In praise of idleness

Seeded on Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:34 AM EDT ()

"Like most of my generation, I was brought up on the saying: "Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do." Being a highly virtuous child, I believed all that I was told, and acquired a conscience which has kept me working hard down to the present moment.

business, work, industry, lazy, idle

Canada to acquire attack drones: air chief

Seeded on Fri Mar 6, 2009 7:05 PM EST (CBC)

"The next generation of unmanned aircraft in the Canadian military will be armed but will be used selectively and within the boundaries of international law, says the head of the country's air force.

world-news, canada, uav, afghanistan, war

Arctic diary: Explorers' ice quest

Seeded on Fri Mar 6, 2009 6:54 PM EST (BBC News)

"A team of polar explorers has travelled to the Arctic in a bid to discover how quickly the sea-ice is melting and how long it might take for the ocean to become ice-free in summers.

science, artic

Fish feast frenzy caught on film

Seeded on Wed Mar 4, 2009 11:25 AM EST (BBC News)

"A sardine feeding frenzy has been captured on camera in remarkable detail. A BBC crew filmed thousands of sharks and dolphins, as well as elusive Bryde's whales, feasting on shoals. " Amazing video.

fish, ocean, environment

Russia to keep forces at key port

Seeded on Sat Aug 23, 2008 1:03 PM EDT (BBC News)

"Russia has defended plans to keep its forces in the key Georgian port of Poti, saying it does not break terms of a French-brokered ceasefire deal."

world-news, russia, georgian, georgia, south, ossetia, conflict, war

Do they really think the earth is flat?

Seeded on Mon Aug 4, 2008 10:52 AM EDT (BBC News)

"In the 21st Century, the term "flat-earther" is used to describe someone who is spectacularly - and seemingly wilfully - ignorant. But there is a group of people who claim they believe the planet really is flat. Are they really out there or is it all an elaborate prank?"

science

Greenland denied on whale catch

Seeded on Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:23 AM EDT (BBC News)

"The first vote at this year's International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting has resulted in defeat for Greenland's request to expand its hunt.

science, greenland, whaling, iwc

Anglican rebels clash with gay march

Seeded on Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:15 AM EDT (BBC News)

"When 303 traditionalist Anglican bishops, together with clergy and lay members of the Church, ascended to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem this week, they were taking the spiritual high ground in the Anglican Communion's dispute over homosexuality. But to the evident consternat …

world-news, gay, anglican, christian, christianity, homosexuality, israel

Deadly merriment, the fallout from celebratory gunfire

Seeded on Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:38 PM EDT (CBC)

'Lebanese are becoming so dangerously partisan and divided, the shooting here has already started. Mostly, they use Kalashnikovs.

world-news, guns, violence, lebanon, middle-east

Eurovision song sparks French row

Seeded on Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:18 PM EDT (BBC News)

'A French MP has said he is outraged that the song chosen to represent the nation in the Eurovision song contest has English lyrics. Jacques Myard, of the UMP party, has urged the company that runs most of France's TV networks to reconsider.

world-news, france, french, english, eurovision

Iran anti-vice chief 'in brothel' - With six naked women

Seeded on Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:41 AM EDT (BBC News)

'Tehran's police chief, who was reportedly discovered in a brothel, has been arrested, it has been confirmed. Local media have reported that General Reza Zarei was found with six naked women in a house of prostitution in the Iranian capital last month. '

world-news, iran, islam

Pope may find US on his wavelength

Seeded on Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:06 AM EDT (BBC News)

'President Bush is not a Catholic. And unlike his good friend Tony Blair, he probably never will be. Yet the very Protestant Mr Bush is clearly an admirer of Pope Benedict XVI and is pulling out all the stops for his first visit to the United States as pontiff.

world-news, us, catholic, pope

Brazil bans Bully video game

Seeded on Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:38 AM EDT (CBC)

'A judge has suspended the sale of the video game Bully in Brazil on the grounds that its content is too violent for young children and teenagers, a prosecutor said Thursday.

world-news, games, computers, brazil, rockstar, bully

Afghanistan: Joint operations, The pros and cons of teaming up with the U.S. in Afghanistan

Seeded on Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:32 AM EDT (CBC)

'There were sighs of relief in government circles earlier this month when the United States agreed to provide at least an additional 1,000 marines to the Canada-led mission in Kandahar.

world-news, canada, us, america, afghanistan, taliban, war

Memo Shows Bush Administration Says to Hell With Fourth Amendment Rights

Seeded on Sun Apr 13, 2008 9:11 AM EDT (AlterNet.org)

'News that the Bush administration threw out the Fourth Amendment after 9/11 is a sobering reminder of the lawlessness of its spying program.

world-news, rights, human-rights, us, bush, spying

To go green is glorious

Seeded on Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:20 AM EDT (BBC News)

'From Tibetan monks to human rights activists, recent events have shown that China can still be a dangerous place to be vocal. But when it comes to environmental lobbying, there are signs the system may be changing, reports Mukul Devichand.'

world-news, china, green, environment, environmentalism, pollution

China says relay 'to go smoothly', says it's feelings hurt. World apologzies.

Seeded on Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:38 AM EDT (BBC News)

'Beijing has moved to reassure Olympic officials the troubled torch relay will now go smoothly, after being marred in three countries by anti-China protests. The International Olympic Committee, which met Chinese officials in Beijing, said it hoped the relay could go ahead with …

world-news, olympics, tibet, china, protest, flame

Patrolling the squirrel frontline

Seeded on Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:06 PM EDT (BBC News)

'A small group of control officers has carried out about 650 humane killings along the border between Scotland and England in the past 18 months. It relies heavily on the local populace to help its bid to block the "main routes of incursion" from the south.

world-news, scotland, squirrels, conservation, pox, disease, animal-welfare, animalwelfare

Beaufort Sea polar bears starving to death, scientist finds

Seeded on Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:11 PM EDT (CBC)

'Desperate animals resorting to cannibalism, wandering south to find food'

world-news, global-warming, climate-change, canada, ice

Brazil makes 'rainforest' condoms

Seeded on Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:07 AM EDT (BBC News)

'The Brazilian government has begun producing condoms using rubber from trees in the Amazon.'

brazil, condoms, hiv, aids, contraception, rainforest

Three Isrealie Civilians Killed by Gaza Militants

Seeded on Wed Apr 9, 2008 9:35 AM EDT (BBC News)

"Palestinian militants have attacked a border crossing between Gaza and Israel, killing at least two Israeli civilians, the Israeli army says"

us-news, isreal, palestine, hamas, gaza

Ambush' that left SAS trooper dead

Seeded on Wed Apr 9, 2008 9:29 AM EDT (BBC News)

"A US officer involved in the investigation the Americans carried out afterwards told me: "They ran into an ambush. I mean the guys got it from both sides.

world-news, us, britain, sas, insurgency, civilian

10 Reasons to Look Critically at Dissolving Mexico-U.S.-Canada Borders

Seeded on Wed Apr 9, 2008 9:22 AM EDT (AlterNet.org)

'Launched in 2005, the SPP is an ongoing process of negotiation between the three countries' executive powers to change regulations and other policies to boost business and support the U.S. War on Terror.

world-news, us, spp, canada, mexico, border, immigration