MONKEYS are able to string together a simple “sentence”, according to research that offers the first evidence that animals might be capable of a key feature of language.
British scientists have discovered that the putty-nosed monkey in Nigeria pictured above sometimes communicates by combining sounds into a sequence that has a different meaning from any of its component calls, an ability that was thought to be uniquely human.

Pyow pyow pyow . . . hack hack hack hack! Let's get out of here (in monkey talk) - World - Times Online

A panel of Nigerian medical experts has concluded that Pfizer Inc. violated international law during a 1996 epidemic by testing an unapproved drug on children with brain infections at a field hospital.
That finding is detailed in a lengthy Nigerian government report that has remained unreleased for five years, despite inquiries from the children's attorneys and from the media. The Washington Post recently obtained a copy of the confidential report, which is attracting congressional interest. It was provided by a source who asked to remain anonymous because of personal safety concerns.

I cannot believe I missed this. Secret unauthorized testing of an unapproved drug on sick children. What sickening disregard for laws and morals. I know there's a new outrage daily around here, but this is just awful.

Panel Faults Pfizer in '96 Clinical Trial In Nigeria

My thoughts exactly on the new Mac ads.

Ctrl Alt Del

Several nations considered by activists to have poor human rights records have won election to the newly formed UN Human Rights Council.

China, Cuba, Pakistan, Russia and Saudi Arabia were among 44 states confirmed on the 47-strong council, elected by the UN General Assembly.

UN elects new human rights body

Octarms, developed in the OCTOR project (sOft robotiC manipulaTORs), are robotic tentacles that can grasp a variety of differently shaped objects. Octarm development is funded by DARPA, under their BIODYNOTICS (Biologically Inspired Multifunctional Dynamic Robots) program.

Octarms - Robotic Tentacles From Mars!

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is working on a new set of safety guidelines for next-generation robots. This set of rules would constitute a "beta" version of the first of Asimov's science-fictional Laws of Robotics.

Asimov's First Law Of Robotics Real-Life Beta

The development of new materials could see items such as invisibility cloaks, a key weapon in the trickery of Harry Potter and countless science fiction plots, become a reality within five years.

But this has the best lines ever.....

"To be realistic, it's going to be fairly thick. Cloak is a misnomer. 'Shield' might be more appropriate," he said.

and...

Are you serious?

Invisibility cloaks

"Ten Things I Hate About Commandments" is a mash-up trailer for a John Hughes style teen comedy, using footage from the Charlton Heston version of The Ten Commandments. It's masterfully done, and milk-out-the-nose funny.

I don't know about "milk-out-the-nose", but I did enjoy the Samuel L. Jackson voiceover.

Boing Boing: If The Ten Commandments was a Teen Comedy

dc0de wrote:
Lastly, your use of the term 'bourgeois' to describe the media is very interesting... I have to make an assumption that your definition of the term is from the Marxist camp, instead of the original meaning of the word. And that being the case, makes your entire statement, and your viewpoint moot. If you're a marxist, you want everyone to be the same, and you just haven't realized that those of us who WORKED OUR ASSES off to get where we are, don't want to subsidize those who are too stupid or lazy to get ahead.

Oh boy. Viewpoints different from yours are "moot"? I better shut up then. Sounds like we disagree on a lot. Unfortunately, it sounds to me like while you were busy "working your ass off" you forgot to get an education consisting of a variety of viewpoints. (Some of which might turn out to be... different than yours.) Oh and speaking of which, here are some more:

1. Illegal immigrants do pay social security and other taxes which they don't collect. I won't argue with you further since you obviously have access to a computer and can look it up. (That study I mentioned in the last one is a good place to start.)

2. Um, where are you reading that undocumented individuals have access to healthcare? I assume that you are referring to emergency rooms. In which case, sorry, but its a human rights as well as public health issue that if someone is severely hurt and/or sick they have to be helped, regardless of their status or insurance-holding situation. (Otherwise, you would untreated disease-carrying individuals walking around infecting all those nice legal health-care holders.) But you're crazy if you think that illegals have access to "health-care" in any comprehensive way. They can't even get shitty Medicaid packages.

As for schools, the school systems are fucked because, among other reasons, the school funding systems in most states are a disaster. All children living here are entitled to an education, regardless of their parents' status, ethnicity, or tax-paying abilities. Sorry, but its the law- and its a good one. School funding systems are (mainly) based on property taxes as well as federal funding. Since both do not provide enough for either equitable or adequate education, you see a decline in the quality of education- regardless of the percentage of illegal or legal immigrants in that area. If you think kids in areas where there is little or no illegal immigration are better off, think again.

Also keep in mind that people who don't have children pay taxes for YOUR children to go to school and don't bitch about it all the time. Why? Because it is in the public interest to have a well-educated citizenry. The argument that your kids are missing out because other kids get a basic education is a cop-out and misses the point completely. You shoukd be arguing for better funding for ALL children in the U.S. (And I would agree with you on that!)

And "state-paid interpreters?" please. Many LEGAL immigrants do not have access to those even when they go to court. The most many schools have is a poorly run ESOL program and a guidance counselor who speaks spanish. That does not begin to cover the problem for LEGAL immigrants from other countries.

So what's your problem here, really? You don't like unions, marxists, people who speak other languages, what?

I agree this problem is complex and filled with propaganda on both sides. But you owe it to yourself to take a look at both sides of the arguement and realize that deportation/ fences/ a permanent lower class is not the answer to a problem that is (at least partly) the result of a hundred years of U.S. interference in Latin America. I sure don't have the solution, but I know that blind hatred and scapegoating is not it.

RE: How can Illegal Immigration help our Homeless situation?

Creamy pink snow has covered the northern regions of Russia’s Maritime territory, news agencies reported Monday.

Creamy Pink Snow Covers Russian Region - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM