American diplomats have been ordered to compile a dossier detailing Iran's violations of international law that some fear could be used to justify military strikes against the Islamic republic's nuclear programme. Members of the US secretariat in the United Nations were asked earlier this month to begin "searching for things that Iran has done wrong", The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. FULL ARTICLE=>

LC Editor’s Comment: Meanwhile, deluded Mr./Mrs. Joe “Stupid” Lunchbag, their index fingers plugged firmly into both ears, their eyes tightly shut, and goofy grins on their faces, muttler to themselves, “George Bush is a good Christian man, out to defend us against them murderous sand niggars and nuke-makin’ Mulims so we can stay free.” Pathetic!

Iran Labels CIA 'Terrorist Organization'

Iran's parliament voted Saturday to designate the CIA and the U.S. Army as "terrorist organizations," a largely symbolic response to a U.S. Senate resolution seeking a similar designation for Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The parliament said the Army and the CIA were terrorists because of the atomic bombing of Japan; the use of depleted uranium munitions in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq; support of the killings of Palestinians by Israel; the bombing and killing Iraqi civilians and the torture of imprisoned terror suspects. FULL ARTICLE=>

LC Editor’s Comment: This is an Associated Press (AP) news story. It would have been a very interesting straight news story had not this AP news writer injected his or his editor’s or AP’s or the White House slant into it: “…a largely symbolic response to a U.S. Senate resolution seeking a similar designation for Iran's Revolutionary Guards.” Now it reads like a “hit piece” drawn up by Dick Cheney and FAX-expressed to the AP news desk.

Trigger-Happy Cop Shoots Watchful Family Dog as Toddler Watches

Television news story from Minneapolis. Please view the video before reading further.

For many perfectly normal families their dogs are trusted, faithful, loving family members. When a family’s dog dies, family members grieve, sometimes for days and sometimes for a few weeks or more. With that grief comes great and justified anger if their ever-watchful, four-footed, loyal family member has died because he has had his brains blown out by a mindless, trigger-happy, pistol-packing sheriff’s deputy whose standing order is to “shoot the dog if it growls”.

This is certainly not the first time that a law enforcement officer’s foolishly pounding on the wrong door at the wrong address with the expectation of ultimately being awarded a gold medal and an ‘at-a-boy by his sergeant for arresting a dope dealer or thief has mindlessly and needlessly slaughtered a much-loved and treasured four-footed, barking family member doing its own job: Watching and warning.

But this needs to be the last time this kind of mindless slaughter of a watchful, treasured family dog occurs. It could be if the injured family in this case sues this jerk and is awarded a financial settlement that puts this mindless fool in the poor house for the rest of his life. Perhaps then the word will get out that murder is murder, be it the unwarranted killing of a human or loved canine family member.

New Oil Law is Not in Iraq's Interest

Iraq's draft oil and gas law, which was approved by the Iraqi government in April and which is scheduled for parliamentary approval, is one of the most dangerous laws issued since the occupation of the country began in 2003. The permanent constitution, passed in 2005, is another dangerous document that threatens the future of Iraq. Some chapters of the draft oil law are based on the constitution, which is opposed by a large number of Iraqis. Many Iraqi politicians and lawmakers see the law as a major threat to Iraq's national interests. FULL ARTICLE=>

India's Loss May be China's Gain, Says Iran

Iran could replace India with China in the $7.4 billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project or go ahead with a two-nation Iran-Pakistan pipeline. “How long can we wait for India? It is not possible to wait eternally,” Iran's Energy and Economic Counselor in India Ainollah Suri told Business Standard. While the pipeline deal was seen as ""done"" two months ago, when the trilateral meeting took place in New Delhi, India is perceived to be dragging its feet on the project since then. It has stayed away from the subsequent two meetings in which Iran claims to have covered a lot of ground with Pakistan. FULL ARTICLE=>

US Interceptors in Europe to Hit Russian ICBMs

A number of top U.S-based physicists have concluded the United States used inaccurate claims to reassure NATO allies about U.S. missile defense plans in Eastern Europe. They say the planned Polish-based interceptors and a radar system in the Czech Republic could target and catch Russian missiles, thus threatening Russia’s nuclear deterrent. That view supports Russia’s criticism of the system. Russia adamantly opposes the plan and the dispute has escalated U.S.-Russian tensions to the highest point since the Cold War. FULL ARTICLE=>

Astronomy Picture of the Day: Dawn Launch Mosaic

Shortly after sunrise on Thursday at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Dawn spacecraft began its journey to the asteroid belt, arcing eastward into a blue and cloudy sky. Dawn's voyage began on a conventional, chemically fueled Delta II rocket, but will continue with an innovative ion propulsion system. The spacecraft's extremely efficient ion engines will use electricity derived from solar power to ionize xenon atoms and generate a gentle but continuous thrust. After a four year interplanetary cruise, Dawn will orbit two small worlds, first Vesta and then Ceres. Vesta is one of the largest main belt asteroids, while nomenclature introduced by the International Astronomical Union in 2006 classifies nearly spherical Ceres as a dwarf planet. FULL ARTICLE=>

Hexayurt Project at Burning Man 2007

The Hexayurt Project just won the Participate! Treehugger / Current.TV / Burning Man prize for eco-nifty Burning Man stuff. A hexayurt is a shelter designed for refugees and other people with a small housing budget. FULL ARTICLE=>

Strong Demand for Military Psychologists

As a recent Pentagon report finds (see "Transforming Military Mental Health"), psychologists' expertise is being recognized—and sought—more than ever before to train service members, help them cope with their duties, and treat those with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other mental health concerns.

To give APA members a glimpse of the varied, intense, and sometimes dangerous work of psychologists serving in the military, the Monitor interviewed five who are now serving. Here are their stories. FULL ARTICLE=>

Which Vitamin Will Improve Your Life Expectancy the Most?

Dr. Mercola

Vitamin D supplements may lower your risk of dying from any cause, according to a new European study.

Researchers from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, reviewed 18 trials of more than 57,000 people. FULL ARTICLE=>

Suicide Rate Soars for Girls -- What's Going On?

Dr. Mercola

The suicide rate for young people between the ages of 10 and 24 jumped 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, representing the largest single-year increase in 15 years, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found.

Although overall suicide rates among young people fell by nearly 30 percent since 1990, one "dramatic and huge" increase is drawing concern from health officials: the suicide rate among *** and young teen girls, those aged 10 to 14, rose 76 percent from 2003 to 2004. FULL ARTICLE=>

September 29

Iran Strengthens Ties With South America

The leaders of Iran and Venezuela cemented an alliance aimed at countering the United States while the Iranian president reached out to a new ally in Bolivia and declared that together, "no one can defeat us." After being vilified during his U.N. visit this week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled on to friendlier territory Thursday, first stopping in Bolivia where he pledged $1 billion in investment and then visiting Venezuela to meet President Hugo Chavez. FULL ARTICLE=>

First US Troops leave Iraq Under Draw-Down Plan

The first US military unit scheduled to withdraw from Iraq under President George Bush’s plan to cut troop levels has left the war zone. Captain Pamela Marshall, a military spokeswoman in Washington, said the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a group of 2,200 marines who were stationed in western Anbar province, had boarded a naval vessel and begun the trip home. A brigade combat team of 4,000 troops is expected to leave Iraq in mid-December followed by four other brigade combat teams and two Marine battalions. FULL ARTICLE=>

FDIC Shuts Down NetBank Because of Excessive Level of Mortgage Defaults

NetBank Inc., an online bank with $2.5 billion in assets, was shut down by the government on Friday because of an excessive level of mortgage defaults. It was the largest savings and loan failure since the tail end of the industry's crisis more than 14 years ago. Federal regulators appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as a receiver for Alpharetta, Ga.-based NetBank. FULL ARTICLE=>

School Security Guards Beat Teen over Cake Spill

School security guards in Palmdale, CA have been caught on camera assaulting a 16-year-old girl and breaking her arm after she spilled some cake during lunch and left some crumbs on the floor after cleaning it up. FULL ARTICLE=>

Congress Quietly Approves Billions More for Iraq War

The Senate agreed on Thursday to increase the federal debt limit by $850 billion -- from $8.965 trillion to $9.815 trillion -- and then proceeded to approve a stop-gap spending bill that gives the Bush White House at least $9 billion in new funding for its war in Iraq. Additionally, the administration has been given emergency authority to tap further into a $70 billion "bridge fund" to provide new infusions of money for the occupation while the Congress works on appropriations bills for the Department of Defense and other agencies. FULL ARTICLE=>

Blackwater Cancels Planned Expansion

In more fallout from the Sept. 16 shooting in Baghdad that left 11 Iraqis dead, Blackwater USA apparently has stopped its expansion projects. On Wednesday, the North Carolina private military contractor canceled a $5.5 million deal to buy 1,800 acres of farmland near Fort Bragg, where it was going to set up a training ground for soldiers and corporate executives. FULL ARTICLE=>

Helicopter Ben Earns His Wings

By Peter Schiff

Coming at a time when rate increases were needed to combat the sinking dollar and surging gold, oil and other commodity prices, Ben Bernanke’s 50 basis point cuts in the Fed funds and discount rates this week may go down as the most irresponsible move in Fed history. To America’s creditors around the world, whose mountains of dollar reserves will be debased by lower rates in the U.S., this action amounts to the monetary equivalent of “let them eat cake.” My prediction is that rather than doing so, they will just throw it back in our faces, and refuse to continue funding our deficits. FULL ARTICLE=>

Science: Is it Possible to Make Science Sexy?

Roger Highfield invites Telegraph readers to come up with ways to increase the public's interest in science. They have split the atom. They know when the Big Bang of creation took place. And they have read the entire recipe of a human being. But scientists are still a bit clueless about the laws of journalism and how to spread awareness of scientific issues. FULL ARTICLE=>

No-Cost Low-Cost Tips for Saving Money & Energy

Here are a few dozen ways you may want to consider if you want to save on energy costs. FULL ARTICLE=>

The REELRADIO Tenth Birthday Special

Top 40 Veterans Bobby Ocean and Charlie Van Dyke host this 65-minute special created for the tenth birthday of REELRADIO on February 12, 2006. It features samples of all REELRADIO HITBOUND exhibits for each birthday, beginning in 1996 and continuing through 2005.

LC Editor’s Comments: Beautiful! This was real radio! And check out the complete ReelRadio.com --- it’s the priceless repository of “airchecks” from the Top 40 radio during the haydays of radio!

Aircheck: Larry Lujack in the Morning, 89 WLS Chicago

Here’s a pristine aircheck which sounds very much like it came right out of the studio skimmer. Larry Lujack on WLS!

Discovered in this box of cassettes that the donor asked to be called annonymous about a year ago (really), this is a great look at Mr. Lujack’s morning show in 1970. Includes a few commercials and “The Jeffrey Hendricks Report” from WLS News! Hearing Hendricks and that delivery style - WOW! That was news!

September 28, 2007

Dollar Hits Record Low as Fed Seen Cutting

The dollar tumbled to a new low against the euro as signs that inflationary pressures in the US are easing fuelled speculation that the Federal Reserve will add to this month's dramatic rate cut.

The monthly core consumer price index – which excludes volatile food and energy items including oil – edged up just 0.1pc for a sixth straight month, according to the US Commerce Department. Year-on-year, core prices were up 1.8pc, the smallest increase since a similar 1.8pc rise in February 2004.

Robert Sinche, head of currency strategy in New York, said: "The dollar was sold on a significantly bearish outlook. Now the dollar has been pushed to an extreme level." FULL ARTICLE=>

US Housing Market in Freefall Dive

Sales of new homes in the US plunged in August at the fastest rate since modern records began, prompting fears the economy is sliding into a full-blown recession.

Total sales dropped 8.3pc on the month and are now down 21.2pc during the past year, a sign that the credit crunch has cut off mortgage funding for large numbers of people. JP Morgan now expects sales to fall by more than half from their peak before touching bottom well into next year. FULL ARTICLE=>

Dollar Respite as Saudis Stick to Peg, for Now

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

U.K. Telegraph

The dollar has at last begun to stabilize after a week of preciptious falls on news Saudi Arabia intends to stick to its closely watched exchange-rate peg, despite its refusal to cut interest rates in lockstep with