It never ceases to amaze me what some people will waste their money on.  At least this one didn’t get funding from American Tax payers.

Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, researchers say.

Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence contains no methane and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas.

There is only one part if this research that could have any economic benefits.  That is the claim that the digestive process may become more efficient and therefore cost less in feed.  Somehow, I doubt that the bennifit will be very large.  We don’t know that this efficiency will mean cows will eat less.  Just because they get more energy from the feed doesn’t mean they will feel more full and eat less.  The numbers on efficiency, if at all accurate, are quite high though.

Not only would they not produce the methane, they would actually get something like 10 to 15 percent more energy out of the feed they are eating,

Since the research will take time some scientists think that Australians should stop eating so much cattle and start eating kangaroos instead.  Of course, that wouldn’t be a controversial move right?  I mean, who would object to killing and eating kangaroos?

http://www.savethekangaroo.com/
http://blog.peta.org/archives/kangaroo_leather/

During the GOP debate in South Carolina earlier this year, Ron Paul made a particularly troubling statement.  He was talking about what led to 9/11 and insinuated that we brought it upon ourselves because of our foreign policy.  You can watch it here.

"Have you ever read about the reasons they attacked us?  They attack us because we've been over there.  We've been bombing Iraq for ten years.  We've been in the Middle East.  I think Reagan was right.  We don't understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics."

He was right about one thing.  We don’t understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics.  They hate us not just because of our foreign policy but because our very culture.  The most recent example is in Iran this week.  Iranian authorities arrested more than 200 music fans at a rock concert because the music was “satanic”.

If you believe it, some of the rhetoric focused may have had some validity because some of the attendees had drugs in their possession.  

He said concert organizers had told young people to attend if they were eager to learn how "devil worshippers" perform music.

Local media reported organizers hid cameras to tape the attendants' behavior and later blackmail them. The reports also said police confiscated large amounts of alcohol and drugs.

But if you read further in the article, you get to the real root of things.

Boys and girls mingled and danced together during the concert, and some of the women were not wearing the modest clothing and Islamic headscarf required by law, media reports said.

Iranian authorities have warned the population in recent weeks to avoid what they call "immoral behavior," which includes drinking alcohol or, for women, not wearing a headscarf.

If you use Ron Paul logic, assuming that 9/11 was our fault, we should modify more than our own foreign policy. Maybe if we just follow Sharia law we won’t be targets anymore.  Pull out the headscarf’s and put prohibition back into effect.  Yup, that might do it.  Cause we all know that if you follow Islamic law the Jihadis will leave you alone.  I mean, look at how well the Shia and Sunni get along.

Amazingly enough, I’ve been doing my part to help the environment all along.  According to one environmentalist, walking does more than driving to cause global warming.  This is because:

Food production is now so energy-intensive that more carbon is emitted providing a person with enough calories to walk to the shops than a car would emit over the same distance. The climate could benefit if people avoided exercise, ate less and became couch potatoes. Provided, of course, they remembered to switch off the TV rather than leaving it on standby.

The sums were done by Chris Goodall, campaigning author of How to Live a Low-Carbon Life, based on the greenhouse gases created by intensive beef production. “Driving a typical UK car for 3 miles [4.8km] adds about 0.9 kg [2lb] of CO2 to the atmosphere,” he said, a calculation based on the Government’s official fuel emission figures. “If you walked instead, it would use about 180 calories. You’d need about 100g of beef to replace those calories, resulting in 3.6kg of emissions, or four times as much as driving.

The article goes on to talk about how badly cows pollute.  Especially harmful are organically raised cows.  And I thought that organic was always better too.  

Cattle farming is notorious for its perceived damage to the environment, based on what scientists politely call “methane production” from cows. The gas, released during the digestive process, is 21 times more harmful than CO2 . Organic beef is the most damaging because organic cattle emit more methane.

So, I was thinking I could enjoy a healthy walk to the supermarket and just buy my beef in bulk.  That way I would save trips to the store and the environment, however:

A chilled ready meal is a perfect example of where the energy is wasted. You make the meal, then use an enormous amount of energy to chill it and keep it chilled through warehousing and storage.”

So, from now on I’m going to make a lot of short trips to and from the supermarket with just the amount of food I’m going to eat.  And screw that organic stuff too.  Besides, organic costs more for a smaller amount of food.  It's the least I can do.

Brought to you by socialized medicine.  A man in England breaks his neck but since it isn't life threatening he has to wait weeks until he can get his surgery.  In the mean time he just isn't allowed to move.  Brilliant!

Peru is a country where protests are rather routine and this week has been no exception.

Nationwide protests and a general strike have brought Peru to a near standstill over the last week. Thousands of people in every major town and city took to the streets, and three people are reported to have been killed in clashes around the country.

And what do you ask has caused such an up-roar in the streets?

The protesting teachers object to a new law which obliges them to take a proficiency test and says they will be sacked if they repeatedly fail it.  The test is part of the government's attempt to reform the appalling standard of Peru's state education.  But union leaders say it will mean hundreds of arbitrary sackings.  President Garcia appears to have inflamed the protests by launching insults at union leaders and dismissing them as left-wing radicals.

I'm glad that  here in the U.S. all of our teachers can pass state proficiency exams.  They can pass them right?

A new law is drawing much critisism in the Philippines. 

The Human Security Act allows the government to detain suspects for up to three days without charge, use wiretaps and also seize suspects' assets.

The government in Manila says the law will help it to tackle militant groups, such as Abu Sayyaf.

The philippines has been fighting against Jihad since 1380 but there have been many disturbing cases of terrorism in modern times.

The Philippines has faced terrorist attacks in recent years from two sources: Islamist separatists and communist rebels. The Philippine army was pursuing Abu Sayyaf before September 11, and the government was discussing economic development of Muslim areas to combat discontent. Philippine antiterrorist efforts have been undermined by weak and sometimes corrupt law enforcement.

In 2004, the Philippines suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history when a bomb planted by Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists sunk a ferry in Manila Bay, killing about 130 passengers. In December 2004, a bomb exploded in a crowded market in General Santos City killing seventeen people.

The detractors of the law are concerned that it gives over reaching powers to a government that has problems with corruption.  They fear that it will allow President Gloria Arroyo the opportunity to harrass political rivals.  It should be pointed out however, that they need a court ordered warrant and they can only hold them for three days.

As much as civil liberties should be dearly held even outside the U.S., I have to agree with this new law.  As long as reasonable checks are put in place, there should be a means to hold potential terrorists and freeze their assets.  People cannot enjoy their civil liberties if they are dead.

I figured that once in a while I should post something funny or heart warming.  Or, at least something I'm not going to rant or complain about.  So, here it is.   Bao Xishun meet Pingping, theres only a 5.5 foot difference in your height and saying Pingping is soooo much fun. 

Pingping!

If you aren't already outraged about our open borders and immigration un-enforcement like I am, then you need to read this blog post by Michelle Malkin.   Unfortunately, it is not as uncommon an event as we'd like to think.  Little Zina Linnik was most likely killed by an illegal immigrant who had been in trouble with the law before.  Can anyone explain to me why we allow illegal aliens who commit extremely violent crimes to stay in the U.S. rather than deporting them?

Before anyone dares call me a bigot, I am a first generation latino American who's father came here LEGALLY. 

Now, this guy has got a good idea.  Marc the Litter Guy in Toronto Canada was unemployed and was unable to pay his bills.  Instead of pan-handling, Marc decided he would make his own job.

"I needed to make my own job, so I thought I'd go around and clean the streets. I wear a sign -- it tells what I'm doing and asks for donations -- but I don't ask for money verbally, I leave it up to people," said Marc, who has been picking up about 80 bags of garbage a day for the past 11 months.

You have to give this guy some credit.  He may be down on his luck but at least he is man enough to actually work his way out of it. 

"I think this guy has a great idea," said Robin MacDonald, a customer at Starbucks on King St. E.

"Here you have a guy who doesn't bother people and he gives back. I wouldn't mind giving my change to him."

In response to complaints about panhandlers, the city is looking into whether downtown beggars who are not homeless need help in making use of social programs.

I'd give him my change too.  Maybe San Fransico should keep an eye on how all of this works out for Toronto.  Or is it too cruel to make the homeless so some work?

It's really amazing to me that India has really democrotized within my short life time, which led to the greatest economic boom for that country in modern times.  Yet, there are still yuppie socialists who want to turn back the clock.  I can somewhat understand the moron socialists in American because they've never seen what communism can do to a society close up.  But, these people remember it well.  Amazing!

Read it here. 

The Chinese government has executed Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of its food safety watchdog for taking up to $800,000 in bribes to apporve sub-standard drugs. 

Read it here, and here.

China has suffered from many safety issues in their products as of late ranging from pet food contamination to poisonus toothpaste.  The harsh sentence is a way for China to show that it takes safety seriously.  But, one has to wonder how the death of one man shows anything.  I'm not arguing that he is being scape goated.  He probably did take the bribes, but I doubt even in communist China that one man can do all that by himself.  There must have been a lot of people who knew what was going on and were complicit.  This execution in itself doesn't show that China is cracking down on the safety of its' products. 

I have not read anywhere yet if any others have been charged with anything.  For instance, what is going to happen to those who bribed Xiaoyu?  How about his subordinates in the food safety office who should have known he was approving sub-standard drugs?  It has to be asked, is China really cracking down or is this just a dog and pony show to help boost China's tarnished image.

No Freekin' Way! 

I always thought it was a myth that Chinese people ate cat :-p

Hell has officially frozen over in my world.  I agree with Al Sharpton on something.  SillySlug.com is reporting that Mr. Sharpton will soon be campaigning for the support of linux.  He's asking that large companies create linux drivers and port their software for linux compatability.  I don't care as much about the programs, but the drivers is a big step.  It  allows people who buy those devices to choose what platform they want to use them on.  Many companies like HP have been doing this for years but there are some pretty annoying holdouts.  I for one would love a driver for my mx900 logitech blue tooth mouse that would let me use it on my mac.  (Mac runs on Darwin Linux)  I signed a petition for it more than 2 years ago. 

Side Note
Competition is always better for Americans.  If tomorrows devices can be used on different platforms it helps heat up competition between software developers and the consumer always wins that kind of war.

Hat tip: Fark.com