Merkel, Morales, Polar bears, xiaxue, Ama, NAC, Novaliches

blackcommentator
After meeting with Rice, new German chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Rice had admitted a mistake in the El-Masri case. It isn't clear if Merkel intentionally outed Rice or if she hadn't yet learned the diplomatic art of being a good liar.

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democracynow
Monday, December 19th, 2005
Leftist Union Leader Evo Morales Poised to Become First Indigenous President of Bolivia
. Morales closed his campaign Thursday by declaring his election would be a: "nightmare for the United States."
..e has vowed to increase state controls over Bolivia's key gas resources and to protect coca plantations
...this really is a nail in the coffin of the Washington Consensus economic policies in the region.

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livejournal timesonline
is the most fucked up headline I've seen in months:
Polar bears drown as ice shelf melts
researchers were startled to find bears having to swim up to 60 miles across open sea to find food. They are being forced into the long voyages because the ice floes from which they feed are melting, becoming smaller and drifting farther apart. Although polar bears are strong swimmers, they are adapted for swimming close to the shore. Their sea journeys leave them vulnerable to exhaustion, hypothermia or being swamped by waves.

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liberalgirlnextdoor
“If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator.” Any thinking person that happened to catch this little bit of wisdom on live television surely felt a sudden chill up their spine. He was being jovial when he said it, but the truest lines are often the throwaway ones.

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davidcorn soft lib blog, seems to be up on political scandals
scoop
Never use the verbs ‘think’ or ‘believe’ when reporting what Bush administration officials ‘say’ about Iraq or Saddam. You do not know what these officials ‘think’ or ‘believe’; you only know what they SAY they think and believe.

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funny politics allhatnocattle about

xiaxueSingapore girl, youre a great way to fly

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osu
Ama big
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cheerzhangover hangover prevention - I dont know if this works, but they list their ingredients
I personally swear by NAC N-Acetyl Cysteine - loads your blood up with Sulphur, totally prevents hangovers, but leaves you smelling like a night on the town - Rotorua that is

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Google Earth 3.0.0762 build17Nov05 now works on Win2K
shocking how lo-res Wellington & Auckland are (Auckland waterfront is better)

The fine cone of Ngauruhoe [39° 10' S, 175° 38' E] doesnt show up, even with 2x height exaggeration.
.........
Novaliches/Caloocan Norte images are lo-res, I have never found a decent map of the place.
Until recently I had only the vaguest idea of the whereabouts and direction to my house...
also 'Bagong Silang' translates as New Town so there are several of them.
The big one, is in Caloocan Norte , thats the one that sends shivers down the spines of would-be middle-class Pinoys.. where the truck dumps you after your squatters section has been bulldozed
The place I've experienced a lot of love & a lot of joy over 6 years.

MerkelMoralesPolar bearsxiaxueAmaNACNovaliches