Because man to man, Bush can't even stand up to Kerry. It's like a boy running against a man

"Because man to man, Bush can't even stand up to Kerry. It's like a boy running against a man...To be strong is not cocking your head. It's not saying bring 'em on. Being strong is acting strong. Being strong is having a depth of character."
(James Carville--USNews.com)

New Species of Underwater Bone-Eating Worm Found

Two new species of primitive worms that feed off the bones of dead whales have been discovered off the coast of California, scientists reported on Thursday.

The blind worms have no proper stomachs, but employ bacteria to help break down nutrients from the whalebones and feed them into rootlike organs, the U.S. and Australian researchers said.

The two new worm species are distantly related to worms found on underwater sea vents deep in the ocean and comprise their own new genus dubbed Osedax, which means "bone-devouring." (Reuters)

An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.

An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.--Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953) (New Scientist)

Economy slows as energy costs rise

The US economy slowed dramatically in the past three months as consumers, battered by higher energy prices, sharply curtailed their spending. (Boston Globe)

Obesity lawsuits outlawed in Illinois

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a law Friday that says consumers cannot file a lawsuit against a restaurant blaming it for their obesity.

The action puts Illinois in the forefront of a growing number of states that are barring injury claims in court based on allegations that an eatery is at fault when a customer gets too fat.

"Obesity is a serious problem in Illinois," Blagojevich said. "But blaming a restaurant for weight gain is not the answer."
(Chicago Tribune)

Kill scientists, says animal rights chief

A top adviser to Britain's two most powerful animal rights protest groups caused outrage last night by claiming that the assassination of scientists working in biomedical research would save millions of animals' lives.

To the fury of groups working with animals, Jerry Vlasak, a trauma surgeon and prominent figure in the anti-vivisection movement, told The Observer: 'I think violence is part of the struggle against oppression. If something bad happens to these people [animal researchers], it will discourage others. It is inevitable that violence will be used in the struggle and that it will be effective.'

Vlasak, who likens animal experimentation to the Nazis' treatment of the Jews, said he stood by his claim that: 'I don't think you'd have to kill too many [researchers]. I think for five lives, 10 lives, 15 human lives, we could save a million, 2 million, 10 million non-human lives. (The Observer)

Ancient Peru's ritual beer binges

Archaeologists from the United States have uncovered an ancient brewery in the mountains of southern Peru....The brewery, some 2,440m up in the Peruvian Andes, could produce as much as 1,000 litres of the drink a day.

Such quantities were needed to fuel alcohol-based gatherings organised by the elite of the Wari empire which took place in purpose-built drinking halls.

Each Wari noble would have consumed up to 10 litres of "chicha" per ceremony. (BBC)

the government of Sudan has left us no choice. It has done the unthinkable. It has fostered an armed attack on its own civilian population.

The conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur began in February 2003, when the government-backed Arab militias known as janjaweed began to suppress an uprising by rebel groups who wanted a greater share of the nation's oil wealth. The government is using the janjaweed to drive villagers from their land and hand it to tribes loyal to Khartoum, exploiting a long-term territorial rivalry between Arab herdsmen and predominantly black farmers.

At least 30,000 people have died and more than a million displaced in a brutal and systematic campaign that the U.N. has called "ethnic cleansing" and the U.S. Congress has branded as genocide.

"The last thing we wanted to do was lay the groundwork for sanctions," said Danforth, who had served as special envoy to the country for the Bush administration. "But the government of Sudan has left us no choice. It has done the unthinkable. It has fostered an armed attack on its own civilian population. It has created a humanitarian disaster." (L.A. Times)

57% who lost full-time jobs between 2001-2003 and found full-time work again are earning less.

Judging from the latest government data, more than 50 percent of workers who lost or left full-time work between 2001 and 2003 and were lucky enough to have found another full-time job by this year were earning less than they used to. (CNN)

The Pope will call on leaders of the Roman Catholic church today to attack feminist ideologies which assert that men and women are fundamentally the same.

The Pope will call on leaders of the Roman Catholic church today to attack feminist ideologies which assert that men and women are fundamentally the same. (The Guardian)