In one form or another, governments have been fighting these five wars for centuries. And losing them. Indeed, thanks to the changes spurred by globalization over the last decade, their losing streak has become even more pronounced. To be sure, nation-states have benefited from the information revolution, stronger political and economic linkages, and the shrinking importance of geographic distance. Unfortunately, criminal networks have benefited even more.

The Five Wars of Globalization

"Once you've pressed 'cast my vote,' that's it. You can't vote again. ... You should have complained before you pressed the button."

Think You Voted in Maryland? Think Again

] I travel a lot and one of my favorite destination lead
] through poisoned with radiation, so called Chernobyl
] "dead zone" It is 130kms from my home. Why favourite?
] because one can ride there for hours and not meet any
] single car and not to see any single soul. People left
] and nature is blooming, there are beautiful places,
] woods, lakes. There is no newly built roads, but those
] which left from 80th in fairly good condition

This is absolutely stunning, spellbinding.

Photoblogging Chernobyl

] Semen makes you happy. That's the remarkable conclusion
] of a study comparing women whose partners wear condoms
] with those whose partners don't.
]
] The study, which is bound to provoke controversy, showed
] that the women who were directly exposed to semen were
] less depressed. The researchers think this is because
] mood-altering hormones in semen are absorbed through the
] vagina. They say they have ruled out other explanations.
]
] "I want to make it clear that we are not advocating that
] people abstain from using condoms," says Gordon Gallup,
] the psychologist at the State University of New York who
] led the team. "Clearly an unwanted pregnancy or a
] sexually transmitted disease would more than offset any
] advantageous psychological effects of semen."

This could explain a lot.

Semen acts as an anti-depressant

"only the Polytron reduces an entire mouse to a soup-like homogenate in 30 seconds."

the Polytron

QUOTES FROM EITHER
PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES
GEORGE W. BUSH
OR SENATOR/CHANCELLOR/
EMPEROR PALPATINE FROM
THE STAR WARS MOVIES

George W Bush or Emperor Palpatine?

Elonka wrote:
] To be honest, even if it was true (and I don't believe it is),
] it wouldn't have an impact on my opinion. Someone cut school
] for a day? Big whoop.

[ With all due respect, this isn't about skipping school. It's about reneging on a sworn promise to serve in the United States Armed Forces. If this is true, it means that the President is a man who couldn't find it in himself to commit fully to the National Guard, an honorable position that nonetheless was a gift from god compared with fighting in a foreign war. For such a man to talk to *anyone* about patriotism, honor, or duty, much less command this generation of soldiers to wage war is outrageous.

I'm as skeptical as anyone about this situation... it seems to me like much ado without much data, but it's not about nothing. If it comes out as fact, then we're talking about hypocracy of the worst sort -- the kind in which people die under orders from a false leader. If it comes out to be nothing, then we can reprimand the accusers, demand their apology, and then move on. But to claim it's unimportant is completely absurd and does a disservice to those who don't equivocate their dedication to the oaths they take. -k]

Spokesman Defends Bush's Military Service

] President Bartlet (Martin Sheen): I like how you call
] homosexuality an abombination.
]
] Jenna Jacobs: I don't say homosexuality is an
] abomination, Mr. President, the Bible does.
]
] President Bartlet: Yes, it does. Leviticus.
]
] Jenna Jacobs: 18:22.
]
] President Bartlet: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you
] a couple of questions while I have you here. I'm
] interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery
] as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown
] sophmore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table
] when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?
] While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of
] Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath.
] Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I
] morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to
] call the police? Here's one that's really important
] because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town:
] touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean.
] Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the
] Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame?
] Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be
] together to stone my brother John for planting different
] crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small
] family gathering for wearing garments made from two
] different threads? Think about those questions, would
] you?

Found this the other day and thought the Memestreams audience should share the laugh. FYI: The stoning commences tomorrow.

The West Wing

] Idiom Studio
] Governor Howard Dean, M.D
] Iowa Caucus Speech

This site features videos of the now-infamous Dean speech in Iowa, but from the perspective of the crowd. Lend some context which the media stripped out in order to sensationalize it.

Dean Iowa Speech

] At the nerve center of each MER rover is a 6-by 9-inch
] electronics board containing one computer responsible for
] every process that goes into a mission, whether it be
] monitoring spacecraft health in transit, deploying
] parachutes during landing or roving about the red planet.
] The computer, called a RAD6000, is a tried and true
] component for NASA space mission that has formed the
] brains of past Mars missions in the, as well as the
] recent Stardust comet encounter.

k-rad, even. sorry, couldn't help myself...

the venerable powerpc in yet another form.

Thinking on Mars: The Brains of NASA's Red Planet Rovers