Why Is A Day 12 Hours
The History of Analog Clocks provides an explanation of the origin of the 24-hour day. The system dates back 4,000 years, to ancient Egypt and Babylon.
Read moreAuthor: B. John
Wanna Test Some Pesticides?
Today, the Senate passed an amendment (proposed by Sen. Barbara Boxer) by a wide margin (60-37) prohibiting the EPA from testing pesticides on humans. What the EPA has been doing is pretty awful: They promise families some cash in order to carry out experiments, often on kids and often in low-income neighborhoods.
Read moreSpain Offers Same Sex Marriage
Thanks to the American Taliban, the U.S. continues to fall behind the rest of the world. Spain now offers same sex marriage.
Read moreAccountability for Torture
Elizabeth Holtzman has a new article in the Nation, Torture and Accountability. It blows the cover off the “few bad apples” meme and makes a case for a war crimes prosecution of higher-ups.
Read morePresident Supports the Troops (ahem)
As President Bush continues to speak about doing everything we can to support our troops, his administration finally “acknowledged that it had significantly underestimated veterans health care funds needed for the fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1.”
Read moreRightwing Christian Protesting at Soldiers Funeral
Here’s the Christian Right W and the Repubs are so interested in catering too.
Read moreHaliburton Abuses (And Cheney Has Nothing To Do With It)
A new report spearheaded by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) uncovered startling new details about Halliburton’s misdeeds, including the fact that the amount of taxpayer funds lost to Halliburton is “more than twice as high as those in previous official reports.”
Read moreBush Speech Everything You Expected
Bush kept invoking the Sept. 11 attacks to try to defend his plan to keep U.S. troops in Iraq as long as it takes to ensure peace in the country. However, he says we can’t send more troops because it will undermine his plans to turn the country over to the Iraqi people. (Down is up and Up is down.)
Read moreApplause For Bush Faked
ABC’s Terry Moran just reported that the only time Bush got applause was in the middle of his speech when a White House advance team member started clapping all on their own in order to cajole the soldiers into clapping, which they dutifully did.
Read moreMaybe The Most Remarkable Show of Gall Ever
The UN just celebrated the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
Read moreActually Agreeing with the Supreme Court
Monday, the Supremes announced two decisions related to the issue of religion in public. In one, they ruled that the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in Kentucky courtrooms. In the other, they ruled to allow the display of the Ten Commandments on the Texas State Capitol grounds.
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