George Bush Does Not Care About......

"I think President Bush might very well be the worst president in U.S. history," -Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Joseph Ellis (2008)


As the Bush administration draws to its logical conclusion I have been reflecting on what aspect of his Presidency he will be best remembered.

The comments made by Kayne West in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?




Maybe for his war on terror or should that be his war of terror which he inflicted on the innocent Iraqi people who have died as a result of his search for invisible Weapons of Mass Destruction?

His game of hide and seek then hide again with Osama Bin Laden?

Or maybe his vision of a world in which "freedom will prevail" sorry I mean his vision that America will prevail especially in offering support to the genocide of thousands of innocent Palestinians.

By authorising his signature on a memorandum which stated that the Third Genenva Convention regarding the treatment of enemy prisoners taken in wartime, did not apply to members of al-Qaeda or the Taliban sealing the fate for those abused at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay?

Those will be some of the things that I will most remember, well done you did your father proud Mr Bush, and you get the credit for his legacy.

Life is like a box of chocolates!!!

China blocks 41 websites for distributing porn-China-World-The Times of India

BEIJING: China has blocked 41 websites after getting Google and other search engines to apologise for carrying porn and lewd content. This is among the measures taken by the government to 'purify' the Internet during a month-long campaign launched last week." Read more:

How the press has been reporting Gaza - Guardian Article

Newspapers are supposed to be better than TV at putting over context. But they rarely are. This has always been a problem in the Israeli-Arab conflict where, as Jonathan Freedland observed in the Guardian, there is a 'Newtonian chain of claimed action and reaction that can stretch back to infinity'. Lack of context normally works against Palestinians who are portrayed as 'terrorists' and wild 'bomb-throwing militants' bent on undermining a well-ordered, western-style state. By banning foreign journalists from entering Gaza, Israel helped turn the context problem against itself. Nearly all the stories and pictures came from local Palestinian reporters and photographers.

read more on how the press has been reporting Gaza | Media | The Guardian

Q&A - What's next in the Gaza conflict?

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Israel pressed on with its seven-day-old air attack on Hamas militants in Gaza on Friday and the death toll reached 424 Palestinians, with 2,000 more wounded in the blockaded coastal strip. This article from Reuters answers key questions about the conflict

read more | digg story

United Chipmunks of Whatever

A random attempt at singing like a chipmunk on acid :D:D

Shoes thrown at President Bush

A surprise visit by US President George Bush to Iraq has been overshadowed by an incident in which two shoes were thrown at him during a news conference.

An Iraqi journalist was wrestled to the floor by security guards after he called Mr Bush "a dog" and threw his footwear, just missing the president.

The soles of shoes are considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture.

LOL

Them and Whose Army?

After the terrible events which have taken place in the last few days in Mumbai questions are now being asked about who was the likely perpatrator. First reports in British newspapers suggest that there may have been a British link. A report in the Independent suggests that four of the terrorists, two of them dead, had connections with Britain. The Times suggest that the figure could be more but reveal that the Indian authorities firmly denied reports that up to seven of the attackers were British. The Guardian outline how Indian channel NDTV quoted Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, as saying there were British nationals among the militants arrested. What also isn't clear is the total number of terrorists involved in the attacks which took place in ten locations across the city. Many reports on television are putting the figure at ten but if this is the case that would mean that there would have been only one gunman involved in each attack which doesn't make any sense. I am sure that the true extent of the ordeal suffered by victims at both the hands of the terrorists and the Indian military will never be revealed. If more terrorists were involved in the attacks where did they disappear to and how? Surely questions clearly need to be asked about the competence of the Indian authorities in rounding up those responsible.

Satire Report: What is your perspective?#links

Satire Report: What is your perspective?#links

More things to ponder....

Why, Why, Why,.............

Do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weaker?

Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough money?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an 's' in the word 'Lisp'?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?' Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That hurt, you stupid idiot?'

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

And finally.............

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends --- if they're okay, then it's you.

Its on your shoulders now Mr Obama

I have been following the US elections with great interest, either way this was set to be a record breaking contest - the oldest President or the first black President ( although I argue that Obama is as much white as he is black) Now we have finally reached the end and the world is looking to Obama for guidance and the solution to the worlds problems. He has promised to

provide everyone in America with health care,
sort out welfare,
lower taxes and raise taxes (not sure how that works,)

sort out the Middle East
be nice to China

feed the world (with a loaf of bread and five little fishys)
walk on water

Here's looking at you kid.....can he do it?#

YES HE CAN

Johann Hari: Don't kill the planet in the name of saving the economy - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent

"We are living through two great meltdowns – the credit crunch, and the climate crunch. The heating of the planet is now happening so fast it's hard to pluck a single event to fix on, but here's one. By the summer of 2013, the Arctic will be free of ice. How big an event it this?"read more - The Independent

Congratulations Mr President

Congratulations Mr President

The Daily SPAM: Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross to be executed

The Daily SPAM: Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross to be executed

Russell Brand and that Answer Phone message

The answer phone messages which eventually led to Russell Brands departure from Radio 2.

Some of the content may be offensive as they contain some expletive languge and comments of a sexual nature.

Part One


Part Two

So heads have rolled and Brand is first to go. He really did go too far this time and a fall from grace is perhaps what is deserved for this impossibly charming lothario. Chances are he may keep his Big Mouth firmly shut from now on but somehow I think this will provide some much needed publicity in time for the release of his new book.

A Long Exposure: 100 years of Guardian photography | Media | guardian.co.uk

A Long Exposure: 100 years of Guardian photography | Media | guardian.co.uk: "Guardian photographer Denis Thorpe and northern editor Martin Wainwright discuss an exhibition of pictures taken by the paper's Manchester photographers. The exhibition, curated by Thorpe, includes striking work taken since the paper appointed its first staff photographer, Walter Doughty, in 1908. A Long Exposure: 100 Years of Guardian Photography runs until March 1 2009 at The Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester Guardian photographer Denis Thorpe and northern editor Martin Wainwright discuss an exhibition of pictures taken by the paper's Manchester photographers. The exhibition, curated by Thorpe, includes striking work taken since the paper appointed its first staff photographer, Walter Doughty, in 1908. A Long Exposure: 100 Years of Guardian Photography runs until March 1 2009 at The Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester"

Facebook killer jailed for life - | MSN News UK - news & weather

A jealous husband who murdered his wife after she changed her status to "single" on Facebook has been jailed for life.

Lorry driver Wayne Forrester, 34, stabbed mother-of-two Emma Forrester to death in her home as a six-year-old girl cowered in an upstairs bedroom.

Forrester later told police he believed his wife was having an affair and felt humiliated that she was now declaring herself available on the social networking website.


The court heard how Mrs Forrester, a 34 year-old payroll administrator, had thrown her husband out of their home in New Addington, Surrey, after the breakdown of their volatile 15-year relationship.


Forrester became suspicious his estranged wife was having an affair and repeatedly threatened to kill her over the phone.

Fuelled by alcohol and cocaine, Forrester smashed his way into the house armed with a kitchen knife and a meat cleaver in the early hours of February 18 this year.He dragged his wife out of the marital bedroom, tearing clumps of her hair out, before stabbing her in the neck, stomach, arms, hands and head.


read more

Thou should not covet thy neighbours ass!

Thou should not covet thy neighbours ass!

Street View operatives object to being snapped • The Register

Edinburgh's Evening News has discovered that, when it comes to personal privacy, Google's Street View is a strictly one-way thoroughfare.

The paper was alerted yesterday that several examples of the Orwellian spycar fleet were being prepared for action at a disused garage site in Drum Brae South. It duly dispatched a snapper to record the action, but when he "began to capture the teams setting up the roof-mounted cameras, he was threatened with legal action".

Photographer Ian Georgeson explained: "I was standing on public ground taking photos of the cars when one of the drivers came over and said that they didn't want us to print their faces. He said if I used any shots of him they would sue us, because they were concerned about reprisals.

"He admitted they were a bit concerned about the way people would react to the cameras, but said they would be in Edinburgh for a couple of months at least trying to map the city."

Guy Herbert of UK civil liberties group No2ID told the Evening News: "That is an extraordinary situation, but it does seem to be the case that while large organisations, traditionally the police or councils, are happy to photograph the public, they are less keen on being photographed themselves.

"It would be interesting to see just what legal grounds they think they have to stop their picture being used that wouldn't also apply to the pictures they are taking, and I think they would be on pretty treacherous ground."

A spokesgooglette said the search monolith had "no problem with the cars being photographed, but admitted it did not want staff to be hindered in any way".

She concluded: "We are happy for people to take pictures of the cars - they are clearly identified as working for Google. We would not want our staff to be in any way stopped from doing their job, however."

Well, we're glad Google has no objection to people snapping its sinister black Opels, because here are the 110 or so sightings to date on El Reg's splendid Spot-the-Street-View Web 0.2 mashup:

Cardiff v's Swansea - the After Match Experience

Swansea - Cardiff pre-match warning

Swansea-Cardiff meet tonight for the first time in nine years for the Carling Cup third-round tie. The controverial fixture has a history of violence and police and football bosses have appealed for calm in the build up to the match. Measures have been drawn up for the expected 1,300 Cardiff supporters who will make the journey to The Liberty Stadium in Swansea. It is believed that they will all arrive on official coaches before being held in a secure compound at the ground. Police warned motorists of heavy traffic at the Liberty Stadium and in Morriston, Landore and Llansamlet and advised drivers to avoid the areas or to leave extra time for their journeys.

Mystery Surrounds Soldiers' Deaths, Altered DOD Photograph

Mystery Surrounds Soldiers' Deaths, Altered DOD Photograph: "AUSTIN, TX (September 19, 2008)

A mysterious story about an unnamed American soldier who is being held in connection with the fatal shooting deaths of two of his fellow American troops at their patrol base south of Baghdad on Sunday grew even more confusing last night when the Associated Press issued a 'mandatory kill' advisory for a Department of Defense-released photograph of one of the dead soldiers.AUSTIN, TX (September 19, 2008) – A mysterious story about an unnamed American soldier who is being held in connection with the fatal shooting deaths of two of his fellow American troops at their patrol base south of Baghdad on Sunday grew even more confusing last night when the Associated Press issued a 'mandatory kill' advisory for a Department of Defense-released photograph of one of the dead soldiers.AUSTIN, TX (September 19, 2008)
The face and shoulders of one of the deceased soldiers, Staff Sgt. Darris Dawson, 24, of Pensacola, FL, appears to have been digitally altered some time before the DOD provided the image to AP for distribution.

In the standard soldier's portrait, seated before an American flag while wearing a basic Army uniform, the DOD photograph appears to have Dawson's head and shoulders pasted onto the body of an unknown soldier. The picture of Dawson is very similar to the photograph of the other killed soldier, Sgt. Wesley R. Durban, 26, of Hurst, TX.

William Luther at the San Antonio Express-News said that photographer Bob Owen on the picture desk last night saw the pictures of Dawson and Durban move on the network and was "toggling" back and forth between the two and noticed the similarities. Owen called AP and soon after that the "kill" notice moved on AP picture network.

AP national photography editor Victor Vaughan said this morning he's working with the DOD and their public information officials to try to find out more information about the suspected altered the image, and why it may have been changed before it was provided to AP for distribution.

Vaughan told News Photographer magazine that he will reserve comment on the situation until he and the DOD have been able to unravel all of the facts.

The military said in a statement that Dawson and Durban were "victims of an early morning shooting" under circumstances that were "non-hostile" at their base near Iskandariyah, about 30 miles south of Baghdad.

Details are sketchy about how Dawson and Durban were killed, but the military statement said that "A US soldier is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths. He is being held in custody pending review by a military magistrate."

Sgt. Dawson's family told CNN that they don't understand why the Army refuses to tell them the circumstances surrounding their son's death.

The deceased soldiers were assigned to the Third Battalion, Seventh Infantry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, GA.

A press release sent to CNN from the commanding general of the Third infantry Division at Fort Steward said, "We do know that one soldier, a fellow noncommissioned officer, allegedly opened fired and mortally wounded his squad leader and fellow team leader."

Focus: Brave new world - Times Online

Focus: Brave new world - Times Online: "STARDOLL is only one example of the dozens of “social networking” firms sweeping across the internet. Led by MySpace, Facebook (in America) and Bebo (in the UK and Ireland), their astonishing rate of growth both fascinates and terrifies “old media” companies.

Along with Google, they form the vanguard of the second wave of dotcom firms dubbed Web 2.0 — businesses delivering services over the internet and predominantly funded by advertising.

Tens of millions of teenagers and students are spending hours creating their profile, or web page, on networking sites — listing their favourite bands, movies and heart-throbs, their hopes and ambitions. They can link to their friends’ pages, add music and video, share photographs, write a blog and send e-mails.

Fostered by the broadband revolution, this is creating new ways of communicating and interacting that many young people clearly find compelling. It also bites big chunks out of the time they have to watch television or read newspapers.

MySpace is only three years old this month, and yet it already has more than 90m users, generating billions of page impressions every month. That represents a huge audience for online advertising.

In May, according to Nielsen/Net Ratings, MySpace was the world’s fourth most-visited website, overtaking MSN and closing fast on Google, Ebay and Yahoo.

Michael Birch, the British founder of rival Bebo, predicts MySpace will become the most popular destination on the internet within a year. Some critics scoffed when News Corporation, the parent company of The Sunday Times, paid $580m for MySpace last year."

Where the web kids are - Times Online

Where the web kids are - Times Online: "Are they lurking in the darker reaches of YouTube?
Or delivering a series of 'pokes' and other greetings on the social networking site Facebook?
Nope. Today's kids aged 12 and under are likely to be whiling away their online hours playing games on sites you have never heard of.
The most popular website for young, web-savvy Britons, Stardoll.com, was set up by a 60-year-old Finnish woman who wanted to pass on the art of knitting clothes for a doll - in a modern context."

Founder Pink Floyd member dies - News, Music - The Independent

Founder Pink Floyd member dies - News, Music - The Independent: "Richard Wright, a founder member of Pink Floyd, died today at the age of 65 after battling cancer, his spokesman said.
Wright played the keyboard with the legendary band and wrote music in classic albums like the Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here.

» The 10 Commandments of Facebook | Cracked.com

» The 10 Commandments of Facebook | Cracked.com: "The 10 Commandments of Facebook
by Ross Wolinsky

The rise of social media has made it easier than ever to keep in touch with friends, relatives and coworkers. With a few keystrokes you can reconnect with an old high school buddy, learn what your coworker’s favorite band is, or play Scrabble with a friend who lives on the other side of the globe.
But while increased connectivity is an undeniably good thing, you can just as easily use it to annoy the living hell out of everyone you know. This is the internet, after all, and if something on the internet can be used in an annoying way, you can safely assume that 99% of the population will proceed to do so (go try reading a comment on YouTube if you don’t believe me).
People need rules to tell them how to act. Luckily I went to the top of Mount Internet last night, and God handed me down these 10 Commandments of Facebook for all to obey. Follow them or you’ll go to hell."

Dubai: City-In-a-Pyramid Could House a Million Dubaians

Dubai: City-In-a-Pyramid Could House a Million Dubaians, Power Itself: "A particularly optimistic design firm in Dubai called Timelinks has proposed designs for the Ziggurat, a complete city to be layered inside of a massive pyramid that could serve as home for a million people at a time. Timelinks is currently seeking patents for a variety of technologies that would make such a building possible, including a three axis public transportation system that would run residents up, through and across the pyramid. They've also claimed that with a hybrid wind, solar and steam power the Ziggurat would be able to meet its own power needs, and that there would be enough room to allow for some minor agriculture in designated 'green spaces.'"

Western Media and the Russia Conflict

The propaganda machine is well and truly out in force during the recent coverage of the Russia/Georgian conflict. Who does one beleive? As they say in Dragon's Den....I'm out on this one

Two-headed boy born in Bangladesh - Telegraph

Two-headed boy born in Bangladesh - Telegraph: "Two-headed boy born in Bangladesh
A baby boy born with two heads in Bangladesh has been placed under police protection because of the curiosity his birth has caused among thousands of locals.

Last Updated: 10:27AM BST 28 Aug 2008
The boy was born by Cesarean section on August 25, weighing 12 lbs 1 oz Photo: AFP
The boy, named Kiron and weighing 12 lbs 1 oz, was born by Cesarean section on Monday at a clinic in Keshobpur, 85 miles from the capital, Dhaka.
Update: Two-headed boy dies after after just 48 hours
But an estimated 150,000 people from the region descended on the clinic to try to catch sight of the boy so he was moved to a larger hospital. Police are now mounting a round-the-clock operation to protect him and his family from intrusion.
Dr Mohamad Abdul Bari, his mother's gynaecologist, said: 'He has one stomach and he is eating normally with his two mouths. He has one genital organ and a full set of limbs.
'He was born from one embryo but there was a developmental anomaly.'
The clinic had been unable to determine whether the baby had one or two sets of vital organs, Dr Bari said."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Invisibility cloak 'step closer'

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Invisibility cloak 'step closer': "Invisibility cloak 'step closer'

For now, the invisibility cloak remains a thing of science fiction
Scientists in the US say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people invisible.
Researchers at the University of California in Berkeley have developed a material that can bend light around 3D objects making them 'disappear'.
The materials do not occur naturally but have been created on a nano scale, measured in billionths of a metre.
The team says the principles could one day be scaled up to make invisibility cloaks large enough to hide people."

read more at BBC News website

Loose Change - 9/11 Conspiracy

Beijing Olympic 2008 opening ceremony giant firework footprints 'faked' - Telegraph

Beijing Olympic 2008 opening ceremony giant firework footprints 'faked' - Telegraph: "Beijing Olympic 2008 opening ceremony giant firework footprints 'faked'
Parts of the spectacular Beijing Olympics opening ceremony on Friday were faked because of fears over live filming, it has emerged.

By Richard Spencer in Beijing
Last Updated: 6:58PM BST 10 Aug 2008
Organisers feared it would be too difficult to capture each footprint live so inserted computer graphics for viewers at home and in the Bird's Nest stadium Photo: KENT NEWS
As the ceremony got under way with a dramatic, drummed countdown, viewers watching at home and on giant screens inside the Bird's Nest National Stadium watched as a series of giant footprints outlined in fireworks processed gloriously above the city from Tiananmen Square.
What they did not realise was that what they were watching was in fact computer graphics, meticulously created over a period of months and inserted into the coverage electronically at exactly the right moment.
The fireworks were there for real, outside the stadium. But those responsible for filming the extravaganza decided in advance it would be impossible to capture all 29 footprints from the air.
As a result, only the last, visible from the camera stands inside the Bird's Nest was captured on film."

BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Chiefs admit Brum skyline mix-up

BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Chiefs admit Brum skyline mix-up: "Birmingham City Council has admitted sending out leaflets which showed its US namesake's skyline instead.
About 720,000 pamphlets praising Brummies for their recycling were sent around the city at a cost of £15,000.
But instead of showing landmarks such as the Rotunda and the new Selfridges building, it showed downtown Birmingham, Alabama, instead. Birmingham City Council has admitted sending out leaflets which showed its US namesake's skyline instead.
About 720,000 pamphlets praising Brummies for their recycling were sent around the city at a cost of £15,000.
But instead of showing landmarks such as the Rotunda and the new Selfridges building, it showed downtown Birmingham, Alabama, instead."

Era of slumping in front of the TV is over | Media | The Guardian

Era of slumping in front of the TV is over | Media | The Guardian

The traditional picture of the British family spending its evenings slumped in front of the TV has changed dramatically, according to a new report from the watchdog Ofcom, published today. The box is still on, but the people on the sofa are talking on the phone, texting furiously or surfing the internet - increasingly using a laptop with a mobile broadband connection - while they keep one eye on the screen.

Despite doomsayers who believe the web will eventually kill off TV, viewing has not yet collapsed. The average Briton spent 218 minutes - or over three and a half hours - a day watching television last year, two minutes more than in 2006 but down on 224 minutes in 2002. In comparison, the average internet user spent 24 minutes a day online when at home last year, up from just six minutes in 2002.

But what has changed is that the TV no longer has the viewer's undivided attention, according to Ofcom's annual Communications Market report. Three quarters of 20- to 34-year-olds regularly use their mobile when in front of the TV, while more than a third of 25- to 44-year-olds often check the internet at the same time as watching a programme.

Television is finding itself increasingly usurped among the young. While TV remains the "media activity" that British people above the age of 20 say they would miss most, 16- to 19-year-olds say it is a mobile phone they couldn't live without.

The report shows the UK's continuing love affair with the mobile. More people send a text every day than access the internet and there are more phones in circulation than there are people in the UK. Nearly 60 billion text messages were sent last year - up 36% on 2006 - and mobile phone users talk on their phone for an average of 10 minutes a day, double the usage recorded in 2002.

The mobile phone and other distractions mean young people are watching fewer TV shows, with 16- to 24-year-olds glued to the set for about 150 minutes a day in 2007, 10 minutes less than five years ago and more than an hour less than the UK average. People over 65, in contrast, spend five hours a day watching TV.

Instead, younger people are spending more of their time online but with download and streaming services such as the BBC's iPlayer reporting record demand, many are merely choosing to watch their favourite TV programmes when they want by getting content from the web. Nearly a third of all internet users watched video clips and webcasts last year with the number of UK users of YouTube hitting 9 million this April alone - up 50% on a year before.

Throwing off the shackles of the TV schedulers is not just the ambition of people with an internet connection. Almost a quarter of UK households - 6 million - had a digital video recorder by the end of last year, up 53% on 2006. DVRs allow people to store their favourite shows for viewing later. Their success is bad news for advertisers who use commercial television to get in front of a mass audience. Of those with a digital recorder, 88% always skip past the ads, according to Ofcom.

But when they do watch "traditional" television, the taste of 16- to 24-year-olds is remarkably similar to that of those over 65. Both like entertainment and contemporary music shows while 16- to 24-year- olds watch slightly more soap operas and factual programmes than pensioners. The big difference between the age groups, according to the report, is in the area of news and weather programming.

Among pensioners, 14% watch TV news and weather programmes, compared to just 7% of 16- to 24-year-olds.

The Ofcom report shows that online advertising hit £2.8bn last year, up 40%, and eclipsing spending on the traditional terrestrial channels ITV1, Channel 4, S4C and Five for the first time. Given how much more time people spend watching TV than using the internet the figures look incongruous, but the Ofcom report does not take into account the amount of time British consumers spend online at work.

In fact, take-up of residential internet services is slowing as the digital divide between rich and poor becomes ever more obvious. Most households that have a computer are already online with PC penetration running at 72% in the UK and internet penetration close behind at 67%. Broadband take-up - at 58% of UK households - has slowed not least because younger consumers such as students are opting to buy mobile phone "dongles" that give internet access and are often cheaper than a lengthy broadband contract. Over 2 million Britons now use mobile internet services, with sales of dongles nearly doubling between February and June this year to over 130,000 a month.

Global Food Crisis - FAQ: The five factors that are driving up costs

Several factors have come together to drive agricultural commodity prices up:

· Soaring oil and energy prices have pushed up the cost of food production dramatically in the last year: fertiliser is up more than 70%, fuel for tractors and farm machinery is up 30%, pesticides, which depend on oil, are up too, as are labour costs;

· Demand is rising as the global population grows and as people in emerging economies such as China and India use increasing affluence to buy more meat, eggs and dairy products. Over 30% of the world's grain now goes to feeding animals rather than people directly. Farming one acre of decent land can produce 138lbs of protein from grain, but one acre given over to beef farming will produce only 20lbs of protein;

· Droughts in grain-producing areas of the world have hit harvests in the last few years. Grain stocks are at a historic low;

· Biofuels are competing with food for arable land, with both the US and the EU mandating their use. About 30% of the US corn crop is expected to be diverted to biofuels this year;

· Speculative trading in agricultural commodities has grown dramatically. Several big investment banks have launched agricultural commodity index funds, as they look for new areas to make profits in following the credit crunch. The result has been enormous fluctuations in market prices that do not appear to relate to changes in fundamentals such as supply and demand. Four years ago $10-15bn was invested in agricultural commodities funds - now that figure is more than $150bn. Wall Street investment funds own 40% of US wheat futures and more than one fifth of US corn futures.

read more at the Guardian

Judge condemns bizarre child names - MSN Odd News | MSN UK News - news & weather

Judge condemns bizarre child names - MSN Odd News | MSN UK News - news & weather

A judge has attacked a bizarre trend in New Zealand for giving children strange names as he made a nine-year-old called Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii a ward of court.

Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt listed a series of unfortunate names that he said were embarrassing or made children seem foolish among their peers.

Some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Stallion, Twisty Poi, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, were blocked by registration officials, he said.

But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter, Midnight Chardonnay, "and tragically, Violence," the judge said.

The names were mentioned in Murfitt's decision on a custody battle over the nine-year-old girl from the North Island town of Hawera, who was so embarrassed at the name her parents had given her - Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii - that she never told her closest friends what it was.

She told people her name was "K" because she feared being "mocked and teased," the girl's lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.

Cat face.....he's got the face of a cat

Cat face.....he's got the face of a cat

Bizarre but funny youtube vid

Pavement Picasso

Infamous photo fakes -- chicagotribune.com

A handout picture released on the news website and public relations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Sepah News, shows an image apparently digitally altered to show four missiles rising into the air instead of three during a test-firing at an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert on July 9, 2008. The 2nd right missile has apparently been added through digital retouching to cover a grounded missile that may have failed during the test. (Sepah News / July 9, 2008)

Infamous photo fakes -- chicagotribune.com

Media Matters - Fox News airs altered photos of NY Times reporters

Media Matters - Fox News airs altered photos of NY Times reporters: "Summary: During a segment in which Fox & Friends co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade labeled New York Times reporter Jacques Steinberg and editor Steven Reddicliffe 'attack dogs,' Fox News featured photos of Steinberg and Reddicliffe that appeared to have been digitally altered -- the journalists' teeth had been yellowed, their facial features exaggerated, and portions of Reddicliffe's hair moved further back on his head.

Second quake hits near Greek island - CNN.com

I have just experienced 2 earthquakes in just 24 hours. The first earthquake on July 15th hit Rhodes in Greece at 6.26am and was widely reported. The second earthquake however hit durng the early hours of July 16th however the tremor was not felt by all. This has not put me off returning to the island however as it was a beautiful island which I would like to take more time to explore. I thoroughly recommend a holiday there even during an earthquake!

Did you Know 2.0

the Evolution of Dance

Bus spotter forced to give up 40-year hobby after being labelled terrorist and paedophile | Mail Online

Bus spotter forced to give up 40-year hobby after being labelled terrorist and paedophile | Mail Online: "bus spotter has decided to give up his lifelong hobby of photographing buses because people fear he is a terrorist and even a paedophile.

Rob McCaffrey - who calls himself an omniboligist - has been taking pictures of buses all over the world for forty years but has only ever faced problems in Britain.
Over the time the 50-year-old has amassed a collection of 30,000 photos of buses, trams and coaches.But Rob says that in politically correct Britain he is finding it increasingly difficult to continue his beloved hobby because of the fear and suspicion he causes among onlookers.

In the last year he has been questioned twice by the police and had to give all his personal details after people who saw him innocently snapping buses on public roads reported him."

The Associated Press: Officials: Madeleine McCann probe is not over yet

The Associated Press: Officials: Madeleine McCann probe is not over yet: "LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Police have completed their final report into the disappearance of British child Madeleine McCann but officials have taken no decision yet on whether to proceed with the investigation or drop the case, Portugal's attorney-general said Tuesday.
Three papers — Correio da Manha, Jornal de Noticias and Expresso — published comments on Tuesday from unidentified police sources saying the 14-month investigation had reached a dead end and is to be dropped.
However, Attorney-General Fernando Pinto Monteiro said in a statement that prosecutors will examine the police report before deciding whether to end the investigation or undertake further inquiries.
Officials will 'determine whether further inquiries are needed or whether the conditions are in place for the investigation to be closed,' the statement e-mailed to The Associated Press said.
It said the case file amounted to 'dozens of volumes' and noted that the judicial secrecy law covering ongoing investigations, which ensures evidence remains confidential, expires only in mid-August."

The information Revolution

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Click | The viral video online revolution

"Within 15 months, Youtube.com has become one of the internet's most watched websites, with 25 million hits a day.
More than 40 million original clips and TV segments have been uploaded by visitors."

The website provides free editing and uploading tools. Even the player is built on open source code. Traditional video players have largely been replaced by Flash, because of its flexibility and huge install base.

Social networking websites like MySpace.com have fuelled the viral intensity of web videos.

Marketers and advertisers are not far behind, using these sites to their advantage, but DIY video is a double-edged sword.

One car company recently invited visitors to create their own commercial from the supplied clips and fonts.

The idea quickly caught the attention of environmentalists who created their own advertising campaign.

But despite the setbacks, everyone in the industry says online video 2.0 is here to stay and it is only a matter of time before a new tier of home-based entertainers become household names around the world.


Excerpt taken from

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Click | The viral video online revolution:

Battling The Online Bullies

Cyber-bullying used to involve sending threatening texts or e-mails, but the class of 2008 are finding social networks to be a fertile, and occasionally dangerous breeding ground, as Ian Hardy found out.

read more | digg story

The Global Community

The Machine is using us

Spare a few seconds to support the Tibetian people

With just weeks left before the Olympic Games, a major Chinese government crackdown is taking place in Tibet, and a climate of fear grips the region.

This spring, Tibetans began escalating protests against the repressive policies of the Chinese government and its harsh campaign against the Dalai Lama. These demonstrations have been met with brutality. Thousands of Tibetans, including Buddhist monks and nuns, have been detained, interrogated and tortured. More than one hundred have been killed.Of special concern are the untold number of Tibetans who have disappeared since the crackdown began.

Now is the time to sign the petition urging world leaders not to commit to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics!

Click Here to Sign the Petition Your signature will be delivered to world leaders through their embassies and consulates.

Already, we have received almost 20,000 signatures from all around the world. Help us reach our goal of 50,000!

The International Campaign for Tibet is calling for:

* A full accounting of Tibetans currently detained, and due process of law.* Real progress in the Sino-Tibetan dialogue.* Open access for the media in Tibet, as promised in China¹s Olympic bid.

World leaders should carefully weigh these concerns before they commit to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

The Olympic Games is an international sporting event.
The Olympic torch is a symbol of peace.

Neither the torch nor the Games belong to Beijing, but to the citizens of the world, including the Tibetan people. Let¹s send a clear message to the Chinese government to stop the crackdownin Tibet and engage in genuine dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Thank you for your support of the Tibetan people! Please Forward This Message
Click here to forward

A Vision of Students Today

A short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.

read more | digg story

Dispatches - The Killing Zone

British journalists report on Israeli violence ...

Useless Random Facts

Useless Facts:

"The 3 most valuable brand names on earth are:-
Malboro, Coca-Cola and Budweiser - in that order.

Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands.

The sentence 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.' uses every letter in the alphabet.

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.


Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a 'Friday the 13th.'

When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop...even your heart.

Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than the rest of the day."

The Secret to a Successful Marriage

The start of a long and happy marriage.

Mad Mad World

Sarcasm, Sarcastic Comments, Quotes, Remarks, Dark Sarcasm

"There is nothing more beautiful than sarcasm. That is definitely an overstatement but it should balance the moronic comment which says that sarcasm is the lowest form of humor. Now, whoever made that statement was desperately in need of a rectal broomstick extraction procedure.

Sarcasm usually requires a quick wit, and the ability to extract the minutest points of weakness in a conversation. So it is quite unlikely that it is the lowest form of humor as some would like to call it. Perhaps not being able to enjoy sarcasm is directly related to not having the ability to come up with sarcastic comments, which in turn creates a feeling of inadequacy, which in turn can spawn a Napoleon complex, that can cause someone to logicise that sarcasm is the humor of the stupid."

Sarcasm, Sarcastic Comments, Quotes, Remarks, Dark Sarcasm

Cannot find Weapons of Mass Destruction

For those seeking weapons if mass destruction this weblink may help you

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Photographer Documents Secret Satellites — All 189 of Them

His shots of 189 secret spy satellites are the subject of a new exhibit -- despite the fact that, officially speaking, the satellites don't exist. The Other Night Sky, on display at the University of California at Berkeley Art Museum through September 14, is only a small selection from the 1,500 astrophotographs Paglen has taken thus far.

read more | digg story

The Olympic Torch relay reaches Tibet

The latest leg of the controversial The Olympic torch relay passed through the Tibetan provincial capital of Lhasa.

Reports suggest that only a small group of vetted spectators were allowed to watch the flame as it was carried allong the 11km (seven mile) route.

Foreign journalists have been barred from Lhasa but a small group of reporters representing about 30 international news organisations were allowed into the city in to cover the torch relay although they were closely monitored by Chinese officials.

The flame was carried through the streets of Lhasa beginning at Norbulingka, the former summer palace of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader now living in exile in India.The closing ceremony took place at iconic hilltop Potala Palace, the traditional seat of Tibetan rulers.

Palma Trily, vice-governor of the Beijing-backed Tibetan government said ahead of the ceremony "We have sufficient confidence and capability to turn tomorrow's Lhasa torch relay into a big success," (Associated Press)

The deafening silence of the Tibetan people suggests that this was a success for the Chinese authorities, a PR exercise which has no credibility and an insult to the people of Tibet

Harnessing the power of 'clouds'

The cloud is the latest buzzword doing the rounds in the tech world. This article outlines how Cloud computing can change the way we access our digital content.

read more | digg story

YouTube goes live to take on TV

YouTube, the popular video sharing website, is set to challenge established TV broadcasters by offering its own live channels. The plans would enable YouTube's millions of users to chat from their bedrooms, perform music or report on a breaking news story to a worldwide audience in real time. A birthday party or wedding could be broadcast live to family and friends who are unable to attend. The truly committed could start a 24-hour 'lifecast' of their daily activities reminiscent of television's Big Brother.Read More| Technology | The Observer

Dont Panic - the panic cry that warns that you should Panic!!!

Long queues appeared at forecourts yesterday ahead of a planned strike by hundreds of tanker drivers. This is probably as a result of recent stories in the news in which the same message was repeated over and overDon't Panic Buy!!!!The very words don't panic alert you that there is something happening which people may panic over. If this is the case then you may think maybe you should just stock up just in case panic sets in. Its not that you are panic buying just stocking up a little extra in case well thats what you tell yourself anyway. This then starts a whole chain reaction of stock running out because of the people who did not panic and sparks a 2nd wave of panic buying until the situation snowballs and everyone is panicking. What started out as something which may have caused a bit of inconveince to a few petrol stations because of industrial action by tanker drivers is likely to become a huge crisis and I blame the media for telling us not to PANIC BUY! I am however not going to panic buy but might just stock up on petrol to make sure!!!!!!

read more | digg story

Armed police in school gun alert

ARMED police officers were called to a school yesterday after pupils spotted a man carrying a rifle. Quick thinking pupils reported the incident and police were alerted. A firearm was recovered and there were three arrests. My children attend the school and both said that whilst they were made aware of the situation they felt there was no immediate danger and I am grateful that staff at the school responded so quickly. As a parent I have always taken the stance that schools should not become prisons with high fence security and surveillance cameras but I have to admit that this incident did frighten me and I am starting to see the reasoning behind such security measures. I am sure this was only a one off incident but it does bring it home to me that gun crime exists and it may be happening right on your front door

read more | digg story

Armed police in school gun alert - icWales

Armed police in school gun alert - icWales

Blogging - The Twilight Zone

Blogging....what's it for, why do we do it?

Its a sort of twilight zone really.

I really didn't think that anyone would actually visit my blog let alone read the content and yesterday somebody commented on a story a posted!!! This is a rarity in my little world, someone actually took the time to read what I had written. Blogging is a strange concept to which I have yet to find my own little niche. Its personal and yet impersonal, a brief glimpse into the minds of some or random,irrelevant babblings (in my case). I blog therefore i am but what does it actually mean?

The Oxford English dictionary defines it as:

(weblog)- frequently updated web site consisting of personal observations, excerpts from other sources, etc., typically run by a single person, and usually with hyperlinks to other sites; an online journal or diary.


The site Blogger gives many variations on how a blog may be defined -

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.

Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

And that is where is the problem starts for me. How do visitors know you exist? What do they expect when they hit your page? Its all a big mystery to me.....but it cheers the little cockles of my heart when you know that you have reached out to at least one or two readers who have actually taken the time to read what you have written and let you know by posting their own thoughts or observations. I am making it my new year resolution to post my own comments or thoughts on blogs that interest me. I may too be the one to cheer up the writers days and spread a little happiness as I go. To all my fellow bloggers, interaction is the future, so put down your garlic bread and cakes of cheese and embrace the world of conversation.

Israel’s Barrier to Peace

The horrors of "life" and death under Israeli Occupation are revealed in this poignant article. The former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times and author of the bestseller “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning” examines the way Israel’s security wall has ripped a mortal gash in the lives of Palestinians living in its shadow, and argues that there can be no hope for peace in the Middle East as long as America continues to aid Israel in its dehumanizing practices.

read more | digg story

Swansea Jacks v's Cardiff Bluebirds

A video inciting violence against Swansea City fans has reportedly been circulated on the internet. The five-minute film was posted on the YouTube site and uses footage of Nazi rallies and extremist marches as well as featuring a pretence of Hitler himself leading Swansea fans into battle read more

Swansea City FC and Cardiff City FC face to face in the same league for the first time in six years. Lets hope the Jack army do not rise to the warcry of the Bluebirds, but there is such bitter rivalry that the inevitable violence will eventually break out and the season will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Andrew Keen on New Media - Media, News - The Independent

Andrew Keen on New Media - Media, News - The Independent
Interesting article by andrew Keen on the growth of new media with particular reference to Wiki and how it is being embraced around the world

ICANN Watch - Questions that everyone should be asking

To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we wouldn't have one global Internet.

ICANN was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit partnership of people from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers.read more on the ICANN website

ICANN Watch say however

ICANN says that it is private, non-profit, consensus-based, California corporation charged with technical coordination of the Internet. Some others, including some of the people behind this web site, worry that ICANN has a somewhat manipulable idea of what constitutes a consensus, or that ICANN's close relationship with the U.S. Department of Commerce might make it a "state actor" under U.S. law-- a formally private body that has the same legal obligations to provide due process and non-discrimination as a government agency. read more on ICANN Watch website

This is worrying for the future of a free and open internet. Censorship of the internet is already a highly controversial topic and more people need to be made aware of the role of ICANN and the close relationship it shares with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.....but not if you live in New Orleans

Ready.gov - Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed. This website is dedicated to informing American citizens on how best plan for an emergency and includes a section on hurricanes. One section asks

Want to reach your state or local government to see how you can prepare for events that happen in your area?

New Orleans does not appear to be included in the drop down list of states....Is that an oversight on behalf of Homeland Security or yet another snub by a government who clearly did not care in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - The Official Blog !!!!

I have seen it all now! The official blog of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the mind boggles.


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - The Official Blog - Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Press Complaints Commission Received Record Number Of Complaints |Sky News|Media

Press Complaints Commission Received Record Number Of Complaints |Sky News|Media

Media watchdog the Press Complaints Commission received a record number of complaints last year.

Many of the complaints dealt with the issue of privacy.

The increase in complaints is thought to be attributed to more awareness of the PCC and the ease of complaining online, rather than a drop in standards.

The council said it discreetly settled 100 complaints and helped prevent intrusions in more cases with pre-publication advice.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Web users 'getting more selfish'

The annual report into web habits by usability guru Jakob Nielsen shows people are becoming much less patient when they go online. BBC NEWS | Technology | Web users 'getting more selfish'

BBC NEWS | Technology | Web worlds 'useful' for children

BBC NEWS | Technology | Web worlds 'useful' for children

Israel and the War on Terror

The whole issue of the Middle East crisis is one in which I have tried to remain neutral and unbiased. I understand there are legitimate arguments on both sides but after reading an article in the Independant I have to express my disgust towards US foreign policy and the Bush administration.

Nakba Day meaning "day of the catastrophe" is an annual day of commemoration for the Palestinian people of the "anniversary of the creation of Israel" which marks the beginning of the 1948 Palestinian exodus, the resulting defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the loss of land that followed from the war and their displacement and dispossession as a result While for Israelis, the 1948 war gave them independence and this day represents the "fulfilment of a historic ideal of the Jewish people" to establish a homeland for the Jewish people, for Palestinians, the day represents "the dispossession of hundreds of thousands of their people who were made homeless as Israel was born.” Read more

On the 16th May 2008 Donald Macintyre writes

President George Bush lavished anniversary praise on Israel yesterday, as Palestinians commemorated the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" when 700,000 were forced from or fled their homes 60 years ago.In a special address to the Israeli Knesset, Mr Bush declared that the US was proud to be the "closest ally and best friend in the world" of a nation that was a "homeland for the chosen people" and had "worked tirelessly for peace and... fought valiantly for freedom."....Mr Bush does not make even an oblique reference to the fact that he was delivering his speech on the day that Palestinians annually commemorate the "Nakba" in the 1948 war that left a victorious Israel in control of 78 per cent of mandatory Palestineread more here

Why does Mr Bush not praise the Palestine people, instead he brands them a terrorist organisation. One thing he needs to remember.

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter

Which one does Mr Bush catergorise himself as?

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Violence spreads in Johannesburg

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Violence spreads in Johannesburg

At least 12 people have been killed in the South African city of Johannesburg since Friday in a wave of violence directed at immigrants, police say.

Police have used tear gas and rubber bullets to try to stop gangs of armed youths from attacking foreigners and looting and burning their property.

Daniel Estulin : Noticias :: Ver Noticia

Bilderberg 2007: Welcome to the Lunatic Fringe

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Inside the secretive Bilderberg Group

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Inside the secretive Bilderberg Group

Every year since 1954, a small network of rich and powerful people have held a discussion meeting about the state of the trans-Atlantic alliance and the problems facing Europe and the US.

Organised by a steering committee of two people from each of about 18 countries, the Bilderberg Group (named after the Dutch hotel in which it held its first meeting) brings together about 120 leading business people and politicians.

Bilderberg meetings often feature future political leaders shortly before they become household names. Bill Clinton went in 1991 while still governor of Arkansas, Tony Blair was there two years later while still an opposition MP. All the recent presidents of the European Commission attended Bilderberg meetings before they were appointed.



This has led to accusations that the group pushes its favoured politicians into high office

Britain is focal point for terrorism, warns Europe's police

Islamic terrorism, particularly through a rejuvenated al-Qa'ida, was highlighted as the most significant security threat to the authorities in the UK. Britain is the focal point for Islamic terrorism across Europe, and its controversial military campaigns overseas are putting the entire continent at risk, a disturbing new report has warned

read more | digg story

Funny Bush Moments

Eight years in retrospect.

read more | digg story

Bush Visits Israel - What The Hell For?

Red carpet and high words, but no progress what so ever. Bush visits Israel to "push peace forward" with Peres, Ohlmert and Abbas when all 4 are lame ducks and in light of growing violence in Lebanon and in Ghaza.

read more | digg story

Unprecedented Media Spin - Who sets the agenda for the mainstream news?

September 11, 2001- The Day the World Changed?

An eitorial review for the book September 11th, 2001 by Max Frankel:

On Tuesday September 11, our world changed forever. The United States
was attacked by an unknown terrorist organization. Word of this attack spread
instantaneously around the world. Billions of people woke up on September 12 to find
that the front page of their local newspaper was devoted to the tragedy of the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon.

People across the world watched the footage "live from the scene" Most will remember the pictures of the planes hitting the building or the Twin Towers falling to the ground. Less people will remember that 2974 people tragically lost their lives. The headlines dominated the front pages of the newspapers for weeks




Boxing Day Tsunami - 2004

Again, pictures were flashed around the world of an "unprecedented" disaster in South east Asia. The Indian Ocean tsunami, the deadliest on record, smashed into a dozen Asian and African countries on Dec. 26, 2004, swallowing up lives and homes and changing the coastline for ever.

230,000 dead or missing
2.1 million people displaced

Headlines dominated by destruction that the wave caused and the amount of foreigners that were presumed missing or dead.


Hurricane Katrina - 29th august 2005

"Reports of murder, rape and violence among the thousands trapped in New Orleans' shelters in the wake of Hurricane Katrina shocked the world." - BBC News

Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans at 8:00 AM with winds at 120 MPH and a storm surge of 18 feet.In the days immediately after Hurricane Katrina, most of us, most likely saw the same footage. Images of hurricane victims breaking into closed stores, taking food and other items, and escaping through chest-high waters with their loot.

Police chief Eddie Compass, spoke on the Oprah Winfrey show of babies being raped he also claimed tourists were being raped and beaten in the street. He later admitted that his statements were based on second-hand reports - and had turned out to be untrue.

An sightful report on the BBC News Website tells a shocking tale

New Orleans police confirm they have had no official reports of rapes or murders in the days after the city was catastrophically flooded.


Death toll - 1,836,

The media coverage on these three disasters varies greatly. From a global sympathy to victims of the New York attacks, a mass grieving for the foreign tourists of the Tsunami to a gross misjustice to the mainly black victims of Hurricane Katrina. It surely begs the question -

Who sets the agenda for the mainstream news?

63 Signs You’re Addicted To Google

Am I that addicted? Its a sad day when I have to come out as A GOOGLE ADDICT. There I feel so much better now

read more | digg story

Reuters : Bearing Witness 5 Years of the Iraq War

Bearing Witness
5 Years of Reporting War in Iraq

A unique multimedia essay from Reuters

Visit www.reuters.com/iraq

Through five years of war, a team of 100 Reuters correspondents, photographers, cameramen and support staff have strived to deliver news to the world from Iraq - the most dangerous country for the press. These are their personal stories, bearing witness through half a decade of conflict which has taken the lives of 127 journalists, including seven Reuters staff.

- Testimony from journalists who have witnessed each phase of the conflict
- Rich visual timeline charting the major events and turning points
- Interactive maps and graphs following the key trends
- Live news from Iraq and links to related resources online

Visit www.reuters.com/iraq

Rain lashes Myanmar

By Aung Hla Tun YANGON (Reuters) - Heavy rains pelted homeless cyclone survivors in Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta on Tuesday, complicating the already slow delivery of aid to more than 1.5 million people facing hunger and disease.

read more | digg story

Stock Waves: Citizen Photo Journalists Are Changing the Rules

Stock Waves: Citizen Photo Journalists Are Changing the Rules

Article on citizen photo journalism

At least 8 533 dead in China earthquake

The most devastating earthquake to hit China in more than three decades killed 8,533 people in the southwestern province of Sichuan alone on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the local government.The official Xinhua News Agency said that another 10,000 people were believed hurt in one of the province's counties after the 7.8-magnitude quake on Monday. The tremor was felt across the entire region - shaking buildings in the capital, Beijing, as well as the Thai capital, Bangkok, and Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.Xinhua report China's Chengdu Military Area Command has dispatched troops to help with disaster relief work in the earthquake-stricken Wenchuan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province. read more on Yahoo news

Earthquake shakes cities from Beijing to Bangkok - Times Online

Earthquake shakes cities from Beijing to Bangkok - Times Online: "Tower blocks from Beijing to Bangkok rocked and swayed today as an earthquake shook a swath of Asia, with a magnitude of 7.8 in south west China"

Burma - Cyclone in Pictures

Pictures from thefirstpost reveal the devasting effect of the cyclone in Burma

Keeping a lid on Burma's chaos

Eye witness account of chaos in Burma

read more | digg story

Man complains after beer makes him drunk

A Romanian man has lodged an official complaint with the local trading standards agency after he got drunk on a single can of beer.

read more | digg story

Latest form of green tranport

It may look like the most dangerous motorbike in the world but this new invention is actually the latest form of green transport


read more - Ananova

Introduction to e-petitions

Introduction to e-petitions
Petitions have long been sent to the Prime Minister by post or delivered to the Number 10 door in person. You can now both create and sign petitions on this website too, giving you the opportunity to reach a potentially wider audience and to deliver your petition directly to Downing Street.

'We are living in a combat zone' - Middle East - Independent

One family who will not be celebrating the 50 year anniverary of Israel

read more | digg story

Blockade puts Gaza on brink of serious food crisis, says UN

Destitution and food insecurity among Gaza's 1.5 million residents has reached an unprecedentedly critical level, according to unpublished UN findings that they now need "urgent assistance" to avert a "serious food crisis" in the occupied Palestinian territories.

read more | digg story

Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London.

Boris Johnson is the new Mayor of London. Ken is gone, yippee!

read more | digg story

Blogger exposes life on the Underground

LONDON (Reuters) - Annie Mole's blog about the London Underground rail system began as a New Year's resolution to teach herself how to make an Internet Web site and has blossomed into a popular slice of commuter life.The criticisms, witticisms and daily observations posted on her "London Underground's Blog" www.london-underground.blogspot.com

read more | digg story

Electronic Frontier Foundation | Defending Freedom in the Digital World

Electronic Frontier Foundation | Defending Freedom in the Digital World

Another website deicated against censorhip of the Media

Wikileaks - Wikileaks

Wikileaks - Wikileaks

The site deicated to publishing documents which are not in the public domain

Madeline McCann Media hype goes on

Four year old Madeleine McCann went missing from an appartment in Praia du Luz almost one year ago. Despite a high profile media camapaign the little girl remaims missing. The first anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been marked with a two-hour television documentary on ITV. The British press have been foolowing the story with relish but I am concerned that the parents have not at least been made accountible for leaving the children alone that night whhilst they went out with friends for dinner. The Times reports "The couple admit in a TV documentary tonight that they talked about not going to the tapas restaurant in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on the night of May 3 last year, and considered instead taking their children with them to another restaurant called the Millennium, further away. They rejected the idea only because the children were tired and they did not have a buggy, they said" As seemingly intelligent parents of 3 young children surely an essential item to take on holiday would be a buggy. If the parents of a four year old girl living on a sink estate in Britian left the child alone to go to a party down the road and returned to find the child missing there would be a different media reaction I am sure. A visit to the Pope would probably be unlikely and I can not see David Beckham making an appeal for her retuen. Whilst I do not condone trial by media I do think that the tabloids have glossed over the reality of the situation. Now one year on when all the papers are focusing again on the story why have the McCanns not taken every opportunity to concentrate on the search for their daughter instead of discussing how they feel and how it is affected them? The most important priority should remain the safe return of their daughter and not complaining about the treatment received by some areas of the media.