...until tomorrow...
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Swift Boating 2008 - Do we have a clue?
March 8, 2008 at 13:29:00
U.S. Commander Warns Of Al Qaeda Plotting; Coincidence, Or GOP Politics Of Fear?
by William Cormier
http://www.opednews.com
Now that John McCain has virtually cinched the GOP Presidential nomination, almost if it were on cue, the chief of the US Northern Command, Air Force General Gene Renuart has warned that "Al Qaeda terrorists may be plotting more urgently to attack the United States." The timing of the warning is perfect, allowing McCain to continue with his campaign of fear and harping on the danger of terrorism.
Now that John McCain has virtually cinched the GOP Presidential nomination, almost if it were on cue, the chief of the US Northern Command, Air Force General Gene Renuart has warned that “Al Qaeda terrorists may be plotting more urgently to attack the United States.” The timing of the warning is perfect, allowing McCain to continue with his campaign of fear and harping on the danger of terrorism. If he doesn’t have a viable plan to salvage the economy, secure the southern border, and a host of issues the GOP refuses to address, then only one path is left, and that’s to use the tactics of fear and intimidation. The problem is, General Renuart’s warning doesn’t make sense once you add-up the facts and what we know of Al Qaeda:...
Fargo resident shaken out of bed by Times Square bomb...
It would be interesting to hear Bush explain this one. No doubt he'll send Bloomberg alone to do what is rightfully his to explain. This bombing is NOT 'Al Qaeda in New York.' This is an angry 'entity' making a statement regarding the war in Iraq and the highly unethical practices of the military in recruitment, including the 'indoctrination' of our youth to military goals.
Workers on Friday afternoon replaced the door that had been shattered by a bomb at the recruiting station at Times Square. (click here)
Workers on Friday afternoon replaced the door that had been shattered by a bomb at the recruiting station at Times Square. (click here)
...The explosion caused minor damage and no injuries. But it prompted a huge police response that disrupted travel through and beneath Times Square.
Fargo resident Trish Ristvedt was staying in a hotel a half-block away when the blast shook her out of bed.
She called down to the front desk and was told police were in the area. And she was told to stay in her room.
Ristvedt says she was a little scared when the night manager told her a bomb had gone off, but was relieved to find out no one was hurt. She was in New York for a business trip.The blast shattered a window in front of an Uncle Sam recruiting poster....
The 'issue' is the 'redefinition' of soldier under this Commander and Chief. 'Any BODY able to walk, breath and kill is a soldier.'
The 'Dehumanization Principle" of the Bush/Cheney Executive Branch extends to every venue of policy. Soldiers are expected to perform to unrealistic standards, no different than that of the housing markets, job markets and tax reductions in the face of expansive government spending. The Bush/Cheney years for the USA can be characterized by one word: PERVERSE !
Morning Papers - continued...
Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Friday, March 7th, 2008
Only Gore Can Stop a Meltdown ...by Charles Hurt
New York Post
IF AL GORE can pull himself away from saving the planet long enough, he might want to consider rescuing the Demo cratic Party from the clutches of utter self-destruction.
Campaigning against an unpopular war in Iraq, a sputtering economy and a disappearing dollar, Democrats cannot lose in November.
But wait! They're Democrats!
"The only reason we ever lose is when we beat ourselves," one nervous Democrat grumbled yesterday as the primary dogfight dragged on.
Hillary Rodham Clinton has made it clear she won't quit and no one expects Barack Obama to exit - and so on to the Denver party convention they go, viciously attacking one another all the way.
Forget the red phone for a national-security crisis. Where is the red phone for a political party trying to destroy itself?
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=980
"I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. Sen. John McCain has a lifetime of experience that he'd bring to the White House. And Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton
March 4th, 2008 12:54 pm
Hillary Clinton's anti-Obama zinger of the day
By Andrew Malcolm / Los Angeles Times
It's a theme she's been driving home for days now, a variant on the "experience" argument she's flogged with mixed success.
Sen. Hillary Clinton was up very early this morning -- before dawn, in fact -- to shake hands at a factory gate in economically-troubled Toledo before heading off for Texas, as some last-minute polls sensed a whiff of a shift in her direction for tomorrow's voting in both places.
But before leaving, to insert herself into the day's news coverage, she held a quick media availability at the Hilton and provided this unusually concise capsule comment for reporters, including The Times' Louise Roug:
"I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. Sen. John McCain has a lifetime of experience that he'd bring to the White House. And Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11019
March 2nd, 2008 12:43 am
Vets Break Silence on War Crimes
By Aaron Glantz / IPS
U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are planning to descend on Washington from Mar. 13-16 to testify about war crimes they committed or personally witnessed in those countries.
"The war in Iraq is not covered to its potential because of how dangerous it is for reporters to cover it," said Liam Madden, a former Marine and member of the group Iraq Veterans Against the War. "That's left a lot of misconceptions in the minds of the American public about what the true nature of military occupation looks like."
Iraq Veterans Against the War argues that well-publicised incidents of U.S. brutality like the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the massacre of an entire family of Iraqis in the town of Haditha are not the isolated incidents perpetrated by "a few bad apples", as many politicians and military leaders have claimed. They are part of a pattern, the group says, of "an increasingly bloody occupation".
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11010
March 2nd, 2008 12:46 am
Vermont Vets Share Stories of Iraq
By Bianca Slota / WCAX News
More than 150 people packed the seats of a ballroom a the University of Vermont's Davis Center on Thursday night to hear the stories of four people who served as part of the global war on terror. The group is part of a growing movement of veterans calling for an end to the Iraq war.
Their testimony at UVM is a precursor to the Winter Soldier - Iraq and Afghanistan hearings to be held in Washington, D.C., next month.
Winter Soldier hearings first happened in 1971, when Vietnam War veterans spoke about the atrocities they saw and were a part of. These newest vets are following in their footsteps.
"Disposal of munitions happened in close proximity to agricultural fields, small villages, as well as the primary living base for U.S. soldiers," former U.S. Army Sergeant Drew Cameron told the crowd.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11011
March 2nd, 2008 12:48 am
Veterans speak out against Iraq War
By James Hawver / Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Like many of his fellow Americans who enlisted in the military after Sept. 11, 2001, Mike Totten was compelled to serve by a heightened sense of patriotism. The promise of money for college helped to seal the deal.
In April 2003, Totten, who graduated from Livonia High School in 2000, was deployed to Iraq as part of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne unit and assigned to a security detail for high-ranking commanders.
As he traveled across the country, Totten said he didn't see any improvement in the lives of the Iraqis — and there were no weapons of mass destruction, contrary to what the Bush administration had claimed.
"It kind of got me thinking: 'What the hell am I doing here?'"
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11012
March 2nd, 2008 12:29 pm
Patriot missiles: Iraq Veterans Against the War
After Vietnam, American veterans testified to the atrocities they witnessed. Now soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan are about to do the same
By Ariel Leve / London Times
Some of them will be okay. They will live with the secrets. They can dissociate from what happened in combat because it was part of the job. It was what they signed up for. They will keep the secrets out of duty – the silence is part of a code, and they honour that code above all else.
But for others, the secrets they keep are like a poison, slowly releasing toxins of shame and remorse. Who can they tell anyway? They talk to each other – other veterans who have seen what they’ve seen, done what they’ve done, and who can relate to the burden of carrying these secrets for the rest of their lives.
In 1971, the protest group Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered at a hotel in Detroit. More than 100 veterans talked about the atrocities they had witnessed in southeast Asia.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11016
March 2nd, 2008 11:46 am
Indictment proposal gets hearing
By Susan Smallheer / Rutland Herald
BRATTLEBORO, VT – Vermonters have long taken stands on the big issues of the day at town meeting.
Back in 1854, the issue was slavery. Several towns passed resolutions condemning the pending federal Kansas-Nebraska legislation that would have allowed the new states to sanction slavery, according to State Archivist Gregory Sanford.
In 1974, the town of Thetford voted to impeach then-President Richard Nixon, who went on to resign later that year.
Eight years later, 150 Vermont towns adopted a nuclear weapons freeze resolution.
This town meeting Brattleboro voters will decide whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted for violating their oath of office and failing to follow the Constitution for a variety of actions stemming from the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11015
Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama Against Going to War with Iraq
October 2, 2002
Good afternoon. Let me begin by saying that although this has been billed as an anti-war rally, I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances. The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union, and drive the scourge of slavery from our soil. I don't oppose all wars.
http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php
October 10, 2002
Floor Speech of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
on S.J. Res. 45, A Resolution to Authorize the Use of
United States Armed Forces Against Iraq
As Delivered
Today we are asked whether to give the President of the United States authority to use force in Iraq should diplomatic efforts fail to dismantle Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons and his nuclear program.
I am honored to represent nearly 19 million New Yorkers, a thoughtful democracy of voices and opinions who make themselves heard on the great issues of our day especially this one. Many have contacted my office about this resolution, both in support of and in opposition to it, and I am grateful to all who have expressed an opinion.
I also greatly respect the differing opinions within this body. The debate they engender will aid our search for a wise, effective policy. Therefore, on no account should dissent be discouraged or disparaged. It is central to our freedom and to our progress, for on more than one occasion, history has proven our great dissenters to be right.
http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html
March 5th, 2008 3:24 pm
Bush endorses John McCain for president
By Liz Sidoti / Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush endorsed Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain on Wednesday, two bitter rivals from the 2000 presidential race joining together now in hopes of preventing Democrats from winning the White House this fall.
"John showed incredible courage, strength of character and perseverance in order to get to this moment and that's exactly what we need in a president — somebody who can handle the tough decisions, somebody who won't flinch in the face of danger," Bush said, appearing with McCain in the Rose Garden.
Bush's embrace of the Arizona senator as the party's next standard-bearer comes a day after McCain clinched the GOP nomination by getting the requisite 1,191 convention delegates. Republicans won't officially nominate McCain until early September at the GOP's national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11035
George Bush Dances at White House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NOf2rsLkI4
Rep. Pete Stark signs onto Cheney impeachment resolution, is allowed to run unopposed
March 6th, 2008 8:58 pm
Activist drops bid for seat
Stark changes stance on measure to impeach Vice President Cheney
By Matthew Artz / The Argus
FREMONT, CA — Berkeley resident Cynthia Papermaster on Wednesday abruptly ended her campaign to unseat Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, in the June primary election.
Papermaster had entered the race to protest Stark's unwillingness to pursue impeachment charges against Vice President Dick Cheney.
However, she said she was withdrawing from the 13th Congressional District contest after Stark released a statement Wednesday saying that he would co-sponsor House Resolution 333 to impeach Cheney.
Stark wrote that he decided to back the impeachment resolution after tabulating the results of a recent constituent survey, in which 64 percent of participants favored impeaching President Bush.
Impeaching Cheney, Stark wrote, "is necessary before we can impeach President Bush."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11047
H.RES.333
Title: Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Sponsor: Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] (introduced 4/24/2007) Cosponsors (26)
Related Bills: H.RES.799
Latest Major Action: 5/4/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HE00333:@@@N
Make Sure Your Rep. Supports H.R. 676
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/boxscore/index.php?action=print
ACTION PAGE:
Tell Congress To Pass H.R. 676 Now
43,227 Submissions so far
Under H.R. 676 [Text of Bill], Medicare would be extended and improved so that all individuals residing in the United States would receive high quality and affordable health care services. They would receive all medically necessary services by the physicians of their choice, with no restrictions on what providers they could visit. If implemented, the United States National Health Insurance Act would cover primary care, dental, mental health, prescription drugs, and long term care.
The one click form below will send your personal message to all your government representatives selected below, with the subject "Pass H.R. 676." At the same time you can send your personal comments only as a letter to the editor of your nearest local daily newspaper if you like.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/petitions/pnum649.php
GO SEE SiCKO by MC ARTIFICIAL -- ABBREVIATED VERSION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZSPSRcX3Qw
March 7th, 2008 2:53 am
Highway blogger exonerated
Judge rules man with anti-Bush signs not a danger
By Clarke Morrison / Asheville Citizen-Times
ASHEVILLE, NC – A judge found highway blogger Jonas Phillips not guilty Thursday of breaking a city law when he hung a sign from an overpass urging the impeachment of President Bush.
Phillips, 36, of West Asheville, had been charged by police with blocking a city sidewalk on the Haywood Road bridge over Interstate 240.
The defendant testified during his trial in Buncombe County District Court that he didn’t impede traffic on the sidewalk or the roadway when the dangled the sign reading “Impeach Bush, Cheney” for several minutes shortly before 8 a.m. Aug. 15.
His attorney, Bill Auman, told Judge James Calvin Hill that Phillips was selectively prosecuted because of the content of the sign. Others who have displayed signs over roadways have not been charged, he said.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11048http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11048
March 7th, 2008 5:03 pm
MCCAIN GETS TESTY WITH THE PRESS
From NBC's Bethany Thomas
What began as a typical chat session with traveling reporters on the plane from Atlanta to New Orleans quickly became a testy exchange with McCain. The senator was questioned on the details of a conversation with former presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 about being his potential running mate.
The topic came up earlier this morning during a town hall at the headquarters of Chic-Fil-A, where an employee asked if McCain would consider John Kerry as a running mate for this election cycle.
McCain answered in Atlanta that his and Kerry’s political views are too different. “I just totally disagree with them,” McCain said. “He is a liberal Democrat... I am a conservative Republican. When we had that conversation in 2004, that’s why I never even considered such a thing.”
Pressed further aboard the plane by a reporter as to whether he did in fact have a conversation with Kerry, McCain showed his infamous temper.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11051
Friday, March 7th, 2008
Hillary Clinton, Fratricidal Maniac ...by Jonathan Chait
The New Republic
The morning after Tuesday's primaries, Hillary Clinton's campaign released a memo titled "The Path to the Presidency." I eagerly dug into the paper, figuring it would explain how Clinton would obtain the Democratic nomination despite an enormous deficit in delegates. Instead, the memo offered a series of arguments as to why Clinton should run against John McCain - i.e., "Hillary is seen as the one who can get the job done" - but nothing about how she actually could. Is she planning a third-party run? Does she think Obama is going to die? The memo does not say.
The reason it doesn't say is that Clinton's path to the nomination is pretty repulsive. She isn't going to win at the polls. Barack Obama has a lead of 144 pledged delegates. That may not sound like a lot in a 4,000-delegate race, but it is. Clinton's Ohio win reduced that total by only nine. She would need 15 more Ohios to pull even with Obama. She isn't going to do much to dent, let alone eliminate, his lead.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=979
March 7th, 2008 8:56 pm
For soldiers' loved ones, violence can change everything
By Kimberly Hefling / Associated Press
Laura Youngblood clutched her husband's photo as she drove alone to the hospital. She'd become pregnant nearly nine months earlier, the day he'd left for training for Iraq.
Hours later, after the baby was born, she placed the photo in the bassinet next to the infant he'd named Emma in his last letter home. He would never hold her.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood, 26, had died two months earlier, killed by an improvised explosive device.
Laura Youngblood is just 29 years old, but she insists she will not remarry. Her life is her children, now ages 2 and 7. One day, she says, she'll be buried in the plot with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery.
"I tell people I'm a happily married woman," she says, crying.
Five years after U.S. troops invaded Iraq, there are many tears - though not everyone is crying. For the great majority of Americans, this is a war seen from afar. They turn off the news and forget about what is happening a world away.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11055
March 7th, 2008 6:47 pm
Senate candidate asks board to indict Bush, Cheney
By Laura Dolce / Seacoast Online
KENNEBUNKPORT, ME — Calling President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney "notorious, alleged war criminals," Independent U.S. Senate candidate Laurie Dobson called upon the Board of Selectmen last week to adopt an indictment ordinance allowing town leaders to arrest war criminals.
"Five years ago, I wrote the local paper and said that 'G.W. Bush is driving the world under the intoxicated influence of his power-mad buddies and their dreams of world empire,'" she told the assembled crowd. "Nothing has changed since then, except that we are now paying the price for his failures and we will be paying for a long time to come.
Noting that "alleged war criminals occasionally exist in our town," Dobson said she wanted the town to take steps to bring them to justice since federal officials, including members of Congress, have failed to do so thus far.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11052
March 6th, 2008 8:31 pm
Military mother opposes Iraq war
By Margie Boulé / The Oregonian
Since the war in Iraq began, I've written many columns in support of people serving in the military. They are patriots. They make tremendous sacrifices in service to our country.
Most often, my stories have come from the parents of soldiers. I've quoted parents who strongly support the war in Iraq.
I've interviewed more parents whose children have served, been injured or been killed -- and most of those parents are against the war. But they never wanted to say so in the newspaper.
Suzi Sutherland-Martin is the first person who has contacted me and been willing to say, in print, that her son is serving in Iraq and she is opposed to the war.
Suzi's son is an officer in the Marines. She loves him very much; she worries about him constantly. She writes him letters and sends e-mails. She telephones and ships packages….
...Then she heard about the Oregon chapter of Military Families Speak Out (www.mfso-oregon.org). She attended a monthly support group in Wilsonville and "was thrilled beyond belief to feel I was not the only person in this situation."...
...She's dismayed that in an election season there's not more discussion about ending the war. She thinks she knows why.
"This is a terrible thing to say, but I think we should have a draft," she says. "I don't like the draft, I don't like war. But I can't think of anything else that would cause people to pay attention" to a war she believes we should not be fighting.
"I think if we had a draft, we would not have had this war." The general population would not have wanted to put its children at risk. College students would have protested more.
But since we are at war, Suzi figured this was a good time, "right before the fifth anniversary, for want of a better word, of the start of the Iraq war" to tell the other side of the story: "The one about parents of soldiers sitting at a table in the airport, trying to remind people there is still a war going on."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11046
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
My Son's Grave ...by Celeste Zappala
Beliefnet
The sorrowful convergence of the fifth anniversary of the war and the observation of the 4000th fallen U.S. soldier in Iraq looms sadly ahead. Soon candles will be lit and vigils held, arguments will ensue as to who was right, and the meaning and value of sacrifice and the chorus of whispers, wails, and anger will be carried on wind sweeping across this country and all the gravestones of war.
The stones are silent witnesses to the failure of humans to follow the commands of the Lord of Love. The stones are places where U.S. families gather, as far as can be from the bombs and desert fears.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=975
March 7th, 2008 9:26 pm
Blackwater pulls application for Potrero training center
By Anne Krueger / San Diego Union-Tribune
Blackwater Worldwide officials have announced they are pulling their application to build a training center on an 824-acre site in the East County community of Potrero.
The North Carolina-based company dropped off a letter to the county planning department today notifying officials of their decision not to pursue plans for the project on a former chicken and cattle ranch.
“Although our project would have brought a great benefit to San Diego County, – providing local, state, and federal law enforcement with access to low-cost superior training facilities while bringing much-needed jobs to the area – the proposed site does not meet our business objectives at this time,” states the letter from Blackwater vice president Brian Bonfiglio.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11056
March 7th, 2008 9:30 pm
Security contractor Blackwater ends bid for Calif. training site
By Allison Hoffman / Associated Press
SAN DIEGO, CA -- Military security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has pulled its plans to build a training facility in a remote area about 45 miles east of San Diego.
Company project manager Brian Bonfiglio said in a letter submitted Friday to the San Diego County planning department that the site near the small community of Potrero no longer meets Blackwater's business needs.
"After examining the capacity of our existing facilities and our business development goals, we have decided not to pursue plans for a training campus in Potrero," Bonfiglio wrote.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11057
March 7th, 2008 8:16 pm
Soldiers seek Ft. Carson deployment probe
The Army will be asked to investigate generals for deploying ailing GIs.
By Erin Emery / Denver Post
Secretary of the Army Pete Geren will be asked today to convene a panel of officers to investigate "Army policies and practices which permit the deployment of medically unfit soldiers."
Spec. Bryan Currie, 21, of Charleston, S.C., will ask Geren to convene a Court of Inquiry — a rarely used administrative fact-finding process — to investigate top generals at Fort Carson; Fort Drum, N.Y.; and Fort Hood, Texas.
A Court of Inquiry is composed of at least three high-ranking military officers and can subpoena civilians. Geren can refuse the request.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11054
March 7th, 2008 4:50 pm
Authorities: Times Square Bomb, Congressional Mailings Not Linked
By Dan Eggen and Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post
Federal authorities said today there is no apparent link between the bombing of a Manhattan military recruiting station and a man who mailed rambling letters to Congress that featured the building.
The timing amounts to "an amazing coincidence," one law enforcement official said.
About 100 congressional Democrats received identical antiwar letters in recent days that declared: "We did it," and included photos of a man standing in front of the U.S. military's iconic recruiting center in the middle of New York's Times Square, officials said. That same center was the target of a crude bomb that authorities believe was placed by a person riding a bicycle early yesterday morning.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11050
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
The Casey Sheehan Doctrine ...by Cindy Sheehan
One early morning, exactly five weeks after Casey was killed, I was awakened by a disturbing dream. Casey's father, Patrick and I had traveled to Santa Barbara for Mother's Day that year to visit the Arlington West exhibit sponsored by the Santa Barbara chapter of Veteran's for Peace. This was when we still believed that that our marriage was not going to be a casualty of the illegal and immoral travesty of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
After the initial shock of having a cherished part of me violently torn away, the story that the Army told us about Casey's death did not ring true. When a former-Lieutenant of Casey's called a few days after his death to express his condolences, Patrick asked him the question that had been on all of our minds: "Casey was a mechanic, what was he doing in combat?" The Lt. replied: "Didn't you know, Casey volunteered." That story about Casey "volunteering" never set right with me. It did not resonate with Casey's Chaplain's heart or his reluctance to go to Iraq in the first place and his vow before he left that he would not "kill anyone," because he could not. Then to put the icing on the cake baked with lies, when the Lt. and one of Casey's Sergeants came to his funeral, they told us what a great mechanic Casey was.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=977
Register to Vote
http://www.credomobile.com/registertovote/?source=govote
State Presidential Primary and Caucus Dates
http://www.votesmart.org/election_president_state_primary_dates.php
Stop Loss Congress
http://www.stop-losscongress.org/
Things You Can Do Now to Make Winter Soldier Successful
Stand with Us!
Sign the Statement of Support and encourage your friends, family, coworkers and members of your group to sign on as well. All signers will receive a weekly update on Winter Soldier through the event.
Donate Now!
Besides the logistical costs of Winter Soldier such as site rental and equipment, the majority of Winter Soldier’s budget is dedicated to covering the travel and lodging costs for all testifiers. Help us make sure their voices are heard. Donate now and ask others to donate too.
Hold a fundraiser to support Winter Soldier. You can use IVAW’s Winter Soldier House Party guide for instructions on how to hold a fundraiser.
Stay Informed!
Updates on the panels, testimonies and activities of Winter Soldier will be posted on the Winter Soldier website. Please check back for updated information and join our email list.
http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/support/now
Five Years Too Many
http://www.5yearstoomany.org/
Events Planned for March 10-19, 2008, to Resist the U.S. Occupation of Iraq, Oppose New Wars, Demand Impeachment
http://resistinmarch.org/
Tuesday, April 4th, 2006
Be It Resolved: You Can Impeach the President
Official State Impeachment Text
Impeachment Text for Cities & Towns
Impeachment Text for County Democratic Committees
Impeachment Text for State Assemblies and/or Legislatures
Jefferson's Manual, Section LIII, 603
You Can Impeach the President
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=622
continued...
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Friday, March 7th, 2008
Only Gore Can Stop a Meltdown ...by Charles Hurt
New York Post
IF AL GORE can pull himself away from saving the planet long enough, he might want to consider rescuing the Demo cratic Party from the clutches of utter self-destruction.
Campaigning against an unpopular war in Iraq, a sputtering economy and a disappearing dollar, Democrats cannot lose in November.
But wait! They're Democrats!
"The only reason we ever lose is when we beat ourselves," one nervous Democrat grumbled yesterday as the primary dogfight dragged on.
Hillary Rodham Clinton has made it clear she won't quit and no one expects Barack Obama to exit - and so on to the Denver party convention they go, viciously attacking one another all the way.
Forget the red phone for a national-security crisis. Where is the red phone for a political party trying to destroy itself?
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=980
"I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. Sen. John McCain has a lifetime of experience that he'd bring to the White House. And Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton
March 4th, 2008 12:54 pm
Hillary Clinton's anti-Obama zinger of the day
By Andrew Malcolm / Los Angeles Times
It's a theme she's been driving home for days now, a variant on the "experience" argument she's flogged with mixed success.
Sen. Hillary Clinton was up very early this morning -- before dawn, in fact -- to shake hands at a factory gate in economically-troubled Toledo before heading off for Texas, as some last-minute polls sensed a whiff of a shift in her direction for tomorrow's voting in both places.
But before leaving, to insert herself into the day's news coverage, she held a quick media availability at the Hilton and provided this unusually concise capsule comment for reporters, including The Times' Louise Roug:
"I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. Sen. John McCain has a lifetime of experience that he'd bring to the White House. And Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11019
March 2nd, 2008 12:43 am
Vets Break Silence on War Crimes
By Aaron Glantz / IPS
U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are planning to descend on Washington from Mar. 13-16 to testify about war crimes they committed or personally witnessed in those countries.
"The war in Iraq is not covered to its potential because of how dangerous it is for reporters to cover it," said Liam Madden, a former Marine and member of the group Iraq Veterans Against the War. "That's left a lot of misconceptions in the minds of the American public about what the true nature of military occupation looks like."
Iraq Veterans Against the War argues that well-publicised incidents of U.S. brutality like the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the massacre of an entire family of Iraqis in the town of Haditha are not the isolated incidents perpetrated by "a few bad apples", as many politicians and military leaders have claimed. They are part of a pattern, the group says, of "an increasingly bloody occupation".
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11010
March 2nd, 2008 12:46 am
Vermont Vets Share Stories of Iraq
By Bianca Slota / WCAX News
More than 150 people packed the seats of a ballroom a the University of Vermont's Davis Center on Thursday night to hear the stories of four people who served as part of the global war on terror. The group is part of a growing movement of veterans calling for an end to the Iraq war.
Their testimony at UVM is a precursor to the Winter Soldier - Iraq and Afghanistan hearings to be held in Washington, D.C., next month.
Winter Soldier hearings first happened in 1971, when Vietnam War veterans spoke about the atrocities they saw and were a part of. These newest vets are following in their footsteps.
"Disposal of munitions happened in close proximity to agricultural fields, small villages, as well as the primary living base for U.S. soldiers," former U.S. Army Sergeant Drew Cameron told the crowd.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11011
March 2nd, 2008 12:48 am
Veterans speak out against Iraq War
By James Hawver / Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Like many of his fellow Americans who enlisted in the military after Sept. 11, 2001, Mike Totten was compelled to serve by a heightened sense of patriotism. The promise of money for college helped to seal the deal.
In April 2003, Totten, who graduated from Livonia High School in 2000, was deployed to Iraq as part of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne unit and assigned to a security detail for high-ranking commanders.
As he traveled across the country, Totten said he didn't see any improvement in the lives of the Iraqis — and there were no weapons of mass destruction, contrary to what the Bush administration had claimed.
"It kind of got me thinking: 'What the hell am I doing here?'"
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11012
March 2nd, 2008 12:29 pm
Patriot missiles: Iraq Veterans Against the War
After Vietnam, American veterans testified to the atrocities they witnessed. Now soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan are about to do the same
By Ariel Leve / London Times
Some of them will be okay. They will live with the secrets. They can dissociate from what happened in combat because it was part of the job. It was what they signed up for. They will keep the secrets out of duty – the silence is part of a code, and they honour that code above all else.
But for others, the secrets they keep are like a poison, slowly releasing toxins of shame and remorse. Who can they tell anyway? They talk to each other – other veterans who have seen what they’ve seen, done what they’ve done, and who can relate to the burden of carrying these secrets for the rest of their lives.
In 1971, the protest group Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered at a hotel in Detroit. More than 100 veterans talked about the atrocities they had witnessed in southeast Asia.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11016
March 2nd, 2008 11:46 am
Indictment proposal gets hearing
By Susan Smallheer / Rutland Herald
BRATTLEBORO, VT – Vermonters have long taken stands on the big issues of the day at town meeting.
Back in 1854, the issue was slavery. Several towns passed resolutions condemning the pending federal Kansas-Nebraska legislation that would have allowed the new states to sanction slavery, according to State Archivist Gregory Sanford.
In 1974, the town of Thetford voted to impeach then-President Richard Nixon, who went on to resign later that year.
Eight years later, 150 Vermont towns adopted a nuclear weapons freeze resolution.
This town meeting Brattleboro voters will decide whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted for violating their oath of office and failing to follow the Constitution for a variety of actions stemming from the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11015
Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama Against Going to War with Iraq
October 2, 2002
Good afternoon. Let me begin by saying that although this has been billed as an anti-war rally, I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances. The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union, and drive the scourge of slavery from our soil. I don't oppose all wars.
http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php
October 10, 2002
Floor Speech of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
on S.J. Res. 45, A Resolution to Authorize the Use of
United States Armed Forces Against Iraq
As Delivered
Today we are asked whether to give the President of the United States authority to use force in Iraq should diplomatic efforts fail to dismantle Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons and his nuclear program.
I am honored to represent nearly 19 million New Yorkers, a thoughtful democracy of voices and opinions who make themselves heard on the great issues of our day especially this one. Many have contacted my office about this resolution, both in support of and in opposition to it, and I am grateful to all who have expressed an opinion.
I also greatly respect the differing opinions within this body. The debate they engender will aid our search for a wise, effective policy. Therefore, on no account should dissent be discouraged or disparaged. It is central to our freedom and to our progress, for on more than one occasion, history has proven our great dissenters to be right.
http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html
March 5th, 2008 3:24 pm
Bush endorses John McCain for president
By Liz Sidoti / Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush endorsed Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain on Wednesday, two bitter rivals from the 2000 presidential race joining together now in hopes of preventing Democrats from winning the White House this fall.
"John showed incredible courage, strength of character and perseverance in order to get to this moment and that's exactly what we need in a president — somebody who can handle the tough decisions, somebody who won't flinch in the face of danger," Bush said, appearing with McCain in the Rose Garden.
Bush's embrace of the Arizona senator as the party's next standard-bearer comes a day after McCain clinched the GOP nomination by getting the requisite 1,191 convention delegates. Republicans won't officially nominate McCain until early September at the GOP's national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11035
George Bush Dances at White House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NOf2rsLkI4
Rep. Pete Stark signs onto Cheney impeachment resolution, is allowed to run unopposed
March 6th, 2008 8:58 pm
Activist drops bid for seat
Stark changes stance on measure to impeach Vice President Cheney
By Matthew Artz / The Argus
FREMONT, CA — Berkeley resident Cynthia Papermaster on Wednesday abruptly ended her campaign to unseat Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, in the June primary election.
Papermaster had entered the race to protest Stark's unwillingness to pursue impeachment charges against Vice President Dick Cheney.
However, she said she was withdrawing from the 13th Congressional District contest after Stark released a statement Wednesday saying that he would co-sponsor House Resolution 333 to impeach Cheney.
Stark wrote that he decided to back the impeachment resolution after tabulating the results of a recent constituent survey, in which 64 percent of participants favored impeaching President Bush.
Impeaching Cheney, Stark wrote, "is necessary before we can impeach President Bush."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11047
H.RES.333
Title: Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Sponsor: Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] (introduced 4/24/2007) Cosponsors (26)
Related Bills: H.RES.799
Latest Major Action: 5/4/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HE00333:@@@N
Make Sure Your Rep. Supports H.R. 676
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/boxscore/index.php?action=print
ACTION PAGE:
Tell Congress To Pass H.R. 676 Now
43,227 Submissions so far
Under H.R. 676 [Text of Bill], Medicare would be extended and improved so that all individuals residing in the United States would receive high quality and affordable health care services. They would receive all medically necessary services by the physicians of their choice, with no restrictions on what providers they could visit. If implemented, the United States National Health Insurance Act would cover primary care, dental, mental health, prescription drugs, and long term care.
The one click form below will send your personal message to all your government representatives selected below, with the subject "Pass H.R. 676." At the same time you can send your personal comments only as a letter to the editor of your nearest local daily newspaper if you like.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/petitions/pnum649.php
GO SEE SiCKO by MC ARTIFICIAL -- ABBREVIATED VERSION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZSPSRcX3Qw
March 7th, 2008 2:53 am
Highway blogger exonerated
Judge rules man with anti-Bush signs not a danger
By Clarke Morrison / Asheville Citizen-Times
ASHEVILLE, NC – A judge found highway blogger Jonas Phillips not guilty Thursday of breaking a city law when he hung a sign from an overpass urging the impeachment of President Bush.
Phillips, 36, of West Asheville, had been charged by police with blocking a city sidewalk on the Haywood Road bridge over Interstate 240.
The defendant testified during his trial in Buncombe County District Court that he didn’t impede traffic on the sidewalk or the roadway when the dangled the sign reading “Impeach Bush, Cheney” for several minutes shortly before 8 a.m. Aug. 15.
His attorney, Bill Auman, told Judge James Calvin Hill that Phillips was selectively prosecuted because of the content of the sign. Others who have displayed signs over roadways have not been charged, he said.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11048http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11048
March 7th, 2008 5:03 pm
MCCAIN GETS TESTY WITH THE PRESS
From NBC's Bethany Thomas
What began as a typical chat session with traveling reporters on the plane from Atlanta to New Orleans quickly became a testy exchange with McCain. The senator was questioned on the details of a conversation with former presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 about being his potential running mate.
The topic came up earlier this morning during a town hall at the headquarters of Chic-Fil-A, where an employee asked if McCain would consider John Kerry as a running mate for this election cycle.
McCain answered in Atlanta that his and Kerry’s political views are too different. “I just totally disagree with them,” McCain said. “He is a liberal Democrat... I am a conservative Republican. When we had that conversation in 2004, that’s why I never even considered such a thing.”
Pressed further aboard the plane by a reporter as to whether he did in fact have a conversation with Kerry, McCain showed his infamous temper.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11051
Friday, March 7th, 2008
Hillary Clinton, Fratricidal Maniac ...by Jonathan Chait
The New Republic
The morning after Tuesday's primaries, Hillary Clinton's campaign released a memo titled "The Path to the Presidency." I eagerly dug into the paper, figuring it would explain how Clinton would obtain the Democratic nomination despite an enormous deficit in delegates. Instead, the memo offered a series of arguments as to why Clinton should run against John McCain - i.e., "Hillary is seen as the one who can get the job done" - but nothing about how she actually could. Is she planning a third-party run? Does she think Obama is going to die? The memo does not say.
The reason it doesn't say is that Clinton's path to the nomination is pretty repulsive. She isn't going to win at the polls. Barack Obama has a lead of 144 pledged delegates. That may not sound like a lot in a 4,000-delegate race, but it is. Clinton's Ohio win reduced that total by only nine. She would need 15 more Ohios to pull even with Obama. She isn't going to do much to dent, let alone eliminate, his lead.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=979
March 7th, 2008 8:56 pm
For soldiers' loved ones, violence can change everything
By Kimberly Hefling / Associated Press
Laura Youngblood clutched her husband's photo as she drove alone to the hospital. She'd become pregnant nearly nine months earlier, the day he'd left for training for Iraq.
Hours later, after the baby was born, she placed the photo in the bassinet next to the infant he'd named Emma in his last letter home. He would never hold her.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood, 26, had died two months earlier, killed by an improvised explosive device.
Laura Youngblood is just 29 years old, but she insists she will not remarry. Her life is her children, now ages 2 and 7. One day, she says, she'll be buried in the plot with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery.
"I tell people I'm a happily married woman," she says, crying.
Five years after U.S. troops invaded Iraq, there are many tears - though not everyone is crying. For the great majority of Americans, this is a war seen from afar. They turn off the news and forget about what is happening a world away.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11055
March 7th, 2008 6:47 pm
Senate candidate asks board to indict Bush, Cheney
By Laura Dolce / Seacoast Online
KENNEBUNKPORT, ME — Calling President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney "notorious, alleged war criminals," Independent U.S. Senate candidate Laurie Dobson called upon the Board of Selectmen last week to adopt an indictment ordinance allowing town leaders to arrest war criminals.
"Five years ago, I wrote the local paper and said that 'G.W. Bush is driving the world under the intoxicated influence of his power-mad buddies and their dreams of world empire,'" she told the assembled crowd. "Nothing has changed since then, except that we are now paying the price for his failures and we will be paying for a long time to come.
Noting that "alleged war criminals occasionally exist in our town," Dobson said she wanted the town to take steps to bring them to justice since federal officials, including members of Congress, have failed to do so thus far.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11052
March 6th, 2008 8:31 pm
Military mother opposes Iraq war
By Margie Boulé / The Oregonian
Since the war in Iraq began, I've written many columns in support of people serving in the military. They are patriots. They make tremendous sacrifices in service to our country.
Most often, my stories have come from the parents of soldiers. I've quoted parents who strongly support the war in Iraq.
I've interviewed more parents whose children have served, been injured or been killed -- and most of those parents are against the war. But they never wanted to say so in the newspaper.
Suzi Sutherland-Martin is the first person who has contacted me and been willing to say, in print, that her son is serving in Iraq and she is opposed to the war.
Suzi's son is an officer in the Marines. She loves him very much; she worries about him constantly. She writes him letters and sends e-mails. She telephones and ships packages….
...Then she heard about the Oregon chapter of Military Families Speak Out (www.mfso-oregon.org). She attended a monthly support group in Wilsonville and "was thrilled beyond belief to feel I was not the only person in this situation."...
...She's dismayed that in an election season there's not more discussion about ending the war. She thinks she knows why.
"This is a terrible thing to say, but I think we should have a draft," she says. "I don't like the draft, I don't like war. But I can't think of anything else that would cause people to pay attention" to a war she believes we should not be fighting.
"I think if we had a draft, we would not have had this war." The general population would not have wanted to put its children at risk. College students would have protested more.
But since we are at war, Suzi figured this was a good time, "right before the fifth anniversary, for want of a better word, of the start of the Iraq war" to tell the other side of the story: "The one about parents of soldiers sitting at a table in the airport, trying to remind people there is still a war going on."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11046
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
My Son's Grave ...by Celeste Zappala
Beliefnet
The sorrowful convergence of the fifth anniversary of the war and the observation of the 4000th fallen U.S. soldier in Iraq looms sadly ahead. Soon candles will be lit and vigils held, arguments will ensue as to who was right, and the meaning and value of sacrifice and the chorus of whispers, wails, and anger will be carried on wind sweeping across this country and all the gravestones of war.
The stones are silent witnesses to the failure of humans to follow the commands of the Lord of Love. The stones are places where U.S. families gather, as far as can be from the bombs and desert fears.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=975
March 7th, 2008 9:26 pm
Blackwater pulls application for Potrero training center
By Anne Krueger / San Diego Union-Tribune
Blackwater Worldwide officials have announced they are pulling their application to build a training center on an 824-acre site in the East County community of Potrero.
The North Carolina-based company dropped off a letter to the county planning department today notifying officials of their decision not to pursue plans for the project on a former chicken and cattle ranch.
“Although our project would have brought a great benefit to San Diego County, – providing local, state, and federal law enforcement with access to low-cost superior training facilities while bringing much-needed jobs to the area – the proposed site does not meet our business objectives at this time,” states the letter from Blackwater vice president Brian Bonfiglio.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11056
March 7th, 2008 9:30 pm
Security contractor Blackwater ends bid for Calif. training site
By Allison Hoffman / Associated Press
SAN DIEGO, CA -- Military security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has pulled its plans to build a training facility in a remote area about 45 miles east of San Diego.
Company project manager Brian Bonfiglio said in a letter submitted Friday to the San Diego County planning department that the site near the small community of Potrero no longer meets Blackwater's business needs.
"After examining the capacity of our existing facilities and our business development goals, we have decided not to pursue plans for a training campus in Potrero," Bonfiglio wrote.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11057
March 7th, 2008 8:16 pm
Soldiers seek Ft. Carson deployment probe
The Army will be asked to investigate generals for deploying ailing GIs.
By Erin Emery / Denver Post
Secretary of the Army Pete Geren will be asked today to convene a panel of officers to investigate "Army policies and practices which permit the deployment of medically unfit soldiers."
Spec. Bryan Currie, 21, of Charleston, S.C., will ask Geren to convene a Court of Inquiry — a rarely used administrative fact-finding process — to investigate top generals at Fort Carson; Fort Drum, N.Y.; and Fort Hood, Texas.
A Court of Inquiry is composed of at least three high-ranking military officers and can subpoena civilians. Geren can refuse the request.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11054
March 7th, 2008 4:50 pm
Authorities: Times Square Bomb, Congressional Mailings Not Linked
By Dan Eggen and Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post
Federal authorities said today there is no apparent link between the bombing of a Manhattan military recruiting station and a man who mailed rambling letters to Congress that featured the building.
The timing amounts to "an amazing coincidence," one law enforcement official said.
About 100 congressional Democrats received identical antiwar letters in recent days that declared: "We did it," and included photos of a man standing in front of the U.S. military's iconic recruiting center in the middle of New York's Times Square, officials said. That same center was the target of a crude bomb that authorities believe was placed by a person riding a bicycle early yesterday morning.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11050
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
The Casey Sheehan Doctrine ...by Cindy Sheehan
One early morning, exactly five weeks after Casey was killed, I was awakened by a disturbing dream. Casey's father, Patrick and I had traveled to Santa Barbara for Mother's Day that year to visit the Arlington West exhibit sponsored by the Santa Barbara chapter of Veteran's for Peace. This was when we still believed that that our marriage was not going to be a casualty of the illegal and immoral travesty of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
After the initial shock of having a cherished part of me violently torn away, the story that the Army told us about Casey's death did not ring true. When a former-Lieutenant of Casey's called a few days after his death to express his condolences, Patrick asked him the question that had been on all of our minds: "Casey was a mechanic, what was he doing in combat?" The Lt. replied: "Didn't you know, Casey volunteered." That story about Casey "volunteering" never set right with me. It did not resonate with Casey's Chaplain's heart or his reluctance to go to Iraq in the first place and his vow before he left that he would not "kill anyone," because he could not. Then to put the icing on the cake baked with lies, when the Lt. and one of Casey's Sergeants came to his funeral, they told us what a great mechanic Casey was.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=977
Register to Vote
http://www.credomobile.com/registertovote/?source=govote
State Presidential Primary and Caucus Dates
http://www.votesmart.org/election_president_state_primary_dates.php
Stop Loss Congress
http://www.stop-losscongress.org/
Things You Can Do Now to Make Winter Soldier Successful
Stand with Us!
Sign the Statement of Support and encourage your friends, family, coworkers and members of your group to sign on as well. All signers will receive a weekly update on Winter Soldier through the event.
Donate Now!
Besides the logistical costs of Winter Soldier such as site rental and equipment, the majority of Winter Soldier’s budget is dedicated to covering the travel and lodging costs for all testifiers. Help us make sure their voices are heard. Donate now and ask others to donate too.
Hold a fundraiser to support Winter Soldier. You can use IVAW’s Winter Soldier House Party guide for instructions on how to hold a fundraiser.
Stay Informed!
Updates on the panels, testimonies and activities of Winter Soldier will be posted on the Winter Soldier website. Please check back for updated information and join our email list.
http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/support/now
Five Years Too Many
http://www.5yearstoomany.org/
Events Planned for March 10-19, 2008, to Resist the U.S. Occupation of Iraq, Oppose New Wars, Demand Impeachment
http://resistinmarch.org/
Tuesday, April 4th, 2006
Be It Resolved: You Can Impeach the President
Official State Impeachment Text
Impeachment Text for Cities & Towns
Impeachment Text for County Democratic Committees
Impeachment Text for State Assemblies and/or Legislatures
Jefferson's Manual, Section LIII, 603
You Can Impeach the President
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=622
continued...
Joke's on you! Bush final days intended as legacy of environmental insults !
Grand Canyon flooded on purpose (+video/photos) (Click title to entry)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/multimedia/video.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496745&content_media_id=4969936
Water releases meant to renew the river's bottom are ill-timed and serve hydropower firms, park officials say (click here).
...But he said the best, most current scientific data should be used to determine releases.In a statement, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility condemned the flush as a "staged canyon greenwash" meant to attract television cameras while following a flood timeline that would "magnify the benefits for power production at the expense of environmental benefits.""The Bush administration is trying to extend its control through the term of its successor -- a dead man's hand throttling the Colorado River management," said Jeff Ruch, executive director of the environmental group.
Sydney Morning Herald
Hamas claims responsibility
2008-03-08 08:49:20
Hamas Islamists say they staged the shooting attack at a Jewish religious school in Jerusalem that killed eight people.(01:45)
http://media.smh.com.au/?category=Breaking%20News&rid=36138
Myanmar rejects UN proposal for observers at referendum
March 9, 2008 - 1:53AM
Myanmar's military government has rejected a UN proposal for the regime to allow observers at its constitutional referendum planned for May, state television said Saturday.
The proposal was made by visiting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari during his talks with election officials on Friday, when he offered to help provide independent observers and UN technical assistance with the polls.
A member of the commission organising the balloting, Thaung Nyung, rejected the offer, saying the referendum was a domestic affair.
http://news.smh.com.au/myanmar-rejects-un-proposal-for-observers-at-referendum/20080309-1y4a.html
Putin warns West his successor to be just as tough
March 9, 2008 - 1:44AM
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday warned the West against expecting a thaw under his "nationalist" successor Dmitry Medvedev.
"Dmitry Medvedev will be free to demonstrate his liberal views," Putin said after talks at his Novo Ogaryevo residence outside Moscow with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"But he is no less a Russian nationalist, in the good sense of the word, than I am, and I do not think that with him the partnership will be more simple."
Putin issued the warning just before Merkel went to a separate meeting with Medvedev, the first between a Western leader and the new president-elect since his controversial election March 2.
http://news.smh.com.au/putin-warns-west-his-successor-to-be-just-as-tough/20080308-1y45.html
Serbian PM resigns
March 9, 2008 - 2:17AM
Serbian nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica resigned on Saturday following a government crisis over the independence of Kosovo and the country's EU future.
http://news.smh.com.au/serbian-pm-resigns/20080309-1y4b.html
Zimbabwe bans Western election observers
March 7, 2008 - 11:24PM
Zimbabwe's government will not invite observers from countries critical of President Robert Mugabe's rule to monitor a general election due later this month, a government official said.
The state-controlled Herald newspaper on Friday quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi as telling diplomats in Harare that the government had selected 47 foreign observer teams, "on the basis of reciprocity, objectivity and impartiality in their relationship with Zimbabwe."
"Clearly, those who believe that the only free and fair election is where the opposition wins, have been excluded since the ruling party, ZANU-PF, is poised to score yet another triumph," Mumbengegwi said.
The southern African country - in the middle of a severe economic and political crisis - votes on March 29 in presidential, parliamentary and council elections.
http://news.smh.com.au/zimbabwe-bans-western-election-observers/20080307-1xyd.html
Thatcher 'stable' in hospital
March 9, 2008 - 1:22AM
Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was in a stable condition in a London hospital today after being admitted for tests, an official said.
The 82-year-old spent the night at St Thomas' Hospital where she was driven from her home in the capital late yesterday after complaining she felt unwell.
A spokeswoman for the hospital said: "Baroness Thatcher has remained stable overnight and we have nothing further to add at this stage."
Britain's first female prime minister, nicknamed "the Iron Lady" for her uncompromising stance on policy issues, has appeared in public less and less frequently after doctors banned her from addressing large audiences in 2002.
She has suffered a series of minor strokes which friends say have affected her short-term memory, leading her to occasionally lose track mid-conversation.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/thatcher-stable-in-hospital/2008/03/09/1204780143675.html
For women, love of labour's being lost
Anne Manne
March 8, 2008
On each International Women's Day there is a united chorus of concerned opinion over the barriers to women's advancement. We bemoan the absence of equal numbers of women in high-status professions such as politics, business, and the law.
And the solution offered? One book's title says it all: Get To Work: A Manifesto For Women Of The World. The author, Linda Hirshman, instructs women to put work first. Those caring for children live a "lesser life … bearing the burden of … work … associated with the lowest caste: sweeping and cleaning bodily waste … They have voluntarily become untouchables."
Hirshman is right on one thing - it does matter that our elites include fewer women than men. Women are now investing time, money and energy as never before in training and education. Our society needs their talents. But what exactly is the problem?
Our society is hoping to get something of immense value - talented women working at a time of increasing labour shortages - while making few concessions to women's needs. We are not doing even remotely enough to support them in combining child-rearing and work. Far more women, surveys show, want children than end up having them. Why? It is not just a lack of affordable child care or paid maternity leave. The problem is far deeper.
The Get To Work! program has a fatal flaw. The sanctification of paid work fails to challenge a crucial element in women's continued disadvantage: the ideal worker norms which make it difficult for women to combine motherhood and work. Our model for the ideal worker is based on the old male life cycle: training early, getting established in the professions, working long hours, taking no time out and competing against other men. The ideal worker has no family responsibilities to conflict with work. Someone else - a wife - takes care of all that.
The values surrounding the "proper" worker act as a subtle but pervasive form of covert discrimination. At one academic conference, the young women were advised to write several extra articles before motherhood, and to store them away. After giving birth, they could then submit them at regular intervals to conceal any gap children might create in their publication record.
It suits us to let mothers "manage like a man", wilfully blind to the extent of the change really needed. One publisher, encountering a mother breastfeeding a baby in the office, shouted furiously: "Breasts don't belong in the office!" But they do, of course, so long as they are sheathed beneath a silk blouse in a power suit, for male delectation, not lactation. When a young business executive feels anxious that if she takes more than one week's holiday she will lose her job, she is sent a powerful message about the possibility of combining work with family life. Yet if she opts out, or is childless, we claim airily: "Oh, it was her choice!" Our consciences are clear.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/for-women-love-of-labours-being-lost/2008/03/07/1204780063490.html
Keeping a Lo profile
Simon Webster
March 8, 2008
Authorities are too lenient with celebrities who have had babies, the United Nations has warned, calling for the sterilisation of anyone who has ever appeared in OK! magazine. Critics of the controversial proposal say it is unnecessary as the current fad for getting pregnant and giving birth won't last long and celebs will soon go back to hiring assistants to do that kind of thing for them.
Film star and pop icon J Lo (daughter of eccentric Australian supermarket multimillionaire Bi-Lo), set a new standard for glamorous celebrity weddings in 2004 when she donned a golden toga to marry the late Roman general Marc Anthony.
Despite Anthony having committed suicide in 30BC, following a passionate affair with troubled royal supermodel Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, Lo gave birth to twins last month. She scandalised America's jet set by giving them the names Max and Emme, becoming the first Hollywood mum since the silent movie era not to give her offspring a name that can only be pronounced correctly by the clicking Xhosa tribe of South Africa.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/keeping-a-lo-profile/2008/03/08/1204780123577.html
Harlem faces a new executioner
Ian Munro
March 8, 2008
POSTCARD FROM NEW YORK
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There is cold comfort for the unpopular and the just-not-good-enough at the Apollo Theatre's amateur night in Harlem: they are dispatched with some flair.
The one they call The Executioner, whose job it is to clear the stage when the booing reaches its peak, tap dances onstage and drives off the unfinished acts.
One of his predecessors did his work with a broom, sweeping the stage clean. Now, wearing a loud, checked suit, a police uniform or a white laboratory coat with an outsized syringe to put down a dud comedian, today's incarnation does it with style.
The Apollo, a Harlem landmark, central to the place that 125th Street has in black American culture, fostered the careers of Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder - but it has always been a tough room.
That much has not changed. Yet now the audience is as likely to be from Europe or Asia as from Morningside Heights.
While tourism may prove to be the Apollo's saviour, the future of the community that fostered the theatre is much less certain now that New York's planning department has proposed sweeping zoning changes for 125th Street.
The city's plan would allow the mostly low-rise street to accommodate office towers up to 29 storeys, and introduce 2000 private apartments and art galleries and hotels.
A New York City councillor, Inez Dickens, says African-Americans helped make Harlem "a black homeland, an international cultural destination … I have never lived anywhere else but Harlem and never wanted to."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/harlem-faces-a-new-executioner/2008/03/07/1204780063511.html
Hopefully, the last person out remembers to turn off the Opera House lights
Richard Glover
March 8, 2008
DESPITE this week's headlines about the exodus from Sydney, there must be someone who wants to move to our town. For instance, David Hicks is quite keen. Yep, in order to enjoy living in Sydney, you just need the right point of comparison. For instance, five years being tortured at Guantanamo Bay.
For everyone else, the experience of living in Sydney can be a little underwhelming.
According to a poll this week, one in five Sydneysiders is considering leaving town, driven mad by the pure hassle of living here. The other 80 per cent are presumably just waiting for the F3 to clear so they get a fast run north. Hopefully, the last person out remembers to turn off the Opera House lights and to close down that stupid desalination plant.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/richard-glover/hopefully-the-last-person-out-remembers-to-turn-off-the-operahouse-lights/2008/03/07/1204780063098.html
Employers ignore value of older workers at their peril
Adele Horin
March 8, 2008
A friend is planning a career change. At 56, he has decided to become a fitter and turner and has applied for an apprenticeship. He has always been handy and has never much enjoyed his job as a primary school teacher. We had expected him to retire soon into a life of frugal leisure. We had imagined him pottering happily in the shed, but he wants to retrain and work on.
Not so long ago his chances of fulfilling his ambition would have been zilch. A 56-year-old embarking on an apprenticeship? Tell me another one. Now the idea is not so outlandish. Indeed it is ageing workers who may hold the key to solving the skills and labour shortage.
A study by the economic modelling company Econtech says it is the 55-plus workforce that is growing fastest, and employers must shift their focus from the young to the old to maintain productivity.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/employers-ignore-value-of-older-workers-at-their-peril/2008/03/07/1204780063496.html
US job cuts seen signalling a recession
March 8, 2008 - 10:13AM
US employers unexpectedly cut jobs in February at the steepest rate in nearly five years, a second straight month of employment losses that heightened fears the world's largest economy has skidded into recession.
``The question appears no longer to be are we going into a recession but how long and deep it will be,'' said economist Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors Inc in Holland, Pennsylvania.
The Labor Department on Friday said 63,000 nonfarm jobs were eliminated on top of an upwardly revised loss of 22,000 in January, sharply contrary to Wall Street economists' forecasts that 25,000 positions would be added in February.
The department also halved the number added in December to 41,000 from the 82,000 estimated a month ago, in a move that underlined the steady deterioration in the US labor market.
http://business.smh.com.au/us-job-cuts-seen-signalling-a-recession/20080308-1y0w.html
Jobs decline sends Wall Street lower
March 8, 2008 - 10:10AM
US stocks fell for a second straight day on Friday after the biggest drop in US jobs since 2003 sent energy and mining stocks lower. The slide eclipsed gains by banks spurred by a Federal Reserve plan to make more cash available to lenders.
Chevron Corp., Alcoa Inc. and Boeing Co. led declines that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average below 12,000 for the first time in two months and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to its lowest level since August 2006. Wells Fargo & Co. and CIT Group Inc. gained, helping spur a 2.5% advance in financial stocks during the final 90 minutes of trading.
The declines are likely to be echoed when Australian markets reopen on Monday. The March futures contract for the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index was down about 1.8%, or 94 points, to 5176.
On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 index slid 3.2%, or 171.5 points to close at 5,264 points. That drop shaved about $40 billion from the share value of the top 200 companies. The main finance sub-index is now 30% lower for 2008 compared with a 17% slide for the ASX 200 as a whole.
http://business.smh.com.au/jobs-decline-sends-wall-street-lower/20080308-1y0p.html
Wall St.'s kings getting by on $200,000 a day
''There seem to be two different economic realities operating in our country.''
March 8, 2008 - 11:28AM
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the most profitable securities firm in Wall Street history, awarded $US67.5 million each to Co-Presidents Gary Cohn and Jon Winkelried, boosting their pay 27% from the prior year as the company evaded the mortgage losses spreading through the economy.
Cohn, 47, and Winkelried, 48, received 40% of their compensation in cash and 60% in restricted stock and options, New York-based Goldman said today in a proxy filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The payouts amount to $US185,000 ($200,000) per day, including weekends. The median annual income of US households was $US48,201 in 2006, the most- recent figures available from the Census Bureau.
The awards ''are not doing anything to take the focus off executive compensation,'' said Laura Thatcher, head of the executive pay practice at the Alston & Bird law firm in Atlanta. ''Those numbers innately are high.''
http://business.smh.com.au/wall-sts-kings-getting-by-on-200000-a-day/20080308-1y1e.html
US job losses send greenback lower
March 8, 2008 - 12:44PM
The US dollar dropped for a fourth straight week against the euro after a government report showed the US unexpectedly lost jobs for a second consecutive month in February.
The Australian dollar rose to as high as 93.72 US cents, before easing to close at 93.11 US cents.
The US currency earlier fell to the weakest ever against the euro and an eight-year low versus the yen as the government report bolstered speculation the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this month for a sixth time since September.
The US currency rose from the day's lowest levels as the Fed said it will boost loans to banks, leading traders to trim bets on a cut of as much as a full%age point at the central bank's March 18 meeting.
''There is the view that we're quickly sinking into recession and that the Fed only has a limited ability to offset that,'' said Michael Woolfolk, senior currency strategist in New York at the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. ''We will certainly see more dollar weakness from here.''
http://business.smh.com.au/us-job-losses-send-greenback-lower/20080308-1y1v.html
Volvo relocating US headquarters
March 8, 2008 - 1:07PM
Volvo Cars of North America LLC said it will relocate its US headquarters from Southern California to New Jersey, where customer service and other operations are based.
"The relocation will make North American operations more efficient by bringing everyone together in one location, as well as bringing everyone three time zones closer to the Swedish headquarters," the company said in a statement.
Volvo Cars of North America, a subsidiary of Volvo Car Corp. of Goteborg, Sweden, shifted its headquarters to Irvine in 2001.
The move from Irvine to Rockleigh, New Jersey, will affect fewer than 80 employees, the company said.
On Friday, it also named Doug Speck as president and chief executive officer, replacing Anne Belec, who became Ford Motor Co. director of global marketing.
http://news.smh.com.au/volvo-relocating-us-headquarters/20080308-1y22.html
US employers slashed 63,000 jobs in Feb
March 8, 2008 - 6:12AM
Employers in the US slashed jobs by 63,000 in February, the most in five years, the starkest sign yet the country is heading dangerously toward recession or is in one already.
The Labour Department's report, released on Friday, also showed that the US unemployment rate dipped to 4.8 per cent as hundreds of thousands of people - perhaps discouraged by their prospects - left the civilian labour force. The jobless rate was 4.9 per cent in January.
Job losses were widespread, with hefty cuts coming from construction, manufacturing, retailing and a variety of professional and business services. Those losses swamped gains elsewhere including education and health care, leisure and hospitality, and the government.
http://news.smh.com.au/us-employers-slashed-63000-jobs-in-feb/20080308-1xz9.html
European stocks fall on US fears
March 8, 2008 - 6:32AM
European shares ended the week on a downbeat note, led lower by mining stocks as disappointing US employment data raised more fears about the health of the world's largest economy.
The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index fell 1.1 per cent to 307.98 - chalking up a second straight day of losses - with miners posting the biggest losses after the data.
Of mining firms, shares of BHP Billiton skidded 5.4 per cent and Rio Tinto shares fell 3.7 per cent. The losses came despite a big rise in gold futures after the employment data.
In the clearest sign yet of a recession, US non farm payrolls fell by 63,000 in February, the second straight decline in employment, the Labour Department reported.
http://news.smh.com.au/european-stocks-fall-on-us-fears/20080308-1xzg.html
SE Asian markets fall after US slide
March 7, 2008 - 11:12PM
Most Asian markets were battered on Friday as investors spooked by Wall Street's tumble sold blue chips.
Fears over the US economy's mortgage crisis re-emerged following news of a default at a high-profile US mortgage lender, dealers said.
Japan's Nikkei average fell 3.3 per cent to a six-week low on Friday, with investors dumping blue-chip exporters such as Honda Motor Co Ltd on a stronger yen and fears of a US recession, while silicon wafer maker Sumco Corp tumbled more than 10 per cent after predicting weaker profits.
In a broad sell-off tracking sharp falls on Wall Street, banks such as Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group took a beating after US mortgage lender Thornburg Mortgage Inc said it failed to meet a $US28 million margin call, the latest setback in the global credit crisis.
http://news.smh.com.au/se-asian-markets-fall-after-us-slide/20080307-1xy8.html
New Zealand Herald
Lasting effects from blows to head
5:00AM Thursday March 06, 2008
A blow to the head that knocks a person unconscious can result in widespread loss of brain tissue, Canadian researchers say, explaining why some people who suffer head injuries are never quite the same.
The more severe the injury, the more brain tissue is lost, they said.
"There is more damage and it is more widespread than we had expected," said Dr Brian Levine of the Rotman Research Institute and the University of Toronto, whose study appears in the journal Neurology.
Dr Levine studied brain scans taken from 69 traumatic brain injury patients whose head injuries ranged from mild to moderate or severe. The researchers used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging or MRI to study changes in brain volume a year after the injury. They ran a computer analysis of these images and found that even patients with mild brain injuries with no apparent scarring had less brain volume.
"When you have a blow to the head, it causes a neurochemical reaction in the brain cells that leads to cell death," Dr Levine said. "The more cells that die, the less tissue you have."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496350
Rising metal costs may change size of Aussie coins
New 8:59AM Sunday March 09, 2008
SYDNEY - The size and composition of some Australian coins may have to change due to the soaring cost of copper and nickel.
This year the metal value of the 5c, 10c and 20c coins will overtake their face value for the first time, News Ltd reported today.
The metal content in 10c, 20c and 50c coins was now worth more than the metal in the $1 and $2 coins.
But melting down coins to make extra by selling the metal was illegal and heavy penalties applied.
The 5c coin has a current metal cost of A4.89c (NZ5.74c), the 10c coin 9.78c and the 20c coin 19.56c compared with the $1 coin on 8.3c and the $2 coin on just 6.1c.
But with copper and nickel prices up about 30 per cent this year, some new coins will cost more to make than their face value, New Ltd says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10497033
Sweden demands boycott of Australian wool
5:00AM Sunday March 09, 2008
Australia's lucrative wool exports to Europe are under threat amid allegations of intimidation and bribery by Australian government and wool industry officials in Sweden, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday.
The paper reported the Swedish government is urging consumers to boycott Australian wool, and retailers are banning it because of mulesing, the practice of cutting skin from the backsides of sheep, without pain relief, to prevent flystrike.
A Swedish current affairs show, Kalla Fakta (Cold Facts), is reported to have filmed a consultant for the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce, and a man - said to be an Australian embassy official - offering a free trip to Australia to an anti-mulesing campaigner in exchange for not appearing on a TV show.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496986
Clinton and Obama battle for superdelegates (+video)
2:27PM Friday March 07, 2008
Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are putting forth arguments to superdelegates that they should be the party's nominee.
The quality of wins argument may win Hillary Clinton the nomination, but there's a fear that it could divide the party - with supporters of Barack Obama staying home in the general election.
Although Barack Obama has a lead in pledged delegates - 1,366 to 1,227 - neither candidate is likely to gather enough delegates to reach the 2,025 votes needed to clinch the nomination without help from the superdelegates.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496758
Swedish socialite jailed for hitman plot
4:02PM Friday March 07, 2008
A sentencing judge today warned Charlotte Lindstrom that she would spend her life "looking over her shoulder" after assisting police.
The 23-year-old Swedish socialite and model will be behind bars until May next year for soliciting murder, after she pleaded guilty to plotting in 2007 to wipe out two Crown witnesses who were to give evidence in drug case against her then Sydney boyfriend.
After her arrest last year, she agreed with detectives to testify against her former lover and others involved in the murder scheme. She is now in a protective custody in prison after a series of death threats.
Prosecutors accused her of trying to get an undercover police officer, posing as a hitman, to kill the witnesses.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496780
Nuke talks raise fears for the 'lost'
Page 1 of 2 View as a single page 5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
By Anne Penketh
Japanese family members of the abducted protest against efforts to normalise relations with North Korea. Photo / Reuters.
A cruel, biting wind is blowing in from the Sea of Japan, as waves crash on to the breakwaters lining the shore of the Japanese fishing port of Niigata.
It was a day like this that 13-year old Megumi Yokota vanished 30 years ago, on her way home from badminton class in the school gym.
Her disappearance set off the biggest search for a schoolgirl ever launched in Japan.
Investigators have confirmed she was one of several Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in its revolutionary zeal to reunite the Korean peninsula. They were bundled on to ships to North Korea, where they were used as language teachers for North Korean spies, who then planned to infiltrate South Korea using Japanese identities.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496823
From homeless to mayor in Paris (+video)
10:45AM Friday March 07, 2008
Jean-Marc Restoux is standing as a mayoral candidate in municipal elections in Paris's 6th district on Sunday.
The local vote will be the first electoral test for President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose poll ratings have fallen sharply since his election last May.
Some local politicians with allegiance to the president's party fear his unpopularity may rebound against them, to the benefit of outsiders such as Restoux.
From the streets to Town Hall - that is the dream of Jean-Marc Restoux, a 54-year-old Parisian who has spent half his life homeless. Restoux is standing for mayor in municipal elections in Paris's 6th district on Sunday. Disillusioned with modern politics, he says his electoral list is apolitical.(
"I want to gather a maximum of people from different horizons and open the people's eyes so they can realise that it's for them to get involved, that it's not only the State or the town hall that decides, but everyone together."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496684
Mugabe woos voters with tractors, retire says rival
9:03AM Sunday March 09, 2008
By Cris Chinaka
HARARE - Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe handed out tractors and fuel on Saturday as he courted votes ahead of elections this month, and a leading opponent urged the veteran president to end decades of misrule and retire.
Mugabe handed out the farm equipment to blacks given land seized from whites, a reform his critics say has helped plunge Zimbabwe into economic crisis, and predicted an overwhelming victory that would confound Britain and other critics.
The 84-year-old Mugabe is seeking to extend his 28-year hold on power in presidential, parliamentary and local council polls set for March 29, and has blamed the West for Zimbabwe's economic crisis.
At a ceremony in the capital Harare, Mugabe provided farm equipment worth millions of dollars to thousands of new black farmers, machinery for women and youths to establish small businesses and buses to try to ease public transport problems.
He also gave traditional chiefs at the same ceremony thousands of litres of fuel, also in short supply.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10497035
British government pulls plug on bottled water
9:30AM Friday March 07, 2008
LONDON - Bottles of water will no longer be served at British government meetings under a "tap water only" policy announced on Thursday to protect the environment.
Britain's top civil servant, Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell, sent the order to all government departments, saying the policy would come into effect by the summer.
Britain has seen the stirrings of a public backlash against bottled drinking water, with politicians and public figures saying they never order it and newspapers calling on restaurants to stop serving it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496698
World Bank optimistic about Samoa's economy
4:14PM Friday March 07, 2008
By Cherelle Jackson
Vice President of the World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region remains positive about the future of Samoa's economy.
James Adams spoke about his hopes for the Samoan economy during a recent trip to Samoa.
"I'm quite optimistic," he said.
"I think the performance will continue to be solid. I think that the big challenge is the one that the Government effectively is addressing and thinking through and working on. That big challenge is, how does the Government mobilize additional investment in private sector, both foreign and domestic, where policies can improve."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496784
Maori party warns against policies to abolish Maori seats
5:00AM Friday March 07, 2008
The Maori Party is warning that policies to abolish the Maori seats in Parliament could compromise post-election negotiations to form the next government.
National yesterday confirmed its intention to abolish the seven seats, linked with its goal of settling all historical Treaty claims by 2014.
Labour has never had a policy to abolish the seats, and has said that will happen only when Maori want an end to special representation.
Maori Party MP Hone Harawira did not specifically mention National, but he said other political parties should "tone down their rhetoric".
"We won't be doing deals with parties who plan to silence our peoples' views," he said.
"It took us 150 years for our voice to be heard in the halls of power and our people won't stand for anyone trying to take it away again," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10496683
Key admits blunder over Treaty
5:00AM Thursday March 06, 2008
By Claire Trevett and Audrey Young
National leader John Key has admitted that he blundered yesterday over his party's Treaty settlements policy.
He said on breakfast television that National had not previously had a date by which it wanted settlements completed.
In fact, its position at the last election was that grievances be settled by 2010.
The party changed that in February last year, shortly after Mr Key became leader. The settlement target was extended to 2014 and tied to the abolition of the Maori seats.
Mr Key said then that instead of abolishing the seats as soon it became Government, it would start the process in 2014, when it believed historical Treaty settlements would be resolved.
He issued a statement last night saying that in trying to distinguish between the party's present position and the formal policy document that would follow later in the year, "I gave the impression that National did not have a date for the settlement of historic Treaty claims".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10496419
Anthony Doesburg: Digital television, without the satellite dish
5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
By Anthony Doesburg
It's going to be a big year for digital broadcasting - starting next month, when Freeview begins terrestrial transmission of its dozen or so digital TV channels.
You could say the excitement kicks off sooner than that, on March 30, with the switching on of TVNZ 7 - the state broadcaster's second digital-only channel (TVNZ 6 went live about six months ago).
That means Freeview's fare will be TV One, TV2, TV3, C4, TVNZ Sport Extra, TVNZ 6, TVNZ 7, Maori Television, Stratos, Parliament TV, Cue and Radio New Zealand's National and Concert programmes.
And there's more. Last week, the Radio Broadcasters Association, representing commercial stations, agreed to join a digital radio trial in Auckland of DAB+, one of numerous options for moving radio out of the analogue era.
At the centre of all of this excitement is Kordia, the state-owned enterprise whose origins go back 60 years to when it built the national radio and television transmission network.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10496825
Bill Ralston: Face it, we're in deep doo-doo
5:00AM Sunday March 09, 2008
By Bill Ralston
Forget all the usual economic indicators, when Lotto suffers a 4.6 per cent drop in net profit you know the country is, to use a technical term, in deep doo-doo.
More traditional analysts might point to the $700 million shortfall in tax revenue, mostly from reduced GST takings, but the answer is the same. New Zealanders are spending less.
We are tightening our belts as the economy falters. In an election year this could prove the last nail in the coffin of the Labour government. Voters can be churlish and if they are suffering, they will make whoever is in power suffer with them.
A while ago, I wrote that we were entering a "perfect economic storm", with a high dollar, high interest rates, rising inflation, falling property values, a sagging share market and punitive tax rates.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10496955
continued...
Hamas claims responsibility
2008-03-08 08:49:20
Hamas Islamists say they staged the shooting attack at a Jewish religious school in Jerusalem that killed eight people.(01:45)
http://media.smh.com.au/?category=Breaking%20News&rid=36138
Myanmar rejects UN proposal for observers at referendum
March 9, 2008 - 1:53AM
Myanmar's military government has rejected a UN proposal for the regime to allow observers at its constitutional referendum planned for May, state television said Saturday.
The proposal was made by visiting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari during his talks with election officials on Friday, when he offered to help provide independent observers and UN technical assistance with the polls.
A member of the commission organising the balloting, Thaung Nyung, rejected the offer, saying the referendum was a domestic affair.
http://news.smh.com.au/myanmar-rejects-un-proposal-for-observers-at-referendum/20080309-1y4a.html
Putin warns West his successor to be just as tough
March 9, 2008 - 1:44AM
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday warned the West against expecting a thaw under his "nationalist" successor Dmitry Medvedev.
"Dmitry Medvedev will be free to demonstrate his liberal views," Putin said after talks at his Novo Ogaryevo residence outside Moscow with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"But he is no less a Russian nationalist, in the good sense of the word, than I am, and I do not think that with him the partnership will be more simple."
Putin issued the warning just before Merkel went to a separate meeting with Medvedev, the first between a Western leader and the new president-elect since his controversial election March 2.
http://news.smh.com.au/putin-warns-west-his-successor-to-be-just-as-tough/20080308-1y45.html
Serbian PM resigns
March 9, 2008 - 2:17AM
Serbian nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica resigned on Saturday following a government crisis over the independence of Kosovo and the country's EU future.
http://news.smh.com.au/serbian-pm-resigns/20080309-1y4b.html
Zimbabwe bans Western election observers
March 7, 2008 - 11:24PM
Zimbabwe's government will not invite observers from countries critical of President Robert Mugabe's rule to monitor a general election due later this month, a government official said.
The state-controlled Herald newspaper on Friday quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi as telling diplomats in Harare that the government had selected 47 foreign observer teams, "on the basis of reciprocity, objectivity and impartiality in their relationship with Zimbabwe."
"Clearly, those who believe that the only free and fair election is where the opposition wins, have been excluded since the ruling party, ZANU-PF, is poised to score yet another triumph," Mumbengegwi said.
The southern African country - in the middle of a severe economic and political crisis - votes on March 29 in presidential, parliamentary and council elections.
http://news.smh.com.au/zimbabwe-bans-western-election-observers/20080307-1xyd.html
Thatcher 'stable' in hospital
March 9, 2008 - 1:22AM
Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was in a stable condition in a London hospital today after being admitted for tests, an official said.
The 82-year-old spent the night at St Thomas' Hospital where she was driven from her home in the capital late yesterday after complaining she felt unwell.
A spokeswoman for the hospital said: "Baroness Thatcher has remained stable overnight and we have nothing further to add at this stage."
Britain's first female prime minister, nicknamed "the Iron Lady" for her uncompromising stance on policy issues, has appeared in public less and less frequently after doctors banned her from addressing large audiences in 2002.
She has suffered a series of minor strokes which friends say have affected her short-term memory, leading her to occasionally lose track mid-conversation.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/thatcher-stable-in-hospital/2008/03/09/1204780143675.html
For women, love of labour's being lost
Anne Manne
March 8, 2008
On each International Women's Day there is a united chorus of concerned opinion over the barriers to women's advancement. We bemoan the absence of equal numbers of women in high-status professions such as politics, business, and the law.
And the solution offered? One book's title says it all: Get To Work: A Manifesto For Women Of The World. The author, Linda Hirshman, instructs women to put work first. Those caring for children live a "lesser life … bearing the burden of … work … associated with the lowest caste: sweeping and cleaning bodily waste … They have voluntarily become untouchables."
Hirshman is right on one thing - it does matter that our elites include fewer women than men. Women are now investing time, money and energy as never before in training and education. Our society needs their talents. But what exactly is the problem?
Our society is hoping to get something of immense value - talented women working at a time of increasing labour shortages - while making few concessions to women's needs. We are not doing even remotely enough to support them in combining child-rearing and work. Far more women, surveys show, want children than end up having them. Why? It is not just a lack of affordable child care or paid maternity leave. The problem is far deeper.
The Get To Work! program has a fatal flaw. The sanctification of paid work fails to challenge a crucial element in women's continued disadvantage: the ideal worker norms which make it difficult for women to combine motherhood and work. Our model for the ideal worker is based on the old male life cycle: training early, getting established in the professions, working long hours, taking no time out and competing against other men. The ideal worker has no family responsibilities to conflict with work. Someone else - a wife - takes care of all that.
The values surrounding the "proper" worker act as a subtle but pervasive form of covert discrimination. At one academic conference, the young women were advised to write several extra articles before motherhood, and to store them away. After giving birth, they could then submit them at regular intervals to conceal any gap children might create in their publication record.
It suits us to let mothers "manage like a man", wilfully blind to the extent of the change really needed. One publisher, encountering a mother breastfeeding a baby in the office, shouted furiously: "Breasts don't belong in the office!" But they do, of course, so long as they are sheathed beneath a silk blouse in a power suit, for male delectation, not lactation. When a young business executive feels anxious that if she takes more than one week's holiday she will lose her job, she is sent a powerful message about the possibility of combining work with family life. Yet if she opts out, or is childless, we claim airily: "Oh, it was her choice!" Our consciences are clear.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/for-women-love-of-labours-being-lost/2008/03/07/1204780063490.html
Keeping a Lo profile
Simon Webster
March 8, 2008
Authorities are too lenient with celebrities who have had babies, the United Nations has warned, calling for the sterilisation of anyone who has ever appeared in OK! magazine. Critics of the controversial proposal say it is unnecessary as the current fad for getting pregnant and giving birth won't last long and celebs will soon go back to hiring assistants to do that kind of thing for them.
Film star and pop icon J Lo (daughter of eccentric Australian supermarket multimillionaire Bi-Lo), set a new standard for glamorous celebrity weddings in 2004 when she donned a golden toga to marry the late Roman general Marc Anthony.
Despite Anthony having committed suicide in 30BC, following a passionate affair with troubled royal supermodel Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, Lo gave birth to twins last month. She scandalised America's jet set by giving them the names Max and Emme, becoming the first Hollywood mum since the silent movie era not to give her offspring a name that can only be pronounced correctly by the clicking Xhosa tribe of South Africa.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/keeping-a-lo-profile/2008/03/08/1204780123577.html
Harlem faces a new executioner
Ian Munro
March 8, 2008
POSTCARD FROM NEW YORK
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There is cold comfort for the unpopular and the just-not-good-enough at the Apollo Theatre's amateur night in Harlem: they are dispatched with some flair.
The one they call The Executioner, whose job it is to clear the stage when the booing reaches its peak, tap dances onstage and drives off the unfinished acts.
One of his predecessors did his work with a broom, sweeping the stage clean. Now, wearing a loud, checked suit, a police uniform or a white laboratory coat with an outsized syringe to put down a dud comedian, today's incarnation does it with style.
The Apollo, a Harlem landmark, central to the place that 125th Street has in black American culture, fostered the careers of Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder - but it has always been a tough room.
That much has not changed. Yet now the audience is as likely to be from Europe or Asia as from Morningside Heights.
While tourism may prove to be the Apollo's saviour, the future of the community that fostered the theatre is much less certain now that New York's planning department has proposed sweeping zoning changes for 125th Street.
The city's plan would allow the mostly low-rise street to accommodate office towers up to 29 storeys, and introduce 2000 private apartments and art galleries and hotels.
A New York City councillor, Inez Dickens, says African-Americans helped make Harlem "a black homeland, an international cultural destination … I have never lived anywhere else but Harlem and never wanted to."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/harlem-faces-a-new-executioner/2008/03/07/1204780063511.html
Hopefully, the last person out remembers to turn off the Opera House lights
Richard Glover
March 8, 2008
DESPITE this week's headlines about the exodus from Sydney, there must be someone who wants to move to our town. For instance, David Hicks is quite keen. Yep, in order to enjoy living in Sydney, you just need the right point of comparison. For instance, five years being tortured at Guantanamo Bay.
For everyone else, the experience of living in Sydney can be a little underwhelming.
According to a poll this week, one in five Sydneysiders is considering leaving town, driven mad by the pure hassle of living here. The other 80 per cent are presumably just waiting for the F3 to clear so they get a fast run north. Hopefully, the last person out remembers to turn off the Opera House lights and to close down that stupid desalination plant.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/richard-glover/hopefully-the-last-person-out-remembers-to-turn-off-the-operahouse-lights/2008/03/07/1204780063098.html
Employers ignore value of older workers at their peril
Adele Horin
March 8, 2008
A friend is planning a career change. At 56, he has decided to become a fitter and turner and has applied for an apprenticeship. He has always been handy and has never much enjoyed his job as a primary school teacher. We had expected him to retire soon into a life of frugal leisure. We had imagined him pottering happily in the shed, but he wants to retrain and work on.
Not so long ago his chances of fulfilling his ambition would have been zilch. A 56-year-old embarking on an apprenticeship? Tell me another one. Now the idea is not so outlandish. Indeed it is ageing workers who may hold the key to solving the skills and labour shortage.
A study by the economic modelling company Econtech says it is the 55-plus workforce that is growing fastest, and employers must shift their focus from the young to the old to maintain productivity.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/employers-ignore-value-of-older-workers-at-their-peril/2008/03/07/1204780063496.html
US job cuts seen signalling a recession
March 8, 2008 - 10:13AM
US employers unexpectedly cut jobs in February at the steepest rate in nearly five years, a second straight month of employment losses that heightened fears the world's largest economy has skidded into recession.
``The question appears no longer to be are we going into a recession but how long and deep it will be,'' said economist Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors Inc in Holland, Pennsylvania.
The Labor Department on Friday said 63,000 nonfarm jobs were eliminated on top of an upwardly revised loss of 22,000 in January, sharply contrary to Wall Street economists' forecasts that 25,000 positions would be added in February.
The department also halved the number added in December to 41,000 from the 82,000 estimated a month ago, in a move that underlined the steady deterioration in the US labor market.
http://business.smh.com.au/us-job-cuts-seen-signalling-a-recession/20080308-1y0w.html
Jobs decline sends Wall Street lower
March 8, 2008 - 10:10AM
US stocks fell for a second straight day on Friday after the biggest drop in US jobs since 2003 sent energy and mining stocks lower. The slide eclipsed gains by banks spurred by a Federal Reserve plan to make more cash available to lenders.
Chevron Corp., Alcoa Inc. and Boeing Co. led declines that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average below 12,000 for the first time in two months and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to its lowest level since August 2006. Wells Fargo & Co. and CIT Group Inc. gained, helping spur a 2.5% advance in financial stocks during the final 90 minutes of trading.
The declines are likely to be echoed when Australian markets reopen on Monday. The March futures contract for the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index was down about 1.8%, or 94 points, to 5176.
On Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 index slid 3.2%, or 171.5 points to close at 5,264 points. That drop shaved about $40 billion from the share value of the top 200 companies. The main finance sub-index is now 30% lower for 2008 compared with a 17% slide for the ASX 200 as a whole.
http://business.smh.com.au/jobs-decline-sends-wall-street-lower/20080308-1y0p.html
Wall St.'s kings getting by on $200,000 a day
''There seem to be two different economic realities operating in our country.''
March 8, 2008 - 11:28AM
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the most profitable securities firm in Wall Street history, awarded $US67.5 million each to Co-Presidents Gary Cohn and Jon Winkelried, boosting their pay 27% from the prior year as the company evaded the mortgage losses spreading through the economy.
Cohn, 47, and Winkelried, 48, received 40% of their compensation in cash and 60% in restricted stock and options, New York-based Goldman said today in a proxy filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The payouts amount to $US185,000 ($200,000) per day, including weekends. The median annual income of US households was $US48,201 in 2006, the most- recent figures available from the Census Bureau.
The awards ''are not doing anything to take the focus off executive compensation,'' said Laura Thatcher, head of the executive pay practice at the Alston & Bird law firm in Atlanta. ''Those numbers innately are high.''
http://business.smh.com.au/wall-sts-kings-getting-by-on-200000-a-day/20080308-1y1e.html
US job losses send greenback lower
March 8, 2008 - 12:44PM
The US dollar dropped for a fourth straight week against the euro after a government report showed the US unexpectedly lost jobs for a second consecutive month in February.
The Australian dollar rose to as high as 93.72 US cents, before easing to close at 93.11 US cents.
The US currency earlier fell to the weakest ever against the euro and an eight-year low versus the yen as the government report bolstered speculation the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this month for a sixth time since September.
The US currency rose from the day's lowest levels as the Fed said it will boost loans to banks, leading traders to trim bets on a cut of as much as a full%age point at the central bank's March 18 meeting.
''There is the view that we're quickly sinking into recession and that the Fed only has a limited ability to offset that,'' said Michael Woolfolk, senior currency strategist in New York at the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. ''We will certainly see more dollar weakness from here.''
http://business.smh.com.au/us-job-losses-send-greenback-lower/20080308-1y1v.html
Volvo relocating US headquarters
March 8, 2008 - 1:07PM
Volvo Cars of North America LLC said it will relocate its US headquarters from Southern California to New Jersey, where customer service and other operations are based.
"The relocation will make North American operations more efficient by bringing everyone together in one location, as well as bringing everyone three time zones closer to the Swedish headquarters," the company said in a statement.
Volvo Cars of North America, a subsidiary of Volvo Car Corp. of Goteborg, Sweden, shifted its headquarters to Irvine in 2001.
The move from Irvine to Rockleigh, New Jersey, will affect fewer than 80 employees, the company said.
On Friday, it also named Doug Speck as president and chief executive officer, replacing Anne Belec, who became Ford Motor Co. director of global marketing.
http://news.smh.com.au/volvo-relocating-us-headquarters/20080308-1y22.html
US employers slashed 63,000 jobs in Feb
March 8, 2008 - 6:12AM
Employers in the US slashed jobs by 63,000 in February, the most in five years, the starkest sign yet the country is heading dangerously toward recession or is in one already.
The Labour Department's report, released on Friday, also showed that the US unemployment rate dipped to 4.8 per cent as hundreds of thousands of people - perhaps discouraged by their prospects - left the civilian labour force. The jobless rate was 4.9 per cent in January.
Job losses were widespread, with hefty cuts coming from construction, manufacturing, retailing and a variety of professional and business services. Those losses swamped gains elsewhere including education and health care, leisure and hospitality, and the government.
http://news.smh.com.au/us-employers-slashed-63000-jobs-in-feb/20080308-1xz9.html
European stocks fall on US fears
March 8, 2008 - 6:32AM
European shares ended the week on a downbeat note, led lower by mining stocks as disappointing US employment data raised more fears about the health of the world's largest economy.
The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index fell 1.1 per cent to 307.98 - chalking up a second straight day of losses - with miners posting the biggest losses after the data.
Of mining firms, shares of BHP Billiton skidded 5.4 per cent and Rio Tinto shares fell 3.7 per cent. The losses came despite a big rise in gold futures after the employment data.
In the clearest sign yet of a recession, US non farm payrolls fell by 63,000 in February, the second straight decline in employment, the Labour Department reported.
http://news.smh.com.au/european-stocks-fall-on-us-fears/20080308-1xzg.html
SE Asian markets fall after US slide
March 7, 2008 - 11:12PM
Most Asian markets were battered on Friday as investors spooked by Wall Street's tumble sold blue chips.
Fears over the US economy's mortgage crisis re-emerged following news of a default at a high-profile US mortgage lender, dealers said.
Japan's Nikkei average fell 3.3 per cent to a six-week low on Friday, with investors dumping blue-chip exporters such as Honda Motor Co Ltd on a stronger yen and fears of a US recession, while silicon wafer maker Sumco Corp tumbled more than 10 per cent after predicting weaker profits.
In a broad sell-off tracking sharp falls on Wall Street, banks such as Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group took a beating after US mortgage lender Thornburg Mortgage Inc said it failed to meet a $US28 million margin call, the latest setback in the global credit crisis.
http://news.smh.com.au/se-asian-markets-fall-after-us-slide/20080307-1xy8.html
New Zealand Herald
Lasting effects from blows to head
5:00AM Thursday March 06, 2008
A blow to the head that knocks a person unconscious can result in widespread loss of brain tissue, Canadian researchers say, explaining why some people who suffer head injuries are never quite the same.
The more severe the injury, the more brain tissue is lost, they said.
"There is more damage and it is more widespread than we had expected," said Dr Brian Levine of the Rotman Research Institute and the University of Toronto, whose study appears in the journal Neurology.
Dr Levine studied brain scans taken from 69 traumatic brain injury patients whose head injuries ranged from mild to moderate or severe. The researchers used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging or MRI to study changes in brain volume a year after the injury. They ran a computer analysis of these images and found that even patients with mild brain injuries with no apparent scarring had less brain volume.
"When you have a blow to the head, it causes a neurochemical reaction in the brain cells that leads to cell death," Dr Levine said. "The more cells that die, the less tissue you have."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496350
Rising metal costs may change size of Aussie coins
New 8:59AM Sunday March 09, 2008
SYDNEY - The size and composition of some Australian coins may have to change due to the soaring cost of copper and nickel.
This year the metal value of the 5c, 10c and 20c coins will overtake their face value for the first time, News Ltd reported today.
The metal content in 10c, 20c and 50c coins was now worth more than the metal in the $1 and $2 coins.
But melting down coins to make extra by selling the metal was illegal and heavy penalties applied.
The 5c coin has a current metal cost of A4.89c (NZ5.74c), the 10c coin 9.78c and the 20c coin 19.56c compared with the $1 coin on 8.3c and the $2 coin on just 6.1c.
But with copper and nickel prices up about 30 per cent this year, some new coins will cost more to make than their face value, New Ltd says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10497033
Sweden demands boycott of Australian wool
5:00AM Sunday March 09, 2008
Australia's lucrative wool exports to Europe are under threat amid allegations of intimidation and bribery by Australian government and wool industry officials in Sweden, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday.
The paper reported the Swedish government is urging consumers to boycott Australian wool, and retailers are banning it because of mulesing, the practice of cutting skin from the backsides of sheep, without pain relief, to prevent flystrike.
A Swedish current affairs show, Kalla Fakta (Cold Facts), is reported to have filmed a consultant for the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce, and a man - said to be an Australian embassy official - offering a free trip to Australia to an anti-mulesing campaigner in exchange for not appearing on a TV show.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496986
Clinton and Obama battle for superdelegates (+video)
2:27PM Friday March 07, 2008
Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are putting forth arguments to superdelegates that they should be the party's nominee.
The quality of wins argument may win Hillary Clinton the nomination, but there's a fear that it could divide the party - with supporters of Barack Obama staying home in the general election.
Although Barack Obama has a lead in pledged delegates - 1,366 to 1,227 - neither candidate is likely to gather enough delegates to reach the 2,025 votes needed to clinch the nomination without help from the superdelegates.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496758
Swedish socialite jailed for hitman plot
4:02PM Friday March 07, 2008
A sentencing judge today warned Charlotte Lindstrom that she would spend her life "looking over her shoulder" after assisting police.
The 23-year-old Swedish socialite and model will be behind bars until May next year for soliciting murder, after she pleaded guilty to plotting in 2007 to wipe out two Crown witnesses who were to give evidence in drug case against her then Sydney boyfriend.
After her arrest last year, she agreed with detectives to testify against her former lover and others involved in the murder scheme. She is now in a protective custody in prison after a series of death threats.
Prosecutors accused her of trying to get an undercover police officer, posing as a hitman, to kill the witnesses.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496780
Nuke talks raise fears for the 'lost'
Page 1 of 2 View as a single page 5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
By Anne Penketh
Japanese family members of the abducted protest against efforts to normalise relations with North Korea. Photo / Reuters.
A cruel, biting wind is blowing in from the Sea of Japan, as waves crash on to the breakwaters lining the shore of the Japanese fishing port of Niigata.
It was a day like this that 13-year old Megumi Yokota vanished 30 years ago, on her way home from badminton class in the school gym.
Her disappearance set off the biggest search for a schoolgirl ever launched in Japan.
Investigators have confirmed she was one of several Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in its revolutionary zeal to reunite the Korean peninsula. They were bundled on to ships to North Korea, where they were used as language teachers for North Korean spies, who then planned to infiltrate South Korea using Japanese identities.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496823
From homeless to mayor in Paris (+video)
10:45AM Friday March 07, 2008
Jean-Marc Restoux is standing as a mayoral candidate in municipal elections in Paris's 6th district on Sunday.
The local vote will be the first electoral test for President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose poll ratings have fallen sharply since his election last May.
Some local politicians with allegiance to the president's party fear his unpopularity may rebound against them, to the benefit of outsiders such as Restoux.
From the streets to Town Hall - that is the dream of Jean-Marc Restoux, a 54-year-old Parisian who has spent half his life homeless. Restoux is standing for mayor in municipal elections in Paris's 6th district on Sunday. Disillusioned with modern politics, he says his electoral list is apolitical.(
"I want to gather a maximum of people from different horizons and open the people's eyes so they can realise that it's for them to get involved, that it's not only the State or the town hall that decides, but everyone together."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496684
Mugabe woos voters with tractors, retire says rival
9:03AM Sunday March 09, 2008
By Cris Chinaka
HARARE - Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe handed out tractors and fuel on Saturday as he courted votes ahead of elections this month, and a leading opponent urged the veteran president to end decades of misrule and retire.
Mugabe handed out the farm equipment to blacks given land seized from whites, a reform his critics say has helped plunge Zimbabwe into economic crisis, and predicted an overwhelming victory that would confound Britain and other critics.
The 84-year-old Mugabe is seeking to extend his 28-year hold on power in presidential, parliamentary and local council polls set for March 29, and has blamed the West for Zimbabwe's economic crisis.
At a ceremony in the capital Harare, Mugabe provided farm equipment worth millions of dollars to thousands of new black farmers, machinery for women and youths to establish small businesses and buses to try to ease public transport problems.
He also gave traditional chiefs at the same ceremony thousands of litres of fuel, also in short supply.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10497035
British government pulls plug on bottled water
9:30AM Friday March 07, 2008
LONDON - Bottles of water will no longer be served at British government meetings under a "tap water only" policy announced on Thursday to protect the environment.
Britain's top civil servant, Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell, sent the order to all government departments, saying the policy would come into effect by the summer.
Britain has seen the stirrings of a public backlash against bottled drinking water, with politicians and public figures saying they never order it and newspapers calling on restaurants to stop serving it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496698
World Bank optimistic about Samoa's economy
4:14PM Friday March 07, 2008
By Cherelle Jackson
Vice President of the World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region remains positive about the future of Samoa's economy.
James Adams spoke about his hopes for the Samoan economy during a recent trip to Samoa.
"I'm quite optimistic," he said.
"I think the performance will continue to be solid. I think that the big challenge is the one that the Government effectively is addressing and thinking through and working on. That big challenge is, how does the Government mobilize additional investment in private sector, both foreign and domestic, where policies can improve."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10496784
Maori party warns against policies to abolish Maori seats
5:00AM Friday March 07, 2008
The Maori Party is warning that policies to abolish the Maori seats in Parliament could compromise post-election negotiations to form the next government.
National yesterday confirmed its intention to abolish the seven seats, linked with its goal of settling all historical Treaty claims by 2014.
Labour has never had a policy to abolish the seats, and has said that will happen only when Maori want an end to special representation.
Maori Party MP Hone Harawira did not specifically mention National, but he said other political parties should "tone down their rhetoric".
"We won't be doing deals with parties who plan to silence our peoples' views," he said.
"It took us 150 years for our voice to be heard in the halls of power and our people won't stand for anyone trying to take it away again," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10496683
Key admits blunder over Treaty
5:00AM Thursday March 06, 2008
By Claire Trevett and Audrey Young
National leader John Key has admitted that he blundered yesterday over his party's Treaty settlements policy.
He said on breakfast television that National had not previously had a date by which it wanted settlements completed.
In fact, its position at the last election was that grievances be settled by 2010.
The party changed that in February last year, shortly after Mr Key became leader. The settlement target was extended to 2014 and tied to the abolition of the Maori seats.
Mr Key said then that instead of abolishing the seats as soon it became Government, it would start the process in 2014, when it believed historical Treaty settlements would be resolved.
He issued a statement last night saying that in trying to distinguish between the party's present position and the formal policy document that would follow later in the year, "I gave the impression that National did not have a date for the settlement of historic Treaty claims".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10496419
Anthony Doesburg: Digital television, without the satellite dish
5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
By Anthony Doesburg
It's going to be a big year for digital broadcasting - starting next month, when Freeview begins terrestrial transmission of its dozen or so digital TV channels.
You could say the excitement kicks off sooner than that, on March 30, with the switching on of TVNZ 7 - the state broadcaster's second digital-only channel (TVNZ 6 went live about six months ago).
That means Freeview's fare will be TV One, TV2, TV3, C4, TVNZ Sport Extra, TVNZ 6, TVNZ 7, Maori Television, Stratos, Parliament TV, Cue and Radio New Zealand's National and Concert programmes.
And there's more. Last week, the Radio Broadcasters Association, representing commercial stations, agreed to join a digital radio trial in Auckland of DAB+, one of numerous options for moving radio out of the analogue era.
At the centre of all of this excitement is Kordia, the state-owned enterprise whose origins go back 60 years to when it built the national radio and television transmission network.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10496825
Bill Ralston: Face it, we're in deep doo-doo
5:00AM Sunday March 09, 2008
By Bill Ralston
Forget all the usual economic indicators, when Lotto suffers a 4.6 per cent drop in net profit you know the country is, to use a technical term, in deep doo-doo.
More traditional analysts might point to the $700 million shortfall in tax revenue, mostly from reduced GST takings, but the answer is the same. New Zealanders are spending less.
We are tightening our belts as the economy falters. In an election year this could prove the last nail in the coffin of the Labour government. Voters can be churlish and if they are suffering, they will make whoever is in power suffer with them.
A while ago, I wrote that we were entering a "perfect economic storm", with a high dollar, high interest rates, rising inflation, falling property values, a sagging share market and punitive tax rates.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10496955
continued...
Oakland Co. supports bill creating body to fund zoo
Commissioners rushed through a resolution supporting a bill in Lansing that would allow for the creation of a Zoological Authority, a quasi-governmental entity that would have the power to seek a tax millage to fund one of the area's most visited attractions.
Morning Papers - continued...
Zoos
It may as well have been a puppy !
Viewer Discretion Advised: US Soldier throws puppy off a cliff in Iraq
Last Updated : March 6, 2008
http://www.7days.ae/showvideo.php?id=127
Animals have emotions too
5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
Crocodile mothers show their tender side by caring for their offspring.
When we talk about crocodile tears, dogged determination or laughing like a hyena we might not be that far off the mark, according to a visiting US biologist who says animals have emotions just like us.
Marc Bekoff, professor of biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, is in Australia to give a series of public talks on the emotional lives of animals.
Dr Bekoff says scientists have moved on from the presumption that the way animals act is the result of programmed behaviour.
"It's not a question of if they have emotions but why they have evolved," he says.
Animals also have personalities, he says.
Dr Bekoff says research has shown that elephants can experience grief, mice feel empathy, rats get excited about playing with a friend, sharks get mad and koalas have likes and dislikes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496820
CZA okays Byculla zoo makeover, says not a single tree can be cut
Mumbai, March 4 The Central Zoo Authority (CZA), while approving the Rs 434-crore Byculla zoo makeover plan on Tuesday, stipulated that no tree be felled and no heritage structure be disturbed in the process.
“We have studied the masterplan and have decided to approve it now. But in the interest of concerned citizens, we’ve maintained that not one tree be brought down during the modernisation of the zoo,” said B R Sharma, member secretary of the CZA.
Incidentally, the BMC had recently mentioned that only diseased trees would be uprooted. While the CZA had earlier shown reservation to this condition, Sharma now stated that they would allow the BMC to make internal decision as long as their main conditions are adhered to.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/CZA-okays-Byculla-zoo-makeover-says-not-a-single-tree-can-be-cut/280457/
Elephant foot disease widespread in Riau province in Indonesia
2008-03-03 15:38:22
JAKARTA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A mosquito-borne disease locally known as kaki gajah or elephant foot is ballooning out of control in Riau province in Indonesia recently, according to local media on Monday.
The disease gets its name for causing enlargement of the entire leg or arm of the sufferers.
The spacious peat land, rain forests and palm oil plantations in the province are safe havens for mosquitoes which transmit the tropical foot abscess disease filariasis, in addition to dengue and malaria.
According to a recent survey, of the province's all eleven regencies, only Kampar and Rokan Hulu remain free of filariasis, the major newspaper The Jakarta Post said.
"Riau has become an endemic area for the disease. Thousands of people have been infected," Burhanuddin Agung, head of the provincial health office, told the English daily.
Early symptoms include a high fever which recurs for about three days each month, red lines on swollen legs and feet and abscess on the feet.
"This disease can attack anyone, no matter their age or health condition," said Burhanuddin.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/03/content_7709063.htm
Group upset zoo took out 139 trees to build Teton Trek
By Cindy Wolff (Contact)
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
A group of citizens has an answer for the graffiti scrawled on a construction screen in Overton Park.
Mark Andrews passes by the area of Overton Park that is being cleared by the zoo for a new exhibit. Various groups, angry over the destruction of the Old Forest, say the work should not have begun without public input. But zoo officials say the project was no secret -- it has been on their master plan since 1988.
Who will speak for the trees?
They will.
They are upset that the Memphis Zoo uprooted 139 trees to build the $13.5 million Teton Trek. They are mad that no one asked for their input or whether they wanted to trade a natural, local habitat for a manmade one that showcases an ecosystem that exists 1,500 miles away in Wyoming.
They wonder why public input wasn't invited like it is for development of Shelby Farms.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/mar/05/old-forest-04/
On the Zoo and the Trees
Interesting story in today's Commercial Appeal about work being done on a Memphis Zoo exhibit under construction. Even though the plan is twenty years old, people were surprised anyway....
...This is a very common thing. Governments go through lengthy, but low profile, processes to arrive at plans, then the plans are slowly implemented over time. People tend to forget about the plans until the next phase impacts their lives directly.
In the case of the Zoo, though, it's not like you have to go digging. You can find the Zoo's Master Plan online.
It's a place where the media can help, if the reporters and editors and producers also know what plans are out there and where they are kept on file. For that matter, do any newsrooms keep copies of the future growth plans for major attractions and institutions? Places like Shelby Farms and Forest, the University of Memphis, Beale Street Landing, Overton Park, the County's Master Growth Plan, etc. should -- it seems to me -- be kept in the newsroom as a resource for new and busy reporters. Does that happen?
http://mediaverse-memphis.blogspot.com/2008/03/on-zoo-and-trees.html
Author tells how tricks of Shamu's trainers work at home
By Ben Steelman
Staff Writer
ben.steelman@starnewsonline.com
Amy Sutherland was working on a book, Kicked, Scratched and Beaten, about exotic animal trainers who work with bears, orangutans and llamas for Hollywood or with orcas at Sea World. All at once, it dawned on her: The positive reinforcement techniques the trainers used could also work on "the human animal I married, Scott."
Sutherland dashed off a short piece, "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage," that became the most viewed and the most e-mailed article from The New York Times' online edition for 2006. She expanded that into a new book, What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage.
In it (among other things), she outlined how she gently taught Scott not to leave his dirty clothes in a pile on the bathroom floor, not through nagging but through thanks, praise and the occasional "jackpot" reward.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080306/NEWS/803060333/1051
Baby Watch Underway At The Pittsburgh Zoo (Video)
LIVE ZOO CAM
Watch the polar bears by day (until 4:30pm) and the tigers by night (after 4:30pm)!
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The cub watch is on at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, where officials are hoping a mating will enlarge one species family.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says zookeepers are keeping a close eye on rare Amur Tigers Globus and Toma.
They're hoping Toma is pregnant.
http://kdka.com/local/Amur.tigers.zoo.2.668951.html
Pittsburgh zoo hoping tigers' mating resulted in pregnancy
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH - Toma and Globus mated in late January.
Now, Pittsburgh zookeepers want to know if the Amur tigers' loving session was productive.
Tiger pregnancy is determined by testing hormone levels in stool samples, which takes several weeks.
But there are always the unofficial signs.
The zoo's lead carnivore keeper, Kathy Suthard, says Toma is cranky and hungrier than usual, just as she was during her first pregnancy.
The zoo is encouraged because Toma already has 18-month-old cubs. Her mate, Globus, sired four cubs at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20080304_ap_pittsburghzoohopingtigersmatingresultedinpregnancy.html
Zoo boss wants permission for new boundary fencing
Published on 04/03/2008
APPLICATION: David Gill, owner of the South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton, has applied to Barrow council for permission for a new perimeter fence SHEENAH ALCOCK
ZOO boss David Gill is seeking planning permission for a new boundary fence to stop his animals escaping.
Inspectors slammed the perimeter fencing at South Lakes Wild Animal Park when they visited the Dalton tourist attraction in October.
They concluded it would not “deter unauthorised entry” or help keep the creatures in.
Barrow Borough Council has since received a planning application from Mr Gill for a new security fence at his zoo.
The council’s planning committee – a panel of councillors – could decide whether to grant Mr Gill’s application on March 18 or April 8.
Council planning officials said a three-week consultation on the proposal was under way but they had not received any responses.
Michelle Grafton, administration officer at the zoo, said: “In the 2007 Defra zoo inspection and the 2006 inspection, it was concluded that the perimeter needed to be updated to reflect the change in species held at the park and to increase the protection level against escapes.
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=801899
Oregon Zoo to release 3 California Condors into Wild
Submitted by Sal Peralta on Tue, 03/04/2008 - 06:54.
The Oregon Zoo will soon release 3 captive-born California Condors into the wild, the Oregonian reports.
The Californian Condor is one of the most endangered birds in the world. In the 1980's, only 23 condors remained in the world. Breeding in zoos has helped increase the population to nearly 300, with 144 birds remaining in the wild.
The birds will be released near the Grand Canyon at the border of Arizona and Utah.
A total of 4 birds have been released by the program established at the Oregon zoo.
http://www.oregonindependent.com/node/180
Zoo visitor accused of tossing acorns at rhino
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, March 1, 2008
(02-29) 16:57 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- A man has been cited for misdemeanor animal taunting for allegedly tossing acorns at a rhinoceros at the San Francisco Zoo, police said Friday.
Juan Zuluaga, 26, was arrested, cited and released after the incident Thursday, authorities said.
The zoo has stepped up its warnings against harassment of animals after the Christmas Day tiger attack that left one young man dead and two others injured. Among other steps, it has posted signs telling patrons not to annoy the animals.
Police said they were summoned to the zoo at 3:30 p.m. Thursday after a patron reported to officials that Zuluaga was picking acorns off a branch and tossing them at the black rhino, a male named Mashaki. Zuluaga was with another man, who was not cited.
The animal appeared unfazed, police Sgt. Steve Mannina said.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/01/BA73VBNM1.DTL&tsp=1
Australia Zoo director denies rift
12:00a.m. 5 March 2008
By Carolyn Tucker
Australia Zoo director Wes Mannion yesterday denied suggestions of a rift between Bob Irwin and his daughter-in-law Terri.
This is the full transcript of his interview.
What do you feel about the statement Bob Irwin released over the weekend?
Answer: The most important thing is that we’re all in this for the same reason – we’re all into conservation.
Bob’s been a fantastic guy; he always will be. He’s moved on to a new job which is another conservation property which the zoo has funded, so really it’s exciting. I think it’s great for him to have a change.
As far as the politics involved and whatever else that people may or may not say, I never talk personally about family, but I will say that Bob would do great whatever he does and the great thing is that it’s another conservation property that will be focused on … it’s a property the zoo has helped him get so I think it’s a win-win for everybody.
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/mar/05/australia-zoo-director-denies-rift/
Two teens shoot bear, tiger at N.J. zoo
By Sam Wood
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Two South Jersey boys charged with shooting exotic animals with pellet guns at a zoo in Cumberland County were released to their parents Monday after being held overnight at a juvenile detention center, authorities said.
A 17-year-old from Vineland and a 14-year-old from Bridgeton were arrested Sunday afternoon at the tiny Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton after witnesses saw and heard them shoot at a rare white tiger and a black bear, zoo officials said.
The boys, whose names were not released, were charged on multiple weapons counts, said Kenneth Pagliughi, first assistant prosecutor for Cumberland County.
In addition, the SPCA signed charges against both boys for tormenting an animal, Pagliughi said.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080304_Two_teens_shoot_bear__tiger_at_NJ_zoo.html
Zoo's wolf game has thousands on prowl
The Minnesota Zoo's WolfQuest game has taken off -- and taught its users a few things along the way.
By TOM MORAN, Star Tribune
Last update: March 5, 2008 - 12:09 AM
Since the Minnesota Zoo's free educational video game, WolfQuest, launched late last year, it has attracted attention and gamers from across the globe.
More than 100,000 people have downloaded WolfQuest and it averages more than 1,000 new users every day, according to figures provided by the zoo.
Michelle Housenga, the WolfQuest project coordinator at the zoo, said downloads come in waves as new countries learn about the game. She said its popularity stems from extensive news coverage, including from National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Iran's Tehran Times newspaper.
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/16147192.html
Debt collectors sue Irwin widow
Posted Wed Mar 5, 2008 1:25pm AEDT
Sued: Terri Irwin with daughter Bindi (Getty Images : Bradley Kanaris)
A Victorian Court has ruled that a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo will be heard in Melbourne.
Debt collection agency Alyssa Treasury Services is suing the Queensland zoo for $2.5 million of debts which it acquired from several different firms, including offshore banks.
The agency demanded payment of the debt in May last year and is also suing zoo manager Terri Irwin, wife of the late Steve Irwin, for $600,000.
Despite lawyers for Australia Zoo arguing crucial witnesses in the case are based in Queensland, Judge Maree Kennedy has ruled the case should be heard in Victoria.
The trial is expected to be held in October.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/05/2180684.htm
L.A. Zoo to celebrate Earth Day
Wednesday, 03.05.2008, 02:04am (GMT-7)
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Zoo is holding its annual Earth Day Expo to support ongoing conservation efforts and to continue educating the public about the importance of recycling and reusing material for the betterment of the earth.
The Los Angeles Zoo and K-EARTH 101 will hold Earth Day Expo 2008 with activities for the entire family.
The Zoo will offer information about recycling and conservation and will be celebrating California Wildlife. Species highlighted will be the brown pelican, harbor seal, desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep, Channel Island fox and California condor*. *not exhibited This is the nation’s 38th Earth Day, themed "protecting our children’s health and future." The Earth Day Expo 2008 will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 & 20 between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Zoo is in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State(5) Freeways.
http://indiapost.com/article/usnews/2230/
Cincinnati Zoo gets new 5-year levy worth $36.3 million
Associated Press - March 5, 2008 8:45 AM ET
CINCINNATI (AP) - The animals at the Cincinnati Zoo have scored a victory at the polls.
Hamilton County voters on Tuesday approved a tax levy that will raise a little over $36 million for the zoo over the next five years.
The issue that passed 59% to 41% will cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $1.78 per year.
The money will pay for care of the animals and plants and for maintenance.
Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com
http://www.wdtn.com/Global/story.asp?S=7968066
Visitors flock to Chester Zoo
By Staff reporter
CHESTER Zoo is fast becoming one of the most popular leisure attractions in the country, with visitor figures to prove it.
New figures released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) show that the award-winning zoo is the second most-visited tourist attraction in the UK where an entry charge applies.
Chester Zoo is already the most-visited wildlife attraction with more than 1.3 million visitors last year alone, and now the ALVA figures also reveal that the zoo is also the 15th most-visited of all UK attractions, including those where entry is free.
http://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/chesternews/Visitors-flock-to-Chester-Zoo.3841672.jp
CPS Levy Close, Zoo Wins Residents’ Votes
Last Update: 3/05 8:02 am
Reported by: Jessica Noll
Reported by: Bob White
Web produced by: Jessica Noll
Voters said yes to two hot Cincinnati issues on Tuesday, approving both a levy for Cincinnati schools and the zoo.
The Cincinnati Public Schools levy, Issue 10 passed narrowly with just over 50 percent in favor to 49 percent against.
The school levy was a five-year, 7.89-mill emergency levy to generate $51.5 million annually starting in 2009. School officials said the money would be used for salaries, textbooks and classroom needs and other learning services for students and their families and teachers.
It will cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $233 in annual property taxes.
http://www.kypost.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=5724cd8c-2559-4836-ad90-3ae0e65ab72e
Taronga Zoo celebrates baby female chimp
March 4, 2008 - 2:59PM
Advertisement
The birth of a chimpanzee at Taronga Zoo has added a much-needed female touch to the Sydney zoo's breeding program.
The chimp, who is yet to be named, was born in the chimpanzees' open enclosure last Wednesday after a 45-minute labour.
She is an important addition to the zoo's chimpanzee population of 19, Taronga Zoo spokesman Mark Williams says.
"We let it all happen naturally. We had a run of boys, that's fine but having another female opens up another genetic line," Mr Williams told AAP.
"That helps us manage the genetics ... so that in the long term we have a genetically sustainable group, one that is not inbred and is healthy and has the widest number of inputs from different chimpanzees."
Mother Shiba was very protective of her baby, tucking her safely under one arm as she feasted on nuts, yoghurt and dried fruit in front of photographers.
Shiba is the mother of three male chimps and this is her first girl.
The other chimpanzees had welcomed the new baby and she was settling in well, Mr Williams said.
"Shiba did everything right and the little baby started suckling pretty soon and doing everything right from a baby point of view," he said.
"So (they are) very, very happy and the group is very calm and very welcoming".
© 2008 AAP
http://news.smh.com.au/taronga-zoo-celebrates-baby-female-chimp/20080304-1wsk.html
World's smartest immigrant unearthed
5:00AM Friday March 07, 2008
An artist's impression of what the Teilhardina magnoliana may have looked like. Photo / Reuters
He was the Albert Einstein of his time - a long-extinct critter that weighed about 28g, measured 7.5cm long and munched on bugs and berries.
A US scientist has unearthed the remains of the earliest-known primate to live in North America.
In doing so, he figured out the path these ancient representatives of the mammalian group, which includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and people, may have taken to reach that part of the world.
Based on a group of teeth from a tiny primate unearthed in Mississippi dating to 55.8 million years ago, palaeontologist Christopher Beard, of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, said the species likely scampered over a now-vanished land bridge connecting Siberia to Alaska.
The tiny immigrant was called Teilhardina magnoliana, Dr Beard said in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496576
Breaking the ice
5:00AM Saturday March 01, 2008
By Geoff Cumming
Sadie Mills and Niki Davey with giant starfish.
On the bridge of the Tangaroa, Stu Hanchet is surveying a pancake ice panorama. The Niwa research vessel is a curiosity for the penguins and seals watching it glide gingerly by. Black and white Antarctic petrels and the occasional giant petrel come and go, the ship's resident skua hovers.
Penguins, seals, even whales, have ceased to be a curiosity to the 26 scientists and 18 crew on the Tangaroa, which is undertaking the biggest ever biological survey of the Ross Sea - the perilous stretch of Antarctic water administered by New Zealand.
It's freezing, says Hanchet, who leads the science project. Ice and snow showers have been constant companions since the Tangaroa reached the Ross Sea, six days due south of Wellington. On deck, scientists and crew work in temperatures of - 12C or - 13C, deploying and retrieving unwieldy sampling equipment which, like the samples collected, can quickly freeze.
The scientists left New Zealand's once-in-a-blue-moon summer on January 31 with hopes of finding the Ross Sea largely free of ice. They had planned to venture further south than ever before, deep into the sea's southeastern corner, and to sample marine life on the continental shelf of Antarctica.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10495365&pnum=0
Scientists call for big cash injection for `blue-skies' research
6:00AM Tuesday March 04, 2008
Professor Jeff Tallon. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
A begging letter from nearly 500 senior scientists, seeking greater taxpayer funding of "blue skies" research, has been portrayed by the Government as a routine precursor to the coming budget round.
The 460 scientists want funding at least trebled for the Government's Marsden Fund which provides grants to researchers doing science not specifically tied to an economic application.
They have presented an open letter to Science Minister Pete Hodgson calling for the big boost for science for the sake of knowledge.
The letter was written by Professor Jeff Tallon, of Victoria University, who Mr Hodgson presented with the nation's top science award, the Rutherford Medal, in 2002.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496094
Chris Barton: Clearing the storm clouds from NZ's `blue skies'
5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
By Chris Barton
To study a field of knowledge no holds barred, to explore freely without an end goal in sight, is a coveted privilege enjoyed by a select few in New Zealand.
But while most agree "blue skies" research is an essential component of scientific endeavour _ the path from which new knowledge comes _ it's a practice increasingly under threat.
So say 460 of the country's top brains in an open letter to the Minister of Science pleading for a trebling of the Marsden Fund dedicated to basic research.
The scientists are exercised by the large number of promising new researchers turned down year after year. The fund has a disheartening 90-93 per cent failure rate. In 2007 just 93 out of 910 proposals received a share of the $44 million dished out. A trebling to around $120 million would fund 20-25 per cent of applicants, and would attract back the disillusioned.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/466/story.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10496899
Sluggish tuatara fastest in DNA evolution
5:00AM Tuesday March 04, 2008
By Angela Gregory
Tuatara evolved significantly faster than animals such as the cave bear, lion, ox and horse. Photo / Greg Bowker
They are slow to grow, slow to reproduce and have a sluggish metabolism.
But tuatara have broken records for DNA evolution, a discovery that has astonished New Zealand scientists.
Tuatara, often referred to as living dinosaurs, have largely not changed physically over very long periods of evolution going back millions of years.
But analysis of their old bones in New Zealand has shown that their DNA has evolved faster than any other animal species yet studied.
Evolutionary biologist Professor David Lambert, of Massey University, and a team from the Massey-based Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution established through study of tuatara DNA that the reptiles evolved very quickly.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10495940
It really is time for zoo animals to get new home
Last Updated : Wednesday 05 Mar, 2008 - 1 comments
Al Ain did it. Abu Dhabi are planning it. So, in the spirit of healthy competition between the Emirates, why doesn’t Dubai do it? I’m talking about the upgrades to the zoos in these Emirates. With all the mega projects on the go here in Dubai (Dubai world etc), it would seem as if the Dubai Zoo on Jumeirah Road looks seriously dated.But looks aside - let’s face it, keeping large animals confined in tiny spaces within a zoo is old school (not to mention cruel).
http://www.7days.ae/showstory.php?id=68275
Joburg Zoo fills its calendar
Written by Lesego Madumo
Wednesday, 05 March 2008
From the Zoo Trot to Moonlight Tours, a Myth Busters Tour and a Paddy's Day frog hunt, there are plenty of things to do at the Johannesburg Zoo.
Runners will be able to watch 200 species of animals at the zoo, instead of the usual morning jog dodging cars
TAKE a trot round the zoo, checking out its 200 species of animals, instead of the usual morning jog dodging cars.
With its regular Zoo Trots, the Johannesburg Zoo is helping people get fit, while enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. And it is all in the heart of bustling Joburg. The fun run or walk takes place around the zoo every second Sunday of the month throughout the year; it is open to everyone over the age of three.
It can be seen as complementary to the vision of Executive Mayor Amos Masondo to use sports as a way of forging relationships and bringing together a divided people. Over and above its ability to unite people, Masondo believes that sport encourages healthy lifestyles and keeps youngsters away from delinquency.
Keeping fit
"The Joburg Zoo supports a healthy lifestyle," confirms Sandra Hlungwani, the zoo's public relations and marketing officer. "If one of your new year's resolutions was to keep fit, this is an ideal opportunity for you."
It has partnered in the venture with the Rocky Road Runners Club, one of the most established running clubs in South Africa, which offers support for runners.
http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/2253/168/
PETA to protest at Springfield zoo Thursday
A PETA member dressed as a kangaroo will be among a group planning to picket Dickerson Park Zoo Thursday.
The protesters will hold a banner declaring, �Dickerson Park Zoo: Rescue Dumped Animals Now� in response to the alleged transfer of animals from the zoo to dealers who provide animals to hunting ranches, according to a news release from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
PETA has urged the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to revoke the zoo�s accreditation over the alleged donations of kangaroos and giraffes to animal dealers and a hunting ranch.
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/BREAKING01/80305040
Animal Rights Extremists To Protest At Zoo
5 03 2008
According to our friends at KSPR, the animal rights extremist group PETA is planning to launch a protest over very questionable allegations against the Dickerson Park Zoo. PETA is claiming they have documents that prove the zoo donated a kangaroo and a greater kudu to a man that has been accused of selling animals to hunting ranches. However, the PETA website does not have these documents available for public viewing so there is no way to see if the documents actually exist or the source of this information. All of the PETA accusations thus far have not been backed with any credible evidence yet they’re going to rush out to draw attention to themselves on Thursday.
http://lifeofjason.com/2008/03/05/animal-rights-extremists-to-protest-at-zoo/
Hop To It – Binder Park Zoo’s Special Easter Adopt
Binder Park Zoo
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Arriving just in time for Easter Binder Park Zoo welcomes a new member to its animal family. This long eared, fluffy new addition hops around and can weigh up to 30lbs! It’s not your typical rabbit but rather a Flemish giant rabbit and he will be part of the Zoo’s education programs. Help welcome this new arrival and give a unique Easter gift by adopting this adorable bunny. Proceeds will go to help feed and care for Binder Park Zoo’s animals.
The special Easter bunny adopt package includes an official ADOPT certificate, a color picture of your adopted animal, an animal fact sheet, one free admission pass to visit Binder Park Zoo next season and the name of recipient displayed on the Zoo’s Adopt Honor Roll board for one year, all for just $30 per adoption!
Adoption is a special way to help Binder Park Zoo ensure the health and well-being of our animals. Adoptions are just one of the many ways you can become involved with Binder Park Zoo!
For more information or to purchase your Easter Bunny Adopt, please visit www.binderparkzoo.org, call Binder Park Zoo at (269) 979-1351, or stop by the Zoo office between 9:00 and 5:00 Monday through Friday.
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NEIGHBORHOODS01/803050335
New Zoo Review: Going Strong After 20 Years
Tribune photo by Lenora Lake
Docent Linda Delaphena brought Angie, a llama born last March at the Lowry Park Zoo, to a ceremony celebrating the zoo's 20th anniversary as an independent nonprofit organization.
By Neil Johnson and Lenora Lake, The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 5, 2008
TAMPA - In the 1980s, Lowry Park Zoo was one of the worst in the nation, ready to be bulldozed, one of its attractions a three-legged bear.
Cages were cramped, exhibits few and a children's fairyland with a small train ride was more popular than the animals.
"The main problem was that is was a bad zoo," said former Florida Gov. Bob Martinez, Tampa's mayor at the time.
The city decided to close the place and knock it down, pledging $10 million toward a new zoo, Martinez said.
Today, the Lowry Park Zoological Society, the nonprofit organization that runs the zoo, marked 20 years since the new version of the zoo opened.
Between September 2006 and 2007, more than 1.1 million people came to the zoo.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/05/new-zoo-review-going-strong-after-20-years/
Steady decline of animals at Bondla zoo
by Roque Dias
Ponda, March 5 The Bondla zoo that once boasted of having many species of animals is steadily losing its charm, with eyebrows being raised over the steady decrease of animals at the zoo.
Six animals, including a fox, a peahen, a jackal, and a leopard, have died in the last few months, according to zoo sources.
Visitors and sources alleged that most of the animals were not properly fed; though the range forest officer, Mr Pradeep Vernekar disputed this.
To make matters worse for the animals, there is only a lone visiting doctor who examines the animals, once a week.
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=030612
Kyoto zoo visitors to view chimp research up close
The Yomiuri Shimbun
KYOTO--Visitors to the Kyoto City Zoo in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, will be able to observe researchers studying chimpanzees from fiscal 2008 as part of a collaborative program of the Kyoto municipal government and Kyoto University, which is known for its primate research.
The project is the first of its kind in the nation. Research on other animals, including elephants and giraffes, is also expected to be showcased in the same way, as the municipal government hopes to attract more visitors, and the university hopes to promote its research.
According to the plan, the municipal government will purchase four chimpanzees and build a 10-meter-tall tower in the animals' zoo environment. A laboratory with reinforced-glass walls will also be built so that visitors can closely observe the primates. The municipal government has set aside 125 million yen for the project in its draft fiscal 2008 budget.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080306TDY16001.htm
Oakland Zoo's renovation grows, draws opposition
East Bay Business Times - by Mavis Scanlon
The last big component of the Oakland Zoo's plan to expand into a major East Bay attraction has grown more elaborate - and more costly - than envisioned in a master plan completed more than a decade ago, and has as a result generated new opposition.
The zoo is embarking on the final, $42 million element of its expansion, which will transform an undeveloped piece of the city's Knowland Park into a California animal exhibit and support facilities for the zoo.
http://eastbay.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/03/10/story1.html?b=1205121600%5E1602343
continued...
It may as well have been a puppy !
Look. Everyone involved with Abu Ghraib got a slap on the wrist and the top brass got away with murder. No one is going to care about the mutilation and death of a puppy !
Viewer Discretion Advised: US Soldier throws puppy off a cliff in Iraq
Last Updated : March 6, 2008
http://www.7days.ae/showvideo.php?id=127
Animals have emotions too
5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
Crocodile mothers show their tender side by caring for their offspring.
When we talk about crocodile tears, dogged determination or laughing like a hyena we might not be that far off the mark, according to a visiting US biologist who says animals have emotions just like us.
Marc Bekoff, professor of biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, is in Australia to give a series of public talks on the emotional lives of animals.
Dr Bekoff says scientists have moved on from the presumption that the way animals act is the result of programmed behaviour.
"It's not a question of if they have emotions but why they have evolved," he says.
Animals also have personalities, he says.
Dr Bekoff says research has shown that elephants can experience grief, mice feel empathy, rats get excited about playing with a friend, sharks get mad and koalas have likes and dislikes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496820
CZA okays Byculla zoo makeover, says not a single tree can be cut
Mumbai, March 4 The Central Zoo Authority (CZA), while approving the Rs 434-crore Byculla zoo makeover plan on Tuesday, stipulated that no tree be felled and no heritage structure be disturbed in the process.
“We have studied the masterplan and have decided to approve it now. But in the interest of concerned citizens, we’ve maintained that not one tree be brought down during the modernisation of the zoo,” said B R Sharma, member secretary of the CZA.
Incidentally, the BMC had recently mentioned that only diseased trees would be uprooted. While the CZA had earlier shown reservation to this condition, Sharma now stated that they would allow the BMC to make internal decision as long as their main conditions are adhered to.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/CZA-okays-Byculla-zoo-makeover-says-not-a-single-tree-can-be-cut/280457/
Elephant foot disease widespread in Riau province in Indonesia
2008-03-03 15:38:22
JAKARTA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A mosquito-borne disease locally known as kaki gajah or elephant foot is ballooning out of control in Riau province in Indonesia recently, according to local media on Monday.
The disease gets its name for causing enlargement of the entire leg or arm of the sufferers.
The spacious peat land, rain forests and palm oil plantations in the province are safe havens for mosquitoes which transmit the tropical foot abscess disease filariasis, in addition to dengue and malaria.
According to a recent survey, of the province's all eleven regencies, only Kampar and Rokan Hulu remain free of filariasis, the major newspaper The Jakarta Post said.
"Riau has become an endemic area for the disease. Thousands of people have been infected," Burhanuddin Agung, head of the provincial health office, told the English daily.
Early symptoms include a high fever which recurs for about three days each month, red lines on swollen legs and feet and abscess on the feet.
"This disease can attack anyone, no matter their age or health condition," said Burhanuddin.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/03/content_7709063.htm
Group upset zoo took out 139 trees to build Teton Trek
By Cindy Wolff (Contact)
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
A group of citizens has an answer for the graffiti scrawled on a construction screen in Overton Park.
Mark Andrews passes by the area of Overton Park that is being cleared by the zoo for a new exhibit. Various groups, angry over the destruction of the Old Forest, say the work should not have begun without public input. But zoo officials say the project was no secret -- it has been on their master plan since 1988.
Who will speak for the trees?
They will.
They are upset that the Memphis Zoo uprooted 139 trees to build the $13.5 million Teton Trek. They are mad that no one asked for their input or whether they wanted to trade a natural, local habitat for a manmade one that showcases an ecosystem that exists 1,500 miles away in Wyoming.
They wonder why public input wasn't invited like it is for development of Shelby Farms.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/mar/05/old-forest-04/
On the Zoo and the Trees
Interesting story in today's Commercial Appeal about work being done on a Memphis Zoo exhibit under construction. Even though the plan is twenty years old, people were surprised anyway....
...This is a very common thing. Governments go through lengthy, but low profile, processes to arrive at plans, then the plans are slowly implemented over time. People tend to forget about the plans until the next phase impacts their lives directly.
In the case of the Zoo, though, it's not like you have to go digging. You can find the Zoo's Master Plan online.
It's a place where the media can help, if the reporters and editors and producers also know what plans are out there and where they are kept on file. For that matter, do any newsrooms keep copies of the future growth plans for major attractions and institutions? Places like Shelby Farms and Forest, the University of Memphis, Beale Street Landing, Overton Park, the County's Master Growth Plan, etc. should -- it seems to me -- be kept in the newsroom as a resource for new and busy reporters. Does that happen?
http://mediaverse-memphis.blogspot.com/2008/03/on-zoo-and-trees.html
Author tells how tricks of Shamu's trainers work at home
By Ben Steelman
Staff Writer
ben.steelman@starnewsonline.com
Amy Sutherland was working on a book, Kicked, Scratched and Beaten, about exotic animal trainers who work with bears, orangutans and llamas for Hollywood or with orcas at Sea World. All at once, it dawned on her: The positive reinforcement techniques the trainers used could also work on "the human animal I married, Scott."
Sutherland dashed off a short piece, "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage," that became the most viewed and the most e-mailed article from The New York Times' online edition for 2006. She expanded that into a new book, What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage.
In it (among other things), she outlined how she gently taught Scott not to leave his dirty clothes in a pile on the bathroom floor, not through nagging but through thanks, praise and the occasional "jackpot" reward.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080306/NEWS/803060333/1051
Baby Watch Underway At The Pittsburgh Zoo (Video)
LIVE ZOO CAM
Watch the polar bears by day (until 4:30pm) and the tigers by night (after 4:30pm)!
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The cub watch is on at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, where officials are hoping a mating will enlarge one species family.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says zookeepers are keeping a close eye on rare Amur Tigers Globus and Toma.
They're hoping Toma is pregnant.
http://kdka.com/local/Amur.tigers.zoo.2.668951.html
Pittsburgh zoo hoping tigers' mating resulted in pregnancy
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH - Toma and Globus mated in late January.
Now, Pittsburgh zookeepers want to know if the Amur tigers' loving session was productive.
Tiger pregnancy is determined by testing hormone levels in stool samples, which takes several weeks.
But there are always the unofficial signs.
The zoo's lead carnivore keeper, Kathy Suthard, says Toma is cranky and hungrier than usual, just as she was during her first pregnancy.
The zoo is encouraged because Toma already has 18-month-old cubs. Her mate, Globus, sired four cubs at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20080304_ap_pittsburghzoohopingtigersmatingresultedinpregnancy.html
Zoo boss wants permission for new boundary fencing
Published on 04/03/2008
APPLICATION: David Gill, owner of the South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton, has applied to Barrow council for permission for a new perimeter fence SHEENAH ALCOCK
ZOO boss David Gill is seeking planning permission for a new boundary fence to stop his animals escaping.
Inspectors slammed the perimeter fencing at South Lakes Wild Animal Park when they visited the Dalton tourist attraction in October.
They concluded it would not “deter unauthorised entry” or help keep the creatures in.
Barrow Borough Council has since received a planning application from Mr Gill for a new security fence at his zoo.
The council’s planning committee – a panel of councillors – could decide whether to grant Mr Gill’s application on March 18 or April 8.
Council planning officials said a three-week consultation on the proposal was under way but they had not received any responses.
Michelle Grafton, administration officer at the zoo, said: “In the 2007 Defra zoo inspection and the 2006 inspection, it was concluded that the perimeter needed to be updated to reflect the change in species held at the park and to increase the protection level against escapes.
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=801899
Oregon Zoo to release 3 California Condors into Wild
Submitted by Sal Peralta on Tue, 03/04/2008 - 06:54.
The Oregon Zoo will soon release 3 captive-born California Condors into the wild, the Oregonian reports.
The Californian Condor is one of the most endangered birds in the world. In the 1980's, only 23 condors remained in the world. Breeding in zoos has helped increase the population to nearly 300, with 144 birds remaining in the wild.
The birds will be released near the Grand Canyon at the border of Arizona and Utah.
A total of 4 birds have been released by the program established at the Oregon zoo.
http://www.oregonindependent.com/node/180
Zoo visitor accused of tossing acorns at rhino
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, March 1, 2008
(02-29) 16:57 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- A man has been cited for misdemeanor animal taunting for allegedly tossing acorns at a rhinoceros at the San Francisco Zoo, police said Friday.
Juan Zuluaga, 26, was arrested, cited and released after the incident Thursday, authorities said.
The zoo has stepped up its warnings against harassment of animals after the Christmas Day tiger attack that left one young man dead and two others injured. Among other steps, it has posted signs telling patrons not to annoy the animals.
Police said they were summoned to the zoo at 3:30 p.m. Thursday after a patron reported to officials that Zuluaga was picking acorns off a branch and tossing them at the black rhino, a male named Mashaki. Zuluaga was with another man, who was not cited.
The animal appeared unfazed, police Sgt. Steve Mannina said.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/01/BA73VBNM1.DTL&tsp=1
Australia Zoo director denies rift
12:00a.m. 5 March 2008
By Carolyn Tucker
Australia Zoo director Wes Mannion yesterday denied suggestions of a rift between Bob Irwin and his daughter-in-law Terri.
This is the full transcript of his interview.
What do you feel about the statement Bob Irwin released over the weekend?
Answer: The most important thing is that we’re all in this for the same reason – we’re all into conservation.
Bob’s been a fantastic guy; he always will be. He’s moved on to a new job which is another conservation property which the zoo has funded, so really it’s exciting. I think it’s great for him to have a change.
As far as the politics involved and whatever else that people may or may not say, I never talk personally about family, but I will say that Bob would do great whatever he does and the great thing is that it’s another conservation property that will be focused on … it’s a property the zoo has helped him get so I think it’s a win-win for everybody.
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/mar/05/australia-zoo-director-denies-rift/
Two teens shoot bear, tiger at N.J. zoo
By Sam Wood
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Two South Jersey boys charged with shooting exotic animals with pellet guns at a zoo in Cumberland County were released to their parents Monday after being held overnight at a juvenile detention center, authorities said.
A 17-year-old from Vineland and a 14-year-old from Bridgeton were arrested Sunday afternoon at the tiny Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton after witnesses saw and heard them shoot at a rare white tiger and a black bear, zoo officials said.
The boys, whose names were not released, were charged on multiple weapons counts, said Kenneth Pagliughi, first assistant prosecutor for Cumberland County.
In addition, the SPCA signed charges against both boys for tormenting an animal, Pagliughi said.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20080304_Two_teens_shoot_bear__tiger_at_NJ_zoo.html
Zoo's wolf game has thousands on prowl
The Minnesota Zoo's WolfQuest game has taken off -- and taught its users a few things along the way.
By TOM MORAN, Star Tribune
Last update: March 5, 2008 - 12:09 AM
Since the Minnesota Zoo's free educational video game, WolfQuest, launched late last year, it has attracted attention and gamers from across the globe.
More than 100,000 people have downloaded WolfQuest and it averages more than 1,000 new users every day, according to figures provided by the zoo.
Michelle Housenga, the WolfQuest project coordinator at the zoo, said downloads come in waves as new countries learn about the game. She said its popularity stems from extensive news coverage, including from National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Iran's Tehran Times newspaper.
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/16147192.html
Debt collectors sue Irwin widow
Posted Wed Mar 5, 2008 1:25pm AEDT
Sued: Terri Irwin with daughter Bindi (Getty Images : Bradley Kanaris)
A Victorian Court has ruled that a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo will be heard in Melbourne.
Debt collection agency Alyssa Treasury Services is suing the Queensland zoo for $2.5 million of debts which it acquired from several different firms, including offshore banks.
The agency demanded payment of the debt in May last year and is also suing zoo manager Terri Irwin, wife of the late Steve Irwin, for $600,000.
Despite lawyers for Australia Zoo arguing crucial witnesses in the case are based in Queensland, Judge Maree Kennedy has ruled the case should be heard in Victoria.
The trial is expected to be held in October.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/05/2180684.htm
L.A. Zoo to celebrate Earth Day
Wednesday, 03.05.2008, 02:04am (GMT-7)
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Zoo is holding its annual Earth Day Expo to support ongoing conservation efforts and to continue educating the public about the importance of recycling and reusing material for the betterment of the earth.
The Los Angeles Zoo and K-EARTH 101 will hold Earth Day Expo 2008 with activities for the entire family.
The Zoo will offer information about recycling and conservation and will be celebrating California Wildlife. Species highlighted will be the brown pelican, harbor seal, desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep, Channel Island fox and California condor*. *not exhibited This is the nation’s 38th Earth Day, themed "protecting our children’s health and future." The Earth Day Expo 2008 will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 19 & 20 between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Zoo is in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State(5) Freeways.
http://indiapost.com/article/usnews/2230/
Cincinnati Zoo gets new 5-year levy worth $36.3 million
Associated Press - March 5, 2008 8:45 AM ET
CINCINNATI (AP) - The animals at the Cincinnati Zoo have scored a victory at the polls.
Hamilton County voters on Tuesday approved a tax levy that will raise a little over $36 million for the zoo over the next five years.
The issue that passed 59% to 41% will cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $1.78 per year.
The money will pay for care of the animals and plants and for maintenance.
Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com
http://www.wdtn.com/Global/story.asp?S=7968066
Visitors flock to Chester Zoo
By Staff reporter
CHESTER Zoo is fast becoming one of the most popular leisure attractions in the country, with visitor figures to prove it.
New figures released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) show that the award-winning zoo is the second most-visited tourist attraction in the UK where an entry charge applies.
Chester Zoo is already the most-visited wildlife attraction with more than 1.3 million visitors last year alone, and now the ALVA figures also reveal that the zoo is also the 15th most-visited of all UK attractions, including those where entry is free.
http://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/chesternews/Visitors-flock-to-Chester-Zoo.3841672.jp
CPS Levy Close, Zoo Wins Residents’ Votes
Last Update: 3/05 8:02 am
Reported by: Jessica Noll
Reported by: Bob White
Web produced by: Jessica Noll
Voters said yes to two hot Cincinnati issues on Tuesday, approving both a levy for Cincinnati schools and the zoo.
The Cincinnati Public Schools levy, Issue 10 passed narrowly with just over 50 percent in favor to 49 percent against.
The school levy was a five-year, 7.89-mill emergency levy to generate $51.5 million annually starting in 2009. School officials said the money would be used for salaries, textbooks and classroom needs and other learning services for students and their families and teachers.
It will cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $233 in annual property taxes.
http://www.kypost.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=5724cd8c-2559-4836-ad90-3ae0e65ab72e
Taronga Zoo celebrates baby female chimp
March 4, 2008 - 2:59PM
Advertisement
The birth of a chimpanzee at Taronga Zoo has added a much-needed female touch to the Sydney zoo's breeding program.
The chimp, who is yet to be named, was born in the chimpanzees' open enclosure last Wednesday after a 45-minute labour.
She is an important addition to the zoo's chimpanzee population of 19, Taronga Zoo spokesman Mark Williams says.
"We let it all happen naturally. We had a run of boys, that's fine but having another female opens up another genetic line," Mr Williams told AAP.
"That helps us manage the genetics ... so that in the long term we have a genetically sustainable group, one that is not inbred and is healthy and has the widest number of inputs from different chimpanzees."
Mother Shiba was very protective of her baby, tucking her safely under one arm as she feasted on nuts, yoghurt and dried fruit in front of photographers.
Shiba is the mother of three male chimps and this is her first girl.
The other chimpanzees had welcomed the new baby and she was settling in well, Mr Williams said.
"Shiba did everything right and the little baby started suckling pretty soon and doing everything right from a baby point of view," he said.
"So (they are) very, very happy and the group is very calm and very welcoming".
© 2008 AAP
http://news.smh.com.au/taronga-zoo-celebrates-baby-female-chimp/20080304-1wsk.html
World's smartest immigrant unearthed
5:00AM Friday March 07, 2008
An artist's impression of what the Teilhardina magnoliana may have looked like. Photo / Reuters
He was the Albert Einstein of his time - a long-extinct critter that weighed about 28g, measured 7.5cm long and munched on bugs and berries.
A US scientist has unearthed the remains of the earliest-known primate to live in North America.
In doing so, he figured out the path these ancient representatives of the mammalian group, which includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and people, may have taken to reach that part of the world.
Based on a group of teeth from a tiny primate unearthed in Mississippi dating to 55.8 million years ago, palaeontologist Christopher Beard, of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, said the species likely scampered over a now-vanished land bridge connecting Siberia to Alaska.
The tiny immigrant was called Teilhardina magnoliana, Dr Beard said in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496576
Breaking the ice
5:00AM Saturday March 01, 2008
By Geoff Cumming
Sadie Mills and Niki Davey with giant starfish.
On the bridge of the Tangaroa, Stu Hanchet is surveying a pancake ice panorama. The Niwa research vessel is a curiosity for the penguins and seals watching it glide gingerly by. Black and white Antarctic petrels and the occasional giant petrel come and go, the ship's resident skua hovers.
Penguins, seals, even whales, have ceased to be a curiosity to the 26 scientists and 18 crew on the Tangaroa, which is undertaking the biggest ever biological survey of the Ross Sea - the perilous stretch of Antarctic water administered by New Zealand.
It's freezing, says Hanchet, who leads the science project. Ice and snow showers have been constant companions since the Tangaroa reached the Ross Sea, six days due south of Wellington. On deck, scientists and crew work in temperatures of - 12C or - 13C, deploying and retrieving unwieldy sampling equipment which, like the samples collected, can quickly freeze.
The scientists left New Zealand's once-in-a-blue-moon summer on January 31 with hopes of finding the Ross Sea largely free of ice. They had planned to venture further south than ever before, deep into the sea's southeastern corner, and to sample marine life on the continental shelf of Antarctica.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10495365&pnum=0
Scientists call for big cash injection for `blue-skies' research
6:00AM Tuesday March 04, 2008
Professor Jeff Tallon. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
A begging letter from nearly 500 senior scientists, seeking greater taxpayer funding of "blue skies" research, has been portrayed by the Government as a routine precursor to the coming budget round.
The 460 scientists want funding at least trebled for the Government's Marsden Fund which provides grants to researchers doing science not specifically tied to an economic application.
They have presented an open letter to Science Minister Pete Hodgson calling for the big boost for science for the sake of knowledge.
The letter was written by Professor Jeff Tallon, of Victoria University, who Mr Hodgson presented with the nation's top science award, the Rutherford Medal, in 2002.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10496094
Chris Barton: Clearing the storm clouds from NZ's `blue skies'
5:00AM Saturday March 08, 2008
By Chris Barton
To study a field of knowledge no holds barred, to explore freely without an end goal in sight, is a coveted privilege enjoyed by a select few in New Zealand.
But while most agree "blue skies" research is an essential component of scientific endeavour _ the path from which new knowledge comes _ it's a practice increasingly under threat.
So say 460 of the country's top brains in an open letter to the Minister of Science pleading for a trebling of the Marsden Fund dedicated to basic research.
The scientists are exercised by the large number of promising new researchers turned down year after year. The fund has a disheartening 90-93 per cent failure rate. In 2007 just 93 out of 910 proposals received a share of the $44 million dished out. A trebling to around $120 million would fund 20-25 per cent of applicants, and would attract back the disillusioned.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/466/story.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10496899
Sluggish tuatara fastest in DNA evolution
5:00AM Tuesday March 04, 2008
By Angela Gregory
Tuatara evolved significantly faster than animals such as the cave bear, lion, ox and horse. Photo / Greg Bowker
They are slow to grow, slow to reproduce and have a sluggish metabolism.
But tuatara have broken records for DNA evolution, a discovery that has astonished New Zealand scientists.
Tuatara, often referred to as living dinosaurs, have largely not changed physically over very long periods of evolution going back millions of years.
But analysis of their old bones in New Zealand has shown that their DNA has evolved faster than any other animal species yet studied.
Evolutionary biologist Professor David Lambert, of Massey University, and a team from the Massey-based Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution established through study of tuatara DNA that the reptiles evolved very quickly.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10495940
It really is time for zoo animals to get new home
Last Updated : Wednesday 05 Mar, 2008 - 1 comments
Al Ain did it. Abu Dhabi are planning it. So, in the spirit of healthy competition between the Emirates, why doesn’t Dubai do it? I’m talking about the upgrades to the zoos in these Emirates. With all the mega projects on the go here in Dubai (Dubai world etc), it would seem as if the Dubai Zoo on Jumeirah Road looks seriously dated.But looks aside - let’s face it, keeping large animals confined in tiny spaces within a zoo is old school (not to mention cruel).
http://www.7days.ae/showstory.php?id=68275
Joburg Zoo fills its calendar
Written by Lesego Madumo
Wednesday, 05 March 2008
From the Zoo Trot to Moonlight Tours, a Myth Busters Tour and a Paddy's Day frog hunt, there are plenty of things to do at the Johannesburg Zoo.
Runners will be able to watch 200 species of animals at the zoo, instead of the usual morning jog dodging cars
TAKE a trot round the zoo, checking out its 200 species of animals, instead of the usual morning jog dodging cars.
With its regular Zoo Trots, the Johannesburg Zoo is helping people get fit, while enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. And it is all in the heart of bustling Joburg. The fun run or walk takes place around the zoo every second Sunday of the month throughout the year; it is open to everyone over the age of three.
It can be seen as complementary to the vision of Executive Mayor Amos Masondo to use sports as a way of forging relationships and bringing together a divided people. Over and above its ability to unite people, Masondo believes that sport encourages healthy lifestyles and keeps youngsters away from delinquency.
Keeping fit
"The Joburg Zoo supports a healthy lifestyle," confirms Sandra Hlungwani, the zoo's public relations and marketing officer. "If one of your new year's resolutions was to keep fit, this is an ideal opportunity for you."
It has partnered in the venture with the Rocky Road Runners Club, one of the most established running clubs in South Africa, which offers support for runners.
http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/2253/168/
PETA to protest at Springfield zoo Thursday
A PETA member dressed as a kangaroo will be among a group planning to picket Dickerson Park Zoo Thursday.
The protesters will hold a banner declaring, �Dickerson Park Zoo: Rescue Dumped Animals Now� in response to the alleged transfer of animals from the zoo to dealers who provide animals to hunting ranches, according to a news release from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
PETA has urged the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to revoke the zoo�s accreditation over the alleged donations of kangaroos and giraffes to animal dealers and a hunting ranch.
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/BREAKING01/80305040
Animal Rights Extremists To Protest At Zoo
5 03 2008
According to our friends at KSPR, the animal rights extremist group PETA is planning to launch a protest over very questionable allegations against the Dickerson Park Zoo. PETA is claiming they have documents that prove the zoo donated a kangaroo and a greater kudu to a man that has been accused of selling animals to hunting ranches. However, the PETA website does not have these documents available for public viewing so there is no way to see if the documents actually exist or the source of this information. All of the PETA accusations thus far have not been backed with any credible evidence yet they’re going to rush out to draw attention to themselves on Thursday.
http://lifeofjason.com/2008/03/05/animal-rights-extremists-to-protest-at-zoo/
Hop To It – Binder Park Zoo’s Special Easter Adopt
Binder Park Zoo
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Arriving just in time for Easter Binder Park Zoo welcomes a new member to its animal family. This long eared, fluffy new addition hops around and can weigh up to 30lbs! It’s not your typical rabbit but rather a Flemish giant rabbit and he will be part of the Zoo’s education programs. Help welcome this new arrival and give a unique Easter gift by adopting this adorable bunny. Proceeds will go to help feed and care for Binder Park Zoo’s animals.
The special Easter bunny adopt package includes an official ADOPT certificate, a color picture of your adopted animal, an animal fact sheet, one free admission pass to visit Binder Park Zoo next season and the name of recipient displayed on the Zoo’s Adopt Honor Roll board for one year, all for just $30 per adoption!
Adoption is a special way to help Binder Park Zoo ensure the health and well-being of our animals. Adoptions are just one of the many ways you can become involved with Binder Park Zoo!
For more information or to purchase your Easter Bunny Adopt, please visit www.binderparkzoo.org, call Binder Park Zoo at (269) 979-1351, or stop by the Zoo office between 9:00 and 5:00 Monday through Friday.
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NEIGHBORHOODS01/803050335
New Zoo Review: Going Strong After 20 Years
Tribune photo by Lenora Lake
Docent Linda Delaphena brought Angie, a llama born last March at the Lowry Park Zoo, to a ceremony celebrating the zoo's 20th anniversary as an independent nonprofit organization.
By Neil Johnson and Lenora Lake, The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 5, 2008
TAMPA - In the 1980s, Lowry Park Zoo was one of the worst in the nation, ready to be bulldozed, one of its attractions a three-legged bear.
Cages were cramped, exhibits few and a children's fairyland with a small train ride was more popular than the animals.
"The main problem was that is was a bad zoo," said former Florida Gov. Bob Martinez, Tampa's mayor at the time.
The city decided to close the place and knock it down, pledging $10 million toward a new zoo, Martinez said.
Today, the Lowry Park Zoological Society, the nonprofit organization that runs the zoo, marked 20 years since the new version of the zoo opened.
Between September 2006 and 2007, more than 1.1 million people came to the zoo.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/05/new-zoo-review-going-strong-after-20-years/
Steady decline of animals at Bondla zoo
by Roque Dias
Ponda, March 5 The Bondla zoo that once boasted of having many species of animals is steadily losing its charm, with eyebrows being raised over the steady decrease of animals at the zoo.
Six animals, including a fox, a peahen, a jackal, and a leopard, have died in the last few months, according to zoo sources.
Visitors and sources alleged that most of the animals were not properly fed; though the range forest officer, Mr Pradeep Vernekar disputed this.
To make matters worse for the animals, there is only a lone visiting doctor who examines the animals, once a week.
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=030612
Kyoto zoo visitors to view chimp research up close
The Yomiuri Shimbun
KYOTO--Visitors to the Kyoto City Zoo in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, will be able to observe researchers studying chimpanzees from fiscal 2008 as part of a collaborative program of the Kyoto municipal government and Kyoto University, which is known for its primate research.
The project is the first of its kind in the nation. Research on other animals, including elephants and giraffes, is also expected to be showcased in the same way, as the municipal government hopes to attract more visitors, and the university hopes to promote its research.
According to the plan, the municipal government will purchase four chimpanzees and build a 10-meter-tall tower in the animals' zoo environment. A laboratory with reinforced-glass walls will also be built so that visitors can closely observe the primates. The municipal government has set aside 125 million yen for the project in its draft fiscal 2008 budget.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080306TDY16001.htm
Oakland Zoo's renovation grows, draws opposition
East Bay Business Times - by Mavis Scanlon
The last big component of the Oakland Zoo's plan to expand into a major East Bay attraction has grown more elaborate - and more costly - than envisioned in a master plan completed more than a decade ago, and has as a result generated new opposition.
The zoo is embarking on the final, $42 million element of its expansion, which will transform an undeveloped piece of the city's Knowland Park into a California animal exhibit and support facilities for the zoo.
http://eastbay.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/03/10/story1.html?b=1205121600%5E1602343
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