Chocolate may reduce risk of death

A study of older men in The Netherlands, known for its luscious chocolate, indicated those who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death.
The researchers say, however, that it is too early to conclude that the chocolate led to better health. “It's way too early to make recommendations about whether people should eat more cocoa or chocolate,” said Brian Buijsse, a nutritional epidemiologist at Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

They're right, of course. The reduced risk of death may just be a result of having more to live for.

Al-Jazeera goes international/Fortune teller dodges cops

A Two-fer today.
Al-Jazeera is set to launch its 24 hour English news channel, Al-Jazeera International. One of its first programs will feature Sir David Frost. He will be hosting a program from London, similar to his BBC program Breakfast with Frost.
Here's hoping the network doesn't bomb.
Meanwhile,
Sophie Evon, a fortune teller who preys on the lovelorn, and who has defrauded thousands of dollars out of people, skipped town just before being arrested in Toronto for extradition to the U.S. on first degree fraud charges.
Guess she has some talent at clairvoyance, after all.

Corpses harvested for their organs, skin.

Reason #2936 why everyone should read more science fiction.
The owner of a biomedical supply house was charged along with three other men Thursday with secretly carving up corpses and selling the parts for use in transplants across the country.
Prosecutors said the defendants obtained the bodies from funeral parlors in three states and forged death certificates and organ donor consent forms to make it look as if the bones, skin, tendons, heart valves and other tissue were legally removed. Masterpiece Theatre host Alistair Cooke, who died in 2004, is believed to be one of the bodies so violated.
Michael Mastromarino, owner of Biomedical Tissue Services of Fort Lee, N.J., was charged along with Brooklyn funeral home owner Joseph Micelli.
The other defendants were Lee Crucetta and Christopher Aldorasi.
All four were charged with enterprise corruption, body stealing and opening graves, unlawful dissection, forgery and other counts.
Thanks to the Associated Press.

This sort of thing has been mentioned in various stories by Larry Niven, as well as Coma by Robin Cook. Maybe if our elected officials read more, they could make these things illegal quicker.

Joint US/Canadian naval exercise Monday

Canadian warships and aircraft, including Canada's only operational submarine, will head out of Halifax harbor on Monday to begin naval exercises with the US Navy.
The three week mission is designed to test combat capabilities in anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, and boarding operations.

An unnamed source prays that the test comes off without serious losses for the Canadian forces, which recently lost another Sea King helicopter, due to using it. Another source stated that the Canadian Navy will consider the exercise a success if the fleet manages to find the US fleet and return home safely.

Tiger poop the new critter repellent

Researchers at the University of Queensland said on Friday they had successfully created a "critter" repellant out of tiger excrement.
"Goats wouldn't have seen a tiger from an evolutionary point of view for at least 15 generations but they recognize the smell of the predator," repellent creator Peter Murray said in a statement.
"If we can show this lasts weeks ... we've just tapped into probably a billion-dollar market. It's enormous," he said.
Murray said the repellant, made of fatty acids and sulphuric compounds extracted from tiger excrement, also worked on feral pigs, kangaroos and rabbits and might deter deer, horses and cattle too.
Thanks to Reuters for the item.

So why doesn't it work on humans? When did our midbrain stop being afraid of large striped maneaters?

Alternative therapies may be lethal in the end

Ben Goldacre, columnist in The Guardian , points out the danger of using plants whose constituents had recently been discovered to have antibiotic properties, as preventatives, to stop you getting a disease.
From his column, Bad Science:
"Now my objection to this at the time was, in some ways, a subtle point. Think about how "superbugs", bacteria resistant to antibiotics, come into existence: they are exposed to antibiotics in lower doses, but killed off incompletely, some survive, and so, by a process of mutation and natural selection, the bacteria evolve to be resistant to the drugs. The bacteria that survive the battle are the ones that are most resistant.
Now I realise evolution may be a problem area for some of you, but this really is an incredibly clever process: for example, once new resistance genes have evolved, bacteria can then share these genes with completely different bacteria nearby. They literally swap genes between each other. This is happening right now, in your body. They are clever, clever little buggers. To prevent resistance to antibiotics, you want to keep your best antibiotics out of farming, and away from pushy patients with viral coughs, to give a couple of examples.
But this kind of thing doesn't occur to alternative therapists. And the problem is that malaria, for which (Susan Clark, columnist, What's the Alternative) was recommending artemisinin, prophylactically, without any evidence, to travellers, isn't a decadent westerners' playground. Malaria kills more than a million people a year, mostly children. As recently as 2004, in the Lancet, there was hope that artemisinin could be used to eradicate malaria for good, if used carefully to treat people with the disease.
And now, here is the punchline. Just this month the new chief of the World Health Organisation's malaria programme warned that the growing misuse of artemisinin - which you can still buy from the usual "health food" outlets - could create an incurable strain. The same thing happened with resistance to chloroquine, our magic bullet for malaria in the 1940s, of course: it's now virtually useless. Dr Arata Kochi from the WHO says any drug companies even selling the drug artemisinin alone, instead of with other drugs in the same tablet - which ensures a cleaner kill of the malaria in your blood - will face boycotts of their other products. This kind of threat is almost unheard of."

Malaria is only one of the many diseases we may be breeding into a super-bug through alternative therapies. If we don't start using methods that work, and stop using methods we wish would work, then our children are going to have to be satisfied with faith healing.

Millenium Falcon, yeah!

Everyone else seems to be posting these contests, so . . .
What SF ship's crew would I fit into?

You scored as . Moya (Farscape) 88% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 88% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 75% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 69% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 63% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 63% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 63% Serenity (Firefly) 63% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 63% SG-1 (Stargate) 63% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 56% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 25% Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

Hulk Smash Crime!

54 year old Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the old TV show, has become an L.A County Sheriff's department reserve deputy.
Presumably, the idea is that victims of road rage, or armed street youths, will look at the arresting officer they're about to kill and say "Hey, I know you! I loved that show! I'm your biggest fan!"
Then kill him.
Oh, well that's California. The B list become cops, the A list become governors.

A Roundup of February Quotes

From Salon.com, Rebecca Traister on Vanity Fair's Tom Ford issue:
"But let's get the cover out of the way: Rachel McAdams, one of the women scheduled to pose for this year's cover, arrived at the photo shoot only to learn that Ford wanted her naked. I had not thought a willingness to disrobe was a condition of appearing on the front of Vanity Fair, but reluctant ecdysiast McAdams not only lost her spot, she is mentioned in the magazine only as "a certain young actress" who "bowed out when the clothes started coming off," thus squelching "Ford's plan of having a gorgeous female threesome." There you have it, ladies, straight from Vanity Fair: We don't care if you star in three successful movies in one year; if you won't get naked for a "threesome," you can forget your spot in our pages!"

From The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, in a mock-interviewing Comedy Central's Rob Corddry as a "Vice-Presidential shootings analyst":
Jon Stewart: Rob, obviously a very unfortunate situation. How is the vice president handling it?
Rob Corddry: Jon, tonight the vice president is standing by his decision to shoot Harry Whittington. According to the best intelligence available, there were quail hidden in the brush. Everyone believed at the time there were quail in the brush. And while the quail turned out to be a 78-year-old man, even knowing that today, Mr. Cheney insists he still would have shot Mr. Whittington in the face. He believes the world is a better place for his spreading buckshot throughout the entire region of Mr. Whittington's face.
Jon Stewart: But why, Rob? If he had known Mr. Whittington was not a bird, why would he still have shot him?
Rob Corddry: Jon, in a post-9/11 world, the American people expect their leaders to be decisive. To not have shot his friend in the face would have sent a message to the quail that America is weak.
Jon Stewart: That's horrible.
Rob Corddry: Look, the mere fact that we're even talking about how the vice president drives up with his rich friends in cars to shoot farm-raised wingless quail-tards is letting the quail know "how" we're hunting them. I'm sure right now those birds are laughing at us in that little "covey" of theirs.
Jon Stewart: I'm not sure birds can laugh, Rob.
Rob Corddry: Well, whatever it is they do -- coo -- they're cooing at us right now, Jon, because here we are talking openly about our plans to hunt them. Jig is up. Quails one, America zero.
Additional thanks to Salon.com

Glenn Greenwald, on the Bush apologists:
"The blind faith placed in the Federal Government, and particularly in our Commander-in-Chief, by the contemporary "conservative" is the very opposite of all that which conservatism has stood for for the last four decades. The anti-government ethos espoused by Barry Goldwater and even Ronald Reagan is wholly unrecognizable in Bush followers, who – at least thus far – have discovered no limits on the powers that ought to be vested in George Bush to enable him to do good on behalf of all of us.
And in that regard, people like Michelle Malkin, John Hinderaker, Jonah Goldberg and Hugh Hewitt are not conservatives. They are authoritarian cultists. Their allegiance is not to any principles of government but to strong authority through a single leader...And as excessive as the Bush Administration’s measures have been thus far -- they overtly advocate the right to use war powers against American citizens on American soil even if Congress bans such measures by law -- I am quite certain that people like John Hinderaker, Jonah Goldberg and Jeff Goldstein, to name just a few, are prepared to support far, far more extreme measures than the ones which have been revealed thus far. And while I would not say this for Jeff or perhaps of Jonah, I believe quite firmly that there are no limits – none – that Hinderaker (or Malkin or Hewitt) would have in enthusiastically supporting George Bush no matter how extreme were the measures which he pursued..."

Ann Coulter, from her column:
"Muslims are the only people who make feminists seem laid-back.
The little darlings brandish placards with typical Religion of Peace slogans, such as: "Behead Those Who Insult Islam," "Europe, you will pay, extermination is on the way" and "Butcher those who mock Islam." They warn Europe of their own impending 9/11 with signs that say: "Europe: Your 9/11 will come" -- which is ironic, because they almost had me convinced the Jews were behind the 9/11 attack.
The rioting Muslims claim they are upset because Islam prohibits any depictions of Muhammad -- though the text is ambiguous on beheadings, suicide bombings and flying planes into skyscrapers. "

Ted Rall, from his column:
"Hypocrisy abounds: Everyone supports the free speech they agree with.
Which is why, in a nation with a truly free media, there is no line. To hell with the nanny media. Free speech is like a Ferrari: What good is it if you don't use it or if you barely use it, only driving it in town, in stop-and-go traffic? It's useless until you can head out to the Arizona desert and push it past 150 mph. Short of libel, slander and impersonation, anything goes--that is, if you believe in the First Amendment.
What if millions of people take offense? What if some of them turn violent, even murderous? So what? No one can make you angry. You decide whether or not to become angry. If journalistic gatekeepers worry about the mere possibility of prompting outrage, they'll validate mob rule and undermine our right to a free press, one that covers the controversial along with the bland."

From David Letterman's Top 10 Lists:
Top Ten Slogans For The New Sex Soda
8. "Goes down nice and easy...just like you"

Enjoy.

White House defends silence on Cheney accident

The White House is defending its delay in disclosing Vice President Dick Cheney's weekend hunting accident, telling reporters Monday the focus was on making sure the man Cheney shot got medical attention.

See, this is just the sort of stupid statement that gets our goat out here on Page 10. It's not just the lie, but that it's such an obvious lie, and that they tell it to our faces.
"The focus was on making sure the man Cheney shot got medical attention." What, the White House doesn't multitask? Scott McClellan runs Cheney's ambulance, and so was unavailable to make a statement?
They didn't want anyone to know, because they didn't want any more bad press than what they have been getting lately. There. Was that so hard to say?
Instead, they make a bald-faced lie, and get more bad press, plus the attention of anyone with a late-nite talk show. Idiots.

Canadian Border Guards Flee

For the third time in a month, Canadian border agents at Vancouver's Peace arch border crossing closed the gates and left their posts, after receiving a report of an armed American fugitive coming their way.
The border agent's collective agreement gives them the right to walk off the job if they believe their safety is threatened.
Canadian border agents are not armed.

On the one hand, one would think that their job included handling dangerous individuals trying to cross the border. Good thing the Army doesn't have their union negotiator.

To be fair, though, the report didn't mention what the fugitive was armed with.

Great Lakes becoming More polluted, not Less.

The amount of dangerous materials being discharged into the Great Lakes has increased by 21% between 1998 and 2002. Environmentalists have blamed a false sense of security that has made us lax, along with increased output from industries that have grown during the rising economy.
The five biggest polluters were US Steel Corp, of Gary Ind.; Anheuser-Busch, Inc, of Baldwinsville, NY.; Imperial Oil, of Sarnia, Ont.; Eastman Kodak Co., of Rochester, NY.; and Parmalat Canada, in Winchester, Ont.
The biggest pollutants were nitric acid and nitrates, but other major pollutants include metals such as magnesium, nickel, and chromium, and Ethylene Glycol.

Tracking device to end car chases

The Los Angeles police have unveiled a new weapon on crime.
Adhesive darts containing global positioning transmitters are to be supplied to selected patrol cars. Compressed air launchers will fire these darts at fleeing cars, allowing them to be tracked without the dangers of close pursuit.

Hope they didn't plan to patent these things - I saw Spider-Man using them back in '64.
And I'll bet Hollywood's crying - now they'll need something new for exciting scenes in movies.

"Eden" in Western New Guinea

A "lost world" has been found in New Guinea.
The 3,000 square mile area in the Foja Mountains is never visited by indigenous natives. The animals there are unafraid of humans. Several new species have been discovered already.
The Indonesian Government is keeping the area off limits to most visitors - including prospectors and loggers.

We'll see how long that lasts. Environmentalism is for countries that can afford food and Ferraris. Animals not afraid of humans? They will be.

Blue light keeps you more alert at night. That's the color of the light bulb, not the beer, guys.

Confidential data? Not any more.

Confidential information on hundreds of United States citizens, including social security numbers, health information and bank account numbers, is being sent mistakenly by fax to the offices of North Regent Rx, a herbal remedy distribution company near Winnipeg.
The company has been trying to stop the faxes from coming in, but has been unable to reach an agreement with Prudential Financial, the U.S.-based company that is the intended recipient.
The problem started as soon as North Regent Rx began operating 15 months ago. The company's toll-free fax number is almost identical to the number used by Prudential's insurance division, which receives faxes from doctors' offices about medical benefits given to patients with Prudential insurance.

In other words, insurance companies never move fast, even when it's in their own interests.

NASA's Head Investigator under Investigation

According to the Washington Post, NASA Inspector General Robert W. Cobb is under investigation after subordinates complained that he failed to investigate safety violations and retaliated against whistle-blowers.
The Post said at least 16 people provided documents and written complaints about Cobb to Integrity Committee of the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
Several sources also told the Post that Cobb suppressed audits and stopped investigations to avoid embarrassing NASA or its leadership.
Robert W. Cobb took office as NASA's Inspector General on April 22, 2002, following nomination by President George W. Bush and confirmation by the United States Senate.
Mr. Cobb was previously Associate Counsel to the President. In this role, he handled the administration of the White House ethics program under the supervision of the Counsel to the President and was responsible for administration of the conflict of interest and financial disclosure clearance processes for candidates for nomination to Senate-confirmed positions.
Prior to joining the Office of the Counsel to the President in January 2001, Mr. Cobb worked for almost nine years at the United States Office of Government Ethics.
Prior to Government service, he worked for five years as an associate attorney at Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver.

Church Arsonist in Alabama

Investigators are trying to determine if a string of fires at three churches in Bibb County, Alabama, were arson. No one was injured in the blazes.
"We're clearly investigating these as arson," said Ragan Ingram, assistant state commissioner of the Alabama Department of Insurance, which includes the state fire marshal's office.

You know, if I were a Muslim terrorist, I would probably set fire to churches.
Where's the DHS in all this? You'd think they would put in a token appearance, at least.

Birds do it, BS do it.

About 100 mobile phones belonging to top Greek military and government officials, including Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis and his wife, the ministers of foreign affairs, defence, public order and justice, many of Greece's top military and police officers, foreign ministry officials and some journalists and human rights activists, were tapped for nearly a year beginning in the weeks before the 2004 Olympic games, Greek government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said at a news conference Thursday.
Mr. Roussopoulos said it had not been possible to identify who was behind the tapping, discovered in March 2005.

Probably not the NSA - we'd have heard about it by now.

The First Promise is Broken.

Why does he even bother?
In his State of the Union speech, President Bush promised to reduce America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil, by 75%, by 2025.
Forget it.
Bush's energy secretary, Samuel Bodman, said the president's real goal is to reduce foreign oil imports from anywhere, not from the Middle East in particular.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute's Myron Ebell, director of energy policy, said "As bad as the policies proposed by President Bush are, the addiction rhetoric is much worse. President Bush might as well have said, 'We're addicted to prosperity, comfort, and mobility, and I've got the policies to do something about it.'"
"The goals and methods the president announced in his State of the Union address will be hindrances and obstacles to creating a bright energy future for American consumers. They will interfere with the working of the market that provides incentives for increasing supplies and for technological innovations. In taking these steps in the wrong direction, President Bush also seems to have forgotten the positive energy policies that he has promoted in the past. These include removing the political and legal obstacles to exploiting America's vast conventional energy resources, such as opening portions of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and the Outer Continental Shelf to oil and gas development."

In other words, shut up about all this alternative fuels crap and let us get back to making obscene profits.

Don't Draw Mohammed

An apology from Copenhagen newspaper Jyllands-Posten over caricatures of Mohammed they published last September has apparently not worked. Another bomb threat was received on the evening of Jan 31.
American pundits have blasted the Muslim critics, citing their religious intolerance to free expression as a symptom of their problems.
In other news, the TV show The Gospel According to Daniel has been pulled by NBC, due to complaints from fundamentalist groups about the depiction of Jesus.