Children aghast as pelican swallows pigeon whole October 24, 2006
Posted by tkcollier in Enviroment, Humor, Life, News, Streamingvideo, Video.2 comments
Children aghast as pelican swallows pigeon whole | the Daily Mail
Families strolling through a London park were left shocked when a pelican picked up and swallowed an unsuspecting pigeon.
The Eastern White pelican struggled with the desperately frantic pigeon in its beak for more than 20 minutes before swallowing it whole.
The moment was caught on camera by photographer Cathal McNaughton, who was taking pictures of the wildlife in St James’s Park.
The pigeon was still alive when it reached the pelican’s stomach, he said.
Celebrity Wedding Cakes October 24, 2006
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WeddingSutra.com :: Celebrity Wedding Cakes
Celebrity brides and grooms are leading the way in serving eye-catching wedding cakes with lots of color, odd shapes, one-of-a-kind designs, and unusual flavors. Here’s a look at some celebrity wedding cakes.
Cell Phone Carriers Target Hispanics October 23, 2006
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Cell Phone Carriers Target Hispanics – Forbes.com
cell phone companies and other technology providers that are increasingly targeting a young, tech-savvy Hispanic population – at 43 million, the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S. – that is expected to have $1 trillion in buying power by 2010.
Latinos, on average, used 979 voice minutes per month in the third quarter of 2005, trailing only blacks in that area, according to estimates by Telephia Inc., a consumer research firm. Asians or Pacific Islanders used 845 minutes and whites used 632 minutes.
Fake Halloween Plane Crash Fools Police October 21, 2006
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News 8 :: KFMB Stations, San Diego, California
A shocking Halloween display is creating some extreme reactions in one Los Angeles-area neighborhood.
The display features a fake plane crash so realistic even the police were fooled.
“It caught my eye. I thought a plane had crashed, and when I spoke to the owner he advised me that he was setting up a Halloween display,” said Greg Andrachick with the Los Angeles Police Department.
The homeowner is an aircraft mechanic in training and the parts are from a real Gulfstream jet.
Just about everyone who’s seen the display so far likes it, once they realize it’s not a real accident.
The only complaint the homeowner says he’s received is that the display is creating a traffic jam in the neighborhood because so many people want to see it.
Here is a slide show if you want to see it
Azadeh Pourzand: A letter about Stoning to Death October 21, 2006
Posted by tkcollier in Politics, Religion, Streamingvideo, Video.5 comments
Azadeh Pourzand: A letter about Stoning to Death
Click the link above for a poignant letter from a child who watched his mother stoned to death 26 years ago.
According to Article 83 of the Islamic Penal Code of Iran, stoning to death has been declared a permissible punishment for a few different types of adultery, based on this Koran text:
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 413:
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar :
The Jew brought to the Prophet a man and a woman from amongst them who have committed (adultery) illegal sexual intercourse. He ordered both of them to be stoned (to death), near the place of offering the funeral prayers beside the mosque.”
In stoning to death, the victims’s hands are tied behind their backs and their bodies are put in a cloth sack. Then, this human “package” is buried in a hole, with only the victims heads showing above the ground. If its a woman, she is buried upto her shoulders. This is to give her an seemingly equal (but nonetheless impossible) chance to escape recognizing her lesser physical strength.
After the hapless individual has been secured in the hole, people start chanting “Allah hu Akbar” (meaning, God is great), and throw palm sized stones at the head of the victim from a certain distance (a circle is drawn).
The stones are thrown until the person dies or until he/she escapes out of the hole and crosses the circle. Escaping is impossible, given that the individual’s hands are tied behind their backs and they are buried in a hole up to their necks or shoulders (in the case of males and females respectively). Click here to watch the Stoning-to-death video
Immigration | Don’t fence us in October 21, 2006
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Immigration | Don’t fence us in | Economist.com
But the fears can hardly be dismissed. In New Jersey, for example, the illegal population more than doubled during the 1990s to some 221,000, and has since grown to perhaps 425,000. In Georgia, the increase in the 1990s was some 571%, to 228,000, according to census figures (but could exceed 400,000 today). Atlanta is one of the so-called “new gateways” for immigration—sprawling cities, with abundant low-end jobs that are a magnet for immigrants. Much of America’s south-east (see map) has recently seen immigration levels surprising to anyone who thinks only in terms of the Mexican border.
One result is a swathe of local measures aimed at illegal immigrants. A law in Georgia, for example, imposes a 5% fee on non-citizens transferring money abroad; in Virginia, state workers are now required to verify the legal status of anyone applying for social benefits. In Arizona, voters in 2004 approved Proposition 200, which requires proof of citizenship before receiving state-provided public benefits or casting a vote. Thanks to Peggy Sadler for this post.
Why 112 French cars are burning every day October 21, 2006
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Why 112 cars are burning every day – World – Times Online
An average of 112 cars a day have been torched across France so far this year and there have been 15 attacks a day on police and emergency services. Nearly 3,000 police officers have been injured in clashes this year. Officers have been badly injured in four ambushes in the Paris outskirts since September. Some police talk of open war with youths who are bent on more than vandalism.
“The thing that has changed over the past month is that they now want to kill us,” said Bruno Beschizza, the leader of Synergie, a union to which 40 per cent of officers belong. Action Police, a hardline union, said: “We are in a civil war, orchestrated by radical Islamists.”
A Dynamite Shirt for Halloween October 21, 2006
Posted by tkcollier in cool stuff, Humor, Life.2 comments
The classic Tuxedo Tshirt was COOL but now its a thing of the past.
The TerrorTshirt.com takes look alike, Reality Tshirt to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL !!!
Click on the image to enlarge it.
I think there are some places where it would be inadvisable to wear this in public.
World’s Worst Polluted Places 2006 October 18, 2006
Posted by tkcollier in Business, Enviroment, News.1 comment so far
The Blacksmith Institute
World’s Worst Polluted Places 2006
*Chernobyl, Ukraine
* Dzerzhinsk, Russia
* Haina, Dominican Republic
* Kabwe, Zambia
* La Oroya, Peru
* Linfen, China
* Maiuu Suu, Kyrgyzstan
* Norilsk, Russia
* Ranipet, India
* Rudnaya Pristan/Dalnegorsk, Russia
RECIPE for making truly gross and disgusting Kitty Litter Cake for Halloween October 16, 2006
Posted by tkcollier in cool stuff, Food, Humor, Life.3 comments
RECIPE for making truly gross and disgusting Kitty Litter Cake for Halloween
1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large pkg vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared (I like Bird’s® dessert mix)
1 large pkg vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls®
1 new kitty litter pan
1 new plastic kitty litter pan liner
1 new pooper scooper
Thank Chip Welfeld for this
The sad state of computer security October 16, 2006
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The sad state of computer security | InfoWorld | Test Center | October 06, 2006 | By Roger A. Grimes
The world of computer security is so much worse than the average Internet user or politician believes. Bots own tens of millions of computers at any single point in time. The people who make a living at closing tens to hundreds of thousands of bot-infected computers a day readily admit that they are not making a dent in the bad guy’s ability to use bots for crime.
Most malware exists to steal your money. No need to guess why you’re infected anymore; it ain’t to send greetz to teenage hacker friends. The average criminal hacker is making thousands of dollars a day, if not more, and will never be caught. The only ones we ever catch and prosecute are the dumbest ones.
Just think about what it took to put mandatory data encryption of confidential data on the world’s radar screen. One-third of all adults had their financial information stolen this year. And outside of the government, encryption is still not mandated.
Most corporate networks can be owned in an hour. Just send a spam e-mail to corporate employees entitled “Pending 2006 Layoffs” pretending to be from the CEO, and have it contain one of the many MS-Office zero days with an unscannable remote access trojan. I do it for a living, and rarely do I have to wait more than a few minutes for complete network access.
Chocolate ‘skyscraper’ sets record October 15, 2006
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ITV News – Chocolate ‘skyscraper’ sets record
A French chef has set a new record in New York for the world’s tallest sculpture made out of chocolate.
Made out of pure dark chocolate, Hyatt chef Alain Roby’s 20ft 8ins (6.4m) creation took over 30 hours to build.
Weighing in at a whopping 2,285lbs (1036.46kgs) of chocolate, the “skyscraper” would not look out of place in New York’s famous skyline.
The amazing choccie creations constructed for the record are on display in the Big Apple’s famous midtown toy store, FAO Schwarz.
Mr Roby, who works at a Hyatt hotel in Chicago, said it is not a real replica of any particular building.
He said: “There is a little bit of the Rockefeller Center, a little bit of the Empire (State Building) and a little bit of the Chrysler Building so everything is a little bit mixed together and my goal was really to reach the height.”
A representative from the Guinness Book of World Records was on hand.
What will you be for Halloween? October 15, 2006
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Funny Child Halloween Costume – Toilet Bowl Kids Costume: Anytime Costumes, Costume Shop
At least you have a place to put the candy..
Video of Chinese Border Guards shooting Tibetian Refugees October 15, 2006
Posted by tkcollier in Geopolitics, News, Religion, Streamingvideo, Video.2 comments
Everest – Mount Everest by climbers, news
Romanian climber Sergiu Matei. ”The Chinese militias were hunting Tibetans onto the glacier…shooting them like rats, dogs, rabbits – you name it.” And Sergiu has video to prove it.
Click to watch video at www.protv.ro
Low-caste Hindus adopt new faith October 14, 2006
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BBC NEWS | South Asia | Low-caste Hindus adopt new faith
The events in the central city of Nagpur are part of a protest against the injustices of India’s caste system. By converting, Dalits – once known as Untouchables – can escape the prejudice and discrimination they normally face.
Hindu scriptures separate people into Brahmin priests, warriors, farmers and labourers and artisans, while the rest are beyond definition — literally untouchables who perform the most “degrading” jobs such as tanning of animal hides.
Similar mass conversions are taking place this month in many other parts of India. Several states governed by the Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, have introduced laws to make such conversions more difficult.
Hindus form 80 percent of secular India’s billion-plus population while Muslims account for over 13 percent, Christians less than three percent and religious minorities such as Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis make up the rest.
Print Free Graph Paper October 13, 2006
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Print Free Graph Paper
Save yourself money and a trip to the store! Print graph paper free from your computer. This site is perfect for science and math homework, craft projects and other graph paper needs. All graph paper files are optimized PDF documents requiring Adobe Reader for viewing
Fossilized Finds Prompt Rethinking of Natural History October 13, 2006
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Fossilized Finds Prompt Rethinking of Natural History
The discovery of a group of half-billion-year-old fossilized embryos in China has given a glimpse of the very first animals to evolve on Earth, overturning the accepted picture of how life evolved.
We’ve completely characterized the embryos, and we see no features of any living animal group,” Philip Donoghue of the University of Bristol, one of the team, said. “In fact, we argue that these are embryos of a grade of animal evolution preceding all living groups. There is going to be a huge scrap over this.” “The really big deal is that we see no evidence of more complex animals, indicating that at 580 million years ago, they had not yet evolved.
Instant Messaging Without the Hassle October 11, 2006
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Instant Messaging Without the Hassle
Do you need to occasionally send an instant message? There’s no need to bother downloading, installing, and hassling with the program. Instead, do it all from Meebo, a Web-based service that gives you access to AIM, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, Jabber, Qtalk, and MSN.
Visual History of the Middle East October 10, 2006
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Imperial History
Who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history? Pretty much everyone. Egyptians, Turks, Jews, Romans, Arabs, Greeks, Persians, Europeans…the list goes on. Click on the “Imperial History” link to see a “flash” movie of the history of conquest and re-conquest of the Middle East, from Pharoh’s Egypt up to today (Thanks to Chad Brisbane for this map).
Striking new bird discovered in South America October 9, 2006
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Striking new bird discovered in South America | the Daily Mail
A brightly coloured bird has been discovered on a remote mountain range in South America. The previously unknown species, the Yariguies Brush Finch, has striking black, yellow and red plumage.
A British expert co-led the team which made the find during the first biological expedition to the Yariguies mountains in northern Colombia.
Click to Enlarge Picture
U.S. Supports Cessation of Destructive Fishing Practices October 9, 2006
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Conservation International – U.S. Supports Cessation of Destructive Fishing Practices
Oct. 4, 2006: Significant progress has been made in efforts to halt destructive fishing practices on the high seas, as the Bush administration announced October 3 the United States’ official support for their cessation. A moratorium is currently under consideration by the United Nations that will prohibit deep sea bottom trawling – the primary form of destructive fishing activity that is ravaging Earth’s rich and diverse marine ecosystems in the high seas.
The welcome shift in U.S. policy comes as the U.N. begins talks to negotiate protection for disappearing deep sea ecosystems. The talks will culminate in a general assembly vote between Nov. 17 and 22 on whether to implement an interim moratorium that will prohibit deep sea bottom trawling until effective high seas management and protection are in place.
Added pressure on the administration to strengthen its policy also came from Congress late last week when Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, introduced a Senate resolution supported by 21 of his peers stating that destructive fishing on the high seas should not be allowed.
Jalapeño-eating contest one hot time October 9, 2006
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Star-Telegram.com | 10/08/2006 | Jalapeño-eating contest one hot time
In the most impressive gastrointestinal display this side of Fear Factor, professional eater Rich “The Locust” LeFevre swallowed 247 peppers up to their stems in eight minutes to take the title. The 60-year-old retired Nevada accountant, who drives across the country entering eating contests, won $2,000. His wife accompanies him on his trips.
The pros knew a few tricks the amateurs didn’t. Erik “the Red” Denmark said he took Pepto Bismol beforehand to coat his stomach. All four pros took their own drinks — milk and juice — knowing that the water that was provided didn’t stand a chance against the acids and oils in the peppers.
Huang, meanwhile, went into the contest with a strategy he called “all heart, no talent.” He downed 53 jalapeños, although he was unable to talk about it for several minutes. He could manage only guttural groans.
When he regained the ability to form words, the first thing Huang said was, “I can’t feel my face.”
Pissed-off Jihadists October 8, 2006
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KnoxNews: Columnists
The jihadists seek to hijack predominately Muslim countries out of globalization, disconnecting them completely from “Westoxification.” President Bush, in response, laid a “big bang” on the Middle East by toppling its worst dictator in the hope that the subsequent tumult would trigger significant change, which it has – both good and bad.
In short, we endeavor to connect Islam to the globalizing world, while al-Qaida promises permanent civilizational apartheid.
Don’t pretend you don’t know which outcome brings lasting peace.
For that reason alone, simply toppling the much-hated Taliban wasn’t enough. Al-Qaida’s leadership is forced to hide in off-grid locations like the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, but its dream of totalitarian empire centers on the Middle East. By toppling Saddam, Bush brought this fight home where it belongs – the Persian Gulf.
If the U.S. had concentrated solely on isolated Afghanistan, both the central front, and the cause celebre would have simply been co-located in a state with no strategic significance to either side, playing into al-Qaida’s hands.
As for generating more jihadists thanks to Iraq, that’s a bit like walking into Franklin Roosevelt’s White House in 1944 and wondering out loud why there seem to be more Japanese and Germans fighting us than ever before, just because we had the temerity to fight back.
Applying police statistics (Why isn’t terrorism down if police activity is up?) to warfare can be deeply misguided. (more…)
Why NATO cannot win the Afghan war October 7, 2006
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Asia Times Online- Why NATO cannot win the Afghan war
M K Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for more than 29 years, with postings including ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-98) and to Turkey (1998-2001), so his regional sense of events is devestating, echoed by Sen. Bill Frist’s remarks this week to incorporate the Taliban… 
When the US brought up Hamid Karzai’s name in Bonn, there was widespread opposition by Afghan groups. In the perceptions of the Afghan participants at the Bonn conference, Karzai simply didn’t have enough standing as a political leader in the Afghan scene, having sat in exile in the US for the past several years, and being at a serious disadvantage insofar as he did not belong to a major Pashtun tribe.
But the United States pressed ahead regardless with Karzai’s name, given his closeness to the US establishment and his total dependence on US support. The US brought immense pressure to bear on Afghan groups present at Bonn to accept Karzai’s leadership. It was with extreme reluctance that the Northern Alliance leader, president Burhanuddin Rabbani, finally handed over the levers of power to Karzai.
While abdicating from power in Kabul in early 2002, Rabbani said he hoped that it was the last time the proud Afghan people would be bullied by foreigners. Anyone familiar with Afghan ethos and character could foresee at that juncture that Karzai would find it next to impossible to consolidate his grip on power, let alone establish his authority over the entire country. Indeed, that is exactly what has happened over the past five years. (more…)
Iraqi version of Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show.” October 7, 2006
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The Seattle Times: Iraqi comedy show pulls no punches
— The year is 2017, according to the opening credits of the fake news broadcast, and the last man alive in Iraq, whose name is Saaed, is sitting at a desk, working as a television news anchor. He sports an Afro, star-shaped sunglasses and a button-down shirt.
Saaed joyfully announces that the Americans are finally leaving Iraq. Referring to the U.S. secretary of defense, Saaed, sitting behind his news desk, says: “Rums bin Feld said the American forces are leaving on 1-1,” referring to Jan. 1.
He’s giddy, raising his arms in the air. Then he realizes he’s made a mistake. The soldiers are leaving one by one, not on 1-1. He computes in his head what leaving one by one means and announces that the soldiers will be gone in 694 years. He starts to cry; Iraqis watching the show howl. Click to enlarge picture.
The Americans are still here, the government is still bumbling and the anchor wants his viewers to drink their tea slowly so they don’t burn themselves. “You cannot go to the hospital during the curfew,” he warns. For Iraqis, the remark is outrageously funny, if only because it’s so close to being true.
After a summer of the worst violence since U.S. troops toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime, tens of thousands of Iraqis are finding solace and amusement in a new television show whose dark satirical humor makes it an Iraqi version of Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show.”
