20. november 2002

Saddam Gags Uday The Iraqi government has suspended publication of a newspaper run by Saddam Hussein's olderst son Uday, after it made a number of attacks on Arab leaders. As has been known for some time, Uday does not always speak for his father. And obviously, he does not see that now is not the time to alienate potential allies before a possible showdown with the US-lead coalition. 11:59:27 PM    comment []

Survey Shows Young People Ignorant of Geography A National Geographic study has revealed appaling lack of basic knowledge of geography among young adults in a number of nations, particularly the US. Of those 18 to 24 year olds surveyed, only 17 per cent of Americans could find Afghanistan on a map. To 29 per cent, the location of the Pacific Ocean, covering close to half the planet's surface, was a mystery. Even more shocking: 11 per cent of Americans could not find their own country on the map! And all countries fared better than the Americans when it came to knowledge about the US itself; almost a third of Americans thought the US population is between 1 and 2 billion. Other countries did not fare that much better, however. Of the surveyed countries, on average fewer than 25 per cent could locate Israel on a map. And in France, 3/4ths of the young people didn't know their own country was a nuclear power. 10:28:45 PM    comment []

Too Pretty for the Swedish Navy Eighteen year old Sabina (yes, that is her on the picture) wanted to join the military, and applied to the Swedish Navy. They replied that she was too pretty, and should consider a career as a model instead! The Swedish 'pliktverket,' which is responsible for enrollment, is now deeply embarressed and has apologised to her. Apparently, she is now welcome to serve her country. After this welcome, however, she has second thoughts. What in the world were they thinking? And what were they thinking with? From a Swedish article in Aftonbladet. 9:01:41 PM    comment []

What Would Jesus Drive? In an advertising campaign that can be charitably described as bizarre, a coalition of religious and environmental groups in the US tries to convince people to switch from fuel-guzzling SUVs to more fuel-efficient cars. The idea is apparently that Jesus, a part of a triume Deity who once appeared as a column of fire and smoke for 40 years, now wants people to save on gas by swapping their SUVs for smaller cars. The times they are a'changing! It's not easy to be a God of fire and brimstone these days. 8:07:17 PM    comment []

Study: One in Four Men Fakes Orgasm The organisers of an Erotica Festival in London says a study shows that almost one in four men, 23 %, admits to have faked an orgasm. The number for women, less surprisingly, was 56 %. For those who wonder how men can fake an orgasm: watch Al Pacino's 'performance,' or lack thereof, in Frankie and Johnnie. 5:35:27 PM    comment []

Misleading Headline of the Day "EU votes for tobacco ban" (CNN) It is things like that which makes an addict like me choke on his morning cigarette. In fact, the EU is planning a widespread ban on advertising for tobacco products. The EU already bans cigarette ads on TV. Some countries, like mine, already bans all tobacco advertising. 5:04:58 PM    comment []

US Veterans Denied Medical Care A federal appeals court handed a victory to the US government over WWII and Korean war veterans, by ruling that they were not entitled to the free medical care promised to them when they served their country for 20 years. At a time when the US government again calls for young men and women to put their lives on the line, it is despicable that they use legal tricks to avoid owing up to responsibilities they took on years ago. 4:49:51 PM    comment []

Annan disagrees with US over no-fly zones UN Secretary General Kofi Annan issued a statement that can only be interpreted as a mild rebuke to Washington when he said that the Security Council resolution about Iraqi arms inspections is not violated by the Iraqi attempts to shoot at coalition aircraft. Britain also, at least unofficially, distanced itself from this claim. 4:19:42 PM    comment []

The Government Lies About Pot (so what's new?) Read Daniel Forbes' exposure in Slate of how 'drug czar' John P. Walters lied to the public about an alleged 30-fold increase in the potency of pot. It is a pretty universal phenomenon. On drugs, governments think it is a good thing to lie and deceive. I can't explain it otherwise, since it is systematic and widespread. It also backfires dangerously, causing young people to assume that when the dangers of pot are exaggarated, so are warnings against e.g Cocaine and Heroin. 3:59:39 AM    comment []

Is Science at an End? Have we discovered all fundamental facts that are to discover? Do we essentially understand the universe, so that all that remains is to dot some i's and dash some t's? This is a provocative idea, and certainly many scientists will disagree strongly, but there are some good arguments in its favour. Read the interesting interview with John Horgan at The Edge. It is not a new article, but those with a living interest in science will want to think about these issues. 3:16:14 AM    comment []

First Human Rabies Infection in a Century A Scottish man is suffering from suspected Rabies after being bitten by a bat, The Guardian reports. The test results are due tomorrow, and if he is suffering from Rabies, he risks becoming the first person in Britain to die from Rabies since 1902. 1:55:28 AM    comment []

Object Sexuality:  Mac Fetish "For about a year, Mark Allen, a gay man living in New York, conducted an online relationship with a man living in Austin, Texas. But as the relationship matured, Allen realized it wasn't his cyberboyfriend he was falling in love with, it was his PowerMac G3." (Wired) Now, if it had been a real computer... 1:27:29 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2002 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.12.02; 02:51:13.