Tag Archives: countries

Congressional Ban on Earmarks Sends Lobbyists Scrambling

Jolted by a sudden tightening of the rules, lobbyists and military contractors who have long relied on lucrative earmarks from Congress were scrambling to find new ways to keep the federal money flowing. House Republicans, seeking to outdo the Democrats in ethics reform, went even further Thursday by agreeing to swear off all earmarks, for both nonprofit and commercial organizations, for the next year. “This is the best day we’ve had in a while,” said Representative Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican who has been a fierce opponent of earmarks — no-bid contracts directed by lawmakers — but had found little support among Republican colleagues before this week. “In terms of us getting this moratorium, the stars were aligned. What the Democrats did certainly motivated the Republicans.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/us/politics/12lobby.html?hp added by: jeffissleeping

Chief Exorcist says Devil is in Vatican

The Devil is lurking in the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican’s chief exorcist claimed on Wednesday. Father Gabriele Amorth said people who are possessed by Satan vomit shards of glass and pieces of iron. He added that the assault on Pope Benedict XVI on Christmas Eve by a mentally unstable woman and the sex abuse scandals which have engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Germany and other countries, were proof that the Anti-Christ was waging a war against the Holy See. “The Devil resides in the Vatican and you can see the consequences,” said Father Amorth, 85, who has been the Holy See’s chief exorcist for 25 years. “He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, or even appear to be sympathetic. At times he makes fun of me. But I’m a man who is happy in his work.” While there was “resistance and mistrust” towards the concept of exorcism among some Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI has no such doubts, Father Amorth said. “His Holiness believes wholeheartedly in the practice of exorcism. He has encouraged and praised our work,” he added. Read the full article at http://www.brainwaving.com/2010/03/12/chief-exorcist-says-devil-is-in-vatican/ added by: cosmobirdie

The Japanese Uncle Sam

When we spotted this in Japan at a souvenir shop, my heart swelled up with patriotic pride. It's cool that other countries perceive America to be synonymous with freedom, and fried chicken. View

Genocide charge now possible for Sudan’s al-Bashir

The International Criminal Court will again consider charging Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur, after an appeals panel ruled that judges made an “error in law” when they refused to indict him on that charge last year. “He should get a lawyer,” court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said after ruling Wednesday. He accused al-Bashir of keeping 2.5 million refugees from specific ethnic groups in Darfur in camps “under genocide conditions, like a gigantic Auschwitz.” The appeals decision — which said the burden of proof should be lower when prosecutors seek an indictment than when they try to secure a conviction at trial — fueled hopes among human rights activists that prosecutors will indict other leaders around the world for atrocities

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Genocide charge now possible for Sudan’s al-Bashir

Report: Russian Neo-Nazis killed 71 in 2009

Latest figures suggest that Russia's fight against the countries Neo-Nazis has reached boiling point, after it was revealed that they had killed 71 innocent people last year.

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Report: Russian Neo-Nazis killed 71 in 2009

Scientologists in Haiti: A Firsthand Account

We’ve spoken to someone who traveled to Haiti on a Scientology plane — and witnessed firsthand the ineptitude, quackery and irresponsibility of the church’s minions in a disaster zone.

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Scientologists in Haiti: A Firsthand Account

China responds to Google’s threat to leave the country

China says it's against hacking and has been the victim of cyber attacks itself, in response to Google's threat to pull their operations out of the country after attempted hacks on its systems. At a regular foreign ministry news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said: “China like other countries administers the internet according to law.

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China responds to Google’s threat to leave the country

Music for a Cause: Starbucks Love Project

156 Countries Sing Together for the Starbucks Love Project

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Music for a Cause: Starbucks Love Project

Why (most) women like to shop

How we buy jeans may depend on our gender, according to research that examines shopping behavior through an evolutionary lens. Our ancestors didn't shop for holiday gifts, but the way we buy may owe credit to thousands of years of evolution. In a new study, researchers propose that our mall-visiting behaviors harken back to the days when men hunted and women foraged

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Why (most) women like to shop

Obama calls for surge and timed withdrawal in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says the war in Afghanistan is not lost as he announces he will send another 30,000 U.S. troops to fight it.

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Obama calls for surge and timed withdrawal in Afghanistan