Evolution Happening Before Our Eyes

I was going to put this in Today's Strange News, but I think it is a little too important for that. Chimpanzees in Africa have been observed making and using spears to hunt prey.

(WaPo) Using their hands and teeth, the chimpanzees were repeatedly seen tearing the side branches off long, straight sticks, peeling back the bark and sharpening one end, the researchers report in Thursday's online issue of the journal Current Biology. Then, grasping the weapon in a "power grip," they jabbed into tree-branch hollows where bush babies — small monkeylike mammals — sleep during the day.

After stabbing their prey repeatedly, they removed the injured or dead animal and ate it, the researchers reported in yesterday's online issue of the journal Current Biology.

The use of sticks by Chimps isn't a new phenomenon according to scientists, it's the fact that they are now using them to hunt that is creating the interest.

The new observations are "stunning," said Craig Stanford, a primatologist and professor of anthropology at the University of Southern California. "Really fashioning a weapon to get food — I'd say that's a first for any non-human animal."

Oh shit, there goes the planet!

Egyptian Blogger Jailed

Good thing we don't jail bloggers for insults, we just get nation wide campaigns to get them fired or attack them.

South Africa Trying To Clean Up Hunting

Let me first say, I am not a hunter but I have NO problem with people who hunt for FOOD. I do have a problem with people who hunt for trophies, especially when the animal is caged in or drugged to make it easy for lazy or bad hunters. Well South Africa is trying to put an end to this type of practice.

(SF Gate) "Hunting should be about fair chase ... testing the wits of a hunter against that of the animal," he told a press conference. "Over the years that got eroded and now we are trying to re-establish that principal."

In some cases, there is a cage where a "hunter" waits as a leopard is released. As the leopard charges(out of fear) the "hunter", the "hunter" opens fire on the leopard. If this wealthy "sportsman" can't finish the job, and his life is in danger, the two snipers above the fray will finish the leopard for him. And if a coherent leopard is too intimidating, don't fret. Another type of "hunting" is where they catch, drug and then release the leopard when the hunter arrives. They wait for the leopard to start to wake up and then let the dogs loose. The dogs chase it up a tree and BANG! Pose for a quick picture, and you're done. How is this hunting?

Bin Laden's Brother-In-Law Killed

Osama Bin Laden's brother-in-law Jamal Khalifa, who the U.S. has named as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, has been killed.

(USA Today) Malek, who was distraught when recounting his brother's death, said 25-30 armed men broke into Jamal's house "while he was sleeping," and killed him. "They stole everything — his computer, all of his things," he said.

Seems like a lot of people for your standard home burglary, no? Looks more like an operation of some sorts, say from a government.

Gov. Richardson Looking Presidential?

Remember when we used to use diplomacy? Apparently it isn't dead in this country. (NM) Gov. Bill Richardson has just returned from Darfur after securing a 60 day cease-fire between groups who are fighting.

(Albuquerque Trib) "I believe we opened the door for the peace process to take hold and move forward," he said. "It is now up to the leaders of the United Nations and the African Union to monitor and ensure implementation by the Sudanese government and rebels, and to use this opening to pursue the durable political solution that will end the tragedy afflicting the people of Darfur."

Obviously this isn't the end to troubles in Darfur, but it is nice to see SOME of our leaders haven't forgot how to lead.

Japanenese Company Exports Nuke Technology

Apparently Japanese "precision" equipment maker Mitutoyo has been exporting devices to Malaysia. In itself maybe not that alarming. But when you find out that Mitutoyo needs approval from the Japanese government to export these devices, and that these devices wound up in Libya and Iran, it becomes a little more alarming. And did I forget to mention what these devices can be used for?

(AFP)They exported to Malaysia, via Singapore, two three-dimensional gauge devices that can be used in the production of nuclear weapons.

Nice!

AIDS On The Rise In Africa

With almost 40 million people living with AIDS already, the numbers are on the rise in East Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. And in countries that had previously shown leveling off or decreases, we are seeing increases.

(BBC) In Eastern Europe/Central Asia there was a 70% increase in the number of new infections seen in 2006 compared with 2004 - 270,000 compared with 160,000.

In South-East Asia, the number of new infections rose by 15% from 2004 to 2006.

Most Affected, Least Prepared

Africa will be affected worse than any other continent from global warming. And to make it worse, they are the least prepared. By 2085, 800 million habitants will suffer from drought and food shortages. 40% of the natural habitants will be lost. The irony of this, or should I say the sadness, is that Africa produces the least amount of greenhouse gases.

Jailed Tribune Reporter Speaks About What He Saw

Several weeks back, Gov. Richardson of New Mexico went to Darfur and to help get the release of a Chicago Tribune reporter, Paul Salopek, jailed for 34 days. Paul has an article in the Trib about what he saw in Darfur.

(Chi Trib - free reg req)Darfur was a side trip. Other journalists and aid workers had described how some Darfur refugees in Chad were drifting back to their ruined villages to rebuild their homes. It seemed a rare chance to profile civilians clinging to life in an intractable war zone. With our arrest, we unwittingly became part of that survival story.

No Attacks Since 9/11?

How can that be? We hear those on the right that like to say Clinton did nothing to fight terrorism in the 90's and run off this list

• 1993 WTC Bombings (6 killed, 1042 wounded)
  
• 1993 Somalia (18 Americans troops killed, 73 wounded)
  
• 1995 Riyadh (7 killed)
  
• 1996 Khobar (20 killed, 372 wounded)
  
• 1998 Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Tanzania (257 killed, >4000 wounded)
  
• 2000 USS Cole (17 killed, 39 wounded)
• Totals: 325 killed, 5,526 wounded
  

That is a pretty big list. But if you follow the logic that this Administration uses when they say that since 9/11(2,978 killed, ? wounded) there has been no attack, then since 1993 there was no attack until 2001 when Bush was in office. Well then, why do we blame Clinton for all those others? We certainly don't blame Bush for these terrorist attacks by Al Qaida and it's partners in terror

• 2002 Bali bombings (202 killed, 209 wounded)
• 2002 Daniel Pearl
• 2002 El Ghriba synagogue bombing (21 killed, 30 wounded)
• 2002 Limburg tanker bombing (1 killed, 12 wounded)
• 2002 Paradise Hotel bombing and unsuccessful downing of an Israeli jet (13 killed)
• 2003 Riyadh bombings (26 killed, >160 wounded)
• 2003 Istanbul bombings (27 killed, >300 wounded)
• 2004 Madrid train bombings (191 killed, 1,700 wounded)
• 2005 Bali bombings (20 killed, 120 wounded)
• 2005 London bombings (52 killed, 700 wounded)
• 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt bombing (88 killed, >150 wounded)
• 2005 Aman bombings (at least 57 killed, 120 wounded)
• Totals: 699 killed, 3,501 wounded
  
• Totals (including 9/11): 3,677 killed, ? wounded
  

And if you wanted to you could add the troops and Iraqi civilians that have been killed by suicide and roadside bombs or by execution in Iraq since our 'liberation' of the Iraqi people. So have there really been no attacks since 9/11? Or does Bush still have a few years before he and his Administration have really accomplished anything with regards to protecting the homeland? Because he certainly hasn't made the rest of the world safer!

Darfur: The Next Big Dig?

The manager of Boston's 'Big Dig', Andrew Natsios, is the new Special Envoy to Darfur. What, no horse wranglers available?

Is The Media Reporting The Muslim Reaction Correctly?

When Christian groups protest over abortion clinics or at funerals, we don't say the whole Christian world is up in arms. So why when Muslim groups protest something, do we automatically assume the WHOLE muslim world is rioting? To help push an agenda? Maybe. A lazy media who goes for the cheap story, more likely.

There is a Muslim writer for the Guardian who is the editor of Q-News, a Muslim magazine, who has a very different message then what CNN, MSNBC/NBC, ABC and FOX are telling you. Her name is Fareena Alam.

(Guardian)"The media are giving the supposed "anger of the Muslim nation" too much coverage. Such insults are as old as Islam itself. The Prophet dealt with them with dignity. We must stop over-reacting ...

"A Muslim who truly lives according to the moral code of Islam - of justice, neighbourliness and compassion - will know that it is our greatest weapon against misrepresentation. Perhaps the Pope was 'merely quoting' the 14th-century emperor. Perhaps he did so because he actually shares this belief. If so, he is more ill-informed than we thought. I refuse to let such provocations shape the global faith agenda."

The sad thing is that this method of reporting has worked before. Look at what happened with the Danish cartoons. If all you knew is what our media told you, you would have assumed that ALL Muslims were rioting in the streets. Again Fareena Alam had a different view.

(Guardian)Dressing up as a suicide bomber, waving placards calling on Muslims to butcher those who insult Islam and shouting '7/7 on its way' - the inhumanity of it all is so utterly shameful. Clearly, it's not just Danish cartoonists and their apologists who are ignorant of the Prophet. I wonder what the parents of the child wearing the 'I love al-Qaeda' cap would say had their son been on the number 30 bus that terrible day.

I am not alone in my outrage. Muslims across Britain have organised events celebrating the Prophet's life to counter the violent protests of last week. Countless press releases condemning the violence, from Muslim organisations big and small, mainstream and marginal, have flooded my inbox. At a public meeting at Friends House in London on Tuesday, a packed hall of mostly young British Muslims came looking for answers to difficult questions. Why does Europe treat us with such disdain? Why is the 'I can, therefore I will' approach to free speech more important than building trust between communities? Why have some Muslims reacted so irresponsibly? How do we make faith and the message of Muhammad relevant to our citizenship?

This is just one journalist, but I think if we wanted to, we could find a lot more Muslims who think like this!

Chicago Tribune Journalist Freed

See what happens when you negotiate in good faith, or at least perceived to be in good faith. Gov. Richardson deserves a 'thata boy'!

Governor Tries To Get Jailed Reporter Freed

No, not the governor of the state that the Chicago Tribune resides in, but New Mexico's Bill Richardson.

(NBC5)The governor plans to meet with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and ask for the release of Salopek, his driver and interpreter.

Salopek's wife, Linda, and Chicago Tribune Editor Ann Marie Lipinski will accompany Richardson on the trip to Khartoum, said Pahl Shipley, a spokesman for the governor. Salopek's wife and Lipinski had asked for Richardson's help.

"I will encourage President al-Bashir to recognize the essential role of journalists and a free press and release Paul and his colleagues on humanitarian grounds," Richardson said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Iraqi Effect

Was supposed to initiate 'Freedom on the March' in Africa, Middle East and Asia. This doesn't look like 'Freedom' to me!

(Reuters) Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, marked the 37th anniversary of the coup d'etat that brought him to power on Thursday by urging his supporters to "kill enemies" if they asked for political change.

For their next trick will they make Iran democratic?

Chad Takes Over Two Oil Fields

Chevron and Petronas have been kicked out of Chad by the government. Siting unpaid taxes as the reason. However some think it is an attempt to bring China in to run the oil fields. Much like China has done in other parts of Africa.

(AP)Earlier this year, Chad broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and turned instead to China, a move that could help it sell its oil to the energy-hungry power.

China is already the largest exporter of oil from Angola and it also exports oil from Sudan.

The production and export of petroleum in Chad are overseen by the Exxon Mobil-led consortium. Under the mechanism, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. is responsible for 40 percent of the country's production, while Chevron and Petronas each have 30 percent.

I'll leave the question of whether this is another move by China on the U.S. for another post, but are there anymore reasons needed for us to find a real alternative fuel? Homes should start being built with solar panels to help reduce the dependence. In Europe you can actually sell back extra energy, from solar panels, to the power plants. These are the programs the government should be funding. Not more tax breaks for billion dollar corporations who do nothing but line their pockets with it!

Was Armitage Woodward's Source?

The AP is reporting a possible source in the CIA/Plame leak case.

(AP)The No. 2 State Department official met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003, the same time the reporter has testified that an administration official talked to him about CIA employee Valerie Plame.

Official State Department calendars, provided to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, show then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage held a one-hour meeting marked “private appointment” with Woodward on June 13, 2003.

Woodward still isn't saying anything other than what he originally said.

When contacted at home Monday night, Woodward declined to discuss his meeting with Armitage or the identity of his source in the CIA leak case. Instead, he referred to his statement last year that he had a “casual and offhand” discussion about Plame with an unidentified administration official in mid-June 2003.

If ever a day comes when documents from this Administration become public, I have a feeling we will all be "shocked and awed"!

Militants Take Key Port In Somalia

This is the latest in a series of moves by Islamic militants in Somalia to topple the newly formed Somalian government.

(Reuters)With Islamists strongholds effectively flanking Baidoa, President Abdullahi Yusuf's interim government, which meets in a converted grain warehouse, looks more vulnerable than ever.

Although it is internationally recognised as Somalia's only legitimate national authority, it lacks any real power on the ground beyond Baidoa and commands only a small militia compared with the Islamists' large fighting force.

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

Today in America we take in about 3-5 million more shipping containers then we ship out. These shipping containers sit in container yards, stacked as much as 12 high. Sometimes just across the street from residential areas. There are certain places where the sun sets an hour earlier because of these container structures. So what do we do with these?

Some engineers have come up with an idea to make these containers into homes and city centers at reduced costs. Yesterday I was watching Lou Dobbs when he did a segment on one of these engineers, Peter DeMaria. I did a quick google and found another, Adam Kalkin. Although I suspect that his Jesus smokes and pocket pussyface will turn away some people.
























































While this may never turn into the next housing phase, it might be something we could use in Third World countries. Obviously they don't need to be as extravagant as the pictures above, but couldn't we use these in Africa or Asia where housing is in demand? We could actually make this an export, or turn lemons into lemonade.

U.S. Tells Ethiopia To Stay Out Of Somalia

Last week I posted about Ethiopia sending troops into Somalia and how this added to the unrest in Africa and in the Middle East, and I was told that the U.S. obviously gave Ethiopia permission to act on our behalf. Apparently not.