Rooster "Cock-A-Doodle-Do"
Today in History
In 1642 Sir Isaac Newton was born, English physicist, mathematician, and natural philosopher, considered one of the most important scientists of all time. Newton formulated laws of universal gravitation and motion—laws that explain how objects move on Earth as well as through the heavens (see Mechanics). He established the modern study of optics—or the behavior of light—and built the first reflecting telescope. His mathematical insights led him to invent the area of mathematics called calculus (which German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz also developed independently). Newton stated his ideas in several published works, two of which, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, 1687) and Opticks (1704), are considered among the greatest scientific works ever produced. Newton’s revolutionary contributions explained the workings of a large part of the physical world in mathematical terms, and they suggested that science may provide explanations for other phenomena as well.
In 1809 Louis Braille, Louis is born, French teacher of the blind, born in Coupvray. He himself was blind from the age of three and in 1818 went as a foundling to the National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris. Soon showing marked ability in both science and music, he became famous in Paris as an organist and violoncellist. In 1826 Braille began teaching the blind in the institute. Braille is known for his idea of modifying the Barbier "point writing" system, used for coded army messages, to enable the blind to read. Point writing consists of embossed dots and dashes on cardboard; the Braille system derived from it is used successfully today, in slightly modified form, in many countries.
http://www.cnib.ca/
In 1869, Karamchand Mohandas Gandhi was born, Indian nationalist leader, who established his country's freedom through a nonviolent revolution.
In 1904, the Supreme Court ruled that Puerto Ricans were not aliens and could enter the United States freely; however, the court stopped short of declaring them U.S. citizens.
In 1929 Amitai W Etzioni US sociologist (Active Society) is born.
In 1929 Bobby Tulloch ornithologist was born.
In 1932, the Indian government declares the Indian National Congress illegal and arrests nationalist leader Mohandas Gandhi.
In 1948, the British colony of Burma (Myanmar) becomes an independent sovereign nation, ending more than six decades of British rule.
In 1974, President Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
Jailed Journalists
'Atom School' Stars in First Israeli Reactor Video
By Dan Williams
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has released the first video footage of its Dimona nuclear plant, a television station said on Monday, in an apparent attempt to promote a positive image of what experts believe to be an atomic bomb factory.
… Vanunu was jailed for treason after he gave the pictures and a tell-all interview to Britain's Sunday Times newspaper in 1986. When he was released last year, Channel 10 drew fire from the defense establishment by broadcasting a computer-generated simulation of the Dimona reactor based on Vanunu's revelations.
Ukraine: 'Orange Revolution' Is Over -- Time To Form A Cabinet
The winner of the Ukrainian presidential election, Viktor Yushchenko, must now form a new cabinet to push forward his promised agenda of economic and political reforms. But he faces some difficult decisions, and he has promised his Our Ukraine bloc's two main allies a quarter of the cabinet posts.
… "When we come to power, opposition members will not be jailed or exiled as they were under Kuchma. And their heads will not be cut off as it happened to [slain journalist Heorhiy] Gongadze, and journalists will not be beaten in their own homes -- because we are coming to power with a completely different heart and a different mind," Tymoshenko said. "And I think you will be able to see and understand that."
RSF HONOURS PRESS FREEDOM DEFENDERS
An Algerian journalist jailed for exposing government corruption, a philosophy teacher who campaigns to free jailed journalists in China and a crusading Mexican newspaper known for "publishing what other papers don't" have been named the winners of the 2004 RSF-Fondation de France Prize in honour of their dedication to the cause
of press freedom.
The Cheney Observer
2004 not best of times for Halliburton, EDS, El Paso
UNDATED (AP) - Three of the largest Texas-based companies lost money through the first nine months of 2004.
Yet investors took wildly different views of Halliburton Company, Electronic Data Systems Corporation and El Paso Corporation.
Analysts say the biggest difference among the three is that Halliburton seems closest to fixing its most serious problems.
NIH whistleblower says government bungled AIDS study in Uganda
By Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press, 1/4/2005 16:52
WASHINGTON (AP) Federal officials involved in a U.S.-funded study in Uganda endangered the lives of hundreds of patients testing an AIDS drug because of careless and negligent research practices, a government whistleblower said Tuesday.
Dr. Jonathan Fishbein said officials at the National Institutes of Health overlooked problems with the way the study was being conducted on the AIDS drug, nevirapine, which was being used to protect babies in Africa from HIV infection during birth.
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