Old News

Investors.Com writes Saddam had WMD .
Interesting commentary from a primarily financial publication.

Different coverage of the "impending" civil war in Iraq

Thanks to Dr. Sanity who provided this link showing not all is what is seems (especially if you rely on "major" news sources).


Gateway Pundit: Unity Protests Break Out in Basra, Mosul, Hillah, Al Kut, Karbala...

Some craziness explained

Maybe there is a reason why so many people are crazy; parasites called Toxoplasma gondii infecting half the world's population could be responsible.

Oxford scientists have discovered this parasite alters the brain (and behavior) of infected rats and links have been observed between Toxoplasma and schizophrenia in humans.

"Toxoplasma infection is associated with damage to astrocytes, glial cells which surround and support neurons.

Schizophrenia is also associated with damage to astrocytes.

Human cells raised in petri dishes, and infected with Toxoplasma, will respond to drugs like haloperidol; the growth of the parasite stops.

Haloperidol is an antipsychotic, used to treat schizophrenia. "

Really. You can read more about this here.

Regarding Mr. Cheney's unfortunate hunting accident, Tony Blankley sums it up nicely at realclearpolitics.

I was especially fond of this paragraph referring to his take on current reporting practices:

" Instead, as the shooting party incident exemplified, we have in the White House at the most elite level of American journalism, self-absorbed, self-important men and women who stand on their prerogatives even over marginal and inconsequential matters. "

More income redistribution

553.9 million dollars in damage (200 million as punitive) was awarded to plaintiffs living downwind of the now defunct Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. Rockwell and Dow companies were the defendants but since they were working for the Federal Energy Dept, it will be the taxpayers who actually pay the bill. Congratulations plaintiffs who have spent 16 years in litigation so that every American must pay for your hardship including an additional 58 million dollars in legal fees.
The reason? Reduced property values and the PROBABILITY of higher health risks. Not much was mentioned about the plants expenditure of 7 billion dollars towards cleanup.
Isn't America great?
More information is available from The Denver Post here.

Good news for Colorado

So life is pretty good back in Denver. The weather is unseasonably warm and it has been very dry in the city. However the mountains have received record breaking snow. The skiing is great. The resorts are booming and the dry front range can safely expect enough water (from snowmelt) come summer. State unemployment is below the national average at 4.6% and jobs expanded by 46,000 from Dec. 2004 to Dec. 2005. According to a survey from Robert Half, the Mountain States are the hottest tech markets in the United States. Even though I read The Dow broke 11,000 today, you would be hard pressed to find much positive economic news in the press. I relied on a paper called Colorado Labor Force Developments for December 2005 here    

Not quite back from vacation

It's only February and I am already feeling behind in correspondence, reading, blogging. Unbelievable.

I'm in the middle of a lot of books, apparently too unfocused to finish any of them and it seems like I have multiple works in progress. I usually do finish things but I don't always believe it is imperative. So I don't know why I feel the way I do.

Maybe my trip to Maui has something to do with this. I think the island has a unique rhythm, an ebb and flow very different from the mainland. Perhaps it is the lack of distinguishable seasons and the relatively small change in annual temperatures. Maybe it's the easy manner of those who live there. But time definitely moves differently there.

I'm wondering if all fair weather places feel the same and I'm recalling past trips to Kenya and Aruba, Cancun and Hawaii. Is it the place and people or really just an attitude shared by people "on vacation" that is more relaxed, spontaneous and open?

It's been a week since I've returned and I'm just now starting to decompress.