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Recent Commentsby Gus Leonisky on Thu, 2008-07-03 20:06
Biodiversity: Some species could be wiped out 100 times faster than feared, say researchers
Endangered species could become extinct 100 times faster than previously thought, scientists warned yesterday in a bleak reassessment of the threats to global biodiversity. They say methods used to predict when species will die out are seriously flawed and dramatically underestimate the speed at which some will disappear. The findings, presented in the journal Nature, suggest that animals such as the western gorilla, the Sumatran tiger and Malayan sun bear, the smallest of the bear family, may become extinct much sooner than conservationists had feared. Ecologists Brett Melbourne, at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Alan Hastings at the University of California, Davis said conservation organisations should use updated extinction models to urgently re-evaluate the risks to wildlife. "Some species could have months instead of years left, while other species that haven't even been identified as under threat yet should be listed as endangered," said Melbourne. The warning has particular implications for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which compiles an annual "red list" of endangered species. Last year the list upgraded western gorillas to critically endangered, after populations of a subspecies were found to have been badly affected by Ebola virus and the commercial trade in bushmeat. by Gus Leonisky on Thu, 2008-07-03 19:27
US admiral urges caution on Iran
America's top military officer has said opening up a new front in the Middle East through a strike on Iran would be "extremely stressful" for US forces. Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was commenting on the likelihood of US or Israeli military action over Iran's nuclear programme. Tensions have risen amid reports Israel could be planning a possible strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran denies its nuclear programme is anything other than peaceful. The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says it has been clear for some time that Adm Mullen does not want to attack Iran. But his latest remarks suggest he is fighting hard behind the scenes for both the US and Israel to think carefully about the consequences of an attack before considering mounting it, he says. by Gus Leonisky on Thu, 2008-07-03 16:46
July 3, 2008
Committee Questions State Dept. Role in Iraq Oil Deal By JAMES GLANZ and RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that ran counter to American policy and undercut Iraq’s central government, a Congressional committee has concluded. The conclusions were based on e-mail messages and other documents that the committee released Wednesday. United States policy is to warn companies that they incur risks in signing contracts until Iraq passes an oil law and to strengthen Iraq’s central government. The Kurdistan deal, by ceding responsibility for writing contracts directly to a regional government, infuriated Iraqi officials. But State Department officials did nothing to discourage the deal and in some cases appeared to welcome it, the documents show. The company, Hunt Oil of Dallas, signed the deal with Kurdistan’s semiautonomous government last September. Its chief executive, Ray L. Hunt, a close political ally of President Bush, briefed an advisory board to Mr. Bush on his contacts with Kurdish officials before the deal was signed. In an e-mail message released by the Congressional committee, a State Department official in Washington, briefed by a colleague about the impending deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government, wrote: “Many thanks for the heads up; getting an American company to sign a deal with the K.R.G. will make big news back here. Please keep us posted.” The release of the documents comes as the administration is defending help that United States officials provided in drawing up a separate set of no-bid contracts, still pending, between Iraq’s Oil Ministry in Baghdad and five major Western oil companies to provide services at other Iraqi oil fields. In the no-bid contracts, the administration said it had provided what it called purely technical help writing the contracts. The United States played no role in choosing the companies, the administration has said. Disclosure of those contracts has provided substantial fuel to critics of the Iraq war, both in the United States and abroad, who contend that the enormous Iraqi oil reserves were a motivation for the American-led invasion — an assertion the administration has repeatedly denied. Iraq’s oil minister, Hussain al-Shahristani, has condemned the Kurdistan deal as illegal because it was not approved by Iraq’s central government and was struck without an oil law, which has still not been passed. by Gus Leonisky on Thu, 2008-07-03 16:33
by Gus Leonisky on Thu, 2008-07-03 16:22
Crack annoyance squad wanted
Julian Morrow July 3, 2008 Mr Watkins's war on everything Morris Iemma leads a Government whose members have displayed a truly impressive array of human failings. If we limit the list just to convicted criminals, it has harboured in its ranks a drink driver and a pedophile, not to mention a number of serial speeders. So it's no wonder an official visit from a man who can absolve sins is appealing to the State Government. .... The point here is that the new offence is built on concepts - inconvenience and annoyance - which are vague, subjective and not sufficiently serious to justify imposing a criminal sanction. The laws are also deviously authoritarian. What will get you into trouble is failing to comply with a direction from an authorised person: "In the name of the law, please stop being annoying." The law gives a wide licence to meddlesome officials to stop legitimate conduct just because another person doesn't like it. And it's not just the Fun Police: members of the SES or even the Rural Fire Service can lead crackdowns, too. Now I support muzzling idiotic pranksters as much as the next member of The Chaser team. But these laws could also be used to suppress the dignified and heartfelt protests of the many, many people who have suffered disgraceful abuse, cruelty or discrimination at the hands of the Catholic Church. That is unforgivable, even by a Pope. The new law offends the most basic principles of freedom (of speech, of association, of conscience) upon which our society - though not the Vatican's - is based. Governments in liberal democracies should not pass anti-liberal, anti-democratic laws. But they do, more and more, and regardless of political persuasion. Sadly, repressive legislation is one of the few areas where the Iemma Government is not below average. It is simply average. So what should citizens do when governments fail them? Put simply, bad laws should be defied. ------------------------ Gus: these "that-shall-not-satire-publicly" stuff-you-laws are turning us — midget satirists — into the annoying giants bullies we're not. We're only petty humans, decidedly about to ignore the Randwick charade apart from a few quips lazily penned from our iMacChairs, but the Iemma government, in need of glory, keeps waving the red flag saying "Hello?!!! We're here!... Come and annoy us!... So we can bash you on the head...!! Bring it on... We're ready for ya..! Try us!... Com'on!!!" Gees... They want us out there in the cold bloody wind, doing our funny stuff so they can claim a few scalps and lousy tee-shirts as exhibits to their conquests... You mean they do not build Arch-de-Triumph anymore? That's sheer governmental annoyance... Real annoyance! But then how can we resist the "moral panic"? (see below)... Our mortal well-studied scientifically based ethics are being thrown into chaos and doubt by a happy event bathing in priestcraft and bloody beliefs spruiking of an eternal after-life no one has ever seen. Eternal youth forever (deliberate tautology here to reinforce the moral panic). How can we be so unkind to the greatest fairy-tales of them all? Unlike Morrow who may be or may be not encouraging trouble, I suggest trouble will breed from itself like a spontaneous disease. Suddenly, all the youth of the world, under the clear Sydney deep blue sky, realising that the god-concept and the reality of human life were never meant for each other will discover the relative truth... And all had a happy time mingling in Oxford street with the real fairies. Or may be not. ----------------------- Libertarian 'moral panic' aside, it's a happy event Kristina Keneally July 3, 2008 World Youth Day is an event of enormous proportions. It will bring 500,000 young people to the city centre and Randwick Racecourse and huge crowds to dozens of other venues across the city. This is an event that the people of Sydney can choose to share in and enjoy - if they want to. World Youth Day participants from almost 200 nations are staying across metropolitan Sydney in people's homes, school halls, and various hotel and hostel accommodation. They'll be attending events each morning in local churches and venues. In the afternoon, participants will come to the CBD for the big events - like the Pope's arrival on Sydney Harbour - and a youth festival each day. We are Australia's major event capital, and Sydneysiders are terrific hosts. We are ready to welcome the youth of the world to our great city. ... Kristina Keneally is the State Government's ministerial spokeswoman for World Youth Day. by Gus Leonisky on Wed, 2008-07-02 19:45
Sarkozy TV rebuke becomes web hit Footage of French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressing irritation at a TV technician ahead of an interview has become an instant internet success. The video shows the employee clipping a microphone to Mr Sarkozy's tie, and not responding to a presidential "hello". "It's a question of manners," Mr Sarkozy is heard muttering. "When you're invited, you're entitled to have people say 'hello' to you". The video, posted on the Dailymotion website, has drawn about 500,000 hits. It was recorded on Monday, as Mr Sarkozy was waiting to be interviewed on France 3 television. Mr Sarkozy is seen winking while complaining about the manners of the technician who appears not to have returned his greeting. At the end of the brief outburst, he appears to suggest the employee should not be working for state TV. Asked about the video, a spokesman for the presidency declined to comment. FR3 has condemned the "pirating" of the off-air footage and launched an inquiry. by Gus Leonisky on Wed, 2008-07-02 14:03
CIA 'ignored Iran nuclear evidence'
A former CIA agent has alleged that the US intelligence agency ignored evidence Iran had suspended work on a nuclear bomb, a US newspaper has said. The man's lawyer told the Washington Post that the ex-agent was told on "five occasions" to either falsify his reporting on weapons of mass destruction in the Near East, or "not to file his reports at all". Details of the claims emerged after the ex-agent filed a motion in a US federal court last week asking the US government to declassify legal documents which he said described a deliberate suppression of findings on Iran's nuclear programmes that ran against the CIA's view. by Gus Leonisky on Tue, 2008-07-01 13:20
Downer set to announce departure on Thursday
Former foreign minister and Liberal leader Alexander Downer is expected to announce on Thursday that he will quit federal politics after 24 years. Mr Downer was Australia's longest serving foreign affairs minister, but has been a Liberal backbencher since last year's federal election loss. After leading the Liberal Party in opposition for eight months in 1995 he stood aside to make way for former prime minister John Howard. Mr Downer has told The Australian newspaper he has no regrets about leaving federal politics. Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson says Mr Downer has done an "enormous service" for Australian politics. Mr Downer's resignation will prompt a by-election in the South Australian seat of Mayo, which would be held later in the year. by Gus Leonisky on Tue, 2008-07-01 12:11
The Catholics had their Jansenism in the 16-18th century, now the Australian Anglicans seem to have their own Jensenism.. meanwhile, the Jesuits still think they own the high intellectual religious ground. Make love not war... A few simple words that were innocuous enough during the 60s, now completely submerged with questions such as who to make it with, the use of condoms, same sex pleasuring, monologues, etc... And what about the pedophiles?... So we still make war. That's pure and simple: bash the other fellow on the head stuff, except some weak souls want to ban the most efficient indiscriminate weaponry such as cluster bombs... I ask you. Life was simple back then. Napalm. Flower power. Religious freedom(s). by Gus Leonisky on Tue, 2008-07-01 09:54
Iraq death toll drops nearly 10 per cent The number of Iraqis killed in political violence in June fell to 509, a nearly 10 per cent fall compared to the previous month, security officials said. Insurgent and militia attacks killed at least 448 civilians, 40 policemen and 21 soldiers, the officials said quoting figures collected from the interior, health and defence ministries. In May, violence claimed the lives of 504 civilians, 32 policemen and 27 soldiers. By contrast US military losses rose to 29 in June compared with 19 in May, which marked the military's lowest monthly death toll since the March 2003 invasion, according to the independent website http://www.icasualties.org. ---------------- Gus: meanwhile in the US according to June peeled statistics: # around 4,000 people died on the roads, many others injured # about 1,800 people killed themselves, some 2,000 missed by that much... # about 1,200 people got killed by gunmen (small guns stats only) # possibly 1,500 people died of an unecessary death in health care --------------- Take care of yourself. |
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