Straight up Pope

This doesn't really belong at my new space, so I bring to you the obsession of this blog: THE POPE

Pope says bone fragments found in St Paul's tomb

ROME, June 28, 2009 (Reuters) — Pope Benedict announced on Sunday that fragments of bone from the first or second century had been found in a tomb in the Basilica of St Paul in Rome, which he said confirmed the belief that it housed the apostle's remains.

Pope Benedict XVI is helped by aides during the Vespri's ceremony at the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome June 28, 2008 REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

"This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains on the Apostle Paul," the pontiff said at St Paul's-Outside-the-Walls, on the eve of the Feasts of St Peter and St Paul celebrated on Monday.

Peter and Paul are revered by Christians as the greatest early missionaries. Converting on the road to Damascus following a blinding vision of Jesus, Paul took the Gospel to pagan Greeks and Romans and met his martyrdom in Rome in about AD 65.

Christian tradition had it that St Paul was buried together with St Peter in a catacomb on the Via Appia, before being moved to the basilica erected in his honor. For centuries it was believed that his remains were buried beneath the altar.

But it was not until a stone sarcophagus was discovered there in 2006 that Vaticanarcheologists could apply scientific research to the religious tradition.

The first results come during the "Pauline Year," when the Roman Catholic church has been celebrating the second millennium of the birth of the "Apostle of the Gentiles."

Pope Benedict gave details of the discovery, saying a tiny hole had been drilled in the sarcophaguus to permit inspection of the interior, revealing "traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in color, laminated with pure gold, and a blue colored textile with filaments of linen."

"It also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone. There were also tiny fragments of bone, which, when subjected to Carbon 14 tests by experts, turned out to belong to someone who lived in the first or second century," said the pope.

FRESCOED IMAGE

The discovery of the bone fragments coincided with news that Vatican archaeologists had discovered what they believe is the oldest image in existence of St Paul, dating from the late 4th century, on the walls of catacomb beneath Rome.

Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, revealing the find on Sunday, published a picture of a frescoed image of the face of a man with a pointed black beard on a red background, inside a bright yellow halo. The high forehead is furrowed.

Experts of the Ponitifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology made the discovery on June 19 in the Catacomb of Santa Tecla in Rome and described it as the "oldest icon in history dedicated to the cult of the Apostle," according to the Vatican newspaper.

Early Christians in Rome buried their dead in catacombs dug into the soft rock under the city and decorated the underground walls with devotional images, often in the Pompeian style.

And now for something completely Different:

Spokane residents smuggle suds over green brands

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press Writer Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press Writer – Sat Mar 28, 1:49 am ET

SPOKANE, Wash. – The quest for squeaky-clean dishes has turned some law-abiding people in Spokane into dishwater-detergent smugglers. They are bringing Cascade or Electrasol in from out of state because the eco-friendly varieties required under Washington state law don't work as well. Spokane County became the launch pad last July for the nation's strictest ban on dishwasher detergent made with phosphates, a measure aimed at reducing water pollution. The ban will be expanded statewide in July 2010, the same time similar laws take effect in several other states. [Now this is a black market I could get into!]

But it's not easy to get sparkling dishes when you go green. [When you go green, everything becomes harder...]

Many people were shocked to find that products like Seventh Generation, Ecover and Trader Joe's left their dishes encrusted with food, smeared with grease and too gross to use without rewashing them by hand. The culprit was hard water, which is mineral-rich and resistant to soap.

As a result, there has been a quiet rush of Spokane-area shoppers heading east on Interstate 90 into Idaho in search of old-school suds. [Shady looking ladies line the sides of the streets attempting to make money on the black market.]

Real estate agent Patti Marcotte of Spokane stocks up on detergent at a Costco in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and doesn't care who knows it.

"Yes, I am a smuggler," she said. "I'm taking my chances because dirty dishes I cannot live with."

(In truth, the ban applies to the sale of phosphate detergent — not its use or possession — so Marcotte is not in any legal trouble.) [This is more or less how everything is. It's not illegal if you buy it, it's illegal for someone to sell it.]

Marcotte said she tried every green brand in her dishwasher and found none would remove grease and pieces of food. Everybody she knows buys dishwasher detergent in Idaho, she said.

Supporters of the ban acknowledge it is not very popular.

"I'm not hearing a lot of positive feedback," conceded Shannon Brattebo of the Washington Lake Protection Association, a prime mover of the ban. "I think people are driving to Idaho." [Awww, I think we hurt her feelings... Someone should give her a hug.]

Steve Marcy, manager of the Costco in Coeur d'Alene, about 10 miles east of the Washington state line, estimated that sales of dishwasher detergent in his store have increased 10 percent. He knows where the customers are coming from.

"I'll joke with them and ask if they are from Spokane," Marcy said. "They say, `Oh yeah.'"

Shoppers can still buy phosphate detergents in Washington state by venturing outside Spokane County, but Idaho is more convenient to many Spokane residents. [There is something weird going on with the sentence: "but idaho is more convenient to many Spokane residents." I think they should find a word to replace convenient. There is nothing convenient about Idaho.]

Phosphates — the main cleaning agent in many detergents and household cleaners — break down grease and remove stains. However, the chemicals are difficult to remove in wastewater treatment plants and often wind up in rivers and lakes, where they promote the growth of algae. And algae gobble up oxygen in the water that fish need to survive. [Wait, there are lakes in Spokane?]

While traditional detergents are up to 9 percent phosphate, those sold in Spokane County can contain no more than 0.5 percent. [And those sold in Spokane City can contain no more than 0.0031 percent.]

The Washington Lake Protection Association has launched a campaign to encourage people to give the environmentally friendly brands a fair chance. The group suggests consumers experiment with different brands or install water softeners to help the green detergents work better. [Just give them a chance... Fairness for the Dishsoap! Leave no soap behind! Equal Rights for Non-Phosphate detergent! "Just because some detergents don't have as many phosphates doesn't make them any worse, honey, it just makes them different."]

"Clean lakes and clean dishes do not have to be mutually exclusive," said association president-elect Jacob McCann. [Pretty sure there is a song: I want it all.]

Phosphates have been banned in laundry detergent nationally since 1993. Washington was the first state where the Legislature passed a similar ban against dishwasher detergents, in 2006. The ban is being phased in, starting with Spokane County.

"It's nice to be on the cutting edge," Spokane resident Ken Beck, an opponent of the ban, said sarcastically.

Among other states that have banned or are banning phosphates in dishwasher detergent are Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, Vermont, Minnesota, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York. A bill on Capitol Hill would impose a nationwide ban. [Darn, my states in that list. Guess I'll be on the blackmarket in 2010 in search of phosphates.]

The Soap and Detergent Association, which represents manufacturers, initially fought the bans. But as the movement gained strength across the country, the association asked legislatures to delay bans until July 2010 to allow for a uniform rollout of products.[Wait, there's a Soap and Detergent Association? Man, I should start the Wooden Pencil Association then get government grants to give number 3 pencils a fair chance at fame.]

The industry has been working to develop better low-phosphate detergents, said Dennis Griesing, vice president of the manufacturers group.

"This is an irrevocable, nationwide commitment on the industry's part," he said.

For his part, Beck has taken to washing his dishes on his machine's pots-and-pans cycle, which takes longer and uses five gallons more water. Beck wonders if that isn't as tough on the environment as phosphates.

"How much is this really costing us?" Beck said. "Aren't we transferring the environmental consequences to something else?"[This Beck, he seems a decent fellow, I'd hate to kill him.]

You ask: "But where is the Pope in all of this? The Pope has better things to do: Bring Indulgences back!

National Treasure IRL:

Museum finds "secret" message in Lincoln's watch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gold watch owned by Abraham Lincoln bears a message marking the start of the U.S. Civil War, but the president never knew of the "secret" inscription uncovered on Tuesday at the National Museum of American History.

The engraving, by watchmaker Jonathan Dillon, is dated April 13, 1861, and reads in part: "Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels" and "thank God we have a government." [Talk about a guy with really small handwriting.]

The museum said it agreed to open the watch to find out if the message really was there after it was contacted by the watchmaker's great-great-grandson, Doug Stiles of Waukegan, Illinois. [Doug Stiles is one of many aliases the man we all know as Benjamin Gates goes by.]

The American Civil War began when Confederate troops opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861. [I love how they have to put these in here for the people who don't know. I suppose it is Reuters.]

Forty-five years later, Dillon the watchmaker told The New York Times that he was repairing Lincoln's watch when he heard that the first shots of the Civil War had been fired. [Isn't this news story a bit late for something that happened in 1906?]

Dillon said he unscrewed the dial of the watch and used a sharp instrument to mark the historic day on the president's watch. He told the newspaper that, as far as he knew, no one had ever seen the inscription. [The watchmaker did.

Ahem...
Watchmaker, Watchmaker,
Make me a watch.
Cook up a clock,
Tick up a tock,
Watchmaker, Watchmaker,
Look through your gears,
And make me a perfect watch.

Watchmaker, Watchmaker,

Ok ok, I'll stop.]

"Lincoln never knew of the message he carried in his pocket," Brent Glass, director of the National Museum of American History said in a statement. "It's a personal side of history about an ordinary watchman being inspired to record something for posterity." [What? That's so disappointing... It just said what he already knew. He knew the information the message wrote. I was really hoping it would be something like, "Don't go to the theatre, our agents have uncovered a plot." That would have been SUPER cool. 'Course, if that was the case, it wouldn't just be in the Reuters: Oddly Enough section. It would be all over the cover of Conspiracy Today.]

Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States in November 1860. In the lead up to the Civil War, South Carolina and six other states seceded from the Union before Lincoln's inauguration in March 1861. [George Washington crossed the Delaware, Achilles was dipped in magic soup by his mother, and the Pope is the religious head of the Catholic church.]

(Reporting by JoAnne Allen; Editing by Patricia Zengerle)

Short, Stubborn, Socialists...

China 'will not have democracy'

Mr Wu said China's state organs would follow the Party line

China will never adopt Western-style democracy with a multi-party system, its top legislator has said.

Parliament chief Wu Bangguo said that China would draw on the achievements of all cultures but would not "simply copy" the West. [China has finally hit those rebelious teen years; those years where they want independence and don't just want to do what their parents tell them.]

Communist Party leadership should be strengthened and "the correct political orientation" maintained, he said. [Either a) The quote is in the wrong place, or b) He said it as he was extremely calm. I much prefer option B (I like that writing style).

Mr Wu made the comments in a speech to the National People's Congress, China's annual parliament session.

He ranks second only to President Hu Jintao in the Communist Party hierarchy. [You see, every communist leader--upon taking up the torch of leadership--must compete in a three legged footrace with his wife. This footrace does not have multiple parties competing; it is merely a race against the clock. Apparently, Hu Jintao and his wife are pretty fast.]

"We must draw on the achievements of all cultures," he told delegates in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. [As the Pope maintained, looked on.]

REYNOLDS' CHINA No wiggle room whatsoever... but other leaders have left the door slightly more ajar

"But we will never simply copy the system of Western countries or introduce a system of multiple parties holding office in rotation," he added.

"Although China's state organs have different responsibilities, they all adhere to the line, principles and policies of the Party." [...pertaining to the people of the papaland.

Correspondents say Mr Wu's statement appeared to be a deliberate rejection of calls in China and abroad for greater liberalisation. [Newsflash!: I don't think he meant for it to be taken as anything else.]

China faces a number of highly sensitive anniversaries this year, including 20 years since the military crushed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, and 50 years since an anti-China uprising in Lhasa that sparked the Dalai Lama's flight into exile.

The authorities in Beijing also fear that the economic downturn and job losses for millions of migrant workers could trigger outbreaks of social unrest.

My two Chocolate Chips: China will become democratic within 20 years. People always become extremely stubborn just when they realize there might be some-ting wong, with their views.

(source: BBC)

That Sneaky Basterd...

From the BBC (hence all the funny spelling.)

US 'not winning in Afghanistan'

President Obama is reviewing US strategy on Afghanistan

US President Barack Obama has said the US is not winning in Afghanistan, saying it is more complex than Iraq.

In an interview with the New York Times, he said reaching out to the Taleban could be an option, in the same way outreach had worked in Iraq.

However, the "fierce independence among tribes" in Afghanistan presented different challenges, he said.

A month into his presidency, Mr Obama authorised the deployment of up to 17,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan. [It would appear this is a giant scheme to get attention off of Iraq. This way he doesn't have to carry through with all his promises on what would happen in Iraq.]

Asked if the US was winning in Afghanistan, Mr Obama replied: "No." [When the Pope was asked, he said "No." as well.]

Mr Obama and his advisors are reviewing the US strategy on Afghanistan, and have looked at what has worked in Iraq.

Those tribes are multiple and sometimes operate at cross purposes, and so figuring all that out is going to be much more of a challenge -President Obama

"There may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and in the Pakistani region," he said on board Air Force One.

Mr Obama, referring to the US policy in Iraq, said: "If you talk to General [David] Petraeus, I think he would argue that part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists, but who were willing to work with us because they had been completely alienated by the tactics of al-Qaeda in Iraq." [The whole "reaching out" buisness just make me smile concidering how that word is used in the modern Church. Perhaps the Catholics would be our best bet in Afghanistan.]

However, Afghanistan could be a different situation.

"The situation in Afghanistan is, if anything, more complex," he told the newspaper.

"You have a less governed region, a history of fierce independence among tribes.

"Those tribes are multiple and sometimes operate at cross purposes, and so figuring all that out is going to be much more of a challenge."

Terror suspects

He also discussed what the US would do if a terror suspect appeared in a country without an extradition arrangement with the US. [This is what president Obama would do if he was in the same room as a terror suspect (or so I hope):

Terror Suspect: First things first, to the death.
President Obama: No. To the pain.
Terror Suspect: I don't think I'm quite familiar with that phrase.
President Obama: I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon.
Terror Suspect: That may be the first time in my life a man has dared insult me.
Obama: It won't be the last. To the pain means the first thing you will lose will be your feet below the ankles. Then your hands at the wrists. Next your nose.
Terror Suspect: And then my tongue I suppose, I killed you too quickly the last time. A mistake I don't mean to duplicate tonight.
The One: I wasn't finished. The next thing you will lose will be your left eye followed by your right.
Terror Suspect: And then my ears, I understand let's get on with it.
Neo: WRONG. Your ears you keep and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing," will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.
Terror Suspect: I think your bluffing.
Superman: It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all.
[slowly rises and points sword directly at the prince]
The one who was born in a manger who defied the Matrix and came from another planet: DROP... YOUR... SWORD!

"There could be situations - and I emphasise 'could be' because we haven't made a determination yet - where, let's say that we have a well-known al-Qaeda operative that doesn't surface very often, appears in a third country with whom we don't have an extradition relationship or would not be willing to prosecute, but we think is a very dangerous person," he said. ["Hypothetically speaking, lets say I have this friend and he has finals next week and he hasn't studied yet, would he be in trouble--hypothetically speaking..." Could he be anymore vague?]

"I think we still have to think about how do we deal with that kind of scenario," he added. [I highly advice people to use this quote in almost any given situation. If you place it on a test, you may get a few points for "deep thought".]

A new way to smuggle:

(This is just some random picture that goes with the story. It has nothing to do with the story. I even have my doubts that it was taken at the Barcelona airport...)

MADRID (Reuters) - A 66-year-old passenger who arrived at Barcelona airport in a wheelchair and with a leg cast made entirely of cocaine was arrested on Friday as he tried to get through customs. [You gotta admit, the guy had creativity.]

Th e man, flying from Santiago, Chile, also had cocaine stashed in six cans of beer and two folding stools in his lu ggage, the Interior Ministry said. Police confiscated nearly 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of the drug in total. [Use your imagination on how the folding stools worked...]

Police believe the man, or his accomplices, may have broken the leg on purpose so as not to arouse the suspicions of customs officials. Spain is the primary entry point for cocaine into Europe and is the largest consumer of the drug in the European Union. [How did the suspicion get aroused in the first place? I'm betting a dog did it. Started sniffing the cast; then barking; then the police took a closer look at it. Though, if I was him, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of actually breaking the leg. I'd just put a cast over it.]

(Reporting by Sonya Dowsett; Editing by Phakamisa Ndzamela)

When asked about this event, the pope had nothing to say.

Space: The Final Frontier.

      Nasa launches Earth hunter probe:

Nasa launches Kepler telescope

An unmanned Nasa mission to search the sky for Earth-like planets with the potential to host life has launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

The Kepler telescope will orbit the Sun to watch a patch of space thought to contain about 100,000 stars like ours. 

It will look for the slight dimming of light from these "suns" as planets pass between them and the spacecraft. [This is explained later; don't worry.]

Controllers took their first opportunity to launch the probe, at 0349GMT (2249EST) on 7 March.

Kepler blasted off atop a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Kepler will use the largest camera system ever launched into space

"This is a historical mission; it's not just a science mission," said Dr Edward Weiler, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at Nasa. [This said in an attempt to make a "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" caliber saying.]

"I maintain that it really attacks some very basic human questions that have been part of our genetic code since that first man or woman looked up into the sky and asked the question: 'are we alone?'." [I'm pretty sure they didn't ask that. They thought we were alone. It would go against everything they thought to say that we weren't alone. They even developed Geocentric views of the world so that we would be alone. I for one, blame Science Fiction for the idea that we aren't alone.]

Equipped with the largest camera ever launched into space, it is the first mission designed to find rocky worlds orbiting Sun-like stars. Planets located in a warm zone - known as the habitable zone - might host liquid water on their surfaces. [The real question is when will it get to the first star? A couple million years? Don't they need hyperdrive to get to other habitable planets?]

And where there is liquid water, scientists argue, there is at least the potential for life. 

'Flea in headlights'

Of the 300-plus extrasolar planets discovered to date, only a handful are thought to be rocky like the Earth, and none are Earth-mass. The vast majority are gas giants like Jupiter or so-called ice giants like Neptune. [There's a very neat scientific video on this subject at the Creation Museum, I recommend anyone in the Ohio area visit and watch it.]

This is thought to be due to the technological limitations of current telescope technology, rather than a lack of Earth-mass planets in our galaxy. 

Kepler will detect the periodic dimming of stars caused by transiting planets.

THE KEPLER SPACE TELESCOPE: -Will study more than 100,000 suns -Continuously for 4 to 6+ years -Tuned to see Earth-size planets -Will target the habitable zone -Also see Mars to Jupiter sizes -First results within 3 months

Some star systems are oriented in such a way that their planets cross in front of their stars, as seen from Earth's point of view. During these transits, the planets cause their star's light to slightly dim, or wink. [Speaking of which, Jupiter has been able to be seen, and should continue to be in the sky for a little while still.]

The orbiting observatory can register changes in brightness of only 20 parts per million.

"If Kepler were to look down at a small town on Earth at night from space, it would be able to detect the dimming of a porch light as somebody passed in front," said James Fanson, Kepler project manager at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. [This thing would be one sweet spy satalite.]

He commented: "Trying to detect Jupiter-size planets crossing in front of their stars is like trying to measure the effect of a mosquito flying by a car's headlight.

"Finding Earth-sized planets is like trying to detect a very tiny flea in that same headlight." [Please, I can see that with my naked eye.]

William Borucki, Kepler chief scientist from Nasa's Ames Research Center in California, said: "We will monitor a wide range of stars; from small cool ones, where planets must circle closely to stay warm, to stars bigger and hotter than the Sun, where planets must stay well clear to avoid being roasted."

Closer to home: Venus is pictured making a transit of our Sun 

If the mission does find Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of stars, it should find them first around suns that are smaller than our own. In the case of small stars, this habitable zone is located closer in, so planets circling in this comfortable region will take less time to complete one lap. 

This means it will take less time for Kepler to find them and for other ground telescopes to confirm their existence.

Any Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars the size of our Sun would take at least three years to be confirmed. [Unless someone discovers hyperdrive!]

The telescope has a very large field of view, which it needs in order to observe the necessary large number of stars.

Kepler will stare at the same star field for the entire mission monitoring the brightnesses of more than 100,000 stars for the mission's three-and-a-half-year lifetime. [Anyone know what'll happen to Kepler in 3 1/2 years? If it were up to me, I'd totally fly it into the sun.]

The spacecraft will be launched into an orbit where it will drift behind Earth as it circles the Sun. This will ensure our planet does not block the stars which need to be observed continuously by the observatory.

Getting answers

Dr Borucki suggested the mission could make major contributions to understanding other star systems, including the unresolved question of how they form. But he cautioned that the knowledge still to be accumulated was vast.

"If you look at the giant planets, we have found 340 of these. People say: 'Why would you need any more?' [Among these people was the Pope himself who said, "Today we tend to be a greedy society; always wanting more than we need."]

"My guess is that by understanding giant planets and small planets we are going to make dramatic discoveries about other planetary systems. But I don't expect us to have all the answers in three-and-a-half years." [You're expectations will be met.]

Finding Earth-size planets is one thing, confirming life - even simple microbial life - exists on them is another matter altogether; and will require future telescopes capable of seeing trace gasses in the planets' atmospheres that are a possible signature for biology. [And to think we were/are looking for it on Mars.]

"We certainly won't find ET but we might find ET's home by looking at all of these stars," said Bill Borucki. [ET phone home?]

Why aren't they spending their time trying to develope hypserdrives!? Le'me take a moment to inform you all of the view that I hold regarding Science Fiction type Realism:

Here's how it is:

In about five hundred years, the earth will get used up. They will begin terraforming a whole new galaxy of earth. Some, rich and flush with new technologies. Some... not so much. The Central Planets, will form an alliance, and will wage war to bring everyone under their rule. A few idiots will try and fight them, amoung them -- Malcolm Reynolds.

Malcolm Reynolds, will be the Captain of the Serenity. Serenity will be a transport ship, a firefly class. She'll have a good crew: Fighters, pilot, mechanic. They'll even manage to pick up a peacher, for some reason, and a bona fide companion. There'll be a doctor, too. He'll take his genius sister out of some alliance camp, they'll be keeping a low profile. You understand. If someone has a job, they'll do it. They won't much care what it is. 

But a little history on Cap't Reynolds: He was brought up on a ranch on the planet Shadow. He later served as a sergeant for the Independent Faction and fought in the Unification War against the Alliance. After the overwhelming defeat of the Independants he traveled to the more primitive distant planets, where he acquired his own ship: Serenity.

Obama Snacks!

'Obama' snacks don't go down well in Indonesia No, that video is not in English, so here's a summary. Obama snacks concidered an outrage, and they don't exactly know who is making them. They can find the place where they are being 'produksi' but they don't know the company behind it (I don't think it'd be that hard to find out). But now, the rest of the story:

A gimmicky snack bearing a caricature of US President Barack Obama making a peace sign has gone on sale in Indonesia, but worried consumer activists are already calling for it to be banned. 

The "Obama" snack packet shows a grinning Obama making a peace sign with his right hand and spinning the globe like a basketball on the fingers of his left hand. [If you look very closely, you can see his golden tooth replacement.]

It also bears a peace symbol and the word "peace," along with a teaser suggesting that if you are lucky you might win a bonus.

The Indonesian Consumer Foundation has called on the government to investigate, saying the snack is defamatory to President Obama and potentially harmful to children's health. [But, he's smiling!]

"What's the aim of using such an image? It's defamation and the producer should be investigated," Foundation head Indah Suksmaningsih said. [I hate when people answer their own questions...]

Each 500-rupiah (four-cent) packet of "Obamas" contains a small plastic toy which is "unhygienic" and could be mistaken as food by infants, said foundation legal affairs officer Sularsi, who only uses one name. [Wait a minute, I thought this was a snack...]

"We urge the government to investigate the product, which might have a dubious permit," he said. [For only using one name, he deserves, "it said."]

"Obamas" hit the streets recently in the West Java city of Bandung.

President Obama lived in the Indonesian capital Jakarta from 1967 to 1971 after his mother divorced his Kenyan father and married an Indonesian man. [Obama didn't really live in Indonesia, it was actually this guy:

The pope states that these snacks are an obomination because 'images of the mesiah are not to be in material things.'

(source: BreitBart)

When you wish upon a star...

Makes no difference who you are... (unless of course, you're Russian.) Then you can wish all the wishes you want...

MOSCOW (AP) - If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order. [Wait a minute... haven't I already read this book?]

Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the Foreign Ministry's school for future diplomats and a regular on Russia's state-guided TV channels. And his predictions fit into the anti-American story line of the Kremlin leadership. [I missed something, are they easy to ignore or aren't they? Because I'm having a pretty easy time ignoring them...]

"There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010," Panarin told dozens of students, professors and diplomats Tuesday at the Diplomatic Academy—a lecture the ministry pointedly invited The Associated Press and other foreign media to attend. [But how's that possible when the world already ended in 2007?]

The prediction from Panarin, a former spokesman for Russia's Federal Space Agency and reportedly an ex-KGB analyst, meshes with the negative view of the U.S. that has been flowing from the Kremlin[Cute little fella ain't he?] in recent years, in particular from Vladimir Putin.

Putin, the former president who is now prime minister [Is very, how you say, interesting.], has likened the United States to Nazi Germany's Third Reich and blames Washington for the global financial crisis that has pounded the Russian economy. [Gadin's Law! Gadwin's Law!]

Panarin didn't give many specifics on what underlies his analysis, mostly citing newspapers, magazines and other open sources. 

He also noted he had been predicting the demise of the world's wealthiest country for more than a decade now. [I coulda told you that we would meet our demise eventually. No nation lasts forever. Good general statements there, Panarin.]

But he said the recent economic turmoil in the U.S. and other "social and cultural phenomena" led him to nail down a specific timeframe for "The End"—when the United States will break up into six autonomous regions and Alaska will revert to Russian control. [I'm laughing... This is just too good. It's totally steriotypical Russia in the movies. "Ve vill conquor vorld. Give Alaska bak!"]

Panarin argued that Americans are in moral decline, saying their great psychological stress is evident from school shootings, the size of the prison population and the number of gay men. [I'd point out: This, and this. As for the number of gay men, they'll all be gone in a generation.]

Turning to economic woes, he cited the slide in major stock indexes, the decline in U.S. gross domestic product and Washington's bailout of banking giant Citigroup as evidence that American dominance of global markets has collapsed.

"I was there recently and things are far from good," he said. "What's happened is the collapse of the American dream."

Panarin insisted he didn't wish for a U.S. collapse, but he predicted Russia and China would emerge from the economic turmoil stronger and said the two nations should work together, even to create a new currency to replace the U.S. dollar. [I'll give him one thing: the man's got ambition.]

Asked for comment on how the Foreign Ministry views Panarin's theories, a spokesman said all questions had to be submitted in writing and no answers were likely. [Dem Fightin' words...]

It wasn't clear how persuasive the 20-minute lecture was. One instructor asked Panarin whether his predictions more accurately describe Russia, which is undergoing its worst economic crisis in a decade as well as a demographic collapse that has led some scholars to predict the country's demise. ["But... But... That's the United States' fault... not ours."]

Panarin dismissed that idea: "The collapse of Russia will not occur." [So there.]

But Alexei Malashenko, a scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center who did not attend the lecture, sided with the skeptical instructor, saying Russia is the country that is on the verge of disintegration.

"I can't imagine at all how the United States could ever fall apart," Malashenko told the AP. [I tend to agree, I don't see us falling apart anytime soon. I do, however, see some changes on the horizon, some reformations, some economic upturns. The main reason I don't see this happening anytime soon is because the world is so depentend on the US that they would try hard not to let the US fall.]

In closing, I'd just like to mention that the Pope says that "All nations are bound to fall at some point, but the nation of God is eternal. Oh, and I did cut these words out of the story: "before Wednesday" I'll let you decide where they fit in.

More on that Michael Jackson...

I'm not even going to post the story since we all saw it comming. But he is infact returning for 10 concerts. We'll find out if anyone actually shows up to watch him. The pope states that "he is a Michael Jackson fan, and will be at at least on of the concerts."

Story: here.

Michael Jackson, Comeback King:

This article doesn't even need to be read. Here's what you need to know:

1. Michael Jackson is 50.
2. Michael Jackson is planning a comeback.
3. He didn't do so well in London in 2006.
4. The pope has his doubts.
5. Prince did it.
6. "Thriller" is the top selling album of all time (750 Million copies sold).

LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - U.S. pop star Michael Jackson is
expected to announce a series of comeback concerts on Thursday. [That would be today...]

The 50-year-old, still viewed as "The King of Pop" by his
fans, has lived the life of a virtual recluse since his
acquittal of child abuse charges at a 2005 trial.

Jackson's last album of new material was "Invincible",
released in 2001, and his position as one of pop music's biggest
acts has been increasingly overshadowed by bizarre behaviour, a
changing appearance and questions over his health.

Organisers have not disclosed details of the comeback, but
Billboard magazine reported that Jackson's Las Vegas-style
"residency" at London's 20,000-capacity O2 arena would kick off
in July.

The first 10 dates have been booked, and the length of the
run would depend on demand for tickets, Billboard added.

Jackson is expected to be at a press conference later on
Thursday to confirm the dates.

Even before a single concert has been confirmed, there is
widespread scepticism that Jackson is capable of playing a
potentially lengthy series of gigs.

British bookmaker William Hill has offered odds that Jackson
would not turn up for a run of concerts.

Jackson is one of the biggest musical acts of all time, with
an estimated 750 million albums sold. "Thriller", released in
1982, is the best selling album ever.

If he can pull it off, the string of concerts at a single
venue would be both lucrative and less demanding than a
full-fledged tour.
But if the comeback fails to materialise, or is regarded as
a flop, Jackson would find it harder than ever to resurrect a
career that has lain lifeless for so long.

Jackson performed in London at the World Music Awards in
2006, but the much-hyped return was described by critics as a
shambles after he sang, in a broken voice, just a few lines of
his charity single "We Are The World".

Fellow performer Prince gave his profile a major boost with
a successful 21-night stay at the O2 in 2007 which amassed a
reported $22 million, and Britney Spears is due top appear there
in June.

Jackson began his musical career with his siblings in the
Motown group the Jackson 5 and went on release a string of hit
solo albums.

["Think they can do it?"
-"It'll take a miracle."]

I for one don't think anything will come of this. Oh, in other news, I just received some cookies in the mail. Thanks to whoever sent them! They were delicious! If anyone else wants to send me cookies the address is:

Cookie Monster
#4 Sesame St.
Unemployed, Greenland

"Thou shalt not text..."

Many Italian clerics have given their backing to Monsignor Cocchi's appeal

The archbishop of the Italian city of Modena wants young Catholics to give up text messaging, social networking websites and computer games for Lent.

Monsignor Benito Cocchi said foregoing the activities would help them "cleanse themselves from the virtual world and get back into touch with themselves",

The average Italian sends 50 texts a month from their mobiles, the second highest rate in Europe, behind the UK. [I'm pretty sure there are many Americans who average 50 a day.]

Other Italian bishops have given their backing to the appeal.

In Trento, Archbishop Luigi Bressan [Gotta love Italian names.] has meanwhile suggested people use Lent to embrace recycling. Venice's bishop has said worshippers might want to give up mineral water and drink only tap water. [Oh the tragity! Only tap water!?]

Father Gianni Fazzini [YES!] of the Venice diocese told the newspaper, La Repubblica: "If people renounce things individually, it can produce a collective change.

"It's a reaction to the economic crisis: in changing our consumer habits we can also meet our responsibility as Christians to safeguard God's Creation," he added.

Pope Benedict XVI warned in January that people who spent too much time in front of their computers risked isolation and depression. [They also cause cancer, kidney failture, heart failure, gas pump explosions, and more.]

Lent, which for most Christian congregations runs from Ash Wednesday to Easter, commemorates the 40 days that Jesus is said to have spent fasting in the desert and rejecting the temptations of Satan before beginning his ministry.