July 31, 2013

Australian Labor powerbrokers acted corruptly: inquiry

Criminal charges were Wednesday recommended against two former high-profile Australian Labor ministers over corruption allegations following an explosive inquiry that gripped Sydney for months.The Independent Commission Against Corruption found that ...

The damning findings could rub off on the party's image nationally, with Labor already facing a tough fight against a Tony Abbott-led conservative coalition in elections later this year."Today is a black day in the history of the Labor party," Abbott told reporters, noting that current Foreign Minister Bob Carr elevated Obeid to his ministry when he was NSW state premier in the 1990s.

http://www.france24.com/en/20130731-australian-labor-powerbrokers-acted-corruptly-inquiry

122 Record Cold Temps in the U.S. in one week

July in the USA ends on a frigid note as record cold outpaces warmth nearly 10 to 1

Record Cold Temps, 173 Record Warm temps.

http://www.climatedepot.com/2013/07/30/1122-record-cold-temps-in-the-u-s-in-one-week/

First Gay Divorce Finalized in Colorado

Colorado's first recognized same-sex divorce is final.

Supporters of Colorado's new civil unions law say the court ruling sets a precedent for gay couples married in other states who want to legally terminate their relationships here without uprooting their lives.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/22966251/first-gay-divorce-finalized-in-colorado

WOULD YOU LET THE VEEBOT ROBOT TAKE YOUR BLOOD?

Veebot is a particularly gory robot. He takes your blood--not like a circuit-board Nosferatu might--instead, Veebot's Mountain View-based creators are hoping he might head up the next generation ofphlebotomists. The machine currently has an 83% accuracy rate and has to get to 90% before undergoing clinical trials, but as the firm points out, between a quarter and one-fifth of all blood tests fail at the first attempt, so Veebot is doing better than the average. Eww. http://m.fastcompany.com/3015013/fast-feed/would-you-let-the-veebot-robot-take-your-blood

US News: #Obama: Top Tax Rate Should Be 28% for Corporations... 40% for Small Business!

The New York Times reports that President Obama is reviving an old proposal to lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent (and 25 percent for manufacturers). Obama's push to lower the corporate tax rate to 28 percent comes less than a year after he raised the top individual income tax rate, paid by many small businesses, to 39.6 percent.

Obama did not explain why he thinks it's a sound economic idea to raise the top marginal tax rate on small businesses but lower it for corporations.

http://m.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-top-tax-rate-should-be-28-corporations-40-small-business_742312.html

China is preparing for 'people's war' in cyber space...

China’s military is preparing for war in cyberspace involving space attacks on satellites and the use of both military and civilian personnel for a digital “people’s war,” according to an internal Chinese defense report.

“As cyber technology continues to develop, cyber warfare has quietly begun,” the report concludes, noting that the ability to wage cyber war in space is vital for China’s military modernization.

http://freebeacon.com/china-military-preparing-for-peoples-war-in-cyberspace-space/

Sydney concert review: is Pink trying too hard?

Pink needs a parachute. Surely that's the only way she could top her energetic opening sequence to her song Raise Your Glass which included a trapdoor, bungy cords and the singer hanging off an apparatus with some half-naked men. (For her next concert she's going to have to parachute in, I thought, a little too smugly).

http://m.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/pink-sydney-concert-proves-to-be-a-balancing-act-20130731-2qxuw.html

How Google Is Quietly Taking Over..

Earlier this month, Google announced disappointing earnings, and its stock immediately dropped 5% (Disclosure: I own Google stock through a fund).  Most disturbingly, the company’s core revenue driver, the revenue it gets for each click on an ad, decreased 6% while traffic acquisition costs increased. http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/07/30/how-google-is-quietly-taking-over/

July 30, 2013

Want to live to 100? Here's what you have to do - Eat Bacon, Bannanas And Read The Bible...

Excerpt -- Pearl Cantrell, who's 105, swears by bacon .The Texan, who is still going strong, eats the processed meat daily and says it has enabled her to stay fit and healthy long into her old age.

She says that others should do the same if they want to live to be as old as her."I love bacon. I could eat it for every meal - and I do. I want other people to eat bacon and I tell them to."

Queenslander Miriam Schmierer , who lived to 110, told The Courier Mail her secret to a long life was a diet of parsley tea and dedicated reading of The Bible.

More》http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/want-to-live-to-100-here8217s-what-you-have-to-do/story-fni0dguz-1226687477274

Why evening exercise might be better for you

Previous work from China's Nanjing Medical University suggests that exercise later in the day has more benefits for health, particularly cholesterol.

The reasons are unclear why its better to have your work out later in the day than morning, but may be linked to changes in metabolism throughout the day.

The same team are now conducting a larger trial of 300 people - half of whom will walk in the morning and half later in the day.

http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/why-evening-exercise-might-be-better-for-you/story-fni0dgzm-1226688234028

#Palestinian Leader's Final Resolution: 'Not a Single #Israeli on Our Lands'

Palestinians and Israelis are meeting in Washington to talk about a peace plan with Secretary of State John Kerry. But the Palestinians leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is in Egypt where he's revealed his thinking on the issue.“In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli — civilian or soldier — on our lands,” said Abbas, after meeting with an Egyptian leader

http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-says-there-will-be-no-israelis-in-palestine/

APPLE's new iPhone 'has fingerprint sensor'...

If the rumours are true, the latest iPhone will be the first Apple product to feature such a sensor, which could be used for unlocking the homescreen or confirming identity for payment from the App Store or other outlets. Any sensor would likely be embedded into the physical home button.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/10210480/Apples-new-iPhone-has-fingerprint-sensor.html

Sorry, iPad Mini fans - reviewers say the Nexus 7 is better

As soon as Google announced its new Nexus 7 small tablet on July 24, the natural question emerged: How does it stack up against the Apple‘s industry-leading iPad mini?The answer, according to anumber of reviewers: Pretty darn well.

In fact, several reviewers place the Nexus 7ahead of the iPad mini, and at least one recommends it over the iPad mini thanks to a combination of features that beat its rivals’

http://bit.ly/11rikDJ

Night owls are more 'self-involved, deceitful and psychopathic' than early morning risers

Would you class yourself as a night owl or more of a morning person? Be careful how you answer because it could give clues to your personality traits. Australian researchers have discovered that a preference for staying up late or into the early hours has a direct link to anti-social behaviour and so-called Dark Triad traits. 

The Dark Triad traits consist of narcissistic and selfish actions, cunning or deceitful Machiavellian behaviour and psychopathic tendencies.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2381221/Night-owls-self-involved-deceitful-psychopathic-early-morning-risers.html

Two Australian monks accused of sex abuse at Scottish Catholic boarding school

An investigation is underway into a retired Australian priest who is alleged to have sexually abused a student at a Scottish Catholic boarding school.

Father Denis Alexander has been identified in a BBC documentary as one of two Australian monks who allegedly abused pupils at Fort Augustus Abbey School in the Highlands.The Catholic Church in Australia has confirmed a police investigation into the former priest, who is now living in Sydney, is underway.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-30/australian-monks-accused-of-abuse-at-scottish-boarding-school/4851966

Michael Hastings: New Surveillance Video Shows Fiery Crash

Hastings, the Polk Award-winning author of The Operators, was killed when his Mercedes crashed into a palm tree on Highland, just south of Melrose, at about 4:15 a.m. He was 33.

The L.A. County coroner's office has delayed a final ruling on the death, pending toxicology tests.The crash has spawned theories online among those who believe that Hastings' high profile and confrontational approach to reporting made him a potential target for assassination.

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2013/07/michael_hastings_crash_video.php

Yes We Can: Obama Funding Syrian Rebels Beheading Christians, Using Child Soldiers

Remember when al-Qaeda members were the bad guys? Obama is now pushing massive funding for Syrian rebels who have not only been linked to al-Qaeda, but are gruesomely beheading innocent Christians and using 14-year-old child soldiers.  

http://www.infowars.com/yes-we-can-obama-funding-syrian-rebels-beheading-christians-using-child-soldiers/

China orders audit of government debt

Debt may threaten China's growth, and there are growing fears that local governments may not be able repay.

China has ordered a nationwide audit of all government debt, underlining fears that the recent slowdown in its economy may impact the financial sector.

Local governments in China borrowed heavily after the global financial crisis to try to sustain growth rates. Read Full Story: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23486466

SWAT teams new face of police agencies.. Moving Full steam ahead

While American armed forces may be limited in their ability to enforce the law, the act is essentially being circumvented by militarizing local enforcement, equipping it with some of the same equipment, training and tactics used in war zones.

Radley Balko raised the issue recently a Wall Street Journal article, “Rise of the Warrior Cop.” He says the trend is to erase the line between military and law enforcement.  

A key distinction between the U.S. and other nations, even relatively free nations, long has been American restrictions on domestic use of the military, for police actions, law enforcement and keeping things under control.

However, when the local police officer or sheriff’s deputy is equipped with night vision goggles, laser-scope rifles, electronic eavesdropping equipment and body armor and comes up a citizen’s driveway in a military-type personnel carrier with shielded windows and oversize wheels, the prohibitions seem to lose some of their teeth.

Http://mobile.wnd.com/2013/07/frightening-new-reason-to-fear-police/?cat_orig=us

Scientists stop light completely — Trapped inside crystal for 1 minute

(London Daily Mail) Scientists in Germany have succeeded in stopping light – the fastest thing in the universe – for a whole minute, smashing earlier records.

Researchers at Darmstadt Technical University achieved the remarkable feat by trapping it in a crystal.

In a paper published this month in the journal Physical Review Letters, the scientists explained how they stopped the light using a technique called electromagnetically induced transparency.

Read Full Story

Target bikie gang assets, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare urges

ASSET stripping of outlaw bikie gangs will help combat an escalating Sydney bikie war, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare has told an organised crime conference. 
 
Mr Clare told the Brisbane conference that he was concerned about the spate of shootings in Sydney, and the risk it posed to innocent civilians.

› www.theaustralian.com.au

Organised crime costs Australia $15b a year

Australia’s home affairs minister says organised crime is costing the nation $15 billion a year and is more pervasive, powerful and complex than ever.

The Australian Crime Commission’s biannual report on organised crime is being launched by Jason Clare in Brisbane on Tuesday.

The report suggests organised crime is now an unprecedented part of everyday life, fuelled in part by criminals embracing the digital age.

Jay-Z: 'My Presence Is Charity...Just Like Obama's'

In a newly-released interview with Rap Radar’s Elliott Wilson, rapper Jay-Z fired back at Harry Belafonte over Belafonte’s criticism that he, among other artists, had “turned [his] back on social responsibility.” Jay-Z responded, “I’m offended by that because first of all, and this is going to sound arrogant, but my presence is charity. Just who I am. Just like Obama’s is. Obama provides hope. Whether he does anything, the hope that he provides for a nation, and outside of America is enough.”

www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/

Weiner defiant as polls show him fading in New York mayor's race

Anthony Weiner remained defiant Monday in the face of a new poll showing that his hopes to become mayor of New York City appear to be fading quickly as the latest round of sexting scandals have taken hold among voters.

The former congressman — just two years removed from his resignation from the House of Representatives — vowed to "keep moving forward," in his bid to run the city, but the numbers increasingly are not in his favor.

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/29/19758464-weiner-defiant-as-polls-show-him-fading-in-new-york-mayors-race 

US: FBI rescues more than 100 children, arrests 150 pimps in sex-trafficking raid

The FBI launched a 72-hour nationwide operation targeting pimps who prey on children -- an undercover mission that rescued 105 teens ranging mostly in age from 13 to 17 years old, with the youngest victim being 9 years old, authorities said Monday.

Ronald Hosko, assistant director of the FBI's criminal division, said "Operation Cross-Country" -- launched Friday -- included sting operations in 76 U.S. cities that resulted in the arrests of 150 pimps.

Read more: www.foxnews.com

Russian Bloggers Cast Doubt on Putin's Fishy Tale

President Vladimir Putin's opponents on Monday gleefully sought to prove the Russian strongman had massively exaggerated the weight of a pike he caught on a recent fishing expedition to Siberia.

The Kremlin on Friday had announced that Putin managed to catch a 21 kilogramme (46 pound) pike while on a trip to the region of Tuva, providing television footage and pictures of the president stripped to the waist as he cast his line.

The images were clearly aimed at proving that Putin at the age of 60 is still comfortable in raw nature and has the physical energy to catch a huge fish and lead his nation in changing times.

› http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/07/29/Russian-bloggers-cast-doubt-on-Putins-fishy-tale

World's 'hottest' porn star gives life to God 'Thank you, Jesus! I found Him, I'm home!'




Chelsea Schilling

Once named by Maxim as one of the hottest porn stars in the world, Jenna Presley performed in more than 275 pornographic films, stripped for money, sold her body in prostitution, abused drugs and even tried to kill herself – but now the young brunette stunner says she has found her true calling in life.

“Thank you, Jesus! I found Him, I’m home!” she declared, announcing that she has become a born-again Christian.

Brittni Ruiz

Presley, 26, whose real name is Brittni Ruiz, said, “It’s been a long seven-year journey of porn, prostitution, stripping, drugs, alcohol and several failed suicide attempts.”

Ruiz, who struggled with anorexia in high school, was reportedly raped when she was 14 years old.

July 29, 2013

8 Arrested in Violence After Surfing Competition Huntington Beach California

Violent crowd raged through Huntington Beach on Sunday night after a surfing competition, clashing with police, toppling portable toilets, brawling in the streets and vandalizing and looting at least one business, according to police and witnesses.

http://m.nbclosangeles.com/nbclosangeles/pm_107879/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=Z2MPPRxt

Three Chinese factories making Apple products hires minors...

Three Chinese factories making Apple products impose excessive overtime and employ minors, a US-based advocacy group says, renewing scrutiny of labour practices by the US tech giant’s suppliers.

http://m.afr.com/p/world/apple_china_supplier_hires_minors_ErvCpbC5aLShvUYCXJhS7H

School teacher lectures Weiner over bad behavior

Boy, did she teach naughty boy Anthony Weiner a lesson!In a public spanking, retired public-school teacher Peg Brunda refused to shake Anthony Weiner’s hand after telling him his pervy behavior made him unfit to be mayor.“Had I conducted myself in the manner in which you conducted yourself, my job would have been gone,” the 30-year teaching veteran told Weiner during a visit to Superstorm Sandy-damaged homes on Staten Island.“In the privacy of your home?” asked Weiner defensively.

“In the privacy of my home . . . I don’t quite understand how you would feel you would have the moral authority as the head administrator in this city to oversee employees when your standard of conduct is so much lower than the standard of conduct that’s expected of us.”

http://m.nypost.com/p/news/local/teacher_paddles_bad_boy_anthony_W7fl2fCIA0qXxKvprlOlRM

YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT IKEA DID AFTER WOMAN REPORTEDLY VOMITED IN STORE THEN FELL ASLEEP ON DISPLAY BED

...Eyewitnesses said neither the IKEA sales staff nor other customers disturbed the woman.

“Customers simply didn’t come to try that bed,” one eyewitness told Walla.

The woman apparently was permitted to remain sleeping on the display bed and sheets until closing time Wednesday. At that time, a store security guard woke her, and she went on her way.

“I never saw anything like it,” another eyewitness told the Hebrew news site.

In a statement to Walla, IKEA said the woman “felt unwell when she arrived at the store, and our people therefore permitted her to rest until she felt better. We wish her the best of health.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/28/affordable-solution-for-better-living-you-wont-believe-what-ikea-did-after-woman-reportedly-vomited-in-store-then-fell-asleep-on-display-bed/

DRAMATIC sighting of a mystery figure in the Canadian wilderness, is it Bigfoot?

Video shot in Canada's remote mountains Is this mystery figure Bigfoot?

DRAMATIC sighting of a mystery figure in the wilderness has sparked fresh excitement among Bigfoot hunters.

Video shot in Canada's remote mountains shows a large, hulking creature apparently covered in thick, dark hair, lumbering around on a forested hilltop.Read more and see video: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/5038657/Bigfoot-found.html#ixzz2aR03ttwX http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/5038657/Bigfoot-found.html

Brisbane City Council to fund 'Gay Pride Festival' - Not your normal family event that you take children to

An online petition has been lodged calling on Brisbane City Council to dump plans to provide funding for the Pride Festival, planned for September in New Farm.

Excerpt.. Resident Mr Eyles said while he hadn't attended a festival in previous years, he had driven past one. "It's not your normal family event that you take children to; I don't believe in it on the grounds of a family unit, I think the family unit's made up of a man, wife and children," he said...

Full Story › www.couriermail.com.au

Oppose funding and supporting of gay and lesbian festival petition

epetitions.brisbane.qld.gov.au

Letzgo Hunting - The vigilante paedophile hunters: exposing sex predators by posing as underage girls online.

Police say they're recklessly jeopardising investigations. So who is right?

Letzgo Hunting is a vigilante organisation of mothers and fathers which uses the internet to hunt paedophiles. The group attracted headlines after it handed police dossiers of their contact with ten men, as well as videos of some men meeting a 'decoy' girl, apparently for sex, and others fleeing (above). It 'names and shames' the alleged paedophiles by posting the videos online. Journalist STEVE BIRD meets members of the group, and for the first time they reveal how they operate and what motivates them. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2380523/The-vigilante-paedophile-hunters-They-claim-good-citizens-exposing-sex-predators-posing-underage-girls-online-Police-say-theyre-recklessly-jeopardising-official-investigations-Whos-right.html

Violent fight with all players involved ends junior rugby league game, refs taking refuge..

VIOLENT brawl at Under-18 junior rugby league match sees all players involved, spectators rush the field and referee taking refuge in sheds.

http://m.couriermail.com.au/questnews/an-all-in-brawl-between-players-and-spectators-has-cast-a-shadow-over-junior-rugby-league/story-fni9r0hy-1226687465663

Twitter rolls out “report abuse” button after Man arrested over abuse sent to woman

Twitter is rolling out a “report abuse” button across the social media platform, after the woman who campaigned for Jane Austen to become the new face of the £10 note was bombarded with violent threats.

Caroline Criado-Perez, who last week won her campaign for women to be included on English banknotes, was subjected to a barrage of abusive tweets in response to her victory, including threats...

http://m.ft.com/cms/s/0/88474ff0-f76e-11e2-a618-00144feabdc0.html

4 in 5 in US face near-poverty, no work - America’s poor remains stuck at a record number: 46.2 million

Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream.

Survey data exclusive to The Associated Press points to an increasingly globalized U.S. economy, the widening gap between rich and poor, and the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs as reasons for the trend.

the count of America’s poor remains stuck at a record number: 46.2 million, or 15 percent of the population

http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-4-5-us-face-near-poverty-no-123506472.html

Movie 'WOLVERINE' - Boxoffice Whimp

Disappointment at the domestic box office even though it’s the biggest international opening for an X-Men film ever. Hugh Jackman. The Wolverine. ‘A-’ Cinema Score. No fresh competition.

http://m.deadline.com/2013/07/wolverine-23m-friday-61m-weekend/

Definitely not the right time to take a selfie! Picture taken on mobile phone leads to arrest of teenage girls over robberies

Police arrested the suspects in Halmstad, Sweden, and found a picture on a mobile phone of them posing together in balaclavas and brandishing a knife.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2380373/Selfie-mobile-phone-leads-arrest-teenage-girls-robberies.html

PM Kevin Rudd fails to earn Aussies trust

KEVIN Rudd has failed to convince Australians that he would be better placed than Tony Abbott to restore confidence to the country.

And he is yet to prove he would be better at managing the economy, with voters split on who they would most trust to run the nation's finances.

http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/national/prime-minister-kevin-rudd-fails-to-earn-voters-economic-trust-galaxy-poll-reveals/story-fnii5s41-1226687159136

Complicated call costs leave mobile phone addicted Gen Y broke and confused

THE biggest financial stress among young Australians is caused by their addiction to mobile phones.

Read More》 http://m.couriermail.com.au/business/complicated-call-costs-leave-mobile-phone-addicted-gen-y-broke-and-confused/story-fnihsps3-1226686863856#

New iphone app that sends a breakup text for you..

BreakUp Text is an app that does the dirty work for you. Because, well, why bother telling them 'you and me are over' yourself? Who needs the grief?

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/breakuptext/id674333306?ls=1&mt=8

July 28, 2013

Sunni Muslims kill 50+ in suicide bomb on Muslim Shi'ites Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The death toll from a pair of coordinated suicide bombs targeting Shi'ites in a volatile Pakistani town near the Afghan border rose to 52 overnight, officials said on Saturday, in one of the worst sectarian attacks in the country in months.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE96Q07920130727?irpc=932

Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu: 'I Would Refuse to Go to a Homophobic Heaven' and Choose Hell Instead

Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who in the 1980s was a prominent leader of the struggle to end South African apartheid, has made a strident spiritual statement in support of gay rights.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/27/desmond-tutu-i-would-refuse-to-go-to-a-homophobic-heaven-and-choose-hell-instead/

Drinking several cups of coffee daily appears to reduce risk of suicide by about 50 percent! Study

Researchers link caffeine’s impact on brain chemicals as playing key role

Drinking several cups of coffee daily appears to reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50 percent, according to a new study by researchers at theHarvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The study was published online July 2 in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/07/drinking-coffee-may-reduce-risk-of-suicide-by-50/

A Mysterious Hum Is Driving People Around The World Crazy

It creeps in slowly in the dark of night, and once inside, it almost never goes away. It's known as the Hum, a steady, droning sound that's heard in places as disparate as Taos, N.M.; Bristol, England; and Largs, Scotland.  

http://www.businessinsider.com/mysterious-hum-driving-people-crazy-2013-7?IR=T

Dangerous combo with permanent consequences - A few beers, a few mates and a tattoo gun bought on eBay. #Australia

Electricity lineman Jack McMahon has used his tattoo gun on himself about a dozen times - and does not intend to stop.

''You just get a few beers into you and have a go with it,'' the 22-year-old from North Richmond said.

He is one of the many young people buying tattoo guns on the internet and becoming tattooists.Dozens of online shopping websites are selling tattoo guns in Australia: eBay and MyShopping have more than 3000 listings for ''tattoo kit'', with bidding starting at $15.

http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/online-tattoo-guns-trigger-health-risks-20130727-2qr4t.html

July 27, 2013

Australian citizens calling for the Government to take a more transparent approach longstanding and secretive practices

Revelations about the scale of so called metadata mining by the United States through its controversial PRISM program have thrown the focus on Australia's role in the collection of and access to online data and the information collected by the US program in particular.

http://abc.net.au/news/2013-06-28/brissenden-data-practice/4786782

GLENN BECK’S EMOTIONAL MONOLOGUE ON THE HORRIFIC STORY HE SAYS IS BEING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FURTHER AN ‘AGENDA’

Glenn Beck confronted society’s morality on his television program Thursday evening, shocked and disgusted at the events of recent weeks.

He primarily focused on the horrific report of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedlygang raped by up to ten men in Austin, TX, before being sexually assaulted by another man after being dropped off with “nowhere to go.” Doctors said their findings were consistent with the allegations.

“Where is the outrage? Where’s Al Sharpton?” Beck said, pausing briefly with emotion. “Where’s Barack Obama? 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/25/glenn-becks-emotional-monologue-about-the-horrific-story-being-swept-under-the-rug-because-it-doesnt-further-an-agenda/

Kiwi Hacker Barnaby Jack has died in San Francisco

Barnaby Jack, a computer-security professional with a showman's flair for demonstrating technical weaknesses in ATMs and medical devices, has died. He was 35.

http://m.smh.com.au/it-pro/security-it/legendary-hacker-barnaby-jack-dies-20130727-hv16p.html

US National Debt Stacked in Dollar Bills Would Stretch from Earth to Moon Five Times

The U.S. national debt would reach 1.1 million miles into space if stacked in one dollar bills.According to the latest available data from the U.S. Treasury, the total public debt outstanding is $16,738,105,803,858.21.

http://www.cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/gregory-gwyn-williams-jr/national-debt-stacked-dollar-bills-would-stretch-earth-moon-five

Weedkillers tied to depression in farmers...

Farmers who used weedkillers were more than twice as likely to be treated for depression than farmers who didn't use the chemicals in a new study from France. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/weedkillers-tied-depression-farmers-193011410.html

Wayne Cooper: "I can't stand the girls in short, nasty little outfits... Dress under your bum, you're not going to win"

WITH the Myer Fashions on the Field Queensland State Final next Saturday, judge Wayne Cooper has put local hopefuls on notice.

The straight-talking fashion designer said he'll be keeping a sharp eye out for trashy hemlines and tandoori tans when the national competition hits the Gold Coast Turf Club on Griffith University Student Day.

"If your dress is just under your bum, you're not going to win, no matter how sexy you are. Cooper

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/07/27/455323_gold-coast-news.html

$100 just to fill up the tank in SE Queensland

FOR the first time in southeast Queensland, motorists in family cars are facing a $100 bill to fill up the family car as a result of record petrol prices.The jump from $1.50 for a litre of unleaded to more than $1.65 has added more than $10 to the cost of filling a 70-litre car with fuel.

http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/record-petrol-prices-seeing-motorists-paying-up-to-10-more-to-fill-up-70litre-car/story-fnihsrf2-1226686521434

Obama Celebrates Ramadan: 'Islam has Contributed to Character of Country'...

"Throughout our history, Islam has contributed to the character of our country, and Muslim-Americans, and their good works, have helped to build our nation - and we've seen the results.

We've seen those results in generations of Muslim immigrants - farmers and factory workers, helping to lay the railroads and build our cities," President Obama said at a dinner celebrating Ramadan on Thursday at the White House. This is the fifth such dinner that President Obama has hosted.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/07/26/obama_celebrates_ramadan_islam_has_contributed_to_the_character_of_our_country.html

July 26, 2013

DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 15 IN INDONESIA BOAT SINKING

The death toll from an overcrowded asylum seeker boat carrying more than 200 people that sank off Indonesia's coast has climbed to 15 after four more bodies were recovered, a rescuer said Friday

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDONESIA_BOAT_SINKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-07-26-07-05-20

MIT Neuroscientists Successfully Plant False Memories In The Brain

MIT neuroscientists have shown that they can plant false memories in the brains of mice.

They also found that many of the neurological traces of these memories are identical in nature to ...

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/neuroscientists-plant-false-memories-in-the-brain-0725.html

Report: Two Americans Enrolled In Food Stamps For Every Job Obama 'Created

'The White House has been touting the success of its economic agenda recently, claiming to have created 7.2 million jobs. But a look at the growing rolls of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shows that for every job the administration says it created, two Americans have been added to the food stamp rolls.  

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/24/Report-Obama-Has-Added-2-Americans-to-Food-Stamp-Rolls-For-Every-Job-Created

We're No.1 ... At Online Shopping. Global Survey Issues blow for Australian retailers.

Australians are the developed world's most frequent online shoppers at international retailers, a global survey has found.

The shift towards online shopping in Australia came as more Australians chose to save rather than spend, the annual global survey of almost 30,000 consumers by the Boston Consulting Group found.

http://m.smh.com.au/business/australian-online-shoppers-go-global-20130726-2qoll.html

France: Warning To Tourists After Pack Of Cats Launch Attack On woman...

Visitors to one of France’s most beautiful tourist areas were today warned to be on their guard after a pack of feral cats launched an attack on a young woman.

About six cats pounced on the unnamed dog owner as she walked her poodle in the city of Belfort, in the popular Franche-Comte region, on the Swiss border, dragging her to the ground and mauling her.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/10201769/Warning-to-tourists-in-France-after-attack-by-feral-cats.html

Anti-Semitic Pig Balloon with Star Of David at Roger Waters Concert

Pig-shaped balloon with Star of David alongside fascist symbols released during British musician's concert in Belgium. ‘I really love his music,’ says Israeli viewer, 'but this time he crossed the line’

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4409388,00.html

July 25, 2013

AUSSIE Dollar nears five-year-low against Kiwi

AUD was trading at 91.62 US cents late Thursday.

http://m.smh.com.au/business/markets/currencies/australian-dollar-nears-fiveyearlow-against-kiwi-20130725-2qmv5.html

'MILLIONS WILL DIE' without a carbon tax to fix global warming, says a New Jersey U.S. Senate candidate in hysterical online campaign ad

Climate change is real, and humans are to blame,' warns New Jersey Democratic Rep. Rush Holt in a 90-second YouTube campaign ad released Monday.

And without a carbon tax, he warns in a shorter 15-second ad, 'millions will die.'Holt is running in an August Democratic primary, leading up to a U.S. Senate special election ordered by Gov. Chris Christie following the June death of long-time Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2376971/MILLIONS-WILL-DIE-carbon-tax-fix-global-warming-says-New-Jersey-U-S-Senate-candidate-online-campaign-ad.html

Gold Coast Light Rail Passenger Predictions Down, Almost By Half

IN a major blow for the light rail new figures less than half the number of passengers are expected to use the transport service than originally predicted.

Forecasts have been revised down from 45,000 trips a day to just 20,000 trips a day

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/07/25/455261_gold-coast-news.html

Willow Smith's Summer Fling track blasted as 'inappropriate' for a 12-year-old

She's just 12-years-old. But in her new track Willow Smith is heard singing about a rather grown up love affair - leading fans to brand Summer Fling 'inapporiate'.

'It's just a couple months but we do it anyway', sings precocious Willow.

Despite her tender age Willow has already signed a lucrative record deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation record label...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2359183/Willow-Smiths-Summer-Fling-video-stirs-twitter-controversy-age-appropriate-12-year-old-girl.html

Victoria Police: Possibly More Than 300 Conned In Low Tech Gumtree Scam

The scam involves a man contacting people who have posted 'wanted' advertisements on the Gumtree website.

The man claims to have the item the victim is searching for.

A price and terms are negotiated and the offender forwards personal banking details.

The man then asks where the buyer lives and claims to live nearby, but is reportedly unable to drop the goods off in person because of interstate work. But once the victim has transferred money to the man's account the offender severs all contact.

Information from the victims has led investigators to believe the scam may have been committed more than 300 times.

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/hundreds-conned-in-gumtree-scam-20130725-2qk7m.html

REVIEW: Liberal media love new Jesus book 'Zealot', fail to mention author is Muslim... #anotherjesus #anothergod

Reza Aslan, author of the new book, “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth” has been interviewed on a host of media outlets in the last week.

Riding a publicity wave, the book has surged to #2 on Amazon's list.

Media reports have introduced Aslan as a “religion scholar” but have failed to mention that he is a devout Muslim.His book is not a historian’s report on Jesus. It is an educated Muslim’s opinion about Jesus -- yet the book is being peddled as objective history on national TV and radio.“Zealot” is a fast-paced demolition of the core beliefs that Christianity has taught about Jesus for 2,000 years.Aslan is not a trained historian. Like tens of thousands of us he has been formally educated in theology and New Testament Greek.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/07/22/liberal-media-love-new-jesus-book-zealot-fail-to-mention-author-is-muslim/#ixzz2Zzvlrp3z
A different God, a different Jesus

July 24, 2013

ASYLUM SEEKER BOAT AUSTRALIA BOUND SINKS OFF INDONESIA; 9 DEAD

BANDUNG, Indonesia (AP) -- Rescuers were searching Wednesday for several asylum seekers still believed missing a day after their boat sank in Indonesian waters on the way to Australia. Nearly 190 survivors were brought to safety and nine bodies were recovered.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_INDONESIA_BOAT_SINKS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-07-24-08-16-33

Australia: Tattoo Regret Becomes The Latest Trend

A drunken night out in Sydney's Kings Cross left Rachel Vance with a tattoo on her arm - two tiny stars and a spade. The experience cost her $100 and she regretted it instantly.

Louise Smith got five tattoos at different stages throughout her twenties. One was a butterfly, another commemorated a friend's death and the rest just seemed like a good idea at the time. Until now.

Both women are part of an emerging trend where people are paying upwards of $100 a pop per session of laser treatment to remove tattoos. Oh, and apparently it hurts like hell.

http://mobile.news.com.au/lifestyle/tattoo-regret-becomes-the-latest-trend/story-fneszs56-1226684253823

Earth, as seen from 900 million miles away (with new photos)

Need a little perspective in your life? Take a look at these images of Earth as seen from almost 900 million miles away.In these new images released by NASA, our planet is dwarfed by Saturn's breathtaking rings, and shows up as just a pale blue dot -- a tiny asterisk beneath Saturn's striking beauty.

Earth, from Saturn

Earth appears as a pale blue speck beneath Saturn's rings in this image taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on July 19.
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-76757898/

Instagram is even more depressing than Facebook

It's a truism that Facebook is the many-headed frenemy, the great underminer. We know this because science tells us so.The Human-Computer Institute atCarnegie Mellon has found that your "passive consumption" of your friends' feeds and your own "broadcasts to wider audiences" on Facebook correlate with feelings of loneliness and even depression.Earlier this year, two German universities showed that "passive following" on Facebook triggers states of envy and resentment in many users, with vacation photos standing out as a prime trigger.

http://m.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/instagram-is-even-more-depressing-than-facebook-20130724-2qink.html

NSA Says It Can't Search Its Own Emails... Doesn’t have the technology.. #serously?

The NSA is a "supercomputing powerhouse" with machines so powerful their speed is measured in thousands of trillions of operations per second.

The agency turns its giant machine brains to the task of sifting through unimaginably large troves of data its surveillance programs capture. 

But ask the NSA, as part of a freedom of information request, to do a seemingly simple search of its own employees' email? The agency says it doesn’t have the technology.

http://www.propublica.org/article/nsa-says-it-cant-search-own-emails

NY mayoral candidate 'Carlos Danger' demanded woman delete messages in sex chats; Promised her job, condo in Chicago...

New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, who resigned from Congress in 2011 after a sexting scandal, admitted Tuesday that his Internet shenanigans didn’t stop when he stepped down in disgrace.

Hours after a gossip website published raunchy texts and explicit photos it said were from 2012, Weiner held an extraordinary press conference — accompanied by his wife Huma Abedin, an aide to Hillary Clinton — to apologize and ask voters for a second chance.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/23/19640828-anthony-weiner-admits-sexting-continued-after-2011-resignation-from-congress?lite

Weiner Explicit' new sex messages, bathroom pic...Sent graphic smut months after resigning from Congress in shame...

Went by 'Carlos Danger' in sex chats...Demanded woman delete messages; Promised her job, condo in Chicago...

Anthony Weiner's campaign did not respond Tuesday to repeated inquiries about a new set of unverified images suggesting that he exchanged sexually charged messages — and an explicit image — with a woman last summer.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/no-comment-from-weiner-camp-on-new-alleged-sex-chats?s=mobile

Paper: Has global warming stopped? No - it’s just on pause...

Huge amounts of heat – equivalent to the power of 150 billion electric kettles – are being continuously absorbed by the deep ocean, which could explain why global warming has “paused” over the past 10 to 15 years, scientists have concluded in a series of reports to explain why the Earth’s rate of warming has slowed down.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/has-global-warming-stopped-no--its-just-on-pause-insist-scientists-and-its-down-to-the-oceans-8726893.html

Outrage in Brazil, Home of the $30 Cheese Pizza..

Shoppers here with a notion of what items cost abroad need to brace themselves when buying a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone: the same model that costs $615 in the United States is nearly double that in Brazil.

An even bigger shock awaits parents needing a crib: the cheapest one at Tok & Stok costs over $440, more than six times the price of a similarly made item at Ikea in the United States.For Brazilians seething with resentment over wasteful spending by the country’s political elite, the high prices they must pay for just about everything — a large cheese pizza can cost almost $30 — only fuel their ire.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/world/americas/prices-fuel-outrage-in-brazil-home-of-the-30-cheese-pizza.html?hp=&

July 23, 2013

Want to Google the 'halal' way?

Putting the “beep” in all that’s un-Islamic, a new online search engine is providing a Muslim alternative to surfing the web.Blocking web content deemed “haram,” or forbidden in Islam, the Halalgoogling site has its own custom filters.

Dubbed the “Haram Filtering System,” it claims to block content based on general category filtering and forbidden sites on a “black list.”It also sifts through links and a list of “haram keywords,” which cannot be used to search on the website.

Read more at http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2013/07/21/Want-to-Google-the-halal-way-There-s-a-site-for-that.html

A Flock Of Seagulls’ Van, Musical Equipment Stolen

A van filled with musical equipment belonging to the ’80s rock band A Flock of Seagulls was stolen at a hotel in Downey early Sunday morning.The band—best known for the 1982 hit “I Ran (So Far Away)”— parked their vehicle in the parking lot of Comfort Inn around 1:45 a.m. after they got back from a show in Bellflower. When they woke up that morning, the vehicle was gone....

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/07/22/a-flock-of-seagulls-van-musical-equipment-taken-in-downey/

OBAMA 'PUSHED BOYCOTT OF JERUSALEM,BIBLICAL TERRITORIES'

Israeli diplomats warn of crisis over controversial EU move

A European Union boycott of financial dealings with Jews in the biblical West Bank, Golan Heights and eastern Jerusalem was fully coordinated with the Obama administration, a senior Palestinian negotiator told WND.

“Without the U.S. support, the EU wouldn’t have taken such measures,” the negotiator said.

On Friday, the EU published guidelines forbidding its 28 members from having any financial dealings with what it calls Jewish settlements or territories that have been “occupied” by Israel since 1967.

The preface to the guidelines states “the EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over … the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem … and does not consider them to be part of Israel’s territory, irrespective of their legal status under domestic law.”

“Only Israeli entities having their place of establishment within Israel’s pre-1967 borders will be considered eligible as final recipients” of funding such as “grants, prizes and financial instruments.”

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/07/obama-pushed-boycott-of-jerusalem-biblical-territories/#Z0Ju5KDf8fXOH3FR.99

Here's One Really Good Reason to Stop Skipping Breakfast

Another reason to eat breakfast: Skipping it may increase your chances of a heart attack.

A study of older men found those who regularly skipped breakfast had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack than those who ate a morning meal. There’s no reason why the results wouldn’t apply to other people, too, the Harvard researchers said.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/22/heres-one-really-good-reason-to-stop-skipping-breakfast/

Security Nightmare: Wrong turn sends Pope Francis into the thick of a frenzied Rio crowd

It was a nightmare for security officials, but for the clearly delighted pope just another opportunity to connect.Ecstatic throngs forced his motorcade to repeatedly come to a standstill, weeks after violent protests against the government paralyzed parts of Brazil.

Francis' driver had turned into the wrong side of a boulevard at one point, missing lanes that had been cleared.

http://news.yahoo.com/brazilian-crowds-delight-pope-frustrate-security-004538538.html

Homemade Bomb Found Near Pope Francis's Scheduled Visit Site in Brazil

A homemade bomb has been found near a popular Brazilian shrine ahead of Pope Francis's visit.The explosive was discovered in a lavatory inside the National Sanctuary of Aparecida, which is located between Rio de Janerio and Sao Paolo. http://m.ibtimes.co.uk/pope-francis-brazil-visit-bomb-rio-protests-493584.html

Gold Coast Mansion cost $21m, sells for $5m

ONE of the biggest homes on the Gold Coast has sold for less than a quarter of what it cost to buy the land and build.The huge unfinished house on the elite Sovereign Islands was put on the market by mortgagee, ANZ Bank after court action in Australia and Singapore to evict owner Clare Marks and husband Scott Tyne. http://mobile.news.com.au/realestate/selling/gold-coast-home-cost-2144m-sells-for-53m/story-fndbawks-1226683700784

Hundreds of detainees escape Abu Ghraib after Al Qaeda launches military assault to free them

The deadly raid on the high-security jail happened as Sunni Muslim militants are gaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government that came to power after the U.S. invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE96L0RM20130722?irpc=932

Penny Wong "Where's my car?" "What’s taking him so long?".. "ridiculous."

A VISIBLY angry and frustrated Finance Minister Penny Wong emerged from caucus yesterday demanding to know "Where's my car?"

She turned to a government staffer, peppering him with questions before borrowing his phone to call a car. "What’s taking him so long?" she demanded after asking where the car was. During a fewer than two minute wait for her car, a clearly exasperated Ms Wong described the situation as "ridiculous."....

› www.couriermail.com.au

George Zimmerman Emerges From Hiding, Rescues Victims Trapped In Overturned Truck


George Zimmerman Emerged From Hiding for Truck Crash Rescue
George Zimmerman, defendant in the killing of Trayvon Martin, is sworn in as a witness in Seminole circuit court for a pre-trial hearing April 30, 2013 in Sanford, Fla.

George Zimmerman, who has been in hiding since he was acquitted of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, emerged to help rescue a family who was trapped in an overturned vehicle, police said today.

› abcnews.go.com

Pope Criminalizes the Reporting of Sex Crimes

According to the new laws, revealing or receiving confidential Vatican information is now punishable by up to two years in prison, while newly defined sex crimes against children carry a sentence of up to twelve years. Because all sex crimes are kept confidential, there is no longer a legal way for Vatican officials to report sex crimes.  

http://www.newslo.com/pope-criminalizes-the-reporting-of-sex-crimes/

July 22, 2013

Gold Coast Weather Forecast July 22 — 29th 2013

Gold Coast Week Forecast July 22 2013

Forecast for the rest of Monday

Cloudy with a little light rain. Light mostly southwesterly winds.

Forecast for Tuesday Tomorrow

Cloudy, with a little patchy light rain, clearing during the morning. Light to moderate southwesterly wind, Light rain, clearing.
Min 11
Max 19

Wednesday

Fine, mostly sunny.
Min 9
Max 19
 

Thursday

A shower or two.
Min 12
Max 20

Friday

A shower or two.
Min 13
Max 21

Saturday

Mostly fine, possible shower.
Min 13
Max 21

Sunday

Mostly fine, possible shower.
Min 14
Max 21

Monday

Mostly fine, possible shower.
Min 13
Max 21

Australian readers say 50 Shades of Grey is their most hated book

Ten books were listed in ten different categories, ranging from general fiction to humour. Our reviewers included EL James' 50 Shades of Grey on the love list, conceding that it was "no literary masterpiece", but it was a "must-read, if only to see what all the fuss is about".
 
BUT Readers disagreed, with more saying they hated it than any other book on the list.
The second most hated book on the list, also contained in the love category and also a publishing sensation, was Stephanie Meyers' breakthrough vampire novel, Twilight.

Read more: www.news.com.au

Scientists discover 'misery molecule' which affects stress, anxiety depression #CRF1

Scientists have found the brain's 'misery molecule' believed to be responsible for all of our feelings of stress and anxiety.  

Researchers believe that the protein - named CRF1 - could also be linked to depression. 

A team from Heptares Therapeutics, a medical company based in Hertfordshire, used one of the world's most powerful x-ray machines to study the brain's pituitary gland. 

It has long been known that the gland controls stress, depression and anxiety by releasing stress chemicals, the Sunday Times reports. 

Now, scientists have discovered the response is triggered by CRF1 - which is found in the outer membranes of pituitary cells.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk

July 21, 2013

WOMAN SENTENCED TO 16 MONTHS IN JAIL FOR HAVING SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE – EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS RAPED #Dubai #Islam

A Norwegian woman sentenced to 16 months in jail in Dubai for having sex outside marriage after she reported an alleged rape said Friday she decided to speak out in hopes of drawing attention to the risks of outsiders misunderstanding the Islamic-influenced legal codes in this cosmopolitan city.

The case has drawn outrage from rights groups and others in the West since the 24-year-old interior designer was sentenced Wednesday. It also highlights the increasingly frequent tensions between the United Arab Emirates’ international atmosphere and its legal system, which is strongly influenced by Islamic traditions in a nation where foreign workers and visitors greatly outnumber locals.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/19/woman-sentenced-to-16-months-in-jail-for-having-sex-outside-marriage-even-though-she-was-raped/

Australia: #Hendra virus crosses from horses to dog #NSW

AUTHORITIES are calling for more horses to be vaccinated against the deadly Hendra virus, with the first dog in NSW to be infected put down.The incident follows the Hendra death of a horse from the same property on the mid-north coast near Macksville on July 4.

Full Story

John Kerry's 'peace' plan: Free Hardcore terrorists from prison

Israel has agreed to release some "hardcore" Palestinian prisoners as part of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to restart Mideast peace talks, but it will not meet other longstanding Palestinian demands before negotiations resume, an Israeli official said Saturday.

Read Full Story

GIANT virus found in an Australian Pond that's so unusual it may have come from Mars

The virus has been spotted off the coast of Chile and in an Australian pond

Only six per cent of its genes resemble those seen before on Earth

Scientists have found a new virus thought to be the biggest ever seen on Earth. The virus, dubbed Pandoravirus, is one micrometre big - up to ten times the size of other viruses - and only six per cent of its genes resemble anything seen on Earth before. 

This has led French researchers to believe the virus may have come from an ancient time or even another planet, such as Mars.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2370100/Scientists-GIANT-Pandoravirus-come-alien-planet.html

KRAUTHAMMER: OBAMA ‘RE-RACIALIZED’ ZIMMERMAN CASE WITH HIS COMMENTS

Krauthammer called Obama’s surprise remarks on race and Martin’s death “a political speech addressed to his constituency on the left” that was disguised as a “philosophical speech addressed to the whole nation.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/20/krauthammer-obama-re-racialized-zimmerman-case-with-his-comments/

Under the sway of social media.. #Narcissism

When even Kevin Rudd posts selfies on Instagram, principal of the Ascham girls school Helen Wright said it was understandable young people thought that was expected of them. "They are copying so much of what they see around them [but] if people are always looking at themselves through the eyes of others, it's going to lead to a situation where they value themselves less," she said...

Read full story

July 20, 2013

GIANT VIRUSES OPEN PANDORA'S BOX

Genome of largest examples yet discovered hints at '4th domain' of life

The organism was initially called NLF, for “new life form”. Jean-Michel Claverie and Chantal Abergel, evolutionary biologists at Aix-Marseille University in France, found it in a water sample collected off the coast of Chile, where it seemed to be infecting and killing amoebae.

Under a microscope, it appeared as a large, dark spot, about the size of a small bacterial cell.Later, after the researchers discovered a similar organism in a pond in Australia, they realized that both are viruses — the largest yet found. Each is around 1 micrometre long and 0.5 micrometres across, and their respective genomes top out at 1.9 million and 2.5 million bases — making the viruses larger than many bacteria and even some eukaryotic cells.But these viruses, described today in Science1, are more than mere record-breakers — they also hint at unknown parts of the tree of life. Just 7% of their genes match those in existing databases.

Read the full story http://www.nature.com/news/giant-viruses-open-pandora-s-box-1.13410

Satanists Claim 'Pink Mass' has turned Westboro founder's dead mom into a lesbian

A group of satanists say they’ve given the controversial Westboro Baptist Church a taste of its own medicine, performing a same-sex ritual at the grave of the mother of the church’s founder.

Members of the Satanist Temple performed on Sunday what its spokesman describes as a “pink mass” an admittedly made-up ritual, celebrating gay love, at the grave in Meridian, Miss.Spokesman Lucien Greaves doffed a headdress made of horns as two male couples, and a female couple recited scripture, lit candles and made out over the grave.Members then posthumously declared Catherine Johnston, the mother of Westboro’s founder Fred Phelps, a lesbian.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/07/satanists-perform-gay-ritual-at-westboro-gravesite/

'Gay' laws set stage for pedophilia 'rights'

Psychologist claims 'minor-attracted persons' normal as heterosexuals

As legislators and other government officials promote “gay” friendly laws, they are unwittingly laying the foundation for special protections for pedophiles, including the right to work with children, family advocates warn.

Linda Harvey of Mission America said the push for equal rights for pedophiles will become more common as LGBT groups continue to assert themselves. “It’s all part of a plan to introduce sex to children at younger and younger ages to convince them that normal friendship is actually a sexual attraction,” she said.

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality from its list of mental disorders after intense lobbying by homosexual-rights groups.At the time of the delisting, critics warned that it would eventually lead to acceptance of other types of sexual deviancy, including pedophilia. Supporters of the “gay” lifestyle decried the comparison, insisting that no such thing would ever occur.

However, it appears the critics were right on the mark.

In 2003, a group of mental health professionals formed B4U-Act to begin a slow but inexorable push to redefine pedophilia as a sexual orientation in the same way homosexuality was in the 1970s.

The organization calls pedophiles “minor attracted people,” and the website states its purpose is to “help mental health professionals learn more about attraction to minors and to consider the effects of stereotyping, stigma, and fear.

Read Full Story At WND

OBAMA: 'TRAYVON COULD'VE BEEN ME 35 YEARS AGO'

President says 'Stand Your Ground' might have encouraged confrontation

Full Text: President Obama's Remarks on Trayvon Martin

Obama's comments Friday were the most he has spoken on race in America as president, and the most in-depth and personal since his remarks in Philadelphia during the 2008 campaign.

Those remarks were largely pegged to the controversy surrounding Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright

http://mobile.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/president-obama-trayvon-martin-could-ve-been-me-35-years-ago-20130719

UK: School’s out, say teachers, if it’s over 26C

Union leaders have called for a maximum legal temperature limit of 78F (26C) to be introduced, which would allow staff and children to be sent home. Children should be sent home if the temperature in a classroom rises above 78F (26C), teachers’ leaders say.

The recommendation came as the mercury is expected to hit 95F (35C) next week when many pupils will still be at school.The teachers claim that youngsters can become lethargic, unable to concentrate and even faint if it gets too hot. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/10192058/Schools-out-say-teachers-if-its-over-78F.html

Jay-Z’s ‘Magna Carta’ mobile app is too snoopy, privacy advocates complain

Why does Jay-Z want to know who we’re talking to?

Because that’s the type of information demanded by an app he released earlier this month to promote and distribute his latest album over Samsung devices.In fact, the galaxy of permissions required by this busybody little app “verges on parody,” the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said in a complaint it filed this week with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

"If Jay-Z wants to know about my phone calls and e-mail accounts, why doesn't he join the National Security Agency?"

More

July 19, 2013

Policeman 'held hostage' on Nauru

The Nauru detention centre descended into chaos on Friday night with riots breaking out and reports a policeman had been stabbed and was being held hostage.There were also reports of multiple explosions and parts of the centre being set on fire.

http://m.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/policeman-held-hostage-as-rioting-breaks-out-on-nauru-20130719-2qa7n.html

Are professional video-gamers really the sportsmen of the future?

At a packed Seoul arena, the atmosphere is electric. More than 30,000 fans are glued to the stage's vast video screen. On a speedboat racing down the city's Han River, their champion arrives. Known as "BoxeR", he is 27, wildly rich, and a national hero.

http://m.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/joystick-jocks-20130718-2q75b.html

Charles Barkley: 'I Agree With Verdict'...'A lot of black people are racist too'

CHARLES BARKLEY: Well, I agreed with the verdict. I feel sorry that young kid got killed. But they didn't have enough evidence to charge him. Something clearly went wrong that night.

Clearly something went wrong. I feel bad for anybody who loses a kid, but if you looked at the case and you don't make it -- there was some racial profiling, no question about it. But something happened that changed the dynamic of that night, and I know -- that's probably not a popular opinion among most people but just looking at the evidence I agreed with the verdict.

Full Story

"I Refused To Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" - Barack Obama, October 2012

Just nine short months afterproclaiming victory on his plan to save Detroit by throwing taxpayer money at the 'problem' of over-levered, over-unioned, and under-demanded auto manufacturers, it seems the ball is back in President Obama's court once again.

http://m.cbsnews.com/storysynopsis.rbml?pageType=politics&url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57531867/obama-i-refused-to-let-detroit-go-bankrupt/&catid=57531867

Ivy League professor calls God a 'racist' after Zimmerman verdict

An Ivy League professor blogged after George Zimmerman was found not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin that the verdict shows God is a “white racist” who stalks “young black men.”

“God ain’t good all of the time. In fact, sometimes, God is not for us,” she wrote in the post. “As a black woman in an [sic] nation that has taken too many pains to remind me that I am not a white man, and am not capable of taking care of my reproductive rights, or my voting rights, I know that this American god ain’t my god.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/16/upenn-professor-goes-on-blog-rant-over-zimmerman-verdict-claims-god-is-white/

A MAN has escaped a terrifying home invasion on the Gold Coast overnight.

Man stabbed during terrifying home invasion at Nerang, Gold Coast

Gold Coast Bulletin

5.3 magnitude quake strikes near Blenheim on the tip of New Zealand's south island

No reports of damage or injury

NEW Zealand's south island has been rocked by another earthquake with tremors felt as far south as Christchurch.

The 5.3 magnitude quake struck near 34km east of Blenheim near the northern tip of the south island, the US Geological Survey reported.

http://mobile.news.com.au/world-news/magnitude-quake-strikes-near-blenheim-on-the-tip-of-new-zealands-south-island/story-fndir2ev-1226681752991

TRAYVON ‘PROTESTERS’ SMACK Houston Grandmother – Won’t Let Family Take Child to Hospital

Trayvon protesters beat on cars during a rally in Houston this week.The ‘protesters’ beat on a car, beat a grandmother and wouldn’t let a local family take their child to a hospital.

http://m.click2houston.com/news/local-familys-emergency-trip-to-hospital-interrupted-by-protestors/-/16714936/21009282/-/yfu3jvz/-/index.html

Vatican Offers 'Time Off Purgatory' To Followers Of Pope Francis Tweets..

In its latest attempt to keep up with the times the Vatican has married one of its oldest traditions to the world of social media by offering "indulgences" to followers of Pope Francis' tweets.

The church's granted indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.The remissions got a bad name in the Middle Ages because unscrupulous churchmen sold them for large sums of money.

But now indulgences are being applied to the 21st century.But a senior Vatican official warned web-surfing Catholics that indulgences still required a dose of old-fashioned faith, and that paradise was not just a few mouse clicks away."You can't obtain indulgences like getting a coffee from a vending machine," Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the pontifical council for social communication, told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Indulgences these days are granted to those who carry out certain tasks – such as climbing the Sacred Steps, in Rome (reportedly brought from Pontius Pilate's house after Jesus scaled them before his crucifixion), a feat that earns believers seven years off purgatory.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/16/vatican-indulgences-pope-francis-tweets

TWITTER Explodes With Racial Epithets Towards talkhost Larry Elder

Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder had a heated exchange Wednesday with CNN's Piers Morgan concerning the George Zimmerman trial and prosecution witness Rachel Jeantel.

Liberals on Twitter went absolutely nuts during and after the exchange throwing a barrage of vulgarity laden racial epithets at Elder (serious vulgarity warning)....

More》 http://m.newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2013/07/18/twitter-explodes-racial-epithets-towards-larry-elder-coon-house-n-ger#ixzz2ZPcusap7

July 18, 2013

Woman faces charges after attempting to evade police in Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise

A POLICE officer was taken to Gold Coast Hospital last night after he was hit by a car in Surfers Paradise while chasing a woman who had abandoned her vehicle after stingers were deployed to stop her. 

He was treated for cuts to his leg and pain in his shoulder and has since been released from hospital.

The 20-year-old Victoria Point woman will face dangerous driving charges after she attempted to evade police in Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise.

Police deployed stingers on Ferny Avenue in Surfers Paradise about 11.30pm. She was arrested a short distance from the vehicle.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/07/18/454837_gold-coast-news.html

Obama Federal Government Now Tracking Movement Of All US Motor Vehicles

Because the city keeps records for five years, the ACLU estimates that it has some 10 million on file, making it possible for police to plot the movements of most residents depending upon the number and location of the scanners

Using automated scanners, law enforcement agencies across the United States have amassed millions of digital records on the location and movement of every vehicle with a license plate, according to a study published Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union. Affixed to police cars, bridges or buildings, the scanners capture images of passing or parked vehicles and note their location, uploading that information into police databases. Departments keep the records for weeks or years, sometimes indefinitely.

As the technology becomes cheaper and more ubiquitous, and federal grants focus on aiding local terrorist detection, even small police agencies are able to deploy more sophisticated surveillance systems.

While the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that a judge’s approval is needed to track a car with GPS, networks of plate scanners allow police effectively to track a driver’s location, sometimes several times every day, with few legal restrictions.

The ACLU says the scanners assemble what it calls a “single, high-resolution image of our lives.”

http://news.yahoo.com/driving-somewhere-theres-govt-record-140052644.html

Larry Elder Goes Off on Piers Morgan During Explosive Race Debate

Larry Elder: ‘You’re Making Black People Feel as if They Are Under Siege…It’s an Outrage!’

CNN host Piers Morgan on Wednesday made good on his offer to have conservative personality Larry Elder on his show to debate the George Zimmerman trial, Rachel Jeantel and race relations in the United States. The exchange was just as confrontational and explosive as you might expect.

Elder told Morgan that his interview with Zimmerman trial witness Rachel Jeantel was terrible as he “condescendingly” tried to convince her that she was a “victim.”

“This is a young lady who didn’t apply herself, a 19 year old who is still in high school. Instead of saying, ‘Young lady, take this as an opportunity to take stock of your life,’ you treated her like she was a victim. And that’s how you’re doing this whole thing about race and racism,” Elder said.

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Man assaulted, stripped naked for 'ridiculing Ramadan'

Eight men assaulted and stripped a cybercafe worker naked yesterday, for allegedly making controversial views on social websites, ridiculing the month of Ramadan.The 24-year-old victim was also alleged to have supported the action of controversial sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivien Lee's Facebook posting which showed the couple associating 'bak kut teh' with the holy month.Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said initial investigations revealed the man, from Shah Alam, Selangor was set upon by the assailants, allegedly over his insensitive statement. http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=963788

Woman completes 366 marathons in 365 days

Annette Fredskov is all smiles as she crosses the finish line of her second marathon yesterday.

For most of us, running a marathon would be a remarkable achievement. But for 41-year-old Annette Fredskov of Næstved, it's just another day. 

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Devout Catholics Have Better Sex, Family Research Council Says

Devout, married Catholics have the best sex of any demographic group, the Family Research Council said at an event Wednesday, pointing to a collection of studies from the last several decades.The socially conservative Christian group relied heavily on statistics from the University of Chicago's last National Health and Social Life Survey, conducted in 1992, which found the most enjoyable and most frequent sex occurring among married people, those who attended church weekly – any church, whether Catholic or not – and people who had the least sexual partners.

"Those who worship God weekly have the best sex," said Patrick Fagan, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council and a former George H.W. Bush official, in a talk hosted with the Center for the Advancement of Catholic Higher Education Wednesday. "I want to see this on the cover of Playboy sometime."

http://mobile.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/07/17/devout-catholics-have-better-sex

'They Fly in Town, They Get Shot Down': Colorado Town Considers Drone-Hunting Licenses and Rewards

The next potential target for hunters in one Colorado town might be flying with or above the birds — well above the birds.

Leaders in the town of Deer Trail, which has a population around 550 people, are considering an ordinance that would create aerial drone hunting licenses and offer bounties to anyone who shoots one down.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/17/they-fly-in-town-they-get-shot-down-colorado-town-considers-drone-hunting-licenses-and-rewards/

July 17, 2013

MAN MAKES GIRLFRIEND CRY WITH SERIOUSLY CRUEL MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

A woman in Canada sat in the back of a police car thinking she was going to have to spend 30 days in jail for unpaid fines. Little did she know, her soon-to-be fiancé had orchestrated the entire thing as an elaborate marriage proposal.

Ben Vienneau staged the fake arrest, partly to ask the woman he loves to marry him and partly to win $20,000 in a contest for the wildest wedding proposals. His girlfriend, Marcia Belyea, had joked about wanting to win.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/16/man-makes-girlfriend-cry-with-cruel-yet-somehow-cute-marriage-proposalarrest/

Bad Girls: 2 Women arrested after allegedly driving a stolen car at police and crashing into an embankment at Burleigh Heads Gold Coast

TWO women were arrested after they allegedly drove a stolen car at police and crashed it into an embankment at Burleigh Heads this morning.Police noticed the car and a 4WD acting suspiciously at the rear of a pizza store on the Gold Coast Highway at Burleigh Heads about 3am.

Police attempted to intercept the vehicles but both vehicles fled the scene.A short time later a stationary marked police vehicle again observed the same car, which was confirmed as stolen, in the car park of a Gold Coast Highway restaurant at Burleigh Heads.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/07/17/454769_gold-coast-news.html

Archaeologist: Discovery of Historic Israeli Jar Fragment Confirms Bible’s Reliability

A renowned Israeli archaeologist has announced the discovery of an earthenware jug from the Davidic era that features the oldest alphabetical text ever unearthed in Jerusalem.Dr. Eilat Mazar is a professional archaeologist with a track record of remarkable Israeli discoveries, especially in and around Jerusalem. In 2005, she uncovered several remnants believed to be from the palace of King David. In 2007, Mazar discovered possible remnants from the wall built in Nehemiah’s time around Jerusalem, and in 2010 she claimed to have found ancient city walls built in the 10th century during King Solomon’s reign.Unlike many secular scientists, Mazar has followed in the footsteps of her grandfather, archaeologist Benjamin Mazar, in using the Bible as a guide for her research. Following her 2005 discovery of remains from King David’s palace complex, she published a lengthy article in Biblical Archaeology Review, in which she explains how the Bible played an integral role in her historic findings.

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July 16, 2013

iPhone electric shock reportedly kills Chinese bride-to-be

China Southern Airlines air hostess Ma Ailun, died at her home in China after answering a call on her iPhone 5 as it charged.

The 23-year-old collapsed after picking up her phone and was rushed to a hospital in Xinjian, but medics were unable to revive her.

She had been planning to wed on August 8.A doctor who attended Ma following her death told the Wall Street Journal that her neck had obvious signs of electrical injury.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10180428/iPhone-electric-shock-reportedly-kills-Chinese-bride-to-be.html

Top psychiatrist: 'Psychology is turning childhood into a disease'

FOR any parent, having to accept your child needs psychiatric drugs must be agonising. But when Susan Bevis's 13-year-old daughter Amy suffered a breakdown after a vicious campaign of school bullying, drugs seemed the only option - as instructed by psychiatrists

Amy's ordeal began when she simply fell out with a clique of girls. The situation steadily worsened and she faced constant online bullying as well as being physically attacked in class. Gangs started to follow her home, and the family house and car were damaged. Neither the police nor school seemed able to do anything.

Under this terrible strain, Amy began to break down. After months of sleeplessness and extreme anxiety, she said she'd begun to hear voices in her head. Her mother sought medical help. Instead of being offered counselling and social support, Amy was diagnosed by a psychiatrist as having 'first-rank schizophrenia', which means she had signs of the condition.

Susan was initially sceptical, but was so anxious to get help she reluctantly agreed to Amy being given medication - this was Risperdal, an antipsychotic that changes the way chemicals in the brain work.

One of the major criticisms is that the number of new psychiatric diagnoses added to it is rising exponentially. In 1952, the manual was 130 pages long. The fifth edition has 992 pages. And this latest edition has controversially added new diagnoses such as 'Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder', which essentially makes children's temper tantrums a mental illness. (homosexuality was once on the list but removed after criticism)


Read more: www.news.com.au