November 14, 2007
JustMedia.net: A People Media Project to Launch Soon
JustMedia FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LONDON/SEATTLE/BARCELONA - We are writing to invite you to participate in a groundbreaking new media project: The People Media Project, aimed at promoting a broader and more balanced understanding of global issues, conflicts and concerns....
August 27, 2007
Gonzales Resigns
While it is hard to believe, Gonzales is resigning. Purportedly he turned in his resignation letter on Friday, and is expected to make an announcement today. Also: 8/27/07 Myers, NYT, Embattled Attorney General Resigns 8/27/07 Schneider, WP, Attorney General Alberto...
August 5, 2007
Historical Dèjá Vu
Iran and Nicaragua in barter deal. Yes, the above article is written in 2007. Yes, Daniel Ortega is the president of Nicaragua. Yes, this is the same Ortega who was the head of the Sandinistas. So, it is not too...
April 28, 2007
Pet food contamination - Update
The most recent information on the contamination of pet and animal food is coming from some research done by scientists at the University of Guelph in Ontario Canada. Their tests indicate that the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid, when...
April 22, 2007
Grains from China - Pet Food and Beyond
As predicted, corn gluten has joined wheat and rice in the pet food recall. Also, it is now believed that the contaminant has entered the human food chain via pigs out of Sacramento, California - they ate contaminated food....
April 20, 2007
Pet Food Debacle Is Getting Even Bigger
While it has not been added to the US list of problematic ingredients, there was an article today from South Africa of renal failure in dogs and cats due to melamine in corn gluten. While the food was processed in...
April 19, 2007
Pet Food Recall Expanded
Here we go again. The pet food recall has been expanded again. They have found the same contaminant (melamine) in rice gluten. The source of this contamination was also from China, but another manufacturer. Of significant concern is that China...
April 2, 2007
Pet Food Update
Latest info from the FDA There have been several changes in the pet food recall. The recall has been extended to some more varieties of both canned AND dry pet foods. While it looks to me like there is confusion...
March 18, 2007
Major Pet Food Recall
Please share far and wide! There is a major recall of both cat and dog food which is canned or in foil pouches. The recall entails 90 brands (at this point). The only brands safe at this point are Friskies,...
March 12, 2007
Throw out peanut butter from 2004!
3/12/07 News-Medical.net, Throw out peanut butter from 2004! According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of March 7, 2007, 425 people in 44 states have now been infected with the strain of Salmonella Tennessee found...
December 3, 2006
Leaked Text of the Rumsfeld Memo
Following is the text of the leaked classified memo sent to the White House (purportedly two days before he submitted his resignation)....
November 25, 2006
Ex-Spy Victim of Weapons Grade Polonium
While it sounds like a plot for a not very good who-done-it, Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-pat in London, was poisoned with polonium 210 in a sushi restaurant, and dies three weeks later (The radioactive spy). Litvinenko accused Putin...
August 11, 2006
Serious Windows Bug Patch
This out from the BBC - Official warning on Windows bugs The US Department of Homeland Security has urged Windows users to install the latest patches from Microsoft as quickly as possible. In particular it warned about one bug fixed...
August 10, 2006
Terror Plot Foiled?
Last night (in the U.S.) the UK initiated a critical alert at airports in response to a possible plot to blow up commercial airplanes in flight out of the UK. The focus is on the possibility of liquid explosives which...
August 6, 2006
Draft UN resolution for Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
The is the draft resolution as posted at The Guardian/UK. It jhas not yet been agreed to by the UN Security Council. The Security Council, PP1. Recalling all its previous resolutions on Lebanon, in particular resolutions 425 (1978), 426 (1978),...
August 2, 2006
NORAD 9/11 Tapes
The tapes from NORAD on 9/11 are now available audio links and article from Vanity Fair. An interesting read to say the least....
June 24, 2006
Too Much News To Choose
There are so many lousy things happening so fast that before I can wrap my mind around one, another is on the front burner. I find myself with no time to absorb the blows that seem to be falling at...
May 16, 2006
Pentagon Releases 9/11 Videos
The Pentagon has released two video clips of the explosion at the Pentagon on 9/11/01. Here are the links to those videos: video 1, and video 2. I downloaded the videos and watched them frame by frame using Video Edit...
May 11, 2006
Letter from Iranian President to Bush
If you are interested in reading the full letter from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President of Iran) to President George Bush, you can check here or at Le Monde who did a translation. Both are pdf files. The letter seems much more...
May 10, 2006
Notice To Veterans - Possible Hepatitis or HIV Infection
Health Alert: Prostate Biopsy Devices Used By The VA May Have Been Contaminated This notice applies to all Veterans who may have received prostate biopsies at Veterans hospitals between 1997 and 2001. It is possible that you have been infected...
May 5, 2006
Calling Rumsfeld To Task
Yesterday (5/04/06) Donald Rumsfeld was in Atlanta giving a speech. In the audience were several who had questions of Rumsfeld that were not seen as friendly questions. Among them was Ray McGovern (bio). He asked Rumsfeld about why he had...
December 22, 2005
Bird Flu May Be Tamiflu Resistant
According to a report in the Independent/UK, the H5N1 avian flu virus is developing mutations that make it resistant to the anti-viral Tamiflu. Two of the 13 people recently stricken in Vietnam developed a Tamiflu resistant strain of the virus....
November 20, 2005
The Dirty War: Torture and mutilation used on Iraqi 'insurgents'
By: Kim Sengupta of The Independent (November 20, 2005) In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational...
November 18, 2005
EPA To Allow Pesticide Testing On Orphans And Mentally Handicapped Children
This alert comes from the Organic Consumers Association Send a letter to EPA here! Note: Concerns about Snopes or other questions are answered here Friday, November 18, 2005 Public Comment Period for this rule Closes December 12, 2005 Public comments...
November 16, 2005
China Vaccinates Birds
Yay! FINALLY, someone does something that makes sense about Avian Flu. China is going to vaccinate all of its poultry. Now that is no small task with roughly 5.2 billion birds to be vaccinated. This is the first action to...
July 28, 2005
News All Over
There is so much "stuff" happening that news flash is in order. Israel and Palestine No one will be surprised that during the Israeli withdraw from the Gaza strip that the plan is to full military control of all Palestinian...
July 8, 2005
London Bombing Update
Thus far, over 50 are dead and 700 injured in the blasts that rocked London's transit system yesterday. However, virtually nothing is known at this point about the perpetrators of the bombings. Early reports that "The Secret Organisation of al-Qaida...
July 7, 2005
London Transportation Hit By Explosions
Breaking News Three subways and a bus have been hit by explosions. At least 33 people have been killed and many others injured. The Secret Organisation of al-Qaida in Europe is claiming responsibility for the explosions. London rocked by terror...
May 22, 2005
Privacy Invasion Alert
There is a people search directory zabasearch.com that allows people (for a fee) to get a tremendous amount of information on you. I ran a search on my name and came up on their database. Urban Legends also verified that...
May 17, 2005
Newsweek Apologizes - But
While Newsweek has apologized for printing the allegation that a Quran was desecrated, their report was neither new, nor was it likely false. According to MediaChannel, Newsweek Got it Right. At least six different news articles, by different news organizations,...
April 13, 2005
A Whoops Of Global Proportions
Meridian Bioscience Inc. of Cincinnati accidentally shipped samples of a deadly flu virus to over 3,700 laboratories in 18 different countries. Now the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control around the world are trying to find out where...
January 18, 2005
Rice Confirmation Hearing Transcript: Barbara Boxer's statement and questions
The full transcript of Condoleeza Rice's confirmation hearings in her appointment as Secretary of State are available from the New York Times. Part I is the morning portion from 1/18/05 and Part II is the afternoon session from 1/18/05. I...
January 15, 2005
The News in Brief
There is a lot going on in the world and just not enough time to address it all adequately. So here are some highlights that may have slipped by. After all the hoopla about a new start for Israel-Palestine relations...
January 2, 2005
Update on Ko Lanta
There has been a lot of interest in the post The Tsunami from Ko Lanta Thailand. Some people are looking for people they know from the island and area, so check out the comments for that post. From what I...
January 1, 2005
News of the Day: Tsunami, Torture, and Legislative Offenses
Tsunami News: The death toll from the 12/26/04 tsunami heads towards 150,000, and the US raises its commitment to $350 million. However, it is important to realize that the first US offering was not $35 million, but $400,000. Meanwhile, the...
December 29, 2004
Tsunamic Calamity - A Natural Selection of Victims
By Mathew Maavak [Mr. Maavak can be reached at mathew@maavak.net. Or visit his site Panoptic World] It was my last afternoon in Goa when fellow vacationer Ashwin Sivakumar -- who swapped an arctic Helsinki for family and sunshine -- stumbled...
December 26, 2004
Massive Earth Quake Followed by Tsunami
Update 12/26/04 11:12pm (pst). There are now over 14,000 dead with hundreds of thousands displaced. The concern now is disease from contaminated water supplies and flood sewage systems. There are also the expected immediate needs. The International Federation of the...
December 11, 2004
Cell Phone Registry Alert
Cell phone user alert! It is recommended that you immediately register your cell phone with the Do Not Call registry by Dec 15th. Starting January 1, 2005 advertisers will get lists of cell phone numbers. Calls from advertisers can eat...
November 23, 2004
Voter Fraud
I just received this from one of my mail lists and I am passing it on to the UTJ community. The following letter is from Gary Beckwith. Please help spread the word. Dear Friends, When actress Susan Sarandon appeared on...
Voter Fraud
I just received this from one of my mail lists and I am passing it on to the UTJ community. The following letter is from Gary Beckwith. Please help spread the word. Dear Friends, When actress Susan Sarandon appeared on...
November 22, 2004
Iran - Getting Closer
The following is Douglas Davis from the Jerusalem Post, 11/21/04. Copied here under "Fair Use" for non-commercial purposes. LONDON – Pentagon officials are said to be discussing possible military action to neutralize Iran's nuclear weapons threat, according to a report...
November 20, 2004
News Flash - Three Items You Need to Know About
First is that the sneaks in Washington have included a provision in the "omnibus" budget package to significantly erode access to legal abortions. The abortion language would bar federal, state and local agencies from withholding taxpayer money from health care...
November 8, 2004
Attack on Falluja Begins
Well, the attack on Falluja has begun. From the reports thus far there are lots of bombing and strafing runs, and US and Iraqi troops have entered the city. It is likely there will be a high casualty toll for...
November 1, 2004
Full Text of 18 Minute bin Laden Tape
The National Business Review has the 18 minute transcript of bin Laden's latest tape. If you want to compare transcripts, Al Jazeera has another full transcript. The NBR says that Al Jazeera edited the transcript and it leaves out parts....
October 24, 2004
Missiles and Shell Casings Are Not The Only Use For Depleted Uranium
This falls into the MUST READ category. 10/22/04 Bollyn, American Free Press, Depleted Uranium Released During Canadian Plane Crash - Little-Known Use of DU in Commercial Jets Exposed. Yes indeed, depleted uranium is being used as counter-weight material in commercial...
September 28, 2004
Saddam May Run for President
Well wouldn't this be a true irony if Saddam Hussein runs for President of Iraq and Wins? Outrageous you say? Well according to Zaman Online, Saddam is planning to Declare his Candidacy for the Iraqi Elections (thanks to Information Clearing...
September 16, 2004
State Department Report on Religious Freedom
The US State Department has released its sixth annual International Religious Freedom Report for 2004, and for the first time Saudi Arabia is on the list....
September 13, 2004
Tell Us Something We Don't Know
I guess that I should feel validated or reassured when the headlines confirm what I already know, but somehow it just ticks me off. For example, despite the Bush administration constantly reiterating they had no "torture" policy (I've already flogged...
September 10, 2004
Notable News
Well I hate to say "I told you so," but I did. Dramatic and unfocused collection of data does not make us any safer. Now the outspoken FBI agent Coleen Rowley is saying the FBI Overwhelmed and Can't Handle the...
September 4, 2004
Beslan Tragedy
The tragedy of the hostage situation in Beslan, Russia at Middle School No. 1 continues its grisly unfolding. On Wednesday, an unknown number of armed people slipped into the school and took students, parents, and staff hostage. It was the...
August 31, 2004
Remember the Leaking of Valerie Plame's Identity?
Remember Valerie Plame and the FBI investigation into who in the Whitehouse leaked her identity to Novak who outted her as an under cover agent? Well after all the run around, a name has been released though it made hardly...
August 27, 2004
Short Takes
There are interesting reports all over the place, so I'll try to consolidate some of them. Prisoner abuse is back in the public eye as a variety of reports are released: Final Report of the Independent Panel to Review DoD...
August 19, 2004
SEC Threatens Freddie Mac with Suit
The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) is contemplating filing suit against Freddie Mac for its "errors". The Securities and Exchange Commission gave the McLean-based company what is known as a Wells notice, informing the board of directors that the agency...
July 23, 2004
Short Takes
I am still in the midst of family crisis, so I need to keep this short. In scanning the news some things just jump out. The first one is an assignment for you. How many times has the US called...
July 22, 2004
9/11 Commission Reports
The 9/11 Commission reports have been released. Here are the links. Executive Summary - 9/11 Commission Report (pdf 31 pages) 9/11 Commission Report - Full (pdf 585 pages)...
July 14, 2004
Constitutional Enshrinement of Heterosexual Marriage Defeated
The Senate blocked amending the Constitution to bar courts from hearing same sex marriage challenges....
July 11, 2004
News briefs and followup
For those of you who showed interest in Oregon's thoughts on using GPS to track and tax miles driven to replace the gas task, the UK is studying GPS and tracking boxes in all cars for the same reason....
July 9, 2004
Transcript of Senate Intelligence Comm. Release
If you missed it, here is the link to the transcript of this morning's Senate Intelligence Committee Press Conference releasing their report. 7/09/04 NYT, News Conference on Senate Intelligence Committee Report And here's the link to the full report (521...
July 8, 2004
News of the Odd
Just some odd bits and pieces for you, starting with ... Starving kangaroos attack city residents. Kangaroos are being driven into Canberra, Australia by the drought. They are attacking people and pets who get in their way. One woman reports...
June 25, 2004
News Sound Bites
Let's get moral shall we? As you all know, Bush & Co, as well as the Republicans, think that the way to end poverty is by teaching celibacy. The BBC reports that the Bush Administration has given $700,000 to a...
June 23, 2004
Document Release by the Department of Defense
Memos and Reports Released on 6/22/04 relating to "counter-resistance" interrogation of prisoners and detainees. [These are also available in the "Quick Find Resources" under Prisoner Abuse] From the 6/22/04 DoD Press Release Document 1: Status of Taliban and Al Qaida,...
June 12, 2004
Three important reports
CBS News has three video clips from tonight's news (6/12/04) that you should watch. They are available at CBS News Video. When you click on the video link for a story it will show the whole list. Sorry, I don't...
May 17, 2004
Inactive Reserve ordered to report
Update 5/17/04 There is still no broader coverage, but I have found a bit more information which is included at the end of this article. On the local news last night I heard that the I.R.R. (Inactive Reserve) are being...
May 4, 2004
Taguba's Abu Ghraib Report - Full Text
You may read the full text of General Taguba's report on the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison either at MSNBC which obtained a copy and released it, or I have made a copy available through...
March 31, 2004
In the spin cycle
Well The Center for American Progress had delivered to them what appears to be the notes of an aide sent to brief Rumsfeld on fallout from the 911 Commission - Found at Starbucks: The Pentagon's Papers. Apparently an aide stopped...
March 12, 2004
On the watch list
There are some things in the news that I'm keeping an eye on to see if they develop into anything. There is a US citizen (Susan Lindauer) who has been arrested as a spy for Iraq US woman held for...
March 2, 2004
Haiti Rebels are getting feisty
Well why would anyone be surprised Rebel Claims Control Over Haiti's Security (Wa. Post, 3/03/04). Guy Philippe has declared himself "chief" of the Haitian security forces and demanded that the Prime Minister declare the army official again. When there was...
March 1, 2004
Aristide kidnapped
News Flash According to an exclusive report airing on DemocracyNow! PRESIDENT ARISTIDE SAYS 'I WAS KIDNAPPED' 'TELL THE WORLD IT IS A COUP' (3/01/04). The transcript states that Aristide was told that his US security force was being withdrawn and...
January 3, 2004
Kerry and Bush are "brothers"
Well guess what George W. Bush and John Kerry are brothers. They both are members of "Skull & Bones." I guess this shouldn't be too surprising as both come from wealth and prestige. No "conspiracy" in releasing this folks. Kerry...
December 26, 2003
Pacific NW hamberger recall
Public service announcement for those in Oregon, Washington, or Idaho. Albertsons, Safeway, and Fred Meyers are voluntarily recalling ground beef purchased at their stores. Mad cow case prompts recalls Oregonian 12/25/03...
December 25, 2003
News on xmas
I know that there are a few news junkies out there so I thought I would just do a brief review of the news of the day. The fact that it is a Christian holiday, and a consumer holiday, doesn't...
December 24, 2003
Suspected mad cow disease (BSE) in the US
A case of suspected Mad Cow Disease (BSE or Bovine Spongiform Encephylits) has occured in the US. The cow came from a farm in Mabton, Washington (about 70 miles south of Yakima) and parts of the animal passed through at...
December 15, 2003
New environmental site
A new site is joining the Daily Mis-Leader from Environmental Media Services with support from MoveOn.org - BushGreenWatch. They too offer email updates, but also have a site tracking Bush's environmental and public health actions. Check them out!...
December 14, 2003
Republican's killing democracy
This piece was forwarded to me by Bill. It discusses the process of doing an end run around Congressional processes. CONGRESS Democracy crumbles under cover of darkness by Sherrod Brown, St. Louis Post-Sispatch, 12/11/03. The first part of the article...
Keiko is dead
Oregonians have a special place in their hearts for the killer whale Keiko. Keiko was the star of the "Free Willy" movies, and many took that to heart with an amazing attempt to return him to freedom. Keiko died in...
Saddam da dum
Well it's all over the news so you probalably already know that Saddam Hussein was arrested in Iraq (BBC, 12/14/03). He was found in a pit fitted with ventilation outside of Tikrit. Purportedly, US forces have verified through a DNA...
November 25, 2003
US paying damages in Iraq
One has to wonder why this is being kept quiet in the US press - US pays up for fatal Iraq blunders, McCarthy, Guardian/UK, 11/26/03). According to the report, the US military has paid 10,402 claims to Iraqi's who have...
Confusion over death of soldiers
On SUnday, two soldiers were attacked and killed in Mosul. THe original reports were that they had been traveling in private transport and were shot, dragged from their vehicle, and beaten by a crowd of folks. While this is still...
November 20, 2003
Perle admits invasion of Iraq was illegal
For those of you who have been reading Uncommon Thought awhile, you may remember a great discussion we had last March about whether the US invasion of Iraq violated international law (Why do we believe 3/28/03). Well yesterday Richard Perle...
November 17, 2003
Bio-tech and the "arms race"
In my perusal of my usual sites hunting down the events of the day, I came across The Sunshine Project (thanks to Center for Globalization Research for the lead). It is not what you might expect - namely some uplifting...
November 3, 2003
Is the Draft Coming Back?
Is the draft about to be reinstated? It certainly looks like it. Jeremy at Biohabit sent me a heads up on the latest draft news....
October 31, 2003
FDA says cloned meat and products safe
Well. I was mostly right and somewhat wrong on my earlier call on the FDA's initial report. As expected, their early findings say that eating meat or products from cloned animals is "safe" and won't require labeling (Gerstenzang, LA Times,...
October 18, 2003
The Fallacies of the Texas Education Reform Success
Last night on Bill Moyer's NOW they did an investigative piece called New Math? which looked at the cooking of statistics (and the costs to children) of Texas' education reform. This is of concern outside of Texas because the Bush...
UN Security Council Resolution 1511
The UN Security Council passed Resolution 1511 on 10/16/03. The passage of this resolution is sure to be hailed by the US as demonstrating international support for its activities in Iraq. While this is a "victory" of sorts, it does...
