New Catalyst Produces Hydrogen from Water

A possible alternative to fossil fuels may not be too far into the future.

Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: New Catalyst Produces Hydrogen from Water: "The promise of a hydrogen economy, which would lessen dependence on nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels, hinges on the ability to produce and store large amounts of the clean-burning element. New results from experiments on a novel catalyst suggest that it can be used to coax hydrogen from water without the need for severe reaction conditions.

'We have discovered a catalyst that can produce ready quantities of hydrogen without the need for extreme cold temperatures or high pressures, which are often required in other production and storage methods,' remarks Mahdi Abu-Omar of Purdue University. The compound he and his colleagues used is a so-called coordination complex based on the metal rhenium. Originally looking for a method to convert chemicals called organosilanes into silanols, the team combined organosilanes and water in the presence of the rhenium complex at ambient temperature and pressure. After an hour, the reaction had produced hydrogen gas in addition to silanols. According to a report published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the method generates a large amount of hydrogen compared to the amount of water used." - Scientific American More...

Katrina: Gulf State's Mini Tsunami

Let's see if there is any offer of aid from the global community to the U.S. Citizens devistated by hurricane Katrina. Why do we feel the door only swings in one direction... ??

FEMA head calls Katrina damage 'catastrophic' - Oil and Gas - Energy - General: "New Orleans was reported to be 80% underwater, ports in the region were closed until further notice, and at least one levee break cause more flooding in the hard-city city.

Crude oil futures touched an all-time high of $70.85 in New York trading as investors sought to gauge the severity and longevity of disruption in the sector. See Futures Movers.

Rescuers searched by boat and helicopter for survivors and brought soaked victims to shelters.Katrina, potentially one of the costliest storms in U.S. history, was downgraded to a tropical depression on Tuesday, with the center of the storm charted about 25 miles south of Clarksville, Tenn. as of 11 a.m. Eastern time.

Rainfall accumulations of 2-6 inches will accompany Katrina across the Ohio Valley, the lower Great Lakes, and into northern New England, the Nationa. Weather Service sid.

In the aftermath of the storm, the National Weather Service also warned of the threat of tornadoes.

The storm hit the Gulf Coast early Monday as a Category 4 hurricane, with 145-mph winds." More...

If anyone has examples of at least token offers of foreign aid to the U.S. as a gesture of good will in the aftermath of Katrina we would love you to share it with our readers in the comments section or post at our sister site... ZZ OpenWeb. I'd willing to bet we don't get many leads. Share your thoughts with us on this question... voice your opinion.

Vacationing Bush Writes New Iraqi Constitution

Vacationing Bush Writes New Iraqi Constitution
by Scott Ott

(2005-08-26) -- (Crawford Tx) After weeks of failure by the Iraqi National Assembly to approve a draft of a new national charter, President George Bush today intervened and required the legislative body to adopt a constitution he recently composed while on vacation in Texas.

'I know most folks think I've just been goofing off and dodging Cindy Sheehan,' said Mr. Bush, 'but while I was sitting by the pool, sipping a sweet tea, I actually knocked out a pretty decent little Iraqi constitution. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. It's so much easier than waiting around for them to write their own.'

The new document, which immediately received the backing of the 150,000-member U.S. occupation force, provides all the rights and privileges enjoyed in America, without the years of struggle and debate which the U.S. Constitution required.

The president said his Iraqi constitution 'resolves ancient ethnic and religious tensions among Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds and creates an atmosphere of trust and peaceful fellowship between Iraqi citizens and the terrorists who have been blowing them up.'

'I'm still working on the Iraqi national anthem,' Mr. Bush added. 'What I've got so far reminds me of Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless the USA' but I'm making it sound real foreign so Iraqis will feel like it's their own song.'" Scott Ott / ScrappleFace

Who's On First - The Beltway Version

Thanks to Meggit33 ---

George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The main man in China!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you, Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you, or will you not, tell me the name of the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he's dead in the Middle East.
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars.

Who Would Jesus Assassinate?

Another case of hoof in mouth disease !!! Pat Robertson --- preacher gone haywire.

Mother Moonbat's Traveling Minstrel Show

Courtesy of LGF:

"The life of a peace mom is always—intense: Cindy Sheehan Planning Anti-War Bus Tour.

CRAWFORD, Texas - A fallen soldier’s mother said Thursday that the an [sic] anti-war vigil she started nearly three weeks ago near President Bush’s ranch won’t end when she and other protesters pack up the camp next week.

Cindy Sheehan said the day after she leaves Aug. 31, she will embark on a bus tour ending up in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24. Then the group will start a 24-hour vigil in the nation’s capital.

“I am not alone,” she said at a news conference Thursday. “There’s the people standing behind me here, but there’s thousands of military families ... who want the same answers to the same questions.”

On Wednesday, Sheehan returned to “Camp Casey,” named after her 24-year-old son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, who was killed last year in Iraq.

“This is where I belong, until Aug. 31, like I told the president,” Sheehan said at the Waco airport before driving about 20 miles to the Crawford site.

When Sheehan arrived at the campsite, she saw a large banner depicting her son’s face. She sobbed and said she felt ill. Supporters brought her water and cold towels, and she recovered about 20 minutes later.

UPDATE at 8/25/05 1:26:13 pm:

In her press conference today, Mother Sheehan described Osama Bin Laden as “allegedly” being behind the September 11 atrocities. (Hat tip: tedzilla99.)" -- LGF 8/25/05

Shut Israeli Home Depot Stores

Abbas to Sharon: Shut Israeli Home Depot Stores
by Scott Ott

(2005-08-23) -- Now that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has forced the unilateral exodus of Jews from neighborhoods in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said today it's time to take the next step on the road to peace.

'I call on Prime Minister Sharon to unilaterally close all of the Home Depot stores and similar establishments in Israel,' Mr. Abbas said. 'Home-building is the brutal weapon of Jewish extremism, and Palestine will not feel safe until this link in the extremist supply chain is cut.'

The Palestinian president noted that hardware stores and home centers provide Jewish extremists with their 'tools of terror' and that Palestinian children 'quake with fear every time they see a Jew brandishing a belt-sander.'

'Perhaps, when the savage suppliers of sheetrock and shingles have been shut down,' said Mr. Abbas, 'we might then talk about reducing the frequency of the suicide bombings that " Scott Ott / ScrappleFace

British Want Security Over Rights

(London) "Almost three quarters of Britons are willing to give up some civil liberties in return for better security, according to a poll conducted since the deadly bombings on London's transit system last month.

The ICM poll published on Monday in The Guardian newspaper showed that 73% of respondents backed the trade-off, with only 17% rejecting it outright.

The results suggest the British public largely backs a range of anti-terrorism measures proposed by Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, including a new offence of inciting terrorism and deporting radical clerics who glorify acts of violence."...

Blair's position is popular:

Sixty-eight per cent of interviewees also backed extending from two weeks to three months the length of time a suspected terrorist can be held without charge, as requested by British police chiefs.

The poll also shows that Blair's popularity rating has risen.

He is now narrowly into positive figures, with 47% of respondents satisfied with his performance as prime minister, and 45%, not.

In a similar poll conducted in January, 38% were satisfied and 50% were not. More...

An Islamic Call for Genocide

(LGF) At a very active Muslim forum, a “Senior Member” explains why all Jews must either submit to Islam or die, with extensive quotes from the Koran: A Muslim Call to the Israelis

If you don't think radical Islamic teachings and the mullahs are the source of the terrorist problem then just spend a moment, read the following, then go visit the site and see for yourself. [ English version is on the "Ummah" site... just to be sure every "infidel" is able to read their message and learn just how they are using Islamic teachings as their justifications for genocide !!! ]

Excerpt from Ummah.Com Forum

Would it have been possible that the best Ummah sent to mankind had not destroyed Israel long ago if we had a sincere Islamic leadership which unleashed the armed forces of the Muslim world against Israel to remove it from the face of this earth? Would this leadership have been begging for peace and 20% of Palestine knowing the Jews are cowardly and cursed, killers of prophets who Allah (swt) turned into monkeys and pigs unlike the current traitors who control our lands?

O Muslims! Resist and censor those who dare to promote that only the West Bank and Gaza are occupied and beg the kuffar to let them establish a freak entity in these areas called “Palestine”. Rebuke those who claim to speak in the name of Islam yet they prefer the UN’s resolutions over Allah’s (swt) commands. Insist that we only accept the Islamic solution which is Jihad. Insist that the agents of kuffer who rule our lands and have betrayed Allah (swt) must be removed and replaced by a single Islamic leadership for the whole Ummah which will mobilize the vast armed forces to annihilate the state of Israel and take back Palestine to be part of the Ummah once again – inshallah. MORE ---

Wait... I am sure that the folks camped out in front of the Crawford ranch believe that terrorism is really being spawned by George Bush and our US foreign policy stretching back to... perhaps forever. Please... wake up on the left. Many hardcore sites are being VERY clear that this neo-islamic religion is hell bent on exterminating the people of Israel and also any Christian that get's in their way. Peace in the Middle East will never come about until radical islamic teachings are themselves exterminated and extinguished. Bravo Tony Blair for deporting islamic hate mongers from Great Britian !! U.S. mainstream media will NEVER report this stuff.... since it doesn't meet their agenda of bashing the U.S. administration. Read and learn... and take your heads out of the sand.

Abbas Sets Plans for Gaza

(Gaza) Israeli forces are due to resume operations on Sunday (8/20) to evacuate the few settlements still occupied.

Palestinian militant group Hamas has pledged to continue its armed campaign against Israel after the Gaza pullout.

'Gaza is not Palestine,' a spokesman for Hamas' armed wing told a news conference in Gaza City.

The group has said it will maintain its ceasefire during the withdrawal, but the spokesman vowed future 'resistance'.

Picture of Map Settlements... courtesy of BBC

'As for Jerusalem and the West Bank, we will seek to liberate them by resistance just as the Gaza Strip was liberated,' he said.

Any attack by Hamas could prompt swift Israeli reprisals and damage support for Mr Abbas, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Gaza." More...

Just how Abbas will be able to separate himself from Hamas, and indeed disarm this terror group, remains the most elusive unanswered question in this new chapter of Middle Eastern history.

Political Patchwork Quilt

Oil in the North... Oil in the South. No doubt how the Sunnis will be voting in the next election...

Lamb Stew

Courtesy of Cox & Forkum

ScrappleFace: Iraqis Blame Dog for Missed Constitution Deadline

Iraqis Blame Dog for Missed Constitution Deadline
by Scott Ott

(2005-08-16) -- Members of the Iraqi National Assembly, who last night approved a one-week extension to the deadline for completing a draft of the new constitution, said they missed the initial August 15 deadline because 'our dog ate the first draft.'

While critics pointed to the delay as evidence of the failure of President George Bush's Iraq policy, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the missed deadline and subsequent blaming of the dog, 'prove that we're witnessing the birth of a representative republic in Iraq much like our own.'

As the midnight deadline approached, debate in the Assembly focused on whether to attribute the incomplete assignment to a recent three-day sandstorm, the hungry dog or the fact that the Baghdad library had loaned out a key historical reference book, making it impossible to complete the constitutional footnotes in a timely fashion.

A motion to offer the excuse 'we overslept' was defeated by a narrow margin, as was a resolution blaming the delay on an empty inkjet cartridge."

LOL.... Hey, maybe they lost the cliff notes version of the US Constitution and are being forced to wing it? Or their servers might be down and they can't link to collegetermpapers.com ! It took us years to get our constitution right... they are trying to do it in months! Good Luck.... Prediction: Civil War with major powers absorbing the place to stabilize it. Turkey, Iran and God knows who else.

Cindy Sheehan Satire (posted below this one) -- Strikes a Nerve

I decided to alter this post to make visible some comments I received regarding the satirical posts of Scott Ott on Cindy Sheehan. Rather than comment on the post below, the reader choose to comment on at the original post in this spot, a notice about internet outages! Hmmm

Here is a reprint...

Add to this thread if you like... WE DO LIVE IN A FREE SOCIETY that allows concepts like blogging and freedom of speech. What are the odds that those freedoms will exist in a Radical Islamic Fundamentist dominated world ???

Why am I gracing your blog with a comment to which you will not pay any attention.

On the Sheehan matter, you are an idiot, meanspirited, insensitive, and without that valuable component "COMPASSION" that makes a person human.

Compassion also gives one intelligence and wisdom and a sense of priorities. You show no evidence of any of these qualities.

Lordy! Work on this hard. You need to concentrate really hard on this matter for yourself, if not for everyone else. Just my "humble" opinion.

Response...

" you are an idiot, meanspirited, insensitive, and without that valuable component "COMPASSION" that makes a person human. "

Name calling is what I would say demonstrates a true lack of "intelligence".

Scott Ott is entitled to his opinion as you are entitled to yours.

Don't tell me what I need to work hard at. This woman is a disgrace.

I'll tell you who I have compassion for. My sister-in-law who lost her son in Afghanistan searching for that bastard BinLaden who took 3,000 lives at the WTC. Don't preach to me about compassion! I have compassion for all of the mothers and fathers that have lost children in the service ... peactime or wartime.

I have NO compassion for individuals that mock those who are burdened to make the toughest of decisions, and to do so by creating a public political [media] circus spectacle out of a sorrowful private and personal loss.

My compassion is NOT for Cindy Sheehan, you are right, but for those that have fallen in protection of this country. Including her son. - ZZB

If anyone has anything to add to either perspective feel free. However, please don't lower yourselves to childish name-calling and personal attacks. They just become a reflection of your inability to dialog in a meaningful and intelligent way. - ZZB

ScrappleFace: Sheehan Gets Surprise Visit from Woodstock Artists

Sheehan Gets Surprise Visit from Woodstock Artists
by Scott Ott

(2005-08-17) -- Just a mile from President George Bush's Texas ranch, America's favorite protest-mom, Cindy Sheehan, today got a surprise visit from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Country Joe McDonald and several members of Sly and the Family Stone.

The impromptu Woodstock reunion was sponsored by the Democrat National Committee and Coca-Cola, after Mrs. Sheehan, whose son died defending freedom in Iraq, told a phalanx of reporters, 'I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.'

In related news, the grieving woman's agent said that tonight's vigil will include an appearance by Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, who will throw her son's military medals over the fence at the Bush ranch.

Actress Jane Fonda was also scheduled to appear, but her cross-country convoy ground to a halt outside of Houston this afternoon when her bus ran out of Crisco."

You gotta just love this guy's sense of humor !

Evicted

From A/P:
... Hamas' founders and top political leaders gathered on the same stage for the first time in a decade, vowing to go on fighting Israel and claiming victory for the impending withdrawal.

UPDATE -- Aug. 16: From CNN: Israeli forces arrest 50 at Gaza settlement.

As a midnight deadline to voluntarily leave Gaza approached, Israeli police arrested about 50 protesters Tuesday at the settlement of Neveh Dekalim, Israeli security sources said.

The demonstrators were trying to block vans that were coming to ferry out departing settlers.

Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned, "We will take action against anyone who violates the law."

Contrast the two... Hamas is "declaring victory" and aligning themselves with the new Palistinian government. We'll soon see who's bed Abbas is sleeping in !

Gaza Settlers, Israeli Soldiers Clash

(Gaza)"Clashes have erupted between Israeli settlers and hundreds of security forces inside the main Gaza settlement as removal vans tried to reach houses of residents facing eviction.

About 1000 police and soldiers on Tuesday stormed into the Neve Dekalim settlement as hundreds of orange-clad protesters tried to block the path of several removal lorries.

Many were thrown to the floor in the violent pushing and shoving as settlers, most of them youngsters, threw themselves at the wall of police barring their way." More...

The Aljazeera version of today's Gaza withdrawl. It's always interesting to contrast them with Western media. This one seems somewhat objective... No doubt the tensions will be raised over the next 24 - 48 hours as standoffs are inevitable and Sharon will certainly be put in a most difficult position. Is this a powederkeg waiting for a match or what?

Show of Grief

From Drudge Report: Bush Protesting Mom Calls for 'Israel Out of Palestine' (via Little Green Footballs who first noted this story last week).

Anti-war protestor Cindy Sheehan, whose soldier son Casey was killed in Iraq, is calling for Bush's "impeachment," and for Israel to get out of Palestine!

"You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism," Sheehan declares.

From The Washington Post: Cindy Sheehan's Pitched Battle.

Cindy Sheehan vaulted into national consciousness this month on the power of her story as the grieving mother of a fallen soldier.

But what began as a solitary campaign to force a meeting with President Bush by setting up camp along the road to his ranch has quickly taken on the full trappings of a political campaign. Sheehan is working with a political consultant and a team of public relations professionals, and now she is featured in a television ad.

Sheehan began her protest here last Saturday after crisscrossing the country for more than a year demanding answers on why Bush continues to wage what she calls an unjust war in Iraq. After her son Casey Sheehan, 24, was killed in Baghdad last year, she founded Gold Star Families for Peace, an antiwar organization that labored largely in obscurity -- until now.

In part, Sheehan's case has echoed as her grievances merged with what polls show is growing dissatisfaction with the war. But her cause has also been aided by political organizers who swiftly mobilized around her -- recognizing an opportunity to cause acute discomfort for a vacationing president and put a powerful emotional frame around the antiwar movement. - C&F

Jihad Watch: Spencer: The Forbidden Truth About Islam

Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer in FrontPage on the increasing difficulty of talking honestly about Islamic terrorism in America today:

'Too many people might be emotionally affected by the subject matter. … It’s too controversial to be aired at this time.”

So said a statement from CBS/Infinity Radio, declining to run a series of paid commercial announcements. What were these emotionally affecting and controversial spots advertising? Vivisection of puppies? The North American Man/Boy Love Association? The placement of religious symbols on government property?

None of the above. The rejected ads were to announce a conference, “The Radical Islamist Threat to World Peace and National Security,” sponsored by the People’s Truth Forum. I will be participating in this symposium on September 21 in Plantsville, Connecticut, along with Harvey Kushner, author of Holy War on the Home Front; Brigitte Gabriel, a former anchor for world news in the Middle East; and Laura Mansfield, an author and counter-terror analyst.

What is so frightening about this for CBS? Well, I cannot speak for the other" Read More...

"The Muslim terrorists are committing acts of terrorism, by their own account, because of core Islamic teachings. Saying that we are supposed to ignore that is tantamount to saying that we must ignore what the enemy tells us about himself, who he is, what he wants, and why he is fighting. Which is tantamount to saying that we should surrender. We cannot defeat an enemy we are afraid to name." - Robert Spencer

John Bolton's Big Stick

Less than one week on the job and already the food for oil scandal heats up. We hope Bolton brought a bat boy with him... A fire hose would have been more suitable for cleaning up the UN.

Air America About to Crash and Burn?

The Radio Equalizer -Brian Maloney: Staffers Worried About AAR's Future: "Just how bad are workplace conditions for Air America staffers?

Perhaps far worse than we'd previously thought.

It's bad enough the company is generating fresh bad publicity almost daily, over the diverted $875,000 in taxpayer funds intended for a Bronx-based community service organization.

Now, to make matters worse, an internal memo obtained by the Radio Equalizer indicates Air America Radio employees faced late paychecks just over a week ago.

They were apparently stunned to receive a last-minute notice sent at 5:09pm Thursday, July 28th, indicating direct deposits would not be made Friday, as expected.

Written by company Vice President/Finance Sinohe Terrero (this article confims Terrero's corporate role), it implied the payroll processing company was to blame:" - The Radio Equalizer Read More...

Could it be that Al Franken is piloting Air America "right" into the side of mountain?

[Satire] NCAA Considers Ban on Hostile Animal Mascots

NCAA Considers Ban on Hostile Animal Mascots
by Scott Ott

(2005-08-06) -- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) today said it would consider a proposal by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to ban teams from using 'hostile' animal mascots during its sports tournaments. The NCAA imposed a similar ban on teams with American Indian names this week.

'Hostile animal mascots reinforce species stereotypes,' according to the PETA proposal. 'When children see snarling lions, tigers and bears--even if they're just perky men wearing fur suits with gigantic foam heads--it creates prejudice against wild creatures which justifies continued discrimination and oppression. The emotional toll on these sentient beings is devastating.'

An NCAA spokesman said the organization will also consider a resolution at its next meeting to eliminate team names and mascots altogether, and to identify each collegiate sports team by a randomly-generated 27-digit number." -- Scott Ott / ScrappleFace

Palmeiro and Steroids

Saved !

Top News | Reuters.co.za: "Russia (Reuters) - Seven Russians trapped for three days deep in the Pacific with dwindling oxygen were saved with British help on Sunday when rescuers cut their mini-submarine free of tangled cables.

'Today was a very happy event. The intensive work to free our submarine at a depth of 200 metres brought results... Our comrades in the crew opened the hatch themselves,' said Admiral Viktor Fyodorov, commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet.

'They behaved valiantly over these 76 hours under water, we heard no complaints, all we heard was that they were fine... It is worth living for these moments.'

The seven submariners walked steadily off their rescue ship down a gangway to a waiting crowd in the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where many people had feared air supplies would fail before the men could be rescued.

Lieutenant Vyacheslav Milashevsky led the crew down the gangway after standing straight-backed to salute the crowd.

'Yes, of course,' he said, when asked if he had always believed he would be saved. The crew then boarded a minibus to go to hospital for medical checks.

The rescue of the AS-28, itself a rescue vehicle, was made possible by a British Scorpio underwater robot flown out to the scene, which severed the cables tangled around it." More...

With the world's eyes and hearts on the seven Russian submariners, Russian, British, American and Japaneese teamwork succeeds in a dramatic rescue off the coast of North Eastern Russia. Well Done!!

Or hearts also go out to the familes of the Kursk, who must find the events of this weekend bitter sweet. We suspect that Scorpio sales will go up to major naval powers with a submarine fleet.

The Russian Parliment will certainly be pressing Vladimir Putin and applying political pressure about the lack of undersea rescue robotics in their homeland. Hopefull this sucessful rescue brings Russia closer to US and Britian in our fight against Islamic jihadists.

Russian Mini Sub Crew: Time Running Out

World News Article | Reuters.co.uk: "MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russia Navy strove on Saturday to rescue seven crew members trapped 190 meters (600 feet) below the surface before air runs out.

The mini-submarine, itself a rescue vessel, ran into trouble on Thursday when its propeller got entangled in fishing nets during a military exercise off the Kamchatka peninsula on Russia's Pacific Coast...

The crew are in a 'satisfactory condition' and are trying to conserve oxygen by keeping movement to a minimum, Navy officials told Reuters...

As Russia's Navy raced to save the crew, teams from Britain and the United States were flying to the scene." More...

It is not looking good for these Russian sailors. Let's hope the US Navy can get their on time to effect a succesful rescue. God Speed.

Judge Roberts a Liberal Carnivore?

"Mixed Signals: Roberts Took Liberal Portion of Red Meat
by Scott Ott

(2005-08-05) -- In a revelation which further confused advocates on the right and left, a new Freedom of Information Act release shows that Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts once took liberal portions of red meat at a non-partisan fundraising event.

'You can't nail this guy down ideologically,' said one Republican strategist. 'He seems to be against civil rights, but helped defend homosexual rights. He's a right-wing hack who tried to save a murderer from the death penalty. And now we learn of his mysterious political behavior at meal time.'

Information about the 'buffet gate' incident comes from the diary of Judge Robert's wife, who penned her concern that her husband had piled his plate with medium-rare roast beef at a non-political dinner.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, 'There's no surprise here. Red meat is part of a balanced diet, and one liberal portion doesn't make a man a glutton nor a strict carnivore.'" Scott Ott / ScrappleFace

As a private lawyer, John G. Roberts Jr. represented homeless Washingtonians who had lost their government benefits because of city budget cuts. He advocated environmental protections for Lake Tahoe, Glacier Bay and the Grand Canyon. He spent 25 hours assisting a convicted murderer with a death penalty appeal. He even helped gay rights activists win a landmark Supreme Court anti-discrimination case.

At first blush, these cases would seem to complicate any image of the Supreme Court nominee as a down-the-line conservative. But as details have emerged in recent days, conservative groups have been busy spreading the word to their members and the broader public about what they should think of Roberts's work in private practice: Pay it no mind." More...

60's Hi Tech

The New Martha : Parole Violator

Stewart's home confinement extended (NEW YORK) - Lifestyle trendsetter Martha Stewart will spend three extra weeks under house arrest following reports that she violated terms of her home confinement by going to a yoga class and motoring around her estate in an off-road vehicle.

Stewart “has agreed to an extension of the terms of her home confinement until Aug. 31,” her lawyer, Walter Dellinger, said in a brief statement Wednesday.

He did not elaborate on why the house arrest had been extended and did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking additional comment." More...

Why Do Men Have Nipples?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Have you ever wondered why your teeth chatter when you're cold, or if you could really catch a disease from sitting on a toilet seat?

New York physician Billy Goldberg, pestered by unusual questions at cocktail parties and other social gatherings over the years, puts the public's mind at ease in his book "Why Do Men Have Nipples?" which hits the book stores on Tuesday.

"It's really remarkable how often you get accosted," said Goldberg, 39. "There are the medical questions from family and friends, and then there are the drunk and outrageous questions where somebody wants to drop their pants and show you a rash or something." More...

Cox & Forkum: Democracy In Action

May not be too far from the truth!

Iranian President: "Islam Will Conquer All the Mountain Tops"

Now we hear from the new Iranian President, Ahmadi-Nejad. Distrubing...

Iranian President: "Islam Will Conquer All the Mountain Tops": "Ahmadi-Nejad: We want art that is on the offensive. Art on the offensive exalts and defends the noble principles, and attacks principles that are corrupt, vulgar, ungodly, and inhuman.

Art reaches perfection when it portrays the best life and best death. After all, art tells you how to live. That is the essence of art. Is there art that is more beautiful, more divine, and more eternal than the art of martyrdom? A nation with martyrdom knows no captivity. Those who wish to undermine this principle undermine the foundations of our independence and national security. They undermine the foundation of our eternity.

The message of the (Islamic) Revolution is global, and is not restricted to a specific place or time. It is a human message, and it will move forward.

Have no doubt... Allah willing, Islam will conquer what? It will conquer all the mountain tops of the world."

He has ordered the start up of the uranium enrichment program. Imagine this guy with nukes at his disposal!

King Fahd's Burial Boosts Fossil Fuel Reserves

No sadness shed in this pointed obituary from the master of satire Scott Ott.

King Fahd's Burial Boosts Fossil Fuel Reserves
by Scott Ott

(2005-08-01) -- The burial of Saudi Arabian King Fahd will increase the subterranean reserves of fossil fuel in the realm of the world's number one oil producer, according to a petroleum expert.

'Many scientists believe that oil was formed from ancient decayed vegetable matter during the early years of King Fahd's reign,' the unnamed expert explained, 'Now his mortal remains join the underworld petroleum production system. Ashes to asphalt. Dust to diesel.'

The Islamic monarch is perhaps best remembered for his funding of progressive Wahabbi Muslim schools which helped to train 15 of the aeronautical theologians who attempted to teach Americans a lesson on September 11, 2001." -- Scott Ott / ScrappleFace

Scott hits it on the well head with this post today.