The anti-impotence drug Viagra could be used to treat a pregnancy disorder which can prove fatal for mothers and babies, researchers suggest. Pre-eclampsia affects about one in 10 pregnancies, and kills up to five women and 600 babies a year in the UK.
Tests on rats by a team at University of Vermont College of Medicine showed no offspring died in the pregnancies where mother rats were given Viagra. UK experts said the finding gave hope for future treatment of the condition.
The US research is to be presented to the International Union of Physiological Sciences meeting in San Diego, US this week.
The scientists studied rats with induced high blood pressure.
Half were given Viagra, while the rest were left untreated.
There were no deaths of foetuses in the pregnancies treated with Viagra, but 11% of foetuses were lost in pregnancies in untreated rats.
Pre-eclampsia occurs in pregnancies where the arteries which cross through the placenta do not widen as much as they should be to take the necessary amount of blood and nutrients from the mother to the developing foetus. If this happens, the mother's body works harder to pump enough blood and nutrients through - and her blood pressure goes up. Viagra works by inhibiting the action of an enzyme called PDE-5, which prevents the expansion of arteries.
The researchers found the drug did not lower blood pressure, in the rats, but it did have beneficial effects. The arteries in treated rats were much wider than those in untreated animals, allowing better circulation of blood and nutrients. The offspring from these pregnancies were also of a normal weight. Surviving offspring from untreated rats were around 20% smaller.
Professor George Osol, who led the research, said more work was needed to confirm his findings. But he added: "These findings are exciting because they suggest that Viagra may have beneficial effects in hypertensive pregnancy and possibly, pre-eclampsia."
#3
Lovely for the mother, and a significant finding... but what about side effects on the offspring? I don't think another batch of "flipper babies" would go over well in the current climate.
#4
Nothing about that so far, TW...but fortunately in this case rats don't live too long so there should be some signs....maybe. Who knows? They tested thalidomide on dogs and didn't have anything wrong with the puppies, if I'm correct.
About 5 months ago, I posted a request for help from Rantburgers regarding a petition for compensation that my Father in law filed with the VA. Follow the link to that post. I printed it out, including a very informative e-mail from Old Spook, and gave him the print-outs.
I just got back from visiting them this weekend, and I am pleased to announce that the VA conceded all points, and granted the required paperwork. He will be going to the local VA hospital to be fitted for his hearing aid this Tuesday, the 5th. (Their excuse: paperwork overload, with a misrouting of all case files of vets serving prior to 1950 to Cleveland.)
While talking with him, he said that he took those printouts with him on every visit to the VA during this time, and consulted them often. I could tell that, not only was the information given very useful, but the encouragements of those who couldn't give information, but could give support, bolstered him through this fight with the bureaucracy. He's a figher (what Marine isn't?), but even the best fighters need a good cheering section when the battles get long.
My thanks to every Rantburger who supported us at that time, both to Old Spook and those working "in the belly of the beast" who gave concrete ideas on what to do, and to those who just gave their thanks and encouragement.
And a special thanks to Fred, Author and Creator of this website, without which such a wonderful community could not have coalesced out of the whirlwind that is the World Wide Web.
Posted by: Ptah ||
04/04/2005 8:50:50 AM ||
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Ptah, that's great news. I took a look at the original link and I see there really was a great deal of good advice and encouragement. Thanks everyone!
Breaking News AN earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale shook northern Japan early Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The quake occurred at 2.57am (3.57am AEST), with its focus 40km below sea level off the coast of Fukushima, some 200km north of Tokyo, the agency said. There was no danger of tsunamis, it said.
Posted by: God Save The World ||
04/04/2005 12:02:39 AM ||
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Here in Guam I've felt numerous tremors, mostly subtle ones although a few have made certain types of furniture shake noticeably. Have been feeling these since days after the Tsunami, and now again after the new quake.
#5
You know, you guys are trolling JM. Wait until he says something outrageous before you get snarky.
JM's info is valuable here. Guam is on tectonic plates removed from the slip around Indonesia ... suggests that we can expect some more in the way of major quakes in the region.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, March 31 - As he scratched the cigarette burns on his arms, his face blemished with cuts, 8-year-old Salih Sulaiman recounted the most tormenting moment of his life as a slave.
About a year ago, Salih said, he watched as a boy fell off a camel, broke his neck and was left for dead. "They wrapped his body up in a blanket before the race and hid it," Salih, a bony Sudanese jockey, said in disbelief. "Then they buried him in a hole after the race was over." No one mentioned the incident again, but that day Salih decided he had to escape the camp where he had been held for four years.
Far from Dubai's high-rises and Abu Dhabi's luxurious lifestyles, thousands of young boys like Salih endure Dickensian conditions as jockeys in camel races in the desert hinterlands of the United Arab Emirates. Boys primarily from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sudan have long been kidnapped or sold by impoverished parents to race camels in the United Arab Emirates and in other Persian Gulf countries, where child slavery remains an open secret. Child welfare groups estimate that as many as 5,000 children toil as jockeys or in camel farms, known as ozbahs, in the United Arab Emirates alone. Most work unsalaried, with any payments going to smugglers and occasionally to the children's parents.
Now, after years of campaigning and pressure by human rights groups, the emirates' government has begun to crack down on the use of child jockeys, promising to impose tough new penalties on violators and hoping to close loopholes used to smuggle children into the country. Among the changes is a new law requiring jockeys to be at least 16 and weigh at least 100 pounds. The law came into effect on Thursday. Rest at link.
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04/04/2005 12:23:08 PM ||
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You mean they have finally realized that there is a minimum age at which a person has to be to know how to sit properly on an animal you are riding....
Posted by: ed ||
04/04/2005 11:53 ||
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The shift, which experts say will happen gradually, began last year and is a result of two decades of strict family planning, which has made China one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world.
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." - ISAAC NEWTON
#2
Why don't we send every Mexican illegal we catch crossing into the US to China to help out there. They can work in Chinese factories making cheap crap to be sold by Walmart and Disney and dozens of other stores in the US. Sounds like a win-win for all involved.
Posted by: Tibor ||
04/04/2005 14:10 Comments ||
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It's not a labor shortage. It's a sign that as China develops, the range of jobs available is improving rapidly. In a non-union economy, this means that the stories of China's economy growing in leaps and bounds are accurate. This kind of thing has happened in many countries in the Far East before. China will eventually have to move out of low value clothing and shoes, due to competition from lower-wage countries. (It will still subcontract, but the low value stuff will be out of its reach for cost reasons). It may well come to pass that a Made in China label on clothing will become as rare as a Made in Taiwan label is today on apparel.
#5
During my last trip to China a few years ago, I saw the standard huddle of migrants (in Guangdong) around the bus terminals for buses coming in from other provinces, waiting for recruiters to show up. I don't really see what the labor shortage is all about. I think the big issue isn't labor shortages - it's inflation, which is causing wages to be bid up. The boomtowns of coastal China are becoming (relatively) expensive places to live, which is why migrants from outside these boomtowns are asking for more money. Manufacturers (domestic and foreign) are taking note, and moving their operations into the interior, where land and labor are cheaper, offset by higher transportation costs and supply chain difficulties. The difficulties of moving inland cannot be understated - many may choose to move their operations to Cambodia or Vietnam rather than move into the interior.
AN inquiry has failed to identify what sickened almost 60 people at Virgin Blue's Melbourne terminal, disrupting its operations for days.
The inquiry report, by Victoria's emergency services commissioner Bruce Esplin, said delays in calling in calling in experts from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) may have prevented authorities from determining the cause of the mystery illness.
And the report made a string of recommendations to improve the handling of any similar incidents.
A total of 57 people were struck down with vomiting, nausea and shortness of breath at Melbourne airport earlier this year.
Virgin Blue's terminal was shut down for the best part of a day as fleets of ambulances transported 47 ill and distressed people to hospitals. The other 10 were treated at the scene.
Domestic airport operations were disrupted for another two days.
State Emergency Services Minister Tim Holding said Mr Esplin had recommended the fire brigade be called in immediately in future incidents.
"Unfortunately, it has been unable to determine the exact cause of that event," Mr Holding said.
"That is in the circumstances understandable.
"The airport rescue and firefighting service who were the event co-ordinator and the responders to this event do not have the equipment or the expertise to test for hazardous materials or hazardous substances or other potential materials ... " he said.
Mr Holding took care not to point the finger of blame at federal authorities for failing to immediately call in fire brigade experts.
"The importance of a report like this is not to allocate blame," he said.
"We are certainly in this incident not seeking to blame the federal authorities in any way.
"What we are seeking to do is to take what we can learn from these incidents and ensure that in the future the best possible planning and co-ordination is in place."
Mr Esplin said decisions such as turning the air-conditioning in the terminal to outside spill made his task of identifying the cause of the illness more difficult.
But he said the incident would ultimately help improve responses to any similar incidents in the future.
"Under the new arrangements the MFB will be called in much earlier in future, and they will be called as part of a first response to the incident," he said.
The Victorian Government, which ordered the inquiry, has written to Prime Minister John Howard, asking that airport emergency response services call the MFB immediately if a similar situation occurs again in Melbourne.
Comment was being sought from Melbourne Airport and from Virgin Blue.
Posted by: God Save The World ||
04/04/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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Critics complained Monday about France's decision to lower flags to half-staff to mark the death of Pope John Paul, saying the sign of mourning for a religious leader conflicts with the French principle of secularism. "I'm troubled," Christophe Girard, deputy mayor for culture at Paris city hall, told France-2 television. The office of Premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin ordered the flags on France's public buildings at half-staff for 24 hours following the death of the Pope on Saturday "in keeping with Republican custom." But critics say that the custom is secular, based on the separation of church and state, and they point to France's law banning Islamic head scarves in classrooms to underscore the point. "On the front of our town halls, our schools, it is marked liberty, equality, fraternity," said Girard, a Watermelon Green party member who describes himself as Catholic. "It isn't written Catholic France or the Catholic Republic of France like the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said. Bernard Cardinal Panafieu of Marseille insisted that the move was meant to recognize "a man of peace and reconciliation." France is a largely Roman Catholic country with western Europe's largest population of Muslims and Jews. However, this year it is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1905 law separating church and state . "When we speak of religion in France, there shouldn't be any double standards," said the spokesman for the far-left Revolutionary Communist League, Olivier Besancenot. "There is no god but Communism anyway! There's your standard."
Posted by: Dar ||
04/04/2005 1:48:11 PM ||
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They lowered it for Hirohito several years ago, and they complain about the Pope. How French.
#2
flags at half mast in Washington. I presume the rationale is that the Pope was head of state of Vatican City, and therefore is recognized in his role as head of state, not as head of a church. I presume this applies in France as well.
#6
The french state is not a secular state but an atheistic one. A few weeks ago a book was published "When catholics were outlaws" about the persecution of the Catholic Church by the Third Republic between 1880 and 1914.
One of the consequences was a number of officers resigning from the army when they were commandeered for expulsing monks and priests or providing proteaction for the stealing of Church property. The remaining were spied by the police and one of the two French Free Masonry branches. Officers raised in rank or stagnated according to their religious practice and the one of their wives. Result was that in the six first months of WWI, Joffre (French chief of staff) had to fire one half of French generals for hopeless incapacity, generals who had got stars thanks to their atheistic positions instead of by their merits. But in the interim they had caused thousands and thousands of French soldiers to die and they had lost a ground who later would have to be retaken at an appalling cost in French and allied lives. And the senseless carnage (1914 French soldiers were ordered to charge machine guns while wearing navy blue jackets and bright red pants) destroyed the fighting spirit of the French people.
While in more moderate forms persecution of Catholics continued after the war and Gamelin, the French chief of staff whose brilliant strategy brought the defeat of 1940 owed his position to the protection of anti-church politicians. So strong was this protection that the 1940 Prime Minister resigned when he was unable to fire him (and quickly withdrew his resination since two days later the Germans launched their general offensive).
And that is how the pseudo-secular but in fact atheistic ideology of the Third Republic politicians destroyed not only the french religious feeling and the French Catholic Church but France itself.
#8
the Catholic Republic of France like the Islamic Republic of Iran
how about the Islamic Republic of France?
JFM- Anti-church activity was also a hallmark of the French Revolution.
#9
I don't think it was 10 minutes after the offical Vatican email went out that I saw the White House lowering the standard. While my reaction was to go and lower my own, I knew panties would be bunching up all over the counrty, and the world.
The left has to be going crazy with prayers on Live TV and the history of Vatican City interupting even Public Television.
It is similar to the same "silver lining" feeling I remember from last June when Ronnie passed away. The sights and sounds of patriotism, flag draped caisons and airforce Flyovers choked me up, while it has a different effect for on many on the left.
#10
French haven't been fond of Rome for a long time. They had a try at having a French Pope in Avignon, but the Holy French Catholic Church just didn't work out.
Prominent Egyptian actresses Laila Elwi and Poussy met with a car accident in Morocco when the Jaguar car they were in, slipped off the road due to a light rainfall. Poussy was injured near the top of her spine, while Laila had minor shoulder injuries. It was not clear what the actresses' destination was, but they had just participated in a film festival that took place in Morocco. Meanwhile, Laila announced that her television drama series "Bint Min Shubra" has finally received the approval of the Egyptian Censorship Committee to be aired on local and satellite Egyptian channels.
I'da thought Poussy Galore was long retired...
Posted by: Fred ||
04/04/2005 00:00:00 ||
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I think Poussy is the 2nd pic down on the right on this page...
I'll offer to, uh, help her out. Yeah. Free. Yeah, free of charge. I'll make her all better.
#2
Damn. Now we went and blew her bandwidth allocation.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/04/2005 9:10 Comments ||
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geez - what was she alllowed? 3kb?
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/04/2005 9:23 Comments ||
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Those eyes could get a guy in trouble.
Posted by: Steve ||
04/04/2005 16:01 Comments ||
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Those eyes could get a guy in trouble.
1. Too late.
2. Sounds like the beginning of a Lebanese film noir: "...They were the kind of eyes that could get a jihadi in trouble, the kind that could make you wind your turban the wrong way before you crossed the Green Line..."
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
04/04/2005 22:39 Comments ||
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I think she's the one on the right, here, 2nd pic down... If so, I'll, um, help take care of her, heh.
Posted by: ed ||
04/04/2005 00:00:00 AM ||
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"Nowhere is this massive theft felt more acutely than in the heart of Americaâs technical development industry, Silicon Valley. Rather than dispatching a few agents to the area, the Chinese have âflooded the zone,â"
"3,000 Chinese front companies that presently operate within the US. The main purpose of these pseudo-businesses, he said, is to facilitate often-illegal technology transfers to the Chinese government."
"one unnamed senior FBI source, âthe Chinese are stealing us blind, the 10 year technological advantage we had is vanishing.â"
A friend of mine owns a building with 20 or so Chinese mainland nationals..all working in and around the SF. bay area. I asked him why so many..in the main his answer was..'They pay their rent on time and they are quiet.'
#2
Lol. Since we know the FBI can't be trusted to deal with Chinese femalians, I suggest we put out the call for harcore hetero femalians in law enforcement to put together a special force - Anti-Sino Sting & Counterespionage Unit of National Technology. They will not report to FBI HQ, but will be under the Protectorate of Intellectual and Military Property, which will be jointly headed by Old Spook and Old Patriot. I offer my services as a field consultant.
#3
LOL!! .com you outdone yerself with that one! I officially submit my resume for consideration for the position of "Field Observer".
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
04/04/2005 1:54 Comments ||
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RM - :)
Observer? Lol - still trying to explain to the wife just why you had to have the 0 lux DVR that fits in a shirt pocket and cost so much more, eh? Lol! Hey, I appreciate people who, um, plan ahead - you're on!
#5
Just today I told the factory that we won't be producing anything for a while. They wanted to know if it was OK to market our design in America by themselves. I said no, and explained about "patents".
#7
Why is this story news? Fer crissake, they practically owned the Clinton administration.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
04/04/2005 7:45 Comments ||
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At least no one mentioned the childhood acronym for FBI ... yet.
Posted by: ed ||
04/04/2005 7:59 Comments ||
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Why is this story news? Fer crissake, they practically owned the Clinton administration.
Bush lied, dot coms died! The Silicon Valley is a quagmire! We demand an immediate withdrawal of the hated American presence there! No blood for silicon!
#11
StrategyPage mentioned the upside, AFAIK ... if only we had a service of patriotic Americans to "flood their zone," however you'd like to take that. ;)
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
04/04/2005 13:48 Comments ||
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gromky: Just today I told the factory that we won't be producing anything for a while. They wanted to know if it was OK to market our design in America by themselves. I said no, and explained about "patents".
Patents? Aren't those the rolls of paper you buy at the grocery store and install next to the porcelain god?
#13
CT: "one unnamed senior FBI source, âthe Chinese are stealing us blind, the 10 year technological advantage we had is vanishing.â"
I really doubt that. The FSB (and its predecessor, the KGB) is arguably the most effective intelligence organization in the world. It doesn't look like the Russians are cranking better hardware than Uncle Sam, does it?
The Russian spies came home with supersecertdesigns who required fraction of micron precision engineering or under one in 100 million parts of impurity (that was what you needed in germanium and silicon aimed for makings transistors for radios in the 300 meter wave lengths). But then they found that the inefficient soviet economy was completely unable to get that precision/that purity.
#15
JFM: But then they found that the inefficient soviet economy was completely unable to get that precision/that purity. But China has acpitalist economy.
The most sophisticated machine tools and semiconductor equipment are off-limits to the Chinese because of export controls. Neither Intel nor AMD, for instance, manufacture their chips in China - they just test them there.
#16
I thought Motorola had a multi-billion dollar Chip Foundary in China, and there are other processors being made there too.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
04/04/2005 18:36 Comments ||
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"In the year AD 221, Yide was promoted to Cavalry Commander and Deputy Commander of the Capital Precinct and titled Lord of Xixiang. After Guan Yuâs death, Zhang Fei was eager to avenge his brother but indulged himself in wine. In a drunken stupor, he beat some of his officers who were preparing for the attack on Wu, and was subsequently killed by his own men.
Liu Bei always warned Zhang Fei about his bad habits, and ignoring these warnings led to an early death for the courageous and valiant officer. Though in the early days Zhang Fei was nothing but a fighter, he was able to improve himself through time and developed his scholarly skills. Zhang Fei was titled Powerful Lord posthumously."
#18
Neither Intel nor AMD, for instance, manufacture their chips in China - they just test them there.
Yeah that came about when the Chinese govt demanded basically a copy of the patents for the chips, the blueprints of how to make the chips and basically wanted even the first copies of the chips. All in all it was a blatant request for the purposes of reverse engineering at which point a couple of months later they would have came out with chips that were almost exactly the same to AMD/Intel variants but at 2/3rds the cost if that high. I believe this was the exact reasoning the high end cpus aren't even being sold in china at the moment?
MONTREAL (CP) - The federal Liberal party, beset by allegations public money was funnelled into its Quebec wing, said Monday it has asked the RCMP to investigate the possibility the party was a victim of fraud.
"Yeah, we was framed! Somebody put money in our pockets when we wasn't looking!"
The announcement at the sponsorship inquiry by party lawyer Doug Mitchell comes three days after ad man Jean Brault delivered inquiry testimony said to be devastating to the minority Liberal government.
"I have been directed by my clients to contact the RCMP to ask that they investigate the possibility that the party itself may have been the target of fraud or other harmful acts by certain individuals," Mitchell told reporters.
"Using inappropriate means to gain undeserved benefit . . . is, if proven to be true, criminal action, plain and simple."
"Unless it points to us, of course!"
The details of Brault's testimony, delivered Thursday and Friday, are covered by a publication ban. But the testimony was said to be so serious that all federal political parties were working on election scenarios.
The Liberals launched into full defensive mode Monday, seeking and winning full standing at the inquiry that allows them to cross-examine Brault and other witnesses. In granting the status to the Liberals, inquiry judge John Gomery acknowledged the potentially damaging nature of testimony he has heard.
"The reputation of the party risks being affected by what I've heard and maybe by what I will hear," said Gomery. "I think it would be unfair if the Liberal party didn't have the right to cross-examine witnesses." The Liberals already had intervener status at the inquiry.
Gomery is probing all aspects of the $250-million sponsorship program, including allegations that public money was funnelled into the coffers of the Liberal party's Quebec wing. The inquiry has already heard from former advertising staff who said their bosses, who had grown rich off sponsorship contracts, pressured them to donate money to the Liberals.
There's a word for that, oh yes...extortion
Mitchell defended the party Monday, pointing out it was still in major debt when Prime Minister Paul Martin took over in 2003. "In particular, the Quebec wing of the party was some $3 million in debt," said Mitchell. "This is hardly in keeping with assertions that the party was receiving substantial financial benefit through inappropriate means."
Either you're; A - throwing it away on stupid, meaningless programs to promote your grasp on power; B - stashing it away in a private retirement fund; C - spending it on hookers and booze, or; D - all of the above.
NDP Leader Jack Layton and Deputy Conservative Leader Peter MacKay have both shied away from suggestions their parties could force a quick election over the latest revelations. The Conservatives said Monday they opposed the motion asking for Liberal lawyers to cross-examine witnesses. Party lawyers said in a letter to the inquiry they did not have sufficient time to contest the Liberal motion before Gomery.
Prior to Gomery issuing the publication ban, the inquiry heard testimony that shed more light on the links between sponsorship cash and the Liberal party's Quebec wing. The inquiry also heard last fall that another ad agency, Media IDA Vision, donated $5,000 to the Quebec wing out of the same account in which it kept sponsorship money. The RCMP was called in but found insufficient evidence for criminal prosecution.
Gomery ruled Monday that the Treasury Board will pay for the Liberals' lawyers at the commission.
Following in the grand tradition of the United Nations
The judge's decision came shortly before Brault, president of Groupaction Marketing, resumed his testimony. Groupaction played a major role in the sponsorship program in the 1990s, earning millions of dollars in commissions and other fees.
The publication ban was imposed by Gomery last week to safeguard Brault's right to a fair trial in separate criminal proceedings that are pending against him.
But the gag order, which applies across Canada, did not prevent some of the testimony from leaking into the public domain over the weekend through a U.S.-based web log. As we have reported. It ran a report mixing some factual material with editorial commentary.
Posted by: Steve ||
04/04/2005 2:28:46 PM ||
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It ran a report mixing some factual material with editorial commentary.
They say this like:
1) It's a bad thing.
2) It's not done by all the damned press all over the damned world.
3) There isn't a heck of a lot of editorial content in what they just wrote.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
04/04/2005 15:36 Comments ||
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It ran a report mixing some factual material with editorial commentary.
I think they were just trying to explain what a web log was to their readers. It's not a bad description at all of what we are doing here.
Posted by: Steve ||
04/04/2005 16:09 Comments ||
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OTTAWA -- A U.S. website has breached the publication ban protecting a Montreal ad executive's explosive and damning testimony at the federal sponsorship inquiry. The U.S. blogger riled the Gomery commission during the weekend by posting extracts of testimony given in secret Thursday by Jean Brault. The American blog, being promoted by an all-news Canadian website, boasts "Canada's Corruption Scandal Breaks Wide Open" and promises more to come. The owner of the Canadian website refused to comment yesterday.
Inquiry official Francois Perreault voiced shock at the publication ban breach, and said the commission co-counsel Bernard Roy and Justice John Gomery will decide today whether to charge the Canadian website owner with contempt of court. "We never thought someone would violate the publication ban," Perreault said. "Maybe we were more confident than we should have been."
"Waaaaa! Those icky American blogs are telling all our secrets!"
Gomery slapped a ban on Brault's testimony last week to ensure Brault could find an unbiased jury for his fraud trial set for next month.
And to provide cover for the Liberal Party.
Gomery also ordered a publication ban on the upcoming testimony of former sponsorship head Chuck Guite and former ad executive Paul Coffin.
Reporters and cameras have been allowed into the hearing as long as they don't publish Brault's testimony before the ban is lifted. Members of the public have swarmed to the inquiry since Gomery cut off the live transmission, filling a special auditorium. Rumours have swirled all weekend about a possible breach of the ban by American newspapers, Internet sites and television stations that are outside Gomery's reach.
"Damm Americans, who do they think they are reporting on us?"
Perreault warned that even if Brault's testimony has been outed by a U.S. website, it doesn't mean it's now public information. "Anyone who takes that information and diffuses it is liable to be charged with contempt of court," Perreault said. "Anybody who reproduces it is at risk."
OK, I'll take that as a threat, if you're Canadian, don't read this:
A political scandal involving the Public Works Ministry, a government effort called the Sponsorship Program, and allegations of corruption in the ruling Liberal Party has Canada abuzz with rumors of payoffs, Mob ties, and snap elections. For the last two years, Canadian politics has been gripped by the so-called "sponsorship scandal" — tens of millions of dollars in government contracts which were funneled into advertizing firms closely connected with the Liberal government for little or no work, but with shadowy rumours that much of the money found its way back into Liberal coffers. Prime Minister Paul Martin, himself a Liberal, appointed the Gomery Commission to investigate these charges and determine whether to bring charges against government officials for corruption and malfeasance. (See the blog Small Dead Animals for some excellent background on the case.)
"I think that the point of a free press is to keep the electorate informed about its government. Putting a ban on the press reporting such a level of corruption does nothing except keep people in the dark about the actions of corrupt officials. The CP should have been allowed to report this testimony, and I think it's a shame that Judge Gomery opted to keep Canadians in the dark."
Sun Media lawyer Alan Shanoff said publishing the name of the blog (cough) Captain's Quarters (cough) or the Canadian news site that promoted it (Nealenews.com) or providing the blog's Internet address (http://www.captainsquartersblog.com)could lead to a contempt charge. Shanoff said American news organizations began breaching Canadian publication bans in earnest with Karla Homolka's murder trial. "It became very clear from that case that publication bans are very hard to police," Shanoff said. Shanoff said the inquiry breach would become more significant if Montrealers began to flock to the U.S. blogger's site to read Brault's testimony. "The information, I gather, is very, very damaging and very prejudicial," he said. "If it's accessed by large numbers of people in Montreal where the trial will take place it could have a prejudicial effect on the next election." Brault is expected to wrap up his testimony tomorrow when Gomery will hear arguments from lawyers as to whether he should lift the ban. Brault's lawyer has asked a Montreal judge to put off his criminal trial until September. The decision is expected on Wednesday. If the judge agrees, that would allay Gomery's concerns that Brault's inquiry testimony could negatively effect his fraud trial.
I, for one, would never dream of defying a Canucklian ban on publishing the fact that http://www.captainsquartersblog.com is reporting testimony that makes the libs of the Great White North look not much different from our local party hacks.
Posted by: Steve ||
04/04/2005 10:00:47 AM ||
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Luckily, all of Fred's electrons stop at the border.
Posted by: ed ||
04/04/2005 11:29 Comments ||
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I for one, would never dream of reading this information. Far be it to cast my vote in an election knowing the facts.
The power of the Blogosphere never ceases to amaze. Unfortunately Capt. Ed is no longer just upsetting the MSM, but is taking on a Canadian Judge, who with fellow travellers (ie SF Board of Supervisors, FEC) may decide that blogs need to be regulated and controlled to protect the guilty.
Posted by: john ||
04/04/2005 11:38 Comments ||
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#3
Eh, ya hosers, if dey were playing da hockey dis year we'd be going after da NHL.com, eh?
Fuck all non-military and non-national security censorship. Censorship of information coming from political political acts, the activities of political parties or the government is horse shit.
Censorship is fucking bullshit. I encourage everyone to defy any such "gag orders" or "publication bans" as thay are total crap and need to be defied.
Oh by the way, now you know why the UN want's to be in charge of the internet.
#7
Warren Kinsella (yeah, yeah, I know - "who?") thinks it's just terrible that US websites are ignoring a publication blackout that..um..they're not subject to?
Group of senators claim that they have 53 votes for the nuclear option. There are direct political threats to repeat what happened to Sen Daschle to current Dem leadership if they don't change their tune now!
Just when you thought the Federal Election Commission had it out for the blogosphere, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors took it up a notch and announced yesterday that it will soon vote on a city ordinance that would require local bloggers to register with the city Ethics Commission and report all blog-related costs that exceed $1,000 in the aggregate.
Blogs that mention candidates for local office that receive more than 500 hits will be forced to pay a registration fee and will be subject to website traffic audits, according to Chad Jacobs, a San Francisco City Attorney.
The entire Board is set to vote on the measure on April 5th, 2005.
#4
any doubt? Leftists and whackos are the worst of the societal control freaks - tolerance for me, but not for thee
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/04/2005 19:09 Comments ||
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#5
OK, can I say it:
Bill of Rights
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
And you, dear San Francisco Board, are no Congress. Where does the Constitution say that you have to pay a registration fee when you say your opinion?
And btw, what are 500 hits? EVERY blog will have 500 hits eventually. Even if it's meant per day, this advisor doesn't even know the difference betwen "hits" and "unique visitors".
#6
Next Fred will be expected to require registration so he can find the SF commenters and bill them a buck a comment on behalf of the SF Ethics Committee.
Posted by: Tom ||
04/04/2005 20:11 Comments ||
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#7
You know this is aimed at any conservative bloggers who live in the city. Yes they are the facists and can't deal with dissent.
#8
It is amazing proof of how far we have gone down the road to lefty totalitarianism that people do not riot in the streets over this proposal. Naturally, the institutional media support this provision, since it undermines their competition, and it is equallly natural that hard-core media culture conformists (the so-called "left") would support it.
This is an ideal opportunity for civil disobedience on a massive scale.
If it passes, I suggest that Fred set up a special Rantburg page for SF-related anti-idiotarian blogging, with complaints, insults, endorsements, and other locally proscribed behavior. We can call it "Radio Free Frisco."
#10
I suppose the Frisco commissars and their apparatchiks might sue us in civil court for inciting illegal activity or conspiring to circumvent censorship.
Here is my response in advance:
I live in Texas. Bring it on!
The Democrats' postelection war about what they should stand for is heating up again, with centrists challenging liberals to "real fights" within the party about staking out a tougher position against terrorism.
In an attack on the party's dominant left wing, anti-war base, and a warning for new Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean "to do no harm," the centrist-leaning Democratic Leadership Council said it is "a delusion to think that if we just turned out our voters, we could win national elections..."
Their criticism has been heard many times during the past two decades in their continuing battle against the party's liberal establishment. But this time, they say, it will take a divisive, all-out political civil war to scrub the anti-war orthodoxy out of the party's agenda...
Although they acknowledged that for many anti-war Democrats "Iraq remains a difficult issue," they said, "It is essential that partisan enmity not obscure America's vital interest in helping the newly elected Iraqi government succeed."
But party liberals last week dismissed the DLC's advice as warmed-over Republicanism.
"I can't tell the difference between the positions the DLC puts forward and Republican policy," said Jack Blum, counsel for the liberal Americans for Democratic Action.
"I've read this before and I am not carried away by it. Nobody in the Democratic Party, and that most especially includes the liberals in the Americans for Democratic Action, opposes fighting the terrorists." "...fighting *for* the terrorists."
#1
They don't have to be a party of WAR, only a party of people willing to stand up for themselves and supporting the military. You can (like a lot of people I know) be for peace, but be smart enought that the quickest way for peace to come to a country is behind a M1A1 after the corrupt and violent government is thrown out.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider whether police can have drug dogs sniff outside people's homes without any specific suspicion of illegal activity.
Justices let stand a lower court ruling that allowed the dog sniff, rejecting an appeal from a Houston man who said it was an improper police "search" that violated his Fourth Amendment right against arbitrary searches.
In so doing, the court declined to clarify the scope of police authority after it ruled 6-2 earlier this year that dog sniffs for drugs were OK outside a car if a motorist is lawfully stopped for a traffic violation. Justices David H. Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented in that ruling, cautioning it could lead to much more intrusive searches.
David Gregory Smith challenged his Texas conviction for drug possession based on evidence obtained after a police dog sniffed outside his garage and alerted authorities to possible drugs inside. After the dog's alert, police obtained a search warrant and found methamphetamine in his bedroom, far from the garage.
"The use of a drug-sniffing dog at the entrance of a private home to detect the contents of the dwelling strips the citizenry of the most basic boundary of personal privacy by gathering invisible information coming from the interior of the home," the petition states.
A Texas state court ruled last year that the dog sniff outside his garage was not intrusive enough to invoke constitutional protection. It also said police did not unlawfully trespass because the garage was along a sidewalk that visitors must walk to reach the front door. An "easement" is the path someone needs to take across your property when there is no way around. This decision creates a new authority to search within a "virtual easement", of *any* path that leads to your front door *and* anything that can be easily reached from that path.
Posted by: Anonymoose ||
04/04/2005 11:54:04 AM ||
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Solution put up a fence. Try and work that into an "easement" argument. Fences serve the purpose of keeping people out and things in or out, even the police. It's time more people on the right wake up and see the constant attack on our liberties for what they are. The USSP needs to get it's head out of it's colective ass.
#5
A fence doesn't work if it blocks the path to the front door of your house, and that is the key. The Supremes have long recognized an "authority" to approach your front door, but now they recognize an "authority" to search when policeman are on that approach, without a warrant. Even if your fence gate has a "KEEP OUT" sign on it, there are already many occasions, like process service, that authorize somebody to pass through your gate whether you want them to or not, in the furtherance of their activity.
#8
Maybe you could put up a "front door" at the end of the path, adjacent to the sidewalk. Put a doorbell next to it. No actual fence or anything, just a door.
#9
Jackal: A "door", legally, is access to a dwelling with walls and a weatherproof ceiling. Property taxes are based on these same factors. So, your "fence door" would be seen, legally, as a "gate" on the fence, with no particular protections.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/04/2005 19:23 Comments ||
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And I need all these fences, gates, moats, and draw bridges for what? There's no meth to be smelled at my door. And if there was some to be smelled next door, then I would hope that the police would find it.
You must have more police protection than I do. The police here are stretched so thin that they can't even weed out all the stop-sign runners at my kids' bus stops. I'm not expecting a door-to-door search.
Posted by: Tom ||
04/04/2005 20:03 Comments ||
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#14
The police here are stretched so thin that they can't even weed out all the stop-sign runners at my kids' bus stops. I'm not expecting a door-to-door search.
You'd be amazed at what a government entity will do, and to what lengths they'll go to do it, regardless of budget difficulties.
#16
Don't know but I wouldn't put it too lightly. Dogs sniff lots of stuff. Basically you open the door to unhindered house searches.
The cops say the dog sniffed something and get a warrant. Whatever the dog sniffed (or not sniffed at all) would be irrelevant once police is in your house.
Very slippery slope.
London has become something of a magnet for libel litigants looking for a plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction. Now one defendant is taking an uncommon approach to fighting back.
Rachel Ehrenfeld, the politically conservative author of "Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It" (Bonus Books, 2005), was served last year with a lawsuit accusing her of defaming Khalid bin Mahfouz, a Saudi sheik. Instead of defending herself in England, Ms. Ehrenfeld, who is the director of the American Center for Democracy in New York, countersued in the United States.
Ms. Ehrenfeld, who said she believed the original lawsuit was brought to harass her and called it a "form of terrorism," filed an action in December in federal court for a declaratory judgment that the British ruling was unenforceable. That same month, after failing to appear before the British judge, Ms. Ehrenfeld was found in default of Mr. Bin Mahfouz's suit; a hearing to determine damages is scheduled for the end of April.
Ms. Ehrenfeld's lawyer, Daniel Kornstein, said he had little doubt that "if the lawsuit in England had been brought here, it would have been dismissed on American concepts of freedom of expression."
Ms. Ehrenfeld's book was not published in England, but about two dozen copies were purchased online from there. She contends that Mr. Bin Mahfouz should fight his case against her in the United States. "I'm suing on principle. I want my First Amendment," she said.
Though Mr. Bin Mahfouz has yet to retain counsel for the case Ms. Ehrenfeld has filed, Michael Gurdak, a lawyer at Jones Day, which represented Mr. Bin Mahfouz in a previous case, disputed the suggestion that the British legal system was being exploited. "Given that Mr. Bin Mahfouz has no contacts in the United States and substantial contacts in the U.K., there is no basis to characterize much less criticize Mr. Bin Mahfouz's decision to protect his reputation there as forum shopping," he wrote in an e-mail message. "To any objective observer, it would be Ms. Ehrenfeld who has been misusing the courts."
For four months, Ms. Ehrenfeld was unable to have a summons delivered to Mr. Bin Mahfouz because she did not know his precise whereabouts. Two weeks ago, a judge in New York federal court ruled she could serve Mr. Bin Mahfouz by alternate means, and last Thursday her lawyers sent the papers by Federal Express and certified mail to attorneys who have represented Mr. Bin Mahfouz on other matters.
To many free-press advocates, the tactics used in the case underscore the incompatibility of the British legal system and American constitutional rights. "It's critically important that American journalists and scholars be able to publish on topics of profound importance without having to look over their shoulders to make sure someone isn't suing them in the United Kingdom," said Sandra Baron, executive director of the Media Law Resource Center in New York.
#1
The link is hosed, methinks - it just triggers my ad-blocking function.
This is big magic, in the legal system anyway, and yet another reason why the ICC and all such tranzi idiocy is a fool's errand.
That the shreik (not a typo) filed suit in a country other than his own or Ms Ehrenfeld's (I am presuming she is an American) is proof that HE is forum shopping. Total futz.
I hope the UK ruling is shit-canned for the joke it is.
I hope the shreik has a coronary and dies in great unrelenting pain.
#5
Obviously the suit was filed in the UK despite that the fact that the book published and sold in the USA because the book was written in the English language. The author should have penned her tome in Pig Latin which would have prevented observant jihadis from discussing the text altogether.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/04/2005 21:29 Comments ||
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#6
SUPER HOSE???
where ya been?
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/04/2005 22:02 Comments ||
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Cambodia has privatized a mass grave where thousands of Pol Pot's political enemies were clubbed to death, sparking anger among relatives who say the Khmer Rouge's 1.7 million victims are being traded for profit. Phnom Penh mayor Kep Chuktema said Monday a Japanese company called JC Royal had signed a 30-year deal to manage the Cheoung Ek "Killing Fields" genocide memorial on the outskirts of the capital for an initial annual payment of $15,000. The firm will have to plant trees and flowers at the site, which is home to a memorial tower of 8,000 human skulls, as well as build other visitor facilities, he said. In return, it will be able to charge foreign tourists an admission charge of $3 -- up from $0.5 -- while Khmers, who have always been allowed in for free, will have to pay a small amount. "We need to beautify the site to attract tourists," Kep Chuktema told Reuters. "Wait till you see what we got planned for the Chomsky exhibit!"
"This project will benefit our country's tourism as some tourists do not just want to visit our historic temples. They also want to see with their own eyes the past violence of the 'Killing Fields,'" he said. "Just imagine how much we'll make off the Jimmy Carter Food Court!"
Other survivors of the ultra-Maoist regime's four-year reign of terror see it differently. "Morally speaking this upsets me so much," said Neang Say, manager of the Cheoung Ek site since the 1980s, who lost nearly 40 relatives under Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge swept to power in the jungle-clad southeast nation in April 1975, and immediately enacted a "Year Zero" agrarian revolution, emptying the cities, blowing up the central bank and destroying all money. An estimated 1.7 million people were executed or died of torture, disease, overwork or starvation before invading Vietnamese troops toppled Pol Pot in 1979. The regime's reclusive leader died in 1998, and the top surviving henchmen have [n]ever faced justice. However, the United Nations and Cambodia said last week they had managed to raise $38 million for a planned trial, which officials hope will get under way this year. "Well, we'll at least pick the venue....anyone know a good place next to a five-star resort?"
Cheoung Ek was the main execution site for Phnom Penh's notorious S-21 torture and interrogation center, which is likely to feature prominently in any trial.
Posted by: Desert Blondie ||
04/04/2005 10:16:24 AM ||
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Will they have a memorial to Kerry do you think? He spent Christmas in Cambodia ya know....
I am unsure if this is bad. I think the world should remember Pol-Pot and those who died there (as well as what happened in Vietnam....).
#2
Ha..ha..ha. Very humorous. Although I have been thinking of opening up a chain of "Lucky Hat" lounges in the Indochina area if Taraaysa will bankroll them. This could be a venue perhaps?
#4
Maybe they can get the rights to the local of the Rape of Nanking as well. It could be a chain like Six Flags. I'm sure that the Mouse is closely watching these developments.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/04/2005 21:57 Comments ||
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#5
"This project will benefit our country's tourism as some tourists do not just want to visit our historic temples. They also want to see with their own eyes the past violence of the 'Killing Fields,'"
Where are they gonna put the water park? You can't have a good tourist attraction without a water park. Oh, and a mascot - how about Boney, the Happy Skull?
Hitachi has broken the record for data density in a hard drive thanks to an innovative way of storing data.
Most hard drives stores data by writing it onto the top of a disc horizontally. This new method allows the data to be written vertically into the disc, allowing much higher levels of storage...
While traditional horizontal data writing is the predominant form of data storage researchers believe this technology will reach its limit at about 120 GB per inch squared.
The new drives are capable of 230 GB per inch squared, compact enough to build a 20 GB mini iPod or a terabyte 3.5 inch drive.
Hitachi believes the first of the new hard drives will be shipped by the end of this year as a 2.5 inch drive for notebooks or consumer devices...
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that creditors may not seize Individual Retirement Accounts when people file for bankruptcy, giving protection to a nest egg relied upon by millions of Americans.
The unanimous decision sides with a bankrupt Arkansas couple fighting to keep more than $55,000 in retirement savings. As a result, IRAs now join pensions, 401(k)s, Social Security and other benefits tied to age, illness or disability that are afforded protection under bankruptcy law.
IRAs should not be treated any differently because the benefits are tied to people's age, the court said, citing a substantial tax penalty that is imposed for withdrawals before a person turns 60.
"That penalty erects a substantial barrier to early withdrawal," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court. "Funds in a typical savings account, by contrast, can be withdrawn without age-based penalty."
IRAs allow most investors to contribute up to $4,000 in earned income annually to a fund that grows tax-free until withdrawals. It is the only retirement plan available to the self-employed and small business owners and is typically used by workers between jobs, according to AARP.
But unlike many other retirement plans, IRAs permit cash withdrawals for any reason at any time so long as holders 59 1/2 and younger pay a 10 percent penalty tax. Some lower courts had ruled that makes IRAs different, because people could make withdrawals at any time, regardless of age.
In the ruling, however, Thomas noted IRA withdrawals by those younger than age 60 are few, effectively making the account a benefit based on age.
Last year, more than 1.6 million people filed for personal bankruptcy, compared with 875,000 a decade earlier. Experts say much of that is being driven by people 55 and older who lose their jobs and cannot pay off debts.
The case involves Richard and Betty Jo Rousey of Berryville, Ark., who accumulated $55,000 in company-sponsored pension and 401(k) plans at Northrop Grumman Corp. before he took early retirement in 1998. When Betty Jo Rousey was laid off a month later, they rolled the funds over to IRAs.
The Rouseys have been unable to hold down new jobs, in part due to his chronic back pain, according to their lawyers. Richard, 60, and Betty Jo, 57, now live on $2,000 a month.
Under bankruptcy law, the retirement savings won't be given blanket protection. A separate provision in the law shields the assets only to the extent the money is "reasonably necessary for the support of the debtor and any dependent."
EFL: SAN FRANCISCO, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Offering a glimpse of the independent network first announced at last year's National Cable & Telecommunications Association convention, former Vice President Al Gore and entrepreneur Joel Hyatt, joined by executives and on-air talent, revealed this morning that the name of the new venture, formerly known as INdTV, will be Current. The unveiling of the much-anticipated network's positioning, logo and prototype programming reel took place at a press conference in Current's San Francisco headquarters during NCTA '05.
Where else but San Francisco, it's just too perfect
The first national network created by, for and with an 18-34 year-old audience, Current will offer 24 hours of programming in a unique, short-form content format when it premieres August 1. Current will invite audiences to move beyond their roles as viewers to become active collaborators, encouraging them to help shape the network's content and fulfill its mission -- to serve as a TV platform where the voices of young adults can be heard.
Gee, what ever happened to the voice of the liberals Al promised us?
"The Internet opened a floodgate for young people whose passions are finally being heard, but TV hasn't followed suit. Young adults have a powerful voice, but you can't hear that voice on television ... yet," said Gore, who serves as the network's chairman of the board.
And who better to know what young people want than AlGore
"We intend to change that with Current, giving those who crave the empowerment of the Web the same opportunity for expression on television. We want to transform the television medium itself, giving a national platform to those who are hungry to help create the TV they want to watch."
"Power to the People!"
The participatory model of Current marks a giant leap in seven decades of television. "Until now, the notion of viewer participation has been limited to sending a tape to 'America's Funniest Home Videos,' calling an interview show, taking part in an instant poll, or voting someone off an island," added Gore. "We're creating a powerful new brand of television that doesn't treat audiences as merely viewers, but as collaborators."
Promising a slate of programming that's smart, fun and fearless (as a truly independent network), Current seeks to cater to the Internet generation's need for choice and control. Reflective of its name, it will serve up the most current information on the people, places and happenings of interest to viewers 18-34, a demographic that no longer relates to traditional news. Taking its cues from their media consumption habits, Current will offer short-form programming in the TV equivalent of an iPod shuffle. Its "pods" will be 15-second to five-minute segments that range from the hottest trends in technology, fashion, television, music and videogames, to pressing issues such as the environment, relationships, spirituality, finance, politics and parenting, subjects that young adults can rarely find on television.
Pod segments include "Current Playlist" (music for the digital generation),
"Current Parent" (advice to first-timers), "Current Gigs" (career guidance) and "Current Soul" (trends in spiritual awakening). Drawing from audience submissions are such pods as "Current Courage" (profiles of heroism and altruism), "Current Video" (video clips from the next Spielbergs or Spike Jonzes) and "Current Rant" (inviting viewers to let off steam).
"Google Current," built using samplings of popular Google search data, including from Google Zeitgeist, complements the free-flowing pod format with news updates each half-hour. Thirty seconds to three minutes in length, these segments buck conventional news practices by reporting not on what media editors decide is "news," but on the topics people are actually searching for right now. So news isn't what the network thinks you should know, but what the world is searching to learn.
The World According to Google, that is. Given the placement of left-leaning "news" sites on Google, it's not hard to see which way they'll be leaning. Plus, if the lead news story is determined by it's Google ranking, the boyz at DU will be busy stacking the deck.
"We're pleased to collaborate with the entire Current team to help this network make the world's information more accessible," said Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder and president of Technology. "Current is an exciting new direction for TV programming that enables any viewer to have the opportunity to broadcast their video to the world," said Larry Page, Google's co-founder and president of Products.
More at the link, if you care.
Posted by: Steve ||
04/04/2005 3:28:03 PM ||
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Good to see that MSNBC will get some competition FOR LAST PLACE! This does have a silver lining. The left has found a new outlet to spend their money and wont have too much left over for campaigns. Like Air Amerika they will have a finite audience and little appeal outside that.
#3
The first national network created by, for and with an 18-34 year-old audience, Current will offer 24 hours of programming in a unique, short-form content format when it premieres August 1.
'Cause, y'know, them 34-year-olds just can't concentrate for more than 2 minutes at a time...
#4
"Its "pods" will be 15-second to five-minute segments that range from the hottest trends..."
Sounds like a video version of People magazine aimed at larval lefties-- dolts with the attention span of a newborn puppy who find MTV too cerebral.
And they'll be known as Pod People.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
04/04/2005 16:15 Comments ||
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#5
We'll clean the blood off the decks, throw the dead overboard, lash together a new mast, double the teams on the pumps, and the USS ALGORE will sail again to fight another day I tell you! Al Gore should take the whacky spouse, pot smoking StAlbans educated son, and hangers on out to a deserted island to start a new nation of their own.
Reversing a vow to step down by 2008 and rejecting fraud charges in recent vote, he warns Zimbabwe's opposition against staging protests. Surprise, surprise, surprise... HARARE, Zimbabwe — A triumphant President Robert Mugabe, whose ruling party won parliamentary elections condemned by Western powers as unfair, declared Saturday that he would stay in power until he was 100. Flanked by two stuffed lions that looked a bit moth-eaten about the ears, Zimbabwe's 81-year-old president greeted international journalists at a news conference with the words "Are you afraid?" He warned of serious violence and a tough response if the opposition took to the streets. After 25 years in power, Mugabe answered a question on retirement plans by mapping out 19 more years at the helm, unless he dies in office. Bet the odds on that just went way, way up.
He had earlier promised to step down by 2008.
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party took 78 seats in the 150-seat parliament, leaving 41 seats for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and one independent. The remaining 30 seats are appointed by Mugabe. The result gave the ruling party the two-thirds majority it needed to change the constitution and tighten its grip on power. After speculation that the majority would be used to choose his successor without elections, Mugabe said Saturday, "There's no need for any succession at the moment." No, no. I plan on living forever.
U.S. and European monitors were prohibited from observing the elections. Only those from friendly nations such as South Africa were invited. On Saturday, the South African observer mission said it believed the vote reflected the will of the people, dismissing the objections of the MDC that the election was stolen. Nothing to see here... honkies.
"I don't believe any sane person will come and endorse this kind of election," MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said after releasing a long list of allegations of unfairness: a high percentage of voters turned away from the polls, suspect voter rolls, repressive legislation to prevent opposition activities until late in the campaign and a use of government food distribution to intimidate people facing severe shortages into voting ZANU-PF. Sounds like your typical third world election to me.
MDC leaflets Saturday called on Zimbabweans to pressure the government to reverse the election results, without spelling out what people should do. The move echoed the opposition's efforts Friday, when Tsvangirai called on people to come out and "defend their vote." But Mugabe vowed to meet any mass protests with a tough response, warning that strikes were illegal and marches would not be tolerated. In the past, Mugabe's security forces have ruthlessly crushed dissent, leaving many reluctant to take to the streets for fear of being beaten or killed. It's good to be the dictator king...
Mugabe called on the MDC to be "sporting enough to accept defeat and not look for excuses." Asked what response he might have to peaceful civil protests, he said: "Those are not a peaceful people. History has shown us they are a very violent people. They have had demonstrations here, very violent demonstrations. All law and order instruments will be used to defend [against] any mass action that will be likely to lead to lawlessness in the city," Mugabe said. "We don't accept pressure at all." I don't handle "pressure" well. You wouldn't like me under "pressure"...
He dismissed the MDC call for pressure as a move to mollify disappointed supporters. "How can we ever reverse what the people decided?" he said. At the end of his news conference, Mugabe told journalists they need not fear his two lions, saying, "They are very friendly lions, and they display the nature of their master." Sounds like he's catching what Idi Amin had.
Posted by: tu3031 ||
04/04/2005 11:32:37 AM ||
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Flanked by two stuffed lions that looked a bit moth-eaten about the ears
Gentle's olde buds, who went missing from the O Club about 40 years ago.
Most Americans want the next pope to work for changes in Roman Catholic Church policies to allow priests to marry and women to join the priesthood.
"Yeah! We should be more like the Episcopalians! Look how well-respected they are! And their churches are always full..."
And they want more done to combat sexual abuse by priests, an AP-Ipsos poll found.
I guess if they're more like the Episcopalians more people will keep their kids home instead of sending them to church. That should help.
A solid majority of Americans, and Catholics in the country, are calling for the changes even while saying they widely admire Pope John Paul II, who favored the traditional policies.
I'm not sure what non-Catholic opinion has to do with it. If you want to have an opinion, join the church and obey the rules...
"He crossed so many boundaries, opened doors to many governments," said Joseph Riess, a Catholic businessman from Vienna, Va. "But I think it's time for changes."
"We don't live in a world of good and evil anymore..."
Just over half of Americans, 51 percent, and almost three-fourths of Catholics say John Paul, who died Saturday, will be remembered as one of the greatest popes, according to the poll conducted for The Associated Press by Ipsos-Public Affairs.
They said that about John XXIII, too. We'll see how long the attention span is...
The U.S. Catholic church is struggling with a variety of problems, including a dramatically shrinking U.S. priesthood, disagreement over the proper role for lay leaders, and a conservative-liberal divide over sexuality, women's ordination and clergy celibacy.
They weren't struggling with those issues back in the Latin Rite days...
About two-thirds of those polled said priests should be allowed to marry and almost that many said they want women in the priesthood.
"If the Episcopalians can have them, why can't we?"
A majority of Catholics supported both steps. More than four in five Americans — and about the same number of Catholics — said they want to see the next pope do more to address the problem of priests sexually abusing children. The church has been trying to deal with an abuse crisis that bubbled to the surface in January 2002 in the Archdiocese of Boston, then spread throughout the country. Since then, the church has adopted a toughened discipline policy, enacted child protection and victim outreach plans in dioceses, and removed hundreds of accused priests from church work.
So what else would you like done? Firing squads? Autos da fe?
Americans were divided when asked from where the next pope should come. Just over a third said he should be from Europe, while a similar number said he should be from a part of the world where Catholicism is growing fastest, like Africa or Latin America. The rest weren't sure. "I don't think it matters where they're from," said Heather Schramko, a clinical researcher and a Catholic from Perrysburg, Ohio. "But they need to modernize the church."
I'm not sure about the logic of that sentiment. Catholicism's advantage has been that it actually does take a position on matters of right and wrong, whether you agree with its conclusions or not...
The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,001 adults was taken Friday to Sunday and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Posted by: Anonymoose ||
04/04/2005 10:19:59 AM ||
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#1
So good to see Bernie Law's pious mug all over my TV this weekend. Looks well fed, rested, and ready. Maybe he'll take it. Just ask him...
#3
Joseph Riess, a Catholic businessman from Vienna, Va.
Any bets on whether this guy is a member in some Catholic "reform" group? Ditto for Heather Schramko.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
04/04/2005 11:47 Comments ||
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#4
Many of these are "Cultural Catholics" - that is they call themselves Catholic, and show up maybe on the major holidays for mass.
They are not representative of those who attend mass regularly. Were they truly Catholic, they woudl not hold forth such opinions on abortion, birth control, etc.
And bad news for them is that JP-II appointed all but 3 of the current eligible and voting Cardinals; and he tried to appoint mainly conservatives (conservative in terms of the Chruch, not US politics).
Myself, I think its high time we had a South American or African Pope. And all the best candidates from there are not in favor of ordination of women, abortios, or birth-control.
The only major "liberal" I think I've heard of is the Cardinal from Belgium.
But one never knows where God leads the Church - he certainly surprised us the last time, and what a man he picked! I hope we do at least half as well this time.
I do not want to jinx the fellow that I like, so I will not mention him, for the saying goes "Enter the conclave as Pope, leave as Cardinal".
One thing I can say that the left might get (and it wsa coming anyway) was ordination of married men into the preisthood - mainly as pastoral priests - i.e. they work in the parish, and are subordinate to the celibate clercy. This will be an adaptation from the Easter Rite, and it can piggy-back on the Permanent Diaconate (where married men are Ordained in the Catholic Church) which is already in place in the Roman Church.
It will work like this:
2 types of clergy: married and unmarried.
Unmarried will be celebate, and will not be allowed to marry. They do jsut like the current preisthood does now: they take their vows to the Church.
Married: THese will have to be married BEFORE they are ordained. They will enter the permanent diaconte, the same way current Permanent Deacons do, including the Oath to the Church -- and this includes the current oath that If their wife dies, they will become celibate and will not remarry. After enough service for discernment to a ttrue calling to the priesthood, they will apply and move up to full priesthood.
The celibat clergy will have no official restrictions on them, they will work as they do now. The Married Clergy will not be able to move up to Bishop, no hold any Church Office higher than Parish Priest, and practice only within their parish, and will be managed at the level of their local Bishop.
Thats the most "liberalizations" I expect to see - there is already precedent with Presbyterian ministers who are married and convert - they have (to the best of my knowledge) the same criteria and restrictions applied to them. This doctrine has been well worked out by the Eastern Church, and shoudl be the easiest (and most needed) change to incorporate.
The rest of the stuff: abortion, birth control, etc: just liberal pipe dreams - the theology is very clear on this and the Church cannot change it becasue of the basis in the Triune God, the scripture as the basis for the Church, the Catechism as its teachings, and Jesus Christ as the savior.
I'm not Christian, so I don't have a dog in this fight, but I have pissed off a number of casual acquaintances and total strangers by asking them why, if they don't agree with the central tenets of their particular religion, they claim to be of that religion. (Not just Catholics, either.)
It's not like there aren't any other choices. The number of religions out there is HUGE; surely people who don't agree with the central principals of one religion should be able to find one that agrees with them (and that's what it appears to be about - not that these people should agree with their chosen religion, but that their chosen religion must agree with them).
I've actually had some people tell me they can't leave their religion - something about that's the only way they'll get into Heaven. So I ask them what makes them think they'll get into Heaven if they don't follow the teachings of the religion that's supposed to get them into Heaven.
Then they really go away pissed. :-D Makes my day every time.
If you're going to profess to following a particular faith, follow it. If you're not, don't lie and say you are. It never seems to occur to these people that their all-powerful god who knows everything unto the end of time can certainly know what's in their hypocritical little minds and hearts. And will remember when their judgement day comes.
And yes, Liberals, I'm talking to YOU.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/04/2005 12:31 Comments ||
Top||
#6
JPII was a giant of the 20th century of that there is no doubt. His personal role in the downfall of communism cannot be overstated. JPII's rappoachment with the Jews is to be celebrated. His attempted (albeit failed) rappoachment with the Eastern Orthodox churches was heartfelt and sincere. The failure can be laid at the feet of the Orthodox churches through no fault of JPII.
HOWEVER...on certain issues you'd have thought the Vatican was located in Berkley, CA.
JPII would've done well to brush up on the theory of "Just War" as promulgated by Augustine and Acquinas before pronouncing Gulf War I and Operation Iraqi Freedom illegitimate. The Pope was wrong to oppose both wars.
Furthermore (and MORE importantly), there IS the issue of the child sex scandals that've rock the Catholic Church here in the USA and abroad. Historians will rake JPII over the coals (with good reason) for allowing his bishops, his cardinals, and his priests to sweep the child sex crisis/scandal under the rug.
#1 above, (tu) comments on the "good" Bernard Cardinal Law. Heh. The reason Cardinal Law is residing in Vatican City is because the USA has no extradition treaty with the Vatican. Not that it really matters since no prosecutor in the Boston area had the balls to indict him with conspiracy to obstruct justice and failure to report a felony.
Having now spoken allow me to pre-empt any personal attacks on my opinions: I'm Catholic. I HAVE a picture and HAVE HAD a picture of the Pope in my office since 1987. My wedding was Polish (my wife is Polish on both sides - her mom and dad). I shed tears upon learning of his death. JPII was a great man BUT his legacy will be forever tarnished should there be any true accounting of his life.
The indisputable fact remains: JPII dropped the ball when it came to the most obscene scandal in the past 60 years of church history. Not since Pius XII's failure to resist (or even fight) Hitler and, later, Stalin, has the church had so much to be ashamed of.
Did JPII love the children...the young people? Yes he did. Of that I have no doubt. But even this great man had no effective response when he learned that some of his priests, some of his bishops, and (yes) some his cardinals were perverts violating the young. That, my friends, is the actual Veritatis Splendor.
Posted by: Mark Z. ||
04/04/2005 13:22 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Barbara: The Kerry take on the Catholic Church is an old one. It hearkens back to the days when the Church was also the primary social and political organization in an area. Kerry and others are only interested in this latter part, feeling they had to be "Catholic" in order to get elected and have power, not giving two hoots for the "religious" parts. The Catholic Church itself contributed to this problem by refusing to discipline the secularly powerful, preferring instead to have some 'in' to the seat of political power. So, for this reason, many liberal Catholics feel free to blow off the religion, yet call themselves "Catholic" whenever it is to their social or political benefit, without, mind you, any feelings of hypocricy. They don't really recognize the Church's hierarchy, either, so feel fine about "democratic" determinations of morality. Sin? Vote on it.
Posted by: Mike ||
04/04/2005 13:48 Comments ||
Top||
#10
The Irish are placing their bets. Literally...
More than 5,000 people have placed bets on who will be the next pope with Paddy Power PLC, Ireland's largest bookmaking chain. The early favorites are Dionigi Tettamanzi of Italy and Francis Arinze of Nigeria, both listed on 11-4 odds. That means a winning $4 bet would pay out $15. The biggest bet so far, $1,300, has been on Tettamanzi. The company said most bets are for much smaller amounts.
Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras is third with 9-2 odds, while Joseph Ratzinger of Germany and Claudio Hummes of Brazil both follow with odds of 7-1.
Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino of Cuba, Ennio Antonelli of Italy and Christoph Schoenborn of Austria come next, all at 14-1. Giovanni Battista Re of Italy stood alone at 16-1, while three others â Dario Castrillon Hoyos of Colombia, and Crescenzio Sepe and Giacomo Biffi, both of Italy âmerited 18-1.
#11
All I hope for is that Ratzinger is not the next Pope. He gave John Paul II bad advice regarding the molestation scandals, and just doesn't get it about how revolting and degrading that was to the dignity of the church.
That being said, it is possible to deeply love the church but have misgivings about some of the teachings of the church, Old Spook. The mere fact that someone is in the church every week proves nothing to me. Are they in there because they are devoted to Christ, or are they in there to prove to everyone else (and themselves?) that they are the holiest of all?
It is possible to disagree with the Vatican on some things and still be a good Catholic. It all depends on how you live your faith.
#12
I am not a Catholic, but I am fascinateed by the process of transition. From the outside, one hopes they have someone who has the intestinal fortitude to stand up about the corruption from within (pedoiphilia), and get rid of the facilitators as well (including the Cardinals-Bye-bye Manning). But also, relizing we all are at war with Islamofacism, choose somebody who can confront that aspect up close & personal, much as John-Paul II faced off with Communism in the 1980s...
It might be presumptiuous of me not being Catholic to suggest anyone, but, the idea of the fellow from Nigeria, Cardinal Arinze, seems intriging... Especially since the Moslem North of Nigeria has a yen to stone adulterers... This might put a light on things like that and the larger problem of Islamofacism as a whole...
#15
BigEd: It might be presumptiuous of me not being Catholic to suggest anyone, but, the idea of the fellow from Nigeria, Cardinal Arinze, seems intriging.
A black or Chinese Pope would be intriguing. I think it would significantly drum up interest in the Catholic church among their ethnic brethren.
#17
Mark Z, Hail from a fellow macreal snapper! I think you overstate the "JPII dropped the ball when it came to the most obscene scandal in the past 60 years of church history." Most of the abuses happened before he was appointed Pope and involved a VERY small percentage of so-called Priests. I say so-called because they were acting as priest but they were not following Catholic teachings. These men are sick and deserve whatever they get, but this is NOT a systemic problem of the church. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist here but I bet those men became priest so that they could abuse their position. There are some Cardinals or Bishops in the U.S. that probably needed to thrown in jail for simjply transferring these men to clerical positions and not having them arrested. Not sure what you wanted JPII to do after he was made aware of the scandal? he acknowledged it and apologized on behalf of the church, what else would you have him do?
I would get a lot more excited and forgive the death cult (All Pope. All Death. All the Time) portrayed by the macabre non-stop television coverage if:
The Catholic Church would leap 200 years forward and grasp capitalism, not failed socialism or communism, as the economic tough-love approach they should be espousing - especially in S. America, Asia, and Africa. Capitalism works and creates wealth, makes a bigger pie, not just redistributes what already exists. When the liberal Christian religions of the world, and the Catholics are the largest of the lot, start promoting economic sense, instead of continuing to promote failed worthless economic ideas, their followers will benefit - the world will benefit. This is their primary failing, IMHO.
What ever their doctrinal/cultural beliefs are (disagreements on female clergy/ contraception in my case) is individual and how one worships God...
However - what goes along with freedom is an understanding that Capitalism has the greatest potential to benefit the most people... Tired Socialist doctrine only leaves in place an entrenched elistist status-quo...
#23
I would get a lot more excited and forgive the death cult (All Pope. All Death. All the Time) portrayed by the macabre non-stop television coverage if:
I view it as Pope John Paul's final Mercy-
knocking Michael Jackson coverage off the air.
#25
As someone else who doesn't have a dog in this fight, I think JPII, the first non-Italian pope in 400 years, was viewed as such a success that they will go with an African or Asian becuase that is where the 'market opportunities' are.
Otherwise I agree with .com, they should drop the warm fuzzy socialism.
I think Cardnal Sin was instrumental in the 'People Power' overthrow of Marcos (in the Philippines) as well as 'People Power II' (which dumped Estrada).
From: Library of Congress Cardinal Sin, realizing that poor people would not refuse money offered for votes and that the ethic of utang na loob would oblige them to vote for the briber, admonished the voters that an immoral contract was not binding and that they should vote according to their consciences...
. . . Marcos orders loyal troops to supress the uprising...
but Cardinal Sin, broadcasting over the Catholic-run Radio Veritas (which became the voice of the revolution), appealed to the people to bring food and supplies for the rebels and to use nonviolence to block pro-Marcos troop movements.
Hundreds of thousands responded. In the tense days that followed, priests, nuns, ordinary citizens, and children linked arms with the rebels and faced down, without violence, the tanks and machine guns of government troops....
I think he is retired now. Quotes:
The cardinal has always made clear he believes the Church has a duty towards politics.
"My duty is to put Christ in politics," he said at his retirement ceremony in November [2003].
"Politics without Christ is the greatest scourge of our nation," he added.
#30
:-) Cardinal Jaime Sin was one of the big influences in booting the Marcos's out IIRC. I think he is semi-retired now at age 77.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/04/2005 20:17 Comments ||
Top||
#31
A black or Chinese Pope would be intriguing.
Actually, the Church has had three black African popes in its history: Victor (183-203 A.D.), Gelasius (492-496 A.D.), and Mechiades/Militiades (311-314 A.D.).
#32
I just mentioned Sin because I knew I heard that name before (so much like carnal sin....).
He's retired and about 80 now with a history of health problems. Still he showed that he could kick ass and take names which may be one of the qualities a pope needs now-a-days.
#33
Many of these are "Cultural Catholics" - that is they call themselves Catholic, and show up maybe on the major holidays for mass.
They are not representative of those who attend mass regularly. Were they truly Catholic, they woudl not hold forth such opinions on abortion, birth control, etc.
And bad news for them is that JP-II appointed all but 3 of the current eligible and voting Cardinals; and he tried to appoint mainly conservatives (conservative in terms of the Chruch, not US politics).
Myself, I think its high time we had a South American or African Pope. And all the best candidates from there are not in favor of ordination of women, abortios, or birth-control.
The only major "liberal" I think I've heard of is the Cardinal from Belgium.
But one never knows where God leads the Church - he certainly surprised us the last time, and what a man he picked! I hope we do at least half as well this time.
I do not want to jinx the fellow that I like, so I will not mention him, for the saying goes "Enter the conclave as Pope, leave as Cardinal".
One thing I can say that the left might get (and it wsa coming anyway) was ordination of married men into the preisthood - mainly as pastoral priests - i.e. they work in the parish, and are subordinate to the celibate clercy. This will be an adaptation from the Easter Rite, and it can piggy-back on the Permanent Diaconate (where married men are Ordained in the Catholic Church) which is already in place in the Roman Church.
It will work like this:
2 types of clergy: married and unmarried.
Unmarried will be celebate, and will not be allowed to marry. They do jsut like the current preisthood does now: they take their vows to the Church.
Married: THese will have to be married BEFORE they are ordained. They will enter the permanent diaconte, the same way current Permanent Deacons do, including the Oath to the Church -- and this includes the current oath that If their wife dies, they will become celibate and will not remarry. After enough service for discernment to a ttrue calling to the priesthood, they will apply and move up to full priesthood.
The celibat clergy will have no official restrictions on them, they will work as they do now. The Married Clergy will not be able to move up to Bishop, no hold any Church Office higher than Parish Priest, and practice only within their parish, and will be managed at the level of their local Bishop.
Thats the most "liberalizations" I expect to see - there is already precedent with Presbyterian ministers who are married and convert - they have (to the best of my knowledge) the same criteria and restrictions applied to them. This doctrine has been well worked out by the Eastern Church, and shoudl be the easiest (and most needed) change to incorporate.
The rest of the stuff: abortion, birth control, etc: just liberal pipe dreams - the theology is very clear on this and the Church cannot change it becasue of the basis in the Triune God, the scripture as the basis for the Church, the Catechism as its teachings, and Jesus Christ as the savior.
#34
Many of these are "Cultural Catholics" - that is they call themselves Catholic, and show up maybe on the major holidays for mass.
They are not representative of those who attend mass regularly. Were they truly Catholic, they woudl not hold forth such opinions on abortion, birth control, etc.
And bad news for them is that JP-II appointed all but 3 of the current eligible and voting Cardinals; and he tried to appoint mainly conservatives (conservative in terms of the Chruch, not US politics).
Myself, I think its high time we had a South American or African Pope. And all the best candidates from there are not in favor of ordination of women, abortios, or birth-control.
The only major "liberal" I think I've heard of is the Cardinal from Belgium.
But one never knows where God leads the Church - he certainly surprised us the last time, and what a man he picked! I hope we do at least half as well this time.
I do not want to jinx the fellow that I like, so I will not mention him, for the saying goes "Enter the conclave as Pope, leave as Cardinal".
One thing I can say that the left might get (and it wsa coming anyway) was ordination of married men into the preisthood - mainly as pastoral priests - i.e. they work in the parish, and are subordinate to the celibate clercy. This will be an adaptation from the Easter Rite, and it can piggy-back on the Permanent Diaconate (where married men are Ordained in the Catholic Church) which is already in place in the Roman Church.
It will work like this:
2 types of clergy: married and unmarried.
Unmarried will be celebate, and will not be allowed to marry. They do jsut like the current preisthood does now: they take their vows to the Church.
Married: THese will have to be married BEFORE they are ordained. They will enter the permanent diaconte, the same way current Permanent Deacons do, including the Oath to the Church -- and this includes the current oath that If their wife dies, they will become celibate and will not remarry. After enough service for discernment to a ttrue calling to the priesthood, they will apply and move up to full priesthood.
The celibat clergy will have no official restrictions on them, they will work as they do now. The Married Clergy will not be able to move up to Bishop, no hold any Church Office higher than Parish Priest, and practice only within their parish, and will be managed at the level of their local Bishop.
Thats the most "liberalizations" I expect to see - there is already precedent with Presbyterian ministers who are married and convert - they have (to the best of my knowledge) the same criteria and restrictions applied to them. This doctrine has been well worked out by the Eastern Church, and shoudl be the easiest (and most needed) change to incorporate.
The rest of the stuff: abortion, birth control, etc: just liberal pipe dreams - the theology is very clear on this and the Church cannot change it becasue of the basis in the Triune God, the scripture as the basis for the Church, the Catechism as its teachings, and Jesus Christ as the savior.
Dr. Mike Ryan is managing WHO's response from Geneva. He said that: "The cases counted so far don't include victims who died outside hospitals. Some WHO experts expect a doubling of the current toll. That would make this Angolan outbreak the largest Marburg epidemic ever...and larger than almost any Ebola [hemorrhagic fever] outbreak. This is particularly worrying becuase the only hospital in the regional capital at the centre of the outbreak was closed last week. So expect a report where the number of deaths jumps sharply. And that will get peoples attention for something is still at the periphery for most people.
If the current toll is doubled by deaths outside of hospitals, then the outbreak in Angola would be the largest on record for hemorrhagic fever by Marburg or Ebola. The current record is 280 deaths in 1976 by Ebola in Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo). There are now over 150 cases and over 140 deaths, but there have been no reported recoveries, so the case fatality rate is still at 100%. The cases outside of hospitals will almost certainly lead to another round of infections. In the past several weeks the demographics have changed. There have been at least 12 heath care workers who have died. Prior to last month there were no reported health care worker deaths and 75% of the deaths were children under 5. Marburg has now moved into the adult population and spread to 4 province. There are also suspect cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 9 patients are under hospital quarantine in Italy. Another 16 are under hospital quarantine in Cabinda, and there have now been several deaths in Luanda, although all of the initial deaths link back to Uige.
The current outbreak in Angola is particularly virulent, eventually killing all infected patients. There is little evidence to support a more limited transmission. Marburg is killing quicker and at a higher death rate than Ebola. The is a good possibility that Marburg has recombined and picked up some additional genetic information that is leading to this high case fatality rate and rapid spread. I still think this a limited risk for developed countries but could devastate Africa and parts of Asia.
Posted by: phil_b ||
04/04/2005 4:36:48 AM ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
#5
The only good news, if we can call it that, is that both Marburg and Ebola kill so quickly, and victims become symptomatic so quickly after infection, that there is relatively little time for either to spread outside the immediate region of infection.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/04/2005 14:39 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Angolan health minister Sebastiao Veloso said the toll climbed to "175 cases, among them 155 dead, all from the province of Uige"
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
AN earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale shook northern Japan early Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The quake occurred at 2.57am (3.57am AEST), with its focus 40km below sea level off the coast of Fukushima, some 200km north of Tokyo, the agency said. There was no danger of tsunamis, it said.
Seismic experts in Japan say Tokyo & Yokohama are overdue for the 'Big One'. 
The unveiling of the much-anticipated network's positioning, logo and prototype programming reel took place at a press conference in Current's San Francisco headquarters during NCTA '05. 
HARARE, Zimbabwe — A triumphant President Robert Mugabe, whose ruling party won parliamentary elections condemned by Western powers as unfair, declared Saturday that he would stay in power until he was 100. Flanked by two stuffed lions that looked a bit moth-eaten about the ears, Zimbabwe's 81-year-old president greeted international journalists at a news conference with the words "Are you afraid?" He warned of serious violence and a tough response if the opposition took to the streets. After 25 years in power, Mugabe answered a question on retirement plans by mapping out 19 more years at the helm, unless he dies in office. 
Most Americans want the next pope to work for changes in Roman Catholic Church policies to allow priests to marry and women to join the priesthood. 
Dr. Mike Ryan is managing WHO's response from Geneva. He said that: "The cases counted so far don't include victims who died outside hospitals. Some WHO experts expect a doubling of the current toll. That would make this Angolan outbreak the largest Marburg epidemic ever...and larger than almost any Ebola [hemorrhagic fever] outbreak. 
