THE WILLIS UNIVERSITY

Welcome to the Willis University. This is a site dedicated mostly to the world's natural disasters. Also some random inserts of global news from credible sources and also a mixture of opinion. Some of the opinions are not suitable for all. Please remember this is my opinion only. Thanks to all for the guidance I've been given.

November 30, 2005

Kerry

Just a little FYI for John Kerry. You lost to George Bush in the 2004 Presidential Elections. You sound alot like Terrell Owens. After his team lost the super bowl he wanted more money and all he did was open his mouth and act a fool. Now you are talking alot about the Iraq war and how we should bring the troops home. Shut your mouth you lost. The both of you want to bitch about everything after you lost. What kind of war hero are you? You vote for the invasion of Iraq and now your against it thank God we don't have you leading our country, you would back stab everyone. You can't make up your own damn mind. Shut up you loser. It is kind of funny to see your name along with Edwards on bumper stickers around the U.S. I guess those people don't know you lost either. WASHINGTON — The United States' "plan for victory," introduced Wednesday in a 35-page declassified document and followed by a speech by President Bush, offered a specific outline for success in Iraq, and even found faint praise from one of the president's major opponents. •Plan for Victory (PDF) But it did not stem the criticism by Democrats that the Bush administration does not recognize that Iraqis want U.S. troops out of Iraq. "When 80 percent of the people say we want America to withdraw and when 45 percent of the people in the country we're fighting for believe it's OK to kill Americans to help us get there, the president is not dealing with a certain kind of reality that's important to the lives of our troops," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Bush's opponent in the 2004 presidential election. "It's all well and good to talk about being there with your troops training on the ground — training — until we are ready to leave. But that ignores what his own generals have told him," Kerry said of the president. "General Casey has said very clearly that it is the large presence of American forces on the ground that feeds the insurgency and makes it more difficult for the Iraqis to assume responsibility, because they don't have to."

Police officer fired over soda theft

By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR. STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER HALTOM CITY - A Haltom City patrol sergeant has been fired and two detectives disciplined for taking soft drinks out of a refrigerator in a Fort Worth house during the execution of a search warrant, authorities said Tuesday. Two other detectives who witnessed the theft received written reprimands for failing to report the incident, police said. "These police officers are human, but we don't have the luxury of making these type of mistakes," Haltom City Police Chief Ken Burton said Tuesday. "All that I'm trying to do is make the best decisions for the department." Haltom City Mayor Calvin White commended Burton for how he handled the case. "Things will happen, and a responsible organization takes actions to handle those situations," White said. Sgt. Dennis Ochs was fired this month after an internal police investigation determined that he had taken a soft drink in September. In all, three drinks were taken from the Fort Worth house during a sexual assault investigation, police said. The investigation also concluded that detectives Josh Boyd and Roger Dale took drinks from the refrigerator. Boyd received a 15-day suspension and Dale was given a 10-day suspension for his involvement, police said. The officers have not completed all of their suspensions, Haltom City Detective Terry Stayer said. The officers could not be reached Tuesday, but Ochs and Boyd have filed appeals with the city's Civil Service Commission, according to city records. The case has been turned over to Fort Worth police for consideration of criminal charges, Stayer said. Fort Worth police could not be reached to comment on the case Tuesday. The soft drink theft occurred in early September, several days after Haltom City police arrested Gene Anthony Quick near his Fort Worth home on Aug. 30 on suspicion of sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy. Haltom City police returned to Quick's house a few days later to serve a search warrant in hopes of gathering more evidence. Quick, who owns Gene Quick Motor Sports in Haltom City, is accused of molesting the 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy at his business. He has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and is awaiting trial. Haltom City police began an internal investigation about the soda thefts in late September, after a detective at the house reported what he had seen. The investigation was concluded Nov. 4. In addition to the suspensions, police officials issued written reprimands against Detectives Joe Earney and Jennie Tyree, who failed to report the incident.

Today's Gumshoes Dust for Fingerprints, Then Read Blogs

Wednesday, November 30, 2005 By Catherine Donaldson-Evans After 18-year-old David Ludwig allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend's parents and fled with her, Pennsylvania detectives collected evidence, dusted for fingerprints — and then went hunting for more clues in a surprisingly public, crowded place. That place was cyberspace. Population: 1 billion and counting. More specifically, police tapped into the Web logs — or online personal journals — of the double-murder suspect and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Kara Beth Borden. Each kept two blogs. Although the Internet musings and chats haven't offered great insight into why Ludwig allegedly gunned down Borden's parents in their Lititz, Pa., home Nov. 13, they have helped investigators learn a little more about who he and Borden are. They've also revealed the stress the young couple — both home-schooled in a small, religious Christian community — felt in a relationship that was secret at first and then forbidden by the girl's parents, largely because of the age difference and the fact that Borden is a minor. Blogs are the latest form of electronic information that law enforcement is examining as part of investigations, and experts predict they'll become even more relevant as their popularity grows. "We have to look at that as a new medium to solve crimes," said Cmdr. Christopher Vicino of the Pasadena, Calif., police department. "We would be able to use them, not so much as evidence, but more for investigative leads." In one Sept. 17 online blog chat, a 17-year-old friend named Kayla tells Borden she's worried about her relationship with Ludwig and anxious because she's the only one who knows about it. She tries to talk her friend out of her involvement, as a minor, with someone who is legally an adult. "Brkndwnhnda (Kayla's screen name): Kara — at some point i need to have a serious discussion with you babe. sometime this week we have to get togther [sic] w/o butthead and talk. Just givin ya a heads up. Karebear0005 (Borden's screen name): *raises eyebrow* ... Karebear0005: if it has to do with david and me Karebear0005: we are taking care of it Karebear0005: we know what we are going to do Brkndwnhnda: then dont expect me to keep this quiet. ... Brkndwnhnda: i'm sick of the bsing around and the lies Kara ..." Later in the chat, in a far cry from some of Borden's less hidden blog writings — many of which she signs "God Bless" — she tells Kayla not to get involved or try to help because "I have so much s*** on my mind." Kayla eventually brings up the age difference and that sex with a minor is a crime. "Brkndwnhnda: obviously you two dont care nuff that David may go to jail ... Karebear0005: YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WE TOOK THAT RISK THE FIRST NIGHT HE CAME OVER ... Brkndwnhnda: you re 14 he's 18 and you're taking a huuuuuge risk! obviously you two dont care and neither to [sic] I! Karebear0005: we dont care? about what Brkndwnhnda: about the trouble you could cause if someone found out Karebear0005: him might going to jail ... Karebear0005: WE TOOK THAT RISK Karebear0005:YOU CANT UNDERSTAND Brkndwnhnda: ... i cant keep this a secret anymore! either you two are talking to me or i'm not keeping this quiet ... Karebear0005: who are you gonna tell? Karebear0005: hm Karebear0005: his rents Karebear0005: mine Karebear0005: thanks a lot kayla" It isn't yet clear whether Kayla was the one to tip off Borden's parents about the relationship, which court documents have described as "sexual," but the investigation is continuing. Ludwig had some revealing posts on his blogs too, including a long string of pictures of himself. In some, the teenager made funny faces at the camera. In others, he held a sword and looked sinister. The Ludwig-Borden case isn't the only recent one in which such Internet diaries have been a crime-solving thread. In September, the blog of a 17-year-old Virginia college student who disappeared and was later found dead, and that of a 38-year-old photographer who had had a romantic relationship with her, proved crucial. Though the photographer, Ben Fawley, hasn't been formally charged with killing Taylor Marie Behl, he confessed to causing her death accidentally during "rough sex" and is in a Richmond jail on child pornography charges, still the focus of the investigation. In another missing-person-turned-homicide case in Quebec, Kurt Lauder, 23, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Shanna Poissant — whose body was found buried in the woods. Police reportedly took Lauder into custody after the following anonymous tip was posted on the WhoKilledTheresa blog (dedicated to another unsolved-murder victim) and then sent on to them by the blogger: "I was at a party near Hemmingford and was told that she was given extasy [sic] pills by Kurt Lauder and she overdosed. He then panicked and buried her body....Anonymus [sic]." Lauder had already been a focus of the investigation, and detectives haven't commented on whether the Internet tip has factored into the case, but it could have at least corroborated what they already suspected. "Blogs have actually assisted in some cases," said Helen Smith, a forensic psychologist in Knoxville, Tenn., who has a Web log available through her ViolentKids.com site. "There are crimes that have been solved or stopped because of blogs." In the future, blogs could serve as tip lines for gumshoes and police departments. "It's easier and more protected than a 1-800 tip hotline," said Robert McCrie, professor of security management at John J. College of Criminal Justice in New York. "The individual can put down what he or she wants to put down and isn't going to be interrogated by a trained person on the other line." Both ill-fated couples, Borden and Ludwig and Behl and Fawley, chatted with each other on their blogs. Behl's and Fawley's blogs on MySpace.com and LiveJournal.com have been taken down since her death and his arrest. Before that happened, some of their Web conversations were there for all to see. One, which took place after the Virginia Commonwealth University freshman went to Fawley's off-campus apartment for the first time, was reprinted by The Washington Post on Oct. 3. Behl had asked some of her 100 or so Web pals to post musings about her. "This very attractive girl climbed up into my bunk @ 407, the last girl to do so before the move," wrote Fawley, screen name "Skulz67," in the first response to her request. "well I was curious," Behl replied. "...so was i ... fact I still am ..." agreed Fawley, who sometimes went by the screen name "Skulz." Borden's and Ludwig's blogs on Xanga.com have been taken down since they were caught and he was arrested. Her MySpace blog is still set to private, and his MySpace page is still accessible. Few direct online exchanges have turned up between Ludwig and Borden. Police now say Borden willingly went on the lam with Ludwig after he killed her parents, and prosecutors have dropped kidnapping charges against him. In an Oct. 3 entry after "David" writes that he has just set up his MySpace blog, "Kara Beth" gushes: "*YAY* heh you have to leave me a comment babe!! k? mk byeeeeeee lyl. <3Kara<3" Her photo, taken while she was mugging for the camera, her eyes rolled upward, has been removed, as has her screen name — which now is listed as "nonya." "People do bare their souls on blogs," Smith said. "A lot of these people are braggers." Smith said it's especially common for boys to disclose information they might not tell others face-to-face, since they tend to be more tight-lipped than girls. Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, for instance, set up a Web site documenting their plot long before they carried it out. Unfortunately, no one paid much attention until after the fact. "People do put their intentions up and [others] don't take them seriously, mostly because it's people they know and they don't think they're really going to do something," said Smith, who happens to be married to famed Instapundit.com blogger Glenn Reynolds. There's another, even darker side to the blogs-and-crime phenomenon. Sometimes the modern-day journals open people up to being victimized by the many unsavory characters who troll the Internet. Online, predators can pretend to be whomever they want. "Could stalkers pick up on blogs? Could criminals pick up on blogs?" wondered Keith F. Durkin, a criminologist at Ohio Northern University. "I could find out a lot about the car you drive, what your habits are. It concerns me from a security standpoint." He and others say the key is to educate people — especially pre-teens and teens, among whom personal Web logs are heavily used — about the dangers, since those blogging and chatting from home online tend to have a false sense of security. Those deciding to pen a "Dear Diary" in cyberspace should keep their sites private whenever possible so they have the right to accept or deny any "friend" who wants to link to them. They should also avoid posting too much personal information of any kind (last name, street address or hometown, photographs of cars with visible license plates, etc.) and be very careful about their correspondents. "Any time you have communication on the Internet that's unfiltered and you don't really know who you're talking to, it could be a lure for criminals to exploit that situation," said Vicino, the Pasadena police commander. "You can pretend and lie. ... There's nothing to verify who you're talking to, and it's dicey." Blogs do have their limits, of course — and their role in crime-solving is no exception. Though cops don't need a search warrant to check Web logs remotely, it isn't so easy to use them as evidence in court. Even pen-to-paper diaries aren't always admitted if their author can't definitively be proven, because hearsay is forbidden. The standard of proof is even higher for online content because, unlike journals, blogs don't come with a person's handwriting to analyze or fingerprints to test. "I have a hard time understanding how you can use a blog as evidence, short of hard corroboration of what is in it from some other source," said Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police. "In and of itself, it's a handful of smoke." Thanks to foxnews.com for this story.

November 29, 2005

Stan Berenstein dies at 82

The world lost one of the greatest kids book writers today. PHILADELPHIA — The man who helped create the popular children's books about the Berenstain Bears has died. Stan Berenstain was 82. He co-wrote and illustrated the books with his wife, Jan, after developing the series with the help of children's author Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. The first of more than 200 Berenstain Bears books was published in 1962, with the goal of teaching children to read while entertaining them.

Epsilon Enters Atlantic as number 26

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Epsilon formed Tuesday in the central Atlantic, where it was a threat only to shipping, forecasters said. The 26th named storm of the busiest Atlantic hurricane season on record was expected to be absorbed by other weather systems and shouldn't affect land, said Jennifer Pralgo, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. At 10 a.m. EST, Epsilon had top sustained wind of about 45 mph. It was centered about 845 miles east of Bermuda and about 1,395 miles west of the Azores Islands. It was moving west near 8 mph and was expected to continue that movement for at least 24 hours. The six-month Atlantic hurricane season ends Wednesday, but forecasters warn that tropical storms and hurricanes can develop in December.

Al-Zarqawi disowned AGAIN

Well has al-Zarqawi has done it again. Joining the likes of Osama. Both running scared. Attacking helpless people and claiming the lives of innocent individuals and then running. Why do you keep doing this where is your honor? Attacking and running. Show your face punk. AMMAN, Jordan - More than 370 members of the clan of al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi joined his family Tuesday in publishing a full-page letter in Jordanian newspapers disowning him. The letter was the family's second attempt in 20 days to convince Jordanians that it has renounced all ties to the militant who has claimed responsibility for the Nov. 9 attacks on Amman hotels in which three suicide bombers killed 60 people and wounded hundreds of others. Al-Zarqawi, whose real name is Ahmad Fadheel Nazzal al-Khalayleh, uses a name derived from the Jordanian city of Zarqa, where he was born, about 17 miles northeast of Amman. He runs the al-Qaida in Iraq group, which has carried out a campaign of bombings and kidnappings in Iraq. The United States has offered $25 million for information leading to his capture. "We, the sons of the Bani Hassan tribe in all its branches in the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan, support and express solidarity with our cousins, the al-Khalayleh clan, and their decision to sever relations with the terrorist Ahmad Fadheel Nazzal al-Khalayleh, who calls himself Abu Musab al-Zarqawi," said the letter published in four leading newspapers. "We condemn all terrorist actions carried out or claimed by this individual actions which are alien to members of this tribe," continued the letter, which bore the stamps and signatures of more than 370 clan members. The Bani Hassan is one of the largest of Jordan's nearly 100 major Bedouin tribes, which form the bedrock of support for the royal family. Its members hold senior posts in the army and other government departments. Referring to the family of King Abdullah II, the letter added: "We reiterate our support for the Hashemite Crown which, God willing, will always be protected, and we uphold the pledge of our ancestors to be a sword in the hands of the noble Hashemite dynasty." In a similar letter on Nov. 20, almost 60 members of al-Zarqawi's extended family disowned him and pledged fidelity to the crown. Al-Zarqawi has claimed responsibility for several terror attacks in Jordan, including a plot to cause a chemical explosion that would have killed thousands of people, according to government experts. The plot was foiled in April 2004. A Jordanian court condemned him to death in absentia for planning the attack that led to the 2002 murder of U.S. aid worker Laurence Foley. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures

Dish Texas

Looks like they found a taker in Clark, Texas, who took EchoStar up on their offer to rename their humble town of fifty five homes and 125 people, DISH. Yes, that’s DISH, TX. And in return the town’s residents get ten years of free service for their humility and acquiescence to corporate branding — at an estimated net value of $4,500 per home. Congratulations! Though as long as the word’s still out on all-you-can-eat Pay-Per-View we’re not gonna be putting our respective places on the market. Hook that up — hoo boy — and we might all have to relocate. Texas Town Renames Itself 'DISH' Dish TX (SPX) Nov 17, 2005 EchoStar Communications, its DISH Network satellite TV service, and the town of Clark, Texas, announced today that the town of Clark has accepted DISH Network's challenge to re-brand itself as part of the DISH City Makeover. As of today, Clark, Texas, a small tight-knit bedroom community located a half hour north of Fort Worth, Texas, has legally changed its name to DISH, Texas. In exchange, DISH Network has agreed to provide every household in the town of DISH 10 years of free basic satellite TV programming, including equipment and standard installation. DISH Network introduced the DISH City Makeover as part of recent re-branding efforts and a new advertising campaign trumpeting "Better TV for All." "We are thrilled that the town of Clark has accepted the DISH City Makeover challenge," said Michael Neuman, president of EchoStar's DISH Network. "By officially changing the town's name, the residents of DISH will experience first hand what 'Better TV for All' truly means, while at the same time saving hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next decade." The Clark Town Commissioners voted to rename the town DISH Tuesday evening at a packed town hall meeting. Clark, first incorporated as a town in 2000, is located 25 miles north of Ft. Worth and has a population of 125. The town of Clark is a rural agricultural and ranching community as well as a bedroom community for commuters who work in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. "We are all very excited about our new relationship with DISH Network," said Bill Merritt, Mayor of DISH, Texas. "We accepted this challenge because we believe this relationship will give us a unique opportunity to put our town on the map, and we hope it will help us attract new people and businesses so that our town can grow in the right direction. With free DISH Network satellite TV, we'll become a place people are proud to be a part of." Under the terms of the agreement, DISH Network agrees to provide every household within the city limits America's Top 60 programming package for 10 years, free standard installation and a free digital video recorder satellite TV receiver. In return, the town of Clark will legally change its name to DISH. Town signs will be changed to reflect the town's new identity, including the signs at the town hall, the town entrance, and all of the city limit signs. DISH Network provides "Better TV for All" by giving customers the latest technology such as high definition and digital video recording, award-winning customer satisfaction and lowest price for all-digital programming across America.

Bird Flu can be stopped

WASHINGTON - Vaccines can keep chickens from dying of bird flu, but can immunized birds still silently spread infection? It's an important question, as China and Vietnam vaccinate millions of chickens in an effort to stamp out a worrisome strain of bird flu called H5N1. Scientists in the Netherlands put the question to a test using vaccines against a different strain and concluded that vaccinating poultry indeed can block viral spread between birds. "Vaccination can be an attractive tool to prevent outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI (avian influenza) viruses in poultry, thereby achieving the aim of eliminating the source of human infections," concludes lead researcher J.A. van der Groot of the Netherlands' Central Institute for Animal Disease Control. Birds catch numerous strains of influenza, but only a few types are particularly deadly to both fowl and people. Today, the H5N1 strain is the worst. At least 68 people so far have died from H5N1 in Asia since 2003, almost all linked to contact with sick birds and millions of birds have died or been slaughtered in an effort to contain the virus. Health experts fear that the bird flu one day could mutate into a virus that is easily passed from person to person, sparking a global epidemic. Hence the interest in chicken vaccines. Previous research found that vaccination could protect individual chickens from falling ill with various flu strains. But there have been reports of asymptomatic chickens shedding virus after vaccination, raising concern. So van der Groot and colleagues tested two vaccines against the H7N7 bird-flu strain, by housing infected chickens together with healthy vaccinated ones. Two weeks after inoculation, both vaccines completely blocked H7N7 spread between chickens, they reported Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Some transmission occurred one week after vaccination, but the virus' reproduction rate already had dropped enough that the researchers predict only a small number of new infections that soon after the shots. There were marginal differences in effectiveness between the two vaccines, however, leading the researchers to conclude that poultry vaccines' ability to stop viral spread should be tested before health authorities choose which one to use. The research backs guidelines from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, which recommends targeted vaccination of poultry as one measure to control outbreaks of bird flu along with other steps such as culling infected flocks and already warns that it can take two weeks for full protection. So far, the H5N1 virus has not been found in U.S. birds. If a bird outbreak did occur here, the Agriculture Department stockpiles poultry vaccine that would be used to help contain it. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures

November 27, 2005

5.9 Quake hits Iran

TEHRAN, Iran — An earthquake measuring at least magnitude-5.9 shook southern Iran on Sunday, killing 10 people and flattening at least four villages, officials said. The temblor was felt as far away as Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Heidar Alishvandi, the governor of Qeshm, was quoted by state-run television as saying rescue teams were deployed to the affected areas, which included four destroyed villages. He said people in those villages moved quickly to safely. Another provincial official, Ghasem Karami, told The Associated Press that high casualties were not expected because the area is sparsely populated. Tehran's seismologic center said the quake measured magnitude-5.9, but the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo., said it was a magnitude-6.1 temblor. A magnitude-6.0 quake can cause severe damage. Iran's seismologic center said the epicenter was in the waters of the Persian Gulf between the port city of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island. The USGS said the quake was located 35 miles southwest of Bandar Abbas. Masoud Dalman, head of Hormozgan province's emergency affairs, said several buildings on Qeshm Island were damaged. The island, which has about 200,000 residents, is about 940 miles south of Tehran, the capital. Shahram Alamdari, head of the rescue unit for the Iranian Red Crescent, said two helicopters were evacuating the injured from Qeshm to Bandar Abbas, a city of 500,000 people that also was jolted by the quake. In Oman and the United Arab Emirates, buildings were evacuated and people fled into the streets. "Power and water supplies were not affected," said Alireza Khorshidzadeh, a local journalist. "People poured into the streets, fearing aftershocks." In Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, buildings were evacuated as people scrambled for safety. "It lasted around 30 seconds or so — you could feel the building moving and the coffee cups shaking," said public relations executive Bina Mathews. Several buildings along Dubai's Sheik Zayed Road, the skyscraper-lined central business district, have been evacuated. They included the twin Emirates Towers, the highest buildings on the street, where many international corporations and Dubai government institutions have offices. Iran is located on a number of seismic fault lines and, on average, experiences at least one slight quake every day. The last major quake to hit southern Iran was in February, when a magnitude-6.4 temblor rocked Zarand, a town of about 15,000 people in Kerman province, about 602 miles southeast of Tehran. It killed 612 people and injured more than 1,400, leveling several villages and leaving thousands of people homeless.

November 26, 2005

Man arrested for beastality

Dreketi - An unidentified 21-year-old man employed as a cane cutter has been charged with unnatural offense and beastality for having sex with a goat. The man was reportedly staying with a relative when the incident occurred. He will face charges in a Labasa court.

5.5 Earthquake rocks China

Saturday, November 26, 2005 BEIJING — A magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook part of central China on Saturday, killing at least 14 people and injuring nearly 400, the government said. The official Xinhua News Agency said the quake happened around 9 a.m. local time, with the epicenter in Ruichang, a city of 420,000 in Jiangxi province. Hundreds of homes collapsed and thousands were damaged, Xinhua said. "The earthquake this morning was quite scary," said a shopkeeper in Ruichang reached by telephone who would only give her surname Zhou. Many people in Ruichang were staying outside for fear of aftershocks. She said she felt a milder trembling of the earth around 1:00 p.m. Tents were set up outside a hospital treating some of the 377 injured. The United States National Earthquake Information Center reported the quake was magnitude 5.5.

November 24, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving

Some things to reflect on this year on 24 Nov 2005 We are Thankful: FOR THE WIFE WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT, BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME, AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. FOR THE HUSBAND WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO, BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS. FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES BECAUSE IT MEANS HE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS. FOR THE TAXES I PAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED. FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME. FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.. FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION . FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM. FOR T HE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR. FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR. FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD. FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE. AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

Jordan King Calls for All-Out War on Islamic Militancy

AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan's King Abdullah II urged his new prime minister Thursday to launch an all-out war against Islamic militancy in the wake of the triple hotel bombings earlier this month that killed 63 people. In a letter to newly appointed Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit, Abdullah said the Nov. 9 bombings "increase our determination to stick to our reform and democratization process, which is irreversible." "At the same time, it reaffirms our need to adopt a comprehensive strategy to confront the Takfiri culture," Abdullah said, referring to the ideology adopted by Al Qaeda and other militants who condone the killing of those they consider infidels. Abdullah said the strategy should "not only deal with the security dimension, but also the ideological, cultural and political spheres to confront those who choose the path of destruction and sabotage to reach their goals." Al-Bakhit was Jordan's ambassador to Israel until appointed to head the national security council six days after the bombings. Prime Minister Adnan Badran resigned earlier Thursday, the official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the press. The official Petra news agency confirmed Badran's resignation, saying the prime minister, had tendered his Cabinet's resignation to the king and the monarch accepted it. Badran took office in April. The change of government is part of general shake-up following the suicide bombings, which hurt Jordan's reputation as one of the most stable countries in the Middle East. Al-Bakhit was appointed Nov. 15 to head the national security council. Government officials said the king may have chosen al-Bakhit because of his reputation as a tough former general who ran a southern Jordanian university that trains army and police recruits.

November 23, 2005

19 Shot of Tequila kills man

OSLO, Norway — A 32-year-old Norwegian bartender was sentenced to six months in prison Wednesday for serving a customer so much tequila that he fell into a coma and died. According to a district court in the southwestern city of Hokksund the bartender, whose name was withheld, pleaded guilty to serving 34-year-old Leif Henning Nilsen 19 shots of the strong Mexican liquor in 90 minutes at the Spiseriet restaurant in May 2004. Nilsen lost consciousness and died three days later. The court said it could not hold the bartender accountable for the death itself, but sentenced him to prison for illegally serving alcohol to a clearly intoxicated person. The ruling said the bartender intentionally contributed to the excess by drinking shots of water, tricking the victim into what he thought was a drinking contest. "In the court's opinion, it is hard to imagine a more serious case of excessive alcohol serving," said the ruling, which also revoked the bartender's right to have any job that involves serving alcohol for five years. The restaurant was in Vikersund, about 25 miles west of the capital, Oslo. Thanks to Foxnews.com for this story.

Tropical Strom Delta forms in central Atlantic

MIAMI — The record-breaking hurricane season continued Wednesday when Tropical Storm Delta formed in the central Atlantic, but it only posed a threat to shipping, forecasters said. The 25th named storm of the season had top sustained winds of about 60 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Delta could briefly strengthen into the 14th hurricane of the season. "It's way out there in the middle of nowhere," hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart said. "It shouldn't threaten the United States or probably any other land area for that matter." At 4 p.m. EST, Delta was centered about 1,150 miles southwest of the Azores Islands. It was moving south-southeast near 9 mph and was expected to turn north. Delta was a large storm: Tropical storm-force winds stretched out up to 345 miles from its center. The record of 21 tropical storms and hurricanes in a season had stood since 1933, but it was broken this year. The 13 hurricanes so far this year also broke the record of 12 set in 1969. Hurricane Katrina became the most expensive U.S. hurricane ever and the deadliest one to hit America since 1928.

New President of Liberia

MONROVIA, Liberia (CNN) -- Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has been declared president of Liberia following runoff elections, having received nearly 60 percent of the vote. clink on link below: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/11/23/liberia/index.html

Troop levels may drop according to Rice

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States will probably not need to maintain its current troop levels in Iraq "very much longer," though she declined to provide a precise timetable for reduction in U.S. forces. Rice appeared to set the stage for such a reduction, saying the Iraqi forces are doing a better job of holding their own against insurgents. "I do not think that American forces need to be there in the numbers that they are now because _ for very much longer _ because Iraqis are stepping up," Rice told Fox News in an interview Tuesday. "This is not just a matter of training numbers of Iraqi forces, but actually seeing them hold territory." The Bush administration has been under fire in Congress to set a timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq. President Bush has steadfastly declined to set such a timetable and has said the U.S. will stay in Iraq as long as it takes to ensure the country's stability and democracy. Iraq holds parliamentary elections Dec. 15. Rice said Bush will take his guidance from commanders in the field. The Washington Post reported in Wednesday's editions that the Pentagon tentatively plans to reduce the number of U.S. forces in Iraq early next year by as many as three combat brigades, down from 18 there now. There are now almost 160,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. The Post, citing unidentified senior military officers, said one brigade will be kept "on call" in Kuwait in case more troops are needed quickly. Rice did not comment on specific troop levels. But in an interview with CNN, she said, "I suspect that the American forces are not going to be needed in the numbers that they are there for all that much longer because Iraqis are continuing to make progress in function, not just in numbers but in their capabilities to do certain functions like, for instance, holding a highway between the airport and the center of the city, something that our forces were doing just a short time ago, they're now doing." "I think that's how the president will want to look at this," she said.

November 22, 2005

Iranian exile reports nuke's hiding in tunnels.

WASHINGTON — Iran has expanded the tunnels it uses to hide a major part of its nuclear weapons program to a network covering a large area of southeastern Tehran, an Iranian exile who opposes that nation's Islamic government said Monday. Alireza Jafarzadeh said the secret construction of missiles extends well beyond Parchin, a military zone 20 miles southeast of the Iranian capital. Jafarzadeh told reporters in September about the Parchin tunnels. On Monday, Jafarzadeh said that on orders of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian defense ministry has taken over an area in eastern and southern regions of Tehran. Jafarzadeh is credited with having aired Iranian military secrets in the past, but U.S. officials consider some of his assertions to have been inaccurate. Despite accusations from the United States and the European Union, Iran denies any nuclear weapons ambitions, saying its nuclear program is purely for civilian needs. It has rejected new inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, and expressed opposition to a proposal by European countries to have reprocessing of Iran's nuclear material done in Russia. North Korean experts have cooperated with Iran in the design and building of the complex, producing blueprints, for instance, Jafarzadeh said. A leading Iranian aerospace group, Hemmat Industries, is located in the area and is building three versions of Shahab and Ghadar missiles, he said. The Shahab 3 has a range of 1,300 to 1,900 kilometers and Ghadar, still in the production stage, 2,500 to 3,000 kilometers, he said. Some of the tunnels are located in Kahk Sefid Mountain, he said. In an interview, Jafarzadeh said the most significant development was that Iran was concentrating its work on missiles and nuclear warheads all together in tunnels underground in the Tehran area. "I think the United States should be doubly worried about this because President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sped up its nuclear weapons program and the revolutionary guards are now dominating all three branches of power — executive, legal and judicial," Jafarzadeh said. "It's a nightmare," he said. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack agreed that Iran has a covert nuclear program. "It's hidden from sight and it's hidden through a variety of means," he said. However, McCormack said he did not know about Jafarzadeh's latest disclosures. And there's been "a very mixed record in terms of some of these groups in talking about so-called revelations about Iran's nuclear programs." Negotiations between the European Union and Iran are stalemated. Paul Leventhal, founding president of the Nuclear Control Institute, a private watchdog group, criticized the Bush administration for trying to defuse the standoff by endorsing a Russian proposal to let Iran enrich its own uranium so long as the enrichment is done in Russia. "The United States has stepped onto a slippery slope," he said, and given Iran's record of concealment and deception, "this is an approach that invites serious trouble for the future." Thanks to foxnews.com for this report.

November 21, 2005

The Turkenducken Blog

Over the next week, I'll be chronicling my adventures as I prepare for the very first time to make an unholy concoction — a Turducken. While I know my way around a kitchen, I have never had formal training and am pretty much self-taught. Think of me as Rocky training for the big fight. The Turducken would be Clubber Lang. It pities the fool who won't eat it. Click on link below for more information: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175233,00.html

Web-site producer nabbed by U.S.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Web site run by al-Qaida in Iraq was strangely quiet during the referendum on the new Iraqi constitution. There were no threats against voters, no boasts of disrupting the vote. And now we know one reason why. A top propaganda agent for al-Qaida in Iraq, known as Abu Dijana, was captured shortly before the vote, according to the U.S. military. Abu Dijana was responsible for much of what has appeared on the Web site called "al-Qaida in Iraq," including provocative videos of suicide bombings and crucial communications to al-Qaida fighters. Here is how the al-Qaida Web site works: On any given day in Baghdad, Baquba, or any of a dozen cities, a suicide car bomb explodes. The target is an American convoy, local Iraqi police or perhaps civilians exiting a mosque. Within minutes, a report is sent out by news services like The Associated Press and MSNBC.com. But, the news also circulates on a fascinating and, some would say, disturbing Web site operated by al-Qaida.

Brothers in the cause of Freedom.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,176198,00.html

November 20, 2005

al-Zarqawi may be among those dead.

U.S. forces sealed off a house in the northern city of Mosul where eight suspected al-Qaida members died in a gunfight — some by their own hand to avoid capture. A U.S. official said Sunday that efforts were under way to determine if terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was among the dead. Insurgents, meanwhile, killed an American soldier and a Marine in separate attacks over the weekend, while a British soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in the south. In Washington, a U.S. official said the identities of the terror suspects killed in the Saturday raid was unknown. Asked if they could include al-Zarqawi, the official replied: "There are efforts under way to determine if he was killed." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. On Saturday, police Brig. Gen. Said Ahmed al-Jubouri said the raid was launched after a tip that top al-Qaida operatives, possibly including al-Zarqawi, were in the house in the northeastern part of the city. During the intense gunbattle that followed, three insurgents detonated explosives and killed themselves to avoid capture, Iraqi officials said. Eleven Americans were wounded, the U.S. military said. Such intense resistance often suggests an attempt to defend a high-value target. American soldiers controlled the site Sunday, and residents said helicopters flew over the area throughout the day. Some residents said the tight security was reminiscent of the July 2003 operation in which Saddam Hussein's sons, Odai and Qusai, were killed in Mosul. The elusive al-Zarqawi has narrowly escaped capture in the past. U.S. forces said they nearly caught him in a February 2005 raid that recovered his computer. In May, the group said he was wounded in fighting and was taken out of the country for treatment. Within days, it reported he had returned — though there was never any independent confirmation that he was wounded.

Al-Zarqawi's family severs tie!

AMMAN, Jordan — Family members of Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi renounced the terrorist leader Sunday after his Al Qaeda in Iraq group claimed responsibility for the Nov. 9 attacks on three Amman hotels that killed 59 people. The family of al-Zarqawi, whose real name is Ahmed Fadheel Nazzal al-Khalayleh, reiterated their strong allegiance to Jordan's King Abdullah II in half-page advertisements in the kingdom's three main newspapers. Al-Zarqawi threatened to kill the king in an audiotape released Friday. "A Jordanian doesn't stab himself with his own spear," said the statement by 57 members of the al-Khalayleh family, including al-Zarqawi's brother and cousin. "We sever links with him until doomsday." The statement is a serious blow to al-Zarqawi, who no longer will enjoy the protection of his tribe and whose family members may seek to kill him. "As we pledge to maintain homage to your throne and to our precious Jordan ... we denounce in the clearest terms all the terrorist actions claimed by the so-called Ahmed Fadheel Nazzal al-Khalayleh, who calls himself Abu Musab al-Zarqawi," the family members said. "We announce, and all the people are our witnesses, that we — the sons of the al-Khalayleh tribe — are innocent of him and all that emanates from him, whether action, assertion or decision." The statement said anyone who carried out such violence in the kingdom does not enjoy its protection. The al-Khalayleh tribe is a branch of the Bani Hassan, one of the area's largest and most prominent Bedouin tribes, which help form the bedrock of support for the royal family's Hashemite dynasty. Relatives hold senior posts in the army and other government departments. Al-Zarqawi often boasted of his family's influence when he was jailed in his native Jordan, said Yousef al-Rababaah, an ex-convict who shared al-Zarqawi's cellblock for four years until both were freed under a royal amnesty in 1999. "Prison wardens and other prisoners feared him because of his family connections and influence," he told The Associated Press recently. The family statement follows a rally Friday by dozens of angry al-Khalayleh tribe members, who also denounced al-Zarqawi. The terrorist leader took his name from the city of Zarqa, 17 miles northeast of Amman. "If my son was a terrorist, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him," family member Mousa al-Khalayleh said during Friday's rally, claiming he spoke on behalf of the tribe. "This is the slogan raised by the tribe as of this moment." Sunday's message was similar to one sent last year by some members of al-Zarqawi's clan to Abdullah. That message, which contained fewer signatories, severed links with the terrorist for claiming a failed plot in April 2004 that targeted the Amman headquarters of Jordan's intelligence agency, the prime minister's office and the U.S. Embassy. Officials have said thousands of people would have been killed had the attacks been carried out. Al-Zarqawi has claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks in Jordan and was sentenced to death in absentia for planning a conspiracy that led to the 2002 killing of U.S. aid worker Laurence Foley. He also leads a campaign of bombings and kidnappings in Iraq, and the United States has offered $25 million for information leading to his capture. Thanks to foxnews.com for this report.

November 18, 2005

Gamma may hit Florida by next week.

The 24th named storm of the season may hit Florida by next week in hurricane status. Gamma formed last week off the Coast of central America. This season has been the busiest on record. Stay tuned to see what this storm may bring to Central America and the U.S.

November 17, 2005

6.9 Quake hits Boliva and Chile

Click on link for more information. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175953,00.html

November 15, 2005

Rev. Adrian Rogers passes away.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Rev. Adrian Rogers, a three-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention and leader of a conservative takeover of the faith, died early Wednesday in Memphis. He was 74.

Gamma could hit hurricane status.

MIAMI — A tropical depression was developing Monday in the southeast Caribbean Sea and was expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Gamma, the National Hurricane Center said. By the end of the week the storm is expected to be south of Jamaica, where the Caribbean is still warm enough to feed a major hurricane, said hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart. However, the storm, which formed Sunday, is not expected to threaten the United States. At 10 p.m. EST, the storm was centered about 275 miles south of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its maximum sustained wind speed was about 35 mph and was it was moving west-northwest at about 9 mph. Dangerous rip currents and up to 12 inches of rain were possible across the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Stewart said. If the system becomes a tropical storm — which would happen if its maximum sustained wind reaches 39 mph — it would become the 24th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, extending this year's record. The previous record of 21 named storms had stood since 1933. Letters from the Greek alphabet are being used to name storms because the list of 21 storm names was exhausted.

November 14, 2005

Strong earthquake shake Japan

A strong earthquake shook northern Japan early Tuesday, triggering a small tsunami that struck coastal areas about 200 miles from the epicenter. There were no immediate reports of damage. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude 7.2, hit at 6:39 a.m. (4:39 p.m. EST Monday) and was centered off the east coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Japan's Meteorological Agency measured the magnitude at 6.9, it said. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy. A 12-inch tsunami wave hit the city of Ofunato, and two 4- to 8-inch waves generated by the quake struck two other towns in the area, the agency said. Tsunami waves — those generated by earthquakes — are often barely noticeable in the ocean but can rise to great heights once they arrive at shore. There were no immediate reports of damage. The quake hit at a depth of about 15 miles and was centered off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan, 330 miles east of Tokyo, the USGS said. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries because it sits atop four tectonic plates. A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan in August, injuring at least 59 people, triggering landslides, damaging buildings and causing widespread power outages. There was no destructive Pacific Ocean-wide tsunami threat following the earthquake, based on historical quake and tsunami data, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. However, earthquakes as large as Tuesday's can general local tsunamis capable of causing destruction along coastlines within 60 miles of the epicenter, according to the center. The quake struck 215 miles east of the Japanese coastline, according to the USGS. news.yahoo.com

New Bird flu outbreak in China

BEIJING — The government Monday reported a new case of bird flu in poultry in the country's east, while experts from the World Health Organization traveled to central China to investigate whether the virus killed a 12-year-old girl there. The latest poultry outbreak was first reported Nov. 6 when 800 birds died in Huainan, a city in Anhui province, China Central Television said. It was confirmed on Monday to be the virulent H5N1 strain that has killed at least 64 people in Asia since 2003, mostly through contact with infected birds. Some 126,000 poultry within two miles of the affected area were slaughtered as a precaution, the news report said. It was the second time in the last month that Anhui has reported an epidemic in its poultry. The last one was confirmed Oct. 24 in the city of Tianchang, where 2,100 geese and chickens were found dead of the virus. China has not confirmed any new human cases of bird flu, but authorities have warned that infections among people are inevitable if outbreaks among the country's vast poultry flocks cannot be controlled. Experts also fear H5N1 could mutate into a form that is easily passed from human to human and spark a pandemic. A six-member WHO team headed to the central province of Hunan on Monday to help determine if bird flu killed a girl and sickened two others in a village that suffered an outbreak in poultry last month, said Roy Wadia, a WHO spokesman in Beijing. The team will meet provincial officials and possibly visit the two patients — or their families — who became ill in Wantang village, where the government says 545 chickens and ducks died of bird flu. The girl died Oct. 17 after developing a high fever. Her 9-year-old brother, who showed the same symptoms, was discharged from a hospital over the weekend although doctors were still doing blood tests. A 36-year-old schoolteacher was said to be recovering. Also Monday, China said it would soon begin testing its own human vaccines for bird flu. Lab tests have already found the vaccines to be safe and effective on mice, the government's Xinhua News Agency said. Zhong Nanshan, director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, said China had developed a drug equivalent to Tamiflu, an antiviral believed to be the best available treatment for bird flu in humans. "It has some effect in treatment against the virus," Zhong, who was at the forefront of SARS research, said in an interview published Sunday in the Information Times newspaper. "There will be a new development in the near future." The report did not give any details on the Chinese drug or when it will be available. Meanwhile, Vietnam reported bird flu outbreaks in four provinces that experienced earlier cases, as well as in the northern port city of Haiphong where 1,000 poultry at four farms got sick and died, Agriculture Ministry official Hoang Van Nam said. The city has killed the remaining 4,000 chickens and ducks in the affected flocks. Officials also announced plans to close two wild bird sanctuaries to the public. "The bird flu is spreading faster and faster. We are mobilizing all forces, trying our utmost to prevent as much as we can and prepare for a possible pandemic on poultry as well as in humans," Nam said. Elsewhere, four hens discovered dead in the remote Romanian village of Caraorman in the Danube Delta have tested positive for the H5 subtype of bird flu, officials said. Authorities began culling about 2,000 domestic birds in the village on Monday, Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur told Realitatea TV. Further tests will be conducted on the dead birds to see if they were infected with the deadly H5N1 strain that has been detected in two other Romanian villages in the same region. Quarantines were imposed in the delta region after the earlier outbreak, with villagers ordered to keep domestic fowl confined in their yards. In South Korea, senior officials from the 21 countries taking part in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperative summit this week finished work on a statement leaders were expected to sign calling for increased cooperation on fighting bird flu. Officials said the members would agree to help each other develop a vaccine and enhance information-sharing between them. Thanks to foxnews.com

Gamma not expected to hit US

MIAMI — A tropical depression formed in the southeast Caribbean Sea and was expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Gamma on Monday, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm, which formed Sunday, was expected to be south of Jamaica by the end of the week, over Caribbean waters still warm enough to feed a major hurricane, said hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart. It is not expected to threaten the United States. At 4 a.m. EST, the storm was located about 150 miles west of St. Lucia. Its maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph and was moving west-northwest near 10 mph. Dangerous rip currents and up to 12 inches of rain were possible across the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Stewart said. If the system becomes a tropical storm — which will happen if its maximum sustained winds reach 39 mph — it would become the 24th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, extending this year's record. The previous record of 21 named storms had stood since 1933.

Guerrero found dead.

WWE Star Guerrero Found Dead in Hotel Sunday, November 13, 2005 MINNEAPOLIS — A World Wrestling Entertainment star was found dead in his hotel room Sunday in Minneapolis, where he was scheduled to appear that evening in a WWE show. Eduardo Gory Guerrero, 38, didn't respond to a wake-up call Sunday morning, authorities said. His nephew, fellow WWE wrestler Chavo Guerrero, and hotel security at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center forced their way into the room and found him. There were no apparent signs of foul play, police said. An autopsy was planned to determine how Guerrero died. His nephew said Guerrero was open about past drug and alcohol abuse but had been sober for four years. Guerrero was married and had three children. "This is a huge loss," said WWE chairman Vince McMahon. "Eddie was a wonderful, fun-loving human being. Eddie was a consummate performer." Guerrero was a featured star on the UPN series "WWE Smackdown!" and son of Mexican wrestler Gory Guerrero. Last year, he became the second wrestler of Hispanic heritage to be WWE champion, though he lost the title four months later. UPN also aired a special last year on his life, "Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story." The program chronicled Guerrero's childhood and his struggle with drug addiction that almost cost him his job, family and life.

Iowa Tornado

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175396,00.html

Jordan Applauds Capture of Would-Be Bomber

AMMAN, Jordan — The televised confession of an Iraqi woman — accused of being the fourth would-be suicide attacker — set Jordanians buzzing Monday, with some expressing joy over her capture and others venting anger over her deadly plans. Still others questioned if she was really involved in the bomb plot that killed 57 people in Wednesday's attacks on the Radisson SAS, Grand Hyatt and Days Inn hotels. Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi went from rural Iraqi obscurity to global notoriety overnight after her confession was aired Sunday in a broadcast beamed not just across Jordan, but throughout the Middle East and beyond. For more information click on link below: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175460,00.html

November 13, 2005

Complete List of Confirmed Al Qaeda Attacks

26-Feb-93 USA (New York) First World Trade Center bombing planned by Ramzi Youssef. 6 killed, over 1000 injured. 11-Dec-94 Philippines Small bomb on Philippines Airlines flight; 1 Japanese businessman killed, 10 people injured. 29-Jul-95 France (Paris and Lyon) 4-month bombing campaign. Attacks on the Paris metro, the Arc de Triomphe and outside a Jewish school in Lyon. 13-Nov-95 Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) Car bombs at military compound. 18-Sep-97 Egypt(Cairo) Gunmen attack a tourist bus. 9 Germans and 1 Egyptian killed. 17-Nov-97 Egypt (Luxor) Gunmen attack tourists. c.70 killed. 7-Aug-98 Kenya (Nairobi) and Tanzania (Dar-es-Salaam) Truck bomb attack against US embassies. Over 200 people killed, thousands injured. 12-Oct-00 Yemen Boat bomb attack on the USS Cole in the port of Aden. 17 US soldiers killed, 39 wounded. 11-Sep-01 USA (New York and Washington) Hijacked planes crashed into the two World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashes into a field in Pittsburgh. c. 3000 killed. 11-Apr-02 Tunisia Vehicle bomb attack against a synagogue on the resort island of Djerba. c.21 killed. 8-May-02 Pakistan (Karachi) Bomb attack against bus carrying French engineers near Sheraton Hotel. 14-Jun-02 Pakistan (Karachi) Truck bomb attack against US Consulate. 12 killed, 51 injured. 6-Oct-02 Yemen Boat bomb attack against French oil tanker MV Limburg off Ash Shahir port. 1 killed. 12-Oct-02 Indonesia (Bali) Attacks against US Consulate, Sari Club and Paddy's Bar. 202 killed, including 26 Britons. 28-Nov-02 Kenya (Mombasa) Attack on an Israeli-owned hotel. 12 killed. Surface-to-air missile launched at Israeli airliner the same day. 12-May-03 Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) Attacks at 3 compounds housing expatriates. Over 30 killed. 16-May-03 Morocco (Casablanca) Multiple suicide bombings against Spanish club, hotel and sites. 45 dead, c.100 injured. 5-Aug-03 Indonesia Vehicle bomb attack against Marriott Hotel. c. 12 killed, 100 injured. 8-Nov-03 Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) Major vehicle bomb attack against residential compound housing mainly expatriate workers from other Arab countries. 17 killed, over 80 injured. 15-Nov-03 Turkey (Istanbul) 2 vehicle bomb attacks at Jewish synagogues. 20-Nov-03 Turkey (Istanbul) 2 vehicle bombs at HSBC Bank and British Consulate. Together with 15 Nov attack, over 60 people killed (including 2 Britons). 11-Mar-04 Spain (Madrid) Bomb attacks against 4 trains. Terrorists blew themselves up when confronted by police. 199 killed. 1-May-04 Saudi Arabia (Yanbu) Attack on expatriate oil workers. 6 foreign nationals and 1 Saudi killed. 30-May-05 Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar) 4 attacks in Al Khobbar target oil companies and compound. 9-Sep-04 Indonesia (Jakarta) Vehicle bomb outside Australian Embassy. 9 killed, over 100 injured. 8-Oct-04 Egypt Large explosions at Hilton Hotel in Taba and at 2 campsites in the Sinai area. Over 30 killed. 28-Oct-04 Pakistan (Islamabad) Explosion at Marriott Hotel. 7 injured. 19-Mar-05 Qatar (Doha) Vehicle bomb attack outside the Doha Players' Theatre. 1 (British national) killed, 12 injured. 07-Apr-05 Egypt (Cairo) Attack near tourist bazaar in Cairo. 2 French nationals and one American killed, c.18 injured. 30-Apr-05 Egypt (Cairo) Tourist bus fired on in Cairo. 8 injured. 07-Jul-05 UK (London) 4 explosions - 3 in tube trains, one in bus. At least 52 dead, 700 injured. 09-Nov-05 Jordan (Amman) 3 Hotel explosions. At least 56 dead, over 200 injured

November 10, 2005

Jordanians Protest Against Al Qaeda

AMMAN, Jordan — Hundreds of angry Jordanians rallied Thursday outside one of three U.S.-based hotels attacked by homicide bombers, shouting, "Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi!" after the terrorist's group claimed responsibility for the blasts that killed at least 56 people. At least one American was killed and two were wounded, the U.S. Embassy said. Please click on following link for full coverage: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175150,00.html

Bird Flu now in Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY — Two cases of bird flu have been detected in fowl in Kuwait, a senior official said Thursday, the first evidence the virus has spread to the Persian Gulf region. Sheik Fahd Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, the head of the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries, said the first case was in an imported bird and was discovered at the airport. The second case, most probably a migrating wild fowl, was found on the beach, he said. The official said the country had no cases of bird flu among humans. He did not identify the strain of bird flu. The deadliest strain is the H5N1 variety

November 09, 2005

JORDAN HOTEL BLAST

At Least 18 Killed in Jordan Hotel Blasts By JAMAL HALABY, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago Explosions hit three hotels in the Jordanian capital Wednesday night, and at least 18 people were killed and 120 wounded. A police official said the explosions indicated the involvement of al-Qaida, which has launched coordinated attacks on high-profile, Western targets in the past. The first blast occurred at about 8:50 p.m. at the luxury Grand Hyatt hotel, popular with tourists and diplomats, and completely shattered its stone entrance. Associated Press reporter Jamal Halaby, who was at the hotel, counted seven bodies being taken away and many more wounded being carried out on stretchers. A few minutes later, police reported an explosion at the Radisson SAS Hotel a short distance away. Police said five people were killed and at least 20 were wounded in the blast at a wedding hall. The hotel is popular with American and Israeli tourists and was the target of a plot in 2000. A third explosion was reported at the Days Inn Hotel, and police said there were casualties. Police had no word on what caused the explosions, although an American businessman at the Grand Hyatt said a bomb went off in the lobby. Witnesses saw smoke rising from the building. Jordan, a close U.S. ally, has arrested scores of Islamic militants for plotting to carry out attacks in the moderate Arab kingdom. It has also sentenced numerous militants to death in absentia, including the Jordanian-born leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In July, prosecutors indicted five Jordanians in an alleged conspiracy to attack intelligence agents, tourists and hotels in Amman. Al-Zarqawi has not been linked to the alleged plot. U.S. officials believe al-Zarqawi and bin Laden operations chief Abu Zubaydah were chief organizers of a foiled plot to bomb the Radisson SAS Hotel. The attack was to take place during millennium celebrations, but Jordanian authorities stopped it in late 1999. Abu Zubaydah was captured in March in Faisalabad, Pakistan, in a raid by the CIA, FBI and Pakistani authorities. Al-Zarqawi remains at large.

Explosions hit 3 hotels in Jordan

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175079,00.html Courtesy of foxnews.com

November 07, 2005

WASHINGTON - For the fifth straight week, average retail gasoline prices have dropped nationwide, falling below $2.40 a gallon for the first time since early August. The federal Energy Information Administration said Monday that U.S. motorists paid $2.376 cents a gallon on average for regular grade last week, a decline of more than 10 cents from the previous week. MSNBC helped contribute to this post. Now since gas prices have started falling there is no mention of thanks to George W. Bush. And why not? Didn't everyone blame Mr. Bush for the rise in gas prices? Here is part of an article from ABCnews.com on March 23, 2005 BLAME — More Americans are now blaming President Bush for the rising oil and gas prices — 34 percent do, up from 27 percent last May. And Bush is also receiving more blame than others: Fewer, 19 percent, blame U.S. oil companies and 23 percent blame other oil producing countries. Well now gas prices are down and there have been no thank you's, not apologies, and no stories written that I have seen that have thanked the U.S. president for lowering the gas prices. Mr. Bush even tapped into the reserves to help out the American people. But there are alot of people who want to blame him for all of our hardships. Since we all know how he raised the prices. How ridiclous can people be? Get real. Sounds like another T.O. story. Or why don't we just blame the French?

Blogging 101--Web logs go to school

As a middle-school teacher, Clarence Fisher is used to spending some time each evening grading papers and reviewing lesson plans. But this year he's got an additional after-school task: updating his students' blogs. Fisher set up online personal journals--Web logs or blogs--this fall for each of his students at Joseph H. Kerr School in the Canadian town of Snow Lake, Manitoba. His combined seventh- and eighth-grade class generates about a dozen entries a day on topics ranging from classroom assignments to weekend plans, which Fisher reviews before posting online. For more information click on link below: http://g.msn.com/0US!s8.133038_3390/99.b13308/1??cm=DepartmentChip_NewLayout-S

November 06, 2005

Archaeologists Unveil Ancient Church Site

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press Writer Israeli prisoner Ramil Razilo was removing rubble from the planned site of a new prison ward when his shovel uncovered the edge of an elaborate mosaic, unveiling what Israeli archaeologists said Sunday may be the Holy Land's oldest church. The discovery of the church in the northern Israeli town of Megiddo, near the biblical Armageddon, was hailed by experts as an important discovery that could reveal details about the development of the early church in the region. Archaeologists said the church dated from the third century, decades before Constantine legalized Christianity across the Byzantine Empire. For more information click on link below: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051106/ap_on_sc/israel_ancient_church&printer=1;_ylt=Ajr.h4yKfDCG4_yvvt0jh09xieAA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE Thanks to Yahoonews for this story.

November 05, 2005

Eagles suspend WR Terrell Owens

Well T.O. has spoken again. And the apologized but it just wasn't enough this time. If you think back to the NFL Preseason. Owens cried and complained about his contract, teammates and lack of respect. And now at the mid point thru the season he is starting up again. Last week he agreed w/ Michael Irvin's comment that the Eagles would be undefeated if Brett Favre was their quaterback. And he is complaining about not getting the credit he deserved for catching his 100th career touchdown pass. Terrell Owens has never been happy with his contract. He always wants more money. Yes he did have one hell of a superbowl comeback but the Eagles still lost. Terrell Owens is becoming the equivelant of Barry Bonds in baseball and the Allen Iverson of basketball. They are all great players but crying is for sissy's. Grow up your making more money than most people who watch you play. TO once you comeback if you do to the Eagles or anyone else make sure you win the Superbowl before you demand more money. Up in Patriot land Tedy Bruschi's team WON the superbowl and how many of them did you hear asking for bigger and better contracts. JUST REMEMBER YOU LOST THE SUPERBOWL..T.O.

November 03, 2005

The CIA's Secret Jail.

This is a very interesting story of how prisoners taken into American custody are taken to a"Secret Jail" in other countries. This is not permissable by the Geneva Conventions. Click on link below for the full story. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,174338,00.html

Senators Evaluate Bush's Bird Flu Request

WASHINGTON — Senators asked federal health officials Wednesday how they would spend the $7.1 billion dollars President Bush requested a day earlier to prepare the nation for a possible outbreak of the avian flu (search). "Our goals in seeking this funding are to be able to produce a course of pandemic influenza vaccine for every American within six months of an outbreak," Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt (search) told the Senate Appropriations Committee. Leavitt fielded questions from senators on how the president's budget request would be used. The funding will also help provide antiviral drugs and other medical supplies to treat more than 25 percent of Americans. "We do not know if this virus will set off a global pandemic," Leavitt said. "We do know one will happen at sometime." Sen. Thad Cochran (search), R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee , asked Leavitt how quickly Congress needs to act. "The request before us is described as an emergency. Is it urgent?" Cochran asked. "We are in a vulnerable situation if it moves person to person," Leavitt responded. Federal officials said Wednesday that the United States might impose travel restrictions if the bird flu or other super-influenza strain mutates to a person-to-person virus. A pandemic would send out alarms nationwide for states and cities to ration scarce medications and triage patients to prevent further spread past hospital rooms, according to the federal plan. The plan follows Bush's announcement on Tuesday on how to prepare the nation for a possible outbreak with a preparedness strategy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Julie Gerberding said antiviral drugs have made remarkable progress and could possibly limit the spread of the flu even if a vaccine is not yet available. "Guidance emphasizes the importance of using antivirals first of all for treatment for people who identify flu-like symptoms and see a clinician within 48 hours. These drugs can reduce the severity and the duration of their symptoms," Gerberding told the Senate panel. "We really do have drugs now that are widely useful for reducing flu complications." The Bush administration's long-awaited strategy gives guidance to officials on how to organize a plan for their communities. Asian bird flu has killed more than 60 humans in Southeast Asia, mostly in Vietnam. It has not yet spread from human to human, but in the worst-case scenario outlined by international scientists, it could cause millions of deaths worldwide. Pandemics, or worldwide outbreaks, strike when the easy-to-mutate influenza virus shifts to a strain that people have never experienced before, something that happened three times in the last century. The president requested $7.1 billion from Congress to fight a pandemic, including $1.2 billion to stockpile vaccines for 20 million Americans. The government already has ordered $162.5 million worth of vaccine to be made and stockpiled against the Asian bird flu, more than half to be produced in a U.S. factory. Bush said the bird flu has affected more than 120 people and has had a fatality rate of about 50 percent. While the virus has spread in birds across the globe, no reports of the strain have been recorded in the United States. The plan includes: — $1.2 billion to stockpile enough vaccine against the current H5N1 flu strain to protect 20 million Americans, the estimated number of health workers and other first responders involved in a pandemic. If a similar bird flu causes a pandemic, the shots should provide some protection while better-matched versions are manufactured. — $1 billion for the drugs Tamiflu (search) and Relenza (search), which can treat and, in some cases, prevent flu infection. Enough to treat 44 million people and prevent infection in 6 million others is headed for the federal stockpile. States were told to buy 31 million treatment courses, but Bush is funding only a quarter of their anticipated bill. — $251 million for international preparations, including improving early warning systems to spot novel flu strains before they reach the U.S. — $100 million for state preparations, including determining how to deliver stockpiled medicines directly to patients. — $56 million to test poultry and wild birds for H5N1 or other new flu strains entering the U.S. bird population. — A call for Congress to provide liability protection for makers of a pandemic vaccine, which unlike shots against the regular winter flu would be experimental, largely untested. FOX News' Melissa Drosjack and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

New Evidence of Massive Black Hole

Chinese scientists said they had gathered evidence that shows a giant object in the center of our galaxy is a super-massive black hole. For more information click on link below: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/csp/sbc/hp/pcm/new_evidence_of_massive_black_hole/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051102/ts_nm/space_blackhole_dc Thanks to Yahoo for this story.