POLITICS: Parliament Calls for State of Emergency in Lebanon: "Beirut is tense. Almost every Lebanese person I’ve talked to says they fear a massive bombing campaign across the country after the U.N.’s Mehlis report on the assassination of Rafik Hariri is released in December. The Arabic-language media is reporting daily on the smuggling of Palestinian guerillas and heavy artillery from across the Syrian border into Lebanon. Reports in the English-language press are fewer and farther between, but they do trickle in.
Beirut, Lebanon- The Lebanese authorities have been alarmed by a massive influx of arms and Palestinian guerrillas from Syria to Lebanon in recent days and army troops reinforced by police and state intelligence units deployed at key passes on the common border to curb the incursion, An Nahar reported on Sunday.
The infiltrators belong to Syrian-backed Palestinian factions, mainly Ahmed Jibreel's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), which maintains border bases in Deir Al Ashaer and Sultan Yacoub in the Bekaa as well as the Naameh hills south of Beirut, An Nahar said.
The army has intercepted dozens of PFLP-GC fighters trying to sneak illegally across the Bekaa with arms shipments to the Deir al Ashaer and Sultan Yacoub strongholds, the two main spots that remain a focal point of sovereignty dispute in the wake of Syria's evacuation of Lebanon in April.
Many infiltrators were sent back to Syria, but An Nahar spoke of reports that undetected infiltrators managed to bring fresh arms supplies to the Naameh base as well as the Beirut Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps.
There were earlier media reports that Jibreel's guerrillas were reactivating their Lebanon strongholds, bringing in arms and reinforcements under the guise of a rotation operation.
Jibreel, who served as a captain in the Syrian army and acquired a dual Syrian citizenship, is the most trusted Palestinian ally of the Assad regime in Damascus. All his moves are coordinated with the Syrian military intelligence apparatus, which makes the ongoing influx look like a prelude for uglier terrorist operations in Lebanon.
Many Lebanese, perhaps the outright majority, blame the Palestinians for starting the 1975-1990 civil war that killed 150,000 people in a country of less than four million. Residents of some (but not all) of the camps have become so violent and radicalized they threaten to murder any Lebanese person who dares set foot inside. (The infamous camps of Sabra and Chatilla are still relatively ‘safe.’ I visited Sabra myself and no one bothered me.)
The Daily Star reports (sorry, no link, dead-tree version only) a Syrian military base has been set up outside the Hilweh camp in South Lebanon - a clear breach of this country’s sovereignty.
The Daily Star also reports that Parliament has recommended a military state of emergency, Palestinian camps are being blockaded by the army, and the leader for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has ordered ‘all PFLP-GC officials in Lebanon's refugee camps to be on full alert and ready for mobilization at any time.’(Written by: Michael_J_Totten)
"(Via SuicideGirls: News Wire.)
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Friday, October 07, 2005
TECHNOLOGY: Vaccine Against Cervical Cancer Works: "The first major human trial of the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer has been completed with stunning results: damn-near 100% effectiveness.
Gardasil, a genetically engineered vaccine, blocks infection with two of the 100-plus types of human papilloma virus, HPV 16 and 18. The two sexually transmitted viruses together cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers.
The final-stage study of Gardasil included 10,559 sexually active women ages 16 to 26 in the United States and 12 other countries who were not infected with HPV 16 or 18. Half got three vaccine doses over six months; half got dummy shots.
Among those still virus-free after the six months, none who received the vaccine developed cervical cancer or precancerous lesions over an average two years of follow-up, compared with 21 who got dummy shots.
'To have 100 percent efficacy is something that you have very rarely,' Dr. Eliav Barr, Merck's head of clinical development for Gardasil, told The Associated Press. 'We're breaking out the champagne.'
A second analysis, including hundreds more women participating in the ongoing study, showed that after just one dose the vaccine was 97 percent effective. That analysis found only one of the 5,736 women who got the vaccine developed cervical cancer or precancerous lesions, compared with 36 among the 5,766 who got dummy shots.
Barr said the 97 percent rate was more 'real world,' given that patients sometimes miss or delay follow-up shots or tests.
This is some amazing news for women everywhere. Now let's hope that the fucktards who believe that anything that prevents STDs contributes to promiscuity and is therefore against God's will don't fuck this up for the rest of us.(Written by: Shalome)
"(Via SuicideGirls: News Wire.)
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Vehicle Found Object
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Would Zombie Rehnquist Be Really That Bad?
Presid...: "Would Zombie Rehnquist Be Really That Bad?
President Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court is surely an inspired choice, but it comes at a cost: overlooking one of the finest potential Supreme Court Justices working out of the White House today. While Miers's lack of qualifications and cronyist ascension certainly make for an appealing candidate, even these qualities pale before those of the fabled jurist Mr. Bush passed over to nominate her: the president's favorite rock.A prized possession passed down through the Bush family, the rock has years of loyal service to its name. It has demonstrated a remarkable versatility over its tenure: it has been lined with felt for desktop use, brandished drunkenly at parties, waved around during cabinet meetings to mouth-powered spaceship noises. Administration insiders insist it is impossible to overstate the rock's role in shepherding the Bush agenda, and note that without the rock's timely intervention, several key aspects of the 2003 Medicare bill might have been lost to an especially strong breeze.
Besides rewarding hard work, intelligence, and dedication, the rock appointment would make for a canny political move, as well: as an igneous rock, it has known struggle and hardship, emerging from the difficult pressures and molten magma in the earth's mantle; as a Mineral-American, it would be blazing a trail that could inspire a host of salts and silicates.
The rock would have its detractors, of course - partisans and special interests, frustrated by the lack of legal opinions in the rock's past, might claim the rock had something to hide. This, of course, is absurd: the Senate Judiciary Committee would be free to ask it as many questions about its judicial philosophy as appropriate, which the rock would naturally answer with its characteristic modesty.
Sadly, the moment for Justice Rock will have to wait. Not too long, hopefully - John Paul Stevens can't hold out forever."(Via Fafblog.)
Ravelco Auto Anti-Theft Device: "
Two years ago I caught someone trying to steal my car. They were doing it in a way that would not set off my alarm. That prompted me to do a bunch of research about the current state of the art of auto security. Much to my chagrin, most of the items on the market right now are easily defeated by car thieves. There was only one product that everyone said worked. Called a Ravelco device, it consists of a multi-pronged plug and socket that disables multiple electrical systems in your car. They claim that in 29 years and in an installed base of 3 million cars, not one of those cars has ever been stolen.
So I got it. They sent a technician to my house to do the install and he did an excellent job. The solution is simple and elegant. It is not an alarm but a device that makes your car undriveable. It uses a coded dongle and the installer will pick multiple systems (electrical, fuel) that are disabled when the dongle is removed so even if the starter is hotwired, the car cannot run without the dongle. The installer will also go to great pains to disguise where wiring has been spliced. My experience with other mass-installed alarm systems is that they use bright red wire for power and always put the controller and the siren in the same spot.
I have used the Ravelco for several years now. It is completely foolproof and couldn't be simpler to operate. When you pull the dongle, the car stops and cannot be restarted, period. No false alarms, no waking the neighbors. I feel confident parking my car almost anywhere. They give you two dongles up front and you get a code to order new ones from the company if you should loose one. That being said, we have had some exciting moments when my wife temporarily misplaced her dongle once.
Then two weeks ago I accidentally left my car door open overnight. When I opened the car door to go to work I realized my mistake. Someone had been in my car and had opened my fuse box to look for the alarm shutoff. They had also opened my hood to start the car. The Ravelco had completely foiled them. I love it!
-- Kurt Wendelken
Ravelco Auto Anti-Theft Device
"
About $400
Available from
Ravelco(Via Cool Tools.)
Newsgator buying who? NetNewsWire?: "
Richard asked about who is on the menu for Newsgator? He has many guesses and one of them is right: Ranchero Software, the company behind Mac-a-licious RSS reader NetNewsWire. Sources in Silicon Valley tell me that this deal is pretty much done, and expect the deal to be announced sometime on Wednesday at Web 2.0. Greg Reinacker refused to comment. This is going to be a major coup for Newsgator, because NNW is the default gold standard in MacRSS space. This deal would be very much of the same caliber as Newsgator’s acquisition of Bradbury Software, the maker of Feed Demon, a Windows only RSS reader. Back then, I posted this question: Will Newsgator finally buy a Mac desktop application and fill out the obvious hole in its product portfolio. With NNW, Newsgator fills that hole, and in swoop enhances the value of Newsgator Online. Syncing across the platforms? That would be nice. Stay tuned for further details!
"(Via Om Malik on Broadband.)
Monday, October 03, 2005
Ear-splitting "sonic grenade" for waking oversleepers: "Cory Doctorow:
This sonic grenade is marketed as a tool for waking up recalcitrant loved ones:
The Sonic Alarm makes the whole 'getting them out of bed' exercise a very simple, and indeed amusing, operation. Looking like an old-fashioned comedy hand grenade, the Sonic Alarm will wake pretty well anything up. Simply pull the pin, yell an emphatic 'fire in the hole' and lob the grenade into the sleeper's room. After ten seconds a very annoying and piercingly loud noise (there are three volume settings) will blast out from the alarm. That's not all however, what makes this especially great is that to stop the alarm the sleeper has to find you so you can put the pin back in. It's stupid, and brilliant, and will be the bane of every over-sleeper on the planet.
Link
(via Red Ferret)"(Via Boing Boing.)
God Officially Fucks World Up: "
According to the study, belief in and worship of God are not only unnecessary for a healthy society but may actually contribute to social problems.
The study counters the view of believers that religion is necessary to provide the moral and ethical foundations of a healthy society.
It compares the social peformance of relatively secular countries, such as Britain, with the US, where the majority believes in a creator rather than the theory of evolution. Many conservative evangelicals in the US consider Darwinism to be a social evil, believing that it inspires atheism and amorality.
Many liberal Christians and believers of other faiths hold that religious belief is socially beneficial, believing that it helps to lower rates of violent crime, murder, suicide, sexual promiscuity and abortion. The benefits of religious belief to a society have been described as its ‘spiritual capital’. But the study claims that the devotion of many in the US may actually contribute to its ills.
‘…In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy and abortion in the prosperous democracies. The United States is almost always the most dysfunctional of the developing democracies, sometimes spectacularly so…’
"(Via Warrenellis.com.)
