December 17, 2006

THE THINKING SPOT

The War in Iraq Costs $350,898,450,850 See the cost in your community
http://tinyurl.com/cfsrc

WAR

Powell: More Troops Isn't The Answer...
http://tinyurl.com/y4qvgm

Bush: “Don't Worry, It's Not As Bad As It Seems”...Stubborn or Stalwart, Bush Is Loath to Budge
http://tinyurl.com/ymchuz

Legal System in Iraq Staggers Beneath the Weight of War - Soldiers who have little if any training in gathering evidence or sorting the guilty from the innocent are left to decide whom to detain. The military conducts reviews to decide whom to release, yet neither Iraqi detainees nor defense lawyers are allowed to attend, according to military documents and interviews.
http://tinyurl.com/y7y9sm

SCANDAL

Eli Lilly Said to Play Down Risk of Top Pill
Lilly’s own published data, which it told its sales representatives to play down in conversations with doctors, has shown that 30 percent of patients taking Zyprexa gain 22 pounds or more after a year on the drug, and some patients have reported gaining 100 pounds or more. But Lilly was concerned that Zyprexa’s sales would be hurt if the company was more forthright about the fact that the drug might cause unmanageable weight gain or diabetes, according to the dcuments, which cover the period 1995 to 2004.
http://tinyurl.com/ycxuwp

LEGAL ITEMS

Judge orders hand recount of ballots in crucial House race - A judge Friday granted a request by Republicans for a hand recount of 23,000 ballots in a close legislative election that will determine whether Democrats will reclaim the majority in the state House of Representatives after 12 years.
http://tinyurl.com/y78swo

ELECTION ITEMS

Elder Bush: 'Beat the Hell' Out of Hillary - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush said in Japan he would try to beat the hell out of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if she were to run for president. ((Suppose he has selected Edwards?)
http://tinyurl.com/yc58uc

ECONOMY

The Economy: Not Looking Like Christmas - The GDP, even revised up, is still down. Inventories have grown. And data like truck-freight stats are nothing you'd want under the tree
http://tinyurl.com/yffmno

CONGRESS

No one to blame but the GOP: "The Republican controlled Congress's decision to adjourn a week ago before completing many of the spending bills that finance the federal government will reverberate in ways large and small, such as understaffed U.S. attorney's offices, delayed renovations at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and a scuttled global nuclear energy exchange."
http://tinyurl.com/ybm7wr

Showdown Looms Over Domestic Spying
http://tinyurl.com/y4jlpu

DOMESTIC

Phone, cable co.'s to do battle
http://tinyurl.com/w9bwg

RELIGIOUS ITEMS

"These people should be court-martialed": Former Air Force officer Mikey Weinstein says evangelicals are trying to turn his beloved military into a "frickin' faith-based initiative."
http://tinyurl.com/y363ad

ENVIRONMENT

Climate change melts Kilimanjaro's snows - Rivers of ice at the Equator — foretold in the 2nd century, found in the 19th — are now melting away in this new century, returning to the realm of lore and fading photographs.
http://tinyurl.com/y7efdz

Aerosol Crimes - This documentary produced by chemtrail researcher Clifford Carnicom is a must see and an excellent research tool
http://tinyurl.com/yjc8df

INTERNATIONAL

Blair defends decision to drop fraud probe into Saudi arms deal: Blair said advising the Serious Fraud Office to drop its long-running investigation was necessary to ensure national security, but lawmakers from all political sides accused him of bowing to Saudi demands
http://tinyurl.com/yku6ml

US envoys start rare Cuba visit - The 10 members of the bipartisan group favour the easing of US sanctions on Cuba and are seeking dialogue.
http://tinyurl.com/y2dd52

Ex-soldiers break `silence' on Israeli excesses: A young Israeli was in Canada last week raising ethical questions about the conduct of Israeli soldiers in the Occupied Territories.
http://tinyurl.com/ygx8du

MILITARY

Ga.-based troops who led Iraq invasion prepare for unprecedented third tour - With its latest deployment orders, the 3rd Infantry has been called to duty in Iraq more than any division in the Army. Its tanks and armored Bradley vehicles were among the first to rumble into Baghdad in the 2003 invasion
http://tinyurl.com/ya7tlw

MEDIA AND JOURNALISM

Paper defends blog's plagiarism charge
http://tinyurl.com/yzbh2j

SPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS

Lights & Ice Circle - Hemlock River Near Amasa, Michigan - This is an interesting report due to the fact that there was a vibrating beam of light/pulsating lights around the area where the ice circle was discovered.
http://tinyurl.com/y32obr