The Young Liberals: 05/01/2005 - 05/31/2005: "Imagine that you just learned that your two sons are drug addicts. Now imagine that one of them is a chronic alcoholic, the other is a heroine addict. Clearly you know that both of your children need the same kind or at least a similar kind of help, and you, being a good parent, would undoubtedly want to get them into the best possible treatment programs that you could possibly afford. Unfortunately, that may not be possible in the future, because of Draconian legislation from Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (Republican, 5th District Wisconsin). That's right, dear readers: thanks to yet another imbecilic move from the far right, you might only be able to obtain treatment for one of your sons, the one who is using society’s legal drug of choice. The other could be sent to prison--and you with him.
As a part of the Orwellian named “SAFE ACCESS TO DRUG TREATMENT AND CHILD PROTECTION ACT,” family members who learn that their loved ones have drug problems may well be required to turn their loved ones into the police within 24 hours of learning that the problem exists. Moreover, the act, if passed might well require you to take an active part in obtaining information on your loved one, perhaps even going so far as to wear a wire tap as you entrap your family member. At the very least you would be required to testify against your loved one in a court of law. Failure to report the alleged abuse could result in a two year, minimum, mandatory sentence: not for the addict in question, but for you as a parent or for other family members for not snitching on your family!"
Monday, October 31, 2005
FRAC - Hunger in the U.S.
FRAC - Hunger in the U.S.
One of the most disturbing and extraordinary aspects of life in this very wealthy country is the persistence of hunger. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports, based on a national U.S. Census Bureau survey of households representative of the U.S. population, that in 2004 11.9 percent of all U.S. households were "food insecure" because of lack of resources. Of the 13.5 million households that were food insecure, 4.4 million suffered from food insecurity that was so severe that USDA's very conservative measure classified them as "hungry."
Since 1999, food insecurity has increased by 3 million households, including 1.4 million households with children. In 2004, 38.2 million people lived in households experiencing food insecurity, compared to 33.6 million in 2001 and 31 million in 1999. See FRAC's Press Release and a link to the full report: Household Food Security in the United States, 2004
Dell stuns investors with rare revenue miss | Channel Register
Dell stuns investors with rare revenue miss | Channel Register: "Analysts will be paying close attention to see if Dell's results also suffered as a result of increasing interest in AMD's Opteron processor. Dell is the only major server vendor not to sell servers with the increasingly popular chip, opting for an Intel-only position. Intel has fallen behind its rival with dual-core processor technology, making Opteron servers more attractive to the likes of HP, IBM and Sun Microsystems and their customers."
ZetaJournal - Where users publish news
ZetaJournal- Where users publish news User test of the Zeta live CD.
ZETA Live-CD bei download.freenet.de
ZETA Live-CD bei download.freenet.de Download the Zeta 1.1 LiveCD.
ACCESS to Extend Leadership in Mobile Device Software with Acquisition of PalmSource - Press Release
ACCESS to Extend Leadership in Mobile Device Software with Acquisition of PalmSource - Press Release:(note: is Palm OS BeOS?)
"TOKYO, JAPAN and SUNNYVALE, CA---September 9, 2005 (Tokyo) & September 8, 2005 (Sunnyvale) — ACCESS Co., Ltd., (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 4813), a global provider of mobile content delivery and Internet access software, and PalmSource, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSRC), provider of Palm OS?, a leading operating system powering next generation phones and mobile devices, today announced they have signed a definitive agreement for ACCESS to acquire PalmSource in an all-cash transaction valued at USD $18.50 per share of PalmSource common stock , or approximately USD $324.3 million (approximately ?35.9 billion)."
/haiku/learn/newsletters/view/19
/haiku/learn/newsletters/view/19: "Recently on the OpenBeOS mailing list there were some questions on how one could start programming on BeOS, both for those already experienced in programming on other platforms, as well as for the programming newbies. Since I have recently gone through this experience, I figured I could explain how to go about doing it.
I come from the former group, having developed Java professionally on Windows and Linux for several years now. But I can also fit into the latter group since my skill in C and C (the core programming languages on BeOS) is sketchy at best. So for those of you in the situation of wondering where to start in your dream to program on BeOS, this article is for you."
I come from the former group, having developed Java professionally on Windows and Linux for several years now. But I can also fit into the latter group since my skill in C and C (the core programming languages on BeOS) is sketchy at best. So for those of you in the situation of wondering where to start in your dream to program on BeOS, this article is for you."
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Russell Trust Association - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Russell Trust Association - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The Russell Trust Association is the business name for the New Haven, Connecticut based Skull and Bones society, incorporated in 1856.
In 1943, by special act of the Connecticut state legislature, its trustees were granted an exemption from filing corporate reports with the Secretary of State, which is normally a requirement.
From 1978 onward, business of the Russell Trust Association was handled by its single trustee, Brown Brothers Harriman partner John B. Madden, Jr.
Madden started with Brown Brothers Harriman in 1946, under senior partner Prescott Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush's father."
In 1943, by special act of the Connecticut state legislature, its trustees were granted an exemption from filing corporate reports with the Secretary of State, which is normally a requirement.
From 1978 onward, business of the Russell Trust Association was handled by its single trustee, Brown Brothers Harriman partner John B. Madden, Jr.
Madden started with Brown Brothers Harriman in 1946, under senior partner Prescott Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush's father."
The Logbook of the Saturday Dining Conspiracy
The Logbook of the Saturday Dining Conspiracy:
"The Saturday Dining Conspiracy is a loose collection of people (mostly myself and Lawrence Person) who like to go out on Saturday night and try new (to us) and different (mostly) places to eat.
We've been doing this since about Fall 1994, I think, but didn't start keeping these official logs until February 1996."
Christian girls beheaded in grisly Indonesian attack - World - smh.com.au
Christian girls beheaded in grisly Indonesian attack - World - smh.com.au: "Three teenage Christian girls were beheaded and a fourth was seriously wounded in a savage attack on Saturday by unidentified assailants in the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi.
The girls were among a group of students from a private Christian high school who were ambushed while walking through a cocoa plantation in Poso Kota subdistrict on their way to class, police Major Riky Naldo said.
The area is close to the provincial capital of Poso, about 1000 kilometres northeast of Jakarta.
Naldo said the heads of the three dead victims were found several kilometres from their bodies.
In Jakarta, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the police to begin a hunt for the killers.
'In the holy month of Ramadan, we are again shocked by a sadistic crime in Poso that claimed the lives of three school students,' he told reporters at the airport as he prepared to fly to Sumatra island.
'I condemn this barbarous killing, whoever the perpetrators are and whatever their motives.'"
The girls were among a group of students from a private Christian high school who were ambushed while walking through a cocoa plantation in Poso Kota subdistrict on their way to class, police Major Riky Naldo said.
The area is close to the provincial capital of Poso, about 1000 kilometres northeast of Jakarta.
Naldo said the heads of the three dead victims were found several kilometres from their bodies.
In Jakarta, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the police to begin a hunt for the killers.
'In the holy month of Ramadan, we are again shocked by a sadistic crime in Poso that claimed the lives of three school students,' he told reporters at the airport as he prepared to fly to Sumatra island.
'I condemn this barbarous killing, whoever the perpetrators are and whatever their motives.'"
Nina Shea on Iraq and Christians on National Review Online
Nina Shea on Iraq and Christians on National Review Online: "Iraq's Christians have long been a persecuted and marginalized religious and ethnic minority. In August 1933, soon after the formation of the Iraqi state, several thousand Assyrians were massacred by the army in Semele and other villages north of Mosul. One Iraqi-American told me he came all the way from his home in California to the Washington conference in memory of his great grandmother and her mother, both of whom had been beheaded in the not-so-good old days. Over 200 Chaldean and Assyrian villages were destroyed under Baathist rule, especially during the Anfal campaign of 1987-88 when, as the Iraq-Iran war was winding down, Saddam Hussein undertook a ruthless military offensive against perceived domestic opponents in the north. In 1977, Hussein eliminated the Chaldeans and Assyrians from the census, forcing them to register as either Kurds or Arabs. Such attacks and relentless discrimination between the 1960s and the fall of Hussein regime drove a full half of Iraq's indigenous Christians into the diaspora. "
Friday, October 28, 2005
Hokum-Balderdash Assay
Hokum-Balderdash Assay: "I've been wondering why ID creationists don't talk about one of the most important item in their proposition--the entity behind ID itself, the Intelligent Designer, His Royal Architect. It seems my curiosity is warranted."
Hyperbole in Media Reports on Asteroids and Impacts (Skeptical Inquirer March/April 2005)
Hyperbole in Media Reports on Asteroids and Impacts (Skeptical Inquirer March/April 2005):
"Although this perpetual pattern of natal indoctrination and communal reassurance does not begin to encompass the full psychosocial breadth of this phenomenon-especially where adult converts are concerned-it does go a long way toward explaining the inordinate longevity of creationist mythology and why so many intelligent, well-educated, and otherwise rational people appear unable to step back and examine certain beliefs with a critical eye. Because creationist beliefs are both deeply rooted and profoundly comforting, it isn't hard to understand why certain people feel compelled to enlist any and all means at their disposal to discredit Darwin's theory. Nor is it difficult to imagine the sense of frustration they must feel when repeatedly told by scientists that their arguments are fundamentally flawed."
Creation Watch - CSICOP
Creation Watch - CSICOP:
"Let’s review. Dembski tried to imply that the non-creationist Peter Ward nonetheless agrees with Dembski’s view that the Cambrian explosion is a problem for evolution. In reality, Ward’s clearly stated view is that while the Cambrian explosion used to be viewed as a problem for evolution, recent fossil discoveries actually show that it is a vindication for Darwin. Hurd and Mullenix pointed this out, showing in great detail that Dembski had not only distorted Ward, but had done likewise to Gould. They also showed that Dembski’s version of the facts was simply wrong. Dembski ignored what Hurd and Mullinex had said and repeated his earlier error about Ward’s intentions.
New book explains how evolution really works, rebuts intelligent design
New book explains how evolution really works, rebuts intelligent design: "For example, one might think that a mutation that makes the neck of a giraffe longer would have to be accompanied by several other mutations, one that expands the length of the muscles of the neck, another that makes the blood vessels longer, and so on. But instead, the muscles grow to fit the length of the bone and the blood vessels grow until all the muscles have a sufficient supply of oxygen. Apparently very complex adaptations can therefore be achieved with few, simple mutations."
Answered Prayers - How Bush lost the Miers fight. By John Dickerson
Answered Prayers - How Bush lost the Miers fight. By John Dickerson
According to administration officials, Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kans., and Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., were adamant that they would need documents—something, anything—to make up for her thin record and middling performance since her nomination. Miers' questionnaire had been paltry. Her visits with senators had not gone well. At his Cabinet meeting Monday, Bush told his staff the documents represented a "red line" that he would not cross, setting the stage for the showdown.
Of course the White House should have known this fight was coming. This president was never going to let anyone peek into his private conversations with Miers. But Bush and his advisers never thought they'd have to. They assumed that Bush's backing Miers' résumé (including her religious credentials) and her gender would allow the president to push her though.
In the end, the documents issue provided the face-saving cover that columnist Charles Krauthammer suggested they would. Each side played to type: Sen. Brownback took to the cameras to lament the impasse over the documents. The White House framed Miers' withdrawal as a principled stand to protect a prerogative of the office. After a long intraparty fight, everyone embraced the illusion as the first act of reconciliation.This morning, officials described Bush as angry and disappointed. He's had to watch his friend get chewed up by the system and has been given another illustration of his diminished power. He no longer has the political capital of which he has so often boasted.
There’s no ‘intelligent design’ for life – Socialist Worker
There’s no ‘intelligent design’ for life – Socialist Worker: "This argument has a good deal of superficial plausibility, but its merits cannot survive close scrutiny. The philosopher David Hume had already subjected the argument from design to a devastating critique in the mid-18th century.
Hume argued that, even if the argument from design succeeds in showing that the world must have a designer, it has little power to disclose what that designer is like.
The world is filled with avoidable evil — war, disease, natural disasters and so on — and any creator of the universe either lacked the power or the will to prevent these evils.
But of course an omnipotent being could not lack the power, and an infinitely benevolent one could not lack the will, so the argument from design contradicts some of the traditional attributes of the deity.
A further weakness of the argument from design is that it is not a unique explanation — and it is certainly not the best explanation. And that, finally, is what evolution provides us with — the best available account of the origin of life.
It may be that one day we will find a much better one. But to render the argument from design completely useless we have only to note that evolution provides a vastly better explanation than does a vague appeal to a creator about whom nothing whatsoever is known."
Hume argued that, even if the argument from design succeeds in showing that the world must have a designer, it has little power to disclose what that designer is like.
The world is filled with avoidable evil — war, disease, natural disasters and so on — and any creator of the universe either lacked the power or the will to prevent these evils.
But of course an omnipotent being could not lack the power, and an infinitely benevolent one could not lack the will, so the argument from design contradicts some of the traditional attributes of the deity.
A further weakness of the argument from design is that it is not a unique explanation — and it is certainly not the best explanation. And that, finally, is what evolution provides us with — the best available account of the origin of life.
It may be that one day we will find a much better one. But to render the argument from design completely useless we have only to note that evolution provides a vastly better explanation than does a vague appeal to a creator about whom nothing whatsoever is known."
Probability Theory
Probability Theory: "CAN PROBABILITY THEORY BE USED TO REFUTE EVOLUTION? (PART ONE)
By Jason Rosenhouse"
By Jason Rosenhouse"
Lefalophodon: Asa Gray
Lefalophodon: Asa Gray: "America's leading botanist in the mid-19th century. Darwin's strongest early supporter in the U.S., in 1857 he became only the third scientist to be told of his theory (after Hooker and Lyell). He debated L. Agassiz between 1859 and 1861 on variation and geographic distribution (see also W. Rogers). His discovery of close affinities between East Asian and North American floras was a key piece of evidence in favor of evolution. Not fully comfortable with selection, he argued that evolution was compatible with religious belief and slid towards theistic evolutionism. Author of numerous botanical textbooks. A poor fund raiser, he still succeeded in establishing what became the Gray Herbarium. President of AAAS in the 1860's. With Engelmann dead, Gray selected William Trelease as first director of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Collaborated with his mentor J. Torrey on the Flora of North America."
Uncommon Dissent
Uncommon Dissent: "The official parody site of Uncommon Descent, William A. Dembski's weblog."
Iranian president calls Israel ‘disgraceful blot’ - Wikinews
Iranian president calls Israel ‘disgraceful blot’ - Wikinews
Mahmud Ahmadinejad in a speech to 3,000 students in Tehran said Wednesday there was, "no doubt the new wave [of attacks] in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot from the face of the Islamic world." At a conference called "The World without Zionism", the recently elected Iranian president Ahmadinejad said the establishment of Israel was, "a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world," a reference to Western military and political pressure.
France and Germany have summoned the respective Iranian ambassadors to their countries. A spokesperson for the British government called the remarks "deeply disturbing and sickening". The European Union said in a joint statement that "calls for violence, and for the destruction of any state, are manifestly inconsistent with any claim to be a mature and responsible member of the international community".
Israeli Prime minister Ariel Sharon said that "a country that calls for the destruction of another people cannot be a member of the United Nations" and added: "Such a country that has nuclear weapons is a danger, not only to Israel and the Middle East, but also to Europe."
The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan expressed "dismay" over Ahmadinejad’s remarks. In statements released by his secretary on Thursday, Annan, who's plans still include a visit to Iran within a month, said he would "place the Middle East peace process, and the right of all states in the area to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force, at the top of his agenda for that visit." The U.N. Charter calls on all members to refrain from threats or force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state.
A U.S. state department spokesman, Sean McCormick, said the United States would not support the call by Israel to eject Iran from the United Nations. McCormick’s response was centered on issues of the enriched uranium processing in Iran, the human rights of its people, and alleged support for terrorism abroad. The U.S. has had no formal diplomatic relations with Iran since the Islamic revolution of 1979.
Dispatches from the Culture Wars: Defense Witness Helps Plaintiffs
Dispatches from the Culture Wars: Defense Witness Helps Plaintiffs: "Fuller is of course correct to point out that there have been scientific revolutions in the past that have overturned much of what we thought we knew about the world. But those revolutions were the result of scientists actually doing science - building theories and models, testing them against the data, publishing the results for their peers to see and arguing over the results to reach a consensus - not by hiring PR firms and lobbying legislatures and school boards. As always, the ID folks want to skip over all that pesky scientific stuff and jump right to the conclusion."
The Panda's Thumb: Waterloo In Dover: The Kitzmiller v. DASD Case
The Panda's Thumb: Waterloo In Dover: The Kitzmiller v. DASD Case: "In his deposition earlier this year, Buckingham said he did not know the source of the $850 donation to buy 60 copies of the book “Of Pandas and People” - an intelligent design textbook Dover students were referred to as part of the curriculum policy change.
Then Harvey produced a cancelled check from Buckingham for $850 to a Dover school administrator clearly marked for the purchase of the textbook and Buckingham confirmed it came from his church."
Then Harvey produced a cancelled check from Buckingham for $850 to a Dover school administrator clearly marked for the purchase of the textbook and Buckingham confirmed it came from his church."
Dover figures deny remarks on creationism - York Daily Record
Dover figures deny remarks on creationism - York Daily Record: "In sworn depositions, school board members deny charges that they were motivated by religion when they revamped the district science curriculum to include the phrase “intelligent design.”
School board members Bill Buckingham, Sheila Harkins and Alan Bonsell and Supt. Richard Nilsen have, under oath, either said they have no memory of making the remarks related to creationism or denied making them.
But some residents and former district officials insist the board members made the statements they later denied making."
School board members Bill Buckingham, Sheila Harkins and Alan Bonsell and Supt. Richard Nilsen have, under oath, either said they have no memory of making the remarks related to creationism or denied making them.
But some residents and former district officials insist the board members made the statements they later denied making."
Creationism flip-flop comes up in trial - Science - MSNBC.com
Creationism flip-flop comes up in trial - Science - MSNBC.com: "HARRISBURG, Pa. - A former school board member who denied advocating that creationism be taught alongside evolution in high-school biology classes changed his story Thursday, after lawyers in a federal courtroom played a TV news clip that recorded him making such a comment.
William Buckingham explained the discrepancy by saying that he 'misspoke.'"
William Buckingham explained the discrepancy by saying that he 'misspoke.'"
Thursday, October 27, 2005
yellowTAB - Makers of ZETA
"Standing on the shoulders of giants" - yellowTAB releases open source software: "20. September 2005
Large software projects are the work ... of lots of people: someone has an idea for a good program; others join in providing improvements and over time a the collective product takes shape as something that no single programmer would be able to develop on their own. When using something like this it is reasonable to expect the results of any work to be made available under the same conditions. This is the principle of open source software.
ZETA includes quite a lot of open source software. yellowTAB was able to include of software like bash, GCC, VLC to name just a few with ZETA and thus profit from the work of many thousands of developers. However, programs do not always work straight away when compiled for ZETA and may require changes to do so.. We make the necessary changes and fix bugs to make sure that these programs run smoothly on ZETA.
Now it's time to give something back."
Large software projects are the work ... of lots of people: someone has an idea for a good program; others join in providing improvements and over time a the collective product takes shape as something that no single programmer would be able to develop on their own. When using something like this it is reasonable to expect the results of any work to be made available under the same conditions. This is the principle of open source software.
ZETA includes quite a lot of open source software. yellowTAB was able to include of software like bash, GCC, VLC to name just a few with ZETA and thus profit from the work of many thousands of developers. However, programs do not always work straight away when compiled for ZETA and may require changes to do so.. We make the necessary changes and fix bugs to make sure that these programs run smoothly on ZETA.
Now it's time to give something back."
Judge questions Microsoft project delays - Computerworld
Judge questions Microsoft project delays - Computerworld: "News Story by Grant Gross
OCTOBER 26, 2005 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - A U.S. District Court judge monitoring Microsoft Corp.'s antitrust settlement with the U.S. government scolded company lawyers today because the company recently announced a lengthy delay in a project to improve technical documentation for its communications protocols.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia questioned why Microsoft has pushed back the completion date of one of two technical documentation projects announced in February from early 2006 to October 2006 or later. The two projects were intended to help Microsoft comply with the judge's order to share proprietary communications protocols, part of the settlement Kollar-Kotelly approved in late 2002.
'If it's an issue of resources, then put them in,' Kollar-Kotelly told Microsoft lawyers during an antitrust compliance hearing. 'Do what it takes to get it done.'
The judge also questioned why Microsoft had proposed to portable music player manufacturers that if they shipped Windows Media Player in their software packages, they could include only it and no competing media software. The exclusive proposal, made during the past three months, violates the antitrust settlement, Kollar-Kotelly said.
'This should not be happening at this point in the decree,' Kollar-Kotelly said. 'I realize people make mistakes, but this should not be happening.'"
OCTOBER 26, 2005 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - A U.S. District Court judge monitoring Microsoft Corp.'s antitrust settlement with the U.S. government scolded company lawyers today because the company recently announced a lengthy delay in a project to improve technical documentation for its communications protocols.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia questioned why Microsoft has pushed back the completion date of one of two technical documentation projects announced in February from early 2006 to October 2006 or later. The two projects were intended to help Microsoft comply with the judge's order to share proprietary communications protocols, part of the settlement Kollar-Kotelly approved in late 2002.
'If it's an issue of resources, then put them in,' Kollar-Kotelly told Microsoft lawyers during an antitrust compliance hearing. 'Do what it takes to get it done.'
The judge also questioned why Microsoft had proposed to portable music player manufacturers that if they shipped Windows Media Player in their software packages, they could include only it and no competing media software. The exclusive proposal, made during the past three months, violates the antitrust settlement, Kollar-Kotelly said.
'This should not be happening at this point in the decree,' Kollar-Kotelly said. 'I realize people make mistakes, but this should not be happening.'"
Microsoft in more anti-trust hot water
Microsoft in more anti-trust hot water: "A US District Court Judge has slammed Microsoft for delaying a project to improve technical documentation for its communications protocols.
The Troika project was a part of the Volish out-of-court settlement approved by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and was supposed to help Microsoft comply with the her order to share proprietary communications protocols with rivals.
That was in 2002 and so far Microsoft has been unable to finish the project and has asked for an extension.
The judge was furious at what she saw as Volish paw dragging. She told them that if it was an issue of resources then Microsoft had to put them in.
She rhetorically asked 'what does it take to get it done'.
She also wanted to know why Microsoft had proposed to portable music player manufacturers that if they shipped Windows Media Player in their software packages, they could include only it and no competing media software.
She said that this proposal was made in the last three months and completely violates the antitrust settlement, Kollar-Kotelly said."
The Troika project was a part of the Volish out-of-court settlement approved by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and was supposed to help Microsoft comply with the her order to share proprietary communications protocols with rivals.
That was in 2002 and so far Microsoft has been unable to finish the project and has asked for an extension.
The judge was furious at what she saw as Volish paw dragging. She told them that if it was an issue of resources then Microsoft had to put them in.
She rhetorically asked 'what does it take to get it done'.
She also wanted to know why Microsoft had proposed to portable music player manufacturers that if they shipped Windows Media Player in their software packages, they could include only it and no competing media software.
She said that this proposal was made in the last three months and completely violates the antitrust settlement, Kollar-Kotelly said."
Slacker or sick?
Slacker or sick?: "Early nerve damage caused by repetitive strain injuries can trigger 'sick worker' syndrome -- characterized by malaise, fatigue and depression, and often mistaken for poor performance, according to a study by Ann Barr, Ph.D., and Mary Barbe, Ph.D., at Temple University's College of Health Professions. The study, 'Increase in inflammatory cytokines in median nerves in a rat model of repetitive motion injury,' is published this month in the Journal of Neuroimmunology. "
Sony H1 net profit tumbles on lower prices, high restructuring costs - UPDATE - Forbes.com
Sony H1 net profit tumbles on lower prices, high restructuring costs - UPDATE - Forbes.com: "Under the plant closure program, Sony will shut down some of its CRT television assembly factories by March 2008 in order to shift its focus to the flat-screen TV business.
"
"
The Brontosaurus - Monty Python's flying creationism. By William Saletan
The Brontosaurus - Monty Python's flying creationism. By William Saletan: "So, this is my theory, which belongs to me, and goes as follows. All intelligently designed things are brought about by an intelligent designer through a process of intelligently conducted design. If it's good enough for Monty Python, it's good enough for biology class."
Unintelligible Redesign - This is the way creationism ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. By William Saletan
Unintelligible Redesign - This is the way creationism ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. By William Saletan: "According to scientists, teachers, and civil libertarians, the Taliban has invaded Ohio. Creationists have devised a theory called 'Intelligent Design' (ID) and are trying to get Ohio's Board of Education to make sure it's taught alongside Darwinism. Unlike creationism, ID accepts that the Earth is billions of years old and that species evolve through natural selection. It posits that life has been designed but doesn't specify by whom. Liberals call ID a menace that will sneak religion into public schools. They're exactly wrong. ID is a big nothing. It's non-living, non-breathing proof that religion has surrendered its war against science.
Creationism used to be assertive and powerful. Darwinism wasn't allowed in schools. As Darwin gained the upper hand, conservatives fought to preserve creationism alongside evolution. They lost the war on both fronts. Courts struck down the teaching of creationism on the grounds that it mixed church and state. Meanwhile, scientific evidence discredited the belief that the Earth was created in six days and was only 6,000 years old. Like the Taliban, creationists were washed up. Their only hope was to flee to the mountains, shave their beards, change their clothes, and come back as something else."
Creationism used to be assertive and powerful. Darwinism wasn't allowed in schools. As Darwin gained the upper hand, conservatives fought to preserve creationism alongside evolution. They lost the war on both fronts. Courts struck down the teaching of creationism on the grounds that it mixed church and state. Meanwhile, scientific evidence discredited the belief that the Earth was created in six days and was only 6,000 years old. Like the Taliban, creationists were washed up. Their only hope was to flee to the mountains, shave their beards, change their clothes, and come back as something else."
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
sexyrobot415: Four Popes Who Died During Sex
sexyrobot415: Four Popes Who Died During Sex: "Four Popes Who Died During Sex
Four Popes Who Died During Sex
Sorry, but I stumbled across this information and just had to share...
1] Pope Leo VII (936-9) died of a heart attack while having sex.
2] Pope John VII (955-64) was bludgeoned to death by the cuckolded husband of the woman he was having sex with at the time.
3] Pope John XIII (965-72) was also murdered by an irate husband during the act.
4] Pope Paul II (1467-71) allegedly died while being sodomized by a page boy."
Four Popes Who Died During Sex
Sorry, but I stumbled across this information and just had to share...
1] Pope Leo VII (936-9) died of a heart attack while having sex.
2] Pope John VII (955-64) was bludgeoned to death by the cuckolded husband of the woman he was having sex with at the time.
3] Pope John XIII (965-72) was also murdered by an irate husband during the act.
4] Pope Paul II (1467-71) allegedly died while being sodomized by a page boy."
APP.COM v4.0 - Principal curbs kids' Internet activity | Asbury Park Press Online
APP.COM v4.0 - Principal curbs kids' Internet activity | Asbury Park Press Online: "For their own good? Or a violation of free speech?
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/24/05
BY LAURA BRUNO
GANNETT NEW JERSEY
When students post their faces, personal diaries and gossip on Web sites like Myspace.com and Xanga.com, it is not simply harmless teen fun, according to one Sussex County Catholic school principal.
It's an open invitation to predators and an activity that Pope John XIII Regional High School in Sparta will no longer tolerate, the Rev. Kieran McHugh told a packed assembly of 900 high school students two weeks ago.
Effective immediately, and over student complaints, the teens were told to dismantle their Myspace.com accounts or similar sites with personal profiles and blogs. Defy the order and face suspension, students were told.
While public and private schools routinely block access to noneducational Web sites on school computers, Pope John's order reaches into students' homes."
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/24/05
BY LAURA BRUNO
GANNETT NEW JERSEY
When students post their faces, personal diaries and gossip on Web sites like Myspace.com and Xanga.com, it is not simply harmless teen fun, according to one Sussex County Catholic school principal.
It's an open invitation to predators and an activity that Pope John XIII Regional High School in Sparta will no longer tolerate, the Rev. Kieran McHugh told a packed assembly of 900 high school students two weeks ago.
Effective immediately, and over student complaints, the teens were told to dismantle their Myspace.com accounts or similar sites with personal profiles and blogs. Defy the order and face suspension, students were told.
While public and private schools routinely block access to noneducational Web sites on school computers, Pope John's order reaches into students' homes."
LoCI
LoCI: "The Internet Backplane Protocol (IBP) is middleware for managing and using remote storage. It was invented to support Logistical Networking in large scale, distributed systems and applications. We define logistical networking as the global scheduling and optimization of data movement, storage and computation based on a model that takes into account all the network's underlying physical resources. This contrasts with more traditional networking, which does not explicitly model storage or computation resources in the network. We call this approach 'logistical' because of the analogy it bears with the systems of warehouses, depots and distribution channels commonly used in the logistics of military and industrial activity. IBP provides a mechanism for using distributed storage for logistical purposes."
redhat.com | Global File System
redhat.com | Global File System: "Red Hat GFS allows a cluster of Linux servers to share data in a common pool of storage, allowing you to:
* Greatly simplify your data infrastructure:
o Install and patch applications once, for the entire cluster
o Reduce the need for redundant copies of data
o Simplify back-up and disaster recovery tasks
* Maximize use of storage resources and minimize your storage costs:
o Manage your storage capacity as a whole vs. by partition
o Decrease your overall storage needs by reducing data duplication
* Scale clusters seamlessly, adding storage or servers on the fly:
o No more partitioning storage with complicated techniques
o Add servers simply by mounting them to the common file system
* Achieve maximum application uptime:"
* Greatly simplify your data infrastructure:
o Install and patch applications once, for the entire cluster
o Reduce the need for redundant copies of data
o Simplify back-up and disaster recovery tasks
* Maximize use of storage resources and minimize your storage costs:
o Manage your storage capacity as a whole vs. by partition
o Decrease your overall storage needs by reducing data duplication
* Scale clusters seamlessly, adding storage or servers on the fly:
o No more partitioning storage with complicated techniques
o Add servers simply by mounting them to the common file system
* Achieve maximum application uptime:"
Most Significat Bit Labs :: TinyDisk
Most Significat Bit Labs :: TinyDisk: "TinyDisk is a program from saving and retrieving files from TinyURL and TinyURL-like services such as Nanourl. It overlays a write-once-read-many anonymous, persistent and globally shared filesystem. Once something is uploaded, only the database admin can delete it. Everyone can read it. No one can know who created it. Think of it as a magical CD-R that gets burned and placed on a network."
Honda Plans Diesel Engine and 65-mpg Hybrid for U.S.
Honda Motor Co. says it might be able to build hybrid vehicles that get 65 miles per gallon — 30-percent better mileage than the company's 2006 Civic hybrid — with the help of a high-tech compression-ignition gasoline engine, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Now That's A Petition. The Loom: A blog about life, past and future
Now That's A Petition. The Loom: A blog about life, past and future
October 24, 2005
"Posted by Carl Zimmer
You may have heard about a petition that was being signed by scientists earlier this month against the teaching of intelligent design. The inspiration came from another petition drafted by the Discovery Institute opposing evolution. It garnered 400 signatures of scientists in four years. R. Joe Brandon, an archaeologist, decided to see how many signatures he could get from scientists in just four days by spreading the word from his web site.
The answer: 7,733.
"During my short, four-day experiment, I recieved about 20 times as many sgnatures at a rate 690,000% higher than what the Discovery Institute can claim," Brandon said in a statement."
NEWS! - CCD failures: the bigger picture
NEWS! - CCD failures: the bigger picture: "The root cause of the problem is only hinted at by the advisories, but in our investigation of the problem we've uncovered more specific information. Semiconductor chips can be assembled into a variety of different package types and styles. Most chips these days are delivered in plastic (epoxy, actually) packages that are inexpensive, but that may not offer environmental protection as good as that of more expensive ceramic package types. Apparently, the generation of Sony sensors affected by the problem were packaged in plastic, and the design or manufacturing parameters for the packages involved resulted in their being susceptible to elevated moisture and humidity levels in typical digital camera usage. Only in very unusual circumstances (high heat, very high humidity, high pressure) does this quickly lead to a problem. In most cases, it takes a very long time for moisture to creep into a plastic chip package. Hence, only now, two or more years after the earliest of the cameras affected by this were manufactured, are we starting to see a widespread pattern of problems."
Monday, October 24, 2005
FBI Papers Indicate Intelligence Violations
FBI Papers Indicate Intelligence Violations: "By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005; Page A01
The FBI has conducted clandestine surveillance on some U.S. residents for as long as 18 months at a time without proper paperwork or oversight, according to previously classified documents to be released today."
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005; Page A01
The FBI has conducted clandestine surveillance on some U.S. residents for as long as 18 months at a time without proper paperwork or oversight, according to previously classified documents to be released today."
BBC News | SCI/TECH | Visionary lays into the web
BBC News | SCI/TECH | Visionary lays into the web: "Ted Nelson is credited with coining the term hypertext. His ideas influenced the development of the internet."
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Are Boeing's Big Jets Safe?
Are Boeing's Big Jets Safe?:
By Sheila Kaplan
Photo: AFP Imageforum
October 13, 2005
A lawsuit alleges that planes made with "bogus" parts "must be grounded."
"Documents made public in a whistleblower lawsuit filed against The Boeing Company suggest that thousands of unsafe and unapproved parts have been installed on jets the company produced between 1994 and 2001—and perhaps longer."
By Sheila Kaplan
Photo: AFP Imageforum
October 13, 2005
A lawsuit alleges that planes made with "bogus" parts "must be grounded."
"Documents made public in a whistleblower lawsuit filed against The Boeing Company suggest that thousands of unsafe and unapproved parts have been installed on jets the company produced between 1994 and 2001—and perhaps longer."
Paging Dr. Ross
Paging Dr. Ross: "But Ross may not be ACSH's most prudent choice to question the credibility of other doctors, scientists, and researchers. Although the biography posted on the organization's website doesn't mention it, Ross actually had to abandon medicine on July 24, 1995, when his license to practice as a physician in New York was revoked by the unanimous vote of a state administrative review board for professional misconduct."
t r u t h o u t - UN Peacekeepers Still Abusing Women, Says Report
t r u t h o u t - UN Peacekeepers Still Abusing Women, Says Report
UN Peacekeepers Still Abusing Women, Says Report
Feminist Daily News Wire
Thursday 20 October 2005
Despite recent international attention to the problem, United Nations peacekeepers are still sexually exploiting and abusing women in the countries in which they serve, according to a report released yesterday by Refugees International. The report, "Must Boys Be Boys?," was prepared by Sarah Martin, who visited peacekeeping missions in Haiti and Liberia.
UN Peacekeepers Still Abusing Women, Says Report
Feminist Daily News Wire
Thursday 20 October 2005
Despite recent international attention to the problem, United Nations peacekeepers are still sexually exploiting and abusing women in the countries in which they serve, according to a report released yesterday by Refugees International. The report, "Must Boys Be Boys?," was prepared by Sarah Martin, who visited peacekeeping missions in Haiti and Liberia.
U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Campaign for a Cleaner Congress: Rove tied..."
U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Campaign for a Cleaner Congress: Rove tied...": "7/14/2005 8:00:00 AM
To: National Desk
Contact: Sandra Salstrom of Campaign for a Cleaner Congress, 202-393-4352
WASHINGTON, July 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Karl Rove's involvement in leaking the name of a CIA operative for political advantage during wartime could be just the tip of the iceberg as far as unethical behavior, since his web of influence extends to the most notorious figure of the House Lobbying Scandal.
'It's widely known that Karl Rove has been pulling strings all over Washington for years, obviously not just in the case of the Plame leak,' said Peter L. Kelley, manager of the Campaign for a Cleaner Congress.
'What is not widely known, however, is his close connection with Jack Abramoff, who is at the center of the lobbying scandal in which Washington is now embroiled. Rove let archconservative operatives like Grover Norquist call shots at the White House. And just this week, a Texas judge ruled that a former Rove lieutenant must face felony charges of money laundering for Tom DeLay's political operation."
To: National Desk
Contact: Sandra Salstrom of Campaign for a Cleaner Congress, 202-393-4352
WASHINGTON, July 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Karl Rove's involvement in leaking the name of a CIA operative for political advantage during wartime could be just the tip of the iceberg as far as unethical behavior, since his web of influence extends to the most notorious figure of the House Lobbying Scandal.
'It's widely known that Karl Rove has been pulling strings all over Washington for years, obviously not just in the case of the Plame leak,' said Peter L. Kelley, manager of the Campaign for a Cleaner Congress.
'What is not widely known, however, is his close connection with Jack Abramoff, who is at the center of the lobbying scandal in which Washington is now embroiled. Rove let archconservative operatives like Grover Norquist call shots at the White House. And just this week, a Texas judge ruled that a former Rove lieutenant must face felony charges of money laundering for Tom DeLay's political operation."
Video news releases - SourceWatch
Video news releases - SourceWatch: "Video news releases (VNRs) are video clips that are indistinguishable from traditional news clips and are sometimes screened unedited by television stations without the identification of the original producers or sponsors, who are commonly corporations, government agencies, or non governmental organizations."
news @ nature.com?-?Cyborg cells sense humidity?-?Gold-plated bacteria control current in sensitive gadget.
news @ nature.com?-?Cyborg cells sense humidity?-?Gold-plated bacteria control current in sensitive gadget.: "Living bacteria have been incorporated into an electronic circuit to produce a sensitive humidity gauge."
Friday, October 21, 2005
GorillaMask.net: Dane Cook impersonating Tom Cruise
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
The Local - Swedish music industry joins file sharing battle
The Local - Swedish music industry joins file sharing battle: "The order comes from the Swedish Board of Data Inspection, but APB says it is impossible without the cooperation of the country's internet service providers. And the ISPs are not playing ball.
Only the file sharer's ISP can link the IP address to the person. If the ISP receives a request for such information from the police, they cannot refuse it, but a few calls from TT revealed that requests from APB would be ignored.
'We don't send out warning letters to our customers on anyone else's behalf,' said Jan Sj?berg, the press officer at Telia Sonera Sweden."
Only the file sharer's ISP can link the IP address to the person. If the ISP receives a request for such information from the police, they cannot refuse it, but a few calls from TT revealed that requests from APB would be ignored.
'We don't send out warning letters to our customers on anyone else's behalf,' said Jan Sj?berg, the press officer at Telia Sonera Sweden."
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Time Machine - Discover Magazine - science news articles online technology magazine articles Time Machine
Time Machine - Discover Magazine - science news articles online technology magazine articles Time Machine: "Time Machine
Will a clock that works flawlessly for 10,000 years become the greatest wonder of the world?
By Brad Lemley
Photograpy by Dan Winters
DISCOVER Vol. 26 No. 11 | November 2005 | Technology"
Will a clock that works flawlessly for 10,000 years become the greatest wonder of the world?
By Brad Lemley
Photograpy by Dan Winters
DISCOVER Vol. 26 No. 11 | November 2005 | Technology"
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Air Force testing new transparent armor
Air Force testing new transparent armor: "ALONtm is a ceramic compound with a high compressive strength and durability. When polished, it is the premier transparent armor for use in armored vehicles, said. 1st Lt. Joseph La Monica, transparent armor sub-direction lead
'The substance itself is light years ahead of glass,' he said, adding that it offers 'higher performance and lighter weight.'"
'The substance itself is light years ahead of glass,' he said, adding that it offers 'higher performance and lighter weight.'"
Monday, October 17, 2005
XYZ Computing
Just Say No to Microsoft
This is an interview with Tony Bove, author of the upcoming book, "Just Say No to Microsoft". With this book Bove intends to help readers rid Microsoft from their life- this is easier said that done, but it is certainly possible. The book goes on to list alternatives to the Microsoft programs on which people have become dependent and probably think they cannot give up. More can be learned about Mr. Bove and the book at NoStarch's website.
This is an interview with Tony Bove, author of the upcoming book, "Just Say No to Microsoft". With this book Bove intends to help readers rid Microsoft from their life- this is easier said that done, but it is certainly possible. The book goes on to list alternatives to the Microsoft programs on which people have become dependent and probably think they cannot give up. More can be learned about Mr. Bove and the book at NoStarch's website.
Kenneth R. Miller - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenneth R. Miller - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenneth R. Miller (born 1948) is a biology professor at Brown University. Miller, a Roman Catholic, is particularly known for his opposition to creationism, including the intelligent design movement. He rejects the argument from design. He has written a book on the subject entitled Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution. In this book, he attempts to prove that strong beliefs in God and in evolution are not mutually exclusive.
Kenneth R. Miller (born 1948) is a biology professor at Brown University. Miller, a Roman Catholic, is particularly known for his opposition to creationism, including the intelligent design movement. He rejects the argument from design. He has written a book on the subject entitled Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution. In this book, he attempts to prove that strong beliefs in God and in evolution are not mutually exclusive.
Intimidation Alleged On 'Intelligent Design'
Intimidation Alleged On 'Intelligent Design': "By Michael Powell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Page A03
HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 27 -- Parents in federal court Tuesday described an atmosphere of intimidation and anger when school board members in Dover, Pa., last year decided to require high school biology teachers to read a statement that casts doubt on the theory of evolution.
Bryan Rehm, a parent who also taught physics at Dover High School, testified of continual pressure from board members not to 'teach monkeys-to-man evolution.' He said that the board required teachers to watch a film critical of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and that board members talked openly of teaching creationism alongside evolution."
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 28, 2005; Page A03
HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 27 -- Parents in federal court Tuesday described an atmosphere of intimidation and anger when school board members in Dover, Pa., last year decided to require high school biology teachers to read a statement that casts doubt on the theory of evolution.
Bryan Rehm, a parent who also taught physics at Dover High School, testified of continual pressure from board members not to 'teach monkeys-to-man evolution.' He said that the board required teachers to watch a film critical of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and that board members talked openly of teaching creationism alongside evolution."
Tracing the whale’s trail - York Daily Record
Tracing the whale’s trail - York Daily Record: "A paleontologist testified in the Dover school board trial about how fossils connect species.
By LAURI LEBO
Daily Record/Sunday News
Saturday, October 15, 2005
HARRISBURG — The ancestor of the whale and its first cousin the hippopotamus walked the Earth for 40 million years, munching on plants, before dying out in the ice ages.
Known as the anthracotheres, it became extinct 50 to 60 million years ago, but not before its evolutionary tree diverged — the whale forging into the oceans, the hippopotamus to the African swamps."
By LAURI LEBO
Daily Record/Sunday News
Saturday, October 15, 2005
HARRISBURG — The ancestor of the whale and its first cousin the hippopotamus walked the Earth for 40 million years, munching on plants, before dying out in the ice ages.
Known as the anthracotheres, it became extinct 50 to 60 million years ago, but not before its evolutionary tree diverged — the whale forging into the oceans, the hippopotamus to the African swamps."
Paleoanthro Weblog
Paleoanthro Weblog
My occasional ramblings about paleoanthropology, creationism, and related topics. Mostly in this site I try to be as objective as possible, but here is where I express my opinions. Follow this link if you want to send me feedback.
FOXNews.com - Views - Your Mail: Open Debate About OpenDocument
FOXNews.com - Views - Your Mail: Open Debate About OpenDocument:
This article is a response to the previous one.
Bob Halloran of Jacksonville, Fla., wrote:
1) Massachusetts' argument was simple: they didn't want their public documents at the mercy of one vendor's (Microsoft) planned obsolescence. Try reading an Office '95 file with Office 2003; it doesn't work so well. Their upcoming release requires re-formatting all your existing documents to their new standard.
2) Their criteria were also simple: a published standard, minimal or no copyright/patent encumbrances, and preferably set by a vendor-independent body. Adobe's PDF spec works because it *is* publicly available, has multiple products supporting it 100 percent, and has no license fees associated with it. Microsoft's office file formats are secret, and they walked away from the group that set up the OpenDocument spec.
3) Comments made by the IT chief for the state said there would be costs to convert from the current office suite regardless of what was replacing it. The costs to convert to OpenDocument were estimated at $5 million; upgrading the current vendor's product would cost $50 million, both in license fees and upgraded PCs to support the newer product."
This article is a response to the previous one.
Bob Halloran of Jacksonville, Fla., wrote:
1) Massachusetts' argument was simple: they didn't want their public documents at the mercy of one vendor's (Microsoft) planned obsolescence. Try reading an Office '95 file with Office 2003; it doesn't work so well. Their upcoming release requires re-formatting all your existing documents to their new standard.
2) Their criteria were also simple: a published standard, minimal or no copyright/patent encumbrances, and preferably set by a vendor-independent body. Adobe's PDF spec works because it *is* publicly available, has multiple products supporting it 100 percent, and has no license fees associated with it. Microsoft's office file formats are secret, and they walked away from the group that set up the OpenDocument spec.
3) Comments made by the IT chief for the state said there would be costs to convert from the current office suite regardless of what was replacing it. The costs to convert to OpenDocument were estimated at $5 million; upgrading the current vendor's product would cost $50 million, both in license fees and upgraded PCs to support the newer product."
Robert Cole writes:
The OpenDocument format is well in the process to establish itself as an ISO standard and will probably be so in the first half of 2006.
Why anyone thinks this drives up costs I have no idea. If Microsoft ends up supporting the standard (which I'm sure they will if Massachusetts holds its course) then no one will have to change software.
Microsoft has a long and well-documented history of not supporting standards. They have been recently working hard to corrupt the XML standard for example. They've tried and tried to corrupt web standards in general and have been somewhat successful. When they do support a standard, its normally only long enough to corrupt it with their embrace and extend practice rather than going through the proper channel to add something to an existing standard.
Brian Thomas of St. Louis, Mo., says:
[Prendergast] makes a complete hash of the facts surrounding the Massachusetts's state government's choice of OpenDocument for public records. Citing almost exclusively other Microsoft-funded organizations and well-known Microsoft apologists from the analyst and journalism communities, he makes the following unfounded, misleading, and/or simply false statements: “... the policy represents an attack on market-based competition, which in turn will hurt innovation.”
In fact, the exact reverse is the truth: The policy -- for the first time -- opens competition for software, which can read and write public documents in the state. Previous to this, only Microsoft was realistically allowed to provide office document software, because of the de facto standardization on their file formats, which they do not share with anyone.
FOXNews.com - Views - Massachusetts Should Close Down OpenDocument
FOXNews.com - Views - Massachusetts Should Close Down OpenDocument
What FOXnews.com and Mr. Prendergast did not state, is that the Americans for Technology Leadership coalition has Microsoft as one of it's founding members. FOXnews.com did finally admit to this, in addition to posting some of the responses to Mr. Prendergast's article here
Friday, September 30, 2005By James Prendergast
Officials in the state have proposed a new policy that mandates that every state technology system use only applications designed around OpenDocument file formats.
Such a policy might seem like something that should concern only a small group of technology professionals, but in fact the implications are staggering and far-reaching. The policy promises to burden taxpayers with new costs and to disrupt how state agencies interact with citizens, businesses and organizations.
Worse, the policy represents an attack on market-based competition, which in turn will hurt innovation. The state has a disaster in the making.
What FOXnews.com and Mr. Prendergast did not state, is that the Americans for Technology Leadership coalition has Microsoft as one of it's founding members. FOXnews.com did finally admit to this, in addition to posting some of the responses to Mr. Prendergast's article here
Customs officials 'nicked US Ambassador's phone'
Customs officials 'nicked US Ambassador's phone': "John Beyrle was flying from Varna to Hungary on Friday and left his mobileat the security check. Since he was important, Bulgarian authorities asked customs staff if they had seen the phone and none of them owned up.
Unfortunately the ambassador's phone had been kitted out with a global positioning system and it led the authorities to the two customs officials. They had thrown away the SIM card.
According to the Trud (Truth) newspaper the two said they wouldn't have nicked the phone if they had known it belonged to an Ambassador.
Bureaucrats stealing from other foreigners with natty gadgets is considered fair game in Bulgaria. A large amount of foreign post is confiscated by either the Post Office or customs officials as one of the perks of the job. When it happens to an ambassador something gets done of course."
Unfortunately the ambassador's phone had been kitted out with a global positioning system and it led the authorities to the two customs officials. They had thrown away the SIM card.
According to the Trud (Truth) newspaper the two said they wouldn't have nicked the phone if they had known it belonged to an Ambassador.
Bureaucrats stealing from other foreigners with natty gadgets is considered fair game in Bulgaria. A large amount of foreign post is confiscated by either the Post Office or customs officials as one of the perks of the job. When it happens to an ambassador something gets done of course."
Sunday, October 16, 2005
The Presse.com - all fast www.issen
The Presse.com - all fast www.issen: "The idea is 20 years old and comes from Manfred Hettmer, president Austrian Mars Society: With the help of one on 'Alfven waves' of based plasma propulsion the thrust of a rocket can be drastically reduced increased, at the same time the fuel consumption, so the idea.
And actually, according to tests the plasma propulsion leads to a fuel saving of approximately 90 per cent - and that is not little thing"
And actually, according to tests the plasma propulsion leads to a fuel saving of approximately 90 per cent - and that is not little thing"
Cheeta
Cheeta
I don't how strange this is for a cat, but Cheeta loves to lick the condensation off any glass I might be drinking. Thing is she is merciless if I drink anything she is there.
I don't how strange this is for a cat, but Cheeta loves to lick the condensation off any glass I might be drinking. Thing is she is merciless if I drink anything she is there.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
P8290026 photo - Ira Morenberg photos at pbase.com
P8290026 photo - Ira Morenberg photos at pbase.com: "Perhaps you prefer presidential aids who publicly expose CIA agents specializing in WMDs at the exact same moment that a report is published describing the CIAs need to get more intel on WMDs. This same adviser asked Bush to use the WMD card to convince the public to go to war and 'occupy an islamic country to secure a more peaceful world', as if THAT has ever happened in the history of the planet.
The problem I find with most conservatives is the inability to grasp the inate strength of cultural and political DIVERSITY in a society. Given the love for Hate and Fear speech in our current Executive branch I find the Fuck Bush statement exactly on topic in it's offensiveness and simplicity. Funny how asking someone to Fuck Off is offensive, but bombing a nation with Shock and Awe is acceptable (8 of 10 precision munitions miss their mark, btw, check Jane's Defense Weekly). Most conservatives also tend to be far less informed on even basic issues. The phrase 'if you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention' comes to mind. This doesn't mean that most Liberals aren't tree hugging idealists who would quickly bankrupt our nation, and frankly Conservatives are fine in theory (balanced budget anyone?). It is NEO-conseervatives that LITERALLY feel now is the time to unite the world under an 'American Pax' and use our servicemen as a 'constabulatory' force. Doubt me? Read 'Plan For A New American Century' and watch it come to fruition in the bush administration."
The problem I find with most conservatives is the inability to grasp the inate strength of cultural and political DIVERSITY in a society. Given the love for Hate and Fear speech in our current Executive branch I find the Fuck Bush statement exactly on topic in it's offensiveness and simplicity. Funny how asking someone to Fuck Off is offensive, but bombing a nation with Shock and Awe is acceptable (8 of 10 precision munitions miss their mark, btw, check Jane's Defense Weekly). Most conservatives also tend to be far less informed on even basic issues. The phrase 'if you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention' comes to mind. This doesn't mean that most Liberals aren't tree hugging idealists who would quickly bankrupt our nation, and frankly Conservatives are fine in theory (balanced budget anyone?). It is NEO-conseervatives that LITERALLY feel now is the time to unite the world under an 'American Pax' and use our servicemen as a 'constabulatory' force. Doubt me? Read 'Plan For A New American Century' and watch it come to fruition in the bush administration."
Dover statement bombs, even in Canada - York Daily Record
Dover statement bombs, even in Canada - York Daily Record: "The judge sustained the objection, and we never got to learn whether Spahr cared about hurting Buckingham’s feelings.
And speaking of hurt feelings, you had to feel bad for Dover Supt. Richard Nilsen and the rest of the defendants, sitting in the gallery — on the defendant’s side of courtroom No. 2 — when Brian Alters, a professor of science education and expert in teaching evolution, started talking.
It got ugly.
The defendants appeared to be relieved when Alters took the stand and said he taught at McGill University.
McGill is in Montreal.
That’s Canada.
You could almost sense the relief among the defendants. Canada? How bad could it get?
And then, the good doctor started testifying and in so many words, accused the school board and administrators, essentially, of child abuse.
And he was right.
Teaching intelligent design creationism in science class wasn’t just a bad idea, he said. It wasn’t just bad teaching. It was “probably the worst thing I’ve heard of in science education.”
And it got worse.
He went through the four-paragraph statement that an administrator reads to drowsy kids at the beginning of their exploration of evolution and, line-by-line, tore it apart.
Let’s see. Consulting my notes, I see the words “terrible,” “dead wrong,” “wrong.” It went on and on.
He read statements from leading science and science education organizations, rejecting the notion of teaching intelligent design creationism, a nonscientific idea, as an alternative of the theory of evolution, one of the most well-supported theories in all of science.
Suggesting that intelligent design creationism is a viable alternative to evolution does the opposite of what the defenders of Dover say. It does not promote critical thinking, Alters said. It does not teach students to approach topics with an open mind. It does not contribute to student’s education in any way.
If anything, it reinforces misconceptions students may have about the subject of evolution.
It does, essentially, the opposite of educating. It contributes to ignorance.
Now, they may have some different ideas about education up in Dover, but I don’t think that’s one of them."
And speaking of hurt feelings, you had to feel bad for Dover Supt. Richard Nilsen and the rest of the defendants, sitting in the gallery — on the defendant’s side of courtroom No. 2 — when Brian Alters, a professor of science education and expert in teaching evolution, started talking.
It got ugly.
The defendants appeared to be relieved when Alters took the stand and said he taught at McGill University.
McGill is in Montreal.
That’s Canada.
You could almost sense the relief among the defendants. Canada? How bad could it get?
And then, the good doctor started testifying and in so many words, accused the school board and administrators, essentially, of child abuse.
And he was right.
Teaching intelligent design creationism in science class wasn’t just a bad idea, he said. It wasn’t just bad teaching. It was “probably the worst thing I’ve heard of in science education.”
And it got worse.
He went through the four-paragraph statement that an administrator reads to drowsy kids at the beginning of their exploration of evolution and, line-by-line, tore it apart.
Let’s see. Consulting my notes, I see the words “terrible,” “dead wrong,” “wrong.” It went on and on.
He read statements from leading science and science education organizations, rejecting the notion of teaching intelligent design creationism, a nonscientific idea, as an alternative of the theory of evolution, one of the most well-supported theories in all of science.
Suggesting that intelligent design creationism is a viable alternative to evolution does the opposite of what the defenders of Dover say. It does not promote critical thinking, Alters said. It does not teach students to approach topics with an open mind. It does not contribute to student’s education in any way.
If anything, it reinforces misconceptions students may have about the subject of evolution.
It does, essentially, the opposite of educating. It contributes to ignorance.
Now, they may have some different ideas about education up in Dover, but I don’t think that’s one of them."
Scientists hit back at Dover video - York Daily Record
Scientists hit back at Dover video - York Daily Record: "By LAURI LEBO
Daily Record/Sunday News
Friday, October 14, 2005
At the end of the 2004 school year, Bill Buckingham, then a member of the Dover Area School Board, wanted science teachers to know about what he suspected were flaws in evolutionary theory.
So he asked an administrator to give the teachers a videotape produced by the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, according to court testimony Wednesday.
The pro-intelligent-design organization touts as one of its leading resources 'Icons of Evolution,' a book written by one of its senior fellows, Jonathan Wells.
The tape has featured prominently in the school board's First Amendment battle over intelligent design, which resumes today in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg. The teachers watched it, as they were instructed. But that didn't keep them from opposing the school board's decision to include the concept of intelligent design in the district's biology curriculum.
The videotape, based on Wells' book of the same name, points to what it says is the 'growing scientific controversy over Darwin,' raising questions about Galapagos finches, among other 'false icons' used to teach children about evolution.
But while Buckingham may have considered the work illustrative of gaps in evolutionary theory, scientists say it is inaccurate and misleading."
Daily Record/Sunday News
Friday, October 14, 2005
At the end of the 2004 school year, Bill Buckingham, then a member of the Dover Area School Board, wanted science teachers to know about what he suspected were flaws in evolutionary theory.
So he asked an administrator to give the teachers a videotape produced by the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, according to court testimony Wednesday.
The pro-intelligent-design organization touts as one of its leading resources 'Icons of Evolution,' a book written by one of its senior fellows, Jonathan Wells.
The tape has featured prominently in the school board's First Amendment battle over intelligent design, which resumes today in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg. The teachers watched it, as they were instructed. But that didn't keep them from opposing the school board's decision to include the concept of intelligent design in the district's biology curriculum.
The videotape, based on Wells' book of the same name, points to what it says is the 'growing scientific controversy over Darwin,' raising questions about Galapagos finches, among other 'false icons' used to teach children about evolution.
But while Buckingham may have considered the work illustrative of gaps in evolutionary theory, scientists say it is inaccurate and misleading."
Friday, October 14, 2005
Riverwalk in San Antonio
Family dinner on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. The date on the photo is wrong, I did not realize that I would need to reset the date after I changed the batteries.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Dee and I are going to to vist my mom. We will pick up my aunt at her son's here in Austin and then drive to San Antonio. We hope to get there about 2:00pm. My uncle Pete and his daughter Pam and her husband are visting. Dinner is to be about 6:00pm or so. I am bringing a pork loin, stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and garlic. I hope to take some photos.
NCSE Resource
NCSE Resource: "Kitzmiller coverage begins
The trial in Kitzmiller v. Dover, the first legal challenge to the constitutionality of teaching 'intelligent design' in the public schools, is scheduled to begin in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on September 26, 2005, and the media are already focusing attention on the case. As the York Dispatch (September 23, 2005) reports, journalists from The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and National Public Radio have already reserved space in the courtroom; Court TV sought but was denied permission to televise the trial. Paula Knudsen of the ACLU remarked, 'It's the first time ['intelligent design'] has ever been in a curriculum, so whatever happens will be of interest ... It's a debate ... about religion's place in society and that more than anything I think gets people fired up.'"
The trial in Kitzmiller v. Dover, the first legal challenge to the constitutionality of teaching 'intelligent design' in the public schools, is scheduled to begin in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on September 26, 2005, and the media are already focusing attention on the case. As the York Dispatch (September 23, 2005) reports, journalists from The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and National Public Radio have already reserved space in the courtroom; Court TV sought but was denied permission to televise the trial. Paula Knudsen of the ACLU remarked, 'It's the first time ['intelligent design'] has ever been in a curriculum, so whatever happens will be of interest ... It's a debate ... about religion's place in society and that more than anything I think gets people fired up.'"
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Night of the Living Broadcast Flag
Night of the Living Broadcast Flag: "This is really getting ridiculous! We beat the broadcast flag in Federal Court, we beat it in the Appropriations Committee, but the MPAA is giving it another try. This time, they're allying with the RIAA and asking for more: not just a flag for digital broadcast television, but even broader FCC power in the name of 'protecting' digital radio, to boot!
This new legislation to give the FCC the power to adopt the broadcast flag will likely be attached to the digital television (DTV) bill. The Commerce Committee is where all of this will go down in the Senate. Any Senate flag language would be attached to a DTV policy bill, and likely be done behind closed doors: without so much as a public hearing or debate. Similar language could be made as an amendment to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's version of the DTV bill. That's why voicing your opinion now with your Representative and Senators is vital.
You know the drill. Call your congressmembers and let them know what you think about the broadcast flag. This is especially important for those of you who have a member on the appropriate committee (see the list below). If you don't have a member on either of the committees, your call should go to the chairmen and ranking members. We've included some talking points at the end of this e-mail to help you out."
This new legislation to give the FCC the power to adopt the broadcast flag will likely be attached to the digital television (DTV) bill. The Commerce Committee is where all of this will go down in the Senate. Any Senate flag language would be attached to a DTV policy bill, and likely be done behind closed doors: without so much as a public hearing or debate. Similar language could be made as an amendment to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's version of the DTV bill. That's why voicing your opinion now with your Representative and Senators is vital.
You know the drill. Call your congressmembers and let them know what you think about the broadcast flag. This is especially important for those of you who have a member on the appropriate committee (see the list below). If you don't have a member on either of the committees, your call should go to the chairmen and ranking members. We've included some talking points at the end of this e-mail to help you out."
CNN.com - Bone of Hobbit-like species?uncovered - Oct 11, 2005
CNN.com - Bone of Hobbit-like species?uncovered - Oct 11, 2005: "The discovery of a jaw bone, to be reported in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, represents the ninth individual belonging to a group believed to have lived as recently as 12,000 years ago. The bones are in a wet cave on the island of Flores in the eastern limb of the Indonesian archipelago, near Australia.
In 2004, scientists announced their original, sensational discovery of a delicate skull and partial skeleton of a female, nicknamed 'Hobbit' and believed to be 18,000 years old. In addition, they found separate bones and fragments of other individuals ranging in age from 12,000 to 95,000 years old.
The findings have ignited a controversy unlike any other in the often-contentious study of human origins.
The tiny bones have enchanted many anthropologists who accept the interpretation that these diminutive skeletons belonged to a remnant population of prehistoric humans that were marooned on Flores with dwarf elephants and other miniaturized animals, giving the discovery a kind of fairy tale quality."
In 2004, scientists announced their original, sensational discovery of a delicate skull and partial skeleton of a female, nicknamed 'Hobbit' and believed to be 18,000 years old. In addition, they found separate bones and fragments of other individuals ranging in age from 12,000 to 95,000 years old.
The findings have ignited a controversy unlike any other in the often-contentious study of human origins.
The tiny bones have enchanted many anthropologists who accept the interpretation that these diminutive skeletons belonged to a remnant population of prehistoric humans that were marooned on Flores with dwarf elephants and other miniaturized animals, giving the discovery a kind of fairy tale quality."
Monday, October 10, 2005
Hair-raising stem cells identified | Science Blog
Hair-raising stem cells identified | Science Blog: "Using an animal model, a research team led by Yann Barrandon at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) and the CHUV (Lausanne University Hospital) has discovered that certain cells inside the hair follicle are true multipotent stem cells, capable of developing into the many different cell types needed for hair growth and follicle replacement. In an article appearing in the Oct 3 advance online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they demonstrate that these holoclones can be used for long-term follicle renewal"
CNN.com - Fire destroys 'Wallace and Gromit' warehouse - Oct 10, 2005
CNN.com - Fire destroys 'Wallace and Gromit' warehouse - Oct 10, 2005: "BRISTOL, England -- The company behind the new 'Wallace and Gromit' film said Monday its 'entire history' has been destroyed in a fire at a warehouse containing props and sets."
Blog This: ? Sergey Brin: No office suite…for now | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com
Sergey Brin: No office suite…for now | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com
Sergey Brin: No office suite…for now by ZDNet's Dan Farber -- Google co-founder Sergey Brin made a guest appearance at the Web 2.0 conference. During his conversation, hosted by John Battelle, someone from the audience asked Brin about when a 'Google Office,' a web-based productivity suite, would appear. Brin responded: "I don't really think that the thing is to take a previous generation of technology and port them [...]
Slashdot | Good bye Dark Matter, Hello General Relativity
Slashdot | Good bye Dark Matter, Hello General Relativity. On the whole a very reasoned and cogent disscussion; not only of "dark matter".
President Bush: Sell the Ranch
President Bush: Sell the Ranch A call for Bush to resign.
But perhaps your preoccupation with (and of) Iraq is part of the problem. After all, it's not as if you didn't have any warning that this would happen: In early 2001, FEMA ranked this possible disaster right up there with a terrorist attack on New York City. So with a need for $250 million to shore up hurricane and flooding-prevention projects, you slashed the funding to almost nil. The Army Corps of Engineers received barely 4 million dollars for the New Orleans levee project this year. Where did the rest of the money go? Your friends in government say it went to that $200 billion "let's invade a sovereign nation for no reason" project that you were working on-- which, I agree, must be pretty hard to pay for after all those tax cuts.
(Oh, and there's that $231 million bridge to nowhere up in Alaska. Perhaps the refugees can live under it when it's complete. Or was that your "disaster plan" the entire time?)
Don't get me wrong. Nobody blames you for the hurricane. The flooding and gross mismanagement, however, are another issue entirely. But you say it was "inevitable." That it was a "force of nature." So when it came down to taking swift, decisive action to help people that were drowning and starving, you were busy playing the guitar at some fluff photo-ops. Condi was too busy buying shoes and seeing Broadway comedies. The head of your party was too busy going to a Republican Fundraiser and selling his car. And the National Guard troops, which could have prevented at least some of the lawlessness, the looting, the pillaging, the rapes, and the assault? Where were they? Where were their helicopters to help airlift the starving, drowning masses? I dare say, even someone with your intelligence can crack that riddle. Hint: it rhymes with "Iraq."
EFF: DeepLinks
EFF: DeepLinks: The MPAA and RIAA doing what comes naturally, being really really evil, and sneaky.
"The traditional way of creating conglomerate-friendly law is to get somebody to draft a bill that incorporates your ideas. Let's call our hypothetical bill the 'Save Our Cartel Privilege by Unfeaturing People's Television Act of 2005,' or SOCPUPT for short.
Getting backing for consumer-hostile legislation isn't easy -- as you discovered that with that Induce Act fiasco. Also, congresscritters love to discuss bills; they consult, they hold hearings. Frankly, you've had it up to here with all the, 'that's not in the public interest' business, thank you very much."
Boing Boing: MPAA/RIAA subvert democracy with super-broadcast-flag bid
Still being evil.
Boing Boing: MPAA/RIAA subvert democracy with super-broadcast-flag bid: "The RIAA and MPAA have teamed up to demand that Congress get the FCC to create a super-duper broadcast flag for radio and TV. This means that they'll get a veto over pretty much anything that can play video or music -- from your iPod to your PC's tuner card."
Saturday, October 08, 2005
American Geological Institute - Serving the Geosciences Since 1948
American Geological Institute - Serving the Geosciences Since 1948: "On September 26, 2005, the case against the Dover Area School District commenced in Harrisburg, PA. Last year the Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania adopted a requirement that school administrators deliver a statement warning students that evolution is a theory among many and pointing them towards an intelligent design theory for alternative reading. Eleven parents were joined by the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Union for the Separation of Church and State in a lawsuit against the school district, arguing that the directive is an attempt to bring religion into science classrooms. The Dover Area School District is being represented pro bono by the Thomas More Law Center, a Christian law firm based in Michigan. The case, Kitzmiller et al. vs. Dover, is being heard without a jury in Harrisburg by U.S. District Judge John Jones III, whom President Bush appointed to the bench in 2002."
Main Page - EvoWiki
Main Page - EvoWiki: "The Evolution Education Wiki is a free, reader-built encyclopedia of evolution, biology, and origins. It is inspired by the Talk.Origins Archive and the Wikipedia project.
EvoWiki's goal is to promote general evolution education, and to provide mainstream scientific responses to the arguments of creationism and other antievolutionists.
You can get involved in the EvoWiki community and start editing pages right away! To find out more, see the community portal!"
EvoWiki's goal is to promote general evolution education, and to provide mainstream scientific responses to the arguments of creationism and other antievolutionists.
You can get involved in the EvoWiki community and start editing pages right away! To find out more, see the community portal!"
Manyuan Long
Manyuan Long: "Research Interests:
A fundamental problem in evolutionary biology is how genes with novel functions originate. My research focuses on this problem, although I am also interested in other issues of molecular evolution. Interest in evolutionary novelties can be traced back to the time of Darwin. However, studies of the origin and evolution of genes with new functions have only recently become possible and attracted increasing attention."
A fundamental problem in evolutionary biology is how genes with novel functions originate. My research focuses on this problem, although I am also interested in other issues of molecular evolution. Interest in evolutionary novelties can be traced back to the time of Darwin. However, studies of the origin and evolution of genes with new functions have only recently become possible and attracted increasing attention."
GlaxoSmithKline CEO Meets with President Bush to Discuss Pandemic Flu Plans
GlaxoSmithKline CEO Meets with President Bush to Discuss Pandemic Flu Plans: "Philadelphia, PA, October 7, 2005 - Today, President George Bush met with GlaxoSmithKline [NYSE:GSK] CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier and CEOs of other vaccine manufacturers to review ways in which the industry can support the US Government in its plans to respond to potential global flu pandemic."
Forrest cross-examination a rambling wonder - York Daily Record
Forrest cross-examination a rambling wonder - York Daily Record: "MIKE ARGENTO
Friday, October 7, 2005
The Thomas More Law Center is founded on the premise of defending and promoting the religious freedom of Christians.
Not all Christians. Christians who believe in separation of church and state — and there are a lot of them — can go to hell, as far as they’re concerned.
And you could say the law center has an interest in creating more Christians of the stripe that will need defending, legalwise. I guess that’s the promotion part.
And I’m glad to report that, judging from Day Seven of the Dover Panda Trial, it’s working.
About the time that Richard Thompson, head law guy at the Thomas More center and chief defender of the Dover Area School Board, started his third year of cross-examination of philosopher Barbara Forrest, it was easy to imagine that at that moment, everyone in the courtroom, including Forrest, who doesn’t believe in God, was violating the separation of church and court by appealing to God for it to please, Lord, just stop.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a point to the ceaseless stream of questions from Thompson designed to elicit Lord knows what. He’d ask her the same question 18 different times, expecting, I guess, a different answer at some point. And he never got it.
Thompson, who said he’s a former prosecutor, should have known better. Forrest, a professor at Southeastern Louisiana University and expert on the history of the intelligent design creationist movement, was a lot smarter than, say, some poor, dumb criminal defendant.
Here is a summation of Forrest’s testimony: She examined the history of the intelligent design movement and concluded that it’s simply another name for creationism. And what led her to that conclusion? The movement leader’s own words. They started out with a religious proposition and sought to clothe it in science. The result was similar to putting a suit on your dog. (Not that I’d know what that looks like.)
That, and when some of its founders wrote “Of Pandas and People,” they took an earlier text and merely replaced the word “creationism” with the phrase “intelligent design.”"
Friday, October 7, 2005
The Thomas More Law Center is founded on the premise of defending and promoting the religious freedom of Christians.
Not all Christians. Christians who believe in separation of church and state — and there are a lot of them — can go to hell, as far as they’re concerned.
And you could say the law center has an interest in creating more Christians of the stripe that will need defending, legalwise. I guess that’s the promotion part.
And I’m glad to report that, judging from Day Seven of the Dover Panda Trial, it’s working.
About the time that Richard Thompson, head law guy at the Thomas More center and chief defender of the Dover Area School Board, started his third year of cross-examination of philosopher Barbara Forrest, it was easy to imagine that at that moment, everyone in the courtroom, including Forrest, who doesn’t believe in God, was violating the separation of church and court by appealing to God for it to please, Lord, just stop.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a point to the ceaseless stream of questions from Thompson designed to elicit Lord knows what. He’d ask her the same question 18 different times, expecting, I guess, a different answer at some point. And he never got it.
Thompson, who said he’s a former prosecutor, should have known better. Forrest, a professor at Southeastern Louisiana University and expert on the history of the intelligent design creationist movement, was a lot smarter than, say, some poor, dumb criminal defendant.
Here is a summation of Forrest’s testimony: She examined the history of the intelligent design movement and concluded that it’s simply another name for creationism. And what led her to that conclusion? The movement leader’s own words. They started out with a religious proposition and sought to clothe it in science. The result was similar to putting a suit on your dog. (Not that I’d know what that looks like.)
That, and when some of its founders wrote “Of Pandas and People,” they took an earlier text and merely replaced the word “creationism” with the phrase “intelligent design.”"
Teachers: Our input not applied - York Daily Record
Teachers: Our input not applied - York Daily Record: "HARRISBURG — Defense attorney Richard Thompson said differing opinions on whether teachers and administration worked in cooperation to create the Dover Area School District’s statement on intelligent design comes down to perspective.
Jennifer Miller, biology teacher, and Bertha Spahr, head of Dover’s science department, testified Thursday in U.S. Middle District Court that they took several steps to appease the administration but don’t consider the final statement to be the result of a collaboration."
Jennifer Miller, biology teacher, and Bertha Spahr, head of Dover’s science department, testified Thursday in U.S. Middle District Court that they took several steps to appease the administration but don’t consider the final statement to be the result of a collaboration."
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pope St. Eleutherius
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Pope St. Eleutherius: "Just when the Roman Church took its definite stand against Montanism is not certainly known. It would seem from Tertullian's account (adv. Praxeam, I) that a Roman bishop did at one time address to the Montanists some conciliatory letters, but these letters, says Tertullian, were recalled. He probably refers to Pope Eleutherius, who long hesitated, but, after a conscientious and thorough study of the situation, is supposed to have declared against the Montanists. At Rome heretical Gnostics and Marcionites continued to propagate their false teachings. The 'Liber Pontificalis' ascribes to Pope Eleutherius a decree that no kind of food should be despised by Christians (Et hoc iterum firmavit ut nulla esca a Christianis repudiaretur, maxime fidelibus, quod Deus creavit, qu?tamen rationalis et humana est). Possibly he did issue such an edict against the Gnostics and Montanists; it is also possible that on his own responsibility the writer of the 'Liber Pontificalis' attributed to this pope a similar decree current about the year 500. The same writer is responsible for a curious and interesting assertion concerning the early missionary activity of the Roman Church; indeed, the 'Liber Pontificalis' contains no other statement equally remarkable. Pope Eleutherius, says this writer, received from Lucius, a British king, a letter in which the latter declared that by his behest he wishes to become a Christian (Hic accepit epistula a Lucio Brittanio rege, ut Christianus efficerentur per ejus mandatum). Whence the author of the first part of the 'Liber Pontificalis' drew this information, it is now impossible to say. Historically speaking, the fact is quite improbable, and is rejected by all recent critics."
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education: "Two years ago, it looked as if the Roman Catholic Church was headed for a bruising battle with Catholic colleges in the United States.
Newspapers trumpeted a move that many saw as a threat to academic freedom. 'Bishops Tighten Academic Control,' read one front-page headline. 'Catholic Theologians Fear Loss of Freedom,' said another.
American bishops, under Vatican direction, had issued a list of rules for Catholic colleges to comply with. The most controversial ordered all Catholic theologians on those campuses to seek church acknowledgment -- a mandatum -- that what they are teaching is 'authentic Catholic doctrine.' Some theologians, predicting witch hunts and orthodoxy tests, criticized the church for attempting to exercise control over their academic discipline."
Newspapers trumpeted a move that many saw as a threat to academic freedom. 'Bishops Tighten Academic Control,' read one front-page headline. 'Catholic Theologians Fear Loss of Freedom,' said another.
American bishops, under Vatican direction, had issued a list of rules for Catholic colleges to comply with. The most controversial ordered all Catholic theologians on those campuses to seek church acknowledgment -- a mandatum -- that what they are teaching is 'authentic Catholic doctrine.' Some theologians, predicting witch hunts and orthodoxy tests, criticized the church for attempting to exercise control over their academic discipline."
Deal Hudson : How To Make Sure "Catholic" Colleges Really Are
Deal Hudson : How To Make Sure "Catholic" Colleges Really Are: "As you may know, I have a daughter who'll be heading off to college in a few years. Like any faithful parent, if she goes to a Catholic school, I want to make sure she's being taught authentic Catholicism. None of that watered-down nonsense, thank you very much.
In fact, you yourself may have a child or grandchild in a Catholic college. If so, you need to know this: His or her theology professors should have received a 'mandatum' from their bishop by June 1st of this year. While most people have no idea what a 'mandatum' is, it's actually a very important thing (I'll explain why in a minute).
But first, a little background...
You might be familiar with the document 'Ex Corde Ecclesiae' that the pope issued in 1990, calling for the return of a Catholic identity to Catholic universities and colleges and, in the spirit of their Catholic tradition, the certification of those professors. In their 1999 response to the pope's statement, the American bishops declared (grudgingly, in some cases) that a mandatum would be required of all Catholic professors at Catholic colleges who taught in the theological disciplines.
So what exactly is a mandatum? Basically, it's 'an acknowledgement by Church authority that a Catholic professor of a theological discipline is a teacher within the full communion of the Catholic Church...[and] recognizes the professor's commitment and responsibility to teach authentic Catholic doctrine and to refrain from putting forth as Catholic teaching anything contrary to the Church's magisterium' (Guidelines Concerning the Academic Mandatum, Article 1, a-b)."
In fact, you yourself may have a child or grandchild in a Catholic college. If so, you need to know this: His or her theology professors should have received a 'mandatum' from their bishop by June 1st of this year. While most people have no idea what a 'mandatum' is, it's actually a very important thing (I'll explain why in a minute).
But first, a little background...
You might be familiar with the document 'Ex Corde Ecclesiae' that the pope issued in 1990, calling for the return of a Catholic identity to Catholic universities and colleges and, in the spirit of their Catholic tradition, the certification of those professors. In their 1999 response to the pope's statement, the American bishops declared (grudgingly, in some cases) that a mandatum would be required of all Catholic professors at Catholic colleges who taught in the theological disciplines.
So what exactly is a mandatum? Basically, it's 'an acknowledgement by Church authority that a Catholic professor of a theological discipline is a teacher within the full communion of the Catholic Church...[and] recognizes the professor's commitment and responsibility to teach authentic Catholic doctrine and to refrain from putting forth as Catholic teaching anything contrary to the Church's magisterium' (Guidelines Concerning the Academic Mandatum, Article 1, a-b)."
York Dispatch - York Today
Meetings were like revivals TRIAL WITNESS: CHRISTINA KAUFFMAN The York Dispatch
HARRISBURG -- The meeting reminded Carol "Casey" Brown of the traveling tent revivals that used to set up at the York Fairgrounds.
But it was a meeting of the Dover Area school board in June 2004, the former school board member said in court yesterday.
And behind the microphone, instead of a traveling preacher, was Charlotte Buckingham, school board member William Buckingham's wife.
Charlotte Buckingham quoted scripture from the Old Testament and said the district students would be cheated if they couldn't learn about biblical creation.
She told people how to accept Jesus Christ as their "personal savior," Brown said.
Alan Bonsell, board president at the time, allowed Buckingham to continue for about 15 minutes, three times the length of public comment permitted at the board's meetings, Brown testified.
As she sat there listening, she heard muttered amens coming from her fellow board members sitting at the table around her. She wasn't sure who, exactly. She heard the whispered affirmations rising up from both sides of her, she testified.
...
HARRISBURG -- The meeting reminded Carol "Casey" Brown of the traveling tent revivals that used to set up at the York Fairgrounds.
But it was a meeting of the Dover Area school board in June 2004, the former school board member said in court yesterday.
And behind the microphone, instead of a traveling preacher, was Charlotte Buckingham, school board member William Buckingham's wife.
Charlotte Buckingham quoted scripture from the Old Testament and said the district students would be cheated if they couldn't learn about biblical creation.
She told people how to accept Jesus Christ as their "personal savior," Brown said.
Alan Bonsell, board president at the time, allowed Buckingham to continue for about 15 minutes, three times the length of public comment permitted at the board's meetings, Brown testified.
As she sat there listening, she heard muttered amens coming from her fellow board members sitting at the table around her. She wasn't sure who, exactly. She heard the whispered affirmations rising up from both sides of her, she testified.
...
Friday, October 07, 2005
kvd_trans_20050926_day1_am.pdf (application/pdf Object)
kvd_trans_20050926_day1_am.pdf (application/pdf Object)
TAMMY J. KITZMILLER, et al., :
Plaintiffs :
: Case Number
vs. : 4:04-CV-02688
:
DOVER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT; :
DOVER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT :
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, :
Defendants :
MORNING SESSION
TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS
OF BENCH TRIAL
Before: HONORABLE JOHN E. JONES, III
Date : September 26, 2005
Place : Courtroom Number 2, 9th Floor
Federal Building
228 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
TAMMY J. KITZMILLER, et al., :
Plaintiffs :
: Case Number
vs. : 4:04-CV-02688
:
DOVER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT; :
DOVER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT :
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, :
Defendants :
MORNING SESSION
TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS
OF BENCH TRIAL
Before: HONORABLE JOHN E. JONES, III
Date : September 26, 2005
Place : Courtroom Number 2, 9th Floor
Federal Building
228 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
KRT Wire | 09/27/2005 | Some on school board pushed for creationism, former member says
KRT Wire | 09/27/2005 | Some on school board pushed for creationism, former member says: "Aralene Callahan, who served between 1993 and 2003, told the court that Alan Bonsell said at a board retreat in March 2003 that he did not believe in evolution and that creationism had to be shared in the curriculum '50-50.'
Callahan is one of 11 parents in eight families who filed suit last year against the York County district after its board approved a requirement that high school biology teachers must read a statement in class pointing out 'intelligent design' as an alternative to Darwin's theory of the origin of the species."
Callahan is one of 11 parents in eight families who filed suit last year against the York County district after its board approved a requirement that high school biology teachers must read a statement in class pointing out 'intelligent design' as an alternative to Darwin's theory of the origin of the species."
Intelligent Design: 'The Death of Science'
Intelligent Design: 'The Death of Science': "After examining ID's two main arguments, the answers to the original questions—what does ID offer? And what can ID explain that evolution can't?—is not much and nothing, leading scientists say.
'The most basic problem [with ID] is that it's utterly boring,' said William Provine, a science historian at Cornell University in New York. 'Everything that's complicated or interesting about biology has a very simple explanation: ID did it.'
Evolution was and still is the only scientific theory for life that can explain how we get complexity from simplicity and diversity from uniformity.
ID offers nothing comparable. It begins with complexity—a Supreme Being—and also ends there."
'The most basic problem [with ID] is that it's utterly boring,' said William Provine, a science historian at Cornell University in New York. 'Everything that's complicated or interesting about biology has a very simple explanation: ID did it.'
Evolution was and still is the only scientific theory for life that can explain how we get complexity from simplicity and diversity from uniformity.
ID offers nothing comparable. It begins with complexity—a Supreme Being—and also ends there."
Teacher Asked to be Excused from Presenting 'Intelligent Design'
Teacher Asked to be Excused from Presenting 'Intelligent Design': "Vastly different from Charles Darwin's evolution theory, the 'intelligent design'' concept is not a viable scientific alternative, teacher Jennifer Miller said Thursday.
Eight families of students have sued the education authorities of Dover Area School Board, saying that including the 'intelligent design'' in biology curriculum promotes the Bible's view of creation and violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
'It would misrepresent the importance of the theory of evolution to our students,'' said Miller, one of a group of teachers who presented a memo to the district asking to be excused from reading the statement on intelligent design."
Eight families of students have sued the education authorities of Dover Area School Board, saying that including the 'intelligent design'' in biology curriculum promotes the Bible's view of creation and violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
'It would misrepresent the importance of the theory of evolution to our students,'' said Miller, one of a group of teachers who presented a memo to the district asking to be excused from reading the statement on intelligent design."