Scientists Say Dolphins Should be Treated as 'Non-Human Persons'

Dolphins have long been recognised as among the most intelligent of animals but many researchers had placed them below chimps, which some studies have found can reach the intelligence levels of three-year-old children. Recently, however, a series of behavioural studies has suggested that dolphins, especially species such as the bottlenose, could be the brighter of the two. The studies show how dolphins have distinct personalities, a strong sense of self and can think about the future.

http://current.com/news/91825903_scientists-say-dolphins-should-be-treated-as-non-human-persons.htm

15 Whoppers Beck Did Not Get Fired For In 2010

BECK: There Has Been "Zero Warming For Over A Decade." Beck claimed, "Cap-and-trade is the biggest socialist scam, totally discredited climate change industry and zero warming for over a decade. Zero warming for over a decade." [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 4/23/10] 

REALITY: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The U.K. Met Office, And The World Meteorological Organisation Have All Stated That 2000-2009 Was The Warmest Decade On Record For The Globe.

http://mediamatters.org/research/201012300001

Israel Confirms Major Natural Gas Discovery

Exploratory drilling off Israel’s northern coast this week has confirmed the existence of a major natural gas field — one of the world’s largest offshore gas finds of the past decade — leading the country’s infrastructure minister to call it “the most important energy news since the founding of the state.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/31/world/middleeast/31leviathan.html?_r=1

8 Smears and Misconceptions About WikiLeaks Spread By the Media

WikiLeaks has posted fewer than 2,000 of the 251,287 cables in its possession. The whistleblower released those documents in tandem with major news outlets including the Guardian, El Pais and Le Monde, and used most of the redactions employed by those papers to protect the identities of people whose lives could be endangered by exposure.

http://www.alternet.org/story/149369/8_smears_and_misconceptions_about_wikileaks_spread_by_the_media?page=entire

Odds of Cancer from TSA Scanners about the Same as Terrorist Blowing up Your Plane

Arizona State University physics professor Peter Rez calculated the amount of radiation exposure a human is likely to receive in one of those newfangled Rapiscan porno-scanners the TSA is so fond of, and determined that exposure to be roughly one-fiftieth to one-hundredth the amount of a standard chest X-ray.

http://boingboing.net/2010/11/19/odds-of-cancer-from.html?x=1

First High-Res Images from Tintin Movie

http://imgur.com/a/iNoUs

Christine O'Donnell Under Investigation for Campaign Money Misuse

Everyone everywhere knows that Christine O'Donnell, non-witch and failed Senate candidate from Delaware, used her campaign money to pay her rent.

http://www.salon.com/news/christine_odonnell/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/12/29/odonnell_investigation

More Small Businesses are Offering Health Benefits to Workers

The increase is partly attributed to a tax credit created by the nation's new healthcare law. Some insurers are aggressively marketing the break, which can offset up to 35% of a company's costs.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-health-coverage-20101227,0,6419092.story

Pakistan Suicide Bombing Kills Dozens

A female suicide bomber has killed at least 43 people in an attack on a large crowd receiving aid in north-west Pakistan, officials say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12078248

World's Smartest Dog Knows More than 1,000 Words

Psychologists Alliston Reid and John Pilley of Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., wanted to test if there was a limit to the amount of words a border collie could learn, so they taught Chaser the names of hundreds of toys, one by one, slowly and patiently, for three years.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/12/23/worlds-smartest-dog-knows-words

Iranian Officer Captured in Afghanistan: NATO

A member of the elite al-Quds force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard has been captured in southern Afghanistan accused of cross-border weapons smuggling.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ibVvhNwAXbIFLz84iG7liN_JZ09w?docId=CNG.7af78107fbc92e6b9da11e06a9aef599.4b1

Indian Satellite Rocket Explodes After Take-Off

An Indian space rocket carrying a communications satellite has exploded on take-off.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12079239

What WikiLeaks Revealed to the World in 2010

As revealing as the disclosures themselves are, the reactions to them have been equally revealing.  The vast bulk of the outrage has been devoted not to the crimes that have been exposed but rather to those who exposed them:  WikiLeaks and (allegedly) Bradley Manning.  A consensus quickly emerged in the political and media class that they are Evil Villains who must be severely punished, while those responsible for the acts they revealed are guilty of nothing. 

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/24/wikileaks

The 10 Worst Predictions for 2010

"The market is telling you that something is not quite right ... The Chinese economy is going to slow down regardless. It is more likely that we will even have a crash sometime in the next nine to 12 months." -Investment analyst Marc Faber,  Interview on Bloomberg, May 3, 2010

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/12/17/the_10_worst_predictions_for_2010

ChromeOS Is Google’s Next Attempt To Redefine Computing

Now that the tech world has had some time to look at ChromeOS, Google’s new stab at an operating system, there is a lot of skepticism about the worth and viability of the move.

http://www.techi.com/2010/12/chromeos-is-googles-next-attempt-to-redefine-computing

The Fox News has made it Impossible to have a Serious Discussion about Policy

Fox News conservatism promotes a religious reliance on disinformation about all issues.

http://www.splicetoday.com/politics-and-media/a-parallel-mainstream

Republicans on New FCC Net Neutrality Rules: Kill!

It's no secret that the GOP doesn't like this net neutrality business. It never has. In the Senate, John McCain (R-AZ) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) have been tried to block a net neutrality ruling for years. But the complaint keeps changing as the circumstances shift.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/12/gop-on-new-fcc-net-neutrality-rules-kill.ars

YouTube - Cenk Uyger Interviews Julian Assange

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBJOBl1G3Kc

Republicans Plot Death of EPA Climate Rules

Republicans poised to take power in Congress are planning a rapid attack against a climate change initiative the Obama administration wants to launch on January 2, according to members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_212339793.shtml

Former Right-Wing Gay Republican Confesses GOP Uses Gays ‘To Gin Up Their Base’

David Brock, the former closeted gay Republican-cum progressive media watchdog, appeared Wednesday on Chris Matthews' Hardball to discuss the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and the creation of his new watchdog group fighting for gay equality, "Equality Matters."

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/rightwing-gay-republican-confesses-gop-gays-to-gin-base/

Fossil Hunters Uncover Complete 252m Year-Old Underwater World

A spectacular haul of 20,000 fossils including plants, carnivorous fish and large reptiles, has been found in a hillside in Luoping, southwestern China

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/dec/22/luoping-fossils-discovered-china

SPLC Files Lawsuit Against Birmingham

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a federal class action lawsuit today targeting the use of mace on Birmingham City School children as a means of basic school discipline. The suit was filed on behalf of district students who have been brutalized with chemical weapons and other excessive force.

Read More

360 Degree Video

See the world like never before with 360° video.

http://letsmakeitalife.blogspot.com/2010/12/360-degree-video-amazing.html

So Long To Ya, 2010 | The JibJab 2010 Year in Review!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCuoLd0K4lY

Time Magazine's Top 10 Everything of 2010

In 50 wide-ranging lists, TIME surveys the highs and lows, the good and the bad, of the past 12 months

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2035319,00.html

Bill O'Reilly's Shameful Campaign Against Amy Hagopian

His latest attacks on University of Washington Assistant Professor Amy Hagopian tells far more about the twisted mind of O'Reilly than the serious study the professor authored.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-zirin/an-indecent-man-bill-orei_b_797586.html

The 9 Biggest Conservative Lies About Taxes and Public Spending

It’s difficult to know where to begin deconstructing conservative rhetoric on taxes and spending. It's such a central part of their worldview, and yet it's a view informed by a whole slew of falsehoods that have been repeated again and again during this year's debates over the Bush tax cuts, public spending and the deficit. What follows are nine of the biggest fact-free whoppers that conservatives insist are true.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/149265

Al Franken: The Most Important Free Speech Issue of Our Time

This principle is called "net neutrality" -- and it's under attack. Internet service giants like Comcast and Verizon want to offer premium and privileged access to the Internet for corporations who can afford to pay for it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-franken/the-most-important-free-s_b_798984.html

News Black-Out in DC: Pay No Attention to Those Veterans Chained to the White House Fence

There was a black-out and a white-out Thursday and Friday as over a hundred US veterans opposed to US wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world, and their civilian supporters, chained and tied themselves to the White House fence during an early snowstorm to say enough is enough.

http://www.truth-out.org/news-black-out-dc-pay-no-attention-those-veterans-chained-white-house-fence66096?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

BP Oil Spill Clean-Up Crew Members Getting Sick

The first statewide health survey in Louisiana tracking the health impact of oil spill shows more than 75 workers have been treated for symptoms.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/07/eveningnews/main6558403.shtml?tag=currentVideoInfo;videoMetaInfo

Residents of South Korean Island Fleeing Ahead of Military Drills

Amid South Korean plans to hold live-fire military drills this week and North Korean threats of retaliation, many residents of Yeonpyeong Island are evacuating, afraid of being caught in the middle.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/12/19/south.korea.yeonpyeong.island/index.html

The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan (no homo)

As the United States deepens its commitment to Afghanistan, FRONTLINE takes viewers inside the war-torn nation to reveal a disturbing practice that is once again flourishing in the country: the organized sexual abuse of adolescent boys.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/dancingboys/view

Our Founding Fathers Were Liberal, NOT Conservative

A lot has been said about our founding fathers in recent years. The Tea Party has all of the sudden become historical scholars.  They have become the defenders of our Country and our Constitution. Glenn Beck is their proverbial historical professor.  Unfortunately their knowledge is fairly limited to specifically what their Fox News comrade regurgitates.

http://www.politicususa.com/en/founding-fathers-liberal

Julian Assange Rape Allegations Revealed in Detail

"Her account to police, which Assange disputes, stated that he began stroking her leg as they drank tea, before he pulled off her clothes and snapped a necklace that she was wearing. According to her statement she "tried to put on some articles of clothing as it was going too quickly and uncomfortably but Assange ripped them off again". Miss A told police that she didn't want to go any further "but that it was too late to stop Assange as she had gone along with it so far", and so she allowed him to undress her."

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2010/12/julian_assange_3.php

'Israeli War Crimes' Signs to go on Seattle Buses

"Israeli War Crimes," the enormous advertisement reads. "Your tax dollars at work."

To the right of the image is a group of children -- one little boy stares out at the viewer, the others gawk at a demolished building, all rebar and crumbled concrete.

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Israeli-War-Crimes-signs-to-go-on-Metro-buses-112108154.html

'Birther' Doc Dismissed for Refusing to Deploy

An Army doctor who disobeyed orders to deploy to Afghanistan because he questioned President Barack Obama's eligibility to be commander in chief has been sentenced to six months in a military prison and will be dismissed from the Army.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/26163416/detail.html

'Whatever' Voted Most Irritating Word in Poll

For the second consecutive year "whatever' topped a Marist poll as the most annoying word or phrase in the English language.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101215/od_nm/us_words_annoying

The Largest Prison Strike In American History Ends

Today marks the end of a seven-day strike where tens of thousands of inmates in Georgia refused to work or leave their cells until their demands had been met. The odd thing is, that until today, no one had ever heard about this strike.

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/41235/the-largest-prison-strike-in-american-history-goes-ignored-by-us-media

Swiss Consider Legalizing Incest

The Swiss parliament has drafted a law that would allow parents to have sex with their children or siblings to have sex with each other, provided everybody involved is a consenting adult. "First-degree" incest is already legal in countries including France and Russia, but the Swiss measure hasn't won widespread support, with conservative lawmakers labeling it "completely repugnant," and polls showing a clear majority of the public in opposition.

http://www.newser.com/story/107663/swiss-debate-legalizing-incest.html?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d0b04876156a5d1%2C0

House Passes Temporary Tax Cut Extension, Sends it to Obama

Late Thursday night the House passed the temporary tax cut extension as negotiated by President Obama. The last votes Thursday capped a fractious three-week debate after Obama abandoned his Democratic allies in the House to cut a deal with Senate Republicans.


Read Story

GOP Will Paralyze Senate Floor

Republicans will paralyze the Senate floor for 50 hours by forcing clerks to read every single paragraph of the 1,924-page, $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill.

Senate clerks are expected to read the massive bill in rotating shifts around the clock — taking breaks to drink water and pop throat lozenges — to keep legislative business on track, according to a Democratic leadership aide.

Read Story

Gay Alabama Lawmaker Asks if Ethics Bill would Apply to Her 'Spouse'

Todd is the only openly gay member of the Legislature and she asked Wednesday if the bill would apply to the woman that is her spouse considering that Alabama law does not recognize gay marriages. Todd said she and her partner were married in another state.

http://www.whnt.com/news/sns-ap-al-xgr--gaylawmaker,0,1463780.story

Italian Court Ups Sentences for 23 CIA Agents

An Italian court on Wednesday upped the sentences for 23 CIA agents convicted in absentia of abducting an Egyptian imam in one of the biggest cases against the US "extraordinary rendition" programme.

The 23 CIA agents, originally sentenced in November 2009 to five to eight years in prison, had their sentences increased to seven to nine years on appeal in what one of the defence lawyers described as a "shocking blow" for the US.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iqonKaaaugdqFna7gL2Ja7qHbvog?docId=CNG.392d1ff158beced710b2f76ae920bf97.b61

Study: Youths Sexually Abused in Juvenile Prisons

More than 12% of youths in juvenile prisons are sexually abused while in custody there, according to a Justice Department study out Thursday, and the vast majority of cases involve female staff and boys under their supervision.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-01-07-juvenile-prison-sexual-abuse_N.htm

House Passes Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

For the second time this year the House voted to dismantle the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, giving the Senate a final shot in the waning days of this Congress at changing a law requiring thousands of uniformed gays to hide their sexual identity.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40685768/ns/politics-capitol_hill

Study Confirms That Fox News Makes You Stupid

A new survey of American voters shows that Fox News viewers are significantly more misinformed than consumers of news from other sources.

http://www.alternet.org/story/149193/study_confirms_that_fox_news_makes_you_stupid

Ralph Nader a Witness for Judiciary Committee's WikiLeaks Hearing

The Obama administration is arguing WikiLeaks is not a journalistic organization and doesn't merit the same protections as traditional media organizations. The government has also reportedly pressured companies to cut off their business relationships with WikiLeaks.

The Story

Progressives to Obama: Don't 'Back Away' from Net Neutrality

Progressive bloggers and activists wrote a letter to President Obama on Thursday raising concerns that net neutrality meetings between telecommunications and Internet companies could spur him to abandon the open Internet policies he has endorsed since the campaign.

Read the Story

Fox Boss Ordered Staff to Cast Doubt on Climate Science

In the midst of global climate change talks last December, a top Fox News official sent an email questioning the "veracity of climate change data" and ordering the network's journalists to "refrain from asserting that the planet has warmed (or cooled) in any given period without IMMEDIATELY pointing out that such theories are based upon data that critics have called into question."

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201012150004

Video: Sudanese Policeman Whipping a Defenceless Woman

You may want to brace yourself before clicking on this video. It’s not for the faint-hearted. It depicts a defenceless women being brutally whipped by a laughing, Sudanese policeman. When a second policeman realises his colleague is being filmed, he decides to join in. The woman’s crime? She was wearing trousers, a breach of Sudan’s Islamic Legal Code.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100068401/a-picture-of-islamofascism-two-sudanese-policeman-whipping-a-defenceless-woman

More American Teens Smoke Marijuana than Cigarettes

More high school seniors this year used marijuana than smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days, according to government data released Tuesday.

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/2010-12-14-teen-marijuana-study_N.htm

Stem Cell Transplant Cures HIV In 'Berlin Patient'

This case paves a path for constructing a permanent cure for HIV through genetically-engineered stem cells.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/14/hiv-cure-berlin-patient_n_796521.html

Spencer Bachus Finally Gets his Chairmanship

 

"Republicans putting Spencer Bachus in charge of financial regulation is voting for the fox to guard the henhouse," said Ryan Rudominer of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2010/12/spencer_bachus_finally_gets_hi.html

The 50 Scariest Santas

Check out this hilarious gallery of fifty absolutely terrifying Santas, and promise me you'll be good little boys next year.

http://www.ugo.com/the-goods/the-50-scariest-santas

The Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010

Every year, thousands of incredible images of the sky are taken from observatories on the ground and in space, from spacecraft, and from amateur astronomers. And it seems that the people who make these images are getting better with time, creating nothing short of art.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/12/14/the-top-14-astronomy-pictures-of-2010

Veteran Diplomat Richard Holbrooke Dead

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize seven times, Holbrooke joined Obama's administration in January 2009 as special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, dealing with two of Washington's most vexing foreign policy challenges.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101214/pl_nm/us_usa_holbrooke

Poll Finds Voters Misinformed on Key Issues

Those who watched Fox News almost daily were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses (12 points more likely), most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit (31 points), the economy is getting worse (26 points), most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring (30 points), the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts (14 points), their own income taxes have gone up (14 points), the auto bailout only occurred under Obama (13 points), when TARP came up for a vote most Republicans opposed it (12 points) and that it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States (31 points). The effect was also not simply a function of partisan bias, as people who voted Democratic and watched Fox News were also more likely to have such misinformation than those who did not watch it--though by a lesser margin than those who voted Republican.

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brunitedstatescanadara/671.php?nid=&id=&pnt=671&lb=

President Obama defending tax compromise

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/11/weekly-address-protecting-middle-class-economy?utm_source=121310&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=daily

Michael Steele: Beloved GOP leader runs again

GOP leader Michael Steele has decided to run for reelection of his party. In a 30minute defense of his record he explained“[Critics] are talking a lot of trash about fundraising and talking a lot of smack about major donors.”

See story

Carbon-Rich Planet WASP-12b May Hold Life

The planet's carbon-heavy atmosphere could retain heat and light, providing energy for life to get started and thrive.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2035754,00.html?xid=newsletter-weekly

North Korea Threatens South Korea with Nuclear War

In a show of unity, top diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Washington last week and said they would not resume negotiations aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program until the country's behavior changes. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited South Korea last week and warned Pyongyang to stop its "belligerent, reckless behavior."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/13/AR2010121300133.html

EPA Document Shows It Knowingly Allowed Pesticide that Kills Honey Bees

The world honey bee population has plunged in recent years, worrying beekeepers and farmers who know how critical bee pollination is for many crops. A number of theories have popped up as to why the North American honey bee population has declined--electromagnetic radiation, malnutrition, and climate change have all been pinpointed. Now a leaked EPA document reveals that the agency allowed the widespread use of a bee-toxic pesticide, despite warnings from EPA scientists.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide

Iceland Takes on Credit Card Giants in WikiLeaks Case

Iceland confronts MasterCard about the credit companies’ refusal to process donations to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks.

Read more

Alabama Democracts Claim Governor Riley Violated State Law

In a recent press release Alabama Democrats claim Governor Bob Riley violated campaign donation laws. According to disclosure forms on file with the Alabama Secretary of State's office, the Alabama Republican Party reported receiving contributions from the Bob Riley for Governor Committee in the amount of $2,010 on July 22nd and $10,000 on September 27th; however, Governor Riley's campaign has failed to file financial disclosures reporting the donations for the 2010 election cycle as is required by law.

Key FBI Whistleblower: Had WikiLeaks Existed, 9/11, Iraq War ‘Could have been Prevented’

Rowley's support for WikiLeaks stems from its function as an outlet for potential whistle-blowers in the national intelligence section of the federal government who have no avenue to share information without fear of reprisal. Currently, there is no federal law protecting those who would  reveal illegalities like fraud, waste, abuse or threats to public safety.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/exclusive-wikileaks-benefits-public-intelligence-officers

S&P 500 Adds Netflix to its Queue Removes New York Times

Financial services company Standard & Poor's announced changes yesterday to its S&P 500 stock market index, a widely respected compendium of large-cap U.S. public companies: Netflix is on the list for the first time. In the same announcement, rather poignantly, S&P announced that newspaper giant The New York Times Co. has been demoted to its index of mid-size companies (the MidCap 400), as has photography equipment manufacturer Eastman Kodak.

Previously, Netflix had been on the MidCap 400 list.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20025279-36.html

Halliburton May Pay $500 Million to Keep Cheney Out of Prison

Oilfield services company Halliburton is in negotiations with the Nigerian government to keep its former CEO, Dick Cheney, out of prison.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/halliburton-500-million-cheney-prison

Stockholm Blasts Kill One andI Injure Two

A car blew up near the busy shopping street of Drottninggatan, and another explosion hit nearby minutes later.

Swedish newspapers said the second blast was set off by a suicide bomber, and a local news agency said it received a threatening e-mail.

But a police spokesman told the BBC that no cause had yet been determined.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11977524

Transgender Woman says DMV Clerk Warned of Hell

Demartini expressed no objection while processing her application, Yust said. But she believes he took down her name and address and shared them with his church.

The letter she received four days later was filled with biblical condemnations of homosexuality, including the passage in Leviticus that says two men who have sex "must be put to death," and implored Yust to change her mind about her sex change.

The letter also referred her to the website of the Most Holy Family Monastery, whose name was on a parcel that arrived the same day. It contained the DVD warning of damnation and a grisly leaflet showing hearts torn from bodies, said Dolan, her lawyer.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/10/MNGS1GOICK.DTL

Dejavu: Bill Clinton's back. PresidentObama calls in big guns to sell tax compromise.

Obama hands keys to Clinton. Unable to garner support for his tax compromise, President Obama allows Clinton unprecedented control over podium. Clinton calls compromise, "...a good deal."


See Story

Fox News Calls for Assassination of Julian Assange

It looks like everyone at Fox News agree: you can’t just imprison a foreign national for unknown crimes, but you can assassinate them! I’m glad we all believe so strongly in freedom of speech.

http://www.prosebeforehos.com/video-of-the-day/12/10/fox-news-calls-for-assassination-of-julian-assange

Wikileaks Reveals U.S. Tax Dollars Fund Child Sex Slavery in Afghanistan

The now infamous Wikileaks recently released a cable from Afghanistan revealing U.S. government contractor DynCorp threw a party for Afghan security recruits featuring trafficked boys as the entertainment. Bacha bazi is the Afghan tradition of "boy play" where young boys are dressed up in women's clothing, forced to dance for leering men, and then sold for sex to the highest bidder. Apparently this is the sort of "entertainment" funded by your tax dollars when DynCorp is in charge of security in Afghanistan. No Homo.

http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/wikileaks_reveals_us_tax_dollars_fund_child_sex_slavery_in_afghanistan

Senate fails on repeal of 'Don't ask, don't tell' included in defense authorization bill

Gays can still be locked, loaded and ready to die. Will the US Army have to provide armored troop closets?


see story

After budget cuts, Indiana baby denied life-saving treatment

Indiana- Republican Governor Mitch Daniels, who is, by the way eying a possible 2012 presidential run, cut funding for the Family Social Services Administration which is denying a baby life-saving surgery. The state health care agency won't pay for six-month, old Seth Petreikis to have corrective surgery for DiGeorge syndrome, which keeps him from developing a thymus, an infection fighting glandular organ. He needs a transplant that's been pioneered by a specialist at Duke University in North Carolina. 58 of the 60 children who've received the surgery have survived.

read more

Democrat Introduces Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana in Vermont

Based on the new findings, Rep. Jason Lorber (D-Burlington) today announced plans to introduce a bill that would decriminalize the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.

http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/201012091394/green/eco-news/republican-introduces-bill-to-decriminalize-marijuana-in-vermont.html

WikiLeaks Cables: Shell's Grip on Nigerian State Revealed

US embassy cables reveal top executive's claims that company 'knows everything' about key decisions in government ministries

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/dec/08/wikileaks-cables-shell-nigeria-spying

Man posts "No Negros Allowed" sign on future business

Mark Prior posted his 'No Negros Allowed' sign after he says he had some problems with black people in the past and needed to make a policy against them.

http://www.weau.com/news/headlines/Man_posts_No_Negros_Allowed_sign.html

Tomorrow is International Anti-Corruption Day . What kind of gift do we buy for that?

In a press release today, Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed the commitment of the US to fighting corruption:

The United States has made unprecedented strides over the past year to enforce our anticorruption laws and ensure our companies do not practice bribery or unfair practices in countries where they operate. This year, the States Parties of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) also launched a process to review implementation of the treaty. The United States is proud to be among the first nations to undergo a peer review, and we look forward to working with our partners in the UNCAC process to translate this global commitment to root out corruption from promise to practice.

House passes DREAM Act, but bill faces tough Senate vote Thursday

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/132829-house-passes-dream-act-senate-to-move-next

Operation Payback cripples MasterCard site in revenge for WikiLeaks ban

Hackers attack MasterCard in defense of Wikileaks.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/08/operation-payback-mastercard-website-wikileaks

Former VP Dick Cheney faces charges associated with bribery in Nigeria.

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] filed charges against former Vice President of the United States, Richard "Dick" Cheney, and eight others, for complicity in the 'bribe for contract' arrangement in connection with the country's Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas Project.


http://www.africanews.com/site/Nigeria_ExUS_VP_others_charged/list_messages/36496

What the Internet Killed

It’s hard to imagine life without some of the technological innovations of the last decade. But in a world where connectivity is everywhere, there are some traditions, values, and just plain ways of life that we no longer adhere to. Here’s a sampling of casualties due to our constant mobile and Internet connections.

http://www.newsweek.com/photo/2010/12/08/things-that-killed-the-internet.html

White House takes Twitter question from ghost of fictional character

The character was played by John Spencer from September 1999 to December 2005, when Spencer — who won an Emmy for the role in 2002 — died suddenly of a heart attack.

http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/132417-white-house-takes-twitter-question-from-ghost-of-fictional-character

President Obama defies liberals, defends tax-cut compromise and lashes out at left

President Obama blasted his own party for choosing ideological purity over results Tuesday as he sought to defend the tax-cut deal he negotiated with Republicans.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/132453-obama-defends-tax-cut-compromise-while-lashing-out-at-left

How funny is this? - U.S. to Host World Press Freedom Day in 2011

The United States is pleased to announce that it will host UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day event in 2011, from May 1 - May 3 in Washington, D.C. UNESCO is the only UN agency with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and its corollary, freedom of the press.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/12/152465.htm

Elizabeth Edwards Dies

Elizabeth Edwards succumbs to cancer, former Presidential candidate, John Edwards, at her side.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/07/elizabeth-edwards-dies-aged-61

Julian Assange: Don't Shoot Messenger for Revealing Uncomfortable Truths

Democratic societies need a strong media and WikiLeaks is part of that media. The media helps keep government honest. WikiLeaks has revealed some hard truths about the Iraq and Afghan wars, and broken stories about corporate corruption.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/dont-shoot-messenger-for-revealing-uncomfortable-truths/story-fn775xjq-1225967241332

YouTube - Worst police dog in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQpu9UoXCeM&feature=related

Euro Collapse 'Possible' Amid Deepening Divisions Over Bail-Out

It is feasible that the euro will not survive the current sovereign debt crisis sweeping Europe, one of the Treasury's leading independent forecasters has said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/8185225/Euro-collapse-possible-amid-deepening-divisions-over-bail-out.html

Obama Makes Deal with Republicans: Will dems follow?

Post mid-term Obama, in a Clintonesque gesture of compromise, sets the tone for the second half. At least the halftime show was Wikileaks.


http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/132309-obama-gop-strike-deal-on-taxes-unemployment

Cosmology: Going Round in Circles

What happened before the beginning of time is—by definition, it might be thought—metaphysics. At least one physicist, though, thinks there is nothing meta about the question at all. Roger Penrose, of Oxford University, believes that the Big Bang in which the visible universe began was not actually the beginning of everything. It was merely the latest example of a series of such bangs that renew reality when it is getting tired out. More importantly, he thinks that the pre-Big Bang past has left an imprint on the present that can be detected and analysed, and that he and a colleague in Armenia have found it.

http://www.economist.com/node/17626874

How to Photograph Models Professionally

http://www.visualnews.com/2010/11/28/how-to-photograph-models

7 Famous Albino Animals

Albino animals face almost insurmountable odds when they're born in the wild. Baby albinos are seen as an oddity within their own species and are more visible to predators. These animals may also be cursed with imperfect vision or other health problems.

 

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/pets-animals/photos/7-famous-albino-animals/not-like-the-others

Pssst. I heard there were WMD's in Sweden...just in case we need an excuse.

Do governments own the Internet now? Governments across the globe hound Assange for wikileaks. Assange turns to Swiss. The president of the Swiss Pirate Party, which controls the wikileaks.ch Web address, said he was in the process of pointing that domain name to a different server, apparently based in Sweden. The site also was still reachable through the numerical address of its Swedish server.nge.


http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/12/05-3

Bill Maher on President Obama

Bill Maher expressed disappointment and frustration with President Obama. Maher claims Democrats and Obama too weak against Republican unity.

http://newsone.com/nation/newsonestaff2/bill-maher-calls-obama-wussy-wimpy/

2012 Olympics: Alien plot to take over the world?

We knew someone was trying to take over, but we thought it was the Tea Party. Which is more credible?



http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/05/olympic-games-2012-alien-conspiracy-theory

Responsible Representatives or Democratic Dogooders?

Democrats choose for the people not for the politics.
Retiring Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) said that Democrats wisely passed the 2008 financial rescue bill, but it cost them politically.


http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/132021-dem-we-could-have-let-economy-collapse-and-been-in-majority-for-40-years

Nashville Billboards Claim Jesus Will Return May 21, 2011

That's the message on 40 billboards around Nashville, proclaiming May 21, 2011, as the date of the Rapture. Billboards are up in eight other U.S. cities, too.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20101201/NEWS06/12010350/Nashville-billboards-claim-Jesus-will-return-May-21-2011

Swastika Case Another Race Issue for NM Town

Three friends had just finished their shifts at a McDonald's when prosecutors say they carried out a gruesome attack on a customer: They allegedly shaped a coat hanger into a swastika, placed it on a heated stove and branded the symbol on the arm of the mentally disabled Navajo man.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-29/swastika-case-another-race-issue-for-nm-town.html

Republican Opposition to Extending Unemployment Benefits Makes No Sense

In economic terms, the loss of benefits is not good. There is a cost to having generous or long unemployment benefits: They do not come cheap to the government and do tend to lengthen the time it takes for a worker to find a new job. But given the way the jobs crisis is weighing on the recovery, most economists, save for the most conservative, say the benefits outweigh the costs.

http://www.slate.com/id/2276473

Republicans Block Child Nutrition Bill

Republicans say the nutrition bill is too costly and an example of government overreach.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101201/ap_on_bi_ge/us_congress_school_nutrition

National Portrait Gallery Bows to Censors, Withdraws Wojnarowicz Video on Gay Love

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/30/AR2010113006911.html

Wikileaks Kicked Out of Amazon's Cloud

The Wikileaks website migrated to Amazon's cloud hosting service yesterday after being hit by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Amazon decided to discontinue serving the controversial website this morning in response to pressure from critics, including prominent members of Congress.

Wikileaks has received significant attention over the past week after publishing thousands of confidential diplomatic cables between the US State Department and embassies around the world. The documents, a portion of which are classified, expose US intelligence gathering efforts and details about sensitive foreign policy issues. The response from various US government officials has ranged from panic to outrage.

http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2010/12/wikileaks-kicked-out-of-amazons-cloud.ars