Libertarian Commentary on the News for 11 to 17 Dec. 2006 -Page 2

Japan agrees to ease ban on US beef
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Japan agreed Monday to ease the country's ban on U.S. And Canadian beef imports, resolving a bitter trans-Pacific trade dispute two years after the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in the U.S. herd. The easing of the ban would allow meat from cows under 21 months old back into the Japanese market, which before the ban had been the most lucrative overseas market for American beef, buying $1.7 billion worth in 2003." (12/11/05)

And the US is returning the gesture, so that wealthy people can enjoy real Kobe beef and not the fake stuff from Washington State. Not my style, sorry, and I wonder if store prices for US beef will jump with the excuse that there is more demand (I know that cattle prices will climb only marginally, but any excuse for a price raise.)

Mama's Note: I live in the middle of a massive beef production area, and I can't afford to buy any of it now except a little hamburger once in a while. Government is the reason for the high price, not the market. It won't matter how much demand there is, as long as the market can respond to it freely.

Brazil: Mayor wants to ban death
Ananova [UK]
"The mayor of a Brazilian town is trying to bring in a law making it illegal for residents to die. Mayor Roberto Pereira da Silva, of Biritiba-Mirim, came up with the idea because the town's only cemetery is full. He wants to bring in a law that would see relatives of people who die before their time face fines or even jail. The law would make it an offence for the town's 28,000 citizens to not look after their health properly. Mayor Pereira DA Silva said there was no way of extending the cemetery or building a new one." (12/11/05)

One of those perennial attempts to prove that “democracy” (or at least the elected massas of democracy) have power even to alter natural (God’s) law – no doubt to be followed by laws forbidding the use of gravity or dictating that water must flow uphill.

ACLU: FBI has files on peaceful protesters
Rutland Herald
"The names and license plate numbers of about 30 people who protested three years ago in Colorado Springs were put into FBI domestic-terrorism files, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado says. The Denver-based ACLU obtained federal documents on a 2002 Colorado Springs protest and a 2003 antiwar rally under the Freedom of Information Act. ACLU legal director Mark Silverstein said the documents show the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force wastes resources generating files on 'nonviolent protest.' ... 'These documents confirm that the names and license plate numbers of several dozen peaceful protesters who committed no crime are now in a JTTF file marked 'counterterrorism,'' he said." (12/11/05)

We can just assume that the FBI has files on everyone, these days, especially any of us who have ever written anything critical of the government, read anything critical of the government we got on-line or from a library or bookstore (especially a Libertarian-related bookstore), or have ever written a letter to the editor on a political matter or called into a talk-show (well, maybe not if it was just to give away kittens).

Mama's Note: "Terrorism" is whatever government says it is, and the definition is getting broader all the time.

Texas: Agency makes up story to get money
Arizona Republic
"It was a heart-wrenching story: A 10-year-old boy named John, separated from his mother since the hurricane, was living with other foster children in an emergency shelter. He had one Christmas wish: to go home. 'But there's no way I'll get gifts for Christmas. I don't even believe in Santa anymore,' he said. The Brazosport Facts ran the profile on its front page Nov. 29 as part of its Fill-a-Stocking series, which features a different foster child each day from Thanksgiving through Christmas and solicits donations for a local charity to help fulfill the child's wish. But the story was a work of fiction. State caseworkers apparently made it up to tug at readers' heartstrings. Dan Lauck, a reporter with KHOU-TV in Houston, discovered the story was phony after calling state officials to request an interview with the child. He believed that if the boy's story was told on television, the youngster might find his mother." (12/10/05)

I’m not surprised – but then, “Non-government organizations” (NGOs) do the same thing – and it won’t get any better as long as we give government (including NGOs which are nothing more than an outreach of government) these powers.

Mama's Note: It will go on as long as we give them our money. Money is power... without it, government can't do anything to us.

Report lists nations detaining journalists
Houston Chronicle
"China, Cuba, Eritrea and Ethiopia kept the most journalists in jail this year, together accounting for two-thirds of the 125 editors, writers and photojournalists imprisoned around the world, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. The United States, which is detaining four journalists in Iraq and one in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, rose to sixth on the list. China had more jailed journalists than any other country for the seventh straight year, with 32, the committee said." (12/13/05)

More to the point, WHY are these people being held? After all, we certainly know that media people commit real crimes (not made up ones) too.

Mama's Note: My question is, "Given the vast numbers of people imprisoned without just cause all over the world - and especially in the US - how are journalists special in this regard?

Fed boosts interest rate to 4.25 percent
Cincinnati Enquirer
"The Federal Reserve lifted interest rates to the highest level in 4 1/2 years Tuesday but also indicated its 18-month rate-raising campaign was winding down. At least one more increase in borrowing costs seemed in store to keep inflation under control. Chairman Alan Greenspan and his Fed colleagues voted unanimously to boost the federal funds rate, the interest banks charge each other on overnight loans, by one-quarter percentage point to 4.25 percent." (12/13/05)

Of course, the recent spike and now partial decline in fuel prices had far more to do with the inflation rate in this country than the interest rate did.

Mama's Note: Remember that this is the rate banks use among themselves... maybe. The REAL interest rate, both for business and for ordinary people, is a whole different story. When the dollar finally crashes, none of these games are going to make a bit of difference anyway. Of course, the bankers (and many others) have purchased hard assets with their play money, hard assets paid for by YOU. How much longer are we going to put up with it?

New York: U.N. ticket scofflaws tamed by threat on aid
Washington Times
"For years, United Nations diplomats were notorious for running up millions of dollars in parking tickets, then just laughing at the city's attempts to collect. Diplomatic immunity meant there was little U.S. courts could do about it. But the city's thousands of foreign officials have largely changed their ways since a threatened crackdown three years ago. According to New York's finance department, diplomats have gotten 90 percent fewer tickets since late 2002, when the U.S. threatened to revoke the plates of scofflaws and subtract however much they owed in fines from the foreign aid their countries received. Those who do get citations have gotten better about paying them. Of the 11,771 parking violations issued to diplomats in the past three years, 87 percent have been paid or successfully appealed, the city said." (12/13/05)

Too little, too late. We need to find some nice home for all the nice UN people – perhaps Canada or Norway have a nice Arctic island they would donate.

Some may face choice: Whether to heat or eat
USA Today
"The Bush administration has denied requests from five states to increase food stamps for low-income families facing higher heating bills this winter. Maine, New York, Kansas, Virginia and South Carolina sought to raise monthly food stamp allotments by projecting what families will pay to heat their homes. The increases would have ranged from $8 to about $30 a month for families who pay their own utility bills." (12/14/05)

In other words, at the same time as the Congrus-critturs are busy vilifying the oil companies and looking to take away their windfall profits, they are busy trying to use food-welfare money to subsidize the very same companies indirectly? This is, indeed, a stupid government trick.

Mama's Note: You don't suppose that some of these "poor" people could manage to cut back on their fast food, booze/drugs/cigarettes, or cancel their TV cable/satellite service, or - horrors - sell some of the incredible stuff that clutters their (subsidized) homes? Maybe they can forego TVs in each child's bedroom, if not the wall sized screen in the living room... I've been in a lot of these "poor" homes over the last 20 years and can tell you that more stolen money is not what they need.

Patriot Act's fate remains uncertain
CNN
"Roving wiretaps and the ability to peek into private medical records are among the provisions of the anti-terror Patriot Act that will remain intact if the Senate follows the House lead on the bill. By a 251-174 vote Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives agreed to renew 16 of the act's provisions that were set to expire at year's end. The bill now heads back to the Senate, where a fiercer battle is expected. .... Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff are among those lobbying Congress to pass the reauthorization bill, saying it is essential to fighting terrorism. .... But a bipartisan group of nine senators is rejecting the call to pass the bill swiftly and wants to garner support for a three-month extension to allow negotiators to craft a new bill." (12/14/05)

This article provides a bit more detail about this continuing fight. Opposition is now present on both sides of the aisle in Congress, and finally more people seem to be waking up to the fact that this stinks.

San Francisco: Cops Gone Wild scandal subsides
San Francisco Chronicle
"A funny thing happened over the weekend to the big 'Cops Gone Wild' video scandal in San Francisco -- it started getting very quiet. Apparently, Mayor Gavin Newsom and his handlers realized that while the videos were bad, they didn't quite prove -- at least in the public's mind -- Newsom's charge that they were evidence of a 'deep-seated' culture of sexism, racism and homophobia running through the department. By Sunday, the message was going out that Newsom -- having made his point and formed a 'blue-ribbon' commission to look into the department's culture -- was now ready to get as many of the 24 suspended cops back to work in the Bayview Station as possible, as soon as possible." (12/12/05)

Typical of politicians, especially in San Francisco. Yeah, it makes you sick, and it should. Just remember, and vote with your feet.

William Proxmire, maverick and throwback, dies at 90
USA Today
"William Proxmire had a recurring nightmare as a U.S. senator. In it, he was accidentally locked in a bathroom while the Senate voted. As he pounded on the door, he realized that his record of never missing a single vote — which grew to over 9,800 consecutive votes by the time he decided to step down in 1988 — was about to end. 'I love this job,' Proxmire said then. 'It's been the best life I could have ever thought.' When he died Thursday at age 90, it may have conjured up vague memories for many Americans who pay only casual attention to politics." (12/15/05)

He did expose many stupid government tricks. I always had a liking for his Golden Fleece awards. He failed to change anything, but at least he tried. We should miss him.

House approves pension overhaul bill
USA Today
"The House on Thursday passed legislation that lawmakers hope will restore health to the financially ailing employer-based pension system that millions of Americans depend on for retirement security. While there was wide agreement that the current system is in deep trouble as more companies abandon or freeze their plans, the 294-132 vote reflected the differences in opinions on how to fix it. The Republican-backed bill would require companies to meet their obligations to retirees while boosting the financial future of the federal agency that takes over abandoned plans." (12/15/05)

The solution is not found in this bill – more government control and more government funding is not going to fix this problem.

Bush accepts McCain's ban on torture
Indianapolis Star
"President Bush embraced Sen. John McCain's proposal to ban cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of terrorism suspects on Thursday, reversing months of opposition that included White House veto threats. Bowing to pressure from the Republican-run Congress and abroad, the White House signed off on the proposal after a fight that pitted the president against members of his own party and threatened to further tarnish a U.S. image already soiled by the abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison." (12/15/05)

McCain’s proposal was strictly designed to boost his chances of election to the White House, and will probably result in more problems rather than less. Torture is already prohibited by both US law and international treaties, and this does not change that, nor “untarnish” the US image: in fact, it does just the opposite – “why would they pass a new law if they weren’t torturing before?”

Mama's Note: Now, if they can just manage to translate this to stopping the "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" of the rest of us - especially all the victims of the "war on___(you name it).

Class divide: now it's even harder for poor to get on
The Scotsman (UK)
AN ENTIRE generation of Scots is at unprecedented risk of social and economic stagnation, a major new study into class movement reveals. The research finds that Scots in their 30s and 40s - more than a million people - are far less likely than their parents to improve their social standing. It also establishes that the nation's poor are less likely than ever to break out of their working-class origins. The comprehensive education system was last night seized upon as a key factor in reducing the chances of Scots born between 1967 and 1976 bettering themselves.

Of course the GRTF-schools are a major part of this problem, but then a slice of blame should be served to virtually every part of Her Majesty’s Government both at Whitehall and Holyrod – social programs, national health system, and the rest of the claptrap systematically wiping out the hopes and futures of 50 million English, Scots, Welsh, and Irish people. Just as is happening in every other part of the former Empire, including the United States. Of course, the US doesn’t have the same obsession with “class” that Brits seem to, and “mobility” is something that shifts with the wind, seemingly. But we are seeing the same reduced lack of opportunity as government controls more and more of the nations’ economies, and as control of government, however symbolically it is “of, by, and for the people” falls increasingly into the hands of a permanent ruling class with about as much mobility as Europe’s nobility in a good century.

Mama's Note: William Wallace, Paul Revere, Swamp Fox..., where are you? It's long past time to ride again.

Eugene J. McCarthy, 1916-2005
USA Today
"Former Minnesota Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy, whose insurgent campaign toppled a sitting president in 1968 and forced the Democratic Party to take seriously his message against the Vietnam War, died Saturday. He was 89. McCarthy died in his sleep at an (sic) assisted living home in the Georgetown neighborhood where he had lived for the past few years, said his son, Michael." (12/11/05)

What isn’t pointed out is the unintended consequences of McCarthy ultimately futile action: he gave us eight years of Nixon and Ford, and the squishy liberalism of Carter. I’m not saying that LBJ would have done better in ‘Nam than Nixon, but when you look at everything else, this was no win for the nation either way.

Mama's Note: It's sort of like the old question, "Do you want to be hung, shot or drowned?" With government, there is no way for anyone to "win" except the government.

Stupid People Tricks

Many refuse to pay "war tax" on phone bill
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"For Seattle peace activist Bert Sacks, the monthly act of resistance adds up to only 59 cents. Symbolically, however, refusing to pay the 'war tax' on his Qwest phone bill represents a pocketbook protest against what he sees as misuse of U.S. Military power: 'I object to the U.S. Government policy of using famine and epidemic as tools against civilian populations. That's wrong,' says the retired engineer, who has fought for a decade to get economic sanctions against Iraq lifted. Sacks is one of thousands of Americans believed to be refusing to pay the federal taxes attached to their monthly phone bills -- money that helps fund military operations overseas. Many are taking the step as a protest against the war in Iraq. And in many cases, the phone companies are helping them do it." (12/10/05)

Where do you draw the line? There is no magic pot of money that the Feds use to finance military operations in general or the occupation of Iraq in particular – except for a few “special” categories like fuel taxes and airport taxes, everything goes into the General Fund – and it is the General Fund (and borrowing) that is financing military operations. At best symbolic, this kind of action is often a cop-out for more effective political action – like working to defeat the congrus-critturs that allow this kind of thing (assuming their replacements won’t continue to do so).

Pennsylvania: College class president charged in robbery
San Francisco Chronicle
"As Lehigh University students prepared for final exams this week, they found themselves grappling with the news that the sophomore class president had been arrested for allegedly robbing a bank. 'I didn't believe it when I first heard it,' Kathryn Susman, an 18-year-old freshman engineering student from Hereford, MD, said Monday. The robbery occurred Friday afternoon. Authorities said Greg Hogan, 19, handed a note to a teller at a Wachovia Bank branch, saying he had a gun and wanted money. Hogan, the son of a Baptist minister, was picked up at his fraternity house later that evening and charged with robbery, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. Police said he got away with $2,871. One of his frat brothers, Patrick Thornton, described Hogan as 'very energetic,' the sort of student who would cheer on the college football team wearing body paint." [FND editor's note: Suppose his defense attorney will call that frat brother as a witness? - SAT] (12/13/05)

As later stories revealed, it was an amazing gambling debt, supposedly caused by playing on-line poker, that led Hogan to try and rob a bank. Since government has gotten into gambling in such a big way, parental and religious teaching (what is left of both) that gambling is immoral and caustic to society and a person’s individual morality falls on increasingly deaf ears. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want gambling outlawed (people can make their own mistakes) but I do want to see government get out of the business of profiting from it and encouraging it.

California: "Tookie" executed
WTAE TV 4
"Stanley 'Tookie' Williams maintained his innocence right up until his death, even when an admission of guilt may have spared him execution. Even after the courts and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected a flurry of Williams' last-ditch appeals before his execution early Tuesday, his supporters vowed to prove his innocence. Williams, the Crips gang cofounder whose case stirred a national debate about capital punishment versus the possibility of redemption, was executed Tuesday morning for killing four people in 1979." (12/13/05)

Finally. Although I realize that possibly thousands of people were saved from attack or even death as long as he was in prison, his willingness to lie about his role in the original murders brings severe doubt on his claims to be reformed and anti-gang now. But now it is over – and people can turn him into martyr or whatever they want.

Mama's Note: This took 35 years to resolve? I just wonder why he would lie if the truth could have saved his life? Only God knows the whole truth.

It's one term for Romney; says "future is open"
Boston Globe
"Saying that he had 'accomplished a great deal,' Governor Mitt Romney announced yesterday that he will not seek a second term, setting the stage for an expected campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Romney, ending months of speculation about his political future, said he will serve out his four-year term, which ends in January 2007. Although he has spent a year positioning himself as a presidential candidate and acknowledged he was testing the presidential waters, the governor yesterday insisted his decision had nothing to do with his national ambitions. 'I'm not going to close any options at this point ... other things may develop in the future,' Romney, 58, told a packed State House press conference broadcast live by Boston television stations. 'I don't know what will happen. The future is open.'" (12/15/05)

This is NOT necessarily a stupid people trick, as one term for governor is a boon to the people of the state.

Mama's Note: Oh yes, he accomplished a horrible increase in the MA police state. So nice of him to move on...

Theft by Government

Ninth Circuit Rules against driveway auto seizure
The Newspaper
"A three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last month overturned a lower court decision that allowed the seizure of a family's automobile out of its driveway after a husband was caught teaching his wife how to drive. In April 2003, Jorge Miranda accompanied Irene Miranda as she drove his Ford Aerostar minivan at 10 MPH in a Cornelius, Oregon neighborhood and instructed her how to drive. A police officer witnessed her poor driving and issued tickets to both Mirandas after they had pulled into their personal driveway. Thirty minutes later, the officer had a tow truck remove the minivan right out of their driveway. Miranda had to pay the city administrative and towing fees in addition to losing a day's pay to come pick it up the next day. A federal district court in Oregon upheld the vehicle seizure on the grounds that there is no privacy in a private person's driveway. The Ninth Circuit, however, viewed the situation differently and took the City of Cornelius to task for assuming that merely passing a law gives them a right to seize personal property without a warrant." (12/14/05)

Good! A very small change, but at least for the better.

Tech and Medical News

UK: Firemen fight to extinguish oil blaze
Auburn Citizen
"Firefighters on Monday used chemical foam to try to extinguish an inferno raging at an oil depot north of London, while investigators searched for clues as to what caused the powerful explosions that started the blaze. The blasts Sunday injured 43 people, sent balls of fire into the sky and blew the doors off nearby houses. Police have said the explosions appeared to be accidental. The explosions came just four days after an al-Qaida videotape appeared on the Internet calling for attacks on facilities carrying oil that it claims has been stolen from Muslims in the Middle East." (12/12/05)

One of the joys of modern technology and our life is things like this – accidents that can affect very large areas indeed.

Expert shows easy way to spoof fingerprint devices
Physorg
"Sounds fantastic? Maybe not. Biometrics is the science of using biological properties, such as fingerprints, an iris scan, or voice recognition, to identify individuals. And in a world of growing terrorism concerns and increasing security measures, the field of biometrics is rapidly expanding. ... Spoofing is the process by which individuals overcome a system through an introduction of a fake sample. 'Digits from cadavers and fake fingers molded from plastic, or even something as simple as Play-Doh or gelatin, can potentially be misread as authentic,' she explains. 'My research addresses these deficiencies and investigates ways to design effective safeguards and vulnerability countermeasures. The goal is to make the authentication process as accurate and reliable as possible.' Schuckers' biometric research is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. " (12/12/05)

For every device used by a government to tyrannize, there is inevitably a way invented to nullify or work around it – yes, even torture. It is just that everyone doesn’t have access to the countermeasures.

Australia: Bosses barred from gene discrimination
The Australian
"Employers will for the first time be banned from discriminating against job applicants whose genetic make-up suggests they risk being hit by illness such as heart disease or breast cancer. In its response to a review of genetic privacy issues, the federal Government said it would tighten the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act to ensure people were not treated unfairly on the basis of their genes. Such genetic information is likely to come from tests ordered by employers or insurance companies as part of a pre-employment health check. Only in exceptional circumstances will employers be able to use genetic information to refuse employment, such as a pilot whose genes suggest he will develop blindness. " (12/12/05)

Hmmm – and what about those people who have a genetic predisposition to being unable to lift 75-pound loads, walk two miles, or keep from falling asleep behind the wheel? Sounds like another lawyer job protection act to me.

Mama's Note: Why the exceptions? The mere genetic potential doesn't mean anything. The pilot can be tested regularly, as they are, and measures can be taken if his sight deteriorates. More misuse of technology, and more government is not the answer, of course.

New Mexico: Virgin Galactic to build spaceport
Fox News
"Virgin Galactic, the British company created by entrepreneur Richard Branson to send tourists into space, and the state of New Mexico announced an agreement Tuesday for the state to build a $225 million spaceport. Virgin Galactic also revealed that up to 38,000 people from 126 countries have paid a deposit for a seat on one of its manned commercial flights, including a core group of 100 'founders' who have paid the initial $200,000 cost of a flight upfront. Virgin Galactic is planning to begin flights in late 2008 or early 2009. New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans said construction of the spaceport, to be built largely underground in the south of the state near the White Sands Missile Range, could begin in early 2007, depending on approval from environmental and aviation authorities." (12/13/05)

Good luck to them!

Mama's Note: Indeed, "good luck." Given the obstruction of these and so many other government agencies - at every level, it will be some kind of miracle if they can proceed.

Telecoms want their products on a faster Internet
Boston Globe
"AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. are lobbying Capitol Hill for the right to create a two-tiered Internet, where the telecom carriers' own Internet services would be transmitted faster and more efficiently than those of their competitors. The proposal is certain to provoke a major fight with Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Time Warner Inc. and Microsoft Corp., the powerful owners of popular Internet sites. The companies fear such a move would give telecommunications companies too much control over a fast-growing part of the Internet. The battle is largely over video services. Several major telecom companies are working on ways to deliver broadcast-quality television over the Internet. Currently, online video can be slow to download and choppy to watch, even with higher-speed Internet services." (12/13/05)

A reminder that even technology companies can often be villains when it comes to various political issues. At the same time, why should firms (which are no longer monopolies, no matter what their past history is) be forced to allow competitors to use their equipment and their systems?

Mama's Note: We already have a "two-tiered internet." One part consists of all those who remain on dial-up connections (whether they want to or not), and the other part is everyone else. Left alone - with everyone in full control of their own private property and voluntary contracts, it will all work itself out just fine.

Marine census shows diversity, declines
Tampa Tribune
"A massive census of all the fish and other marine life in the world's oceans has reached the halfway point with new evidence of the rich diversity under the sea along with warnings about the alarming decline of many species. The 10-year international project that began in 2000 has already tracked the migration of tuna from Japan to California and back, along with the movement of endangered British Columbia salmon with implanted computer chips." (12/14/05)

The problem with these studies is what to select as a baseline. Is it 1900? 1800? 1950? AD 200? Of course, since these surveys did not exist until a few decades ago, anything beyond perhaps 1960 or so is pure speculation, and for all we know, the number of species have been declining for centuries.

Mama's Note: The motives and methods of these folks doing the counting are also very suspect. Tell me their agenda, and I'll tell you what these numbers are worth. Species have come and gone regularly throughout the entire history of the world, and will continue to do so. Nothing we do or don't do can change that. The fit, and the adaptive survive.

Scientists to map cancer's genetics
Washington Times
"If all the ways genes run amok to cause cancer were laid out in a dictionary, scientists would be able to decipher only a small part of the first page. Hoping to change that, the government is set to begin a $100 million pilot project to unravel the genetic makeup of cancer, aiming to speed the discovery of culprits and treatments that today is largely a matter of scientific luck. The Cancer Genome Atlas will 'go beyond and behind the front lines and enumerate the complete list of genomic insurgents that lead to cancer,' said Dr. Francis Collins, the National Institutes of Health's genetics chief, in announcing the project's first phase yesterday. The project will build 'a powerful network of researchers, technologies and resources to tackle the cancer problem like it's never been tackled before,' he said." (12/14/05)

This is an important study, but I dare say most of the taxpayer money will be wasted, as compared to what a privately-funded effort would cost and produce. I just don’t buy all these grand and glorious claims.

Mama's Note: Indeed! Another problem is that cancer is not a single disease. It is a large group of hundreds of similar diseases, each with its own pattern, causes and problems. They're not talking about a dictionary here, but a very large library - all written in a foreign language.

Doubts cast on fiber's effect on cancer
Boston Globe
"Eating a lot of fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, and whole grains does not appear to reduce a person's chances of getting colorectal cancer, researchers found in the largest study yet to test the popular and long-standing idea about preventing the third most common cancer. The research team, led by the Harvard School of Public Health, combined and reanalyzed data from 13 previous studies involving 725,628 adults and found that a person who ate 30 or more grams of fiber each day, the equivalent of more than seven servings of oatmeal, had about the same risk of getting colorectal cancer as a person who ate less than half that amount. The results were adjusted to take into account other risk factors, such as red meat consumption and age. 'This is the most exhaustive study, throwing everything into one pot,' said Dr. Robert Mayer, director of the center for gastrointestinal cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute." (12/14/05)

Another study that challenges the last 13 studies. I don’t know what to believe – and maybe Mama Liberty can clear this up a bit.

Mama's Note: This is very typical of "modern research." They didn't even begin to include all of the factors involved (even if they could). Diet is only one component. The real question is, "what promotes overall health?" There is no "magic bullet," no pill or potion that can instantly overcome all of the bad habits and poisons we pump into ourselves every day. We must passionately want to be WELL, not just avoid disease.

Diet, hydration, rest, low stress, cheerful attitude, play, work, exercise, low intake of toxins, healthy elimination of wastes and dozens of other things all must work together building and maintaining tissues, systems and the immune function of our bodies to stay healthy and ward off all kinds of health threats.

Fiber is very good. So are a lot of other things. Eat lightly, drink plenty of water, sleep deeply on a regular basis, avoid frustration, worry and anger, love your neighbor as yourself and - maybe even stay off the freeway... You'll live a lot longer and probably won't ever have cancer or heart disease. What's more, you'll enjoy the life you have.

NASA to redesign shuttle tank again
Houston Chronicle
"NASA plans to redesign the space shuttle's external tank again, this time removing a section of protective foam that broke off during the launch of Discovery last July, an official with the space agency said today. The removal of more foam from the external tank, and further testing to determine the root cause of cracks on it could lead to a longer delay until the next shuttle flight, tentatively set for May." (12/15/05)

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again (expecting different results) – like letting NASA continue to mess things up. Time to get rid of a white elephant and start real space travel.

Self-destructing text messages debut in Britain
Fox News/eWEEK.com
"A U.K. company has brought to life the self-destructing messages of 'Mission Impossible.' Staellium UK Ltd. has introduced StealthText, a service available via SMS (Short Message Service) and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) phones, which enables senders to punch in a self-destruct code when they send text messages. The recipient receives a text message showing the sender's name and providing a link to the message. Once opened, the message disappears after about 40 seconds. Carole Barnum, CEO and cofounder of the company, told Ziff Davis Internet News that the idea was inspired by living through the Sep 11 terrorist attacks on New York." (12/15/05)

An interesting and useful idea, and one sure to result in calls for bans, lest the goons can’t get their hands on evidence.

Mama's Note: Gee, I think I've already got this on my cell phone... except that they self destruct before I can read it myself! One of these days I'm going to have to figure out how to work that phone. I may find all kinds of messages I didn't know I had! <G>

Senate panel approves more Net-policing
CNet
" The Federal Trade Commission would gain expanded policing powers and could share information about spammers and other miscreants with foreign governments under a bill approved Thursday by a U.S. Senate panel. Called the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, and Fraud Enforcement with Enforcers Beyond Borders Act of 2005, the proposal is nearly identical to legislation pushed by the FTC itself two years ago that drew concerns from civil liberties groups and was never enacted. In essence, the bill would expand existing FTC powers so that the agency could go after any "unfair or deceptive practices" that are likely to cause "forseeable injury" on U.S. soil or involve conduct in the United States. " (12/15/05)

Congrus-critturs ARE often the problem in expanding government police powers, especially in tech areas. Like Hillary Clinton’s proposed law, this pokes government noses into more and more places – despite previously stated concerns about privacy and liberty in general.

Mama's Note: Ok, everyone who is really concerned about this: Do you use encryption, firewalls, anonymous email, or any of the other privacy tools out there? If not, why not?

The War on Some Drugs

New pseudoephedrine laws take effect in Phoenix
Arizona Daily Star
Under two new laws, Phoenix retailers now are required to ask for identification from customers purchasing pseudoephedrine -- a main ingredient in meth -- and then keep their name, date of birth and address in a log book that is turned over monthly to police. According to the Arizona Daily Star, unlike other Arizona cities with similar laws, Phoenix police will be able to confiscate and destroy pseudoephedrine that is not locked up or behind a counter.

Wonderful. Remind me to not get a cold if I ever have the misfortune to have to go to Phoenix. (Thanks to Local Government Weekly for this item)

Mama's Note: I'd suggest developing other methods to deal with infections and congestion. Pseudoephedrine isn't all that good for you anyway. sigh...

Alabama: State set to track patients' use of drugs
Birmingham News
"Alabama will soon keep track of who is taking Xanax, OxyContin and other addictive drugs and how often. The tracking will be done with a prescription drug database system designed to prevent addicts and drug pushers from "doctor shopping" for multiple doses of pain killers and other medicines. At least 20 other states have such databases. State Health Officer Don Williamson said the program will begin as a pilot project on Jan. 1, with doctors and pharmacists providing the prescription data voluntarily. Mandatory reporting will begin on April 1, he said. .... At least 20 other states have established such databases to crack down on prescription drug abuse, according to the Web site of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Those states are California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming." (12/15/05)

As the War on Some Drugs expands to include more drugs, Alabama seems to be in the forefront. Other states in the past few weeks have adopted more and more draconian controls on sale of over-the-counter medicines, and there are now federal proposals to do so.

Mama's Note: Just remember that they can't even begin to keep hard core drugs and weapons out of MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISONS!! All this is simply job security for bureaucrats and another way to control ordinary people. The results will be more drugs, more crime, more problems and more government at every level.

World Wars

Greece: Police investigate Finance Ministry bombing
CBC News [Canada]
"Police in the Athens sealed off part of the capital Monday as they investigated an explosion outside the country's Finance Ministry. At least two people were injured in the blast, which happened just before the start of the morning rush hour. Damage was said to be extensive with shop windows blown out and cars hit by debris. ... The explosion happened around 6:00 a.m. local time in Athens, near a post office in the capital's central Syntagma Square and about 100 metres from the parliament buildings. A warning about the bomb was called in to a local newspaper about 27 minutes before it went off." (12/12/05)

No claims as to who did this, but the calls indicate that it may not be the normal terrorist thugs.

China: Government admits "wrong actions" in fatal protest
Chicago Tribune
"China's government Sunday announced the detention of a commander whose forces opened fire on villagers protesting land seizures, trying to defuse anger over the deaths. The government said three people were killed in the violence Tuesday over compensation for land in this coastal village northeast of Hong Kong. Witnesses put the death toll as high as 20. The commander's 'wrong actions' were to blame for the deaths, according to a statement issued by the government of Guangdong province, where Dongzhou is located. It did not give his name or say what his actions were. Suspects in China often are detained for questioning and further investigation before police decide whether to arrest them formally and file charges. If the higher toll is confirmed, it would be the deadliest assault by Chinese security forces on civilians since the military killed Tiananmen Square protesters in 1989." (12/12/05)

This is not a change in Chinese policy, which requires periodic bloodletting to keep the peasants, urban workers, and petty bourgeois under control as the party, the military industrialists, and the bureaucrats play their games and get western (i.e., filthy rich). As China’s economy slows down, this will be more and more common once more.

Mama's Note: Too bad most people can't begin to imagine the total wealth and well being that would be available to ALL of the people of the world if they were simply free to own their lives, property, and interact as individuals. The wealth available now is created in SPITE of government, not in any way because of it.

Investigator: US shipped out detainees
Tampa Tribune
"A European investigator said Tuesday he has found mounting indications the United States illegally held detainees in Europe but then hurriedly shipped out the last ones to North Africa a month ago when word leaked out. Dick Marty, a Swiss senator looking into claims the CIA operated secret prisons in Europe, said an ongoing, monthlong investigation unearthed 'clues' that Poland and Romania were implicated - perhaps unwittingly." (12/13/05)

Well, now we are up to “mounting indications” – hardly admissible evidence in a REAL court. It still looks like there is a lot of smoke, but not necessarily any fire. And it appears that Marty’s job is in part to get selected countries off the hook.

UK: Enemies of the state?
Independent [UK]
" Four men deprived of their liberty for four years on suspicion of being international terrorists disclose today that they have not once been questioned by police or security services since being arrested. The four, who were among 16 suspects detained without trial under post-11 September terror legislation, later overturned by the law lords, give harrowing accounts of the treatment they have suffered. All are now under virtual house arrest. Although three face deportation, The Independent has learnt that there is no prospect of the men ever being questioned over the offences they are alleged to have committed." (12/15/05)

It is stupid acts by government authorities like this one that work to get more and more people to question their competence on EVERY issue that could come to the attention of government.