Exploding Toads Theory

One German scientist has a theory on the exploding toads phenomenon. Hungry crows are pecking out their livers. "The crows are clever," said scientist Frank Mutschmann, a Berlin veterinarian who collected and tested specimens at the Hamburg pond. "They learn quickly from watching other crows how to get the livers."

Based on the wounds, Mutschmann said, it appears a bird pecks into the toad with its beak between the toad's chest and abdominal cavity, and the toad puffs itself up as a defense mechanism.

But because the liver is missing and there's a hole in the toad's body, the blood vessels and lungs burst and the other organs ooze out. There have also been reports of exploded toads in a pond near Laasby in central Denmard. I hope you already had breakfast.

way too weird

BERLIN -- More than 1,000 toads have puffed up and exploded in a Hamburg pond in recent weeks, and scientists have no explanation for what's causing it.

All remains have been tested but no bacteria or virus has been found. It's a unique story that has never been seen before. Several theories that have come up have been ruled out. Tests will continue . . . meanwhile stay away from the pond.

Special Prosecutor for Prisoner Abuses

Human Rights Watch is calling for a special prosecutor to examine of Donald Rumsfeld and George Tenet , in issues related to the abuse of detainees.

The group has concluded, based mainly on news reports and military reviews, that there was "overwhelming evidence that U.S. mistreatment and torture of Muslim prisoners took place not only at Abu Ghraib but at facilities throughout Afghanistan and Iraq as well as at Guantanamo, Cuba and at 'secret locations' around the world." The report found that there was no indication that Rumsfeld made any attempt to stop it.

The report found that Tenet was responsible for policies that sent detainees to countries where they wer tortured, which makes him potentially liable as an accomplice to torture.

The reason for the necessity of a special prosecutor is because attorney general Alberto Gonzales has a conflict of interest as he was himself deeply involved in the policies leading to these alleged crimes. So far the government has shown no interest in an independent inquiry. Republicans in Congress have blocked requests by Democrats to examine allegations of detainee abuse, and the Justice Department has ignored requests to appoint a special prosecutor.

According to a statement by Reed Brody, special counsel for Human Rights Watch, "This pattern of abuse across several countries did not result from the acts of individual soldiers who broke the rules, it resulted from decisions made by senior U.S. officials to bend, ignore or cast the rules aside."

It will be very interesting to see what comes of this. In this administration's atmosphere of near royalty, this may be one more thing that gets swept under the rug as they take more power and continue changing rules to accomodate their agenda.

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HAPPY EARTH DAY

jjd Today is the 35th annual Earth Day. Of all the things we've accomplished since then, unleaded fuel, no more lead in paint, recycling, preservation of rainforests and wildlife refuges, etc., we don't seem to have done enough. At this point in time, with this administration, we've gone from slow progression to reverse. That's not a good thing.

But, on the upside, in Chicago anyway; there are a number of informational events the Earth Day weekend.

• Recycled batteries -- On Saturday the city will launch its first permanent battery-recycling program with dropoff sites at all Chicago Public Library branches and Walgreen stores in Chicago.
• Animals and nature -- Brookfield Zoo's Earth Day events include -- an Environmental Fair, a tree-planting ceremony, zoo chats with keepers and other staff; a tour of the zoo's state-of-the-art and odor-free compost facility; lessons on invasive plant species and bird-watching.
• Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland -- includes educational activities, guided hikes, exhibits and puppet shows.

Other activities are at the Shore Bank downtown, presenting a Green Building exhibit. The Morton Arboretum will host an Earth Day recycling event. Notebaert Nature Museum will have a month's long environmental family activities.

In 1992 the EPA started a voluntary rating program to identify and promote energy-efficient computers called Energy Star. Now it rates a number of household appliances from refrigerators to light bulbs. Check it out at www.energystar.gov .

Also check out www.charitybuzz.com

dot the i

MOVIES --
i only saw one movie this weekend and it's excellent. if you like neill labutte -- shape of things -- in the company of men -- and his take on the inhumanity between the sexes, you'll love it. It's a black comedy !!!!!!!!!! check out the trailer http://www.dottheithemovie.com/

i am who i am, i think . . . click on toon to enlarge

I am who I am . . . I think

Lexis Nexis, Choice Point, Acxiom and now GM Mastercard have lost control of consumer data. By some quirk , or whatever, they have let our identities blow in the wind like parade confetti. Our identities are basically the property of banks and corporations.

If you say you are you and a computer says you are not, you lose. Someone has convinced the computer that you are not you. Who we are has been handed over to banks and corporations under the guise that they needed our personal information to protect us from fraud.

It's kinda creepy to me that your face and your fingerprints don't define your identity anymore. If you are face to face with a retailer and you show your driver's license and other ID, but the computer says you are not you the burden of proof is on you to prove who you are.

You do have an out to this if there is no other door. Bankruptcy . . .

THE GOP AND THE NRA

jjd click on cartoon to enlarge
Between our GOP-controlled Congress and this President the NRA seems to get whatever it wants even if it makes no logical sense at all. The market is flooded with more powerful guns that are easier to use and harder to trace. According to the GAO, someone on the terrorist watch list can walk into a gun dealership and legally purchase weapons such as an Uzi, Tec-9 or AK-47. In the first half of last year 35 different gun sales were made to people on the nation's terrorism watch list -- knowingly. So al-Qaeda can't board our planes or ships (well they're not supposed to be able), but they can buy guns. Not just guns, assault weapons. I mean, it didn't make sense to me to sell that to our own citizens let alone our known enemy, who we are supposed to be at war with. We're talking about armoured peircing assault weapons that can spray areas with multiple rounds of bullets. Just what ya need fer huntin' squirl.

There used to be a ban on clips that carried more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Not any more. So, if some Columbine situation should occur in the future we are guaranteed it will be more disastrous than Columbine or Red Lake. If you don't think Bush is in the pocket of the NRA, why would he have signed a bill last year requiring the destruction within 24 hours of all records from background checks of gun purchasers. Congress (those guys are sure doing their jobs for us) mandated that ATF data tracing weapons used in crimes be kept secret from the public. And nothing's been done about the so-called "gun show loophole" allowing unregulated sales of firearms at gun shows without background checks regulated dealers must conduct.

So with the NRA' s new muscle, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) are introducing a bill that wouldgive almost blanket protection to gun manufacturers and dealers. That's more than any other industry enjoys. Bottom line, if the sell someone a gun and a crime is committed and the dealer is proven to be careless and negligent, too bad. Every time I read something about what this administration is doing I feel safer and safer and safer.

Want to feel safer. This bill also adds the provision that would diminish the oversight authority of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by barring "administrative proceedings" which is what ATF uses to investigate and regulate unscrupulous dealers.

This is so blatantly obvious, I can't understand why there isn't an uproar.

It Ain't Our Fault -- No Way No How

So this administration is going to let the intelligence agencies take the full blame for the Iraq mess. They did not cherry pick the intelligence they got from the FBI, CIA, etc. Let's try to go back and recall the way things happened.

August 6, 2001 -- Presidential Daily Briefing with the title Bin laden determined to strike within the United States. Dick Clarke warns the President that this is serious and should not be taken lightly. And I can't recall if it was Tenet or Clarke running around like their hair's on fire. But I would say the red flags popped up. No action taken . . . next thing 9/11.

Curveball (whoever he is) is coming to light now as a very unreliable source of intelligence. Ahmed Chalabi, a swindler from Jordan, is another source of intelligence on WMD. Here you've got some of your higher ups in intelligence telling you, and proving, that the uranium in Africa story is fabricated, that it would be better to let the weapons inspectors do their job and keep Sadaam contained while we think this thing out. It was cherry pickin' time in the White House. If you think different, I got a couple of towers in New York I'd like to sell you.
jjd

Ecological Warning

jjd These are shocking words that we would do well to listen to: "Human actions are depleting Earth's natural capital, putting such a strain on the environment that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted."

That is the conclusion of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the United Nations' four year analysis, the broadest ever of the environment, with 1,300 public and private contributors from 95 countries. And the general trend is to not be concerned about the environment. The feeling that it's a long way off and not our concern.

Let's face it if you poison and ocean, you can't just go produce another one. If you poison the atmosphere, you can't just vacuum it clean. When endangered species are gone, you can't just wish them back. There are indicators . . . the polar ice caps are melting, rainforests felled, fisheries fail, the ozone layer has thinned and is fraying.

The future isn't a sure bet. We don't know the carrying capacity of the biosphere, but it could suddenly collapse. We eventually will get to a point of no return and we seem to be racing towards that end and not away from it.

When I saw the movie The Day After Tomorrow I thought it was a little far-fetched with how quickly, within weeks, things went from 'not so bad' to horrible. I don't think we're looking at weeks, but I fear it could be within my lifetime or someone's who I care about.

CURVEBALL

CURVEBALL
So, in its final report on the intelligence snafu in Iraq an unknown "curveball" is responsible for the erroneous information on wmd's. And Bush announces so matter-of-fact-ly that intelligence must be improved upon.

Look at it this way. If Bush had no idea that his intelligence community was so incapable of performing its job, but relied on that intelligence as if it were gospel (these would be his words) to take us into war, why is he the leader of the free world. We didn't know seems to be the Bush administration mantra.

What happened to 'the buck stops here'? It became 'the bush stops here' when there's somebody to take responsibility, stop that responsibility at Bush. Abu Ghraib -- we had no idea that was going on. Guantanamo -- we had no idea that could be happening, we will have a full investigation until we find a suitable fall guy. Halliburton overcharging to beat the band in Iraq -- Cheney has nothing more to do with this company.

The Pope died today. He was a good man and died with dignity and grace. Unfortunately the media coverage of his death, funeral, burial and the election process for his successor will keep Bush news on the backburner for a while. The Pope would not want to overshadow the antics of this administration.