Wolfowitz
April 24, 2007
Embattled World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, in an attempt to overcome overwhelming opposition to his tenure, today promised changes in his leadership style. Not one to offer empty promises, Mr. Wolfowitz insisted that he allow his actions to speak as loudly as his words. He insisted that the “new” Paul Wolfowitz would immediately move to remedy the situation surrounding his controversial lover, Ms. Shaha Riza. Acknowledging that some believe her salary with the Bank was exorbitant, he offered to bring her back to the Bank in a position of even higher authority – “one in which her salary would be unquestionably justified, and perhaps even raised – just to allay general concerns” he was quoted as saying. Wolfowitz, a top Bush advisor before being nominated to his current position by Mr. Bush, was the chief architect of the Iraq war. Despite a horde of calls for his resignation from the World Bank Presidency, Mr. Wolfowitz insists that he has the vision to lead the World Bank and enable that organization to provide to the rest of the third world the same opportunities his vision has brought to Iraq.
Wolfowitz Promises Changes in Leadership
World Bank Chief Won't Resign, Lawyer Says
By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 24, 2007; Page A12 World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz met yesterday with senior managers to promise unspecified changes in his leadership and to appeal for their help, even as he hired a prominent defense lawyer to represent him. "I want to make sure his rights are fully protected," said Robert S. Bennett, whom Wolfowitz retained on Saturday. On Friday, the World Bank executive board named an ad hoc committee to consider "conflict of interest, ethical, reputational, and other relevant standards" in judging...
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bush, corruption, iraq, shaha riza, wolfowitz, world bank
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Babies in Limbo
April 22, 2007
The Catholic Church today totally eliminated “limbo”, freeing an estimated 10 million babies to endlessly wander the world’s already overcrowded streets. Many of these babies, which have not yet been potty trained, are likely to leave our already littered streets quite the mess. The Pope, explaining his actions, urged understanding. “We couldn’t very well allow these loud, messy, little people to leave their dirty diapers draped on the golden gates of heaven.” Many have argued their rightful place is a tad lower - in that "other place" the church invented - where surely their regurgitations and defecations would certainly contribute to the purposes for which the church invented such a place to begin with. When asked if heaven was considered for elimination along with limbo, the Pope stridently responded: “Mr Bush has strongly urged us to eliminate heaven and expand hell, but we have steadfastly resisted these urgings and will continue to do so until every last Catholic priest finds himself a child to molest and follows Bush and his gang straight to hell.” | Catholic Church buries limbo after centuries Reuters | | By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Church has effectively buried the concept of limbo, the place where centuries of tradition and teaching held that babies who die without baptism went. In a long-awaited document, the Church's International Theological Commission said limbo reflected an "unduly restrictive view of salvation," according to the U.S.-based Catholic News Service, which obtained a copy on Friday. The thumbs-down verdict on limbo had been expected for years and the document, called "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised," was seen as most likely to be final since limbo was never formally part of Church doctrine. Pope Benedict authorized the publication of the document. According to the CNS report, the... |
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bush, catholic church, limbo, religion
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Armed Chimps
April 13, 2007
The UN has been actively investigating this issue and a UN resolution is being hotly debated. The White House claims the chimps are also harboring centrifuges in the trunks of hollowed trees and have aspirations for yet more powerful weapons. Bush's top security advisors also accuse the Nigerians of providing the chimps with yellow cake and claim there's photographic proof that shows discernible yellow crumbs at the corners of some chimps' mouths. When asked about these charges, the alpha chimp has simply grunted in response, a snub to George W. Bush and his highest level security advisors. In response, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, coming out of a closed-door session with President Bush has indicated they stand firmly united against the spread of these weapons. "We will take every step necessary to prevent the proliferation of these weapons and will not stand idly by as these chimps try to make monkeys of us", the Prime Minister said. Chimps observed making spears
The primates use the weapons to hunt small mammals for food. |
WASHINGTON ? Chimpanzees living on the West African savanna have been observed fashioning spears from sticks and using them to hunt small mammals ? the first routine production of deadly weapons observed in animals other than humans.
The chimps were repeatedly seen using their hands and teeth to tear the side branches off long straight sticks and peeling back the bark and sharpening one end of the sticks with their teeth, the researchers report in Thursday's online issue of the journal Current Biology. Then, grasping the weapon in a "power grip," they jabbed into tree-branch hollows where bush babies ? small monkey-like mammals ? sleep during the day.
After stabbing their prey, they removed the injured or dead animal and ate it.
Lead researcher Jill... |
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chimps, spears, weapons, wmd
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Mental Torture
April 13, 2007
President Bush chose his weekly radio broadcast to comment Saturday on this obscure news story. “We appreciate the good spirit in which this research at King’s College was carried out” the President said. “Good research can only make our world a better and safer place. This research confirms the approach we’ve taken at Abu Graib and Guantanamo. We’ve always contended that prisoners without the right to Geneva Conventions should be dealt with in whatever manner provides us with the information needed to make America safe. We haven’t always used physical torture and we’ve sometimes been criticized for it. This research shows that all of the approaches we’ve used against prisoners in the war on terror can bare fruitful results.”
Whether torture is physical or mental the trauma is the same Medical Studies/Trials Published: Tuesday, 6-Mar-2007 In a study which has examined forms of ill treatment during captivity, researchers have found that psychological torment and humiliation can inflict as much terror and trauma as physical torture. The study was carried out by psychologists at King's College, University of London , and the Clinical Hospital Zvezdara in Belgrade, on 279 former prisoners from the former Yugoslavia including Bosnians, Croatians and Serbians. All had experienced at least one form of physical torture such as beatings as well as mental torture, and of the 241 men, 192 had been in detention camps, with the torture experiences occurring roughly eight years earlier. The men were asked which of 54 war-related stressors and 46 different forms of torture they had experienced and how distressed or out of control they felt overall during the torture. The researchers say it was hard to distinguish between the psychological damage exerted by mental versus physical forms of torture. The study authors say the findings indicate a need for a...
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abu ghraib, geneva convention, guantanamo, torture
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Veterans' Mental Health
April 13, 2007
George Bush moved quickly today to refute the notion that American soldiers showed symptoms of being mentally ill just because they enlisted while he was President. "These are America's finest." the President said. "They were convinced that Iraq was full of weapons of mass destruction. They were convinced that Iraq was rife with terrorists. They were convinced that Iraq was a direct threat to America." The President went on to add: "There has been virtually no evidence that they've been hearing voices in their heads. They have served their country valliantly. The statistics overwhelmingly demonstrate this: over 600,000 Iraqis killed and another 4,000 tortured. We could not ask more of our brave sons and daughters."
A Quarter of Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Show Mental Health Problems
SAN FRANCISCO, March 12 -- A quarter of all veterans treated at VA hospitals after returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan brought mental health problems back with them, reported investigators here.
When psychosocial and behavioral problems were thrown into the mix, nearly a third of all veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq who sought care at VA facility had a diagnosis of a mental-health-related disorder, reported Karen H. Seal, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of California San Francisco, and the San Francisco VA, and colleagues.
Action Points - Explain to patients who ask that this and other studies have consistently found that one-fourth to one-third of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan return home with mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
And more than half of the returning vets who had a mental health diagnosis were found to have two or more mental health disorders, the investigators wrote in the March 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine . Previous studies have shown that only... |
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afghanistan, iraq, mental health, veterans
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Attack in the Green Zone
April 13, 2007
President Bush appeared in the White House Rose Garden today to condemn the attack on the Iraqi Parliament Building, located within the famous fortified Green Zone. “This proves that our strategy in Iraq is working” the President said. “With our increase in troop level on the streets of Baghdad, the terrorists are struggling to find vulnerable targets. For them to attack in what has been the safest, most heavily fortified portion of the city since our invasion proves that our enemies are becoming powerless in the rest of Baghdad.” Condaleeza Rice, beaming at the President’s side offered a candid insight. “We’re pleased that the Iraqi parliament is now enjoying the same peace, prosperity, and democracy that we’ve brought to the rest of Iraq. And let us not forget, such an attack could never have happened under Saddam’s rule.” Ms. Rice, one of the President’s closest advisors on Iraq went on to add, “This will help to dispel the notion that the legislature in Iraq is purely a puppet of the U.S. We couldn’t be happier with the progress our policies are having in Iraq and the implications of this ongoing violence.” Bush Condemns Green Zone Attack By DEB RIECHMANN The Associated Press Thursday, April 12, 2007; 11:18 AM WASHINGTON -- President Bush strongly condemned Thursday's attack on Iraq's parliament building within the heavily protected Green Zone. "My message to the Iraqi government is `We stand with you,'" the president said. Bush, who planned to meet Thursday with Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., and Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C., both recently returned from Iraq, was being kept abreast of the bomb blast. At least two lawmakers were killed and dozens of other people wounded in the attack in the Iraqi parliament's cafeteria, situated in the heart of the U.S.-protected zone. "I...
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condoleeza, green zone, iraq, rice
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President Bush on Washington's Birthday
April 13, 2007
Newly discovered secret documents from the late 1700’s indicate that George Washington advocated opening and reading the mail of every colonist to determine who was for freedom and who against. In his personal papers, President Washington also declared that if the telephone were invented, he would use illegal wiretaps of telephone calls as well. In these startling revelations from one of America’s greatest presidents, the depths and breadths of his ideals in American freedom ring loudly and clearly. Never before have the American people recognized the full extent of President Washington’s commitment to the fight for freedom that began with the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent and equally famous document of the American constitution. And only now, in the context of these newly discover personal papers of President Washington, can we fully understand the truth and righteousness of George W. Bush’s comparison of his fight for freedom to that of President Washington’s. Bush invokes Washington on Iraq
In a Presidents Day speech, he compares the first commander in chief's democratic ideals to the modern-day fight.
By James Gerstenzang, Times Staff Writer
February 20, 2007
MOUNT VERNON, VA. — Marking George Washington's 275th birthday, President Bush on Monday linked the ideals of the first president to the war being fought by the 43rd, saying Washington's goals guided the nation's quest to extend freedom beyond its borders.
"George Washington's long struggle for freedom has … inspired generations of Americans to stand for freedom in their own time," Bush said, using a morning visit to Mount Vernon to compare the dilemmas faced at the birth of the nation to the troubles he now confronts.
"Today, we're fighting a new war to defend our liberty and our people and our way of life," he said. "And as we work to advance... |
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mail, privacy, washington, wiretaps
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Incandescent Light Bulbs
April 13, 2007
President Bush, with Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne at his side, hailed this announcement as the greatest invention since the light bulb. Standing in front of the White House Rose Garden, President Bush said he hopes every American will take advantage of this new technology as soon as possible. He went on to encourage all Americans to make the most of this new, energy-saving technology. "I hope every American recognizes that this technology can only save energy if its used to its full extent. With that in mind, I hope everyone will leave their lights on all day, and all night as well. Only in this way, can we save energy and make America more secure" President Bush said. GE Announces Advancement in Incandescent Technology; New High-Efficiency Lamps Targeted for Market by 2010
Friday February 23, 8:03 am ET
Re-inventing Edison: New Light Bulb Will Provide High-Quality Light and Deliver Efficiency Comparable to Compact Fluorescent Lamps CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Consumer & Industrial's Lighting division, a world leader in the development of energy-efficient lighting products, today announced advancements to the light bulb invented by GE's founder Thomas Edison that potentially will elevate the energy efficiency of this 125-year-old technology to levels comparable to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), delivering significant environmental benefits. Over the next several years, these advancements will lead to the introduction of high-efficiency incandescent lamps that provide the same high light quality, brightness and color as current incandescent lamps while saving energy and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
The new high efficiency incandescent (HEI(TM)) lamp, which incorporates innovative new materials being developed in partnership by GE's Lighting division, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and GE's Global Research Center, headquartered in Niskayuna, NY, would replace traditional 40- to 100-Watt household incandescent light bulbs,... |
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energy, light bulbs
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Pigeons in the News
April 13, 2007
Hearing of this news, President Bush praised it as the possible silver bullet in America's fight for freedom. Although admitting that this technology might not be quite ready to implement on a broad scale, he offered his vision of democracy's future: "This is a technology that could be implemented on anyone that doesn't follow lock-step with American policies to promote freedom" he chimed as pigeons cooed in the background. "And its technology that could create high-tech jobs all across America in control rooms that move people into upholding freedom and all that is right for America." Warming to his vision for the future, the president went on to add "Terrorists would be made to fly right and America's critics could be pigeon-holed into saying and doing the right things." President Bush went on to praise the Chinese for developing the kinds of technologies that promote freedom not only in America but around the world. Chinese scientists tell pigeon to fly by remote control  The Associated Press Published: February 27, 2007    BEIJING: Chinese scientists have succeeded in implanting electrodes in the brain of a pigeon to remotely control the bird's flight, state media said. Xinhua News Agency said the scientists at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center at Shandong University of Science and Technology in eastern China used the micro electrodes to command the bird to fly right or left, and up or down. The implants stimulated different areas of the pigeon's brain according to electronic signals sent by the scientists via computer, mirroring natural signals generated by the brain, Xinhua quoted chief scientist Su Xuecheng as saying. It was the first such successful experiment on a pigeon in the world, said Su, who conducted a similar successful experiment on mice in 2005.
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Babies in Limbo
April 13, 2007
The Catholic Church today totally eliminated “limbo”, freeing an estimated 10 million babies to endlessly wander the world’s already overcrowded streets. Many of these babies, which have not yet been potty trained, are likely to leave our already littered streets quite the mess. The Pope, explaining his actions, urged understanding. “We couldn’t very well allow these loud, messy, little people to leave their dirty diapers draped on the golden gates of heaven.” Many have argued their rightful place is a tad lower, where surely their regurgitations and defecations would certainly contribute to the purposes for which the church invented such a place to begin with. When asked if heaven was considered for elimination along with limbo, the Pope stridently responded: “We have steadfastly resisted these urgings from Mr. Bush and his advisors and will continue to do so until every last Catholic priest finds himself a child to molest and follows them straight to hell.” | Catholic Church buries limbo after centuries Reuters | | By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Church has effectively buried the concept of limbo, the place where centuries of tradition and teaching held that babies who die without baptism went. In a long-awaited document, the Church's International Theological Commission said limbo reflected an "unduly restrictive view of salvation," according to the U.S.-based Catholic News Service, which obtained a copy on Friday. The thumbs-down verdict on limbo had been expected for years and the document, called "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised," was seen as most likely to be final since limbo was never formally part of Church doctrine. Pope Benedict authorized the publication of the document. According to the CNS report, the 41-page document says the theologians advising the Pope concluded that since God is merciful he "wants... |
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bin laden, caves, mars, nasa, osama
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