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blog-heap o' links
Army Pfc. Christopher
T. Blaney, 19, of Winter Park, Fla., died in Taji, Iraq, from a non-combat
related incident on Sept. 29. Blaney was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th
Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. The
incident is under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:47:55Army Staff Sgt.
Edward C. Reynolds, Jr., 27, of Groves, TexasArmy Pfc. Henry Paul, 24, of
Kolonia Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Marine Lance Cpl.
James Chamroeun, 20, of Union City, Ga., died Sept. 28 of wounds
received while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar
province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd
Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Army Staff Sgt. Jose
A. Lanzarin, 28, of Lubbock, Texas, was killed in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept.
26, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during
combat operations. Lanzarin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany. defenselink.mil/ ... 19:57:16Army 1st Lt. James N.
Lyons, 28, of Rochester, N.Y., died on Sept. 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when his mounted patrol came in contact with enemy forces
using small arms fire during combat operations. Lyons was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 19:56:55Army Cpl. Casey L.
Mellen, 21, of Huachuca City, Ariz., died on Sept. 25 in Balad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when his mounted patrol came in contact with enemy forces
using small arms fire during combat operations in Mosul, Iraq. Mellen was
assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd
Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash. 
ROGERSVILLE, Tenn... A man who
flagged down a police cruiser for a ride to "a house on the hill" was charged
with possession of marijuana... appeared unsteady on his feet and asked for a
ride "to a house on the hill." "I asked him what house, and he just replied 'A
house on the hill,'..." [officer] asked... if he was taking any medication...
young man said he had been smoking marijuana... Army Spc. Jared J.
Raymond, 20, of Swampscott, Mass., died on Sept. 19, in Balad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A2
Abrams Tank during combat operations in Taji, Iraq. Raymond was assigned to the
1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 17:46:51Marine Pfc.
Christopher T. Riviere, 21, of Cooper City, Fla., died Sept. 26 of
wounds received while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al
Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 3rd
Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
WILFORD, Idaho... Snakes
fell on Lyman Hepworth's head when he opened the door to a pump house near the
small house the couple planned to buy. "When it warmed up, we walked onto the
yard and the whole yard moved..." reached to turn on a light and discovered the
pull cord was actually a snake... Turns out the property was a winter snake
sanctuary, likely a snake den or hibernaculum where snakes gather in large
numbers to hibernate for the winter... likely a terrestrial garter snake... a
protected species meaning the Hepworths cannot bait them or kill them... Their
plan: They sent a videotape of the house, their children and, of course, the
snakes to the producers of "Extreme Home Makeover..." 
It's quite a commentary on the Slick One that millions on
both sides of the political fence would guess he plotted this tantrum in
advance. Count me in on that number... breitbart.com/ ...
13:58:527-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline
supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel...
7-Eleven spokesman Margaret Chabris said that, "Regardless of politics, we
sympathize with many Americans' concern over derogatory comments about our
country and its leadership recently made by Venezuela's president Hugo
Chavez..." Army Sgt. Velton
Locklear, III, 29, of Lacey, Wash.Army Pfc. Kenneth E Kincaid, IV, 25, of Lilburn,
Ga. Army Staff Sgt.
Carlos Dominguez, 57, of Savannah, Ga., died of injuries suffered in
Taji, Iraq, on Sept.23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
HMMWV during combat operations. Dominguez was assigned to the 414th Civil
Affairs Battalion, Utica, N.Y. defenselink.mil/ ... 21:41:09Army Spc. Windell J.
Simmons, 20, of Hopkinsville, Ky., died of injuries suffered in Taji, Iraq,
on Sept.23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during
combat operations. Simmons was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor
Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 03:02:01Marine Lance Cpl.
Howard S. March Jr., 20, of Buffalo, N.Y., died Sept. 24 while
conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.Marine Lance Cpl. Rene Martinez,
20, of Miami, Fla., died Sept. 24 while conducting combat operations against
enemy forces in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd
Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 03:01:32Army Pvt. Eric M.
Kavanagh, 20, of Glen Burnie, Md., died of injuries suffered in Baghdad,
Iraq, on Sept. 20, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV
during combat operations. Kavanagh was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt,
Germany. There he was on live television, the man those who have
worked for him have come to know – the angry, sarcastic, snarling,
self-righteous, bombastic bully, roused to a fever pitch. The truer the
accusation, the greater the feigned indignation... it is important to answer
his distortions and misrepresentations. His self-justifications constitute a
mangling of the truth which only someone who once quibbled about what the
"definition of ‘is’ is" could perform... nypost.com/ ... 03:16:45Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday accused Bill
Clinton of making "flatly false" claims that the Bush administration didn't
lift a finger to stop terrorism before the 9/11 attacks. Rice hammered
Clinton... for his claims that the Bush administration "did not try" to kill
Osama bin Laden in the eight months they controlled the White House before the
Sept. 11 attacks. "The notion somehow for eight months the Bush administration
sat there and didn't do that is just flatly false - and I think the 9/11
commission understood that... What we did in the eight months was at least as
aggressive as what the Clinton administration did in the preceding years..."
sharply disputed Clinton's claim that he "left a comprehensive anti-terror
strategy" for the incoming Bush team during the presidential transition in
2001. "We were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda..." hughhewitt.townhall.com/ ...
03:10:57....books like Lawrence Wright's cannot be manipulated,
and so Clinton launches into a furious counterattack on Wallace, Fox and ABC,
the Bush Administration and right wing critics and media. This fascinating bit
of theater --part paranoia, part panic-- distills Clinton's argument to: "Who
you going to believe, Dick Clarke and his memoir, or everybody and everything
else?.." Army Sgt. 1st Class
Charles J. Jones, 29, of Lawrenceburg, Ky., died in Baghdad, Iraq, from
a non-combat related incident on Sept. 20, Jones was assigned to the National
Guard's 149th Brigade Combat Team, Louisville, Ky. The incident is under
investigation.defenselink.mil/ ... 20:07:06Army Cpl. Bobby T.
Callahan, 22, of Jamestown, N.C., died on Sept.19, in Baghdad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when his HMMWV rolled over while maneuvering. Callahan was
assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. The incident is under
investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:06:51Army 1st Lt. Ashley
L. (Henderson) Huff, 23, of Belle Mead, N.J., died of injuries suffered in
Mosul, Iraq, on Sept.19, when a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive
device detonated near her mounted patrol during combat operations. Huff was
assigned to the 549th Military Police Company, 385th Military Police Battalion,
Fort Stewart, Ga. defenselink.mil/ ... 20:06:33Army Sgt. Allan R.
Bevington, 22, of Beaver Falls, Pa., died of injuries suffered in Ar
Ramadi, Iraq on Sept.21, when an improvised explosive device detonated near him
during combat operations. Bevington was assigned to the 40th Engineer
Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
defenselink.mil/ ... 20:04:24Army Cpl. Cesar A.
Granados, 21, of Le Grand, Calif., died of injuries sustained in Baghdad,
Iraq, on Sept.15, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV
during combat operations. Granados was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th
Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The
Democratic National Committee has just launched a brutal attack on Fox News
that includes a toughly-worded campaign to use Clinton's on-air fisticuffs with
Fox's Chris Wallace to raise cash and to argue that the Democratic Party is on
the offensive on national security. In a scorching email that DNC chair Howard
Dean sent out to supporters today, Dean accuses Fox News of trying to "cover
up" the fact that Bush "downplayed terrorism as a priority" and that the
administration has "failed to eliminate Osama bin Laden since the attacks."
Dean's email -- which steers readers to a contribution page -- touts the
"powerful interview" in which "Clinton took on the extremist Republican
propaganda about 9/11." He also suggests that Fox is part of the "right
wing...propaganda machine..." foxnews.com/ ... 20:09:31This isn't mere spin.
It's full-scale invention. Before anyone starts taking our most recent
ex-president too seriously, let's review the bidding. Clinton wasn't the
president who ordered the Armed Forces to go after bin Laden without
reservation, to get him "dead or alive." He wasn't the one who sent thousands
of troops after Al Qaeda and nations that harbor and support terrorists
Instead, President Clinton responded to attacks on our troops in Somalia by
withdrawing, and responded to attacks by Al Qaeda on our embassies in Tanzania
and Kenya by bombing the aspirin factory of an innocent pharmaceutical firm in
Sudan. He reacted to Al Qaeda's bombing of the USS Cole by lobbing a few cruise
missiles at empty tents in the desert. He turned down Sudanese offers to
cooperate in tracking down and capturing bin Laden... washingtonpost.com/ ...
11:49:07Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said that he was stunned
when Bill Clinton accused him of a "conservative hit job..." "I thought it was
a fair, balanced and not especially inflammatory question... I even said, 'I
know hindsight is 20/20.' But he went off. And once he went off, there was no
bringing him back. He wanted to talk about it in detail. He wanted to conjure
up right-wingers and conservative hit jobs and a theory involving Rupert
Murdoch that I still don't understand... humanevents.com/ ... 11:48:22What a perfect way to
score points! You go on the one network that liberals perceive as a mouthpiece
for the other side, and you wait for the inevitable question about bin Laden.
And when you get it, you launch into a tirade designed to make headlines and
build the base.... You have to believe that Clinton offered himself up to Fox
for the explicit purpose of going off on Chris Wallace.... If this wasn’t
a planned tantrum, then why wouldn’t Clinton have just answered the
question and moved on? He was obviously expecting it, likely hoping for it, and
totally prepared for it... 
Henrietta the chicken was living inconspicuously among
36,000 other birds at Brendle Farms for 18 months - until a foreman noticed she
had four legs... two normal front legs and, behind those, two more feet. They
are of a similar size to her front legs but don't function... [Mom? Can I
have a chicken leg? Sure, honey, there's plenty?] Former President Bill Clinton, angrily defending his efforts to
capture Osama bin Laden, accused the Bush administration of doing far less to
stop the al Qaeda leader before the September 11 attacks... [Let's see,
Clinton had eight years and reportedly repeatedly refused to act on good
opportunities, while dismantling and hobbling our intelligence and defense
systems, while Bush had, what, eight months?...] Bill Clinton: "It makes him look small and undermines his
effectiveness...." [Whoa, Bill! Could you be a BIGGER wimp?]Army Master Sgt. Robb
G. Needham, 51, of Vancouver, Wash., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept.20, of
injuries suffered when his patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small
arms fire during combat operations. Needham was assigned to the Army Reserve's
1st Battalion, 356th Regiment (Logistical Support), 4th Brigade, 91st Division,
Fort Lewis, Wash. defenselink.mil/ ... 18:18:42Marine Cpl. Yull
Estrada Rodriguez, 21, of Alegre Lajas, Puerto Rico, died Sept. 20 while
conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division,
III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. defenselink.mil/ ... 18:18:27The
Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that
the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War I, have been
identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
This is the first time the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) has
identified a soldier unaccounted for from World War I.Army Pvt. Francis
Lupo of Cincinnati, Ohio. He will be buried on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006, at
Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. ... In 1918, Lupo
participated in the combined French-American attack on the Germans near
Soissons, France, in what came to be known as the Second Battle of the Marne.
Despite heavy Allied losses, this battle has been regarded as a turning point
in the war, halting and reversing the final German advances toward Paris. Lupo,
a member of Company E, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, was
killed in action during the battle, but his remains were never recovered. In
2003, while conducting a survey in preparation for a construction project, a
French archaeological team discovered human remains and other items a short
distance from Soissons. Among the items recovered were a military boot fragment
and a wallet bearing Lupo's name.... defenselink.mil/ ... 12:02:42Army Sgt. Aaron A.
Smith, 31, of Killeen, Texas, assigned to the 4th Battalion, 27th Field
Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany;
Army Sgt.
Jennifer M. Hartman, 21, of New Ringgold, Pa. was assigned to the 4th
Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas;Army Cpl.
Marcus A. Cain, 20, of Crowley, La. was assigned to the 4th Support
Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TexasMarine Sgt.
Christopher M. Zimmerman, 28, of Stephenville, Texas, died Sept. 20
while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province,
Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 12:00:13The
Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced yesterday
that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War,
have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military
honors.Navy Lt.
Cmdr. James E. Plowman, of Pebble Beach, Calif. was buried yesterday at
Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C. On March 24, 1967, Plowman and
a fellow officer departed the USS Kitty Hawk in their A-6A Intruder on a night
strike mission of an enemy target in North Vietnam. Radar contact with their
aircraft was lost over the Ha Bac Province as they were departing the target
area. A pilot from another aircraft reported two missile warnings on his radar
screen immediately before contact was lost with Plowman's aircraft....
Scientists carrying out research in Papua New Guinea say
they have discovered dozens of new species underwater, including
a shark that walks on its fins and
a shrimp that looks like a praying mantis...
Army Spc. Russell M.
Makowski, 23, of Union, Mo., died of injuries suffered in Taji, Iraq, on
Sept. 14 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted
patrol during combat operations. Makowski was assigned to the 4th Battalion,
42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood,
Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 19:18:57Army Sgt. James R.
Worster, 24, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, died from a non-combat related
incident on Sept. 18 in Baghdad, Iraq. Worster was assigned to the 10th Combat
Support Hospital, 43rd Area Support Group, Fort Carson, Colo. The incident is
under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 19:18:39Army Pfc. Jeffrey P.
Shaffer, 21, of Harrison, Ark., died of injuries sustained in Ar Ramadi,
Iraq, on Sept.13 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M2A2
Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations. Shaffer was assigned to the
2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Bamberg, Germany.
defenselink.mil/ ... 12:23:50Army Sgt. Adam L.
Knox, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, died on Sept. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when his patrol encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during
combat operations. Knox was assigned to the Army Reserve 346th Psychological
Operations Company, Columbus, Ohio. defenselink.mil/ ... 12:23:36Army Sgt. David J.
Davis, 32, of Mount Airy, Md., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept.17, of
injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
Stryker Armored Vehicle during combat operations in Sadr City, Iraq. Davis was
assigned to the Army's 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker
Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. 
A type of fish so common
that practically every American kid who ever dropped a fishing line and a
bobber into a pond has probably caught one is being enlisted in the fight
against terrorism. San Francisco, New York, Washington and other big cities are
using bluegills -- also known as sunfish or bream -- as a sort of canary in a
coal mine to safeguard their drinking water... today.reuters.com/ ... 19:24:58An
armed man crashed his vehicle into a barrier outside the U.S. Capitol on Monday
and raced into the heavily secured building before being captured in a basement
room... prompted authorities to re-examine security measures... The man,
described by the official as apparently unstable, was carrying a small handgun
in his pocket. "He apparently thought the devil or the demons were chasing
him..." Army Sgt. Clint
E.Williams, 24, of Kingston, Okla., died on Sept. 14 of injuries suffered
in Baghdad, Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle
during combat operations. Williams was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 10th
Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 19:37:54Army Sgt. 1st Class
Bernard L. Deghand, 42, of Mayetta, Kan., died on Sept. 15 in Spira,
Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his unit encountered enemy forces using
small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire during combat operations. Deghand
was assigned to the Army National Guard 35th Division Artillery, Hutchinson,
Kan. defenselink.mil/ ... 19:37:33Navy Petty Officer 2nd
Class David S. Roddy, 32, of Aberdeen, Miss., died Sept. 16 while his
unit was conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the Al Anbar
province, Iraq. Roddy was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit
Two in Norfolk, Va., and was serving with Multi-National Corps - Iraq.
COX'S BAZAR,
Bangladesh... A bolt of lightning struck a tea shop killing at least six
villagers in southern Bangladesh on Saturday... abcnews.go.com/ ... 18:42:58Police warned Las Cruces
residents that they've received two letters threatening random shootings if
city leaders fail to hand over a "substantial" ransom... canadafreepress.com/ ...
18:42:09Urgent news from Abu Dawood, the newly appointed commander of
the al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan: Final preparations have
been made for the American Hiroshima, a major attack on the U. S. Muslims
living in the United States should leave the country without further warning.
The attack will be commandeered by Adnan el Shukrijumah ("Jaffer Tayyer" or
"Jafer the Pilot"), a naturalized American citizen, who was raised in Brooklyn
and educated in southern Florida. The al Qaeda operatives who will launch this
attack are awaiting final orders. They remain in place in cities throughout the
country. Many are masquerading as Christians and have adopted Christian
names... Firefighters responding to a
burning New York City home found... Inside a set of plastic containers, they
discovered... three venomous copperheads and two timber rattlesnakes... illegal
to own without a license in New York... hosted.ap.org/ ... 13:27:52
...Missouri woman has asked
the Springfield-Greene County Health Department to allow her to take her pet
monkey into local restaurants as a service animal.... [says] her bonnet macaque
monkey, provides emotional support that allows her to overcome an anxiety
disorder and go out in public.... Cynthia Magnuson, a spokeswoman from the
Justice Department in Washington, told the Springfield News-Leader that while
the law is somewhat vague regarding emotional support animals, they are
covered. "We have actually prosecuted cases where people have had emotional
support animals," she said. "It's kind of a fine line, but the law errs on the
side of protecting individuals that are disabled..." Army 2nd Lt. Emily
J.T. Perez, 23, of Texas, died on Sept.12 of injuries sustained in Al Kifl,
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near her HMMWV during
combat operations. Perez was assigned to the 204th Support Battalion, 2nd
Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. defenselink.mil/ ... 13:07:44Army Spc. David J.
Ramsey, 27, of Tacoma, Wash., was medically evacuated from Iraq on Aug. 24
and died from a non-combat related incident on Sept. 7 in Spanaway, Wash.
Ramsey was assigned to the 47th Combat Support Hospital, 62nd Medical Brigade,
Fort Lewis, Wash. This incident is under investigation. defenselink.mil/ ... 13:07:14Army Spc. Harley D.
Andrews, 22, of Weimar, Calif., died on Sept. 11 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle during combat operations. Andrews was assigned to the 54th Engineer
Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany. defenselink.mil/ ... 13:06:51Army Sgt. David T.
Weir, 23, of Cleveland, Tenn., died on Sept. 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, of
injuries suffered on Sept. 13 when he encountered enemy forces using
rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire during combat operations. Weir was
assigned to the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team,
101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. 
UC Irvine scientists are
experimenting with a colorless potion that makes bosom-buddy arthropods try to
decapitate one another... could help rein in one of the planet's most
troublesome pests: the Argentine ant... In California, the species has formed a
massive supercolony that stretches from San Diego to Sonoma, wreaking havoc on
wildlife, citrus crops and countless kitchens... Argentine ants emit a
laid-back, surfer dude-type aroma. But researchers at UCI... tweaked the
ingredients slightly and transferred the concoction onto ants serving as guinea
pigs. Like cheap cologne, the new scent offended nearly every other ant in the
room. One whiff and they began tearing their suddenly strange-smelling comrades
to shreds... 
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- A
Cambodian man died after being stung by a swarm of hornets as he tried to
remove a pair of nests at the top of a structure containing the ashes of his
ancestors... hosted.ap.org/ ... 12:19:41The
World Health Organization on Friday called on more developing countries,
particularly in Africa, to begin spraying the controversial pesticide DDT to
fight malaria... An ingenious new mathematical
procedure based on the behaviour of honey bees is delivering sweet results for
industry... algorithm enables companies to maximise results by changing basic
elements of their processes... When a bee finds a source of nectar, it returns
to the hive and performs a dance to show other bees the direction and distance
of the flower patch and how plentiful it is. The other workers then decide how
many of them will fly off to find the new source, depending on its distance and
quality. The MEC team's Bees Algorithm mimics this behaviour. A computer can be
set up to calculate the results of different settings on a manufacturing
process. More computing power is then devoted to searching around the most
successful settings, in the same way as more bees are sent to the most
promising flower patches... today.reuters.com/ ...
13:16:05Microsoft Corp. unveiled on Thursday its new
"Zune" portable media player, hoping its ability to
share music wirelessly can win over consumers despite its late entry five years
after Apple's market-dominating iPod... hosted.ap.org/ ... 13:14:55Sudden
Fame Amazes 'Lonelygirl15' Star... Army Capt. Matthew C.
Mattingly, 30, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, died on Sept. 13 in Mosul, Iraq, when
he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations.
Mattingly was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd
Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 23:12:50Army Sgt. Jeremy E.
DePottey, 26, of Ironwood, Mich., died on Sept. 11 in Asadabad,
Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a single vehicle accident. DePottey was
assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,
10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. The incident is under investigation.
A Conewago Township woman
admitted in Adams County court Monday that she smokes marijuana every day with
her 13-year-old son to reward him for completing his homework... admitted in
court that she has been smoking marijuana with her son since he was 11 years
old and that she usually smokes it with him as a reward. The boy told police
that when he gets off the school bus, he is required to do his homework and
then is allowed to smoke marijuana, according to court documents... indicated
his mother told him if he smoked marijuana he would forget about his father,
who is in prison for selling and smoking crack. She also told him smoking
marijuana would not hurt him like cigarettes would... freep.com/ ... 21:41:30Ben
Lewandowski says he was only trying to be patriotic when he wore a homemade
T-shirt featuring an American flag bumper sticker and the words "Remember 9/11"
to Lincoln Park High School on Monday. After all, it was Sept. 11 -- five years
after the terrorist attacks. The 17-year-old Lincoln Park resident put the
shirt on Monday morning and headed to school -- where he was quickly sent to
the office and suspended for three days for violating the school's dress code.
He was one of at least seven students sent home for wearing shirts featuring
patriotic images and messages. It comes less than a week after three siblings
were suspended for wearing shirts emblazoned with the First Amendment, despite
warnings... 
Search
engine vendor Google Inc. today unveiled the integration of topical new
"featured content" overlays for its Google Earth Web site in a bid to provide
users with more information as they peruse aerial images and maps... Users will
initially be able to access information overlays from the U.S. National Park
Service, Discovery Networks, the United Nations Environmental Program, the Jane
Goodall Institute and Turn Here, an online city guide service... techweb.com/ ... 19:32:38Google Inc. and Intuit Inc.
on Wednesday announced a partnership to provide tools that would enable small
businesses to use the latter company's financial software to market themselves
online. Under the alliance, Google marketing tools would be built into
QuickBooks 2007 products, so Intuit customers can list their businesses on
Google's mapping service, create and manage advertising campaigns through its
search engine, and post products for sale through the company's classified ads
services, Google Base. QuickBooks 2007 is scheduled to ship in the fall...
Barbara Walters... says
when she told... her Havanese dog Cha-Cha... she loved her, Cha-Cha said "I
love you" back... Army Pfc. Anthony P.
Seig, 19, of Sunman, Ind., died on Sept. 9, in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries
sustained when he encountered indirect fire from enemy forces while on base.
Seig was assigned to the Army's 118th Military Police Company, 519th Military
Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 22:21:20Army Sgt. John A.
Carroll, 26, of Ponca City, Okla., died on Sept. 6 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of
injuries sustained when he came in contact with enemy forces using small arms
fire during a dismounted security patrol. Carroll was assigned to the Army 1st
Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
defenselink.mil/ ... 22:20:55Army Sgt. 1st Class
Merideth L. Howard, 52, of Alameda, Calif.Army Staff Sgt. Robert
J. Paul, 43, of The Dalles, Ore. Army Sgt. Nathaniel
B. Lindsey, 38, of Troutdale, Ore., died on Sept. 9 in Shajoy, Afghanistan,
of injuries sustained when his HMMWV encountered undetermined ordnance from
enemy forces during patrol operations. Lindsey was assigned to the Army
National Guard's 41st Brigade Combat Team, Portland, Ore. defenselink.mil/ ... 22:19:47Marine Cpl. Johnathan
L. Benson, 21, of North Branch, Minn., died Sept. 9 from wounds suffered on
June 17 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. defenselink.mil/ ... 11:17:46Army Sgt. Luis A.
Montes, 22, of El Centro, Calif., died on Sept. 7 in Brooke Army Medical
Center, San Antonio, Texas, of injuries suffered on Sept. 1 in Abu Ghraib,
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during
combat operations. Montes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry
Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Bill Clinton's camp yesterday demanded that
ABC can its controversial film "The Path to 9/11," due to air tonight - and in
a scathing new letter accused the network of exploiting the tragedy for
ratings... Under pressure from former President Bill Clinton and the
Democratic Party, ABC scrambled on Friday to make 11th-hour changes to a
miniseries suggesting he was inattentive to the Islamic militant threat that
led to the September 11 attacks... today.reuters.com/ ... 14:50:43CBS
Corp. said on Saturday it would broadcast the documentary "9/11" on the
Internet as well as the airwaves after several affiliates said they would delay
or forgo the award-winning film because it includes profanity... Idaho... Local police have
broken up a major marijuana-growing operation in the hills north of Carey,
making two arrests and destroying 2,000 plants worth an
estimated $6 million... six plots measuring about 75 yards by 25 yards
each, all containing mature marijuana plants about 6 feet tall... all had
elaborate watering systems, and the alleged growers [two males, both 31yo] had
been camping at the site... a tip from two hunters who discovered it on Aug.
31... Air Force Maj. Burke H. Morgan, U.S. Air Force,
of Manitou Springs, Colo., was buried Sept. 7 beside his wife, Mary, at the
U.S. Air Force Academy. The service there coincided with his U.S. Air Force
Academy graduating class's 45th reunion. On Aug. 22, 1967, Morgan and a fellow
officer took off from Nakhon Phanom air base, Thailand, in their A-26A Invader
on an armed reconnaissance mission over Laos. The crew had radio contact on
their mission shortly after midnight, but were neither seen nor heard from
again..... defenselink.mil/ ... 22:43:20Army Sgt. Jason L.
Merrill, 22, of Mesa, Ariz.Army Pvt. Edwin A. Andino II, 23, of Culpeper,
Va. Marine Pfc. Vincent
M. Frassetto, 21, of Toms River, N.J., died Sept. 7 while conducting combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th
Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, N.C. A boa constrictor was
recovering Friday at a Manhattan animal shelter, one day after it was injured
by a man who was waving the six-foot snake at passers-by on a Brooklyn
street... reportedly... the man stabbed the boa with scissors... hosted.ap.org/ ...
22:32:34Wildlife rangers have made the first-ever sighting of a Sumatran
rhino deep in the jungles of Borneo, taking video and photos of a single male
after a decade-long search, conservationists said Friday... suggested a growing
population of the Sumatran rhino was present in the wild... today.reuters.com/ ...
08:19:54BEIJING... a sleep-deprived panda... new mother of twins...
dropped her two-day-old baby and crushed it to death... the zoo had tried on
several occasions to separate the cub from its mother for their safety, but Ya
Ya "was very cautious" and would "roar and bare her teeth" at zoo-keepers... Ya
Ya had proved inconsolable, wailing and looking for her baby after its body was
taken away from her... "Pandas who lose their young tend
to be depressed for a month or so..." Army Pfc. Jeremy R.
Shank, 18, of Jackson, Mo., died on Sept. 6 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries
suffered in Hawijah, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms
fire during a dismounted security patrol. Shank was assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division,
Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. defenselink.mil/ ... 21:00:37Army Lt. Col.
Marshall A. Gutierrez, 41, of New Mexico, died on Sep. 4 in Camp
Virginia, Kuwait, from non-combat related injuries. Gutierrez was assigned to
the Area Support Group, Arijan, Kuwait. The incident is under investigation.
defenselink.mil/ ... 21:00:17Army Sgt. Germaine L.
Debro, 33, of Omaha, Neb., died on Sept. 4 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during
combat operations. Debro was assigned to the Army National Guard 1st Squadron,
167th Cavalry Regiment, Fremont, Neb. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:57:54Army Sgt. 1st Class
Richard J. Henkes II, 32, of Portland Ore., died on Sept. 3 of injuries
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during
combat operations. Henkes was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:57:38Army Staff Sgt. Angel
D. Mercado-Velazquez, 24, died in Yusifiyah, Iraq, on Sept. 1 of injuries
suffered from mortar fire during dismounted combat operations.
Mercado-Velazquez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
defenselink.mil/ ... 09:57:20Army Sgt. Ralph N.
Porras, 36, of Merrill, Mich.Army Pfc. Justin W. Dreese, 21, of
Northumberland, Pa. Navy Petty Officer 2nd
Class Christopher G. Walsh, 30, of St. Louis, Mo. died Sept. 4 while his
unit was conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar
province, Iraq. Walsh was serving as a corpsman with Multi National Corps Iraq.
He was assigned to the Navy Reserve 3rd Battalion, 24th Regiment, 4th Marine
Division, Bridgetown, Mo. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:56:19Army Pfc. Hannah L.
Gunterman, 20, of Redlands, Calif., died on Sept. 4 in Taji, Iraq, from a
non-combat related cause. Gunterman was assigned to the 542nd Maintenance
Company, 44th Corps Support Battalion, Fort Lewis, Wash. This incident is under
investigation. The discovery of 22,740
marijuana plants growing in and around Point Reyes National Seashore last week
wasn't only the biggest pot seizure ever made in Marin County. It was an
environmental mess that will take several months and tens of thousands of
dollars to clean up... Such operations are turning up in greater numbers within
state and national parks throughout California. Federal officials estimate the
state produces half of all the marijuana seized on public lands nationwide...
[Repeal! Repeal! Repeal!] hosted.ap.org/ ... 21:46:10MOBILE,
Ala... police... used chopped macadamia nuts to resemble rocks of crack cocaine
during a drug sting Friday and Saturday on a street corner near downtown....
Army Cpl. Shannon L.
Squires, 25, of Virginia Beach, Va., died in Brooke Army Medial Center, San
Antonio, Texas on Aug. 28, of injuries sustained along Main Supply Route Tampa,
Iraq on Apr. 21, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy
vehicle during combat operations. Squires was assigned to the Army's 3rd
Battalion, 321 Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, XVIIIth
Airborne Corps Artillery, Fort Bragg, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:09:33Army Sgt. Matthew J.
Vosbein, 30, of Metairie, La., died on Aug. 29, in Sadr Al Yusifiyah, Iraq,
of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
dismounted patrol during combat operations. Vosbein was assigned to the Army's
2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:08:56Marine Pvt. Ryan E.
Miller, 21, of Gahanna, Ohio, died Sept. 3 while conducting combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd
Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, N.C.Marine Cpl. Jared M. Shoemaker, 29, of Tulsa, Okla., died
Sept. 4 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was
assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th
Marine Division, Broken Arrow, Okla. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:08:17Marine Lance Cpl.
Eric P. Valdepenas, 21, of Seekonk, Mass., died Sept. 4 while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces
Reserve's 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Ayer, Mass.
defenselink.mil/ ... 09:07:49Marine Lance Cpl.
Shane P. Harris, 23, of Las Vegas, N.M., died Sep. 3 while conducting
combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Light
Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary
Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:07:24Marine Lance Cpl.
Cliff K. Golla, 21, of Charlotte, N.C., died Sept. 1 from wounds
received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.Marine Lance Cpl. Philip A. Johnson, 19, of
Hartford, Conn., died Sept. 3 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar
province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd
Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. defenselink.mil/ ... 09:06:33Army Staff Sgt.
Eugene H.E. Alex, 32, of Bay City, Mich., died on Sept. 2 in Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered on Aug 30 in
Baghdad, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire. Alex was
assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade
Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Army Staff Sgt.
Michael L. Deason, 28, of Farmington, Mo., died on Aug 31, in Ad War,
Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near
his vehicle during combat operations. Deason was assigned to the 3rd Battalion,
320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort
Campbell, Ky. defenselink.mil/ ... 16:38:11Army Pfc. Nicholas A.
Madaras, 19, of Wilton, Conn., died on Sept. 3, in Baqubah, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
dismounted patrol during combat operations. Madaras was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
Fort Carson, Colo. 
pera or I suppose
Firefox....] news.bbc.co.uk/ ... 11:34:05Unlike
TV or radio, the internet is a relatively new arena for advertisers. With the
clever consumer knowing how to block the advertisers' pop-ups, companies are
having to find new ways to sell their products online... voanews.com/ ... 10:03:53The Internet has allowed the
freest exchange of ideas in China, a country with strict censorship rules. But
in the past few years, the country has seen blogs and chat rooms used for
massive personal attacks - with victims receiving thousands of threatening and
insulting messages. Some Internet experts say this on-line vigilantism is a
worrying trend, for fear it could get out of hand... reviews.zdnet.co.uk/ ...
10:02:46Windows Vista RC1 (build 5564) should mark the final stretch for
Microsoft's new operating system, but don't be surprised if Microsoft issues
one more public release candidate before making Windows Vista final... For a
look inside, see our Windows Vista RC1 slide show... Army Sgt. Joshua R.
Hanson, 27, of West St. Paul, Minn., died on Aug. 30, in Khaldea, Iraq, of
injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle during combat operations. Hanson was assigned to the National Guard 2nd
Battalion, 136th Infantry, Detroit Lakes, Minn. defenselink.mil/ ... 06:59:03Marine Pfc. Colin J.
Wolfe, 18, of Manassas, Va., died Aug. 30 while conducting combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd
Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Lejeune, N.C. pera, ALREADY allow you to
do this automatically TOO, and as an option!] [AND IT GETS
WORSE!::] Browzar is an "Internet Explorer shell..."
[Danger! Danger Will Robinson!...] hosted.ap.org/ ... 06:35:15The
entertainment industry achieved a key victory Thursday after a Dutch Internet
service provider surrendered the name and address of one of its customers
suspected of illegal file-sharing... scrippsnews.com/ ... 00:28:18An unusual collaboration
between Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Internet bloggers this week led a
senator to publicly acknowledge that he'd been blocking a vote on a government
accountability bill. The admission by Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, also offered
a glimpse into the increasing role that online pundits play in U.S.
policymaking... 
another dolphin gravely injured because of human
action... The baby bottlenose dolphin lost her tail, but perhaps her life could
be saved... a prosthetic tail. If the logistics can be worked out, Winter's
prosthesis would be the first for a dolphin who lost its tail and the key joint
that allows it to move in powerful up-and-down strokes... 
A few weeks after giving the 16-week-old cat a
new home two officers swooped on his house accompanied by charity workers to
demand he return his new pet. The action came after a single flea had been
spotted on the kitten... by one of the charity's officers during an earlier
visit to check the animal's welfare... [18yo says] "I was horrified. We have no
end of problems with teenagers around here - but you never see a policeman
tackle them. I understand the charity do these routine welfare visits, but they
were so rude, barging in without any warning..." 
HOLIDAY, Fla...
Police lights and a phone call woke Kevin Jessup at 4 a.m. "Good morning, sir,"
a deputy told him in the pre-dawn call Wednesday. "I advise you not to step out
your front door. There's an alligator right there. A large one..." might be the
reason the neighborhood's stray cat population has declined... 
Karl Rove on Hillary: "For somebody who is
philosophically very liberal, she’ll be a very cautious candidate at
times.... That cautiousness will serve her well a lot of times not always, but
a lot of times."
John Lennon's
perceived "threat" to the U.S. government is the highlight of a new film that
documents his transformation from pop idol to political activist and offers a
fresh look at this former Beatle's career. "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" will be
released later this month. Yoko Ono cooperated with the filmmakers, opening her
archives of rarely seen footage of the couple's fight for peace... In the
1970s, Lennon was convinced that government agents were watching him. As it
turns out, he was right...