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Ladywriter

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Everything posted by Ladywriter

  1. if only there was a stork.... and none of that excruciating pain ....
  2. a reunion between Iva and Dragon... does that mean war is eminent and will the Monkey brothers have to choose between going to war with their biological daddy-o or returning to their crews??? ***gasp*** I think Luffy's strong haki abilities are related to the Will of D. I'm also concerned about side effects of Iva's technique that will catch up to him the day after... could Luffy become Luffette?! If he was changed into a woman for a bit it would be a pretty good disguise The WG is delebiratly starting shit with the public execution of the type of prisoner they lock up and throw away the key. They're provoking WB into a fight but the question is why? The balance of power in the new world seems to be shifting.... I dunno about Ussop and haki I think the guy is just uber durable X'D
  3. I def think the Will of D is at work in Luffy and that is what speed along his recovery I also think Dragon will show up to the execution Shanks is fighting that other emperor that wanted to move in on WB turf and WB is going after marines....
  4. Attorney General Eric Holder wants to release classified Bush-era interrogation memos. But U.S. intel officials are fiercely lobbying the White House to block him from moving forward. A fierce internal battle within the White House over the disclosure of internal Justice Department interrogation memos is shaping up as a major test of the Obama administration's commitment to opening up government files about Bush-era counterterrorism policy. As reported by NEWSWEEK, the White House last month had accepted a recommendation from Attorney General Eric Holder to declassify and publicly release three 2005 memos that graphically describe harsh interrogation techniques approved for the CIA to use against Al Qaeda suspects. But after the story, U.S. intelligence officials, led by senior national-security aide John Brennan, mounted an intense campaign to get the decision reversed, according to a senior administration official familiar with the debate. "Holy hell has broken loose over this," said the official, who asked not to be identified because of political sensitivities. Brennan is a former senior CIA official who was once considered by Obama for agency director but withdrew his name late last year after public criticism that he was too close to past officials involved in Bush administration decisions. Brennan, who now oversees intelligence issues at the National Security Council, argued that release of the memos could embarrass foreign intelligence services who cooperated with the CIA, either by participating in overseas "extraordinary renditions" of high-level detainees or housing them in overseas "black site" prisons. Brennan succeeded in persuading CIA Director Leon Panetta to become "engaged" in his efforts to block release, according to the senior official. Their joint arguments stalled plans to declassify the memos even though White House counsel Gregory Craig had already signed off on Holder's recommendation that they should be disclosed, according to an official and another government source familiar with the debate. No final decision has been made, and it is likely Obama will have to resolve the matter, according to the sources who spoke to NEWSWEEK. The continued internal debate explains the Justice Department's decision late Thursday to ask a federal judge for another two-week delay (until April 16) to file a final response in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking the release of the memos. The ACLU agreed to the two-week delay only after Justice officials represented that "high-level Government officials will consider for possible release" the three 2005 memos as well as another Aug. 1, 2002, memo on torture, that has long been sought by congressional committees and members of Congress, according to a motion filed by Justice lawyers with U.S. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in New York, who is overseeing the case. The 2002 memo, written by former Justice lawyers Jay Bybee and John Yoo, concluded that waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques could be used against Qaeda suspects without violating a federal law that prohibits torture. That memo was publicly withdrawn by the Justice Department in 2004 after its existence became publicly known and sparked a public controversy. But a new set of Justice lawyers—led by Steven Bradbury, the newly installed chief of the department's Office of Legal Counsel—later secretly authored additional memos in the spring of 2005 that essentially approved the same techniques, permitting the agency to barrage terror suspects with a combination of physical and psychological tactics, including head-slapping and frigid temperatures, according to a 2007 New York Times account. Those memos concluded that the harsh interrogation techniques used by the CIA would not violate Geneva Conventions restrictions on "cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment of prisoners.
  5. Deaths confirmed at N.Y. hostage-taking Governor reports fatalities; sources tell NBC death toll could reach 13
  6. Breaking News BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - At least four people were shot and dozens were taken hostage Friday at an immigration services center, according to officials and news reports. NBC's Pete Williams cited city and state officials as saying that as many 13 people might have been killed. But Williams cautioned that the information was very preliminary and may change as the hours go by because police were still searching the building. At least 41 people were in the American Civic Association building at the time of the shooting, The Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin reported. Four people were removed from the building on stretchers and taken to hospitals, and 10 more ambulances were called, the newspaper reported. The condition of those shot was not immediately clear.A man went into the group's building and started shooting, according to police scanner traffic reported by WBNG-TV. The gunman had a high-powered rifle, Mayor Matthew Ryan told the newspaper. Some later left building When the shooting started, people escaped to the basement in search of safety. More than a dozen people were hiding in a closet for more than an hour. Some people were later escorted out of the building, WBGH reporter Sophia Ojeda said. The American Civic Association's Web site says it helps immigrants and refugees with counseling, resettlement, citizenship, family reunification, interpreters, and translators. The suspect was described as a man in his 20s between 5 feet, 8 inches, and 6 feet tall, wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses. School locked down Police have locked down a nearby high school and advised local business owners to stay inside. Rich Griffith, who works across the street from the hostage scene, said he saw three people carried out of the building on stretchers alive and moving. Linda Miller, a spokeswoman at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, confirmed that a student from Binghamton University was being treated at the emergency room. Miller said she didn't know the nature of the injuries. "We're on full alert anticipating we're going to get additional casualties," Miller said. Binghamton, with a population around 45,000, is about 150 miles northwest of New York City. about an hour drive from my house
  7. Ditto found nip growing okie wants to study pre history with me
  8. Ladywriter

    okie

    From the album: Stuff

  9. Ladywriter

    Ditto

    From the album: Stuff

  10. State supreme court says law violates rights of gays and lesbians DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling Friday finding that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples, making Iowa the third state where gay marriage is legal. In its decision, the court upheld a 2007 district court judge's ruling that the law violates the state constitution. It strikes the language from Iowa code limiting marriage to only between a man a woman. "The court reaffirmed that a statute inconsistent with the Iowa constitution must be declared void even though it may be supported by strong and deep-seated traditional beliefs and popular opinion," said a summary of the ruling issued by the court.
  11. Unemployment rate highest since late 1983; 663,000 jobs lost The nation's unemployment rate jumped to 8.5 percent in March, the highest since late 1983, as a wide swath of employers eliminated 663,000 jobs. It's fresh evidence of the toll the recession has inflicted on America's workers, and economists say there's no relief in sight. If part-time and discouraged workers are factored in, the unemployment rate would have been 15.6 percent in March, the highest on records dating to 1994, according to Labor Department data released Friday. The average work week in March dropped to 33.2 hours, a new record low.
  12. Fourteen states want to cut their global warming emissions, but an old Bush administration decision is standing in the way! Although the states are eager to impose stricter auto emissions standards, a federal decision currently forbids them from acting. Luckily, the new Obama administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering reversing this bad policy right now. They're asking for public input on this decision but we only have five days left to weigh in. Click below to submit your comment before the EPA's April 6th deadline. http://ga3.org/campaign/cleaner_cars/i5u63ww41jbe77jd? Global warming threatens the future of the entire planet. And pollution from cars is a prime culprit, accounting for 20% of the nation's carbon dioxide emissions. California and 13 other states, together representing 40% of the U.S. automobile market, stand ready with a bold solution - require carmakers to reduce the amount of pollution from their vehicles. This would be just the incentive the auto industry needs to start building cleaner cars. They will have no choice if they want to stay competitive. And it will be a critical shot-in-the-arm to the green economy. But under the existing Bush administration ruling, these fourteen states - including New York, California and Arizona - need permission from the federal government to change their own state regulations. It is time to reverse this decision which is blocking progress on global warming. Please take a moment to submit your comment to the EPA about this now. http://ga3.org/campaign/cleaner_cars/i5u63ww41jbe77jd? Don't delay - the comment period ends on April 6th! Once you've sent your comment, please help us reach a critical mass by spreading the word. Click below to urge your friends and family to join you in contacting the EPA before April 6th. http://ga3.org/campaign/cleaner_cars/forward/i5u63ww41jbe77jd? Let's make sure we don't miss this chance to improve the way we make our cars and take huge strides toward cleaner air and a healthier planet. Thank you again for your help. Sincerely, Michael Town Campaign Director, SaveOurEnvironment.org info@saveourenvironment.org
  13. Critics have said that a Cap and Trade program is too expensive. But we have already spent billions on the repercussions of global warming, and it will only get worse. Don't believe it? Consider that: * We lost $1.3 billion as a result of crop loss from Georgia's drought in 2007. * It cost $300 million to repair rail transportation after Hurricane Katrina. * We spent $272 million in 2007 as a result of increasing flood damage. Ask Congress to pass a Cap and Trade system to regulate greenhouse gases. -> http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFlXs/zjZ0/ANR12 It's frightening to think that four global warming impacts alone -- hurricane damage, real estate losses, energy costs and water costs -- will come with a price tag of 1.8 percent of U.S. GDP, or almost $1.9 trillion annually by 2100. Is the cost of a Cap and Trade system worth it? We think so. Please take action today. -> http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFlXs/zjZ0/ANR12 Thanks for taking action! Samer ThePetitionSite Forward to a friend >> http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFlXR/zjZ0/ANR12 Read the petition >> http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFlXs/zjZ0/ANR12
  14. Women under 40 could have no more than 2 embryos implanted at one time ATLANTA - Lawmakers in two states, outraged by the birth of octuplets to a California mother, are seeking to limit the number of embryos that may be implanted by fertility clinics.The legislation in Missouri and Georgia is intended to spare taxpayers from footing the bill for women having more children than they can afford. But critics say the measures also would make having even one child more difficult for women who desperately want to become mothers. "What they are proposing is a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach," said Dr. Andrew Toledo, medical director of the Atlanta-based Reproductive Biology Associates. "Not every couple and not every patient is the same." Infertility doctors argue that decisions on how many embryos to transfer should be left up to medical experts familiar with a patient's individual circumstances.Debate has raged since Nadya Suleman gave birth to octuplets in Bellflower, Calif., on Jan. 26. She has six other children, lives in her mother's three-bedroom home and has relied on food stamps and disability income to provide for her family. "It's unforgivable," said Ralph Hudgens, a state senator who is sponsoring the Georgia bill. "This woman already has six children. She's unemployed, and she's going and having 14 children on the backs of the taxpayers of the state of California." Hudgens, a Republican, has proposed legislation that would allow no more than two embryos to be implanted at any one time in a woman younger than 40. For women older than 40, the legislation would limit the number of embryos to three to account for increased difficulty getting pregnant. Supporters say the measure is needed to rein in lucrative baby-making businesses often more concerned with success rates and profit than with ethics. Hudgens, a Republican, agreed to sponsor the bill after being approached by the Georgia Right to Life group. The proposal comes up for a hearing Thursday before the Senate's Health and Human Services Committee. Supporters say the bill would cut down on the number of unused embryos. But opponents argue that would severely limit the options of women paying $10,000 to $15,000 for each fertility cycle. Standard is usually two or three embryos In Missouri, a bill seeks to enact guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The guidelines include a recommended number of embryos that should be implanted in a woman based on her age and prognosis for a successful pregnancy. In most cases, the society calls for two or three embryos, though women older than 40 could be implanted with up to five. "It's just not a good thing to be having that many multiple births if you can avoid it," said Missouri state Rep. Rob Schaaf, a family physician who sponsored the bill. "I'm just simply saying keep the risk down." The legislative efforts concern Bernita Malloy, a federal prosecutor in Atlanta who said she would not have been able to have her 20-month-old daughter, Makenzie, under the proposed law. It took 25 eggs and three in-vitro cycles for her to conceive one child."They are legislating based on a knee-jerk reaction," Malloy said. "What they don't get is every embryo doesn't make a baby. This bill is devastating." 'Raises huge legal issues' Legal experts say limiting a woman's right to procreate raises constitutional concerns. "I think it raises huge legal questions," said Ruth Claiborne, an Atlanta lawyer specializing in family law and infertility issues. "There are individual legal interests in procreation, and I think you would almost certainly see this challenged (in the courts)." The American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines are not binding, but doctors do answer to individual state licensing boards. "This is an unregulated industry that is driven by money," said David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences at the conservative Family Research Center. Toledo, of the Atlanta reproductive group, said reproductive specialists are being tarnished by the actions of the doctor in California who implanted Suleman with six fertilized embryos. She went on to have octuplets after two of the embryos presumably split. The Medical Board of California said last week it was looking into the Suleman case to see if there was a "violation of the standard of care." According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 percent of clinics nationwide follow the guidelines. For women under 35, the reports show that just 83 of 426 clinics followed the guidance calling for no more than two embryos.
  15. River basin played big role in ancient warming, scientists say Dec. 21, 2000 - The Amazon River carves a 3,900-mile path through South America, from the cold Peruvian Andes to the tropical Atlantic coast. Its basin covers 2.3 million square miles, draining more fresh water than any other system in the world. That yawning basin is also yielding new information about the role of the tropics in global climate change.The ancient Amazon's flow appears to explain a mysterious, 10,000-year-old increase in ice-trapped methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more efficient than carbon dioxide in global warming power, say Mark A. Maslin and Stephen J. Burns of the Environmental Chance Research Center at the University College-London. Their findings, published in Friday’s issue of the journal Science, match two key pieces of the global climate puzzle: levels of methane imprisoned in polar ice, and the ever-changing “moisture history” of the Amazon Basin, where vast wetlands work overtime as methane biofactories. The research won’t resolve the debate over how much global warming might result from human activities vs. natural processes. But it should ultimately help scientists paint a more accurate picture of global climate changes over time, taking into account the complex affects of the Amazon River Basin.Methane's migration How could Amazonian methane reach the far-flung Greenland ice sheet? Like carbon dioxide, methane gas is mixed by air circulation into Earth’s atmosphere, explains Julio Betancourt of the U.S. Geological Survey, author of a Science essay on the study by Maslin and Burns. Methane and other atmospheric gases become trapped in air bubbles that form within the ice in both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, he notes. In Greenland, scientists have drilled to bedrock, 10,000 feet (3,050 meters) below the surface of the ice, to reconstruct past variations in atmospheric chemistry. The Amazon Basin funnels up to 20 percent of all the fresh water dumped into the world’s seas, along with a billion tons of sediment, Betancourt points out. During periods of heavy rainfall, the Amazon’s wetlands expand, thereby increasing the production of methane, the principal component of natural gas. Also known as “swamp gas,” methane forms in wetlands when water cuts off the oxygen supply to soil, encouraging anaerobic fermentation via bacterial decomposition of plant matter. At the same time, increased outflow from the Amazon Basin affects water’s movement, as fresh water entering the Atlantic Ocean is swept northward by the North Brazil Coastal Current. The only surface-water current to cross the equator, this strong force grabs hot, salty water and transports it to the North Atlantic, “eventually influencing surface waters that reach the Nordic seas through the Gulf Stream,” Betancourt says. But during glacial periods, strong winds deflect the current, sending it southward and to the east. To track past Amazonian rainfall events, Maslin and Burns investigated the biochemical composition of fossilized plankton, exhumed from seafloor sediments near the Amazon’s terminal mixing bowl. Since they were mainly interested in the amount of fresh water being carried into the ocean from the Amazon Basin, the researchers focused on a particular species of single-celled marine organisms, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei. These creatures are known to favor cooler, deeper waters, where they avoid changes in salt content. By measuring the oxygen isotope composition in their hard calcite shells, Maslin and Burns documented historical changes in the Amazon’s outflow. Earlier than 12,000 years ago, they learned, the Amazon Basin was high and dry, with discharge at least 60 percent below current levels. Then, as the ice age drew to a close about 10,000 years ago, Maslin believes, the rain began to fall — lots of it. Throughout the soggy Amazon Basin, swelling wetlands produced more and more methane. In fact, the river’s total discharge jumped by 40 percent, a level that “corresponds to the rapid increase in the atmospheric methane record,” the Science paper concludes. Today, the Amazon Basin is wetter still, according to Maslin and Burns. Wetter-than-ever Amazon A second Science study, based on pollen analysis, seems to confirm the notion of a wetter-than-ever Amazon. Francis E. Mayle and colleagues at the University of Leicester found that the climate-sensitive Bolivian rain forest has been stretching southward over the past several thousand years. Currently, its border is farther south than at any other time in the last 50,000 years, and some trees at the edge of this newly minted region are younger than 3,000 years old, Mayle reports. What does all this mean for global climate? Betancourt says the increase in Amazon outflow and trapped methane corresponds with changes in the Amazon’s solar exposure, which dropped during the Younger Dryas period, at the end of the last ice age, then maxed out 3,000 years ago. Changes in solar irradiation may regulate convection over the Amazon, thus triggering shifts in the southward penetration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. All of these forces alter water cycles and global climate. Yet, Betancourt says, “Maslin and Burns’ elegant study is probably not the final word.” In particular, he contends, the ice-core methane increased too rapidly — in one or two centuries — to be explained by the gradual development of tropical wetlands. “A theory now gaining popularity among paleoclimatologists,” he says, “is that these rapid increases in methane are produced by the catastrophic release of gas hydrates stored in marine sediments on the continental slopes.” For their part, Maslin and Burns say the jury’s still out. Although the Amazon’s moisture level has never been higher, it’s unclear whether methane levels match. “The methane record,” they emphasize,” should still be regarded as a complex signal with varying contributions from other sources.” The work adds much to our knowledge of complex global cycles, however. Insights into new species emergence may result from the research, too. Because tropical wetlands represent 60 percent of all wetlands worldwide, Burns notes, moisture levels in these regions strongly affect biological diversity. Now, he says: “We can start using realistic models to predict what changes have occurred to the rain forest in the past, and hence, what could have caused such a high degree of diversity.” © 2009 American Association for the Advancement of Science
  16. Orbiting detector picks up positron burst that could help unravel mystery By Clara Moskowitz Staff writer updated 10:38 p.m. ET, Wed., April. 1, 2009 When dark matter is destroyed, it leaves behind a burst of exotic particles, according to theory. Now scientists have found a possible signature of these remains. The discovery could help prove the existence of dark matter and reveal what it's made of. No one knows what dark matter is, but scientists think it exists because there is not enough gravity from visible matter to explain how galaxies rotate. An Italian satellite called PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light nuclei Astrophysics), launched in 2006 to measure radiation in space, found an overabundance of particles called positrons, which are the antimatter counterpart to electrons (matter and antimatter annihilate each other). This positron signature could have a variety of causes, but a prime candidate is dark matter, the intangible stuff thought to make up about 98 percent of all matter in the universe. When two dark matter particles collide they can sometimes destroy each other and release a burst of energy that includes positrons."PAMELA found a number of positrons much higher than expected," the mission's principal investigator Piergiorgio Picozza told Space.com. "Many think this could be a signal from dark matter, because for positrons this behavior fits very well with many theories of dark matter." Potentially huge for physics The finding, detailed in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, is not a total surprise, but it could make a huge splash if confirmed. "This kind of signal for dark matter has been predicted as a possible leading signature for over two decades, and [the PAMELA scientists] are seeing just the kind of things one might expect," said University of Michigan astrophysicist Gordon Kane, who was not involved in the research. "There's a very good chance that this is the most important discovery in basic physics for decades." Positrons are often created when cosmic rays interact with atoms in the gas and dust between stars. But this source cannot produce enough positrons to account for PAMELA's findings. Another possibility is that the positrons PAMELA found were produced by dense spinning stars called pulsars. To distinguish between this option and dark matter, more data will be necessary, either from PAMELA or from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, launched last year. "We hope to have detected dark matter, but now we need other verification coming from other experiments," Picozza said. Decades-old mystery Even so, some scientists are excited to have come so close to possibly discovering the presence of dark matter, which has eluded researchers since it was first conceived in the 1930s. Kane emphasized that the results, though still not certain, could be significant not just as proof that dark matter exists, but also for clues about what makes up this mysterious substance, which cannot be directly seen and is only detected via its gravitational tug on other things.Kane's personal bet for the particle behind dark matter in these findings is called a wino (pronounced WEE-no) — a specific type of neutralino, which is a theorized category of particles that could exist as "supersymmetric partners" for all the Standard Model particles such as electrons, quarks, etc. The wino is the supersymmetric partner of a particle called the W boson. "It does particularly well at producing positrons in the annihilation, and the positrons have energies that are about right for these results," Kane said in a phone interview. If dark matter is made up of neutralinos, then dark matter particles would be their own antimatter particles, because the anti-neutralino is simply a neutralino. Thus, when two dark matter particles collide, they can self-destruct like any other interaction of matter and anti-matter. Luckily, this does not happen very often. Dark matter particles are thought to be extremely tiny, and the chances of them hitting each other perfectly square on, and under the right conditions for destruction, are very low. This fact allows dark matter to clump together throughout the universe, scaffolding up galaxies and clusters, without destroying itself every time two dark matter particles come near each other.Even though annihilations are rare, the positrons they produce could survive for up to a few million years, so they can stick around long enough for detectors like PAMELA to find them.
  17. Congress OKs plans drawn to Obama's specifications WASHINGTON - Acting in quick succession, the House and Senate approved budgets Thursday night drawn to President Barack Obama's specifications and pointing the way toward major legislation later this year on health care, energy and education. "It's going to take a lot of work to clean up the mess we inherited, and passing this budget is a critical step in the right direction," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said. "Staying true to these priorities will help turn around the economy for the many Americans who are underwater right now." Republicans in both houses accused Democrats of drafting plans that would hurt the recession-ravaged economy in the long run, rather than help it, and saddle future generations with too much debt. "The administration's budget simply taxes too much, spends too much and borrows too much at a moment when we can least afford it," said the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. GOP alternative falters But a Republican alternative fared poorly in the House, where 38 GOP lawmakers voted against a plan supported by their own leadership. Officials ascribed much of the opposition to a provision that called for eliminating traditional fee-for-service Medicare for individuals who reach age 65 in 2020 or later and replacing it with coverage from private insurance companies. On a long day and night, the House was first to vote, and approved its version of the budget on a 233-196 roll call that fell largely along party lines. It calls for spending of $3.6 trillion for the budget year that begins Oct. 1, and includes a deficit of $1.2 trillion. The Senate acted a few hours later, with Vice President Joe Biden presiding. The vote was 55-43 for a slightly different blueprint that calls for spending $3.5 trillion and forecasts a deficit of $1.2 trillion. Both deficit forecasts are exceedingly high by historical standards. But they would represent an improvement over this year's projected total of $1.8 trillion, swollen by spending and tax cuts designed to rejuvenate the economy as well as steps to bail out the financial industry. The day's events capped a busy three months for the Democratic-controlled Congress that took office in January. Moving with unusual speed, lawmakers have enacted a $787 billion economic stimulus measure, cleared the way for release of $350 billion in financial industry bailout funds, approved an expansion of children's health care and sent Obama legislation setting aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness. The White House issued a statement hailing the House vote as "another step toward rebuilding our struggling economy." And while they represented victories for the administration, the budgets merely cleared the way for work later in the year on key presidential priorities — expansion and overhaul of the nation's health care system, creation of a new energy policy and sweeping changes in education. CONTINUED Major battles ahead1 | 2 | Next >
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