NY Times didn’t headline yesterday’s paper “HEY, TALIBAN! BUSH IS COMING!”

Bush Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan
March 1, 2006, 5:01 AM EST

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)
By TERENCE HUNT
AP White House Correspondent

President Bush made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday, flying here secretly to support its fledging government in the face of rising violence from al-Qaida and Taliban militants. Bush’s entourage flew into the city from Bagram Air Base in a flotilla of heavily armed helicopters. Two door gunners on a press helicopter fired off a short burst of machine gun fire at unknown targets as the aircraft flew low and fast over barren countryside.

Bush arrived safely at the presidential palace where he was greeted by Afghanistan’s leader Hamid Karzai. The two men walked down a red carpet past a military honor guard to begin their meetings. “Welcome the president to Afghanistan,” Karzai said as they paused for photographs. Eight weeks ago when Bush signed off on the India-Pakistan visit he was presented with the option of also going to Afghanistan, said White House press secretary Scott McClellan.

The White House closely guarded the secret, but there was widespread speculation that he would make the stop in Afghanistan. “This is an opportunity to show our support for a good friend and ally and emerging democracy,” McClellan said. “We stand firmly with the people of Afghanistan as they are charting their own future.” While Bush and Karzai met, their wives, Laura Bush and Zinat Karzai met over lunch with other women.

Bush also was to preside over a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the U.S. Embassy. Before leaving Afghanistan, Bush was to get a pep talk to troops back at Bagram Air Base. It was Bush’s second visit to a war front. His first was a secret trip to have Thanksgiving Dinner in 2003 with U.S. troops in Iraq. Speaking of secrecy concerns, McClellan said, “There are security precautions that were taken and we are confident in the security precautions that have been taken. One of those was not informing you of the trip until now.”

- More on the story here ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 03/01/2006 at 05:38 AM   
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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