Fury and sorrow in Egypt: the murder of a pregnant Egyptian woman in a German courtroom last week has sparked protests in Egypt with mourners chanting "Down With Germany". The woman was stabbed to death in a racist attack.
A brutal murder in Germany last week has caused shockwaves in far-off Egypt. Thousands of mourners took to the streets of Alexandria on Monday to protest at the funeral of a pregnant Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death inside a German court in a crime that has provoked fury in her home country.
Egyptian newspapers have given strong coverage to the death of Marwa al-Sherbini (32), describing the veiled woman as a "martyr in a headscarf" and suggesting the killer was motivated by a hatred of Islam.
Mourners chanted "Down with Germany" and scuffled with police after prayers in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria for al-Sherbini, who was murdered on July 1 in a courtroom in Dresden, eastern Germany, by a German man of Russian origin.
"We will revenge her death," al-Sherbini's brother, Tarek al-Sherbini," told the Associated Press. He said Muslims faced racism and discrimination in the West.
Al-Sherbini, mother to a three-year-old child and three months pregnant, was stabbed 18 times by the man she was testifying against during an appeal hearing, said German prosecutors.
'He Wasn't Blond, so They Shot Him'
Her killer also stabbed her husband, who German police then mistook for the attacker and shot in the leg, prosecutors added. The husband is in a hospital and has awoken from a coma. "They thought that he had to be the attacker because he isn't blond and then they shot him," Tarek told Egyptian TV.
The killer, named only as Alex W., was appealing against a conviction for insulting Sherbini by calling her an "Islamist," "terrorist" and a "slut" when she asked him to make space for her son to go on the swings on a playground in Dresden, said prosecutors.
He had been fined €780 and last Wednesday's court session had been called to hear his appeal against the ruling.
State prosecutor Christian Avenarius described him as a man driven by hatred of Muslims. "It was clearly a racist attack by a fanatical lone wolf," he said. W. had moved to Germany from Russia in 2003 and had already expressed his contempt for all Muslims at the start of his court case, said the prosecutor.
Al-Sherbini's body was flown to Cairo on Sunday, and met by her family and the German ambassador. Her funeral was attended by members of parliament, a minister, a representative of Egypt's Coptic Christians and others.
Al-Sherbini moved to Germany in 2005 with her husband Elwi Okaz, a genetic research scientist. They lived in Berlin at first and moved to Dresden in 2008 where Elwi had a research position at the Max-Planck-Institute.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood parliamentary bloc, Egypt's most powerful opposition group, have called for Parliament Members to discuss the killing, said the group's Web site.
German Consulate Under Police Protection
More protests are planned in front of the German consulate in Alexandria on Thursday. Egyptian newspapers reported that police had been put on alert and would deploy to protect the consulate. The city council plans to name a street after al-Sherbini, Daily News Egypt reported on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Arabs and Muslims demonstrated in Berlin on Saturday. The Egyptian Pharmaceutical Association has called for a boycott of German-made drugs - al-Sherbiny was a pharmacologist and a member of Egypt's national handball team from 1992 to 1999.
The General Secretaries of Germany's Muslim and Jewish Councils, Aiman Mayzek and Stephan Kramer, visited al-Sherbini's husband in hospital on Monday. "You don't have to be Muslim to oppose anti-Muslim behavior, and you don't have to be Jewish to oppose anti-Semitism," said Kramer. "We must stand together against such inhumanity."
German government spokesman Thomas Steg said Chancellor Angela Merkel had reacted "very emotionally" to the incident. "If there's a xenophobic, racist background to this case, the government of course condemns it in the strongest terms," he said.
Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, Egypt's most senior cleric, called the attacker a murderer and said al-Sherbiny was a martyr. But he appealed for calm and said he hoped the murder wouldn't harm the dialogue between the West and Islam. "It was an isolated case," he said. Intellpuke: This article is a compilation of reporting by Spiegel journalists and various news organizations; you can read it in context here: www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,634842,00.html
soure:http://freeinternetpress.com
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Egyptians Demand Revenge for Dresden Stabbing, Welt Says
More than 1,000 people took to the streets of the Egyptian city of Alexandria yesterday to mourn and protest the murder of a 32-year-old Egyptian woman in a Dresden court last week, Die Welt reported today.
Militant are using the incident to arouse aggression against Germans in video messages and on internet forums, the newspaper said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Cornelius Rahn in Frankfurt at crahn2@bloomberg.net
bloomberg.com
Militant are using the incident to arouse aggression against Germans in video messages and on internet forums, the newspaper said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Cornelius Rahn in Frankfurt at crahn2@bloomberg.net
bloomberg.com
The Cure Is In Your Food
By Delia Quigley
I like to think that America is in the midst of a food revolution. All the books available on improving one’s health by eating a good diet, and books about how to green the home and save the planet, articles on health and nutrition in magazines and newsletters, helps me to maintain the illusion that progress has been made and victory is within our grasp. Then The New York Times comes along and bursts my bubble with an article by Roni Caryn Rabin, showing the latest statistics for Americans eating habits.
According to a national survey of Americans age 40 to age 74, those eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day has dropped from 42 percent to 26 percent. At the same time the obesity rate increased from 28 percent to 36 percent and the percentage of people who exercise dropped by half. The study, reported in the June issue of The American Journal of Medicine, proved disappointing to its lead author, Dr. Dana E. King, who was concerned that people are using medication to control their cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, rather than eating a high quality diet and getting regular exercise.
It is the nature of the human mind to deceive itself into believing what it wants to believe, and one of the greatest deceptions is that ultimate health can be found in a pill. Sorry to burst that bubble, but the only one benefiting from this lie is the pharmaceutical companies who indulge Americans addiction to greasy burgers, fries, sugar, and soda pop. Author Eric Schlosser wrote in Fast Food Nation how, “In 1970 Americans spent about $6 billion on fast food; in 2000 they spent more than $110 billion dollars. Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars. They spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music combined.”
Taking a pill in place of eating a whole foods diet, only creates a build up of toxins and poisonous sludge in the blood. It is not much different than how a river or ocean becomes contaminated, and when this happens there is only one thing to do. Cleanse, detoxify, go on a diet, renew, rejuvenate, recover. Now, I’m not talking about doing a quick seven-day laxative induced, fasting binge, which is just another illusion that there’s relief to be found in pill form. No, I’m talking about a gradual shift off of stress causing foods: refined wheat flour, refined sugar, pasteurized dairy products, caffeine, alcohol and artificial sweeteners, flavorings and colorings. To a diet consisting of alkaline forming foods found in organic fruits and vegetables, plus whole grains, small amounts of animal protein, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, probiotic rich fermented vegetables and fresh herbs.
This way of eating allows your filtering organs time to cleanse gradually, so the liver can purify the blood in order for the cells to rejuvenate and rebuild. With enough time the entire body, including DNA can remake itself. A good cleansing program should last five to six weeks to really be effective. However, in order to remake and heal the body, plan for at least a full year. Perhaps not as fast as you were hoping to find in pill form, but most pharmaceutical medications will only mask the symptoms. Better to take the time, provide all the needed nutrients in the form of whole, organic food and let your body do the healing work. After all that’s what nature intended.
Delia Quigley is the Director of StillPoint Schoolhouse, where she teaches a holistic lifestyle designed to achieve optimal health and well being, based on her 28 years of study, experience and practice. She is the creator of the Body Rejuvenation Cleanse, Cooking the Basics videos and classes, and Broken Bodies Yoga. Delia’s credentials include holistic nutritional counselor, natural foods chef, yoga instructor, energy therapist and public speaker.
Quigley is the author of seven books on health and nutrition, including:The Body Rejuvenation Cleanse, The Complete Idiots Guide to Detoxing Your Body, The Everything SuperFoods Book, and Empowering Your Life With Meditation, available on Amazon.com. To view her website go to: www.deliaquigley.com
I like to think that America is in the midst of a food revolution. All the books available on improving one’s health by eating a good diet, and books about how to green the home and save the planet, articles on health and nutrition in magazines and newsletters, helps me to maintain the illusion that progress has been made and victory is within our grasp. Then The New York Times comes along and bursts my bubble with an article by Roni Caryn Rabin, showing the latest statistics for Americans eating habits.
According to a national survey of Americans age 40 to age 74, those eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day has dropped from 42 percent to 26 percent. At the same time the obesity rate increased from 28 percent to 36 percent and the percentage of people who exercise dropped by half. The study, reported in the June issue of The American Journal of Medicine, proved disappointing to its lead author, Dr. Dana E. King, who was concerned that people are using medication to control their cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, rather than eating a high quality diet and getting regular exercise.
It is the nature of the human mind to deceive itself into believing what it wants to believe, and one of the greatest deceptions is that ultimate health can be found in a pill. Sorry to burst that bubble, but the only one benefiting from this lie is the pharmaceutical companies who indulge Americans addiction to greasy burgers, fries, sugar, and soda pop. Author Eric Schlosser wrote in Fast Food Nation how, “In 1970 Americans spent about $6 billion on fast food; in 2000 they spent more than $110 billion dollars. Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars. They spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music combined.”
Taking a pill in place of eating a whole foods diet, only creates a build up of toxins and poisonous sludge in the blood. It is not much different than how a river or ocean becomes contaminated, and when this happens there is only one thing to do. Cleanse, detoxify, go on a diet, renew, rejuvenate, recover. Now, I’m not talking about doing a quick seven-day laxative induced, fasting binge, which is just another illusion that there’s relief to be found in pill form. No, I’m talking about a gradual shift off of stress causing foods: refined wheat flour, refined sugar, pasteurized dairy products, caffeine, alcohol and artificial sweeteners, flavorings and colorings. To a diet consisting of alkaline forming foods found in organic fruits and vegetables, plus whole grains, small amounts of animal protein, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, probiotic rich fermented vegetables and fresh herbs.
This way of eating allows your filtering organs time to cleanse gradually, so the liver can purify the blood in order for the cells to rejuvenate and rebuild. With enough time the entire body, including DNA can remake itself. A good cleansing program should last five to six weeks to really be effective. However, in order to remake and heal the body, plan for at least a full year. Perhaps not as fast as you were hoping to find in pill form, but most pharmaceutical medications will only mask the symptoms. Better to take the time, provide all the needed nutrients in the form of whole, organic food and let your body do the healing work. After all that’s what nature intended.
Delia Quigley is the Director of StillPoint Schoolhouse, where she teaches a holistic lifestyle designed to achieve optimal health and well being, based on her 28 years of study, experience and practice. She is the creator of the Body Rejuvenation Cleanse, Cooking the Basics videos and classes, and Broken Bodies Yoga. Delia’s credentials include holistic nutritional counselor, natural foods chef, yoga instructor, energy therapist and public speaker.
Quigley is the author of seven books on health and nutrition, including:The Body Rejuvenation Cleanse, The Complete Idiots Guide to Detoxing Your Body, The Everything SuperFoods Book, and Empowering Your Life With Meditation, available on Amazon.com. To view her website go to: www.deliaquigley.com
Everything You Need to Know About Plastic
By Leslie Crawford
I admit it, I’m holier-than-thou when it comes to what I feed my six-year-old son, Sam. Organic everything, filtered water, wheat not white. In fact, I’d assumed that my record as a well-informed, health-conscious mother was just about impeccable. But then a chance conversation with my sister-in-law sent me into a tailspin.
“Knowing what I know now,” said my sister-in-law Jeri Metz, an environmental scientist and organic farmer in Cabin John, Maryland, “I would never feed my family anything that’s been sold, served, or stored in plastic.” The concern, explained Jeri, is that many of the chemicals used to make and treat the plastic we wrap and bottle our food in may be carcinogenic, hormone-altering, and, at the very least, a cause of allergic reactions ranging from skin irritation to breathing problems. What�s more, a growing body of studies shows that many of these same toxic chemicals are migrating directing into our food.
Yikes. I thought I had enough on my plate, what with fretting over pesticides, non-stick pans, and antibacterial soaps. Now I have to add plastic to the list of worries? As credentialed as Jeri is–she’s a university science professor who is diligent about keeping up-to-date on environmental and health research–I didn’t want to believe her. I need plastic. I use it every day. My son needs it. “You mean, even the sippy cups for Sam’s soy milk?” I asked. “The baggies I use for his organic pita-bread sandwiches–those, too?”
Indeed, she replied. In short, even the most conscientious, naturally minded consumer may be ingesting a host of chemicals that pose enough of a risk to merit notice–and in some cases, intense scrutiny–by activist groups like Health Care Without Harm and Greenpeace, as well as government agencies such as the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No long-term studies have yet been conducted on humans, Jeri added, but the bottom line is that we can’t be sure what the chemicals in plastics are doing to us and to our children.
I was bewildered: How could something with such potential for harm be permitted to come in such close contact with the food we eat? And if there is a danger, how can you minimize your risks without driving yourself crazy looking for alternatives?
I ran a mental slide show of the chemical feast of plastics my son may have been ingesting from the womb onward. For starters, there is the sea of plastic chemicals I’ve been surrounded by in my lifetime and passed on to him during my pregnancy, then years’ worth of breast milk stored and heated in plastic bags during his infancy. Then all those plastic baby bottles and sippy cups. The famous line in The Graduate foretold the role plastic would play in our economy: Indeed, since 1976, it’s become the most widely used packaging material in the United States.
Before surrendering to outright panic, I decided to dig up some of the research my sister-in-law was talking about. First on the list of potential troublemakers was an extended family of chemicals known as plasticizers, used to soften normally hard plastic known as PVC, or polyvinyl chloride. In dozens of animal studies conducted over the past several years, a spate of these plasticizers has been shown to be especially harmful to pregnant mice and their babies.
Studies have linked exposure to even low doses of one of these plasticizers, bisphenol-A (BPA), to chromosomal abnormalities. Exposure to the chemical, which creates hormonal imbalances, resulted in everything from high rates of spontaneous abortions to decreased sperm counts in male mice and early onset of puberty in females. While you can’t make a simple leap from mice to men, researchers like Frederick S. vom Saal, a professor of biology at the University of Missouri in Columbia and coauthor of several of these studies, believe the research raises disturbing questions. “It’s worth asking how concerned you should be about the potential for harm in humans from a chemical that can do all these things to mice,” he says.
The big, lingering question is how easily these chemicals can leach into food. I asked Ned Groth, a senior scientist for Consumers Union, in Yonkers, New York, what he knew about this. “Nobody has complete data yet” he says, though studies have indicated that under certain circumstances–exposure to high heat, harsh soaps, or simply repeated use over time–chemicals from some plastics degrade and do in fact make it into our food.
But the FDA’s George Pauli isn’t alarmed. “Plasticizers can leach into food more than any other chemical,” admits Pauli, who is associate director for science and policy in the FDA’s office of food additives and safety. “But there’s a robust number of animal studies, with a wide margin of safety, which show no effects.” It’s worth noting, however, that all the studies he cites are those put out by the plastics industry.
So what about the independent studies that suggest otherwise? “Many of these studies are relatively small,” says Pauli, “and reported in ways that are hard to interpret. At this stage, we have not seen anything to change our original decision made 40 years ago that BPA is safe.”
At least researchers on both sides of the plastics fence appear to agree on one point: Even when chemicals do leach into food, it�s not clear to what extent humans are affected by them. For me, though, the data from animal studies is worrisome enough that I�ve decided to purge plastic from my kitchen; I�m not willing to wait years for scientists to sort it all out. And even if it turns out that plastic poses no specific risk to my family, I can be comforted by the knowledge that reducing our consumption of it is good for the environment. Not only do millions of pounds of plastic find their way into landfills every year, 14 percent of air pollution nationwide is from plastic production.
Yet when it came to the point of actually doing something about it, I found the prospect of clearing out my drawers of handy plastic bowls and bins almost painful. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, how was I going to live without them? Feeling both martyr and saint, I began tentatively at first, then picked up speed. Soon all my food was stored in old-fashioned glass and ceramic jars and bowls. Once I’d made the switch, I was surprised by how easy the conversion could be.
But while it’s one thing to rid the home front of this stuff, it’s an entirely different challenge to avoid buying it in the first place. You try shopping for food that isn’t encased in plastic. After a few weeks of fits and starts–during one grocery trip, I found myself inexplicably squeezing a fat cube of tofu into a thin olive jar–I’ve got it down to something workable, if not perfect.
I’m lucky enough to live near a health-food co-op where I get a majority of my staples in bulk. So now when I shop, I come loaded with a cache of small paper bags and glass jars. And for foods that come in plastic, like deli foods and cheese, I try to transfer as much as possible to nonplastic containers and wrap when I get it home. For Sam’s lunch, I put most of the food in waxed-paper bags. With messier fare like yogurt, fruit salad, and drinks, I use a metal thermos.
Have I managed to eliminate all plastics that come in contact with our food? Hardly. Plastic is an unavoidable part of shopping in America. But I have realized that what I thought of as convenience was, in fact, simply habit. It’s getting easier by the day to break my seeming reliance on plastic. As for my holier-than-thou attitude? All I can say is that, chastened, I’m praying that one day my lack of faith in plastic proves me wrong. But until we know for certain one way or the other, I’ll happily take paper, thank you very much.
Deplasticizing Your Food Chemicals are most likely to migrate from plastic into food when exposed to high heat, harsh soaps, and fat. These precautionary measures can help you play it safe.
AVOID MICROWAVING IN PLASTIC.Heat speeds the release of chemicals into food. “People are being sold microwave-safe plastic, when in fact we’re not being told what’s in there and the rate at which these chemicals leach out,” says researcher Frederick vom Saal. Avoid this uncertainty by using ceramic or glass instead.
EXPLORE THE ALTERNATIVES.“I have one word for you: glass,” says Terry Hassold, a professor of genetics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who has studied the health effects of bisphenol-A (BPA) on mice. You can also store your food in ceramic containers, waxed- and brown paper bags, and metal canisters made for hot and cold food.
USE PAPER–NOT CLING-WRAP.Many studies indicate that most of the cling wrap used by delis and grocery stores contains high levels of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plasticizing chemical that has been linked to hormonal abnormalities in mice. (Happily, the cling wraps made for home use are safer.) Ask the butcher to wrap meat and fish in paper. And transfer fatty deli foods out of plastic wrap and into waxed paper when you get home. “If you put cling wrap that’s been plasticized on fatty foods, that stuff will migrate,” says Consumer Union’s Ned Groth. You might also want to cut off cheese’s outer layer–which has been directly exposed to plastic–before rewrapping it in something safer.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT.Discoloration, cracks, or other signs of wear suggest your plastic containers are degrading and may be leaching chemicals into your food. Once you’ve purged your kitchen of old plastic food bins and cups, splurge on a replacement set made of glass.
LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE.The longer food sits in plastic, the greater its time of exposure to chemicals that could migrate into it. If you must buy food in plastic–and it’s hard not to transfer it into a more food-friendly container once you get home.
WASH PLASTIC BY HAND.“It only takes 20 washings in the dishwasher for BPA to start leaching,” says vom Saal. Along with high heat, harsh detergents break down plastic as well. Wash your plastic containers, even those labeled “dishwasher safe,” by hand in warm water and mild detergent.
READ THE LABEL.While you’ll never find an actual list of ingredients, many plastics come with labels of sorts: those triangles with numbers inside found on the bottom of plastic containers. The numbers you most want to avoid are 3, 6, and 7. The safest numbers are 1, 2, and 5–the type of plastics used in most small water bottles and all soda bottles, yogurt containers, tubs of butter, and so on. At the very least, look for brands billing themselves as “PVC-free.”
BUY GLASS BOTTLES.Some of the clear plastics, like baby bottles, are treated with bisphenol-A, to which infants are particularly vulnerable. “Using these bottles is like putting a serious drug into what the baby’s drinking,” says vom Saal. Look for glass baby bottles by Evenflo. And avoid drinking water from those five-gallon water jugs delivered to offices and homes, which also contain BPA. Opt instead for filtered water from the tap.
BUY IN BULK.Health food stores are selling everything from pasta to tofu in bulk, and the plastic used to bag bulk products isn’t known to be toxic, says Groth. To play it really safe, you can transfer your bagged items to glass containers at home.
Plastic by the Numbers Many plastics are classified by one of seven codes located in that familiar triangle on the bottom of containers and bottles. (The triangle doesn’t mean a plastic container is recyclable; the number inside it simply indicates the kind of resin used.) With plastic wraps and bags, it’s harder to know which chemicals have been used. At the very least, look for brands that advertise on their packaging that they don’t contain PVC. Until consumers demand better labeling on plastic products, you’ll never know exactly what you’re getting in your bottles, bins, and bags, but here are a few suspects to try to steer clear of.
#3 Vinyl or PVC (polyvinyl chloride)Where it lurks: Most commercial cling wrap used in grocery stores and delis; bottles used to store many brands of olive and cooking oils; some water bottles.Risks: Contains plasticizers that are suspected endocrine disrupters and carcinogens.
#6 PS (polystyrene)Where it lurks: Some disposable plastic cups and bowls; most opaque plastic cutlery.Risks: Contains p-nonylphenol and styrene, both of which are carcinogens and suspected hormone disrupters.
#7 “Other” (Usually polycarbonate, or PC)Where it lurks: Most clear plastic baby bottles, five-gallon water jugs; clear plastic sippy cups; some clear plastic cutlery.Risks: “Other” is a catchall category, meaning you don’t know what you’re getting. Most worrisome, many plastics labeled “7″ contain bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter
I admit it, I’m holier-than-thou when it comes to what I feed my six-year-old son, Sam. Organic everything, filtered water, wheat not white. In fact, I’d assumed that my record as a well-informed, health-conscious mother was just about impeccable. But then a chance conversation with my sister-in-law sent me into a tailspin.
“Knowing what I know now,” said my sister-in-law Jeri Metz, an environmental scientist and organic farmer in Cabin John, Maryland, “I would never feed my family anything that’s been sold, served, or stored in plastic.” The concern, explained Jeri, is that many of the chemicals used to make and treat the plastic we wrap and bottle our food in may be carcinogenic, hormone-altering, and, at the very least, a cause of allergic reactions ranging from skin irritation to breathing problems. What�s more, a growing body of studies shows that many of these same toxic chemicals are migrating directing into our food.
Yikes. I thought I had enough on my plate, what with fretting over pesticides, non-stick pans, and antibacterial soaps. Now I have to add plastic to the list of worries? As credentialed as Jeri is–she’s a university science professor who is diligent about keeping up-to-date on environmental and health research–I didn’t want to believe her. I need plastic. I use it every day. My son needs it. “You mean, even the sippy cups for Sam’s soy milk?” I asked. “The baggies I use for his organic pita-bread sandwiches–those, too?”
Indeed, she replied. In short, even the most conscientious, naturally minded consumer may be ingesting a host of chemicals that pose enough of a risk to merit notice–and in some cases, intense scrutiny–by activist groups like Health Care Without Harm and Greenpeace, as well as government agencies such as the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No long-term studies have yet been conducted on humans, Jeri added, but the bottom line is that we can’t be sure what the chemicals in plastics are doing to us and to our children.
I was bewildered: How could something with such potential for harm be permitted to come in such close contact with the food we eat? And if there is a danger, how can you minimize your risks without driving yourself crazy looking for alternatives?
I ran a mental slide show of the chemical feast of plastics my son may have been ingesting from the womb onward. For starters, there is the sea of plastic chemicals I’ve been surrounded by in my lifetime and passed on to him during my pregnancy, then years’ worth of breast milk stored and heated in plastic bags during his infancy. Then all those plastic baby bottles and sippy cups. The famous line in The Graduate foretold the role plastic would play in our economy: Indeed, since 1976, it’s become the most widely used packaging material in the United States.
Before surrendering to outright panic, I decided to dig up some of the research my sister-in-law was talking about. First on the list of potential troublemakers was an extended family of chemicals known as plasticizers, used to soften normally hard plastic known as PVC, or polyvinyl chloride. In dozens of animal studies conducted over the past several years, a spate of these plasticizers has been shown to be especially harmful to pregnant mice and their babies.
Studies have linked exposure to even low doses of one of these plasticizers, bisphenol-A (BPA), to chromosomal abnormalities. Exposure to the chemical, which creates hormonal imbalances, resulted in everything from high rates of spontaneous abortions to decreased sperm counts in male mice and early onset of puberty in females. While you can’t make a simple leap from mice to men, researchers like Frederick S. vom Saal, a professor of biology at the University of Missouri in Columbia and coauthor of several of these studies, believe the research raises disturbing questions. “It’s worth asking how concerned you should be about the potential for harm in humans from a chemical that can do all these things to mice,” he says.
The big, lingering question is how easily these chemicals can leach into food. I asked Ned Groth, a senior scientist for Consumers Union, in Yonkers, New York, what he knew about this. “Nobody has complete data yet” he says, though studies have indicated that under certain circumstances–exposure to high heat, harsh soaps, or simply repeated use over time–chemicals from some plastics degrade and do in fact make it into our food.
But the FDA’s George Pauli isn’t alarmed. “Plasticizers can leach into food more than any other chemical,” admits Pauli, who is associate director for science and policy in the FDA’s office of food additives and safety. “But there’s a robust number of animal studies, with a wide margin of safety, which show no effects.” It’s worth noting, however, that all the studies he cites are those put out by the plastics industry.
So what about the independent studies that suggest otherwise? “Many of these studies are relatively small,” says Pauli, “and reported in ways that are hard to interpret. At this stage, we have not seen anything to change our original decision made 40 years ago that BPA is safe.”
At least researchers on both sides of the plastics fence appear to agree on one point: Even when chemicals do leach into food, it�s not clear to what extent humans are affected by them. For me, though, the data from animal studies is worrisome enough that I�ve decided to purge plastic from my kitchen; I�m not willing to wait years for scientists to sort it all out. And even if it turns out that plastic poses no specific risk to my family, I can be comforted by the knowledge that reducing our consumption of it is good for the environment. Not only do millions of pounds of plastic find their way into landfills every year, 14 percent of air pollution nationwide is from plastic production.
Yet when it came to the point of actually doing something about it, I found the prospect of clearing out my drawers of handy plastic bowls and bins almost painful. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, how was I going to live without them? Feeling both martyr and saint, I began tentatively at first, then picked up speed. Soon all my food was stored in old-fashioned glass and ceramic jars and bowls. Once I’d made the switch, I was surprised by how easy the conversion could be.
But while it’s one thing to rid the home front of this stuff, it’s an entirely different challenge to avoid buying it in the first place. You try shopping for food that isn’t encased in plastic. After a few weeks of fits and starts–during one grocery trip, I found myself inexplicably squeezing a fat cube of tofu into a thin olive jar–I’ve got it down to something workable, if not perfect.
I’m lucky enough to live near a health-food co-op where I get a majority of my staples in bulk. So now when I shop, I come loaded with a cache of small paper bags and glass jars. And for foods that come in plastic, like deli foods and cheese, I try to transfer as much as possible to nonplastic containers and wrap when I get it home. For Sam’s lunch, I put most of the food in waxed-paper bags. With messier fare like yogurt, fruit salad, and drinks, I use a metal thermos.
Have I managed to eliminate all plastics that come in contact with our food? Hardly. Plastic is an unavoidable part of shopping in America. But I have realized that what I thought of as convenience was, in fact, simply habit. It’s getting easier by the day to break my seeming reliance on plastic. As for my holier-than-thou attitude? All I can say is that, chastened, I’m praying that one day my lack of faith in plastic proves me wrong. But until we know for certain one way or the other, I’ll happily take paper, thank you very much.
Deplasticizing Your Food Chemicals are most likely to migrate from plastic into food when exposed to high heat, harsh soaps, and fat. These precautionary measures can help you play it safe.
AVOID MICROWAVING IN PLASTIC.Heat speeds the release of chemicals into food. “People are being sold microwave-safe plastic, when in fact we’re not being told what’s in there and the rate at which these chemicals leach out,” says researcher Frederick vom Saal. Avoid this uncertainty by using ceramic or glass instead.
EXPLORE THE ALTERNATIVES.“I have one word for you: glass,” says Terry Hassold, a professor of genetics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, who has studied the health effects of bisphenol-A (BPA) on mice. You can also store your food in ceramic containers, waxed- and brown paper bags, and metal canisters made for hot and cold food.
USE PAPER–NOT CLING-WRAP.Many studies indicate that most of the cling wrap used by delis and grocery stores contains high levels of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plasticizing chemical that has been linked to hormonal abnormalities in mice. (Happily, the cling wraps made for home use are safer.) Ask the butcher to wrap meat and fish in paper. And transfer fatty deli foods out of plastic wrap and into waxed paper when you get home. “If you put cling wrap that’s been plasticized on fatty foods, that stuff will migrate,” says Consumer Union’s Ned Groth. You might also want to cut off cheese’s outer layer–which has been directly exposed to plastic–before rewrapping it in something safer.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT.Discoloration, cracks, or other signs of wear suggest your plastic containers are degrading and may be leaching chemicals into your food. Once you’ve purged your kitchen of old plastic food bins and cups, splurge on a replacement set made of glass.
LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE.The longer food sits in plastic, the greater its time of exposure to chemicals that could migrate into it. If you must buy food in plastic–and it’s hard not to transfer it into a more food-friendly container once you get home.
WASH PLASTIC BY HAND.“It only takes 20 washings in the dishwasher for BPA to start leaching,” says vom Saal. Along with high heat, harsh detergents break down plastic as well. Wash your plastic containers, even those labeled “dishwasher safe,” by hand in warm water and mild detergent.
READ THE LABEL.While you’ll never find an actual list of ingredients, many plastics come with labels of sorts: those triangles with numbers inside found on the bottom of plastic containers. The numbers you most want to avoid are 3, 6, and 7. The safest numbers are 1, 2, and 5–the type of plastics used in most small water bottles and all soda bottles, yogurt containers, tubs of butter, and so on. At the very least, look for brands billing themselves as “PVC-free.”
BUY GLASS BOTTLES.Some of the clear plastics, like baby bottles, are treated with bisphenol-A, to which infants are particularly vulnerable. “Using these bottles is like putting a serious drug into what the baby’s drinking,” says vom Saal. Look for glass baby bottles by Evenflo. And avoid drinking water from those five-gallon water jugs delivered to offices and homes, which also contain BPA. Opt instead for filtered water from the tap.
BUY IN BULK.Health food stores are selling everything from pasta to tofu in bulk, and the plastic used to bag bulk products isn’t known to be toxic, says Groth. To play it really safe, you can transfer your bagged items to glass containers at home.
Plastic by the Numbers Many plastics are classified by one of seven codes located in that familiar triangle on the bottom of containers and bottles. (The triangle doesn’t mean a plastic container is recyclable; the number inside it simply indicates the kind of resin used.) With plastic wraps and bags, it’s harder to know which chemicals have been used. At the very least, look for brands that advertise on their packaging that they don’t contain PVC. Until consumers demand better labeling on plastic products, you’ll never know exactly what you’re getting in your bottles, bins, and bags, but here are a few suspects to try to steer clear of.
#3 Vinyl or PVC (polyvinyl chloride)Where it lurks: Most commercial cling wrap used in grocery stores and delis; bottles used to store many brands of olive and cooking oils; some water bottles.Risks: Contains plasticizers that are suspected endocrine disrupters and carcinogens.
#6 PS (polystyrene)Where it lurks: Some disposable plastic cups and bowls; most opaque plastic cutlery.Risks: Contains p-nonylphenol and styrene, both of which are carcinogens and suspected hormone disrupters.
#7 “Other” (Usually polycarbonate, or PC)Where it lurks: Most clear plastic baby bottles, five-gallon water jugs; clear plastic sippy cups; some clear plastic cutlery.Risks: “Other” is a catchall category, meaning you don’t know what you’re getting. Most worrisome, many plastics labeled “7″ contain bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter
10 Things Parents Should Know About Warehouse 13
At 12, my daughter is right at that age where some science fiction, some smart-aleck, a little creepiness and maybe a shudder or two are good things in a television show.
And since we’ve been watching a ton of the original Twilight Zones on Syfy, we’ve also seen more than our share of promos for the network’s new show, Warehouse 13, and we decided to give Tuesday night’s pilot a shot. (Besides, Fringe – our favorite watch-together show – is on summer break.)
So, if you’ve got a geeklet who’s into a little mystery and light occult, and bad science mixed with some neat steampunk gadgetry and quirky characters, here are 10 notes to consider if you’re planning a visit to Warehouse 13:
Language There’s some ancient Italian spoken in the pilot, but I’m guessing that’s not what you’re asking about. Warehouse 13’s TV-14 designation got us a reference to “screwing off,” a “what the hell,” a “kick your ass” and a “pile of crap,” the last one played strictly for laughs and involving, yes, an actual pile of crap.
Violence and The Ooky Factor Action-wise, you’re looking at some Secret Service-Fu, guns drawn but not shot, and a pretty tame immolation and crispy corpse that didn’t touch most of what Fringe or The X-Files carried week in and week out.
Gotcha! My daughter got one genuine moment of heart-race goosebumps out of the show. Enough to have her smiling about it, nothing that really freaked her out.
You know, (whisperwhisper) There was also a very brief morning-after scene, though the naked woman involved stays behind her blanket. Given that Syfy’s been touting the show as part Moonlighting, though, I wouldn’t count out the occasional flirtation and double entendre.
“Hey, that’s just like - “ Yes, Warehouse 13 offers plenty of reminders of either other movies and TV shows your kids have seen, or the ones you’ll want them to see soon enough: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The X-Files, Fringe and Men in Black all popped into my head during the two-hour premiere thanks to fairly obvious connections.
“No way!” (eye roll) Okay, you’re doing some heavy lifting with the suspension of disbelief on this one, given things like lightning guns, mind wipes, crystal-borne curses and supernatural-energy-eliminating purple goop.
“Is that real?” On the other hand, this is the first show I’ve seen since Sports Night that actually mentions Philo T. Farnsworth by name and credits him with inventing television, so that’s worth double-geek bonus points. Tesla and Edison get shout-outs, too, and I was intrigued enough to visit Wikipedia and read up on Lucrezia Borgia after the show.
“That guy, he’s, um…” I’ll save you the trouble of being distracted as I was trying to figure out where I’d seen Artie (Saul Rubinek) before: Among his many roles, he’s the collector from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Most Toys.”
Is it any good? In case I haven’t hinted heavily enough, the show is super-double-secret-probation derivative of a huge catalog of existing work, so it relied heavily on its characters. My daughter and I shared a few laughs at the banter and one-liners and were intrigued by the leads’ back-stories. That said, it’s summer, so I’ve got time to see how this series unfolds.
Yeah, but you’re a grown-up. What did your kid think? She had a mixed reaction. Immediately afterward, she pronounced it “okay” but added that she liked Fringe better. That said, she’d had a long day and still desperately wanted to stay awake to see how it ended.
Wired: Kids who love mysteries and adventure and can handle the PG-to-PG-13 arena could have some fun in here.Tired: So much of this has been seen before – maybe not all in the same place, but lots of this stuff in the Warehouse is in need of a good dusting
By John Booth
FROM GEEKDAD...RAISING GEEK GENERATION!
And since we’ve been watching a ton of the original Twilight Zones on Syfy, we’ve also seen more than our share of promos for the network’s new show, Warehouse 13, and we decided to give Tuesday night’s pilot a shot. (Besides, Fringe – our favorite watch-together show – is on summer break.)
So, if you’ve got a geeklet who’s into a little mystery and light occult, and bad science mixed with some neat steampunk gadgetry and quirky characters, here are 10 notes to consider if you’re planning a visit to Warehouse 13:
Language There’s some ancient Italian spoken in the pilot, but I’m guessing that’s not what you’re asking about. Warehouse 13’s TV-14 designation got us a reference to “screwing off,” a “what the hell,” a “kick your ass” and a “pile of crap,” the last one played strictly for laughs and involving, yes, an actual pile of crap.
Violence and The Ooky Factor Action-wise, you’re looking at some Secret Service-Fu, guns drawn but not shot, and a pretty tame immolation and crispy corpse that didn’t touch most of what Fringe or The X-Files carried week in and week out.
Gotcha! My daughter got one genuine moment of heart-race goosebumps out of the show. Enough to have her smiling about it, nothing that really freaked her out.
You know, (whisperwhisper) There was also a very brief morning-after scene, though the naked woman involved stays behind her blanket. Given that Syfy’s been touting the show as part Moonlighting, though, I wouldn’t count out the occasional flirtation and double entendre.
“Hey, that’s just like - “ Yes, Warehouse 13 offers plenty of reminders of either other movies and TV shows your kids have seen, or the ones you’ll want them to see soon enough: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The X-Files, Fringe and Men in Black all popped into my head during the two-hour premiere thanks to fairly obvious connections.
“No way!” (eye roll) Okay, you’re doing some heavy lifting with the suspension of disbelief on this one, given things like lightning guns, mind wipes, crystal-borne curses and supernatural-energy-eliminating purple goop.
“Is that real?” On the other hand, this is the first show I’ve seen since Sports Night that actually mentions Philo T. Farnsworth by name and credits him with inventing television, so that’s worth double-geek bonus points. Tesla and Edison get shout-outs, too, and I was intrigued enough to visit Wikipedia and read up on Lucrezia Borgia after the show.
“That guy, he’s, um…” I’ll save you the trouble of being distracted as I was trying to figure out where I’d seen Artie (Saul Rubinek) before: Among his many roles, he’s the collector from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Most Toys.”
Is it any good? In case I haven’t hinted heavily enough, the show is super-double-secret-probation derivative of a huge catalog of existing work, so it relied heavily on its characters. My daughter and I shared a few laughs at the banter and one-liners and were intrigued by the leads’ back-stories. That said, it’s summer, so I’ve got time to see how this series unfolds.
Yeah, but you’re a grown-up. What did your kid think? She had a mixed reaction. Immediately afterward, she pronounced it “okay” but added that she liked Fringe better. That said, she’d had a long day and still desperately wanted to stay awake to see how it ended.
Wired: Kids who love mysteries and adventure and can handle the PG-to-PG-13 arena could have some fun in here.Tired: So much of this has been seen before – maybe not all in the same place, but lots of this stuff in the Warehouse is in need of a good dusting
By John Booth
FROM GEEKDAD...RAISING GEEK GENERATION!
شبكة الكنائس السرية في مصر!
تقام في البيوت لمدة ساعات ثم تتوقف فكرة بناء الكنائس ترتبط عند الأقباط في مصر تحمل كثيراً من الهواجس والاحباطات، لأسباب كثيرة منها ما يتعلق بالقوانين المنظمة لبنائها ومنها ما يصفه الأقباط بالمجحف وهو الخط الهمايوني الذي صدر في العصر العثماني، والتباطؤ في إصدار تراخيص بناء الكنائس من الدولة التي اشترطت قراراً جمهورياً لبناء الكنائس بعد استيفاء عدد من الشروط الأمنية، ولكن السؤال: كيف تمرر الموافقات علي بناء الكنائس وترميمها بسهولة ومرونة في بلد أصبحت فيه الفتنة الطائفية مثل وجبة الإفطار الصباحية؟ فالأرضية المشتركة التي كانت تجمع المسلمين والأقباط في مصر تمت تنحيتها وتقلصت مساحة الاتفاق، وبدا الأمر وكأنه صراع بين طرفين يتنازعان علي حدود تفصل بين ملكية مشتركة! وفي النهاية نحن في دولة المواطنة المؤسسية، يمكن التحقق من ذلك بقراءة أية أحداث طائفية فإن سبب تفجرها لابد أن يكون تافهاً. مطالب الكتلة القبطية المقيمة بالخارج التقت مع أصوات من الداخل بإزالة القيود علي بناء الكنائس التي يرون أنها غير كافية لعدد الأقباط في مصر الذين يتجاوز عددهم 12 مليوناً حسب تقديرات البابا شنودة الثالث، وبالنسبة لعدد الكنائس في مصر فإنه لا توجد إحصائية رسمية تحصي عددها، ولكن هناك مصدراً وثيقاً كشف أن عدد الكنائس الطائفة الأرثوذكسية في مصر ألف و326 كنيسة، منها 405 كنائس في الوجه البحري و796 كنيسة في الوجه القبلي، وتأتي القاهرة لتكون الأولي في عدد الكنائس »125 كنيسة« منها 10 كنائس في منطقة مصر الجديدة و6 كنائس في منطقة الحرفيين و5 كنائس في منطقة الزيتون و11 كنيسة في منطقة عين شمس وعزبة النخل و11 كنيسة في منطقة حدائق القبة والوايلي والعباسية و9 كنائس في منطقة شرق السكة الحديد و22 كنيسة في منطقة شبرا و3 كنائس في منطقة الظاهر والفجالة و11 كنيسة في وسط القاهرة و19 كنيسة في مصر القديمة و12 كنيسة في طرة والمعادي و6 كنائس في المقطم والقطامية، أما باقي الكنائس في محافظات الجمهورية فتحصي من خلال الإبراشيات. »المطرانيات« التي من الممكن أن تكون أكثر من واحدة منها في المحافظة وترتيب عدد الكنائس في تلك الإبراشيات التي تضم عدداً من التوابع منها مراكز وقري »أم« كالآتي: إبراشية الجيزة 82 كنيسة، البحيرة ومطروح والخمس مدن الغربية 67 كنيسة، المنيا وأبوقرقاص 60 كنيسة، سمالوط 42 كنيسة، طهطا وجهينة 41 كنيسة، حلوان والمعصرة وتوابعها 12 كنيسة، بنها وقويسنا 18 كنيسة، شبين القناطر 28، طنطا 20، ميت غمر 17 كنيسة، المنوفية 50 كنيسة، الزقازيق 26 كنيسة، دمياط وكفر الشيخ والبراري 22 كنيسة، المنصورة 15 كنيسة، الشرقية والعاشر من رمضان 20 كنيسة، الإسماعيلية 14 كنيسة، بورسعيد 9 كنائس، الفيوم 27 كنيسة، بني سويف 27 كنيسة، ببا والفشن 28 كنيسة، مغاغة والعدوة 25 كنيسة، بني مزار والبهنسا 22 كنيسة، مطاي 27 كنيسة، دير مواس ودلجا 24، ديروط وصنبوا 24، القوصية ومير 16، منفلوط 14، ويوجد بمدينة أسيوط وحدها 7، كما يوجد بالمراكز التابعة لأسيوط 15 كنيسة، أبنوب والفتح 19، أبوتيج وصدفا والغنايم 22، سوهاج والمنشأة والمراغة 31 كنيسة، وجرجا 25، والبلينا وبرديس وأولاد طوق شرق 25 كنيسة، ونجع حمادي 19 كنيسة، ودشنا 9 كنائس، وقنا 11، وأخميم وساقلته 18 كنيسة، ونقادة وقوص 10 كنائس، والأقصر 20 كنيسة، وأسوان وكوم أمبو وإدفو 24 كنيسة، أما بالنسبة للمناطق التي تحظي بعدد قليل من الكنائس، فهي إبراشية جنوب سيناء بواقع كنيستين بشرم الشيخ و4 كنائس بشمال سيناء، والبحر الأحمر 6 كنائس، وهذا بالنسبة للطائفة الأرثوذكسية، أما الطائفة البروتستانتية فعدد كنائسها 1100 كنيسة في حين بلغ عدد كنائس الطائفة الكاثوليكية نحو 200 كنيسة. وفكرة الكنائس السرية التي تقام لساعات ثم تتوقف، نشأت لتكون البديل عن وجود مبني كنسي لأداء الصلاة فيه، في المناطق الريفية والنائية التي تخلو من الكنائس المعلنة، حيث تخصص المطرانيات التي تدخل في نطاقها تلك المناطق، عدداً من القساوسة لافتقاد الأقباط المقيمين فيها بصفة دورية بواقع مرتين في الأسبوع، لإقامة مراسم الزفاف والجنازة، والإشراف علي مدارس الأحد للأطفال واجتماعات الجامعيين وغيرها، والكنائس السرية الموجودة بأي منطقة تخلو من دور العبادة القبطية، ليست مستحدثة بل قديمة وفيها يتم اختزال كثير من التفاصيل الرمزية التي تتداخل مع صلب العقيدة المسيحية، حيث يتم الاكتفاء بإنشاء »مذبح« متنقل عبارة عن منضدة عادية ذات تجويف أفقي يوضع فيها لوحا العهد اللذان يكتب عليهما الوصايا العشر، وفوقها يوضع أدوات المذبح المدشنة من قبل والتي يحضرها القس معه، لتتم إقامة صلاة القداس الذي تمتد لساعتين. والكنائس السرية لا يمكن حصرها لأنها تقام لساعات وتزال بعدها، ولا يتم تخصيص مكان بذاته لإقامتها، حيث يكون إنشاء »المذبح« بالتناوب في البيوت القبطية بتلك المناطق يومي الأحد والجمعة، وذلك لتجنب المحاذير الأمنية، وعدم لفت الأنظار إلي ذلك التجمع الأسبوعي القبطي، خاصة بالمناطق التي يكون فيها الأقباط أقلية ويبدو أن ذلك لا يتناقض مع العقيدة المسيحية التي لا تشترط الإشهار في الصلاة »ومتي صليتم فصلوا في الخفاء«. ورغم أن الكنائس السرية لم تكن تسترعي الانتباه أو تثير المشاعر فيما مضي، غير أنها حالياً باتت قنبلة موقوتة، وسبباً لاندلاع فتنة طائفية، علي خلفية المناخ المحتقن وحالة التربص غير المعلنة، خاصة في المجتمعات المغلقة »القري« التي تسري فيها الفتنة كالنار في الهشيم، حادث بني سويف الأخير الذي وقع بمنطقة عزبة »جرجس بيه« التابعة لقرية أقفاص بمركز الفشن بمحافظة بني سويف ذات الأغلبية القبطية، ومن قبله حادث العديسات بالأقصر في سنة 2006، وحادث »فاو بحري« بمحافظة قنا الذي وقع بسبب اعتقاد مسلمي القرية نية الأقباط في تحويل جمعية خيرية إلي كنيسة، وأحداث عين شمس في أكتوبر 2008 التي امتدت يومين وأحداث الشرقية التي اندلعت بعد سريان شائعة عن شروع الأقباط بتحويل بيت خدمات إلي كنيسة، وتلك الحوادث المتكررة تستعدي السؤال: إلي متي ستكون شائعات تحويل المنازل القبطية سبباً وجيهاً لإقامة فتنة طائفية في هذا البلد؟
http://www.alwafd.org
http://www.alwafd.org
Zoo chimp 'planned' stone attacks
A male chimpanzee in a Swedish zoo planned hundreds of stone-throwing attacks on zoo visitors, according to researchers.
Keepers at Furuvik Zoo found that the chimp collected and stored stones that he would later use as missiles.
Further, the chimp learned to recognise how and when parts of his concrete enclosure could be pulled apart to fashion further projectiles.
The findings are reported in the journal Current Biology.
There has been scant evidence in previous research that animals can plan for future events.
Crucial to the current study is the fact that Santino, a chimpanzee at the zoo in the city north of Stockholm, collected the stones in a calm state, prior to the zoo opening in the morning.
The launching of the stones occurred hours later - during dominance displays to zoo visitors - with Santino in an "agitated" state.
This suggests that Santino was anticipating a future mental state - an ability that has been difficult to definitively prove in animals, according to Mathias Osvath, a cognitive scientist from Lund University in Sweden and author of the new research.
"We've done experimental studies, and the chimps in my mind show very clearly that they do plan for future needs, but it has been argued that perhaps this was an experimental artefact," Dr Osvath told BBC News.
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME
More from Today programme
Chimp attacks: Your emails
"Now we have this spontaneous behaviour, which is always in some sense better evidence."
Cracking show
Dr Osvath embarked on the study after zoo staff discovered caches of stones in the section of the enclosure facing the public viewing area.
Since the initial discovery in 1997, hundreds of the caches have been removed to protect visitors, to whom the caching and the aggressive displays seem strictly related; in the off season, Santino neither hoards the projectiles nor hurls them.
Most interestingly, Santino seems to have learned how to spot weak parts of the concrete "boulders" in the centre of the enclosure.
When water seeps into cracks in the concrete and freezes, portions become detached that make a hollow sound when tapped.
Santino was observed gently knocking on the "boulders", hitting harder to detach bits that were loosened and adding those to his stashes of ammunition.
The chimp stashed hundreds of stones in anticipation of throwing them
There are a number of examples of complex behaviour in apes that suggest forms of consciousness.
Planning behaviour like that of the current work is connected to so-called autonoetic consciousness, where information due to memory can be distinguished from that from the senses.
"I'm personally convinced that at least chimps do plan for future needs, that they do have this autonoetic consciousness," Dr Osvath said.
"I hope that other zoos or those in the wild will look more closely at what is happening," he added.
"I bet there must be a lot of these kinds of behaviours out there, and I wouldn't be surprised if we find them in dolphins or other species."
Keepers at Furuvik Zoo found that the chimp collected and stored stones that he would later use as missiles.
Further, the chimp learned to recognise how and when parts of his concrete enclosure could be pulled apart to fashion further projectiles.
The findings are reported in the journal Current Biology.
There has been scant evidence in previous research that animals can plan for future events.
Crucial to the current study is the fact that Santino, a chimpanzee at the zoo in the city north of Stockholm, collected the stones in a calm state, prior to the zoo opening in the morning.
The launching of the stones occurred hours later - during dominance displays to zoo visitors - with Santino in an "agitated" state.
This suggests that Santino was anticipating a future mental state - an ability that has been difficult to definitively prove in animals, according to Mathias Osvath, a cognitive scientist from Lund University in Sweden and author of the new research.
"We've done experimental studies, and the chimps in my mind show very clearly that they do plan for future needs, but it has been argued that perhaps this was an experimental artefact," Dr Osvath told BBC News.
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME
More from Today programme
Chimp attacks: Your emails
"Now we have this spontaneous behaviour, which is always in some sense better evidence."
Cracking show
Dr Osvath embarked on the study after zoo staff discovered caches of stones in the section of the enclosure facing the public viewing area.
Since the initial discovery in 1997, hundreds of the caches have been removed to protect visitors, to whom the caching and the aggressive displays seem strictly related; in the off season, Santino neither hoards the projectiles nor hurls them.
Most interestingly, Santino seems to have learned how to spot weak parts of the concrete "boulders" in the centre of the enclosure.
When water seeps into cracks in the concrete and freezes, portions become detached that make a hollow sound when tapped.
Santino was observed gently knocking on the "boulders", hitting harder to detach bits that were loosened and adding those to his stashes of ammunition.
The chimp stashed hundreds of stones in anticipation of throwing them
There are a number of examples of complex behaviour in apes that suggest forms of consciousness.
Planning behaviour like that of the current work is connected to so-called autonoetic consciousness, where information due to memory can be distinguished from that from the senses.
"I'm personally convinced that at least chimps do plan for future needs, that they do have this autonoetic consciousness," Dr Osvath said.
"I hope that other zoos or those in the wild will look more closely at what is happening," he added.
"I bet there must be a lot of these kinds of behaviours out there, and I wouldn't be surprised if we find them in dolphins or other species."
Secrets Beneath the Antarctic Ice
by s hayes, There are many mysteries surrounding the Antarctic, and things are getting interesting! Scientists are just beginning to explore some of its many secrets - secrets which may affect the future of our planet.
On 12th April 2009, The Independent ran a story – Hilary Clinton urges Tougher Controls on South Pole Tourists
It is a fact that Antarctic tourism is becoming increasing popular and although there have been incidents where boats have hit trouble in the icy, treacherous terrain, there is no indication however that tourism is in any way detrimental to the region – So, it begs the question, could there be another reason/s why “the powers that be” want to keep people away from the area at this point in time?
There are a few very interesting possibilities.
It is a fact that Antarctic tourism is becoming increasing popular and although there have been incidents where boats have hit trouble in the icy, treacherous terrain, there is no indication however that tourism is in any way detrimental to the region – So, it begs the question, could there be another reason/s why “the powers that be” want to keep people away from the area at this point in time?
There are a few very interesting possibilities.
The Antarctic has not always been covered by ice; scientific analysis indicates that around 40 million years ago, the Antarctic was part of a large, lush and temperate continent, known as Gondwanaland, a “supercontinent” which incorporated South America, Africa, Australia and India.
Fossil records of ostracods (a type of small seed shrimp which survived the environment up until around 14 million years ago), corals, shark teeth, water reptiles, leaves, wood and even intact tree trunks confirm that the Antarctic was once warm, hospitable and teeming with life and potentially unknown human civilisation.
In 2008, subsurface surveys surprised scientists when the results revealed evidence that a mountain range, of a similar size to the Alps, lay beneath approximately 4km of ice and snow.
Of most interest are the liquid lakes which are known to exist deep below the ice cap.
Fossil records of ostracods (a type of small seed shrimp which survived the environment up until around 14 million years ago), corals, shark teeth, water reptiles, leaves, wood and even intact tree trunks confirm that the Antarctic was once warm, hospitable and teeming with life and potentially unknown human civilisation.
In 2008, subsurface surveys surprised scientists when the results revealed evidence that a mountain range, of a similar size to the Alps, lay beneath approximately 4km of ice and snow.
Of most interest are the liquid lakes which are known to exist deep below the ice cap.
Lake Vostock, at 250 x 50 km in area and up to 2600 feet deep, is the largest of these liquid sub-glacial lakes. The fresh water is sealed within a bubble of highly concentrated oxygen beneath a 3km thick layer of ice, a unique environment, which has been isolated, totally untouched by any external environmental factors for millions of years.
The diagram above, indicates the depth that the Russians are reported to have drilled to. Traditional drilling methods to attain ice samples involved a drill bit, lubricated with large amounts of kerosene and anti-freeze. If the drill punctured into the lake water, any ensuing samples would therefore be fundamentally contaminated.
However, lake ice samples even at this depth, revealed bizarre and unique bacteria.
In 1999, John C. Priscu of Montana State University studied ice found at a depth of around 3600 metres and commented as follows "Our research shows us that the microbial world has few limits on our planet, Lake Vostock is one of the last unexplored oases for life".
On 07th March 09, The Independent reported that clean technology, designed by NASA for gathering samples in space (on Jupiter’s moon – Europa) was in place to begin drilling into the lake water.
Could the Secretary of State’s concern for tourists in Antarctica be borne from a desire to prevent contamination from “alien“ bacteria / microbes at a time when the sub-glacial bubble is burst? Is there any evidence of danger?
On 23rd April 2001, there was controversy, when in such a cold sterile environment, after intensive health screening and quarantine measures – an unprecedented outbreak of an undisclosed but life threatening condition, meant that 11 members of the American McMurdo research base had to be rescued in a daring mission, braving temperatures of -96 degrees.
The diagram above, indicates the depth that the Russians are reported to have drilled to. Traditional drilling methods to attain ice samples involved a drill bit, lubricated with large amounts of kerosene and anti-freeze. If the drill punctured into the lake water, any ensuing samples would therefore be fundamentally contaminated.
However, lake ice samples even at this depth, revealed bizarre and unique bacteria.
In 1999, John C. Priscu of Montana State University studied ice found at a depth of around 3600 metres and commented as follows "Our research shows us that the microbial world has few limits on our planet, Lake Vostock is one of the last unexplored oases for life".
On 07th March 09, The Independent reported that clean technology, designed by NASA for gathering samples in space (on Jupiter’s moon – Europa) was in place to begin drilling into the lake water.
Could the Secretary of State’s concern for tourists in Antarctica be borne from a desire to prevent contamination from “alien“ bacteria / microbes at a time when the sub-glacial bubble is burst? Is there any evidence of danger?
On 23rd April 2001, there was controversy, when in such a cold sterile environment, after intensive health screening and quarantine measures – an unprecedented outbreak of an undisclosed but life threatening condition, meant that 11 members of the American McMurdo research base had to be rescued in a daring mission, braving temperatures of -96 degrees.
At the same time one other member from the American Amundsen Scott research base (several hundred miles away) also had to be rescued.
It wasn’t only the humans who were coming down with mystery illnesses, it was the wildlife too. In December 2001, a mysterious illness began to kill off hundreds of penguins near to the Australian Mawson base .
To add fuel to rumours that something very unusual was going on in Antarctica – On 24th January 2001 a press release confirmed that the NSA – National Security Agency was to assume full control of the International scientific exploration of Lake Vostock.
Israeli Spying on the United States
The Pentagon and the Department of State] are channels through which flow thousands of messages dealing with the nation's top secrets each day...
But how secure are the secrets?
The leaks to Israel are fantastic. If I have something I want the secretary of state to know but don't want Israel to know, I must wait till I have a chance to see him personally.
This declaration came from an ambassador, still on active duty in a top assignment, while he reviewed his long career in numerous posts in the Middle East. Although hardly a household name in the United States, his is one of America's best-known abroad. Interviewed in the State Department, he spoke deliberately, choosing his words carefully: "It is a fact of life that everyone in authority is reluctant to put anything on paper that concerns Israel if it is to be withheld from Israel's knowledge," said the veteran. "Nor do such people even feel free to speak in a crowded room of such things."
– Paul Findley, They Dare To Speak Out (Entire chapter coming soon.)
http://www.ifamericansknew.org
But how secure are the secrets?
The leaks to Israel are fantastic. If I have something I want the secretary of state to know but don't want Israel to know, I must wait till I have a chance to see him personally.
This declaration came from an ambassador, still on active duty in a top assignment, while he reviewed his long career in numerous posts in the Middle East. Although hardly a household name in the United States, his is one of America's best-known abroad. Interviewed in the State Department, he spoke deliberately, choosing his words carefully: "It is a fact of life that everyone in authority is reluctant to put anything on paper that concerns Israel if it is to be withheld from Israel's knowledge," said the veteran. "Nor do such people even feel free to speak in a crowded room of such things."
– Paul Findley, They Dare To Speak Out (Entire chapter coming soon.)
http://www.ifamericansknew.org
In Their Own Words: Senator Joe Biden at the Democratic National Jewish Convention
Joe Biden is the Senior Senator from Delaware, currently serving his sixth term. He now chairs the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Judiciary Committee.
Shortly after being first elected to the Senate in 1972, his wife and daughter died in a traffic accident. His two sons Beau and Hunter recovered and Biden commuted each day between Washington DC and Wilmington, Delaware to take care of them. His son Beau was elected Attorney General of Delaware in 2006. Beau continues to serve as a Capitain in the Delaware National Guard.
Joe Biden was a candidate in the 1988 and 2008 Presidential elections. Last year, he spoke at the National Jewish Democratic Council's Washington Policy Conference, this year after being named Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate he returned to address the NJDC again at their second Washington Policy Conference.
We have to ignore all the malarkey, ignore the distraction, ignore the emails and get behind Barack Obama – straight up, folks. I’m going to be very blunt with you.
What I’d like to talk to you about is to thank you all for what you’re doing to fight -- this is a very strong word – but what’s basically been a pretty successful smear campaign these guys are running with some of the ads they’re running.
I think most of you know me; at least those of you who are a little bit older know me. I’ve been hanging around here a long, long time and I hope no one wonders where my heart is. The first trip I ever took abroad was to Israel and I met back in those days with Prime Minister Golda Meir, which was one of the high points of my career. And she had sitting next to her, next to me in front of her desk, a guy named Rabin, who was her aid at the time.
Since then I’ve had a chance to meet with and get to know every Israeli prime minister – all nine – along with many of you on this stage. And you, Mr. Ambassador, we fought that AWACs sale to the Saudis. We fought the sale of sophisticated weapons to the Arab states. I was the original co-sponsor of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, which banned any U.S. assistance to a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. And I, like many of you in this room, defended Israel’s right to target terrorists who intend to strike in Israel.
I’ve spoken out against anti-Semitism both in Europe and in Arab countries, and I’ve been very blunt about it.
Why do I tell you all this? It’s not just to say, “I, I, I.” I want to make an absolutely clear, simply stated proposition to you. I’ve spent 25 years of my career dealing with issues related to Israel. My support for Israel begins in my stomach, goes to my heart and ends up in my head. And I promise you, I guarantee you, I would not join Barack Obama’s ticket as Vice President had I had any doubt, even the slightest doubt, that he shares the same commitment to Israel that I share. I guarantee that, it’s that simple. That is a fact.
I hope we are able to put to rest some of the stuff that’s been going around, particularly in a Republican counterpart Jewish organization. They actually went after me, saying that I threatened to cut off aid to Israel – things I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever did. But here’s the point I want to make: that Barack not only made that commitment to me, Barack has voted that commitment during his years in the United State Senate. Barack made that commitment when he visited Israel. Barack is on the record – and it is more than on the record – he understands, he gets it.
The distinction between the two tickets is clearer than it has been in any time in recent history.
Remember, eight years ago, there was a man who said that he was different, he was not a typical Republican. He called himself a reformer. He admitted to his party that his party made a few mistakes, that it was wrong about a few things and he promised to do what he’d done in Texas – work with Democrats. He was going to bring honor and dignity to the White House, and integrity, and he was going to build a compassionate society.
You all know that candidate was George W. Bush. You all remember that.
We see how that story has ended: eight straight months of joblessness, 604,000 losing their jobs though the month of August and not a whole lot of positive prospects in sight; 46 million Americans without health insurance; another 46 million wondering whether they can keep their health insurance; foreclosures at the highest rate since anytime since the Great Depression; home values tumbling, average incomes down; the middle class under siege; everything going up from gas prices to grocery prices and there doesn’t seem to be anything that leads people in the middle class to believe that things are going to change.
I’ve been around a while. I’ve been there through seven Presidents. I don’t recall anytime when the middle class has been more apprehensive – more apprehensive about the prospects for their children, more apprehensive about their own prospects.
We also, in the mean time, have a military that has been stretched so thin in two wars and multiple deployments that we only have one combat brigade in the entire United States military for contingencies other than where we are now engaged. I’ve not seen the nation as polarized as I’ve seen it now. There is a culture in Washington where the very few and the very powerful have a seat at the table and everybody else is on the menu but no one else is focused.
Eight years later we have another Republican candidate who has been my friend for 32 years, but he’s telling us the same thing. He’s making the same commitments. This time, he’s saying it will be different. He’s saying that this time country will be put before party, that there is going to be a change in tone, he’ll reach across the aisle, he’s going to change the Republican Party. I love how Republican nominees are always going to change the Republican Party. He’s going to change how Washington works.
Well, folks, we’ve seen that movie before and you know from experience that the sequel is always worse than the original.
Name me one single substantive difference on a major policy issue John McCain has with President Bush.
On all the important issues, and I mean this sincerely, name me one single substantive difference on a major policy issue John McCain has with President Bush. It doesn’t make him a bad guy, but it sure doesn’t make him an agent of change.
Ladies and gentlemen, in my humble opinion, John McCain is profoundly out of touch with the dilemma that average Americans are facing, and nowhere has his failed philosophy been more exposed than during the current financial crisis. At 9 a.m. last Monday [September 15, 2008] John held a press conference where he said, and I quote, “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.” At 11 a.m., John held a press conference, saying, “We’re in an economic crisis.” We Catholics call that an epiphany. The problem was, it was only a political epiphany. It wasn’t a substantive policy one. John didn’t change any policy, he didn’t back off of any of his proscriptions on the economy – he changed his rhetoric.
If John actually realized what was going on, and he felt it in his gut as well as he articulated it in his voice, he would be forced to admit that the economic philosophy that he has been espousing -- George Bush’s philosophy, not because it is George Bush’s philosophy, there’s no difference in philosophy – is as bankrupt as Lehman Brothers is right now. It is literally bankrupt.
If John cares so much now about what he calls greed – and isn’t it fascinating that it isn’t Democrats calling it greed on Wall Street and throwing everybody under the bus, it’s John McCain, John McCain. The ultimate populist argument is being used by John McCain. Well, if John McCain is so concerned about what he now characterizes as – which I now think is an exaggeration, quite frankly – if John McCain in fact is so certain about that, where was John a week ago, where was John a month ago, where was John a year ago, where was he five years ago?
Well, I’ll tell you where he was. He was bragging to those same Wall Street executives, and I can supply you all the quotes and sources for this, he was bragging up on Wall Street – to the very people he now calls greedy – about how he was going to shred the regulations that remained, what we call consumer protections that were built into the system.
And when it comes to health care, the philosophy, the same philosophy John talked about in terms of the industry, John now want to apply to the health care industry.
I want to read you part of an article that John wrote that was out this month in a major magazine, an actuarial magazine of all things, but a very well-respected journal, and I’m quoting: “Opening up the health care market to vigorous nationwide competition as we have done over the last decade in banking, will provide the choice of more innovative products, less burden with the worst excesses of state regulation like subprime mortgages.”
I’m serious. Think about this. John is talking about how he is going to change, he’s all of a sudden become the great regulator, and literally one week ago, one week ago, John published this article. He wants to do for the health industry what he did for banking.
“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget and I will tell you what you value.”
John wants your health care to be viewed in a very different way. It seems to me that’s not a prescription for health care, it’s a prescription for malpractice. You know, my father had a saying, he’d say, “Don’t tell me what you value, champ, show me your budget and I will tell you what you value.”
Well, look at the budget that Barack and I are going to propose and have proposed and you’ll see instead of increases and tax breaks for many of you who deserve it– and one thing I’d like to make clear, wealthy folk are just as patriotic as poor folk – and I mean that because one of the disagreements I have with some in my party, there’s this thing that somehow if you do well you’re not as patriotic as some other folks. We haven’t asked much of anybody, though; we haven’t asked much of anybody. And so we believe that what we should be doing now in this time of some crisis, where the middle class is hanging on by their fingernails, is we think we should direct the tax cuts that amount to in our case over $100 billion, we think those tax cuts should be directed to middle class folks. And no one, no one but John McCain continues to misrepresent it. No one doubts it, no serious news organization, no serious econometric model. We think there should be tax cuts to help people pay for their gas and their groceries, to help them pay to keep their kid in college.
For seniors making less than $50,000 a year, they should pay no taxes at all. They don’t have to file at all. Why? It’s about what we value. We value seniors being able to stay in their homes, maintain their independence, be in a position where they can, in fact, live out their lives the way they want to live it out.
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not going to spend $15 billion. Some of you know people who benefit from this, but it’s not needed. I come from the corporate state of Delaware, as they say, but the notion of deferred income, deferred profit with foreign investment taking your company abroad, we shouldn’t be encouraging people to do that. We should be spending that $15 billion in tax expenditures to pay people to keep their jobs here, to expand here.
Ladies and gentlemen, on energy, the Exxon/Mobils of the world – and by the way, their not bad guys – but the Exxon/Mobils of the world have made $600 billion in profit since 2001. As my mother would say, “God love them.” Six hundred billion. The only reason I make that point is they’re the last folks who need another $4 billion a year in tax cuts to encourage them to drill.
I asked the chairman of the board of Exxon – he was under oath – I asked him, “Do you need that additional tax cut?” His answer was, somewhat begrudgingly, “No, I don’t.”
We now provide in the tax code $30 billion in tax cuts over 10 years for the oil industry based upon how they benefit versus other industries that need the tax cut. We give the same one to them, $30 billion. Just imagine, imagine if over the next 10 years , we had that $4 billion they want to add, which would be $40 billion, and the $30 billion, imagine we put $70 billion into creating new green jobs and investing in alternative energy in a place where we can literally change the way we look at it. Imagine we invest that money in giving tax breaks to the auto industry so they can finally begin to retool so they can make efficient cars.
Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to health care, we’re not going to tax health care benefits you’re going to get from your employer, but that’s what John proposes. John -- and most of you are really smart folks out there, you’ve been around, you didn’t fall off, as my grandfather used to say, the turnip wagon yesterday – but the fact is you know what is laying out there. There is a serious economic proposal that has been on the table for the last 40 years and that is that there is no economic reason why you would not treat the average health insurance policy, which is worth about $12,000, supplied by most employers, that’s what it comes out to, why not treat that as income? Just direct income. So, someone making 50 grand, add the average 12 to the 50, you’re going to get taxed on 62. It’s not a bad economic theory, it’s just a dumb economic theory right now. And what it’s going to do -- and what John talks about, and what Gov. Palin talks about is how we’re going to raise the taxes on the middle class. Let me tell you something factually: they are the only, the only party going to raise taxes and it will be over the next three years – over $1 trillion on the middle class -- if we tax health care benefits. That’s a direct tax. One trillion dollars, $3.6 trillion over the next 10 years.
We’re going to guarantee that all families have the same health care policy that I have.
What should we be doing about health care? We’re going to guarantee that all families have the same health care policy that I have. You say, “Joe, how are you going to do that?” Well, by the way, it’s basic how we’re going to do that. Anybody on a sliding scale can buy into the same program that the federal health insurance program is. Why would anybody want to do that? Because there will be 40-50 million people bargaining for the health care benefits in there. And we get to choose from among 240 plans. And the reason it’s such a good idea and our right-wing friends are going to have such a hard time calling it socialism is that now, for 17 million people it’s been working for a long, long time.
So, ladies and gentlemen, the point I want to make here is there are solutions to these problems. They’re not beyond our reach. They’re not easy, but they’re not beyond our reach.
When Barack Obama asked me to be his running mate, I literally had three questions. The one question I want to speak to today, I asked him whether or not he really meant, did he really mean, was he really prepared, to trust the American people – I know this sounds corny, but listen to it because it’s really the fundamental difference that exists in politics today – asked are you really prepared to trust the American people enough that you’re willing to insist on fundamental change, the fundamental changes you’ve been talking about? Because none of this stuff is going to be easy – energy, health care, education, foreign policy – none of it is going to be easy. None. None. And these guys have just made the game a lot harder by the consequences of their economic policy on Wall Street.
Are we going to have the nerve – and my question to Barack was, “Are you really going to go in, in your first term, and challenge the American people?” When he said yes, I said yes. And the reason for that is I really believe – I’m too long in the tooth, folks, and I’ve got a relatively good job being chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee; Presidents have to go through me to get things done. As Vice President, they can go over me to get things done, so it meant a lot to me and I wanted to know. And the reason I said yes is that everything that he’s done in his campaign, everything he did as a state senator, everything he’s done as a United States senator, everything about his life as I know it, has confirmed to me that he’ll not only demand the best of himself, but he’ll demand the best of the country, because he trusts it. He trusts the instinct. And I know some of you say, “Hey, Joe, wait a minute, we’ve had a bite out of that one, that trust thing.” When, when in our history, when in any moment of economic or foreign policy crisis have the American people ever, ever, ever, ever let the country down? When?
The next President and the extraordinary, extraordinary problems he’ll face – and I say he because there are two candidates who are both men running for President – but I believe Barack Obama, I really believe Barack Obama will be that agent of change. These extraordinary challenges we face are real, but, folks, and I’m not naïve, I’ve been here through seven Presidents, the next President of the United States is going to have the most extraordinary opportunity since Franklin Roosevelt to change the direction of the world. Not make it utopia; but get it back on track and to lift this country up in a way we haven’t been in a while.
I ask you to just imagine.
I ask you to just imagine – and I know when I talk to sophisticated audiences and I say things like this, they think, “What’s this all of a sudden? Did he fall off the turnip truck? This sounds like pretty naïve stuff.” But just imagine, just imagine if we have a Supreme Court, and the next President is going to get one to three appointees, imagine if we have a Supreme Court that once again supports environmental protection, civil rights, women’s rights, just imagine. It will be there for 25 years. It will not last as long as our administration. It will far outlive it. And imagine if we don’t.
Imagine. Imagine a country where we generate 20 percent of our energy, which is totally in what my brother would say is our “wheelhouse” to be able to do. Generate 20 percent of our energy from renewable energy, like wind and solar and bio-fuels.
Imagine a country where we invest in technology that develops automobiles that don’t pollute the environment.
Imagine an administration that understands there’s actually such a thing as global warming. Just imagine that.
Imagine an energy policy that frees us from the tyranny – and no audience understands this more than you – the tyranny of the oligarchs of oil creating this circumstance where the funding for the very people we worry about most come from. Imagine that we have an economy and energy policy that creates five million new jobs by investing a billion or $500 million a year in new technologies.
Ladies and gentlemen, imagine a country that’s once again respected around the world.
Imagine a country that actually believes in science. Not a joke. That insists and invests, invests once again in research and development and supports the healing and the hope that stem cell research and other major research could bring.
Folks, imagine a country that is willing to rebuild the infrastructure of our country – the roads, the sewers, airports, the ports – the very thing that will keep businesses here because its economically profitable to be in the circumstance where you can ship your product cheaper than you can now with a great deal more certainty.
Imagine a country that is willing to invest in tomorrow’s infrastructure – universal development and universal access to broadband, cars that run on hydrogen.
Folks, imagine a country literally, we don’t have to make this up, imagine a country where we have to go to war only when it is necessary.
And imagine an administration that will responsibly end this war in Iraq. We will end this war.
It’s almost like people forget there’s actually a war going on. A lot of families have children there; husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers. Four thousand one hundred sixty dead; 30,324 wounded; over 14,000 critically wounded requiring medical health care for the rest of their lives and their life expectancy is expected to exceed 35 years and as the Nobel Laureate [Joseph E. ] Stiglitz said, the cost to the American taxpayer if we keep our sacred commitment over that period of time would be $600 billion just to care for that cadre of people. Ladies and gentlemen, a war that is costing us $10 billion a month while the Iraqis sit on $80 billion of oil surplus.
Imagine a President who won’t wait until his seventh year in office to discover the need for American leadership in the Middle East peace process. A President who will call on the Arab states now to begin normalizing relations with Israel or there are consequences for their failure to do so.
Imagine a country where everyone who is qualified can go to the college they can afford, where young people graduate from college and not graduate 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 thousand dollars in debt. I love our generation, we talk about working our way through college – give me a break. I worked my way through college when tuition at the University of Delaware was $350 a semester. My sons graduated and my daughter graduated with their average debt – and mind you I did everything I possibly could on my salary as a Senator – on average they graduated $65,000 in debt; one $112,000 because he made the mistake of going to a law school that was Yale. Here they are with me doing everything, signing all the notes, borrowing all the money I could and they’re graduating 110, 85 and 42 thousand dollars in debt.
Well, how do families do it that don’t have my income from a Senate salary?
Folks, imagine if we broadened the notion of national service to go beyond military service, getting millions of young Americans to serve not just in the military, but in our communities and in our schools, and giving them tuition as long as they volunteer to do this.
It’s time America leads again.
It’s time America leads again. Lead by the power of their example and not just the example of our power. That was always the source of the great power of this country. I think Barack Obama, and I really believe this or I wouldn’t have done this, I believe Barack Obama will be that bridge between what we imagine and what we can actually achieve. I think he’ll appeal, as we have tried and as you have tried, I think he’ll appeal to our better angels in America. The Obama/Biden administration will speak to our hopes, not just to our fears. Americans always respond to hopes because we have faith. As corny as it sounds, we have faith in the American people; we have faith in you. And by the way, this is not a blind faith, it’s a faith based on the journey and history of this country. It’s a faith based on those generations that have gone before us and looking at what they’ve done in every time of crisis. Our greatest presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy – they all challenged us to embrace change and now it seems to me to be our responsibility to meet that challenge.
Ladies and gentlemen, my father used to have an expression, “Champ, when you get knocked down, get up. Just get up.” Well, millions of Americans have been knocked down and I think it is time as Americans together – together – to get back up. Our people are too good, our debt to our parents and grandparents is too great and our obligation to our children is too sacred. These are extraordinary times; this is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready now; I’m ready now; Barack Obama is ready. I think it is his time. I think it is our time.
We Catholics are always cribbing things from the Jewish faith. The 92nd Psalm we use as a communion in our church and it goes like this, it says, ”And may he lift you up on eagles’ wings and bear you on the breath of dawn and make the light to shine upon you.” Folks, as corny as it sounds, it’s within our capacity to lift us up, to let the light shine on all corners of the country. People have been left behind. This is not rocket science; this is simple, straightforward decency, calling on and appealing to the American people.
I really do think the country is ready. I’m absolutely convinced of it. If I’m wrong, we’re in deep trouble, but if I’m right, if I’m right, we’re going to be part of a new day like we haven’t seen in the last 75 years.
Shortly after being first elected to the Senate in 1972, his wife and daughter died in a traffic accident. His two sons Beau and Hunter recovered and Biden commuted each day between Washington DC and Wilmington, Delaware to take care of them. His son Beau was elected Attorney General of Delaware in 2006. Beau continues to serve as a Capitain in the Delaware National Guard.
Joe Biden was a candidate in the 1988 and 2008 Presidential elections. Last year, he spoke at the National Jewish Democratic Council's Washington Policy Conference, this year after being named Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate he returned to address the NJDC again at their second Washington Policy Conference.
We have to ignore all the malarkey, ignore the distraction, ignore the emails and get behind Barack Obama – straight up, folks. I’m going to be very blunt with you.
What I’d like to talk to you about is to thank you all for what you’re doing to fight -- this is a very strong word – but what’s basically been a pretty successful smear campaign these guys are running with some of the ads they’re running.
I think most of you know me; at least those of you who are a little bit older know me. I’ve been hanging around here a long, long time and I hope no one wonders where my heart is. The first trip I ever took abroad was to Israel and I met back in those days with Prime Minister Golda Meir, which was one of the high points of my career. And she had sitting next to her, next to me in front of her desk, a guy named Rabin, who was her aid at the time.
Since then I’ve had a chance to meet with and get to know every Israeli prime minister – all nine – along with many of you on this stage. And you, Mr. Ambassador, we fought that AWACs sale to the Saudis. We fought the sale of sophisticated weapons to the Arab states. I was the original co-sponsor of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, which banned any U.S. assistance to a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. And I, like many of you in this room, defended Israel’s right to target terrorists who intend to strike in Israel.
I’ve spoken out against anti-Semitism both in Europe and in Arab countries, and I’ve been very blunt about it.
Why do I tell you all this? It’s not just to say, “I, I, I.” I want to make an absolutely clear, simply stated proposition to you. I’ve spent 25 years of my career dealing with issues related to Israel. My support for Israel begins in my stomach, goes to my heart and ends up in my head. And I promise you, I guarantee you, I would not join Barack Obama’s ticket as Vice President had I had any doubt, even the slightest doubt, that he shares the same commitment to Israel that I share. I guarantee that, it’s that simple. That is a fact.
I hope we are able to put to rest some of the stuff that’s been going around, particularly in a Republican counterpart Jewish organization. They actually went after me, saying that I threatened to cut off aid to Israel – things I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever did. But here’s the point I want to make: that Barack not only made that commitment to me, Barack has voted that commitment during his years in the United State Senate. Barack made that commitment when he visited Israel. Barack is on the record – and it is more than on the record – he understands, he gets it.
The distinction between the two tickets is clearer than it has been in any time in recent history.
Remember, eight years ago, there was a man who said that he was different, he was not a typical Republican. He called himself a reformer. He admitted to his party that his party made a few mistakes, that it was wrong about a few things and he promised to do what he’d done in Texas – work with Democrats. He was going to bring honor and dignity to the White House, and integrity, and he was going to build a compassionate society.
You all know that candidate was George W. Bush. You all remember that.
We see how that story has ended: eight straight months of joblessness, 604,000 losing their jobs though the month of August and not a whole lot of positive prospects in sight; 46 million Americans without health insurance; another 46 million wondering whether they can keep their health insurance; foreclosures at the highest rate since anytime since the Great Depression; home values tumbling, average incomes down; the middle class under siege; everything going up from gas prices to grocery prices and there doesn’t seem to be anything that leads people in the middle class to believe that things are going to change.
I’ve been around a while. I’ve been there through seven Presidents. I don’t recall anytime when the middle class has been more apprehensive – more apprehensive about the prospects for their children, more apprehensive about their own prospects.
We also, in the mean time, have a military that has been stretched so thin in two wars and multiple deployments that we only have one combat brigade in the entire United States military for contingencies other than where we are now engaged. I’ve not seen the nation as polarized as I’ve seen it now. There is a culture in Washington where the very few and the very powerful have a seat at the table and everybody else is on the menu but no one else is focused.
Eight years later we have another Republican candidate who has been my friend for 32 years, but he’s telling us the same thing. He’s making the same commitments. This time, he’s saying it will be different. He’s saying that this time country will be put before party, that there is going to be a change in tone, he’ll reach across the aisle, he’s going to change the Republican Party. I love how Republican nominees are always going to change the Republican Party. He’s going to change how Washington works.
Well, folks, we’ve seen that movie before and you know from experience that the sequel is always worse than the original.
Name me one single substantive difference on a major policy issue John McCain has with President Bush.
On all the important issues, and I mean this sincerely, name me one single substantive difference on a major policy issue John McCain has with President Bush. It doesn’t make him a bad guy, but it sure doesn’t make him an agent of change.
Ladies and gentlemen, in my humble opinion, John McCain is profoundly out of touch with the dilemma that average Americans are facing, and nowhere has his failed philosophy been more exposed than during the current financial crisis. At 9 a.m. last Monday [September 15, 2008] John held a press conference where he said, and I quote, “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.” At 11 a.m., John held a press conference, saying, “We’re in an economic crisis.” We Catholics call that an epiphany. The problem was, it was only a political epiphany. It wasn’t a substantive policy one. John didn’t change any policy, he didn’t back off of any of his proscriptions on the economy – he changed his rhetoric.
If John actually realized what was going on, and he felt it in his gut as well as he articulated it in his voice, he would be forced to admit that the economic philosophy that he has been espousing -- George Bush’s philosophy, not because it is George Bush’s philosophy, there’s no difference in philosophy – is as bankrupt as Lehman Brothers is right now. It is literally bankrupt.
If John cares so much now about what he calls greed – and isn’t it fascinating that it isn’t Democrats calling it greed on Wall Street and throwing everybody under the bus, it’s John McCain, John McCain. The ultimate populist argument is being used by John McCain. Well, if John McCain is so concerned about what he now characterizes as – which I now think is an exaggeration, quite frankly – if John McCain in fact is so certain about that, where was John a week ago, where was John a month ago, where was John a year ago, where was he five years ago?
Well, I’ll tell you where he was. He was bragging to those same Wall Street executives, and I can supply you all the quotes and sources for this, he was bragging up on Wall Street – to the very people he now calls greedy – about how he was going to shred the regulations that remained, what we call consumer protections that were built into the system.
And when it comes to health care, the philosophy, the same philosophy John talked about in terms of the industry, John now want to apply to the health care industry.
I want to read you part of an article that John wrote that was out this month in a major magazine, an actuarial magazine of all things, but a very well-respected journal, and I’m quoting: “Opening up the health care market to vigorous nationwide competition as we have done over the last decade in banking, will provide the choice of more innovative products, less burden with the worst excesses of state regulation like subprime mortgages.”
I’m serious. Think about this. John is talking about how he is going to change, he’s all of a sudden become the great regulator, and literally one week ago, one week ago, John published this article. He wants to do for the health industry what he did for banking.
“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget and I will tell you what you value.”
John wants your health care to be viewed in a very different way. It seems to me that’s not a prescription for health care, it’s a prescription for malpractice. You know, my father had a saying, he’d say, “Don’t tell me what you value, champ, show me your budget and I will tell you what you value.”
Well, look at the budget that Barack and I are going to propose and have proposed and you’ll see instead of increases and tax breaks for many of you who deserve it– and one thing I’d like to make clear, wealthy folk are just as patriotic as poor folk – and I mean that because one of the disagreements I have with some in my party, there’s this thing that somehow if you do well you’re not as patriotic as some other folks. We haven’t asked much of anybody, though; we haven’t asked much of anybody. And so we believe that what we should be doing now in this time of some crisis, where the middle class is hanging on by their fingernails, is we think we should direct the tax cuts that amount to in our case over $100 billion, we think those tax cuts should be directed to middle class folks. And no one, no one but John McCain continues to misrepresent it. No one doubts it, no serious news organization, no serious econometric model. We think there should be tax cuts to help people pay for their gas and their groceries, to help them pay to keep their kid in college.
For seniors making less than $50,000 a year, they should pay no taxes at all. They don’t have to file at all. Why? It’s about what we value. We value seniors being able to stay in their homes, maintain their independence, be in a position where they can, in fact, live out their lives the way they want to live it out.
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not going to spend $15 billion. Some of you know people who benefit from this, but it’s not needed. I come from the corporate state of Delaware, as they say, but the notion of deferred income, deferred profit with foreign investment taking your company abroad, we shouldn’t be encouraging people to do that. We should be spending that $15 billion in tax expenditures to pay people to keep their jobs here, to expand here.
Ladies and gentlemen, on energy, the Exxon/Mobils of the world – and by the way, their not bad guys – but the Exxon/Mobils of the world have made $600 billion in profit since 2001. As my mother would say, “God love them.” Six hundred billion. The only reason I make that point is they’re the last folks who need another $4 billion a year in tax cuts to encourage them to drill.
I asked the chairman of the board of Exxon – he was under oath – I asked him, “Do you need that additional tax cut?” His answer was, somewhat begrudgingly, “No, I don’t.”
We now provide in the tax code $30 billion in tax cuts over 10 years for the oil industry based upon how they benefit versus other industries that need the tax cut. We give the same one to them, $30 billion. Just imagine, imagine if over the next 10 years , we had that $4 billion they want to add, which would be $40 billion, and the $30 billion, imagine we put $70 billion into creating new green jobs and investing in alternative energy in a place where we can literally change the way we look at it. Imagine we invest that money in giving tax breaks to the auto industry so they can finally begin to retool so they can make efficient cars.
Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to health care, we’re not going to tax health care benefits you’re going to get from your employer, but that’s what John proposes. John -- and most of you are really smart folks out there, you’ve been around, you didn’t fall off, as my grandfather used to say, the turnip wagon yesterday – but the fact is you know what is laying out there. There is a serious economic proposal that has been on the table for the last 40 years and that is that there is no economic reason why you would not treat the average health insurance policy, which is worth about $12,000, supplied by most employers, that’s what it comes out to, why not treat that as income? Just direct income. So, someone making 50 grand, add the average 12 to the 50, you’re going to get taxed on 62. It’s not a bad economic theory, it’s just a dumb economic theory right now. And what it’s going to do -- and what John talks about, and what Gov. Palin talks about is how we’re going to raise the taxes on the middle class. Let me tell you something factually: they are the only, the only party going to raise taxes and it will be over the next three years – over $1 trillion on the middle class -- if we tax health care benefits. That’s a direct tax. One trillion dollars, $3.6 trillion over the next 10 years.
We’re going to guarantee that all families have the same health care policy that I have.
What should we be doing about health care? We’re going to guarantee that all families have the same health care policy that I have. You say, “Joe, how are you going to do that?” Well, by the way, it’s basic how we’re going to do that. Anybody on a sliding scale can buy into the same program that the federal health insurance program is. Why would anybody want to do that? Because there will be 40-50 million people bargaining for the health care benefits in there. And we get to choose from among 240 plans. And the reason it’s such a good idea and our right-wing friends are going to have such a hard time calling it socialism is that now, for 17 million people it’s been working for a long, long time.
So, ladies and gentlemen, the point I want to make here is there are solutions to these problems. They’re not beyond our reach. They’re not easy, but they’re not beyond our reach.
When Barack Obama asked me to be his running mate, I literally had three questions. The one question I want to speak to today, I asked him whether or not he really meant, did he really mean, was he really prepared, to trust the American people – I know this sounds corny, but listen to it because it’s really the fundamental difference that exists in politics today – asked are you really prepared to trust the American people enough that you’re willing to insist on fundamental change, the fundamental changes you’ve been talking about? Because none of this stuff is going to be easy – energy, health care, education, foreign policy – none of it is going to be easy. None. None. And these guys have just made the game a lot harder by the consequences of their economic policy on Wall Street.
Are we going to have the nerve – and my question to Barack was, “Are you really going to go in, in your first term, and challenge the American people?” When he said yes, I said yes. And the reason for that is I really believe – I’m too long in the tooth, folks, and I’ve got a relatively good job being chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee; Presidents have to go through me to get things done. As Vice President, they can go over me to get things done, so it meant a lot to me and I wanted to know. And the reason I said yes is that everything that he’s done in his campaign, everything he did as a state senator, everything he’s done as a United States senator, everything about his life as I know it, has confirmed to me that he’ll not only demand the best of himself, but he’ll demand the best of the country, because he trusts it. He trusts the instinct. And I know some of you say, “Hey, Joe, wait a minute, we’ve had a bite out of that one, that trust thing.” When, when in our history, when in any moment of economic or foreign policy crisis have the American people ever, ever, ever, ever let the country down? When?
The next President and the extraordinary, extraordinary problems he’ll face – and I say he because there are two candidates who are both men running for President – but I believe Barack Obama, I really believe Barack Obama will be that agent of change. These extraordinary challenges we face are real, but, folks, and I’m not naïve, I’ve been here through seven Presidents, the next President of the United States is going to have the most extraordinary opportunity since Franklin Roosevelt to change the direction of the world. Not make it utopia; but get it back on track and to lift this country up in a way we haven’t been in a while.
I ask you to just imagine.
I ask you to just imagine – and I know when I talk to sophisticated audiences and I say things like this, they think, “What’s this all of a sudden? Did he fall off the turnip truck? This sounds like pretty naïve stuff.” But just imagine, just imagine if we have a Supreme Court, and the next President is going to get one to three appointees, imagine if we have a Supreme Court that once again supports environmental protection, civil rights, women’s rights, just imagine. It will be there for 25 years. It will not last as long as our administration. It will far outlive it. And imagine if we don’t.
Imagine. Imagine a country where we generate 20 percent of our energy, which is totally in what my brother would say is our “wheelhouse” to be able to do. Generate 20 percent of our energy from renewable energy, like wind and solar and bio-fuels.
Imagine a country where we invest in technology that develops automobiles that don’t pollute the environment.
Imagine an administration that understands there’s actually such a thing as global warming. Just imagine that.
Imagine an energy policy that frees us from the tyranny – and no audience understands this more than you – the tyranny of the oligarchs of oil creating this circumstance where the funding for the very people we worry about most come from. Imagine that we have an economy and energy policy that creates five million new jobs by investing a billion or $500 million a year in new technologies.
Ladies and gentlemen, imagine a country that’s once again respected around the world.
Imagine a country that actually believes in science. Not a joke. That insists and invests, invests once again in research and development and supports the healing and the hope that stem cell research and other major research could bring.
Folks, imagine a country that is willing to rebuild the infrastructure of our country – the roads, the sewers, airports, the ports – the very thing that will keep businesses here because its economically profitable to be in the circumstance where you can ship your product cheaper than you can now with a great deal more certainty.
Imagine a country that is willing to invest in tomorrow’s infrastructure – universal development and universal access to broadband, cars that run on hydrogen.
Folks, imagine a country literally, we don’t have to make this up, imagine a country where we have to go to war only when it is necessary.
And imagine an administration that will responsibly end this war in Iraq. We will end this war.
It’s almost like people forget there’s actually a war going on. A lot of families have children there; husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers. Four thousand one hundred sixty dead; 30,324 wounded; over 14,000 critically wounded requiring medical health care for the rest of their lives and their life expectancy is expected to exceed 35 years and as the Nobel Laureate [Joseph E. ] Stiglitz said, the cost to the American taxpayer if we keep our sacred commitment over that period of time would be $600 billion just to care for that cadre of people. Ladies and gentlemen, a war that is costing us $10 billion a month while the Iraqis sit on $80 billion of oil surplus.
Imagine a President who won’t wait until his seventh year in office to discover the need for American leadership in the Middle East peace process. A President who will call on the Arab states now to begin normalizing relations with Israel or there are consequences for their failure to do so.
Imagine a country where everyone who is qualified can go to the college they can afford, where young people graduate from college and not graduate 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 thousand dollars in debt. I love our generation, we talk about working our way through college – give me a break. I worked my way through college when tuition at the University of Delaware was $350 a semester. My sons graduated and my daughter graduated with their average debt – and mind you I did everything I possibly could on my salary as a Senator – on average they graduated $65,000 in debt; one $112,000 because he made the mistake of going to a law school that was Yale. Here they are with me doing everything, signing all the notes, borrowing all the money I could and they’re graduating 110, 85 and 42 thousand dollars in debt.
Well, how do families do it that don’t have my income from a Senate salary?
Folks, imagine if we broadened the notion of national service to go beyond military service, getting millions of young Americans to serve not just in the military, but in our communities and in our schools, and giving them tuition as long as they volunteer to do this.
It’s time America leads again.
It’s time America leads again. Lead by the power of their example and not just the example of our power. That was always the source of the great power of this country. I think Barack Obama, and I really believe this or I wouldn’t have done this, I believe Barack Obama will be that bridge between what we imagine and what we can actually achieve. I think he’ll appeal, as we have tried and as you have tried, I think he’ll appeal to our better angels in America. The Obama/Biden administration will speak to our hopes, not just to our fears. Americans always respond to hopes because we have faith. As corny as it sounds, we have faith in the American people; we have faith in you. And by the way, this is not a blind faith, it’s a faith based on the journey and history of this country. It’s a faith based on those generations that have gone before us and looking at what they’ve done in every time of crisis. Our greatest presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy – they all challenged us to embrace change and now it seems to me to be our responsibility to meet that challenge.
Ladies and gentlemen, my father used to have an expression, “Champ, when you get knocked down, get up. Just get up.” Well, millions of Americans have been knocked down and I think it is time as Americans together – together – to get back up. Our people are too good, our debt to our parents and grandparents is too great and our obligation to our children is too sacred. These are extraordinary times; this is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready now; I’m ready now; Barack Obama is ready. I think it is his time. I think it is our time.
We Catholics are always cribbing things from the Jewish faith. The 92nd Psalm we use as a communion in our church and it goes like this, it says, ”And may he lift you up on eagles’ wings and bear you on the breath of dawn and make the light to shine upon you.” Folks, as corny as it sounds, it’s within our capacity to lift us up, to let the light shine on all corners of the country. People have been left behind. This is not rocket science; this is simple, straightforward decency, calling on and appealing to the American people.
I really do think the country is ready. I’m absolutely convinced of it. If I’m wrong, we’re in deep trouble, but if I’m right, if I’m right, we’re going to be part of a new day like we haven’t seen in the last 75 years.
Five Questions About Google Chrome OS
Google announced it will release a new operating system, the long-fabled Google OS, late Tuesday night. While details are currently limited to a short post on the Google Blog, the idea outlined is an operating system built on top of Linux and running primarily a web browser for access to online apps like Gmail, Google Docs and the rest of the Google suite.
Google says it’s working with netbook manufacturers to get Google Chrome OS-powered netbooks to the market in 2010, and it’s not hard to see how netbooks could benefit from the new, lightweight OS and its cloud-based apps.
But at the same time, Google’s announcement reads like classic vaporware, raising far more questions than it answers.
Is the world ready for the cloud?
Forget connection issues, Wi-Fi dead zones and the potential security and privacy risks involved with hosting your data in cloud, what about far more basic issues — how are you going to get music on your iPod? How will you run games? How will you print a document?
After all, Apple already made an admirable effort to turn the iPhone into a cloud-based computing system and we all know how that ended — with a native SDK that sent even the most successful web app developers scurrying to learn C.
Even Google quickly released a native search application for the iPhone, despite having already adapted most of its web-based offerings to work with the small screen. And while we’re huge fans of the potential that offline storage in HTML 5 offers, even we’re willing to admit that the web-based Gmail interface is dog slow compared to the iPhone-native Mail app.
Interestingly, Google isn’t the first company to try to turn its web-based apps into the basis for a lightweight operating system. Good OS previously announced Cloud, an operating system that “integrates a web browser with a compressed Linux operating system kernel for immediate access to the internet, integration of browser and rich client applications.”
Thus far, while Good OS has managed to find its way onto a few netbooks, the OS is far from a success.
Cross-Platform Web Apps?
Perhaps the most intriguing tidbit in Google’s announcement is the statement that the core building blocks of Chrome OS apps will be cross-platform.
It certainly sounds good, but we’re wondering how that’s going to work — in particular, how will offline data storage be handled? There’s the Gears plug-in for browsers, but Gears is rough around the edges and slow to update for new browser releases. For example, Gears still doesn’t work with the latest versions of Firefox or Safari (a beta version of Gears for Safari does exist, but it requires some workarounds to avoid bugs).
There’s a possibility HTML 5’s offline storage mechanism will solve this particular problem, but with IE8 offering little support for HTML 5, it isn’t going to be cross-platform. And it’s difficult to fault Microsoft for hesitating to support HTML 5, given that the spec is still a draft and subject to change.
Given the complexities involved, it seems unlikely that Chrome OS apps will be truly cross-platform — unless Google just means cross-platform in the sense that the apps will run in any web browser, but that’s hardly remarkable enough to tout in a press release.
A browser bundled with the OS, now where have we heard that before?
Google’s Chrome OS announcement says the Chrome web browser will be bundled with the operating system, which is quite simply “Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.”
Given Microsoft’s history with bundling browsers into the OS and the subsequent anti-trust lawsuits, we assume Google is going to offer some desktop programming tools that will allow other browser makers to run their software on Chrome OS as well. If not, expect Google to experience its own dose of regulator wrath.
Will Chrome OS offer better privacy?
Google is already tracking your searches, the links you click, the e-mails you send and the sites you visit. Are you ready for Google to know every last detail of everything you do from the minute you turn on your netbook? While all that data is anonymized and (theoretically) not traceable to you, it may still give concerned users reason to pause.
Will Chrome OS offer improved security and virus protection?
Google says, as it did upon the announcement of the Chrome browser, that going back to the drawing board will mean a more secure system less prone to viruses and malware. That sounds good, but it also makes for an unknown, untested system. Which would you rather use, an OS like Unix that’s nearly 40 years old and has been attacked from every angle and patched over time, or a system that’s ten minutes old and sounds good on paper, but has no experience in the wild?
Conclusion
Perhaps we’re being overly hard on an operating system that is specifically targeted at netbooks — an underpowered and still very niche market — but Google’s announcement is uncharacteristically short on details, making it hard to see it as anything other than an attempt to generate hype.
However, if we are to assume Google will do a good enough job answering our last four questions relating to the technical and legal details of the new OS, it’s really the first question that’s the biggest. And, it may be rendered moot by the time Google Chrome OS is released to the consumer market.
Remember the video Google released a few weeks ago showing spot interviews with people on the street? Regular, non-technical Americans were asked generic questions about their web browser, and almost everyone showed some level of confusion about the difference between a browser, the web, an e-mail client, a search engine and even the computer itself. This general ignorance about under-the-hood computing is Google’s biggest opportunity to shine. If the company can offer a user experience that’s just a web browser, it may succeed in fully blurring the lines between computer, desktop and web among the average consumer who, frankly, couldn’t care less about the differences.
Google will need to work out a way for users to interface with common devices like cameras, iPods and printers — tying them to Picasa, Amazon (like the MP3 store partnership the companies have on Android) and Google Docs. But if it succeeds, the just-a-browser OS could become something of a hit despite the hurdles.
Google says it’s working with netbook manufacturers to get Google Chrome OS-powered netbooks to the market in 2010, and it’s not hard to see how netbooks could benefit from the new, lightweight OS and its cloud-based apps.
But at the same time, Google’s announcement reads like classic vaporware, raising far more questions than it answers.
Is the world ready for the cloud?
Forget connection issues, Wi-Fi dead zones and the potential security and privacy risks involved with hosting your data in cloud, what about far more basic issues — how are you going to get music on your iPod? How will you run games? How will you print a document?
After all, Apple already made an admirable effort to turn the iPhone into a cloud-based computing system and we all know how that ended — with a native SDK that sent even the most successful web app developers scurrying to learn C.
Even Google quickly released a native search application for the iPhone, despite having already adapted most of its web-based offerings to work with the small screen. And while we’re huge fans of the potential that offline storage in HTML 5 offers, even we’re willing to admit that the web-based Gmail interface is dog slow compared to the iPhone-native Mail app.
Interestingly, Google isn’t the first company to try to turn its web-based apps into the basis for a lightweight operating system. Good OS previously announced Cloud, an operating system that “integrates a web browser with a compressed Linux operating system kernel for immediate access to the internet, integration of browser and rich client applications.”
Thus far, while Good OS has managed to find its way onto a few netbooks, the OS is far from a success.
Cross-Platform Web Apps?
Perhaps the most intriguing tidbit in Google’s announcement is the statement that the core building blocks of Chrome OS apps will be cross-platform.
It certainly sounds good, but we’re wondering how that’s going to work — in particular, how will offline data storage be handled? There’s the Gears plug-in for browsers, but Gears is rough around the edges and slow to update for new browser releases. For example, Gears still doesn’t work with the latest versions of Firefox or Safari (a beta version of Gears for Safari does exist, but it requires some workarounds to avoid bugs).
There’s a possibility HTML 5’s offline storage mechanism will solve this particular problem, but with IE8 offering little support for HTML 5, it isn’t going to be cross-platform. And it’s difficult to fault Microsoft for hesitating to support HTML 5, given that the spec is still a draft and subject to change.
Given the complexities involved, it seems unlikely that Chrome OS apps will be truly cross-platform — unless Google just means cross-platform in the sense that the apps will run in any web browser, but that’s hardly remarkable enough to tout in a press release.
A browser bundled with the OS, now where have we heard that before?
Google’s Chrome OS announcement says the Chrome web browser will be bundled with the operating system, which is quite simply “Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.”
Given Microsoft’s history with bundling browsers into the OS and the subsequent anti-trust lawsuits, we assume Google is going to offer some desktop programming tools that will allow other browser makers to run their software on Chrome OS as well. If not, expect Google to experience its own dose of regulator wrath.
Will Chrome OS offer better privacy?
Google is already tracking your searches, the links you click, the e-mails you send and the sites you visit. Are you ready for Google to know every last detail of everything you do from the minute you turn on your netbook? While all that data is anonymized and (theoretically) not traceable to you, it may still give concerned users reason to pause.
Will Chrome OS offer improved security and virus protection?
Google says, as it did upon the announcement of the Chrome browser, that going back to the drawing board will mean a more secure system less prone to viruses and malware. That sounds good, but it also makes for an unknown, untested system. Which would you rather use, an OS like Unix that’s nearly 40 years old and has been attacked from every angle and patched over time, or a system that’s ten minutes old and sounds good on paper, but has no experience in the wild?
Conclusion
Perhaps we’re being overly hard on an operating system that is specifically targeted at netbooks — an underpowered and still very niche market — but Google’s announcement is uncharacteristically short on details, making it hard to see it as anything other than an attempt to generate hype.
However, if we are to assume Google will do a good enough job answering our last four questions relating to the technical and legal details of the new OS, it’s really the first question that’s the biggest. And, it may be rendered moot by the time Google Chrome OS is released to the consumer market.
Remember the video Google released a few weeks ago showing spot interviews with people on the street? Regular, non-technical Americans were asked generic questions about their web browser, and almost everyone showed some level of confusion about the difference between a browser, the web, an e-mail client, a search engine and even the computer itself. This general ignorance about under-the-hood computing is Google’s biggest opportunity to shine. If the company can offer a user experience that’s just a web browser, it may succeed in fully blurring the lines between computer, desktop and web among the average consumer who, frankly, couldn’t care less about the differences.
Google will need to work out a way for users to interface with common devices like cameras, iPods and printers — tying them to Picasa, Amazon (like the MP3 store partnership the companies have on Android) and Google Docs. But if it succeeds, the just-a-browser OS could become something of a hit despite the hurdles.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
BLACK DAY IN THE GERMAN HISTORY(2)
The Associated Press
CAIRO — Thousands of Egyptian mourners marched behind the coffin of the "martyr of the head scarf" on Monday — a pregnant Muslim woman who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom as her young son watched.
Many in her homeland were outraged bythe attack and saw the low key response in Germany as an example of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Her husband was critically wounded in the attack Wednesday in Dresden when he tried to intervene and was stabbed by the attacker and accidentally shot by court security.
"There is no god but God and the Germans are the enemies of God," chanted the mourners for 32-year-old Marwa al-Sherbini in her hometown of Alexandria, where her body was buried after being flown back from Germany.
"We will avenge her killing," her brother Tarek el-Sherbini told The Associated Press by telephone from the mosque where prayers were being recited in front of his sister's coffin. "In the West, they don't recognize us. There is racism."
Al-Sherbini, who was about four months pregnant and wore the Islamic head scarf, was involved in a court case against her neighbor for calling her a terrorist and was set to testify against him when he stabbed her 18 times inside the courtroom in front of her 3-year-old son.
Her husband, who was in Germany on a research fellowship, came to her aid and was also stabbed by the neighbor and shot in the leg by a security guard who initially mistook him for the attacker, German prosecutors said. He is now in critical condition in a German hospital, according to al-Sherbini's brother.
"The guards thought that as long as he wasn't blond, he must be the attacker so they shot him," al-Sherbini told an Egyptian television station.
The man, who has only been identified as 28-year-old Alex W., remains in detention and prosecutors have opened an investigation on suspicion of murder.
Christian Avenarius, the prosecutor in Dresden where the incident took place, described the killer as driven by a deep hatred of Muslims. "It was very clearly a xenophobic attack of a fanatical lone wolf."
He added that the attacker was a Russian of German descent who had immigrated to Germany in 2003 and had expressed his contempt for Muslims at the start of the trial.
At its regular news conference on Monday, a German government spokesman Thomas Steg said if the attack was racist, the government "naturally condemns this in the strongest terms."
The killing has dominated Egyptian media for days, while it has received comparatively little coverage in German and Western media.
A German Muslim group criticized government officials and the media for not paying enough attention to the crime.
"The incident in Dresden had anti-Islamic motives. So far, the reactions from politicians and media have been incomprehensibly meager," Aiman Mazyek, the general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel daily.
Egyptian commentators said the incident was an example of how hate crimes against Muslims are overlooked in comparison to those committed by Muslims against Westerners. Many commentators pointed to the uproar that followed the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Dutch-born Islamic fundamentalist angry over one of his films criticizing the treatment of Muslim women.
Abdel Azeem Hamad, chief editor of the independent Egyptian daily el-Shorouk, said that if the victim had been a Jew, there would have been an uproar.
"What we demand is just some attention to be given to the killing of a young innocent mother on the hands of fanatic extremist," he wrote in his column.
An Egyptian blogger Hicham Maged, wrote "let us play the 'What If' game."
"Just imagine if the situation was reversed and the victim was a Westerner who was stabbed anywhere in the world or — God forbid — in any Middle Eastern country by Muslim extremists," he said.
The Egyptian Pharmacists' Association called for a boycott of German drugs. The victim was a pharmacist.
According to numerous interviews in Egyptian local papers with el-Sherbini family, the man who stabbed al-Sherbini used to accuse her of being a "terrorist," and in one incident, he tried to take off her head scarf. Mourners at her funeral called her the "martyr of the head scarf."
Laila Shams, al-Sherbini's mother, told the el-Wafd daily that her daughter said she'd difficulty finding a job in Germany because of her head scarf.
"One (employer) suggested she remove her head scarf to get a job. She said no," she said.
Officials from a German Muslim group and the country's main Jewish group made a joint visit Monday to the Dresden hospital where the victim's husband is being treated.
"You don't have to be a Muslim to act against anti-Muslim behavior, and you don't have to be a Jew to act against anti-Semitism," said Stephan Kramer, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews
CAIRO — Thousands of Egyptian mourners marched behind the coffin of the "martyr of the head scarf" on Monday — a pregnant Muslim woman who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom as her young son watched.
Many in her homeland were outraged bythe attack and saw the low key response in Germany as an example of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Her husband was critically wounded in the attack Wednesday in Dresden when he tried to intervene and was stabbed by the attacker and accidentally shot by court security.
"There is no god but God and the Germans are the enemies of God," chanted the mourners for 32-year-old Marwa al-Sherbini in her hometown of Alexandria, where her body was buried after being flown back from Germany.
"We will avenge her killing," her brother Tarek el-Sherbini told The Associated Press by telephone from the mosque where prayers were being recited in front of his sister's coffin. "In the West, they don't recognize us. There is racism."
Al-Sherbini, who was about four months pregnant and wore the Islamic head scarf, was involved in a court case against her neighbor for calling her a terrorist and was set to testify against him when he stabbed her 18 times inside the courtroom in front of her 3-year-old son.
Her husband, who was in Germany on a research fellowship, came to her aid and was also stabbed by the neighbor and shot in the leg by a security guard who initially mistook him for the attacker, German prosecutors said. He is now in critical condition in a German hospital, according to al-Sherbini's brother.
"The guards thought that as long as he wasn't blond, he must be the attacker so they shot him," al-Sherbini told an Egyptian television station.
The man, who has only been identified as 28-year-old Alex W., remains in detention and prosecutors have opened an investigation on suspicion of murder.
Christian Avenarius, the prosecutor in Dresden where the incident took place, described the killer as driven by a deep hatred of Muslims. "It was very clearly a xenophobic attack of a fanatical lone wolf."
He added that the attacker was a Russian of German descent who had immigrated to Germany in 2003 and had expressed his contempt for Muslims at the start of the trial.
At its regular news conference on Monday, a German government spokesman Thomas Steg said if the attack was racist, the government "naturally condemns this in the strongest terms."
The killing has dominated Egyptian media for days, while it has received comparatively little coverage in German and Western media.
A German Muslim group criticized government officials and the media for not paying enough attention to the crime.
"The incident in Dresden had anti-Islamic motives. So far, the reactions from politicians and media have been incomprehensibly meager," Aiman Mazyek, the general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel daily.
Egyptian commentators said the incident was an example of how hate crimes against Muslims are overlooked in comparison to those committed by Muslims against Westerners. Many commentators pointed to the uproar that followed the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Dutch-born Islamic fundamentalist angry over one of his films criticizing the treatment of Muslim women.
Abdel Azeem Hamad, chief editor of the independent Egyptian daily el-Shorouk, said that if the victim had been a Jew, there would have been an uproar.
"What we demand is just some attention to be given to the killing of a young innocent mother on the hands of fanatic extremist," he wrote in his column.
An Egyptian blogger Hicham Maged, wrote "let us play the 'What If' game."
"Just imagine if the situation was reversed and the victim was a Westerner who was stabbed anywhere in the world or — God forbid — in any Middle Eastern country by Muslim extremists," he said.
The Egyptian Pharmacists' Association called for a boycott of German drugs. The victim was a pharmacist.
According to numerous interviews in Egyptian local papers with el-Sherbini family, the man who stabbed al-Sherbini used to accuse her of being a "terrorist," and in one incident, he tried to take off her head scarf. Mourners at her funeral called her the "martyr of the head scarf."
Laila Shams, al-Sherbini's mother, told the el-Wafd daily that her daughter said she'd difficulty finding a job in Germany because of her head scarf.
"One (employer) suggested she remove her head scarf to get a job. She said no," she said.
Officials from a German Muslim group and the country's main Jewish group made a joint visit Monday to the Dresden hospital where the victim's husband is being treated.
"You don't have to be a Muslim to act against anti-Muslim behavior, and you don't have to be a Jew to act against anti-Semitism," said Stephan Kramer, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews
BLACK DAY IN THE GERMAN HISTORY(1)
Some thousands of Egyptians surround the coffin of 32-year old pregnant Egyptian woman Marwa el-Sherbini, Monday July 6, 2009, who was stabbed by a German man in a courtroom in eastern Germany last week, during her funeral in Alexandria, Egypt. The woman was to testify against the man in court after he allegedly called her an Islamist and a terrorist in 2008. German prosecutors say a 28-year-old man who fatally stabbed Marwa was driven by a deep hate of foreigners. (AP Photo/Nasser Nouri)
THE WEST IS THE WHOLE RACISM NOT US!!
MAGGIE MICHAEL
The Associated Press
CAIRO - Thousands of Egyptian mourners marched behind the coffin of the "martyr of the head scarf" on Monday , a pregnant Muslim woman who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom as her young son watched.
Many in her homeland were outraged by the attack and saw the low key response in Germany as an example of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Her husband was critically wounded in the attack Wednesday in Dresden when he tried to intervene and was stabbed by the attacker and accidentally shot by court security.
"There is no god but God and the Germans are the enemies of God," chanted the mourners for 32-year-old Marwa al-Sherbini in her hometown of Alexandria, where her body was buried after being flown back from Germany.
"We will avenge her killing," her brother Tarek el-Sherbini told The Associated Press by telephone from the mosque where prayers were being recited in front of his sister's coffin. "In the West, they don't recognize us. There is racism."
Al-Sherbini, who was about four months pregnant and wore the Islamic head scarf, was involved in a court case against her neighbor for calling her a terrorist and was set to testify against him when he stabbed her 18 times inside the courtroom in front of her 3-year-old son.
Her husband, who was in Germany on a research fellowship, came to her aid and was also stabbed by the neighbor and shot in the leg by a security guard who initially mistook him for the attacker, German prosecutors said. He is now in critical condition in a German hospital, according to al-Sherbini's brother.
"The guards thought that as long as he wasn't blond, he must be the attacker so they shot him," al-Sherbini told an Egyptian television station.
The man, who has only been identified as 28-year-old Alex W., remains in detention and prosecutors have opened an investigation on suspicion of murder.
Christian Avenarius, the prosecutor in Dresden where the incident took place, described the killer as driven by a deep hatred of Muslims. "It was very clearly a xenophobic attack of a fanatical lone wolf."
He added that the attacker was a Russian of German descent who had immigrated to Germany in 2003 and had expressed his contempt for Muslims at the start of the trial.
At its regular news conference on Monday, a German government spokesman Thomas Steg said if the attack was racist, the government "naturally condemns this in the strongest terms."
The killing has dominated Egyptian media for days, while it has received comparatively little coverage in German and Western media.
A German Muslim group criticized government officials and the media for not paying enough attention to the crime.
"The incident in Dresden had anti-Islamic motives. So far, the reactions from politicians and media have been incomprehensibly meager," Aiman Mazyek, the general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel daily.
Egyptian commentators said the incident was an example of how hate crimes against Muslims are overlooked in comparison to those committed by Muslims against Westerners. Many commentators pointed to the uproar that followed the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Dutch-born Islamic fundamentalist angry over one of his films criticizing the treatment of Muslim women.
Abdel Azeem Hamad, chief editor of the independent Egyptian daily el-Shorouk, said that if the victim had been a Jew, there would have been an uproar.
"What we demand is just some attention to be given to the killing of a young innocent mother on the hands of fanatic extremist," he wrote in his column.
An Egyptian blogger Hicham Maged, wrote "let us play the 'What If' game."
"Just imagine if the situation was reversed and the victim was a Westerner who was stabbed anywhere in the world or , God forbid , in any Middle Eastern country by Muslim extremists," he said.
The Egyptian Pharmacists' Association called for a boycott of German drugs. The victim was a pharmacist.
According to numerous interviews in Egyptian local papers with el-Sherbini family, the man who stabbed al-Sherbini used to accuse her of being a "terrorist," and in one incident, he tried to take off her head scarf. Mourners at her funeral called her the "martyr of the head scarf."
Laila Shams, al-Sherbini's mother, told the el-Wafd daily that her daughter said she'd difficulty finding a job in Germany because of her head scarf.
"One (employer) suggested she remove her head scarf to get a job. She said no," she said.
Officials from a German Muslim group and the country's main Jewish group made a joint visit Monday to the Dresden hospital where the victim's husband is being treated.
"You don't have to be a Muslim to act against anti-Muslim behavior, and you don't have to be a Jew to act against anti-Semitism," said Stephan Kramer, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews.
,,
Associated Press Writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report
The Associated Press
CAIRO - Thousands of Egyptian mourners marched behind the coffin of the "martyr of the head scarf" on Monday , a pregnant Muslim woman who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom as her young son watched.
Many in her homeland were outraged by the attack and saw the low key response in Germany as an example of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Her husband was critically wounded in the attack Wednesday in Dresden when he tried to intervene and was stabbed by the attacker and accidentally shot by court security.
"There is no god but God and the Germans are the enemies of God," chanted the mourners for 32-year-old Marwa al-Sherbini in her hometown of Alexandria, where her body was buried after being flown back from Germany.
"We will avenge her killing," her brother Tarek el-Sherbini told The Associated Press by telephone from the mosque where prayers were being recited in front of his sister's coffin. "In the West, they don't recognize us. There is racism."
Al-Sherbini, who was about four months pregnant and wore the Islamic head scarf, was involved in a court case against her neighbor for calling her a terrorist and was set to testify against him when he stabbed her 18 times inside the courtroom in front of her 3-year-old son.
Her husband, who was in Germany on a research fellowship, came to her aid and was also stabbed by the neighbor and shot in the leg by a security guard who initially mistook him for the attacker, German prosecutors said. He is now in critical condition in a German hospital, according to al-Sherbini's brother.
"The guards thought that as long as he wasn't blond, he must be the attacker so they shot him," al-Sherbini told an Egyptian television station.
The man, who has only been identified as 28-year-old Alex W., remains in detention and prosecutors have opened an investigation on suspicion of murder.
Christian Avenarius, the prosecutor in Dresden where the incident took place, described the killer as driven by a deep hatred of Muslims. "It was very clearly a xenophobic attack of a fanatical lone wolf."
He added that the attacker was a Russian of German descent who had immigrated to Germany in 2003 and had expressed his contempt for Muslims at the start of the trial.
At its regular news conference on Monday, a German government spokesman Thomas Steg said if the attack was racist, the government "naturally condemns this in the strongest terms."
The killing has dominated Egyptian media for days, while it has received comparatively little coverage in German and Western media.
A German Muslim group criticized government officials and the media for not paying enough attention to the crime.
"The incident in Dresden had anti-Islamic motives. So far, the reactions from politicians and media have been incomprehensibly meager," Aiman Mazyek, the general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel daily.
Egyptian commentators said the incident was an example of how hate crimes against Muslims are overlooked in comparison to those committed by Muslims against Westerners. Many commentators pointed to the uproar that followed the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Dutch-born Islamic fundamentalist angry over one of his films criticizing the treatment of Muslim women.
Abdel Azeem Hamad, chief editor of the independent Egyptian daily el-Shorouk, said that if the victim had been a Jew, there would have been an uproar.
"What we demand is just some attention to be given to the killing of a young innocent mother on the hands of fanatic extremist," he wrote in his column.
An Egyptian blogger Hicham Maged, wrote "let us play the 'What If' game."
"Just imagine if the situation was reversed and the victim was a Westerner who was stabbed anywhere in the world or , God forbid , in any Middle Eastern country by Muslim extremists," he said.
The Egyptian Pharmacists' Association called for a boycott of German drugs. The victim was a pharmacist.
According to numerous interviews in Egyptian local papers with el-Sherbini family, the man who stabbed al-Sherbini used to accuse her of being a "terrorist," and in one incident, he tried to take off her head scarf. Mourners at her funeral called her the "martyr of the head scarf."
Laila Shams, al-Sherbini's mother, told the el-Wafd daily that her daughter said she'd difficulty finding a job in Germany because of her head scarf.
"One (employer) suggested she remove her head scarf to get a job. She said no," she said.
Officials from a German Muslim group and the country's main Jewish group made a joint visit Monday to the Dresden hospital where the victim's husband is being treated.
"You don't have to be a Muslim to act against anti-Muslim behavior, and you don't have to be a Jew to act against anti-Semitism," said Stephan Kramer, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews.
,,
Associated Press Writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report
HE MUST BE KILLED NO WAY GERMANS!!!
Hundreds of Egyptians demonstrated in Germany after the racist killing of Marwa El Sherbini who was 3 months pregnant. The crime supports the theory that racism is still very much alive in Germany especially since the German media totally neglected the incident not to mention the German judicial website.
A German man outside of a Dresden, Germany, courtroom stabbed a 32-year-old Egyptian woman to death on Wednesday after she had won a defamation case against the man, Egypt’s Youm El Saba’a newspaper reported late Thursday. According to security sources in the German city, Marwa Al Sherbini, was stabbed.
Local news reported that Sherbini was three-months pregnant at the time. Her husband, who was finishing a scholarship at a German institute in genetics, was also shot outside the court, moments after the verdict had been handed down.
Reports say police shot him accidentally. It is unclear his status, with some reporting he was killed and others saying he is in critical condition.
Sherbini had filed a case against her killer, Alex, a 28-year unemployed German of Russian descent, in August 2008, after he had called her a “terrorist” on a Dresden street because she wears the higab – the Islamic headscarf that covers the hair.
He was fined 2,800 Euros for the insulting remarks.
The murder comes as Europe is in the midst of a battle over what Muslim women can wear. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said recently that the Niqab – the full covering of the face – is “not welcome in France.
The body will be flown back to Egypt for the burial and while the Egyptian foreign condemned the incident, the Egyptian Ambassador to Germany attempted to downplay the incident
A German man outside of a Dresden, Germany, courtroom stabbed a 32-year-old Egyptian woman to death on Wednesday after she had won a defamation case against the man, Egypt’s Youm El Saba’a newspaper reported late Thursday. According to security sources in the German city, Marwa Al Sherbini, was stabbed.
Local news reported that Sherbini was three-months pregnant at the time. Her husband, who was finishing a scholarship at a German institute in genetics, was also shot outside the court, moments after the verdict had been handed down.
Reports say police shot him accidentally. It is unclear his status, with some reporting he was killed and others saying he is in critical condition.
Sherbini had filed a case against her killer, Alex, a 28-year unemployed German of Russian descent, in August 2008, after he had called her a “terrorist” on a Dresden street because she wears the higab – the Islamic headscarf that covers the hair.
He was fined 2,800 Euros for the insulting remarks.
The murder comes as Europe is in the midst of a battle over what Muslim women can wear. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said recently that the Niqab – the full covering of the face – is “not welcome in France.
The body will be flown back to Egypt for the burial and while the Egyptian foreign condemned the incident, the Egyptian Ambassador to Germany attempted to downplay the incident
DO NOT TELL ME ABOUT THE WEST PLZ!!!!
Berlin/Cairo - The corpse of a pregnant Egyptian woman killed in a Dresden courthouse was expected to arrive in Cairo for burial on Sunday night, the Egyptian Embassy in Berlin said. Dresden prosecutors have charged a German-Russian man with fatally stabbing Marwa al-Shirbini, 31, in a courthouse in Dresden on Wednesday.
She was there to testify against him on charges that he had called her a "terrorist" on a playground in 2008 because she was wearing a headscarf.
Her brother and her 3-year-old son would accompany her body back to Cairo, the independent Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm reported Sunday.
Al-Shirbini's husband was still in hospital, recovering from stab wounds and an accidental gunshot he sustained while trying to help his wife, the paper said.
Speaking in an article to appear in Monday the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, Stephan Kramer and Ayman Mazyak, the respective heads of Germany's councils for Jews and Muslims, said that would pay a visit to the victim's husband to express their condolences.
"We want make a statement against Islamophobia and against the fact that it is consistently underestimated and trivialized, as it has been in this case," they said.
The attack "was motivated by Islamophobia," they wrote. "But so far the reaction from politicians and the media has been strangely muted. That is why we want to show solidarity." Copyright, respective author or news agency
She was there to testify against him on charges that he had called her a "terrorist" on a playground in 2008 because she was wearing a headscarf.
Her brother and her 3-year-old son would accompany her body back to Cairo, the independent Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm reported Sunday.
Al-Shirbini's husband was still in hospital, recovering from stab wounds and an accidental gunshot he sustained while trying to help his wife, the paper said.
Speaking in an article to appear in Monday the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, Stephan Kramer and Ayman Mazyak, the respective heads of Germany's councils for Jews and Muslims, said that would pay a visit to the victim's husband to express their condolences.
"We want make a statement against Islamophobia and against the fact that it is consistently underestimated and trivialized, as it has been in this case," they said.
The attack "was motivated by Islamophobia," they wrote. "But so far the reaction from politicians and the media has been strangely muted. That is why we want to show solidarity." Copyright, respective author or news agency
الدكتور روبرت كرين مستشار الرئيس الأمريكي نيكسون
في عام 1959م حصل الدكتور روبرت كرين على دكتوراه في القانون العام، ثم دكتوراه في القانون الدولي والمقارن، وتولَّى رئاسة جمعية هارفارد للقانون الدولي.
يُعتَبَر أحدَ كبار الخبراء السياسيين في أمريكا, ومؤسس مركز الحضارة والتجديد في أمريكا، ويتقن ست لغات حية, متزوج، وأب لخمسة أولاد.
كان أكبر مستشاري الرئيس السابق ريتشارد نيكسون في السياسة الخارجية, وفي عام 1969م عيَّنه نيكسون نائبًا لمدير مجلس الأمن القومي في البيت الأبيض.
كل هذه المناصب تدل على أنه نال ثقة الرئيس والجهات الرسمية الأمريكية؛ ومن ثَمَّ فقد كلَّفه نيكسون بتلخيص مجموعة من تقارير المخابرات الأمريكية عن الأصولية الإسلامية. ومع أن التقرير مكتوب بأيدي المخابرات الأمريكية وليس بأيدٍ إسلامية إلا أنه ترك عند روبرت أثرًا حسنًا، وقرعت معلوماته شغاف قلبه.
قصة إسلامه
في عام 1980م تابع بأمر من حكومته ندوات ومؤتمرات عن الإسلام شارك فيها عدد من قادة الفكر الإسلامي, منهم الدكتور حسن الترابي الذي تكلم عدة مرات وشرح الإسلام, ثم رآه يصلي ويسجد، فاعتقد في هذا إهانة له ولإنسانيته أول الأمر.
لكنَّه أدرك بعد ذلك أن الشيخ حسن الترابي ينحني لله ويسجد له، وبما له من ثقافة وعلم تيقن له بأن هذا العمل هو الصحيح. إضافةً إلى لقائه مع البروفسور روجيه جارودي في دمشق فتأثر بأفكاره؛ ولذلك وجد أن الإسلام هو الحل الوحيد، فهو الذي يحمل العدالة في مقاصد الشريعة، وفي الكُلِّيات والجزئيات والضروريات.
وهو كمحامٍ كان يسعى إلى مبادئ ليست من وضع البشر, وكل هذه المُثُل العليا وجدها في الإسلام, وهكذا انشرح قلبه للإسلام، ومن يومها في عام 1980م أعلن إسلامه، وأطلق على نفسه اسم فاروق عبد الحق.
إسهاماته
أصبح فاروق عبد الحق منذ ذلك الوقت يهتم بمستقبل الإسلام في أمريكا، وله أطروحات مهمة في المؤتمر الرابع والعشرين للاتحاد الإسلامي في أمريكا الشمالية المعروف اختصارًا بـ ISAN، والذي عُقِدَ في الفترة ما بين 29/8 إلى 1/9/1986م بمدينة أنديانا بوليس، والذي خُصِّص لمناقشة مستقبل الإسلام في أمريكا الشمالية.
حين يُوجَّه النقدُ إلى الغرب لنظرته المنحازة والقاصرة تجاه الإسلام، فإنه لا ينسى توجيه اللوم إلى بعض المسلمين في الشرق أو الغرب ممَّن لا يفهمون ويطبقون التعاليم الإسلامية, فمن الصعب كما يقول: (أن تُفهِم الغربيين حقيقة الإسلام؛ لأن الكثير من المسلمين الذين يعيشون في الغرب لا يمارسون، ولا يعيشون حسب تعاليم الإسلام).
ومن هنا يرى أنّ الحاجة إلى صنَّاع فكر إسلامي كي يشرحوا للأمريكيين كيف يجب على أمريكا أن تدير سياستها الخارجيّة، وأن يبيّنوا أنّ العدل هو الطريق الطويل الذي يجب أن تسلكه أمريكا.
من أقواله
يقول د.فاروق عبد الحق ناعيًا على العدوان الصحفي على الإسلام في أمريكا:
"لو قرأ الناس الصحف في أمريـكا، فإنهم بلا شــك سـينتابهم الخوف من الإسلام".
ويقول واثقًا من مستقبل الإسلام :
"الإسلام هو الحل الوحيد، فهو الذي يحمل العدالة في مقاصد الشريعة وفي الكليات والجزيئات والضروريات"[1].
[1] كتاب رجال ونساء أسلموا، ص275.
www.islamstory.com
يُعتَبَر أحدَ كبار الخبراء السياسيين في أمريكا, ومؤسس مركز الحضارة والتجديد في أمريكا، ويتقن ست لغات حية, متزوج، وأب لخمسة أولاد.
كان أكبر مستشاري الرئيس السابق ريتشارد نيكسون في السياسة الخارجية, وفي عام 1969م عيَّنه نيكسون نائبًا لمدير مجلس الأمن القومي في البيت الأبيض.
كل هذه المناصب تدل على أنه نال ثقة الرئيس والجهات الرسمية الأمريكية؛ ومن ثَمَّ فقد كلَّفه نيكسون بتلخيص مجموعة من تقارير المخابرات الأمريكية عن الأصولية الإسلامية. ومع أن التقرير مكتوب بأيدي المخابرات الأمريكية وليس بأيدٍ إسلامية إلا أنه ترك عند روبرت أثرًا حسنًا، وقرعت معلوماته شغاف قلبه.
قصة إسلامه
في عام 1980م تابع بأمر من حكومته ندوات ومؤتمرات عن الإسلام شارك فيها عدد من قادة الفكر الإسلامي, منهم الدكتور حسن الترابي الذي تكلم عدة مرات وشرح الإسلام, ثم رآه يصلي ويسجد، فاعتقد في هذا إهانة له ولإنسانيته أول الأمر.
لكنَّه أدرك بعد ذلك أن الشيخ حسن الترابي ينحني لله ويسجد له، وبما له من ثقافة وعلم تيقن له بأن هذا العمل هو الصحيح. إضافةً إلى لقائه مع البروفسور روجيه جارودي في دمشق فتأثر بأفكاره؛ ولذلك وجد أن الإسلام هو الحل الوحيد، فهو الذي يحمل العدالة في مقاصد الشريعة، وفي الكُلِّيات والجزئيات والضروريات.
وهو كمحامٍ كان يسعى إلى مبادئ ليست من وضع البشر, وكل هذه المُثُل العليا وجدها في الإسلام, وهكذا انشرح قلبه للإسلام، ومن يومها في عام 1980م أعلن إسلامه، وأطلق على نفسه اسم فاروق عبد الحق.
إسهاماته
أصبح فاروق عبد الحق منذ ذلك الوقت يهتم بمستقبل الإسلام في أمريكا، وله أطروحات مهمة في المؤتمر الرابع والعشرين للاتحاد الإسلامي في أمريكا الشمالية المعروف اختصارًا بـ ISAN، والذي عُقِدَ في الفترة ما بين 29/8 إلى 1/9/1986م بمدينة أنديانا بوليس، والذي خُصِّص لمناقشة مستقبل الإسلام في أمريكا الشمالية.
حين يُوجَّه النقدُ إلى الغرب لنظرته المنحازة والقاصرة تجاه الإسلام، فإنه لا ينسى توجيه اللوم إلى بعض المسلمين في الشرق أو الغرب ممَّن لا يفهمون ويطبقون التعاليم الإسلامية, فمن الصعب كما يقول: (أن تُفهِم الغربيين حقيقة الإسلام؛ لأن الكثير من المسلمين الذين يعيشون في الغرب لا يمارسون، ولا يعيشون حسب تعاليم الإسلام).
ومن هنا يرى أنّ الحاجة إلى صنَّاع فكر إسلامي كي يشرحوا للأمريكيين كيف يجب على أمريكا أن تدير سياستها الخارجيّة، وأن يبيّنوا أنّ العدل هو الطريق الطويل الذي يجب أن تسلكه أمريكا.
من أقواله
يقول د.فاروق عبد الحق ناعيًا على العدوان الصحفي على الإسلام في أمريكا:
"لو قرأ الناس الصحف في أمريـكا، فإنهم بلا شــك سـينتابهم الخوف من الإسلام".
ويقول واثقًا من مستقبل الإسلام :
"الإسلام هو الحل الوحيد، فهو الذي يحمل العدالة في مقاصد الشريعة وفي الكليات والجزيئات والضروريات"[1].
[1] كتاب رجال ونساء أسلموا، ص275.
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الحياء
وصَّي الإسلام أبناءه بالحياء، وجعل هذا الخُلُق السامي أبرز ما يتميَّز به الإسلام من فضائل، قال r: "إِنَّ لِكُلِّ دِينٍ خُلُقًا، وَخُلُقُ الْإِسْلامِ الْحَيَاءُ"[1]. فالحياء أمارة صادقة على طبيعة الإنسان، وهو يكشف عن قيمة إيمانه ومقدار أدبه، ويدلُّ على حياة الضمير ونقاء المعدن.
وقد "كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ r أَشَدَّ حَيَاءً مِنَ الْعَذْرَاءِ فِي خِدْرِهَا"[2].
والحياء يؤسِّس في النفس عاطفة حيَّة، تترفَّع بها عن الخطايا، وتستشعر الغضاضة من سفاسف الأمور، والمرء حينما يفقد حياءه يتدرَّج من سيِّئ إلى أسوء، ويهبط من رذيلة إلى أرذل.
ومِن ثَمَّ كان "الإِيمَانُ وَالْحَيَاءُ قُرَنَاءُ جَمِيعًا، فَإِذَا رُفِعَ أَحَدُهُمَا رُفِعَ الآخَرُ"، كما قال r[3]، وللحياء مواضع يستحبُّ فيها؛ فالحياء في الكلام يتطلَّب من المسلم أن يطهر فمه من الفحش، وأن ينزِّه لسانه عن العيب، قال r: "الْحَيَاءُ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ وَالإِيمَانُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالْبَذَاءُ مِنَ الْجَفَاءِ، وَالْجَفَاءُ فِي النَّارِ"[4].
ومن الحياء كذلك أن يخجل الإنسان من أن يُؤْثَر عنه سوء، وأن يحرص على بقاء سمعته نقيَّة من الشوائب، بعيدة عن الإشاعات السيِّئة.
إن الحياء مِلاكُ الخير، وهو عنصر النبل في كل عمل يشوبه، ولو تَجَسَّم الحياء لكان رمزَ الصلاح والإصلاح.
ومن حياء الإنسان مع الناس أن يعرف لأصحاب الحقوق منازلهم، وأن يؤتيَ كل ذي فضل فضله، وفي الحديث: "تَوَاضَعُوا لِمَنْ تَعْلَمُونَ مِنْهُ"[5]. والحياء ليس جبنًا؛ فإن الرجل الخجول قد يفضل أن يريق دمه على أن يريق ماء وجهه، وتلك هي الشجاعة في أعلى صورها، على أن مَن يتهيَّب تقريع المبطلين ليس حييًّا، فالحياء لا موضع له في السلوك عندما يقف المرء موقفًا يناصر فيه الحقّ، {وَاللَّهُ لا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ[6]}.
والحياء في أسمى منازله وأكرمها يكون من الله U، فنحن نَطْعم من خيره، ونتنفَّسُ في جوِّه، وندرج على أرضه، ونستظلُّ بسمائه، { وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لا تُحْصُوهَا[7]}.
إن من حياء المسلم أن ينزَّه لسانه أن يخوض في باطل، وبصره أن يرمق عورة، أو ينظر شهوة، وأذنه أن تستَرِقَ سرًّا، أو تستكشف خبأً، وأن يفطم بطنه عن الحرام، فإن فعل ذلك عن شعور بأن الله يرقبه، ونفورٍ من اقتراف تفريط في جنب الله فقد استحيا من الله حقَّ الحياء.
والحياء بهذا الشمول هو الدِّين كله، فإذا أُطلق على طائفة من الأعمال الجميلة فهو جزء من الإيمان وأثر له، قال r:"...وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ"[
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وقد "كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ r أَشَدَّ حَيَاءً مِنَ الْعَذْرَاءِ فِي خِدْرِهَا"[2].
والحياء يؤسِّس في النفس عاطفة حيَّة، تترفَّع بها عن الخطايا، وتستشعر الغضاضة من سفاسف الأمور، والمرء حينما يفقد حياءه يتدرَّج من سيِّئ إلى أسوء، ويهبط من رذيلة إلى أرذل.
ومِن ثَمَّ كان "الإِيمَانُ وَالْحَيَاءُ قُرَنَاءُ جَمِيعًا، فَإِذَا رُفِعَ أَحَدُهُمَا رُفِعَ الآخَرُ"، كما قال r[3]، وللحياء مواضع يستحبُّ فيها؛ فالحياء في الكلام يتطلَّب من المسلم أن يطهر فمه من الفحش، وأن ينزِّه لسانه عن العيب، قال r: "الْحَيَاءُ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ وَالإِيمَانُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَالْبَذَاءُ مِنَ الْجَفَاءِ، وَالْجَفَاءُ فِي النَّارِ"[4].
ومن الحياء كذلك أن يخجل الإنسان من أن يُؤْثَر عنه سوء، وأن يحرص على بقاء سمعته نقيَّة من الشوائب، بعيدة عن الإشاعات السيِّئة.
إن الحياء مِلاكُ الخير، وهو عنصر النبل في كل عمل يشوبه، ولو تَجَسَّم الحياء لكان رمزَ الصلاح والإصلاح.
ومن حياء الإنسان مع الناس أن يعرف لأصحاب الحقوق منازلهم، وأن يؤتيَ كل ذي فضل فضله، وفي الحديث: "تَوَاضَعُوا لِمَنْ تَعْلَمُونَ مِنْهُ"[5]. والحياء ليس جبنًا؛ فإن الرجل الخجول قد يفضل أن يريق دمه على أن يريق ماء وجهه، وتلك هي الشجاعة في أعلى صورها، على أن مَن يتهيَّب تقريع المبطلين ليس حييًّا، فالحياء لا موضع له في السلوك عندما يقف المرء موقفًا يناصر فيه الحقّ، {وَاللَّهُ لا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ[6]}.
والحياء في أسمى منازله وأكرمها يكون من الله U، فنحن نَطْعم من خيره، ونتنفَّسُ في جوِّه، وندرج على أرضه، ونستظلُّ بسمائه، { وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لا تُحْصُوهَا[7]}.
إن من حياء المسلم أن ينزَّه لسانه أن يخوض في باطل، وبصره أن يرمق عورة، أو ينظر شهوة، وأذنه أن تستَرِقَ سرًّا، أو تستكشف خبأً، وأن يفطم بطنه عن الحرام، فإن فعل ذلك عن شعور بأن الله يرقبه، ونفورٍ من اقتراف تفريط في جنب الله فقد استحيا من الله حقَّ الحياء.
والحياء بهذا الشمول هو الدِّين كله، فإذا أُطلق على طائفة من الأعمال الجميلة فهو جزء من الإيمان وأثر له، قال r:"...وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ"[
http://www.islamstory.com
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