http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/08/unamerican-attacks-cant-derail-health-care-debate-.html

“The first fact is that health insurance reform will mean more patient choice. It will allow every American who likes his or her current plan to keep it. And it will free doctors and patients to make the health decisions that make the most sense, not the most profits for insurance companies.”

Barring the absurdly overdone title of the article… One of the major complaints I’ve always heard about the current healthcare reform attempts made by the Obama administration is that they would be putting private insurance companies out of business. The above quote suggests that’s not the intent at all, and that instead of going under, private insurers might be enticed to lower their prices to keep customers. I’m not sure how that’s a bad thing.

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http://www.examiner.com/a-2171502~NKorea_agrees_to_resume_joint_projects_with_SKorea.html

“North Korea announced Monday it has agreed to resume reunions of families separated by the border with South Korea and restart stalled tourism ventures, in a major gesture of conciliation after nearly 18 months of rising tensions.”

“Major gesture of conciliation” is a kind description of the events taking place. In the face of threatening nuclear retaliation against the US and South Korea for… well, for absolutely nothing… the North is getting praise from some for allowing families separated by the border between the North and South to be reunited. Basic humanitarian rights are big news with the North, apparently. Way to be almost civilized.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090816/wl_nm/us_iraq_kurds_tensions_2

“A series of huge bombings in northern Iraq have triggered fiery accusations of blame between Arabs and Kurds, escalating a dispute over land and oil that has played into the hands of a resurgent al-Qaeda.”

While Democrats and Republicans throw baseless accusations at each other, and call each other names, officials in Iraq accuse each other of facilitating suicide bombers for the sake of ethnic cleansing. Fun. And all the while, al-Qaeda reaps the benefits. The effects of blind hatred laid right out for everyone to see.

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News from Phoenixfirewolf:

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE57F1K720090817

“Artificial DNA nanostructures, or “DNA origami” may provide a cheap framework on which to build tiny microchips…”

IBM looks to use less expensive polymers, DNA solutions and heat to create the next tiny microchips instead of millions of dollars of complex equipment.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE57F14V20090817

“Bill’s top winds reached 90 miles per hour (145 kilometers per hour), just below Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, the Miami-based hurricane center said.”

Hurricane Bill is heading across open ocean towards Bermuda. They expect it to reach category three (over 110 mph winds) by Wednesday. Category three, four and five storms are the most destructive storms and may ultimately hit the US coast.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSLH53276220090817

“A suicide truck bomber killed 20 people and wounded 138 at a police headquarters in Ingushetia on Monday…”

This is the latest in a string of attacks that the government is blaming on Islamist insurgents and has had the biggest death toll in the region since a similar attack in 2005 in the nearby Kabardino-Balkaria area. Nazran is a one of poorer regions of Russia and borders Chechnya.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090814101833.htm

“The new class of objects are unusually strong radio sources. Whereas the existing population of planetary nebulae is found around small stars comparable in size to our Sun, the new population may be the long predicted class of similar shells around heavier stars.”

Researches in Sydney have discovered a new class of nebulae they are calling “super Planetary Nebulae” in the Magellanic Clouds. These nebulae may be the birthplace of heavier stars that exist in our solar system and may also help solve the “Missing Mass Problem” – which is the absence of planetary nebulae for stars that are 1 to 8 times the mass of the sun.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090814202711.htm

“According to the World Health Organization, about 314 million people are visually impaired worldwide; 45 million of them are blind.”

Yosi-Bar Cohen, a senior researcher for NASA, was inspired to come up with a “living” Braille system by a visit to Washington, D.C. where he came across a convention for the visually impaired. His idea involves a digital, refreshable Braille device that uses something called artificial muscles. His idea has been taken up by other researches. The challenge is that this device will have to rapidly move thousands of dots and remain portable and affordable.

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News from Nycto:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8198310.stm Genocide suspect found in Congo
Genocide suspect found in Congo
A man accused of planning the massacre of Rwandans during the 1994 genocide has been arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials say.

One of the key implementers of the ethnic genocide in Rwanda that cost thousands of people their lives is finally arrested. Some suggest the best punishment would be to let him loose in a Tutsi neighborhood.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32420413/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
Reformers call for probe of Iran supreme leader
Ex-lawmakers’ appeal is most direct challenge to ruler since unrest
TEHRAN, Iran – A group of former reformist lawmakers appealed to a powerful clerical body in Iran to investigate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s qualification to rule in an unprecedented challenge to the country’s most powerful man over the postelection crackdown.

“Dictators ride to and fro upon tigers they dare not dismount. And the tigers are getting hungry.” – Winston Churchill
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/17/earlyshow/main5246378
Violence Looms 3 Days Before Afghan Vote
Despite Government Claims of Deal with Militants, Many in Taliban-Held Areas Don’t Even Have Polling Stations
(CBS) Campaigning must end at midnight Monday for the candidates in Afghanistan’s presidential elections, just three days before Thursday’s vote.
CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan reports that an estimated 17 million Afghans are eligible to cast ballots, but how many of them will be able to get safely to the polls is unclear, especially in the Taliban strongholds of southern Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s struggle for something resembling stability and democracy continues, with the resurgent Taliban unsurprisingly attempting to prevent it. One hopes the people will be able to take a lesson from the Iranians.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32443333/ns/world_news-conflict_in_iraq/
Report: Homophobic attacks spreading in Iraq
“Corpses dumped in garbage or hung as warnings on the street,” HRW says
BAGHDAD – Militiamen are torturing and killing gay Iraqi men with impunity in a systematic campaign that has spread from Baghdad to several other cities, a prominent human rights group said in a report.

The Iraqi Militia tortures and murders citizens on the basis of accusations against their sexual orientation. Iraqi people find themselves reconsidering the GTFO order they’ve been encouraging for coalition troops.
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Each of the editors here at Daily Reality Check has a particular topic they’ve chosen to focus on for the issues they edit, such as animal rights or media bias. My particular topic is one that most people are unpleasantly familiar with – religious extremism, regardless of faith or creed.
DRC does not endorse any one religious view (or anti-religious), merely opposes harmful fanaticism.

This week I was once again unable to settle on a single story, and decided to focus on Africa in honor of the Vice President’s recent visit.
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http://allafrica.com/stories/200908120562.html
Mali: Threats of Violence Greet New Family Code
Bamako — While rights groups are celebrating a newly-adopted family code in Mali that changes marriage laws and expands girls’ rights, Muslim leaders and youths have vowed, even threatening violence, to block the code from becoming law.

A code to give rights to women in the nation of Mali is viewed by many as an attack on Malian culture by the European nations that helped draft it.
The people’s objection to the circumstances of the code is understandable, given Europe’s less than stellar track record in dealing with the internal affairs of African nations, and many Muslims feel their culture is under constant attack from the west. To encourage a change to the law through pressure on financial aid sets off alarm bells, and with good reason.
On the other hand, any culture that sees a problem with it being illegal for women to be married at age ten, treated like property, and be killed without any retribution needs reform. Period. Tradition should never come before basic equalities and freedoms that all human beings deserve.
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http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_humaninterest/r_7552/
Pastor canes alleged witch to death
Nsawam (E/R) Aug. 16, GNA – The Leader and Founder of Warriors of Zion Prayer camp, was remanded in police custody at Nsawam on Monday August 10, for allegedly caning one Esther Adjeley, a 40- year old trader to death.

I have no real words for this, since the article speaks for itself.
“… the suspect invited the children to the camp and insisted that they confess that were witches. He said when they refused, the pastor decided to cane them to compel them to confess.”
If nothing else, it’s a good sign for the law forces of Ghana to not listen to the man’s lunacy and press charges.
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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6797697.ece
Yahya Jammeh’s state witch-hunters kidnap villagers in western Gambia
Within two hours the soldiers had seized more than 100 people. Simultaneously across Gambia another 1,200 suspected witches, both men and women, were rounded up. Shaking with fear, they were taken to secret government detention centres.

The bizarre behavior of the president of Gambia continues to escalate as private militia seize villagers accused of being witches who murdered the president’s favorite aunt. Those who survive the “witch hunt” find themselves living in constant fear and paranoia, including many of the country’s minority Muslims.
The article is so fucking bizarre it would almost be funny if it weren’t for the people of a nation in the hands of what sounds suspiciously like a raving lunatic.
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5irjWWvBSI0Og7GwMgAQLX56zdx8wD9A1DD8O0
ACLU: NC Activist can warn students about military

RALEIGH, N.C. — Attorneys say a rural North Carolina school district will allow a Quaker peace activist to distribute information to high school students about alternatives to joining the military.

A slightly more positive note to end on: freedom of religion continues to kick away happily stateside, with the ACLU – an organization often accused of being anti-religious – winning the right for Quakers to distribute pacifistic information to high school students considering military service.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5771L520090810

A flight accident results in tragedy and harsh conditions make body recovery difficult.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE57548520090807

0_0  Twitter and Facebook suffer attacks from hackers illustrating the world’s growing dependence on those two sites.  One might almost say addiction.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE5754U220090806

And in a related note: Be careful what you post online.  People should know this already, but in these trying times apparently you need to be even more careful.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8192633.stm

Storms containing winds up to 74mph hit Taiwan Sunday.  12 are confirmed dead and thousands evacuate the costal regions of China as they prepare for the typhoon.  Japan was also hit with Typhoon Etau experiencing heavy rain and 9 dead.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8192627.stm

Pirates free Italians after holding them for four months.

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http://www.thehugoawards.org/2009/08/2009-hugo-award-winners/

On a lighter note: The Hugo Awards.

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News from Nycto:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32317823/ns/health-addictions/

Opium addiction ravages Afghan families
Scourge of remote villages leaves even babies hooked
SARAB, Afghanistan – Open the door to Islam Beg’s house and the thick opium smoke rushes out into the cold mountain air, like steam from a bathhouse. It’s just past 8 a.m. and the family of six — including a 1-year-old baby boy — is already curled up at the lip of the opium pipe.

The story the article tells of entire families addicted to the opium commonly produced in Afghanistan is nothing short of sickening, and a powerful reminder of why we’re fighting to change things in this war-torn nation, both in opposing the Taliban and the war on the drug trade.

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http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=8250776

Blast From the Past: Plague Strikes China
Black Death Bacteria Can Spread From Human To Human
Over the weekend, news emerged that a variant of the same bacteria that caused the infamous” Black Death” or bubonic plague, in medieval Europe had claimed three lives in the Chinese province of Qinghai, prompting the government to quarantine the town of Ziketan, home to 10,000 people. The bacteria responsible, Yersinia pestis, is the same bacteria that caused the bubonic plague, which wiped out, millions of people in Europe in the fourteenth century.

Health officials regard an outbreak of the infamous black death with concern, while China unsurprisingly reacts by overreacting.
“Bring out your dead!” “But I’m not dead yet!”

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090810/wl_nm/us_congo_democratic_clinton
Clinton to push Congo, U.N. on atrocities on women
KINSHASA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday she would press Democratic Republic of Congo’s government to address the root causes of the conflict in the east and stop the use of women as “weapons of war.”
Clinton arrived in the capital Kinshasa from neighboring Angola for a two-day visit that will include a trip to Goma, capital of the violent North Kivu province.

The Secretary of State continues her tour through Africa with a stop in the Congo, attempting to convince both the national government and international agencies to focus more on the atrocities committed against women during the continuing instability in the region, which have somehow continued to slipped beneath their radar.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32287206/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

Defiant Ahmadinejad sworn in as president
Protesters take to streets in Iran capital, chant ‘Death to the dictator’
TEHRAN, Iran – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in to a second presidential term Wednesday with a call for the divided nation to “join hands,” but it was greeted by protests in the streets and snubs inside Iran’s parliament.
The oath-taking ceremony capped a cycle of outrage over claims of massive fraud in the June 12 elections and moved Iran into a new phase: A weakened leadership facing a wider opposition that includes powerful clerics and internal splits among conservatives.

Despite violent unrest unseen since the last revolution in the nation, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is sworn in as the next president of Iran amid a hailstorm of criticism for his treatment of those who accused him of voter fraud. The same protesters continue their opposition to his regime. Skeptics abroad find themselves wondering if he really thinks that anyone is convinced that he won honestly.

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/10/national/main5229316.shtml
On Border, Agents Struggle with Corruption
Rise in U.S. Border Patrol Officers Taking Bribes from Drug and Immigrant Smugglers, Probe Finds
(AP) Corruption along the U.S.-Mexican border takes many forms.
It can start as simply as a smuggler’s $50 gift to the child of a reluctant federal agent, quickly escalating to out-and-out bribes. “Everyone does it,” the agent, now in prison, recalls telling himself. Other times, county sheriffs greedily grab thousands from drug dealers. In a few instances, traffickers even place members in the applicant pool for sensitive border protection jobs.

Corruption among law enforcement on the U.S-Mexico border reaches appalling heights. People find themselves questioning the “best and brightest” claims.

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http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/reality+check+reality+check/1783177/story.html
A reality check on a reality check
For years, Canadians have feared the American health care system; now Americans are being told to fear ours
Every once in a while, CNN will notice there’s a country north of the 49th parallel that has some weird little customs, like parliamentary democracy or gun control. They then venture forth to do in-depth analysis of our quaint habits for the benefit of the enlightened viewers of, let’s say, Kentucky. Kentucky is to blame for the latest CNN investigation of Canada — a “Reality Check” on Canada’s health care. It seems the state — known for fried chicken and racehorses — is also home to Senator Mitch McConnell, a high-ranking Republican of impeccable conservative credentials. Senator McConnell does not like President Barack Obama’s plan to reform health care, and he’s decided to use Canada as a weapon to help him fight the battle.

Meanwhile, on the other border, our oft-forgotten neighbors to the north present an interesting take on the current dispute about nationalized healthcare. American politics using exaggerated claims to back their position? Next you’re going to be trying to say the sky’s blue.

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News From Oobie14:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/warning-oil-supplies-are-running-out-fast-1766585.html

“The world is heading for a catastrophic energy crunch that could cripple a global economic recovery because most of the major oil fields in the world have passed their peak production, a leading energy economist has warned.“

Fun! News that oil resources are dwindling much faster than anticipated in major fields around the world. As the world economy struggles to get back on its feet, one can only hope they will be able to turn a much greater focus on alternate energy sources before the time comes that entire countries could be held hostage based on their dependence on foreign oil. Moral of the story: walk wherever you can.

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http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2009/08/10/news/local/10407631.txt

“Although there has been some regression since he has returned to Grand Island, the improvement the treatments provided have not completely disappeared.“

Some “evidence” of the positive effects of stem cell treatments. Of course, there’s nothing clinical here, just some firsthand anecdotal accounts. Even the subject of the story has regressed, according to the writer. Some of this could very easily be explained away by a placebo effect, but if there is a tangible improvement, it would be very interesting.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/business/media/01feud.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/business/media/08feud.html?_r=1

“The chief executives at General Electric, whose NBC News division operates MSNBC, and News Corporation, which owns Fox News, reached an unusual agreement last spring to halt the regular personal assaults on each other’s channels.“

Part of my ongoing series on bias:

First off, it’s pretty childish when highly paid television personalities can’t help but call each other names. Second, it’s pretty alarming when their corporate bosses have a clear input over what they say on their “news” programs.

The story at hand is one of rivalries, people that don’t like each other or agree with each other on any level. Keith Olbermann leads the MSNBC bunch in lambasting Fox News on a nightly basis, and Fox retaliates by running stories about MSNBC’s ownership. During this “ceasefire” Fox didn’t run those stories. As soon as it was perceived that Olbermann stepped over the line in attacking the people at Fox, the “Fair and Balanced” company’s favorite bulldog, Bill O’Reilly, went right back into the fray with a story bashing MSNBC owner G.E.

I don’t really care about the rivalry story at all. I care about the obvious pressure from the ownership of each news organization to not run certain stories. Why did Mr. O’Reilly choose that particular night to run his GE story, if not retaliation for the Olbermann attacks. Meaning, had those attacks not taken place, would O’Reilly have run the same story?

My guess is he would not have. Which makes his motives, and all of the Fox News and MSNBC anchors and pundits that altered their reporting based on this backroom deal by corporate executives highly suspect. Is a news story really any more or less important to these people based on who they are going to offend by reporting it?

When personal interests become part of your news organization’s nightly schedule, you’re no longer a news organization at all, but a mouthpiece.

News from Phoenixfirewolf:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45868/title/Electric_grid_still_very_vulnerable_to_electromagnetic_weaponry

Just how vulnerable to electro magnetic pulses are we? This article addresses concerns that a small country could destabilize ours by taking out part of its power grid.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45849/title/Traffic_hydrocarbons_linked_to_lower_IQs_in_kids

According to this article babies with higher exposure to hydrocarbons, especially from vehicle exhaust, will have on average about 5 points lower of an IQ than those with less exposure.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45912/title/Allergy_meds_slim_down_obese_mice

Maybe having allergies isn’t such a bad thing. In this study scientists were able to demonstrate that obese mice would loose weight on certain types of over the counter allergy medications. It also seems that this medication may have some negating effect on Type 2 diabetes.

http://tinyurl.com/l3c7v3

Yukon River economies devastated by the failure of King Salmon to return to their spawning grounds. 2007 saw poor runs of fish and last summer had weak returns weakening the local economy. This year very few fish returned causing even more alarm. This is the same area that was devastated by spring flooding.

Biologists suspect that the cause is related to current shifts in the pacific and the Pollock fishing industry that catches thousands of King Salmon every year and tosses the dead fish back into the sea.

http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSL2435108._CH_.2400

More than 700 are killed during a five-day uprising in Maiduguri, Nigeria. The uprising was brought about by a radical Islamic sect that wishes to have Islamic law imposed more widely on Nigeria. Many of the dead were given a mass burial after the fighting ceased.

http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/rpSlideshows?articleId=USRTR26A4G#a=1

The Space Shuttle Endeavour returns safely to Earth. Pictures of her mission in the link above.
]]> http://dailyrealitycheck.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/issue-4/feed/ 0 phoenixfirewolf http://dailyrealitycheck.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/issue-3/ http://dailyrealitycheck.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/issue-3/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:39:37 +0000 dailyrealitycheck http://dailyrealitycheck.wordpress.com/?p=35 ]]> Articles from Oobie14:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8166408.stm

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/23/new.jersey.arrests/index.html

“The New Jersey officials and their associates charged in a federal probe of public corruption exchanged hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in parking lots, restaurants, boiler rooms and bathrooms, an acting U.S. attorney said Thursday.”

In a time where distrust of anyone in any kind of position of power runs rampant, here we have the perfect example of why. New Jersey rabbis, assemblymen, and a mayor were all netted in an FBI operation, charged with fraud and trafficking counterfeit goods, among other things. Terrible to imagine that thousands of people put some kind of faith in these people.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090725/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_terror_domestic_raid

“The Bush administration in 2002 considered sending U.S. troops into a Buffalo, N.Y., suburb to arrest a group of terror suspects in what would have been a nearly unprecedented use of military power, The New York Times reported.”

I don’t have any idea why the Bush administration would have wanted to use U.S. troops for an operation that was clearly the jurisdiction of the FBI, other than as a show of force. Or maybe to rile up citizens, strike a little fear into them over the severity of the situation. All that is speculation of course, but one has to wonder what the motivation behind this could have possibly been.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32131509/ns/world_news-conflict_in_iraq/

“Iraq said Friday it was investigating reports that U.S. delegates and Sunni insurgents held reconciliation talks in Turkey this year, alleging the meetings violated Iraqi sovereignty and showed tolerance for terrorists.”

The situation in Iraq continues to shed light on the deep ethnic rifts there. The Shiite-led government is now questioning the U.S.’s decision to meet with Sunnis, including some who might be connected with the Hussein regime. Hatred among the Shiites for the Sunnis has led them to brand the talks a U.S. acceptance of terrorism, rather than an attempt to bring all of Iraq’s ethnic groups together.
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http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17507-mismatched-materials-produce-selfassembling-gears.html

“The components are formed from discs that buckle into shape after a change in temperature, and the team behind the study says the technique can produce complicated bevels or curves that are difficult to produce with traditional methods.”

No analysis necessary. Just cool. Unless it leads to SkyNet. Then not so cool.
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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/25/content_11770860.htm

“Zelaya stayed on Friday in a neutral area between Honduras and Nicaragua for about one and half hour in what he called a “symbolic entry”. “

Even nearly universal support from governments around the world, ousted Honduran President, Manuel Zelaya, has found a way to squander the goodwill of the world. By practically tempting the military to take action against him, Zelaya has given credence to the argument that his concerns are based less on the welfare of the people of Honduras, and more about his own ambitions.

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http://www.examiner.com/a-2135114~Activists__NKorean_executed_for_distributing_Bible.html

“A Christian woman accused of distributing the Bible, a book banned in communist North Korea, was publicly executed last month for the crime, South Korean activists said Friday.”

I, for one, was not aware there was a great deal of religious persecution in North Korea. Of all the “eccentricities” of Kim Jong-Il, I just didn’t expect enforcement of religion to rank very high for him. This clearly informs me otherwise. So now we know people are starving in North Korea so Kim Jong-Il can build more missiles and buy luxury cars to butter up his staff, and the people of North Korea might just be killed for believing what they choose to believe. And he wonders why he’s oh so ronery…
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http://www.examiner.com/a-2136159~Report__North_Korea_willing_to_hold_talks_with_US.html

“North Korea has indicated its interest in holding direct talks with the United States, a news report said, after the two sides traded barbs over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programs at a security forum.”

Insert loud scoff here. The North Korean government has absolutely no interest in meeting any of the demands of the international community and only uses these statements of reconciliation to buy themselves more time to do what they’ve been doing all along: exploiting the North Korean people in order to build more weapons of mass destruction. I can only hope President Obama is actively campaigning the international community, the likes of China and Russia in particular, to support much stronger action against the North than has been taken so far.

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http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jul/19/coffee-shop-patrons-generosity-snowballs/

“As of Friday, more than 1,450 customers have essentially said: Thanks for the free cup of joe, but I’d like to pay for it and give a free cup to the next guy.”

To prove that kindness does still exist in this world, here is the story of how one community reacts to the kindness of one person. This story has absolutely nothing to do with worldly developments, but I think it’s important that we keep our sights set on higher ideals sometimes. With all the terrible things that go on in the world, it’s nice to be reminded that there’s a hell of a lot of good out there.
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Articles from Nycto:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32155614/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
Gaza judge: Female lawyers need head scarf
Order is latest sign that Hamas is imposing strict Islamic law on residents
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Gaza’s top judge said Sunday that he has ordered female lawyers to wear Muslim headscarves when they appear in court, the latest sign that the Islamic militant group is increasingly imposing its strict interpretation of Islamic law on residents of the coastal strip.

A crackdown on violations of Muslim law continues for residents of the West Bank. Hamas continues to insist that they are not imposing a theocracy. Skeptics wonder who the regime thinks will actually believe that.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/world/middleeast/26iran.html
Iran’s Opposition Calls Crackdown ‘Immoral’
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The leaders of Iran’s opposition movement sent an open letter of protest to the country’s highest religious authorities on Saturday, complaining that the state had used “illegal, immoral and irreligious methods” in the crackdown following last month’s disputed presidential election and calling for the release of hundreds of people arrested since.

International criticism of the Iranian government’s treatment of those protesting the elections continues to build, now coming from other Muslim countries as well as the West.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/24/ap/middleeast/main5186683.shtml
Iran Activists Work To Elude Crackdown On Internet
Iran Government Builds Internet Walls But Activists Still Slip Around In Political Turmoil
(AP) The tweets still fly and the videos hit YouTube whenever protesters take to the streets in Iran _ even as the Internet battle there turns more grueling.
Authorities appear to be intensifying their campaign to block Web sites and chase down the opposition online, and the activists search for new ways to elude them

Despite unrelenting efforts by the regime to suppress opposition, the Iranian protesters continue to find ways to utilize the internet to evade crackdowns, including international aid. Supporters say, “You can’t stop the signal.”
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/world/asia/26marines.html?
Iraq Veterans Find Afghan Enemy Even Bolder
NAWA, Afghanistan — In three combat tours in Anbar Province, Marine Sgt. Jacob Tambunga fought the deadliest insurgents in Iraq.
But he says he never encountered an enemy as tenacious as what he saw immediately after arriving at this outpost in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. In his first days here in late June, he fought through three ambushes, each lasting as long as the most sustained fight he saw in Anbar.

Veterans of multiple tours of duty against a variety of insurgents in Iraq find the Taliban’s tactics to be disconcertingly advanced.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/world/asia/27china.html
Files Vanished, Young Chinese Lose the Future
WUBU, China — For much of his education, Xue Longlong was silently accompanied from grade to grade, school to school, by a sealed Manila envelope stamped top secret. Stuffed inside were grades, test results, evaluations by fellow students and teachers, his Communist Party application and — most important for his job prospects — proof of his 2006 college degree
But two years ago, Mr. Xue’s file did vanish. So did the files of at least 10 others, all 2006 college graduates with exemplary records, all from poor families living near this gritty north-central town on the wide banks of the Yellow River.

Low-ranking officials of China’s ruling Communist Parties destroys futures for quick money. High-ranking members promise fight against corruption; Chinese citizens will believe it when they see it.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8166020.stm
Russia acts against ‘false’ history
President Dmitry Medvedev recently announced the setting up of a commission to counter the falsification of history. He said this was becoming increasingly “severe, evil, and aggressive”.

The Russian government forms a commission to fight against perceive slurring of Russia’s history in the West, focusing on the depiction of the USSR’s actions during World War II and the frequent neglect of their fight against the Nazi regime.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/26/world/main5189171.shtml
4 Arrested in U.S. Border Agent’s Death
Mexican Police Say Suspects Part of Immigrant Smuggling Ring; U.S. Police Search for Possible Accomplice
(AP) Police in Mexico have announced the arrests of four men in connection to the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent as their counterparts in the United States search hospitals for suspects possibly wounded in the first such shooting in more than a decade.
The men detained in Mexico are allegedly part of an immigrant smuggling ring, and 21 people were found with them when police detained them and seized four guns near Tecate, Mexico, said Elias Alvarez Hernandez, coordinator of federal police in Baja California state.

Cooperation between Mexican and U.S law enforcement proves instrumental in resolving the murder of a U.S Border Patrol Agent. Anti-immigration groups’ plans for a seriously awesome giant fence are sadly folded away.
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Each of the editors here at Daily Reality Check has a particular topic they’ve chosen to focus on for the issues they edit, such as animal rights or media bias. My particular topic is one that most people are unpleasantly familiar with – religious extremism, regardless of faith or creed.
DRC does not endorse any one religious view (or anti-religious), merely opposes harmful fanaticism.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article1020144.ece

Christian group’s billboards denounce separation of church, state
A Hillsborough public policy group whose Christian platform included a push for a state ban on gay marriage has embraced a new attack on an old target: the separation of church and state.

An evangelical christian group spreads billboards intended to attack the concept of separation between church and state using quotes from the founding fathers of the nation.
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion” -The Treaty of Tripoli
“…an amendment was proposed by inserting the words, ‘Jesus Christ…the holy author of our religion,’ which was rejected ‘By a great majority in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohammedan, the Hindoo and the Infidel of every denomination.’” -Thomas Jefferson

Makes perfect sense.
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http://www.ktvb.com/news/regional/stories/ktvba-jul2409-verdict_faith_healing_trial.70cf282a.html
Faith-healing parents found not guilty of manslaughter
OREGON CITY, Ore. – After six days of deliberations, an Oregon City jury found Carl Brent Worthington and his wife Raylene Worthington not guilty of manslaughter in the death of their young daughter, but found the husband guilty of a lesser charge.
Prosecutors say the Oregon City couple chose prayer over seeking medical help to save their sick 15-month-old daughter, Ava, who died in March 2008 of pneumonia and a blood infection. Doctors say she could have been saved by a simple antibiotic.

A couple belonging to a church that supports the use of faith healing in place of medical intervention finds themselves on charges after the death of their daughter. Apparently among extremist groups, God hates gays, shrimp, and now doctors.
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http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/16/1998849.aspx
Jews attacking Jews in the holy city of Jerusalem
TEL AVIV – The arrest of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman accused of starving her 3-year-old son has sparked three days of violent clashes in Jerusalem between religious and secular Jews.

After a mentally ill Orthodox Jewish woman’s arrest for starving her son in Jerusalem, the extremely insular community has rioted in response to a perceived attack on their freedoms. One wishes they had paid attention to the part of the Torah where G-d says they are not to harm their children and obey the laws of the nation where they dwell.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31994267/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

Israel rejects U.S. call to halt Jerusalem project
Netanyahu emphasizes Israel’s ‘indisputable’ sovereignty over entire city

JERUSALEM – Israel on Sunday rejected a U.S. demand to suspend a planned housing project in east Jerusalem, threatening to further complicate an unusually tense standoff with its strongest ally over settlement construction.

The Israeli government faces extreme international criticism over building developments in a portion of Jerusalem, disputed to belong to the Palestinian state.
People wonder whether there may be something to the suggestion of moving the Holy Land to Hawaii after all.

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http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/07/17/2000359.aspx

Next giant leap reconsidered

At the same time that NASA is celebrating its biggest triumph – Apollo 11′s first human landing on the moon, 40 years ago – the space agency is facing its biggest wave of uncertainty since the Apollo program ended.

Amid the tightening of federal budgets, the space program finds itself targeted and questioning which direction it should be taking in the future of space exploration – or whether it will be able to take any. Critics accuse the program of being a money drain with little to no purpose or practical applications. Supporters wish the critics would bother to research before they open their mouths.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8152351.stm

Russian activist found murdered

A prominent Russian human rights activist, Natalia Estemirova, has been found dead in the North Caucasus.
She was bundled into a van and abducted as she left her home in Chechnya on Wednesday morning, a colleague said. Her body was found in Ingushetia.

A woman who spent years arguing against the Russian government’s inhumane practices is found murdered after her kidnapping by unknown assailants. Russian government vows to find those responsible. Many suspect that all they need to do is look in the mirror.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090717/wl_nm/us_sudan_darfur_un

Sudan cooperation with peacekeepers better: U.N.’s Ban

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Sudanese government cooperation with peacekeepers in Darfur has improved and major violence there is now uncommon but the situation of civilians remains dire, says a new report by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.

After years of suffering under an ethnic cleansing funded by their own government, the people of Darfur finally find some respite due to international pressure on the Sudanese government. Unfortunately, the horrendous living conditions remain.

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/18/ap/asia/main5172058.shtml

Sri Lanka Keeps Refugees In Camp That Aid Built
Nobody In Or Out: Sri Lanka Interns Tamil War Refugees With Help Of Foreign Aid

(AP)  In just six months, one of the world’s largest camps for war refugees has been carved out of the jungles of northern Sri Lanka, complete with banks, post offices, schools and a supermarket. But no one is allowed out, and hardly anyone is allowed in.

Human rights agencies express concern that a “refugee camp” constructed by the Sri Lankan government with foreign aid intended to help the refugees is little more than a glorified prison.

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/17/world/main5167984.shtml

Renewed Protests Mark Iran Prayer Service
Police Fire Tear Gas at Opposition Supporters, Reportedly Arrest Dozens; Senior Cleric Criticizes Crackdown

Tens of thousands of government opponents packed Iran’s main Islamic prayer service Friday, chanting “freedom, freedom” and other slogans as their top clerical backer Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani delivered a sermon bluntly criticizing the country’s leadership over the crackdown on election protests.

Despite fierce opposition, Iranians protesting the electoral fraud in June return to the streets in defiance of the government’s crackdown earlier in the month. A high-ranking cleric of the regime backs their return, criticizing the brutal police tactics employed against them.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hmxKiiSIsM-k7nX2yECb7kGw1qhwD99GDGG01

Senate bill would expand federal hate crimes law

WASHINGTON — People attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender would receive federal protections under a Senate-approved measure that significantly expands the reach of hate crimes law.

A bill is being passed in the Senate to expand the definition of a hate crime to include violence against people on the basis of gender or sexual orientation in what would be one of the largest triumphs for minority rights since the initial federal hate crimes law in the late 60s. Many religious groups criticize the bill, fearing that it could lead to action being taken against them for expressing their faith’s view on homosexuality.

Considering the bill is only intended to target violent crimes, many find themselves wondering just how peaceful these speeches are intended to be.

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Articles by PhoenixFirewolf:

http://tinyurl.com/nd4dlf

http://tinyurl.com/nht848

Spacewalking for a new porch.

From Yahoo News, An article on the spacewalk and some pictures of the shuttle.  Astronauts completed a five and half hour spacewalk to install a new research porch on the space station.

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http://blogs.reuters.com/global/2009/07/16/nasa-finally-admits/

Hollywood really did produce the first moonwalk footage.  This time around.

Hollywood gets involved with NASA to provide digitally enhanced footage of the first moonwalk.  Apparently the first tapes were erased and recorded over, however they were able to enhance copies of the original footage for much higher quality videos.  This article contains links to some of the videos.

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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LI460332.htm

A Darfur rebel group releases 60 captives.

Talks between the Sudan government and the JEM fighters have stalled, however the rebels’ release of 60 soldiers and police who were taken captive some time ago, may get the negations underway again.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1749101420090719

Controversy over ousted Honduras president’s proposed return deadlocks mediation.

The Honduras President was ousted in a coup and now wishes to return to his country.  Mediation has been occurring between the President’s party and the leaders of the de facto government that has mostly resulted in stalemate.  Now Zelaya, the President, is planning on returning despite warnings that he will be arrested if caught by the interim government, causing even more unrest.

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Articles from Oobie14:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/14/stem.cell.regenocyte/index.html

http://vescell.com/stem-cell-news/111

“… Dr. Zannos Grekos says his company, Regenocyte Therapeutic, has successfully used adult stem cells to treat patients with heart and lung disease.“

With no clinical trials to support his claim, Dr. Zannos Grekos is charging patients $64,500 for a stem-cell procedure. While stem-cell experts claim his method is impossible, his patients have had a different story, citing marked improvements in their physical health. While his claimed successes would be incredible, anyone should be leery of shelling out that kind of money for a treatment that is in no way proven effective. I’ll be keeping an eye on this story for more developments.

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http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=85287

“A new wave of violence targeting Iraq’s Christian community has raised questions about the safety of religious minorities amid concerns about Iraqi forces’ ability to maintain security after the 30 June withdrawal of US combat forces from cities to outlying bases.“

Islamic extremists, as expected, have ratcheted up attacks in an attempt to bring further instability to Iraq, as that country tries to stand on its own feet. Though a weakened Iraq only further destabilizes the entire region, these extremists don’t care about the average Arab. Their attacks do nothing but bring chaos to the day-to-day lives of the people living there, enticing the international community to return to a position of power in Iraq, rather than letting Iraqis govern themselves in peace. They are, to be blunt, completely backwards in their thinking.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/business/worldbusiness/08satyam.html

“Satyam Computer Services, a leading Indian outsourcing company that serves more than a third of the Fortune 500 companies, significantly inflated its earnings and assets for years, the chairman and co-founder said Wednesday, roiling Indian stock markets and throwing the industry into turmoil.“

While the US economy struggles to regain any secure footing thanks to shifty business dealings, now comes a report from India of a company chairman lying about over one billion dollars in profits that his company simply did not make. The Indian stock market has already taken a plunge since the report, and the report could have a lasting negative impact on the Indian economy, which relies so heavily on outsourcing services to foreign countries.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070902820.html

“… soldiers raided the offices of radio and TV stations loyal to Zelaya, shutting down their signals.“

While the controversy over the ousted Honduran president continues, word now that media outlets critical of the move are running into problems from the new government. This does nothing but undercut the new government’s claims that their only reason for removing Zelaya was to protect the constitution of their country. Censorship is usually the realm of desperate dictatorships.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/5846859/Biopic-to-celebrate-Kim-Jong-il-being-made-in-North-Korea.html

“Kim Jong-il’s childhood in a secret guerrilla camp and early years before becoming leader of communist North Korea are the focus of a multipart film in the works in Pyongyang, state media said Thursday – widely seen as another sign the ailing 67-year-old is paving the way for a successor.“

The North Korean dictator continues to showcase his massive ego, as he has given the go-ahead on a multi-part “documentary” of his life and reign. Such a project will no doubt be propaganda heavy, but presented to the North Korean people as a fair account of history. The belief is that he is using this project as one more step in building pride in his family line to make a transition of power more palatable to the public when he dies. No word on whether or not Roger Ebert will review the film.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090717/pl_politico/25072

“The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a check for $2 million to $3 million in return for the group’s support in a bitter legislative dispute, then the group’s chairman flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay.“

The next time you hear a pundit, politician, or any other political activist preaching about their chosen issue, ask yourself why they’re making that stand.

As this article shows, not everyone in the political arena is interested in making the world a better place. And that makes it a perfect way to start my regular piece on bias. In this world, people seem to care a lot less about what’s right, and a lot more about what their side -says- is right. Today, Republicans on Capitol Hill are more interested in how they can look best for the future in opposing President Obama now, including making the absurd claim that the lagging economy is somehow now his doing. But, while Bush was in office, the Democrats did the same thing. It’s not about standing for what anyone actually believes in, it’s all about political capital; how to look good to win later.

Or, in this case, it’s sometimes about actual capital.

In this case, I believe the conservative group’s final stand is actually the right one. If you check out the Brown Bailout website, it’s a pretty clear exaggeration of the situation to capitalize on the public’s disdain for the wads of cash that have been handed out to massive corporations. There is no money changing hands here, but you wouldn’t know that from checking out the anti-UPS website.

Unfortunately, they only came to that conclusion when FedEx decided not to pay them a few million dollars. Way to show some principles.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/3484067-images-from-the-iran-protest-violence-courtesy-of-youtube-and-twitter

“The country of Iran is at a crossroads. Its enormous young population has become increasingly at odds with its Supreme Leader and an all-powerful but ultraconservative Guardian Council.”

Here are some absolutely amazing videos and photos from inside Iran, especially hard to come by after the “Supreme Leader” banned all foreign reporters from reporting from the streets of Tehran and other protest sites. The third video is especially effective at painting a portrait of the government crackdown on the protests as a blatant assault against the people. The people of Iran are being treated like enemies of the government.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSL5656263._CH_.2400

Chinese Floods Kill 15, Displace 550,000

On July 5 heavy rain and flooding has forced 550,000 people in southern China to evacuate their homes. Damage estimates at the time of the article were up to $196.5 million.

http://townhall.com/news/health/2009/07/07/patients_fret_over_proposed_tylenol_restrictions?page=2

Tylenol restrictions proposed.

Because of the risk of overdose and liver damage the FDA is considering limiting the dosage of over the counter Tylenol and changing the maximum recommended daily dosage as well as banning Vicodin and Percocet.

Proponents argue that the risk of liver damage and overdose justifies the actions proposed by the FDA.

Opponents argue that the widely prescribed drugs are necessary for many people who require pain relief to function and that if they are denied legal drugs they may turn to less safe and illegal street drugs to gain the relief from pain they require.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45480/title/Statistical_tests_suggestive_of_fraud_in_Iran%E2%80%99s_election

Statistical analysis suggests fraud in Iran’s recent election.

Yet more controversy over the recent election in Iran. An American statistician has applied an accepted statistical model called Benford’s Law to the ballot data from the election and compared it to other analyses of elections in other years and in other countries and found that that while the other election data fits the model reasonably well, the data from the most recent Iran Election fails to conform.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45214/title/Concerns_over_bisphenol_A_continue_to_grow

Bisphenol A (BPA) can leech from plastic into our bodies and scientists are increasingly concerned about the affects.

Women especially are believed to be susceptible to the damage that BPA is suspected to cause because of higher estrogen levels that react adversely to BPA. Scientists believe it can cause arrhythmias – a leak of calcium from certain heart cells. Pregnant women also have to worry because PBA may cause fetal damage that can lead to brain, behavioral or reproductive problems later in life.

New research suggests that levels of BPA in humans are much higher than originally thought and new sources of BPA have been identified.

http://www.thelongridersguild.com/mongolia.htm

http://www.thelongridersguild.com/mongol-comments-water.htm

http://dailyrealitycheck.wordpress.com/mongol-derby/

http://mongolderby.theadventurists.com/index.php

http://www.aerc.org/

Equines and Equine welfare are of special interest to me so when a reputable source like the Long Riders Guild starts investigating something and posts the results, I listen. The first two links above are links to their website which contain more information about the proposed Mongol Derby and the third link is to the emails that they sent out to their mailing list. I have copied these emails exactly from my inbox onto a page on DRC so that you may also read what the Guild has to say. The fourth link is the link to the Derby site so that you may read both sides of the story. The fifth link is to the American Endurance Ride Conference which governs American endurance racing and contains links to international governing bodies.

Essentially the Mongol Derby has been touted “the next chapter of The Adventurists’ Fight to make the world less boring.” It is a race across the desert where the riders will be provided with local horses, and be able to change mounts at various stations to race across the Mongol desert.

The Long Riders Guild is very concerned about the welfare of the horses in this race as there was originally purported to be no marked trail, no safety arrangements, and no guaranteed water for the horses along the trail among other concerns. The Mongol Derby seems to be purporting itself as an endurance race, however it is not following the rules set forth by the world wide governing body of Endurance Racing, FEI, chiefly rules that help to ensure the safety of the equestrian participants in the races.

They are concerned that many horses will die because of this race and are trying to get it stopped.

You can see in the second email and from the links that there is a very large international movement to stop the race, or at least make it follow safety guidelines for the horses’ welfare. It also seems that the organizers of the race have felt at least some of the pressure as they have changed their stance on several of the safety points.

A depressingly alien concept to contemporary media. Who needs reality, after all, when you can have entertainment?

This was noted by the minds behind Daily Reality Check recently, when it was recently taken to ludicrous extremes by mainstream media sources. Within a matter of days, the struggle for democracy in Iran was shuffled to the bottom of the interest pages to make way for the deaths of assorted celebrities. Caught up in a windstorm of pop culture, many news sources have shown their true colors – more interested in their bottom line and feeding the superficial aspects of society than actually purveying news.

Even when presenting newsworthy topics, all too often the facts are selected specifically to fit the agenda of whatever news personality is presenting the story. Only the stories supporting a certain political angle or fluff pieces to bring in the numbers are presented, frequently leading to important stories or minority issues slipping through the cracks of public opinion. In the information age, our society has made it a faux pas to be well-informed.

We have decided that this is bullshit.

Our mission, put simply, is to cut through the fluff and nonsense that clogs up popular news sources and present the stories that matter. The stories that are overlooked for a lack of political correctness, a lack of appealing to the mainstream consciousness, or a simple lack of awareness. Presented as they are, without cutting and warping to fit them into our own agendas.

It is not our mission to follow any political party or movement, as our three editors come from three very different viewpoints. Nor is it our mission to tell you what to think, what to act, what is the right or wrong way to interpret the events of the world – merely to present you with the information. The responsibility to form an opinion is yours.

We report, you make up your own damn mind.

Every Monday, we will be posting an issue containing links to articles collected from various internet news sources about overlooked issues deemed important by our contributors. Each issue will be assembled by one of our team of three editors, who will add a special section presenting issues involving a personal project or interest of theirs. On the sidebar, we have a listing of links deemed to be useful by the editors – a collection of original texts for important documents such as the Constitution, or sites of particular interest to a variety of issues.

Welcome to the Reality Check.