Hey folks! Valentine's Day is coming and as Greg T knows- It Makes A Great Gift!

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5:14:27 PM     leave/read comments []

1918 killer flu secrets revealed. Scientists have worked out how the virus which caused the world's ever worst flu epidemic infected man. [BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition]

The most deadly disease ever has given up a few of its secrets to researchers. However, it doesn't provide many clues on how to deal with the "chicken flu" currently loose in East Asia.

They believe the virus, which claimed the lives of 50m people around the world, jumped from birds to humans.

....But the National Institute for Medical Research team warns viruses cannot be stopped from crossing between species.

They also say their work is unlikely to aid the current fight against avian flu in the Far East as knowing the structure of a virus is not enough to block its progress.

4:57:27 PM    

Thoughtful writing from Spatula here.

Lastly, unelected President George W Bush is said to be considering throwing his support behind a US Constitutional amendment that would prevent gays from every marrying in any state or even achieving benefits similar to marriage (no civil unions, domestic partnerships, etc.). This is President George W. "States Rights" Bush, by the way. It's worth noting that the conservative Massachusetts Supreme Court made its decision without really considering the US Constitution; their decision was based primarily on the Massachusetts state Constitution. That makes their decision one that states have the right to make. It's a states' rights issue. True to form, Bush is showing that he supports states' rights just as long as the state is doing what he wants them to do; as soon as a state makes a decision he doesn't agree with, it's time for the federal government to make a blanket decision for all states. This is a similar tactic to one used by conservative activist courts; they're happy to throw out bad laws all session long, but when it comes time to throw out a bad law with which they personally agree, suddenly they feel it's up to the state legislature to throw the law out and that the judiciary shouldn't step in. This is roughly the position conservative activist judge Clarence Thomas shamefully took in the Lawrence v Texas case. Because he thinks gays are icky, he said it's up to the legislature to throw out the law, but he's joined no shortage of majority opinions throwing out other bad laws. Hypocrisy of this nature should astonish anyone.

But then, hypocrisy is what the Bush administration is all about. Well, that and lies, lies, lies.

1:32:22 PM     leave/read comments []

Recovery? What recovery?

11:42:30 AM     leave/read comments []