The synchronicity at HD200964 is particularly exquisite. An orbital dance brings the two giant planets as close as about 33 million miles to one another. In our solar system, Jupiter and its nearest neighbor Saturn are never closer than 10 times that distance. The planetary pair orbiting HD200964 is separated by a distance similar to the divide between Earth and Mars.

HD200964 is not the only star in the study that has closely orbiting planets. A pair of planets circling 24 Sextanis, located 244 light-years away, pass as close as about 70 million miles from one another.

Facebook is standing at the foot of a virtual cash mountain. The social networking behemoth recently announced a plan to expand the Facebook Credits program beyond its beta confines. A network-wide rollout of the virtual currency application would streamline transactions online and, in effect, pave the path to the worlds first global currency.

Obama Facing New Pressure From Left on Afghanistan

Antimatter may sound like something that was invented by a science fiction writer, but it does exist, although only for fleeting fractions of a second. Antimatter consists of antiparticles. They resemble such particles as electrons, neutrons, and protons ? except that they have an opposite electric charge. Despite its short duration, antimatter poses some intriguing and important questions for physicists.

The story begins in the early 1900?s, when scientists first started to explore the structure of atoms by smashing them at an extremely high speed. The atoms split into their component particles: the heavy protons and neutrons of the nucleus, and the smaller, lighter electrons that surround it.

http://cagecafe.com for free mp3 ---
Linkin Park provided only about minute of the vocals and a few other tracks. I only used the vocals and preformed, programed, produced and mixed the music with a new arrangement. Of course I never heard the original arrangement, so I guess its new. Enjoy !

Report Suggests Correlation between U.S. Aid and Army Killings

by Helda Martínez

BOGOTÁ - "There are alarming links between increased reports of extrajudicial executions of civilians by the Colombian army and units that receive U.S. military financing," John Lindsay-Poland, lead author of a two-year study on the question, told IPS.

What is more tiresome than a ?War Is Not The Answer? bumper sticker?  If you asked what I had for dinner last night ? red meat, like a man ? then no, ?war? is not the answer.  If you ask ?How do you get what?s left of your hair looking so good?? then once again, ?war? is not the answer.  But if you ask ?How should we deal with Nazis, commies, jihadis and similar douchebags, well, ?war? is the answer.

Bar Ilan University archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of a Philistine temple in the ancient city of Gath, home of the Biblical Goliath, buried in one of the largest tels (ancient ruin mounds) in Israel.

The temple and a number of ritual items dating back to the 10th century BCE were discovered at Tel Tsafit (Tell es-Safit/Gath) by Professor Aren Maeir of BIUs Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and his international team. The tel is located about halfway between Ashkelon and Jerusalem, near Kiryat Gat along the southern coastal plain.

?Interestingly, the architectural design of this temple, with its two central pillars, is reminiscent of the architectural image that is described in the well-known Biblical story of Samson and the Philistines,? Maeir said. He added that the discovery could indicate that the story of Samson reflects a type of temple that was in use in Philistia at the time.

Wildfire explodes in rural hills near Los Angeles

Firefighters plan an aggressive air attack at first light Friday against a fast-moving wildfire that exploded in northern Los Angeles County, chewing through more than 7 square miles of dry brush, forcing thousands of evacuations and burning at least three structures.

There is zero containment, authorities said.

Three water-dropping helicopters and hundreds of firefighters worked through the night to get ahead of the blaze that broke out around 3 p.m. Thursday southwest of Palmdale. By early evening the winds picked up and pushed the flames north and east toward the suburbs of Los Angeles Countys inland desert, authorities said.

Orange flames exploded through dry grasses, jumped roads and sped across the rural foothills that connect Los Angeles to the high desert.

Three-year-old girl shot dead by four-year-old boy

A three-year-old girl has been shot dead by a four-year-old boy after he picked up a handgun left on a kitchen table and pointed it at her head.

Aunesti Lee Allen, from Indianapolis, USA, died at Riley Hospital for Children a few hours after the shooting.

Her mother, Fiona Lee, 26, whose other two children witnessed the shooting, was arrested and charged with child neglect as well as drugs possession. Police are trying to trace the boy and his father Curtis White, 24, who lived with Lee. The two other children are currently being cared for by a relative.

This amazing picture was taken by NASA?s Chandra X-ray observatory from it?s orbiting 360 miles above the Earth.

Hand Of God ? Chandra NASA

According to NASA,  this hand looking structure is caused by energizing knots of material in a neighboring gas cloud. Astronomers believe that this hand-shaped structure, known as PSR B1509-58 (created by a collapsed star), is roughly 1,700 years old and is located 17,000 light years from Earth.

The founder of the website Wikileaks has rejected US claims he has blood on his hands after releasing 90,000 leaked classified documents on the Afghan war.

Julian Assange told the BBC there was no evidence that any informants had died as a result of the leaks.

He accused the Pentagon of trying to distract attention from the thousands of lives being lost in the war.

The White House has appealed to Wikileaks not to publish another 15,000 documents it is thought to hold.

The US denied Mr Assanges assertion that he had asked the US government to help vet the documents to protect lives.

Mr Assange told the BBCs Newshour programme that the US government had presented no evidence that innocent people or informants had been harmed by the leaks.

And he directly addressed comments made by Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sharply criticised Wikileaks.

Mr Assange said Wikileaks had sought to engage the White House in its efforts to vet the material before it was released.

In study, older people reacted more strongly to sad scenes than twentysomethings did

As people grow older, sad films seem sadder.

In a recent study, people in their sixties felt sadder than people in their twenties did after viewing an emotionally distressing scene from a movie. This heightened emotional response to sorrow may reflect a greater compassion for other people and may strengthen social bonds, researchers propose.

The finding is an important contribution to emotion studies because it adds to a growing body of work showing that emotions don?t deteriorate, says Stanford University psychologist Laura Carstensen, who was not involved in the research. ?One of the important findings of this is that the emotion system is in no way broken in old age,? she says.

While we certainly dont expect youll begin planning your days around the new feature, Google has added a new layer to Google Earth that makes it feel even more like youre taking a live, real-time look at the earth from a satellite above - real-time weather.

Just added to the latest version of Google Earth, the feature offers a live view of the weather, from radar to raindrops.

Weather has been available in Google Earth since 2007, but now "the latest version projects images of rain and snow over the areas with those weather patterns as its actually happening".

Should the front row center seat in the White House press briefing room go to FOX News or NPR?

In just a few days, the White House Correspondents Association will decide which news organization will be awarded the seat recently vacated by Helen Thomas. The news organizations most actively vying for the seat are FOX, NPR and Bloomberg News.

tyranny

1 : oppressive power <every form of tyranny over the mind of man ? Thomas Jefferson>; especially : oppressive power exerted by government <the tyranny of a police state>
2 a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant
3 : a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force <living under the tyranny of the clock ? Dixon Wecter>
4 : a tyrannical act <workers who had suffered tyrannies>

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stripped out authorization for an independent investigation into the Gulf disaster. 

The Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed the amendment in committee markup July 14 offered by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that would establish a bipartisan, independent, National Commission on Outer Continental Shelf Oil Spill Prevention.

Unlike the commission set up by President Obama -- packed only with environmental activists and no petroleum engineers -- the commission unanimously approved by the Natural Resources committee would be comprised of technical experts to study the actual events leading up to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

According to the books, the Hogwarts pupil was born on 31 July 1980. He has the same birthdate as author JK Rowling - but not the same year obviously!

Birthday celebrations are also taking place for Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry in the films as hes turned 21.

Loads of fans are going along to the new Potter theme park in America to mark Harrys birthday.

Maybe theyll be celebrating with a few of Hagrids rock cakes and some chocolate frogs!

Tales of Harrys adventures have been thrilling kids for decades now.

The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, was out in 1997.

Now fans are waiting for the last two films to hit the big screen.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 is due out in November, with the second part out in 2011.

Both films are going to be 3D so even muggles will be able to enjoy some real-life magic!

Lorenzen Wright?s Ex-wife Sherra Wright Threatened at Home by 3 Men

Lorenzen Wright ex-wife ?Sherra Robinson Wright? has threatened at home by three man, who were carrying guns and looking for the former NBA player about 6 weeks before he was killed, the woman?s attorney said Friday.

Sherra Wright Photos, Lorenzen Wright?s Ex-wife Pictures Gallery

Sherra Wight is former NBA player Lorenzen Wright?s ex-wife and check out here her photos and pictures. Sherra Robinson Wright, 39 years old, has been divorced from her ex-husband (Lorenzen Wright) for almost a year.

About Sherra Robinson Wright unfortunately there is not much information we could find except for the fact that she has six children, they are Lorenze Jr., Lawson, Loren, Sofia and the twins Shamar and Lamar.

Shus idea is that time and space are not independent entities but can be converted back and forth between each other. In his formulation of the geometry of spacetime, the speed of light is simply the conversion factor between the two. Similarly, mass and length are interchangeable in a relationship in which the conversion factor depends on both the gravitational constant G and the speed of light, neither of which need be constant. In other words, as the Universe expands, mass and time are converted to length and space and vice versa as it contracts.

With Shus theory theres no need to abandon conservation of energy. However, he faces a major problem explaining the existence and structure of the cosmic microwave background, the echo of the Big Bang, something that many astrophysicists believe to be the the strongest evidence that the Big Bang occurred. 

No jail time on nude photo charge

A former high school teacher wont be going to jail after pleading guilty yesterday to a charge she e-mailed nude photographs of herself to a 15-year-old student.

"I am truly sorry for my actions and poor judgment," Melinda Dennehy said in court after the judge agreed to her negotiated plea to a misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure. She originally faced a felony count.

"I wish the student and his family well," she added.

Melinda Dennehys Naked Pictures Popular with High School Students, Not With Police

LONDONDERRY, N.H. (CBS/WBZ) Perhaps New Hampshire high school teacher Melinda Dennehy missed the orientation session when they explained that sending your naked photos to a student is sort of a bad idea.

PICTURES: Notorious Teacher Sex Scandals

UPDATE: Ex-Teacher Nude Photo Plea: No Jail for Melinda Dennehy

New research has cast doubt on whether people should take calcium supplements to ward off the degenerative bone disease osteoporosis.

It is standard medical advice for people to take calcium supplements if they are not getting the recommended intake of calcium in their diet every day.

But a new review of studies published in the British Medical Journal has suggested it could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks.

All up there were almost 12,000 people in the studies.

But experts from Osteoporosis Australia have cast doubt on the findings.

They say a number of long-term studies have found that calcium can actually protect the heart, such as the Nurses Study of 85,000 women.

Dubbing himself Turkeys "strongest possible advocate for EU membership and for greater influence at the top table of European diplomacy," Cameron gave a speech that also attacked "those who willfully misunderstand Islam" and who "see no difference between real Islam and the distorted version of the extremists."

Of course, such a description likely irked Camerons host, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan has repeatedly criticized those who make the distinction between "moderate" and "extremist" Islam. "These descriptions are very ugly," Erdogan said in 2007. "It is offensive and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam, and thats it." Further, Erdogan in 2009 specifically rejected descriptions of Turkey as being an example of "moderate Islam." Enlarging on a theme, Erdogan in 2008 told Turks living in Europe that assimilation is "a crime against humanity."

Does anyone read the U.S. Constitution these days? American lawyers don?t read it. Federal Judge Susan R. Bolton apparently has never read it. Same goes for our illustrious Attorney General Eric Holder. But this lawyer has read it and she is going to show you something in Our Constitution which is as plain as the nose on your face.

Article III, Sec. 2, clause 2 says:

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction?

The style of the Arizona case shows quite clearly that the named defendants are:

So some Afghan soldiers studying English at an Air Force Base in Texas and a "loose network" of possibly illegal and maybe overweight Mexican women walk into a bar. Stop me if youve heard this one.

Last month, reports surfaced that a number of Afghan soldiers studying at the Defense Language Institute at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas had been going AWOL. A "Be on the Lookout" bulletin was posted for 17 of them, and the base said they had left the base over the course of 18 months. Afghan soldiers on the loose in the U.S.? Fox News, of course, latched onto the story.

Fox went on to report that seven of the original AWOL Afghans had been accounted for -- then upped the number of Afghans that had gone missing over the years to 46. But Fox News latest scoop puts quite a, um, twist on the story.

A very young brown dwarf star has been found in a tight orbit around a nearby Sun-like star.

But the most exciting part of the discovery is that the 36 Jupiter-mass brown dwarf, PZ Tel B, and its primary star PZ Tel A are separated by just 18 AU Ð a similar distance that separates Uranus and the Sun. Most young brown dwarfs and planetary companions discovered through direct imaging are separated by over 50 AUs.

Brown dwarfs are also known as failed stars, since although they are larger than gas giants they dont possess the mass to sustain the nuclear fusion that fully-fledged stars boast.

Far and Away by Eric70

Mist Mountain Colors by Marc Adamus

Gate to Yosemite Valley by Hahn Huynh

New Brighton by Nick Walton

With Ash from the Volcano by Raymo

Cold Night by Eskil Olsen

Calm and Still by Willy Suwandhi

Angel Oak

Rice Terrace by Lookingeyes

A Well Placed Seat by magdalengreen

Landscape Photo by Masoud Ali

Maldivian Sunset by Richard Mohler

All Alone by Jeanette Oerlemans

Tranquility by Marc Adamus

Canyon Storm by Gale Rainwater

Ocean?s Fury by Marc Adamus

Misty by Matjaz Cater

Eden by FallingJune

Song of Tide by Wima Nurmansurya

Power of Nature by Raymo

Volcano by Peter Lik

Northern Light by Mark Broughton

Ignacu Falls by Frans Lanting

Thor?s Well by mm767cap

Bonneville Salt Flats at Night by Richardson

Clearing Storm over Yosemite Valley by Edward Mendes

Piva Canyon by Shohunkin

Blue Canary by Ursula Abresch

Sidari by Krzysztof Broko

Dreamy Landscape by Przemyslaw Kruk

Couple arrested after the bodies of EIGHT newborn babies found hidden in their home and garden

A couple have been arrested in northern France after eight newborn babies were discovered hidden in their house and buried in their garden.

Police in Villers-au-Tertre, near Douai, made the gruesome discovery using sniffer dogs.

All of the children are believed to have been born to the man and woman, who are aged around 45, said a source close to the inquiry.

Villers-au-Tertre: French policemen gather in front of the house where the bodies of eight newborn babies were found

?We searched the premises and the garden following a tip-off,? said a detective. ?What is certain is that the new born babies all had the same parents.

?They were stuffed inside plastic bags and then buried. Six babies were found very quickly around the house, and the other two were discovered in the garden.?

Galleries: Aboard the flying hospital

FLYING HOSPITAL: The transport of wounded and injured ADF personnel from Afghanistan was the first time that a RAAF C-17 aircraft was used in an Aero Medical Evacuation (AME) role. 18 medical personnel included permanent and specialist reserve Air Force members from across Australia took part in the operation.

WINGED WARD: The C-17s cargo bay is converted into a fully functional medical ward. Two teams of medicos are on call, each comprising medical specialists, doctors, nurses, and medical assistants.

ANGEL OF MERCY: An Australian C-17 taxis down the Nackeroo airfield towards a turning apron at Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory.

3 Universal Goals to Influence People

The art and science of persuasion is often discussed as though changing peoples minds is about using the right arguments, the right tone of voice or the right negotiation tactic. But effective influence and persuasion isnt just about patter, body language or other techniques, its also about understanding peoples motivations.

Techniques of persuasion

1. Goal of affiliation

In the most part humans are social so they want to be liked. Rejection is no fun and well do almost anything to avoid it.

2. Goal of accuracy

3. Goal of maintaining positive self-concept

Nobody likes washing their dirty linen in public, but unfortunately that is the situation that has been allowed to develop at Manchester United, with the increasingly bitter war of words between the loyal fans of the club and the owners ? the Glazer family.

This world famous institution prided itself on doing things the right way; they have always been renowned for their wonderful attacking football and behind the scenes they always had a healthy balance sheet, which meant they operated on the front foot on and off the field of play.  However, when the hugely successful American serial investor Malcolm Glazer seized the controlling interest back in the summer of 2005, all the good business practice sadly went out of the window.

It seems that nowadays, if a celebrity has 5 minutes of fame, then book publishers smell a fast buck and are pressurising them into writing their autobiographies, even before they reach their mid twenties.  Personally I would not bother with any that involve somebody so young, as lets be honest, their lives are still in their infancy and surely an autobiography charts a person?s progress over a much longer period of time.

With footballer?s it is slightly different, but I do feel that a book shouldn?t be written until towards the end of a career, which to be fair, was what publishers maybe thought Ryan Giggs was nearing when he penned his in 2005 Giggs The autobiography.  Written along side the Sunday Times chief football writer Joe Lovejoy, this is a fascinating read for all true football fans, and Manchester United supporters in particular.

It is inevitable that as one of, if not the most famous clubs in world football, Manchester United will have had a long list of players throughout their illustrious history, who stand comparison with any other club you?d care to mention.  The names of ex players George Best, Dennis Law, David Beckham and Ronaldo, together with current squad members Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney, would be out on their own at the top of the pile at most other clubs, but when it comes to Old Trafford?s hall of fame, there can be only one person ? Bobby Charlton.

Born in Ashington, Northumberland in 1937, he joined United as a schoolboy and very soon forced his way into manager Matt Busby?s ageing side, together with several others youngsters, such as Duncan Edwards and Tommy Taylor.  He and Edwards were widely regarded as the jewels in the crown as the ?Busby Babes? began to dominate, not only in England, but throughout Europe too.

As a kid from the 70?s and 80?s, watching football today is totally unrecognisable.  In many ways it has changed for the better, with stadiums and their surrounding areas much safer and far more pleasant environments.  Indeed, were you to be able to transport today?s pampered regular attendees back to those violent times, watching in crumbling terraces, amidst pitch invasions etc., the chances are they never set foot in a ground again.

Well not quite, we?ve had 20 years of near continued success, so much so that it is almost unthinkable to imagine United outside the top four, but therein lies a potential problem.  Big respect goes out to those supporters of clubs who are unlikely to ever win a trophy, except down in the lower leagues; they?ll stick with their clubs as their expectations are far lower and consequently so too are those of their kids growing up following the same team.

It seems remarkable that someone only just past his 21st birthday should be approached to write his autobiography Rooney-The way it is , but such is Wayne Rooney?s standing in the game that publishers recognised that his was a story worth telling ? even at this early stage of his life.

This young man was destined to play top flight football from a very early age and the book takes you back to those days growing up on a tough Croxteth council estate, with his Everton crazy family.  His terrific skills, coupled with power and strength way beyond his tender years, meant he was the stand out player of not only the local area, but the north west as a whole.

The pride he created by signing for his beloved Everton and scoring that famous goal on his debut ? despatched past England?s David Seaman against the mighty Arsenal as a 16 year old ? is very much apparent.  He tells of his early influences, which he still refers back to and of his relationship with his long time partner Coleen.

So often young players burst onto the scene, tipped to be the next best thing since sliced bread, but either fail to fulfil their early potential, or completely disappear as fast as they arrive.  That is why most true experts are guarded with their praise, that is until such a talent as Duncan Edwards arrives.  Born in 1936 in Dudley, West Midlands, he was destined for greatness from a very early age; causing quite a stir by joining Manchester United instead of his local Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He made his United debut against Cardiff City at the tender age of 16 years and 185 days, becoming the youngest player to appear in the top division.  He quickly established himself in the side, putting in commanding performances week after week that belied his youth.  His eye catching displays soon thrust him into the international spotlight and he made his first England appearance against Scotland just 2 years later ? again the youngest until Michael Owen?s emergence in the late 1990?s.

Its name in Arabic is Wadi Hitan but it is known as the Valley of the Whales.

For years archaeologists have been unearthing a remarkable collection of whale fossils, all the more surprising because the area is now inland desert in upper Egypt.

It is believed that about 40 million years ago the area was submerged in water, part of the Tethys Sea. As the sea retreated north to the Mediterranean it left a series of unique rock formations and also a cornucopia of fossils.

One of the most exceptional finds was a 37 million-year-old whale from the species Basilosaurus Isis, unearthed by a team led by Prof Philip Gingerich of the University of Michigan in the United States.

But now it has become the subject of a bizarre customs wrangle at Cairo airport.

Prof Gingerich explained that this was the only complete specimen from this species of whale.

It provides evidence of how whales evolved from being land-based creatures to go back into the sea - a reverse of the usual evolutionary process.

1. Golden Triangle Resort - Chiang Rai, Thailand

2. Murni?s Villa - Ubud, Bali

3. Lake Manyara Serena Lodge - Tanzania, Africa

4. Kandalama Hotel - Dambulla, Sri Lanka

5. Tuscany, Italy

6. Tat Kuang Si Waterfall - Luang Prabang, Laos (natural)

10. Rangali Island - Maldives

11. Kempinski Hotel Ishtar - Dead Sea, Jordan

a collection of aerial photography produced by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

"Earth From Above" is the result of the aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrands five-year airborne odyssey across six continents. Its a spectacular presentation of large scale photographs of astonishing natural landscapes. Every stunning aerial photograph tells a story about our changing planet.

Worst floods in a decade in China, 30,000 trapped

BEIJING ? Floods caused by heavy rains in northeastern China stranded tens of thousands of residents without power Wednesday, as the worst flooding in more than a decade continued to besiege areas of the country.

Floods this year have killed at least 823 people with 437 missing and have caused tens of billions of dollars in damage, the State Flood Control and Drought Prevention reported. More heavy rains are expected for the southeast, southwest and northeast parts of the country through Thursday.

The story.

Place:  The U.S. House of Representatives

The Issue:  Vote on a bill that would provide $7.4 billion to cover health care costs for responders who were affected and sickened by the 9/11 attacks.

Scenario:  Both parties agreed that the bill was a worthy one.  Dems, concerned that Republicans would attempt to append non-related partisan amendments to the bill, suspended the rules and went straight to the vote.

- The bill, requiring a two-thirds majority, was defeated by 159 United States Representatives who voted against it.

- Republicans argued that they voted ?NO? on the bill on grounds that while agreeing with the contents of the bill, they opposed the procedure that did not allow them to offer amendments.

- Responders involved in the rescue and actions of 9/11 are now forced to battle health insurance companies in the courts.

New York Democrat Anthony Weiner reacts.

Sarahs Law Saving Children From Sex Abuse

More than 60 children have been protected from abuse during the pilot scheme of Sarahs Law. Skip related content

In one case, a parent made an application after a neighbour started offering their children sweets.

Checks showed the neighbour was a child sex offender subject to a court order prohibiting them from being in contact with anyone under 18.

The neighbour was arrested and remanded in custody.

A tomcat called Timothy has stunned animal carers by turning up more than 800 miles from his home - a year after he went missing. Skip related content

The moggy vanished from a back yard in Brisbane, Australia, in June 2009.

"When I last saw him, he was playing in the garden. Then he just disappeared," said owner Camilla Brooks.

"We thought hed been run over and gave up hope."

He was identified in Townsville, in the north of Queensland, when RSPCA staff scanned his identification microchip, according to couriermail.com.

Timothy will be flown to Brisbane over the weekend to be reunited with his family.

Following successful trials at the Sandringham Flower Show earlier this month, it has been announced that the Queen is to have her waving arm connected to a generator to produce green energy whilst the monarch is carrying out official engagements.

Once the technology is fully installed it is hoped Her Majesty?s oscillating limb will provide sufficient kinetic power to run not only her Rolls Royce?s satellite navigation system but also the car?s DVD player so Prince Philip can enjoy his Lady Gaga collection without feeling guilty about the planet.

Yet a new investigation by local Arizona TV news station CBS 5 finds that the Brewer administration may have ulterior motives for its strong support of the new law. The station has found that ?two of Brewer?s top advisers have connections? to private prison giant Corrections Corporation of America (CCA).

Kitteh Rule #278 of the Day: If I Fitz, Kitteh Will Sitz

Oh Crap Moment of the Day: Claws, Why Won?t You Work?

No More Animal Cruelty Videos?

Three months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the conviction of a Virginia man prosecuted under the 1999 law for selling dog-fighting videos, a new bill aimed at stopping these vile videos has passed the House of Representatives in a landslide.

Guide to Use

ARGON.....U.S. Army, satellite, imaging reconnaissance, LEO. Satellites to obtain geodetic information for accurate ICBM targeting, used Keyhole cameras. Also known as, DISCOVERER XX. First launch 1961/02/17.

Obama pushes for Rangel exit

But a person close to the Rangel tells POLITICO the embattled Democrat ?doesn?t give a damn about what the president thinks about this? and won?t step down.

?And hell? hes somebody whos at the end of his career. Eighty years old. Im sure that? what he wants is to be able to? end his career with dignity. And my hope is that? it happens,? he added.

Shus idea is that time and space are not independent entities but can be converted back and forth between each other. In his formulation of the geometry of spacetime, the speed of light is simply the conversion factor between the two. Similarly, mass and length are interchangeable in a relationship in which the conversion factor depends on both the gravitational constant G and the speed of light, neither of which need be constant. In other words, as the Universe expands, mass and time are converted to length and space and vice versa as it contracts.

The Deadly Neurotoxin Nearly EVERYONE Uses Daily?

Sources:

The first video above -- which contains highlights of Cori Bracketts documentary film Sweet Misery -- is an excellent summary of the problems with aspartame. I strongly urge you to watch it, or read through the transcript, as it offers additional and supporting information to what Ill discuss below. You can also obtain the entire DVD if you enjoy these clips.

Aspartame Consumption

By 1984, three years after its initial approval for use in tabletop sweeteners and dry food, US consumption of aspartame had already reached 6.9 million pounds per year. This number doubled the following year, and continued to climb well into the 90s.

Geo Solution Offers Several Levels of Geotechnical Service

Geotechnical Contracting and Consultation

Geo Solutions is a contracting company that specializes in Ground Improvement and Groundwater Solutions such as slurry walls, soil mixing, grouting, and reactive barrier construction.

"The Big Bang Never Happened" The New Standard?

If conspiracy charges are becoming central to the states strategy against anarchists, it is imperative that we develop a strategy of our own to respond to this and seize the initiative rather than simply reacting over and over to individual cases. This text is a humble effort in that direction, in hopes of inspiring more thoughtful reflections from our comrades.

What can we do to respond to this strategy of repression? Here are some basic starting places:

Two Norwegian friends have taken to the skies on a wing and a prayer in a home-made flying boat. Skip related content

The men created the bizarre machine from hanglider wings, a propeller motor and a rubber dinghy.

Proving the skys the limit, the boat can soar as high as ten thousand feet and reach 85 kilometres per hour.

A "pilot" sits in the dinghy and holds on to a bar attached to the hanglider wings in order to control his direction.

It might not be as slick as a James Bond gadget, but its ability to dominate air and water is reminiscent of some of the spys more unusual modes of transport.

So far, the friends say it has been pretty plain sailing - with no accidents as yet.

17 Things You Should Know About DNA

WASHINGTON ? A second House Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters of California, could face an ethics trial this fall, further complicating the election outlook for the party as it battles to retain its majority.

People familiar with the investigation, who were not authorized to be quoted about charges before they are made public, say the allegations could be announced next week. The House ethics committee declined Friday to make any public statement on the matter.

Waters, 71, has been under investigation for a possible conflict of interest involving a bank that was seeking federal aid. Her husband owned stock in the bank and had served on its board.

New York Democrat Rep. Charles Rangel also faces an ethics trial this fall on charges that include failure to disclose assets and income, nonpayment of taxes and doing legislative favors for donors to a college center named after him.

The Crescent Nebula was created about 250,000 years ago by the brightest star in its center,  a Wolf-Rayet star destined to become a supernova. The massive central star shed its outer envelope in a strong stellar wind, ejecting the equivalent of our Suns mass every 10,000 years. This wind impacted surrounding gas left over from a previous phase, compacting it into a series of complex shells, and lighting it up. The Crescent Nebula, also known as NGC 6888, lies about 4,700 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus. Star WR 136 will probably undergo a supernova explosion sometime in the next million years.

Weve all seen them. The box that sometimes appears on the top right-hand corner of your Facebook page that suggests you "like" a fan page based on keywords in your interests. The problem is that whatever algorithm Facebook is using to come up with these recommendations often turns up some wacky results. Wait, did we say problem? Its actually very amusing. Were not sure why you should like Pringles because "many people" who like Avril Lavigne also like them, but we sure are glad Facebook took the time to let us know. We know youve been seeing these, so next time you do, take a screen grab of the suggestion and upload it using our participation button below!

6 Natural Alternatives to Toxic Fabric Softeners

So, you?re ready to forego commercial fabric softeners but you still want soft clothes.  What are your options?  Well, here are my 6 suggestions to detox your laundry:

1.  Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the water in your washing machine and let it dissolve prior to adding your clothes.  This is my preferred method since the baking soda acts as a water softener and helps makes clothes super soft.

2.  Some people toss tennis balls or other rubber balls into the dryer with clothes.  I?m not a huge fan of this method since the heat of the dryer can cause the rubber to off-gas onto your clothing.  If you have an allergy to latex, this is definitely not the method for you.  Plus, I wouldn?t choose this method if you?re drying delicate clothing items.

3.  Adding a cup of vinegar to the wash water can also soften clothes but I don?t find this method as effective as the baking soda technique.

Buy Your Poison ? Aspartame, Diet Soda, Splenda

Aspartame

When the temperature of the artificial sweetener Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in it converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which causes metabolic acidosis [Aspartame Toxicity Center, (www.holisticmed.com/aspartame) , (www.loftymatters.com) ; also Splenda & other dangerous sweeteners, (www.mpwhi.com) . Additional information at (www.TruthAboutSplenda.com) ]

Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is. Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually does not know that Aspartame is the culprit. Its continuous use irritates the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition [Ibid]

10 good reasons to chow down on the nation?s favourite food

Cat Takes a Shower (cute video)

It must be a hot day. This cat has climbed onto the counter and stuck his head under the running faucet at the kitchen sink.

He drinks a little but mostly lets the water splash over his head over and over again. He?s insatiable. Would your cat do this?

The BP Oil Spill: Time to Get Unreasonable

For decades, Diane Wilson?a fourth-generation shrimper from Seadrift, Texas, a town roughly in the center of Texas? Gulf coast?has been fighting to clean up the messes of the oil and petrochemical industries. First it was the chemicals pumped into a local bay by a plastics factory, then the Dow Chemical Company?s refusal to compensate the victims of the Bhopal disaster, then the Bush Administration?s decision to invade Iraq in what she believes was a war for oil.

BPA-Laden Receipts in Popular Stores

BPA, aka bisphenol-A is revealing itself more and more in our lives.  The endocrine disruptor linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and lots of other ills, has shown up in some surprising places ? including cash register receipts.

This week, EWG released a report showing not only how much BPA is on these cash receipts, but which companies are giving out the most tainted receipts.

Ready for the bad news? If you guessed that McDonald?s and KFC serve up BPA alongside their unhealthy monstrosities, you are correct:

Next: stores with BPA-free receipts

VORONEZH, Russia ? Russias armed forces mobilized Saturday to fight hundreds of wildfires that have wiped out villages and vast areas of woodland. Officials said the worst blazes were under control, but evacuations continued.

The fires have killed at least 30 people in the last three days, officials said, and they are occurring as Moscow and other regions of the country are suffering their hottest summer since records began 130 years ago.

The Emergencies Ministry said in a website statement that "the situation with fires ... is under control" due to preventative measures being taken. But state television reported that in some regions up to 20 new fires were being registered every day. More than 10,000 firefighters were among the almost 250,000 people involved in tackling the fires in all, officials said.

Google ranks Pakistan No. 1 in the world in searches for certain terms, outranking every other country in the world in searches per person for certain sex-related content.

The country?s punishment for those charged with blasphemy is execution, but the question remains what, if anything, can be done about people who search for such content on the Web.

· Percentage of U.S. total income in 1976 that went to the top 1% of American households: 8.9.
· Percentage in 2007: 23.5.
· Only other year since 1913 that the top 1 percent?s share was that high: 1928.
· Combined net worth of the Forbes 400 wealthiest Americans in 2007: $1.5 trillion.
· Combined net worth of the poorest 50% of American households: $1.6 trillion.
· U.S. minimum wage, per hour: $7.25.
· Hourly pay of Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon, for an 80-hour week: $27,034.74.
· Average hourly wage in 1972, adjusted for inflation: $20.06.
· In 2008: $18.52.

Tomorrow night, July 31, Twitter has announced they are having some planned downtime. Beginning at 11 PM PT, Twitter will likely be down on and off for up to 5 hours, Twitter warns.

The reason for the downtime? NTT America, Twitter?s hosting provider is upgrading a part of the internal network. This is interesting because Twitter is in the process of opening their own data center in Utah later this year. Despite the new tweet digs, they?ve said they?ll keep working with NTT America, so this maintenance is clearly necessary.

Sisters Ravindra and Meeta Singh both had their stomachs removed to beat the cancer which had killed five members of their family.

They both carry the rare mutant E-cadheri gene, seen in around 100 families worldwide, which makes them more prone to stomach cancer and breast cancer.

Ravindra, 30, already had stomach cancer by the time she had her operation, Meeta decided on the surgery as a preventative measure.

Almost a year after surgery the sisters, from Liverpool, say they are learning to live again, but admit things have been very hard.

"I am a lot better than I was in the earlier months, but obviously there are still side effects from having no stomach," said Ravindra, who says she often feels tired and dizzy.

"When I first came out of surgery the amount I could eat was very minimal, almost spoonfuls. But almost a year has gone by now and I probably eat about a third of what I used to be able to eat - so it is improving.

Four rowers have smashed a 114-year-old record by crossing the Atlantic in 43 days, 21 hours and 26 minutes.

The Artemis North Atlantic Rowing Challenge crew left New York on 17 June and touched the quayside at St Marys just before 1500 BST.

The previous record, set in 1896 by Norwegians George Harbo and Frank Samuelson, stood at 55 days and 13 hours.

Skipper Leven Brown told BBC News it was a "pell-mell, helter-skelter" trip.

"Its been absolutely amazing and what a reception weve here in the Scillies," the 37-year-old from Edinburgh said.

"The funniest thing for me was walking up the quayside - after more than six weeks of not walking my legs felt more than a bit unsteady."

During the record attempt, the team survived 33ft-high (10m) waves, encountered whales and even rescued a man overboard.

The Sikorsky X2 Helicopter is an experimental aircraft designed as a flying testbed of the latest technology ? including the trick co-axial tri-blade ? designed to offer all the handling and landing advantages of existing helicopters with the ability to travel long distances at high speeds.

Earlier this week, pilot Kevn Bredenbeck eclipsed the rotorcraft (helicopter) speed record of 249 mph ? set by the Westfield LYNX ZBX-500 in 1986 ? with a scorching pass of 258 mph at the companys Florida test facility. By comparison, an Apache AH-64 attack helicopter only does 175 mph. The Lynx run was an official average speed, and in the 24 years since no one has bested the run.

Photos: Pakistan flooding

Flooding in Pakistan has left more than 800 people dead. The UN said one million more have been affected by the floods, brought on by torrential monsoon rains.

Here are some photos of the devastation:

Evacuating residents carry chickens as they walk through floodwaters in the Mohib Bhanda area in Nowshera district.

Local residents remove a gate from their damaged house in a flood-hit area of Nowshera.

Local residents carry a sick women on a rope bed as they evacuate to safety.

This aerial view taken from a Pakistani Army helicopter on July 30, 2010, shows houses marooned in flash floods caused by heavy monsoon rains at a village in Dera Ismail Khan.

A boy hangs on to the front of a cargo truck while passing through a flooded road in Risalpur.

Floods kill more than 800 in Pakistan

Military airstrike video leak suspect in solitary confinement

Manning was routinely processed Thursday at the Quantico detention facility, a military spokesman said Friday.

Manning arrived at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and was given a physical exam and medical screenings, according to Lt. Col. Rob Manning (not related) of the Military District of Washington. The suspect is in solitary confinement and is being observed in accordance with normal operating procedures, the spokesman said.

Requests for comment from Mannings attorney, Capt. Paul Bouchard, were not returned.

Disquieting Muses at the Grocery Store

If I rest, if I think inward, I go mad?Sylvia Plath

 ~Nowadays, my prayers go a bit like this:

 ?Help me!  Help me!  Help Me!  Pleeeease Jesus, Help Me!?

Sometimes I scream the words out like a lunatic.  Sometimes I sob out the slippery syllables like a lonely, lost child. Sometimes I just wander around mumbling the words inside my head.

Silently. Ceaselessly. Ridiculously. 

The New Marriage Proposal

It was simple, but unbelievably romantic, and I love their story every time I hear it.

But these days, subtle proposals like my parents? are losing their appeal. In fact, popping the question is getting to be such a grand affair, men are now staging elaborate performances in public parks, or hiring wedding planners to help them plan the big day.

Sarah Pease of Brilliant Event Planning in New York City says she?s been getting more and more clients requesting over-the-top proposals. ?I get calls almost daily about proposal services,? she says. ?While many say the wedding day is all about the bride, the proposal is really the guy?s time to shine.?

The north coast-based president of Thalidomide Australia says he was shocked to hear of this weeks compensation payout.

The multi-national company Diageo has agreed to pay 50 million dollars in instalments to 45 surviving victims in Australia and New Zealand over the next twenty years.

Mullumbimby resident and President of Thalidomide Australia, Brett Nielsen says the company which took over ownership of the drug had no responsibility to pay the victims.

"Diageo are under no obligation to pay us a cent, legally speaking they are really not," Mr Neilsen said.

"The team from Diageo have upheld their mission statement in an exemplary fashion, its very rare that a company will give 50 million dollars to anyone," he said.

"This is living proof of corporate entity with a heart for want of a better word," Mr Neilsen said.

The Valley of Geysers and volcano Uzon caldera located in Kronotsky nature reserve in Kamchatka is a ?favourite? place of many Russians to sacrifice their extremities touching the thermal springs with their fingers and wearing sandals despite all the instructions they get. They tread upon the green grass under which is the hot and chemically aggressive mud. After such experiments burns of the feet heal tortuously slow. It is worthy of note that ONLY Russians show such curiosity, other travellers prefer to follow precautionary measures.

But what about bears? They don?t get instructions and the wood covering is not made for them. And they are always bare paws. 

For millions years of evolution animals have learnt not only to live on volcanoes but use their heat for good. For example birds often nest on the warm ground - volcanic ground works like an incubator! Such nestlings are always stronger and healthier.

Second senior Democrat may face ethics trial

Both are leading members of the Congressional Black Caucus, making the cases highly sensitive as Democrats are working to get a big voter turnout by African Americans, one of their traditional constituencies.

The last time a sitting member of Congress went to a trial before his peers was Ohio Representative James Traficant in 2002. He was convicted on racketeering, bribery and other charges and served a federal prison term.

No more. Danielle Zurovcik, a doctoral student at MIT, has created a hand-powered suction-healing system that costs about $3. The device is composed of an airtight wound dressing, connected by a plastic tube to a cylinder with accordion-like folds. Squeezing it creates the suction, which lasts as long as there?s no air leak. What?s more, where regular dressings need to be replaced up to three times a day ? a painful ordeal ? the new cuff can be left on for several days.

The Prince of Wales says he believes he has been placed on Earth as future King ?for a purpose? - to save the world.

Giving a fascinating insight into his view of his inherited wealth and influence, he said: ?I can only somehow imagine that I find myself being born into this position for a purpose.

?I don?t want my grandchildren or yours to come along and say to me, ?Why the hell didn?t you come and do something about this? You knew what the problem was?. That is what motivates me.

?I wanted to express something in the outer world that I feel inside... We seem to have lost that understanding of the whole of nature and the universe as a living entity.?

His impassioned comments come during a film about his belief that unbridled commerce has led to the destruction of farmland and countryside.

Graham Smith, of the anti-monarchy group Republic, said: ?He is under the impression he has been sent to save the world and deliver us from our sins. It?s quite delusional.

The inability of the Obama administration to follow through on its promise to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay has largely been attributed to successful Republican (and Democratic) efforts to block funds for an alternate domestic facility.

But even with progress (however marginal) frustrations have grown on Capitol Hill. In an interview with the Huffington Post last week, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) criticized the White House for sidestepping transparency (code word, perhaps, for civil liberties) with regards to its handling of the fifth category.

"[The White House] should have had an open and transparent way in which those who are going to be detained indefinitely are reviewed and that there is understanding internationally and acceptance internationally that we are complying with acceptable standards," said the Maryland Democrat.

Radivoje Lajic first came to international attention in 2008, shortly after the fifth meteorite had crashed into the roof of his house in the northern village of Gornji Lajici.

And now, within the past month, another rock has hit the roof of his house, in defiance of all the odds - making it six strikes since the plague of meteorites began in 2007.

Experts at Belgrade University have confirmed that all the falling rocks he has handed over were meteorites. They are now trying to work out what exactly it is about his house that particularly attracts them. The strikes always happen when it is raining heavily, he says, never when there are clear skies.

Lajic has his own explanation, of course. After the fifth rock struck his house, he said: I am obviously being targeted by extraterrestrials. I dont know what I have done to annoy them but there is no other explanation that makes sense. The chance of being hit by a meteorite is so small that getting hit six times has to be deliberate.

A tiny, fringe fundamentalist cult in Florida, of the sort that American popular Christianity specializes in producing, has announced that it will burn the Qur?an on the anniversary of September 11 because it considers Islam an evil religion. The group also targets gays and the Wicca worship of the Goddess.

This is more cult-like thinking, of the sort I discussed yesterday, in which ?good? equals ?us? and ?evil? equals people we don?t agree with.

The German poet Heinrich Heine (d. 1856), in his play lamenting the forced conversion of Spain?s Muslims to Christianity, ?Almansor,? wrote, ?Wherever they burn books, in the end they will burn human beings.? (When the Nazis burned books in 1933, Heine?s were among those set afire, and his prediction was borne out).

The antidote to hateful and grandstanding ignorance such as this is learning and reading. The way to combat book-burning is to spread around books and consume them.

Located in the mountains of Vorarlberg, Austria, Horizon Field consists of 100 life-size, solid cast iron figures of the human body spread over an area of 150 square km in the communities of Mellau, Schoppernau, Schrocken, Warth, Mittelberg, Lech, Klosterie and Dalaas. The work forms a horizontal line at 2039m above sea level

How to Draw a Cowboy in 5 Steps

With a hat on his head and lasso in his hand, this cowboy is happiest on the range. If you love Western movies, cowboys, the Old West, or any of the above, youll love learning how to draw this rugged cowboy.­

In this section, well show you how to draw the above cowboy. Either draw the picture freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in black. Here, well show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Check out the next page for the first step.

Forty-Ton Whale Wrecks Couples Yacht

Two sailing instructors have told of the shocking moment a 40-ton whale came crashing down onto their yacht off the South African coast. Skip related content

Ralth Mothes, 59, and his partner Paloma Werner, 50, were watching the beast at a distance, near Cape Town, when it moved towards their 32ft-vessel Intrepid.

"I thought, Surely, it cant be on a collision course with us," Mr Mothes said.

But the young Southern Right whale slipped out of view before suddenly flipping into the air and smashing the Intrepids mast.

The massive mammal thrashed around on the vessel before rolling back into Table Bay.

The stunning scene was photographed by a nearby sailor.

Miss Werner was quoted by News 24.com as saying: "Thank God we had a steel yacht. If it had been fibreglass, we wouldve been history. We are lucky to be alive."

"It really was quite incredible, but very scary," she continued, in The Daily Telegraph.

Obama is trying to devise a backdoor "amnesty" policy

WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration is considering ways it could go around Congress to allow undocumented migrants to stay in the United States since its attempts to push a broad overhaul of immigration law have been thwarted, according to an agency memo.

The internal draft written by officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services outlines ways that the government could provide "relief" to illegal immigrants ? including delaying deportation for some, perhaps indefinitely, or granting green cards to others ? in the absence of legislation revamping the system.

Its emerging as chances fade in this election year for a measure Obama favors to put the nations estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants on a path to legal status, and as debate rages over an Arizona law targeting people suspected of being in the country illegally.

Barack Hussein Obama did not sneak into power. An army of clueless, disconnected, ignorant Americans invited him to bring his Marxist, glaringly anti-American jihad into our lives. This president?s overtly destructive, clear-and-present-danger agenda is surpassed in transparency only by his ultra-leftist public voting record and overall lifetime conduct of consorting with the enemy as a child and student of Marxism, socialist and racist community organizer, congregant of the blatant America-hating black-theology- and social-justice-spewing Rev. Jeremiah Wright and close personal friend of convicted communist terrorists like Bill Ayers, and by his unflinching appointment of an array of communist czars, including Van Jones, Cass Sunstein, Anita Dunne, et al.

Frenchman, 80, freed after year in wifes laundry prison

French paramilitary police rescued the unnamed man from his home in the village of Arrou, southwest of Paris, on Wednesday, blinded, malnourished and physically abused by the ordeal at the hands of his own family.

A judicial source told AFP the man was conscious and lucid in hospital but did not yet want to speak to anyone.

"The victim suffered violence and ill-treatment," local gendarme commander Bruno Arviset told journalists. "The man ate twice a day, mostly pastries that were past their sell-by date."

YouTube bumps video limit to 15 minutes

Long-video makers can rejoice, as YouTube has extended the allotted time of user uploads from 10 to 15 minutes.

10 Vending Machines You Won?t Believe Exist

Pizza Vending Machine

Meat Vending Machine For 24-Hour Sausage Service

Porn Vending Machine

Egg Vending Machine

Nike?s Soccer Ball Vending Machine

Vegetables Vending Machine

Toilet Paper Vending Machine

Rangel Could Have Skated With Reprimand

He rejected offer, though he may get another chance

(Newser) ? As Charlie Rangels case continues its high-profile path, this much is clear: He could have avoided this public trial phase by agreeing to receive a relatively modest reprimand. Thats what a House panel recommended, but Rangel rejected the settlement offer over disagreements on just how much wrongdoing he would admit, reports the New York Times. Still, its possible this could end before the trial gets truly under way?the full House ethics committee reportedly spent most of yesterday discussing another settlement offer.

It was 2017. Clans were governing America.

The first clans organized around local police forces. The conservatives? war on crime during the late 20th century and the Bush/Obama war on terror during the first decade of the 21st century had resulted in the police becoming militarized and unaccountable.

As society broke down, the police became warlords. The state police broke apart, and
the officers were subsumed into the local forces of their communities. The newly formed tribes expanded to encompass the relatives and friends of the police.

The dollar had collapsed as world reserve currency in 2012 when the worsening economic depression made it clear to Washington?s creditors that the federal budget deficit was too large to be financed except by the printing of money.

With the dollar?s demise, import prices skyrocketed. As Americans were unable to afford foreign-made goods, the transnational corporations that were producing offshore for US markets were bankrupted

The Wikileaks document dump changes nothing

So what to make of the WikiLeaks story? First of all, it covers a period of several years; and there is no doubt that the United States and NATO didnt get everything right in all of those years, especially from 2004 to 2007. The two big stories -- ISIs fishing in troubled Afghan waters, and the deaths of civilians -- are not really news at all.

The people behind WikiLeaks make no secret of their opposition to the Afghan war. Some would like to see American troops prosecuted as war criminals. WikiLeaks sees itself as providing the world with the Pentagon Papers Redux, though no one in his or her right mind could compare the Gulf of Tonkin incident that prompted the Vietnam War buildup with the destruction of the World Trade Center. That says more about the WikiLeaks crowd than about the sins their papers purport to reveal.

Audit: US cannot account for $8.7B in Iraqi funds

BAGHDAD ? A U.S. audit has found that the Pentagon cannot account for over 95 percent of $9.1 billion in Iraq reconstruction money, spotlighting Iraqi complaints that there is little to show for the massive funds pumped into their cash-strapped, war-ravaged nation.

With the establishment of the Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq shortly after the start of the U.S. invasion in 2003 until mid-2004, about $20 billion was placed into the account. The $9.1 billion audited by the Iraq reconstruction inspector general were funds withdrawn from that account between 2004 and 2007.

The report found that the Defense Department could not "readily account for its obligations, expenditures and remaining balances associated" with the DFI. At issue was $8.7 billion, or 95 percent of the withdrawn funds.