A mat used by people having sex in a field adjacent to the lay-by on the A31 next to the village of Puttenham.THE NYTIMES has a charming report on British outdoor amorous activities, aka "dogging", by Sarah Lyall, "Here’s the Pub, Church and Field for Public Sex". Bungle in the jungle, indeed.Puttenham, about an hour’s drive from London, has fewer than 2,500 residents and is famous for its ancient church; its friendly pub, the Good Intent; and its proud inclusion in both the Domesday Book — an 11th-century survey of English lands — and “Brave New World.” Unhappily for many people …
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WHATEVER is an acerbic blog by S-F writer (he's a creative consultant for Stargate: Universe) John Scalzi. He has a delightful piece, "What I Think About Atlas Shrugged", which is worthy of perusal.I enjoy Atlas Shrugged quite a bit, and will re-read it every couple of years when I feel in the mood. It has a propulsively potboilery pace so long as Ayn Rand’s not having one of her characters gout forth screeds in a sock-puppety fashion. Even when she does, after the first reading of the book, you can go, “oh, yeah, screed,” and then just sort of skim forward and get to the parts with the …
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THE UK TELEGRAPH has a report that's sure to get the politically-correct in the wonderful world of tighty-whitey wedgie: "Tattooed woman 'told to put bag over head by Jobcentre'". Hayley O'Neil, 23, - who also has 20 body piercings - says was also advised to ''stand behind a wall'' when she asked a job centre official what post she could apply for. She eventually left the Job Centre Plus centre in Blackburn Lancs in tears without any interviews lined up after the advisor concluded: ''Who would hire you looking like that?''Miss O'Neil, who got her first tattoo from her mother as an 18th …
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THE NYTIMES has a report by John F. Burns, "Eileen Nearne, Wartime Spy, Dies at 89". It's an obituary of a very brave woman. You see, Eileen was a member of England's S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive), and was a radio operator in occupied France, in WW2.After she died earlier this month, a frail 89-year-old alone in a flat in the British seaside town of Torquay, Eileen Nearne, her body undiscovered for several days, was listed by local officials as a candidate for what is known in Britain as a council burial, or what in the past was called a pauper’s grave.But after the police looked …
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Maybe thinking about what it might be like, might be prudent, and maybe enjoyable. Besides, there's empirical evidence for it: Jules Verne brought us "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" in 1870; Hyman Rickover brought us the USS Nautilus in 1954. H.G. Wells published "The War in the Air" in 1908; thirty-five years later, there were thousand-bomber raids in 1943.With the above in mind, io9's Andrew Liptak has posted an article worthy of perusal, "What Is Military Science Fiction?", where he starts with definition:Defining the ViolenceMilitary science fiction is a term that applies to …
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THE NYTIMES has an article by Robert Mazur, "Follow the Dirty Money", which describes how international money gets moved. Problem is, nobody's going to jail.LAST month, a federal district judge approved a deal to allow Barclays, the British bank, to pay a $298 million fine for conducting transactions with Cuba, Iran, Libya, Myanmar and Sudan in violation of United States trade sanctions. Barclays was discovered to have systematically disguised the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars through wire transfers that were stripped of the critical information required by law that would have …
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Needs a chopper . . .  …
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THE INDEPENDENT has a disturbing 2-part article by Robert Fisk, "The crimewave that shames the world". It's about how women have become murder victims around the world, just for being women. And it's not just a Muslim problem, even though the majority of "honour" murders are performed by them. When it comes to religion, apparently, everybody's doing it.It is a tragedy, a horror, a crime against humanity. The details of the murders – of the women beheaded, burned to death, stoned to death, stabbed, electrocuted, strangled and buried alive for the "honour" of their families – are as barbaric …
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ACCORDING TO MACLEAN'S, things are not well in the Timmy's empire. The article, "Tim Hortons’ extra-large trouble trouble" highlights how, in the chase for the maximum profit squeeze, quality is perceived to be in decline. It all started when the honchos decided to get rid of in-store baking, in favour of "par-baked" 'nuts delivered from a giant mega-factory. Now, the honchos have sold their interest in the mega-factory, and after 2016, where the product will come from, is anybody's guess. Were I a franchise holder, I would be nervous . . . and some of 'em are starting to freak — and …
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RABBLE.CA HAS A COUPLE OF REPORTS ON FOX NORTH. You know, the proposed set-up of FOX-type TV news in Canada, organized by Quebecor's Pierre-Karl Peledeau and his chief fart-catcher, the odious Kory Teneckye, Stevie's recently-retired communications director.Linda McQuaig's RABBLE piece, "Harper's Fox News luncheon", outlines how Stevie had a secret lunch with Rupert Murdoch and his major henchman, Fox News president Roger Ailes.Ian Morrison, of the group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, says "all the information I have suggests that Harper has taken a personal interest in this matter."Of …
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MARSHALL BRAIN IS AN ENTHUSIASTIC TECHIE who is the founder of How Stuff Works which has grown to be one of the top Web sites for that kind of knowledge. Well, Marshall has a page on his site called Robot Nation, and you should read it and ponder, especially if you have children, and care about their future. There is a companion page, Robot Nation FAQ, which also is worthy of perusal.I firmly believe that the rapid evolution of computer technology (as described in Robotic Nation) will bring us smart robots starting in a 2030 time frame. These robots will take over approximately 50% of the jobs …
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NPR has a review of Catherine Price's oeuvre, "101 Places Not To Visit Before You Die" that is worthy of perusal.The Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the pyramids in Egypt are all likely candidates for a traveler's Must-See-Before-I-Die list. The Seattle Gum Wall, the Beijing Museum of Tap Water and the Montana "Testicle Festival"? Not so much.The Seattle Gum Wall? — Ewww! Then there's the Karostas Cietums Prison Hotel, Liepaja, Latvia. That's right, a prison hotel. Maybe they could host the next G-8 there. …
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NPR has a report on a humongous traffic jam in China. It defies belief: Bumper-to-bumper gridlock spanning for 60 miles (100 kilometers) with vehicles moving little more than a half-mile (one kilometer) a day at one point has improved since this weekend, said Zhang Minghai, director of Zhangjiakou city's Traffic Management Bureau general office. Some drivers have been stuck in the jam for five days, China Central Television reported Tuesday. But Zhang said he wasn't sure when the situation along the Beijing-Zhangjiakou highway would return to normal.Five days in gridlock? Dave Dudley …
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THE NEW YORKER has a frightening article by Jane Mayer, "Covert Operations". It's about the machinations of the Koch brothers, a nasty pair of troglodytes. According to Jane,Koch is best known as part of a family that has repeatedly funded stealth attacks on the federal government, and on the Obama Administration in particular. With his brother Charles, who is seventy-four, David Koch owns virtually all of Koch Industries, a conglomerate, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, whose annual revenues are estimated to be a hundred billion dollars. The company has grown spectacularly since their …
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The lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, a large gathering of lynchers. August 7, 1930, Marion, Indiana.THE TEA PARTY AND THE AMERICAN RIGHT have a scary mindset about Obama, and it brings to mind the halcyon days of yore. According to THE LYNCHING CALENDAR,From 1865 to 1965 more than 6,000 African-Americans died in racial violence in the United States. This inventory includes the names of 2,400 of the African-Americans who were lynched in the United States from 1865 to 1965.The inventory is necessarily incomplete. Records are scant. Newspaper reports are scattered. The Tuskegee Institute …
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ACCORDING TO JANE GEORGE at the Nunatsiaq News, Stevie is making Arctic Noises, with a new, improved Arctic foreign policy statement delivered by Larry Cannon, the Minister for Foreign Affairs: “The Arctic is part of us. Was. Is. And always will be". Sumbitch impressive, eh what? …
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ACCORDING TO THE GLOBE & MAIL, Connie's gonna sue: "Conrad Black gets okay to sue for libel". Jacquie McNish and Cigdem Iltan report thatConrad Black has won court approval to sue prominent U.S. politicians and business people such as Henry Kissinger and Richard Breeden under Canada’s strict libel laws.A panel of three judges with the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Friday that Lord Black is entitled to proceed in Ontario courts with libel lawsuits against nine former Hollinger International Inc. officers and directors who accused him of running a “corporate kleptocracy” at the …
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THE CHIVE has a great report of how a lovely young woman decided it was time to move on. According to THE CHIVE,Yesterday morning, Jenny quit her job with a (flash)bang by emailing these photos to the entire office, about 20 employees we're told. Awesome doesn't begin to describe this office heroine.I agree. Her former boss? Not so much. . . click on the link to find out why. …
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THE BARBER AND THE KID:A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, "This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you."The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, "Which do you want, son?" The boy takes the quarters and leaves."What did I tell you?" said the barber. "That kid never learns!"Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. "Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar …
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THE STEVIE LUNACY is really starting to piss me off. The thought occurs that there are others who have their P-O meter in the red. So here's a link to some intelligent life, for a refreshing change: no Stevie, no Doris Daze, no Airshow. Worth the watch; enjoy. I'd even vote for 'em. …
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From the NEW YORKER. …
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THE NEW YORK TIMES has a report by Nicholas Kristof, "1 Soldier or 20 Schools?", where the cost of the War on Terror is tabulated. The cost is astounding:The war in Afghanistan will consume more money this year alone than we spent on the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War — combined.A recent report from the Congressional Research Service finds that the war on terror, including Afghanistan and Iraq, has been, by far, the costliest war in American history aside from World War II. It adjusted costs of all previous wars for …
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The NEW YORK TIMES has a report by Steven Greenhouse, "Pressured, Nike to Help Workers in Honduras", about the successful efforts of US college students to force Nike to do the right thing. Moral suasion was ineffective, but when the students had their colleges buy their sweats elsewhere, the kind folks at Nike had a change of heart. I don't buy Nike.Facing pressure from universities and student groups, the apparel maker Nike announced on Monday that it would pay $1.54 million to help 1,800 workers in Honduras who lost their jobs when two subcontractors closed their factories.Nike agreed to …
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When the only world-class thingyou have is your military,a lot of countries begin to looklike they really need a war. …
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CAN WE SUE McGUINTY? Or his minions? Or the police? It sure seems there were lots of civil rights violations over the G20 protests, and according to this ruling by our Supreme Court, reported in the Globe & Mail article "Supreme Court upholds damages claim in charter rights breach case", the "authorities" might just be liable for their transgressions. Maybe their minions can be sued personally, for damages. Especially concerning the law that was not Gazetted, and therefore, not law of Ontario. …
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TOP-SECRET AMERICA is the Washington Post's report on the burgeoning US espionage industry. According to the Post, some 850,000 Americans have Top-Secret security clearance. It could be a major cluster-fuck: how many spooks do you really need? WIRED magazine wonders, in an article on the Post's report, "Search “Top Secret America” Database of Private Spooks":With too many analysts and too many capabilities documenting too much, with too few filters in place to sort out the useful stuff or discover hidden connections, the information overload has become its own information blackout. “We …
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This image shows the atomic structure of the antibody VRC01 (blue and green) binding to HIV (grey and red). The precise site of VRC01-HIV binding (red) is a subset of the area of viral attachment to the primary immune cells HIV infects. (Credit: NIAID VRC)SCIENCE DAILY has an exciting report: "Antibodies Found That Prevent Most HIV Strains from Infecting Human Cells".  Solid progress.Scientists have discovered two potent human antibodies that can stop more than 90 percent of known global HIV strains from infecting human cells in the laboratory, and have demonstrated how one of these …
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NIAGARA AT LARGE has an outrageous report:Thorold, Ontario Amputee Has His Artificial Leg Ripped Off By Police And Is Slammed In Makeshift Cell During G20 Summit.We have gaga gestapo. …
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THE NY TIMES MAGAZINE has an article, "Tuna's End", by Paul Greenburg. Doesn't look good for bluefin. What was in the water that day was a congregation of Atlantic bluefin tuna, a fish that when prepared as sushi is one of the most valuable forms of seafood in the world. It’s also a fish that regularly journeys between America and Europe and whose two populations, or “stocks,” have both been catastrophically overexploited. The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, one of only two known Atlantic bluefin spawning grounds, has only intensified the crisis. By some estimates, there may be only …
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THE DAILY MAIL ONLINE has a report, well, ya gotta wonder — 'Don't taze my granny!' American police accused of using a Taser on an 86-year-old, bed-ridden grandmother. Really. And this was after asphyxiating the poor old woman.Lonnie Tinsley called the emergency services to his home in El Reno, Oklahoma, when he became concerned that his grandma Lona Vernon had failed to take her medication. But instead of a medical technician, he claims at least a dozen armed police officers answered his call.In order to ensure 'officer safety', one of his men 'stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to …
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LIFE ISN'T VERY EASY FOR Donald E. Wildmon, aka the "wildman" of Christian fascist theology. Donnie's the Founder and Chairman of the American Family Association. This week, they have a wedgie about Home Depot. It apppears that Donnie's tighty-whities are hammering his hemorrhoids over "Home Depot exposes children to homosexuality in celebrated style". At least, that's what his hysterical site proclaims.According to the 2010 Southern Maine Pride website, Home Depot signed on as a major sponsor of its 2010 Gay Pride event. But simply financing the event wasn't enough for the big box chain.Home …
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ACCORDING TO A POST IN CANNABIS CULTURE written by Jodie Emery, "Send Marc Emery Mail or Money in US Federal Prison", you can mail him a letter. And that would be a good thing to do for a victim of US legal imperialism in solitary confinement.  Click on the link above to get the address and rules.Marc has NOTHING to do while locked in solitary confinement. Please, if you have the time, write long letters instead of just short notes. Again, he has absolutely nothing to do while locked into a cell 24/7 except read mail that he gets, so the longer the letters, the better. Thank you! …
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AND BOY, HITCH SURE IS STOKED. Seems Chuck prattled away recently at the Centre for Islamic Studies at Oxford U., and according to the Slate article, Chuck was rather disappointing.So the speech made by Prince Charles at Oxford last week might bear a little scrutiny. Discussing one of his favorite topics, the "environment," he announced that the main problem arose from a "deep, inner crisis of the soul" and that the "de-souling" of humanity probably went back as far as Galileo. In his view, materialism and consumerism represented an imbalance, "where mechanistic thinking is so predominant," …
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ACCORDING TO JALOPNIK, where there's a report worthy of your attention: "Touchdown Jesus" Statue Destroyed By Lightning. …
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THE INDEPENDENT newsandviews site reports that in the UK, "Mole numbers soar as strychnine ban checks pest control". And there are traditions to follow with the The British Traditional Molecatchers Register reporting increased request for mole-removal. Looks like a conservative fundamentalist, IMHO. …
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THE LONDON TIMES has a scary report: "Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites". Oh boy, a big, steaming bowl of Not Good, as it appears that the Sunnis have decided . . . Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten …
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A crusty old Marine Sergeant-Major found himself at a gala event hosted by a local liberal arts college.There was no shortage of young, idealistic ladies in attendance, one of whom approached the Sergeant- Major and asked,"Excuse me, Sergeant-Major, but you seem to be a very serious man. Is something bothering you?""Negative, ma'am. Just serious by nature."The young lady looked at his awards and decorations and said, ''It looks like you have seen a lot of action?''''Yes, ma'am, a lot of action."The young lady, tiring of trying to start up a conversation, said, "You know, you should lighten up …
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