County health officials perform tests at Garrido home – San Jose Mercury News
September 4, 2009
County health officials perform tests at Garrido home – San Jose Mercury News
 BBC News |
County health officials perform tests at Garrido home
San Jose Mercury News Police officers from different agencies work the crime scene in Antioch, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, where Phillip Garrido, 58, a registered sex offender and his wife Nancy Garrido, 55 lived. The Garrido's were arrested in … Jaycee Family's "Uncontainable Happiness" Phillip Garrido's past reveals another rape charge Garrido's '72 rape case: Girl wouldn't testify |
Chinese police use teargas to break up deadly protests flare in Urumqi – guardian.co.uk
 Times Online |
Chinese police use teargas to break up deadly protests flare in Urumqi
guardian.co.uk Five people have been killed and 14 injured in protests in Urumqi, state media said tonight, after thousands of Han Chinese took to the streets for a third day of demonstrations. They claimed officials had not protected them from syringe attacks and … China official: 5 killed during Urumqi protests Urumqi protesters confront police over syringe attacks Five killed as police face protesters in restive Chinese city |
Will Your Kids Be Watching Obama’s Back-to-School Speech? – ABC News
 ABC News |
Will Your Kids Be Watching Obama's Back-to-School Speech?
ABC News Some parents are talking about keeping their children out of school Tuesday to avoid President Barack Obama's address to schools, while some school districts are refusing to show the speech. Barack Obama on education back-to-school-message. … Gibbs: Furor over school speech is `silly season' Obama School Speech Upsets Some Parents Obama's speech to kids causes uproar in schools |
The American Way Of Torture – Atlantic Online
August 26, 2009
The American Way Of Torture – Atlantic Online
 New York Times |
The American Way Of Torture
Atlantic Online by Andrew Greg Sargent notes another document secured by the ACLU. (Yes, Greenwald is right that it's bizarre the media in this country are second to the ACLU in demanding information from the government.) This document gives a detailed account of the … CIA memo details procedures for breaking detainees CIA's secret interrogation program had strict rules CIA Abuse Cases Detailed in Report on Detainees |
Hunt for Kandahar blast survivors – BBC News
 Sydney Morning Herald |
Hunt for Kandahar blast survivors
BBC News Rescuers are searching for survivors in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, a day after the deadliest bombing for a year killed at least 43 people. More than 60 were hurt as buildings collapsed in the city centre attack. Almost all those hit were … Death Toll Rises to 40 in Afghan Bombing Massive blast in Afghanistan kills dozens Red Cross worker among Afghan bomb victims |
Kennedy ‘made Massachusetts larger th… – USA Today
 guardian.co.uk |
Kennedy 'made Massachusetts larger than it is'
USA Today During the last 47 years, Sen. Edward Kennedy kept Massachusetts at the forefront of progressive debate and helped the state set a precedent for the nation on several issues, including civil rights, … The Fix: What Kennedy Means (And What He Doesn't) Kennedy called 'singular figure' in America's life Obama: Kennedy a 'singular figure' in history |
Am I immune to H1N1 flu if I’ve alrea… – CNN
 guardian.co.uk |
Am I immune to H1N1 flu if I've already had it?
CNN Many people in my neighborhood have confirmed H1N1, including my hubby. Once someone has had a confirmed case, will he or she be immune to getting H1N1 again this year? A person who gets a specific influenza and recovers generally has immunity to that … Many Health-Care Workers May Shun Swine Flu Shot Iran reports its first H1N1 flu death: state radio Area seeing more H1N1 flu cases |
White House Sharply Increases Project… – Washington Post
August 25, 2009
White House Sharply Increases Project… – Washington Post
 FOXNews |
White House Sharply Increases Projections of Future Deficits
Washington Post The $787 billion economic stimulus package President Obama signed earlier this year is likely to cost "tens of billions of dollars" more than expected, helping to drive projections for next year's budget deficit to $1.5 trillion, … SCENARIOS: Impact of US budget reports Deficit Projection Goes Through Roof White House, Congress projects record deficits |
Most recent SAT scores show dispariti… – USA Today
 News Channel 7 |
Most recent SAT scores show disparities by race, gender, income
USA Today Average national SAT scores for the high school class of 2009 dropped two points compared with last year, a report out today says. And while the population of test takers was the most diverse ever, average scores vary … SAT scores dip for high school class of 2009 Washington SAT scores down a bit from last year Top 25 Georgia high schools by average SAT scores` |
Palestinian PM seeks aid for embryo s… – Reuters
 ABC News |
Palestinian PM seeks aid for embryo state
Reuters RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – An international airport for a future state of Palestine, national institutions and new rail links were listed by the Palestinian prime minister on Tuesday in a government program needing foreign … World Agenda: Netanyahu's Europe charm offensive is one big … Three Gazans killed in Israeli airstrike, tension escalates Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at Brown's office in London |
Obama appears to be serious about hav… – Los Angeles Times
 FOXNews |
Obama appears to be serious about having fun on vacation
Los Angeles Times On Martha's Vineyard, it's golf today with the first lady and friends. Tomorrow, more golf. A pile of books to read. In between, the Fed chief is renominated. Then it's back to relaxing. By Christi Parsons Reporting from Oak Bluffs, Mass. … Martha's Vineyard's African American Legacy Obama's privacy top priority President Obama on Vacation |
Teachers Union At Odds With Obama Over Policy – WUSA
August 21, 2009
Teachers Union At Odds With Obama Over Policy – WUSA
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Education Association pointedly criticized the Obama administration, saying the president is relying too heavily on charter schools and standardized tests in his attempt to overhaul the nation’s schools. “We urge the administration to step outside of this narrow
Lutheran denomination to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy – Duluth News Tribune
Voting member Janet Metcalfe, of Inver Grove Heights, MInn., pauses for a moment of prayer along with more than 1,000 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Chruch of America (ELCA) on Wednesday Aug. 19, 2009 after a tornado warning was announced at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Members of the
H1N1 flu decreasing, but may ‘explode’ – United Press International
BEIJING, Aug. 21 (UPI) — H1N1 flu does not appear to have mutated in South America, but World Health Organization officials in China say the pandemic is expected to “explode.” Dr. Shin Young-soo, WHO’s regional director for the Western Pacific region, said Friday in Beijing the H1N1 virus is
Ridge: Bush officials sought to raise… – CNN International
August 21, 2009
Ridge: Bush officials sought to raise… – CNN International
 MiamiHerald.com |
Ridge: Bush officials sought to raise terror alert before '04 vote
CNN International WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge says he successfully countered an effort by senior Bush administration officials to raise the nation's terror alert level in the days before the 2004 presidential vote. … Ridge Cites Pressure Before 2004 Election Ridge Cites Alert-Level Pressures Bush Official, in Book, Tells of Pressure on '04 Vote |
WHO Warns of ‘Second or Third’ Wave o… – Bloomberg
 CBC.ca |
WHO Warns of 'Second or Third' Wave of Swine Flu Cases, AFP Says
Bloomberg Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) — Governments around the world need to prepare for a likely second wave of swine flu cases, Agence France-Presse said, citing World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan. “We cannot say for certain whether the … WHO predicts 'explosion' of swine flu cases Half of swine flu deaths in high-risk people -study H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Delayed |
ACT scores hold steady as test-taking pool expands – The Associated Press
August 19, 2009
ACT scores hold steady as test-taking pool expands – The Associated Press
 Seattle Post Intelligencer |
ACT scores hold steady as test-taking pool expands
The Associated Press Average scores on the ACT college entrance exam held steady for the high school class of 2009, a sign of modest progress considering the pool of students taking the test continues to expand. Nationally, more students earned scores indicating they're … College-Entrance Test Scores Flagging Michigan's average ACT score unchanged in 2009 Texas ACT scores up for fourth year |
Afghanistan Tries to Assure Voters About Adequate Security on … – Voice of America
 ABC News |
Afghanistan Tries to Assure Voters About Adequate Security on …
Voice of America Afghanistan's government is trying to assure voters that adequate security is in place for Thursday's national election. The Taliban vow to disrupt the process by attacking polling stations and retaliating against those who dare to vote … Gunmen Battle Police in Kabul Afghan media blackout called for amid fresh violence in Kabul 3 militants killed on the eve of Afghan election |
Finland involved in rescue of freighter Arctic Sea – Xinhua
 Washington Post |
Finland involved in rescue of freighter Arctic Sea
Xinhua HELSINKI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) — Finland was involved in the rescue of the crew of a hijacked freighter that was said to be missing for about two weeks, local media reported Wednesday. The joint operation by Russia, Sweden, Malta and Finland ended late … Russia insist ship hijackers sought ransom Relatives of Arctic Sea crew still waiting for contact Washington Post Foreign Service |
Freshmen Dems torn by party, voters on health care – Associated Press
August 19, 2009
Freshmen Dems torn by party, voters on health care – Associated Press
FORK UNION, Va. (AP) — By his ninth town hall meeting this week – in a sweltering Virginia middle school auditorium – freshman Rep. Tom Perriello is no longer fazed by angry crowds mobilized for and against health care reform. He and other backbencher Democrats thrown into the front lines of the
Master Hacker Albert Gonzalez – Time
• The 28-year-old lives in Miami, Fla. • Has operated under the Internet handles “Segvec,” “Soupnazi,” and “J4guar” • Charged with hacking into retail and card processing computers to steal 130 million credit and debit card numbers between 2006 and 2008. The compromised companies include
Report: NKorea sending officials to ex-President Kim Dae-jung’s funeral – News1130.com
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea’s Yonhap news agency says North Korea will send a delegation to the funeral of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. The report Wednesday quoted Kim Dae-jung’s former aide as saying North Korean officials conveyed a message about the plan. Kim Dae-jung died
Lack of sleep could be more dangerous for women than men
August 10, 2009
Lack of sleep could be more dangerous for women than men
Lack of sleep could be more dangerous for women than men
Research by the University of Warwick and University College London has found that levels of inflammatory markers vary significantly with sleep duration in women, but not men.
The study, published in the American journal SLEEP, found levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a marker related to coronary heart disease, were significantly lower in women who reported sleeping eight hours as compared with 7hours.
A second marker, High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), is predictive of future cardiovascular morbidity. Levels of hs-CRP were significantly higher in women who reported sleeping five hours or less.
Lead author of the study, Associate Professor of Biochemical Medicine at Warwick Medical School Michelle Miller said short-term sleep deprivation studies have shown that inflammatory markers are elevated in sleep-deprived individuals, suggesting that inflammatory mechanisms may play a role in the cardiovascular risk associated with sleep deprivation.
She said: “Our study may provide some insight into a potential mechanism for the observation in previous studies which indicates an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease in individuals who have less than five hours sleep per night.”
The study involved more than 4,600 white participants from the University College London-based Whitehall II cohort study; 73% were men. Participants between the ages of 35 and 55 years were recruited between 1985 and 1988 from 20 London-based civil service departments. Data for this study is from the phase 3 follow-up (1991-1993). Sleep duration was determined by subjective questionnaires, and general health was assessed during a screening examination.
Murdoch: not really the first
August 10, 2009
Because they’re right. In the three-year history of this event, only Canadian teams have featured. So let’s call today’s story a… clarification.
Because when we look back at the last three decades of TV skins curling, there have actually been a few international skirmishes. Before Casino Rama’s time, of course.
The first is pictured above, from the cover of the December 1993/January 1994 edition of Canadian Curling News (click on image to zoom in).
Do you remember this edition of the old McCain/TSN Skins Game? The 1993 event, hosted in Ottawa, was a doozy.
Russ Howard – with brother Glenn and the front-end tandem of Wayne Middaugh and Peter Corner – had just won the Brier and Worlds, and looked very good early on in their semifinal against unheralded Milt Sinclair of Abbotsford, B.C. Howard won the first three skins over the first five ends.
But it began to unravel and the left coasters then took the lead. It was only on the last stone of the match that Howard pulled it out, grabbing a $3,000 skin for a narrow $9,000 to $7,000 victory.
In the final, Howard met up with the first international team to ever be invited to the Skins: David Smith of Scotland, who had upended Ottawa’s Bill Walsh in the other semi (Walsh won $7,750 in another tight match).
Curling fans may remember the very public and vitriolic reaction from Eddie “The Wrench” Werenich, who of course missed out on the chance to compete because of the invitation given to Team Smith. The Wrench was, er, not very happy.
And it was all-Scotland through much of the final. In fact, as the photo shows, the Howards were blanked through the first eight ends, down $15,000 to zero, and Russ was clearly reeling. One wonders if Smitty was actually beginning to feel sorry for him. If so, big mistake.
Russ and Co. had blanked the seventh and Smith had blanked the eighth, leaving an $11,000 skin on the table in the ninth. Howard finally cashed in, making a tap-back to score the skin and make the 10th end meaningful, as it almost always is/was (Casino Rama Skins Games are now eight ends in length, of course).
And lo and behold, the Wounded Moose pulled it off in the final end too, stealing the final $6,000 skin and the victory when Smith missed a last-ditch runback for the win.
The champs took home $37,000, which also included the $10,000 winner’s bonus and another $1,000 for winning the pre-event draw to the button.
This was also the first Skins Game in which all three games went down to the last stone.
And there are two more international skins appearances to remind you of.
We are pretty darned sure – and please correct us if you think we’re wrong – that Norway’s Pal Trulsen appeared in the McCain/TSN shootout soon after his Olympic triumph in 2002.
And another Scottish team, skipped by Tom Brewster, appeared in one of the short-lived M&M Meat Shops Skins events – and made it all the way to the final of the six-team event – televised by rival broadcaster Rogers Sportsnet. Remember that one, folks?
Anything else going on, you ask?
• Wednesday is “Camp Day” at all Tim Hortons stores across Canada, a special day where every penny earned in coffee sales goes to a worthy cause: the Brier sponsor’s Tim Horton Children’s Foundation. Don’t be surprised to see some of Canada’s top curling stars slinging coffee and donuts at various store locations tomorrow …
• The twin sons of TSN curling colour man Ray Turnbull – affectionately labelled “in-turn” and “out-turn” – were in the news last weekend…
• Brad Gushue’s hometown St. John’s Telegram recently published a look back at his squad’s – er, sorry, Russ’ squad’s – 2006 Olympic triumph …
• SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION 101: For some reason, Canwest News recently recycled this online story from March’s Brier frenzy, in which The Curling News boss George Karrys was quoted on the rarely-discussed question of curling songs …
• Speaking of curling songs, Skip Cottage liked our recent highlight of the bizarro Jamie Jay Singh song, reposted here… and this here video tribute to Seattle’s Granite Curling Club boasts its own original curling song…
• Less than two months after the successful Ford Worlds came to New Brunswick, that province’s Interscholastic Athletic Association will vote today on whether or not to throw five sports – including curling – off the provincial high school athletic roster …
• Finally, would anyone care to guess why these apartments for rent in Hoboken, NJ have been called Curling Club apartments?
In Hoboken, New Joisey?
Somebody help us understand. Please.
Health Challenge to find Croydon’s Top Healthy Offices, Restaurants and Shops
Health Challenge to find Croydon’s Top Healthy Offices, Restaurants and Shops
Is there any hope for the health of a town whose Hospital boasts Burger King provides the catering? A town that despite having one of the UK’s original Vegetarian groups (est 1886)still doesn’t have a vegetarian restaurant.
A town that has 3 McDonalds in the centre and deep fried chicken opportunities at every tram stop, Croydon with it’s high rised buildings has been likened to Manhatten.
London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston hopes there is hope and is determined to try to make a difference to Croydon’s worker’s health.
Reaching out to the wider communityA Church of
August 9, 2009
Reaching out to the wider community
A Church of England book has recommended that overweight or bald people should be regarded as worshippers with ‘special needs’ alongside the blind, the deaf, very short people, and readers of tabloid newspapers. The advice is part of an initiative to make churches more friendly. It says that bald people could be “in trouble from those overhead radiant heaters some churches have unwittingly installed” and that special arrangements might need to be made for people who are overweight. “Some pew spaces and chairs are embarrassingly inadequate for what is known in church circles as ‘the wider community’
Claims that Fuller was getting WINZ assistance illegally
Natasha Fuller is the beneficiary who is getting $715.00 a week on the dpb to spend most of her day on message boards complaining she cant get the Training Incentive Allowance, despite boasting as being a fully trained private investigator..
She posts as the happy hocker – surely a spelling mistake – on message boards, as well as justyns.
There are claims on the message boards that Fuller was unlawfully collecting a benefit while living with her partner. If so, she should be taken to task for it because she would not have been entitled to it. Her high income partner didn’t give her much money. It is claimed that Fuller was on the benefit while living with her partner. I have not been able to verify that claim, as WINZ won’t tell me (I didn’t ask either). She got pregnant in June 2007, around about the time she was described as a sole mother who used a WINZ enterprise allowance to run a small business that failed. She also allegedly got a 10K WINZ grant to buy a car and have it signwritten for her business before crashing it and getting another one.
In addition she was given $200 a week to buy food when she lived with a partner. Her partner [ whom you can see here just before they split up ] paid for the mortgage because it was under his and his mums name. Now Fuller says she is “ over men so over being hurt and have decided that u just can’t beat a good vibrator:)”
One poster warned
You have stated on the forum board that you have been living with someone and collecting DPB, that is FRAUD. All of us that are paying taxes are paying for you to live the high life and boast about it.
She told the media she got $400 hair extensions around three months after her daughter was born. Apprently her daughter was born 3 February 2008. But on 4 February 2009, on a message board where she writes up to 10 messages a day, she said she had hair extensions for more than a year – if so, she may have been pregnant when she got the extensions.
Fuller says her partner left in December 2008 and that was when she said she applied for the dpb again. She says she doesn’t want to work more than 20 hours. That’s because she may lose the benefit and the In Work Payment is less than the benefit, and you can’t get both.
You can see Fuller on You Tube right here living the high life doing karaoke. She’s drunk. On her Facebook site she gloats that she spent more than $200 on CDs last month.
It is clear that on the dpb you can get up to $1000 a week: Domestic purposes benefit of $272,an accommodation supplement of $225 – ( Fuller gets $110 and a disability allowance of around $35 a week) , tax credits of $200, childcare assistance of up to $181 for one child, and out-of-school care and recreation assistance of $72 a week.
Fuller doesn’t deserve a training incentive allowance. But she should be able to lobby on government policies without ministerial meddling. However Labour shouldn’t moan about it as it released Fuller’s benefit details in Parliament in 2007. Hypocrites. **Further updates here**
