This Website Features Northern NY State News, World News, Jokes, Inspirational Sayings, Email Forwards and every now and then, we add a little satire to the mix.
It's best to use Internet Explorer to view this website.
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Global Earthquake Map
Click Here
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***** In Today's America There Is A More Powerful Act Than Voting Blue...
And That's Buying Blue ! *****
You may have voted blue, but every day you unknowingly help dump millions of dollars into the conservative war chest. By purchasing products and services from companies that donate heavily to conservatives, we have been compromising our own interests as liberals and progressives.

BuyBlue.org is a concerted effort to lift the veil of corporate patronage, so consumers can make informed buying decisions that coincide with their principles.

Currently, we are developing an extensive and interactive website where users will be able to monitor corporate activity in real time. We cannot do this alone; we need an army of Blue buyers to be the eyes and ears of this movement. All we have to do is put our money where our mouth is to make it profitable to be ethical.

Our collective buying power WILL make a difference, and we WILL be heard.
http://www.buyblue.org/
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The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Continental Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKean...
(FULL STORY)
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Fresh Evidence of Torture in Iraq, Afghanistan;
Cover-Up Alleged - 2/18/2005
...The Defense Department has released about 21,600 pages of documents on allegations of detainee abuse, and thousands more have come from other agencies. Jaffer said most of the documents that have not yet been made public are from the CIA, the Pentagon, and the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which analyzed interrogation techniques and laws against torture.

One previously released batch included descriptions of aggressive interrogations at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as recounted in 2002 and 2003 by FBI agents who said they were outraged by what they had witnessed. It also made reference to top Pentagon approval for certain techniques...

(ANOTHER STORY FROM THE SAME PAGE...)
Afghan Photos Sparked Inquiry
...The photos - apparently shot at a small base in the Central Asian country around the same time the abuses were occurring at the large Iraqi prison - triggered an Army investigation centering on soldiers from a platoon within the 22nd Infantry Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, based at Ft. Drum, N.Y. The inquiry led to preliminary charges against eight soldiers for dereliction of duty after the Army decided more serious assault charges would not hold up.

It was unclear, however, whether the eight were ever prosecuted or disciplined. It was also unclear whether charges were brought against supervising officers in Afghanistan who admitted they had ordered the destruction of many of the photos after the Abu Ghraib scandal erupted...
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/021805Y.shtml
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Waxman Wants Rice-9/11 Hearings
The Honorable Tom Davis
Chairman
Committee on Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:
We are writing to request that our Committee hold hearings to investigate two extremely serious questions raised by an article that appeared in this morning's New York Times. The first question is whether the Administration misused the classification process to withhold, for political reasons, official 9/11 Commission staff findings detailing how federal aviation officials received multiple intelligence reports warning of airline hijackings and suicide attacks before September 11. The second question relates to the veracity of statements, briefings, and testimony by then-National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice regarding this issue.
(FULL STORY)
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The Democratic Leadership Council's role in losing the 2004 election
Let's look at some basic facts. The DLC had, and still does have, a stranglehold on the Democratic Party. It was formed back in the '80s to counteract the liberal bent of the Democratic Party. Who controls the DLC, though? Big corporations with major-big money. In fact, many of the same big Fortune 500 corporations that control the Republican Party are major backers of the DLC. Some conspicuous card carrying members of the DLC are Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Dick Gephardt, Bob Graham, Joseph Lieberman, John Edwards, and John Kerry. However, Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean do not normally associate themselves with this outfit.
http://www.unknownnews.org/050104a-cr.html
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Bush Revives Candidacies for 20 Federal Judgeships
President Bush on Monday renominated 20 candidates for federal judgeships, including several whose nominations had been blocked during the last term of Congress by Senate Democrats who branded them as right-wing ideologues.

The president's action, which made good on a promise announced by the White House in December to renominate those who had been blocked by filibusters or whose nominations had not been brought to the floor for a vote, precipitated a flurry of truculent responses from Democratic senators, as well as from environmental and civil liberties groups.

"The President is at it again with extremist judges," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)...
(FULL STORY)
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Kelpie Wilson | Al Gore, Global Warming and Moral Leadership - 2/16/2005
Today the Kyoto Treaty on global warming goes into effect and for the first time the world has united (with the exception of the U.S. and Australia) to begin to address the greatest threat humankind has ever faced...
(FULL STORY)
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FOCUS: Administration Prepares to Resume Nuclear Testing
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/021605Y.shtml
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Ray McGovern | We Need the Oil, Right? So What's the Problem?
Q. "How could our country have had such bad intelligence that President Bush was misled into starting this war?"

A. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Dennis. The Bush administration decided to attack Iraq many months before any ‘intelligence' was adduced to ‘justify' such an attack. Yes, the intelligence conjured up was bad. But its target was Congress; even Colin Powell has admitted that. And the aim was to deceive our lawmakers into forfeiting to the Executive Congress' constitutional prerogative to authorize war."

Q. "But what about my son?... and the others who died? Why?"

A. "Oil."
(FULL STORY)
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Bush Administration Loses in Iraqi Elections
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/021405A.shtml
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William Rivers Pitt | One for All
...The concept for a new Social Security system being offered by those who see this as a Christian nation involves a nebulously-defined process of privatization that has to date failed completely to make sense when held up to the light of basic arithmetic. In truth, their plan has more to do with winning an argument that has been raging since the days of FDR than anything else. These politicians would like to see the federal government stripped of the ability to do much besides wage war, and leave absolutely everything else to private corporations seeking to turn a profit from the process. It is worthwhile to note that the corporations seeking to enjoy the profits from this are also the ones who pay for the politicians in question. So it goes.

It is difficult to find the Christian ethic in a movement that would turn citizens into customers, that would slam the door on those citizens who simply cannot afford a for-profit safety net. It seems loving thy neighbor and blessing the meek is only good fodder for church on Sunday, leaving the other six days of the week open to turning a profit on the backs of the poor, the sick, the old and the lame.

This is not worthy of a nation that thinks of itself not only as great, but as good. Being good costs money, and involves sacrifice. Being good involves doing what must be done to take care of the weakest among us, rather than leaving them at the mercy of a kind of economic Darwinism that would have made Jesus vomit on his own sandals in disgust. Being good means taking the time to see through the words of wolves who would sell us a bitter pill while dressed as sheep. The system as it stands needs work, but not the kind of work that has been proposed. A great nation can do better.
 A good nation must do better.
(FULL STORY)
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Memo: Clarke Warned Rice on Al Qaeda in January, 2001
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/021305Y.shtml
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Ithaca HOURs Online
Here's why we print our own money!
Welcome to the on-line home of the founder of Ithaca HOURS. This web site contains a wealth of information about Ithaca HOURS' development and history, media coverage over the years, archives, (etc etc.) The Ithaca HOURS System is now managed by an elected Board of Directors. For information about current System activities and operations, how to obtain loans or grants, etc., visit the Ithaca HOURS web page at www.ithacahours.org
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Pentagon Covers Up 'Iraqi Training Disaster'
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/021305C.shtml
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A National ID Bill Masquerading as Immigration Reform
Mr. Speaker:
I rise in strong opposition to HR 418, the REAL ID Act. This bill purports to make us safer from terrorists who may sneak into the United States, and from other illegal immigrants. While I agree that these issues are of vital importance, this bill will do very little to make us more secure. It will not address our real vulnerabilities. It will, however, make us much less free. In reality, this bill is a Trojan horse. It pretends to offer desperately needed border control in order to stampede Americans into sacrificing what is uniquely American: our constitutionally protected liberty.

What is wrong with this bill?

The REAL ID Act establishes a national ID card by mandating that states include certain minimum identification standards on driver’s licenses. It contains no limits on the government’s power to impose additional standards. Indeed, it gives authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security to unilaterally add requirements as he sees fit.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul234.html
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FOCUS | Rolling Stone: The Return of the Draft
Uncle Sam wants you. He needs you. He'll bribe you to sign up. He'll strong-arm you to re-enlist. And if that's not enough, he's got a plan to draft you.
(FULL STORY)
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William Rivers Pitt | The News Is Broken
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/021105A.shtml
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World: $950 billion (2004 est.)
Rest-of-World [all but USA]: $500 billion (2004 est.)
United States: $466 billion (FY04 actual)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/spending.htm
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  Survival Links
Rhema's Terrorism, Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Resources I Wilderness Survival I Survival I.Q. I Wild Food I
Edible Wild Kitchen I Foraging the Edible Wild I Food and Waterin an Emergency I Disaster Preparedness Guide I
Root Cellars I Home Storage of Fruits and Vegetables in Root Cellars I Root Cellar Storage I Emergency Survival List I
~Alternative Energy~
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Quotable quote By One Of President Bush's Family Heroes
"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine a policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a Democracy, or a Fascist Dictatorship, or a Parliament, or a Communist Dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.  This is easy.  All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the Pacifists for lack of Patriotism and exposing the country to danger.  It works the same in every country."
[Hermann Goering] - Hitler's Reich-Marshall
at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII
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From True Majority on - 2/8/2005
Dear Neil ,
It's budget time again, and President Bush just released another budget plan that is hundreds of pages long and really hard to decipher. In the end, though, it's just more guns and less butter.

Last year, to help clarify things, we made a short animation with our founder, Ben Cohen (the ice cream guy), that explains how the budget works in Washington. He's a food guy, so he used Oreos to show people where their money really goes and how easy it would be to change things. It was a huge hit. Over a million people have seen it, and it's still getting passed around today. It also won nearly every online award in the book. If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, you can check it out here .

Now we've got version 2.0 .

This version makes it easy for you to stack the Oreos and let your congressmen and women know what kind of federal budget you want them to be fighting for.

Pass It Around
Last year's Oreo animation was such a hit because people who loved it passed it on. So share the fun, and take this opportunity to encourage your friends and family to let their congressmen and women know what they think, too. Because that's the only way we're going to get our country back on the right track. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. We have to keep letting them know what's on our minds.
Thanks and have fun,
Duane Peterson
TrueMajority coordinator
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Email Forward Of The Week !.
NOT A NEWS STORY... OR IS IT ?
Windshield thoughts of a 6 year old
One rainy afternoon I was driving along one
the main streets of town, taking those extra
precautions necessary when the roads are wet and
slick. Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen, spoke up from
her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something."

This announcement usually meant she had been
pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready
to expound all that her six-year-old mind had
discovered. I was eager to hear.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
"The rain! ;" she began, "is like sin, and the
windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away."

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was
able to respond.
"That's really good, Aspen."
Then my curiosity broke in. How far would
this little girl take this revelation?
So I asked... "Do you notice how the rain
keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"

Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer:

"We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."
I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

Isn't it distressing to know that when you
forward this message you will not send it to many
on your address list because you're not sure what
they believe, or what they will think of you for
sending it to them.

Funny how I can be more worried about what
other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
Are you thinking?
Are you going to send it to two people?
Are you going to send it at all?
Or, are you just going to delete this very
profound message?
In order to see the rainbow, you must first endure some rain.
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A collection of more then 500 High Quality Motorcycle pictures
in 1024x768 full-color format.
http://home.planet.nl/~motors-20th-century/motors.html
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Archangel Michael says, "Complaining is based upon the belief that you're a
victim. Whenever you complain, you emit the energy of victimhood. This
attracts situations in which you will feel even more victimized. Instead of
complaining, put your entire focus into correcting the situation which is
causing you to feel pain. Ask me to assist, and I'll give you the courage to
make necessary changes. In the meantime, surround the situation with love,
which will always bring miracles and healing effects."
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(Origin unknown - I received it in an email forward.)
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Joke Break !
THIS IS A JOKE,  IT'S NOT A NEWS STORY !
Best Blonde Joke of the Year So Far...
A blonde woman was speeding down the road in her little red sports car and was pulled over by a woman police officer, who was also a blonde.

The cop asked to see the blonde's driver's license. She dug through her purse and was getting progressively more agitated. "What does it look like?" she finally asked.

The policewoman replied, "It's square and it has your picture on it."

The driver finally found a square mirror, looked at it and handed it to the policewoman.

"Here it is," she said.

The blonde officer looked at the mirror, then handed it back saying, "Okay, you can go. I didn't realize you were a cop.
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A guy walks into the local Welfare Office, marches straight up to the counter and says,
 "Hi . . . you know, I just HATE drawing welfare. I'd really rather have a job."

The social worker behind the counter says, "Your timing is excellent. We just got a job opening from a very wealthy old man who wants a chauffeur/bodyguard for his nymphomaniac daughter. You'll have to drive around in his Mercedes, but he'll supply all of your clothes. Because of the long hours, meals will be provided. You'll be expected to escort her on her overseas holiday trips. You'll have a two-bedroom apartment above the garage. The starting salary is $200,000 a year."
The guy says, "You're bullshittin' me!"
The social worker replies, "Yeah, well, you started it."
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President Bush gets out of his helicopter in front of the White House carrying a baby pig under each arm.
The Marine guard snaps to attention, salutes, and says: "Nice pigs, sir."
Bush replies: "These are not pigs, these are Texan razorback hogs. I got one for Vice-President Cheney, and I got one for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld."
The Marine again snaps to attention, salutes, and says,
 "Nice trade, sir."
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George Bush goes to a primary school to talk about the war. After his talk
he offers question time. One little boy puts up his hand and George asks
him what his name is. "Billy." "And what is your question, Billy?"
"I have 3 questions. First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support
of the UN? Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes?
And third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?"

Just then the bell rings for recess. George Bush informs the
kiddies that they will continue after recess.
When they resume George says, "OK, where were we? Oh that's right,
question time. Who has a question?". Another little boy puts up his hand.
George points him out and asks him what his name is. "Steve" "And what
is your question, Steve?"
I have 5 questions. First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support
of the UN? Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more
votes? Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden? Fourth, why
did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early? And fifth, what the f--k happened to Billy?
*********

(For more jokes, please visit our jokes page.)
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Back To The News

A message from Truthout,
the largest non-profit news organization in the world.
Please check out the following pages:
http://www.truthout.org/environment.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/health.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/women.shtml
http://www.truthout.org/labor.shtml
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Senator Richard J. Durbin | A Form of Torture
Statement of Senator Richard J. Durbin on the nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales
 to serve as Attorney General of the United States.

...Let's review what we know.

First, Mr. Gonzales recommended to the President that the Geneva Conventions should not apply to the war on terrorism. In a January 2002 memo to the President, Mr. Gonzales concluded that the war on terrorism "renders obsolete" the Geneva Conventions. This is a memo written by the man who would be Attorney General.

Colin Powell and the Joint Chiefs of Staff objected strenuously to this conclusion by Alberto Gonzales. They argued that we could effectively prosecute a war on terrorism while still living up to the standards of the Geneva Conventions.

In a memo to Mr. Gonzales, Secretary of State Colin Powell pointed out that the Geneva Conventions would allow us to deny POW status to al-Qaida and other terrorists and that they would not limit our ability to question a detainee or hold him indefinitely. So, contrary to the statements by some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, complying with the Geneva Conventions does not mean giving POW status to terrorists. Colin Powell knew that. The Joint Chiefs of Staff knew that. Alberto Gonzales refused to accept that.
(FULL STORY)

Editor's Note: In reference to the story above...
It's very clear to most intelligent people who have spent ample time researching terrorism, that the most dangerous terrorists in the world today are members of the current Bush Administration.  That being clearly the facts that we are dealing with, ALL law enforcement officers in the USA should be working to put Bush and friends in jail.

 Sadly, the Bush administration has NO respect for our Constitution. (Sad but true,  I would stake my life on the FACT that our president has never read and understood all of our Constitution)

The Republican party has passed several laws that go directly against our country's main base for all of our laws, 'Our Constitution'.  Our Constitution very clearly states that any law that goes against the Constitution is Null and Void.  To those of you who don't know this, the Patriot acts (1, 2, and 3), the department of Homeland security, the war on drugs and even the war on terrorism are ALL in direct violation of America's Constitution.

 Isn't it about time for 'We The People' to do our duty of firing and/or imprisoning EVERY one of the very evil men and women currently in OUR White House ?

It's also a fact, that it's every policemen's job to help our national guard when they are in need.  Since our national guard has never needed help so bad, I say it's time to send every policeman who supports Bush and his wars to the Mideast to help our national guardsmen who are in desperate need of help.  Yea know what else... I can't find anyone who isn't a policeman that disagrees with that plan, since we have at least 10 time more policemen in America than needed, and they are ALL living off of your tax dollars.

To those of you who may wonder where my anger comes from... It comes in part from seeing too many policemen blatantly breaking laws without being prosecuted. (Taking much needed respect away from good policemen) Also because of the FACT that George Bush and friends are the ones who planned and carried out the 9/11/2001, attack on our great nation. Yes they are being sued for 7 billion dollars, but that doesn't bring back the hundreds of thousands of people who they have killed, ordered killed and tortured.
[Rev. Neil Colton]
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Yes 9/11 was an inside job !
...The article I’m compiling will address issues regarding the demolitions of WTC buildings on 9/11/01. One issue that will be fully explored is the oft-repeated suggestion that “no major media” reported that the destruction of the Twin Towers or WTC 7 resembled, or might actually be controlled demolitions. This is false. Many major media anchors and reporters are on record saying that they did look just like controlled demolitions. These individuals include, Aaron Brown (anchor of CNN’s NewsNight) and Dan Rather (CBS anchor).

Aaron Brown’s live commentary on the demolition of the South Tower can be seen and heard in the CNN documentary DVD, “CNN TRIBUTE, AMERICA REMEMBERS: The Events of September 11 and America’s Response.” While watching the South Tower explode in real time into a cloud of debris and powered concrete,

Aaron Brown says, “ There has just been a huge explosion. We can see a cascade of sparks and fire and now this. It looks almost like a mushroom cloud explosion and I’ll tell you that I can’t see that second tower.”

Dan Rather's commentary on the demolition of WTC 7 can be seen and heard at the end of Alex Jones’s documentary video “Police State III: Total Enslavement”. While watching a replay of footage of the implosion and collapse of building 7 with another man I have not yet identified,

Dan Rather says, “A large building, in most other cities it would be one of the largest buildings in town probably, Trade Center building 7 has collapsed. Now here were gonna show a videotape of the collapse it’s self. Now here we go to videotape, the collapse of this building.”

An anonymous male voice, presumably another CBS reporter says, “It’s amazing.”

Then Dan Rather says, ”Amazing, incredible, pick your word. For the third time today, it’s reminiscent of those pictures we’ve all seen too much on television before, where a building was deliberately destroyed with well-placed dynamite to knock it down.”

Those statements are just the tip of the iceberg. There are countless statements confirming that the Twin Towers and WTC 7 were destroyed by controlled demolition. These statements come from firefighters, office workers, police officers, and journalists from CNN, FOX, etcetera...
For the rest of this story and to learn more about this ongoing lawsuit, please visit the link below:
http://suetheterrorists.net/
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Last updated June 8, 2005.

Legal Pot's No Pipe Dream - Pro-pot advocates said a little-noticed lawsuit wending its way through the courts might yet make legal pot a reality. Posted 6/8/2005 From Wired News Urban Archipelago - At a time when the federal government is dominated by right-wing Republicans, cities are electing a new generation of progressives. Posted 6/8/2005 From AlterNet U.N. Urges 'Green' Planning for Burgeoning Cities - Activists around the world mark June 5, the date of the first environmental summit in Stockholm in 1972, as the U.N.'s World Environment Day. Posted 6/7/2005 From ENN Craigslist Goes Green - Craigslist has been helping strangers connect online since 1995. Now the Web site's namesake foundation is developing a new environmental network. Posted 6/7/2005 From AlterNet Supreme Court - Government Can Bar Medical Marijuana Use - A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Monday is a setback for the medical marijuana movement. Posted 6/7/2005 From Common Dreams More News

EDITORS NOTE: We don't support special interest groups and they don't support us. I  put countless hours into researching and building this website to help educate the world about news stories that they might not see otherwise.  Because of that fact, we welcome all website and news related viewer feedback from all countries.  This site is here to help everyone we can to be better informed about what is going on in all parts of the world.

If you have a link or a news story that you would like to see posted on this website, please send it to me in an email for my consideration.  This website is one of several websites owned and operated by just one person. However, none of them would be anywhere near as well known and liked around the world without the help of my family, friends and viewers like you.
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New York State Facts - kids room

What is a Billion?
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one
advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into
perspective in one of its releases:
A billion seconds ago - it was 1959.
A billion minutes ago - Jesus was alive
A billion hours ago- our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
A billion dollars ago - was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the
rate that the Federal Government in Washington D.C. spends it.
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Despite what President Bush says, the war on Iraq is not over. The cost of this war to the American tax payer is going up every second. Since we can't put a price on human lives, we will just give you the figures in tax dollars that the American tax payers have paid as of right now. These figures were provided by the Costofwar.com website.

Cost of the War in Iraq

$175,671,103,525

To see more details, click here.

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This page was last updated:
01/15/08 04:46 PM

 

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Revised: 01/15/08.