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Fr. Jose Funes S.J., director of the Vatican Observatory Vatican City, Nov 10, 2009 / 12:09 pm (CNA).- The Vatican Observatory and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences have just concluded a week-long gathering of scientists to examine the origin of life and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. “These questions offer many philosophical and theological implications,” said Fr. Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory.After bringing their Nov. 6-10 talks to a close, four of the scientists held a press conference at the Holy See's press office on Tuesday.Participating in the press conference were Fr. Jose Funes S.J., director of...

John Edwards' $400 Haircut Tip Came From Obama Campaign 4:59 pm November 10, 2009 Remember John Edwards' famous $400 haircut? It was that story, leaked to Politico back in April of 2007, that helped bring down Edwards as a "man of the people" kind of candidate in his second bid for the White House. And where did that tip come from? The Obama campaign. Politico's Ben Smith, who initially reported the "hair apparent" story, writes that David Plouffe, who managed Barack Obama's race for the White House, fesses up to the Obama campaign's role in leaking the story: I was...

A traffic stop near Ashland last week has led to the arrest of six people and the seizure in the Applegate of 220 pounds of marijuana, plus weapons and $10,000 in cash, police say. Darren and Laurel Applegate, both 41 and holders of medical marijuana cards, face charges of manufacture, delivery and possession of marijuana as a result of the joint operation of Josephine County's Rogue Area Drug Enforcement team and the Oregon State Police at their home on Dreamhill Drive in Williams, the agencies said in a release this morning. They said four others also are facing felony charges...

Glasgow, United Kingdom, Nov 9, 2009 / 09:54 pm (CNA).- The Archbishop of Glasgow has denounced a publicly funded play which portrays Jesus as a transsexual, saying it is a “provocative and offensive abuse” of Christian beliefs. He suggested the event is part of an agenda to “mock Christianity.”The play “Queen of Heaven” is being staged in the Tron Theatre as part of the publicly funded “Glasgay!” arts festival, which describes itself as “Scotland’s Annual celebration of queer culture,” the BBC reports. Some 300 people held a candlelight protest of the play outside the theatre.Festival producer Steven Thomson described...

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) denied clemency for John Allen Muhammad on Tuesday, clearing the way for the sniper to be executed by lethal injection at 9 p.m. and putting an end to one of the most trying local criminal cases in U.S. history. Muhammad, 48, was convicted of capital murder in the slaying of Dean Harold Meyers on Oct. 9, 2002, at a gas station outside of Manassas, part of a spree that left 10 people dead in the Washington area and included shootings in several other states. A jury in Virginia Beach, where the trial was moved...

Iraqi firefighters from the 29th Center for Defense are blindfolded with taped bags before trying to enter a mock building to save a mock fire victim as Lisbon, Maine native, Cpl. John Curtis, a combat medic and former firefighter, watches closely during a joint-firefighting class on Joint Security Station Ur in northern Baghdad, Nov. 8. Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B. BAGHDAD – An Iraqi firefighter feigns death and lies on the ground inside of a mock building to simulate a smoke-inhalation victim. His teammates, their vision obscured to simulate smoke-blindness, crawl along the ground with oxygen tanks strapped...

When it announced that it was giving the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama last month, the Nobel Committee praised the president for his efforts on climate change. It also said in its citation that, with Mr. Obama now in office, a "multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position" and "dialogue and negotiations" are the preferred instruments for conflict resolution. This commendation raises concerns for many observers, including me, who believe in American exceptionalism, and who agree with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that we are the "indispensable nation." Preserving and defending our values at home and promoting them...

The former astronaut arrested in an attack against her romantic rival has pleaded guilty to lesser counts this afternoon. Before a packed courtroom 1:30 p.m., Lisa Marie Nowak, 46, pleaded guilty to counts of third-degree burglary of a conveyance and misdemeanor battery. She was originally charged with more-serious counts of attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault in addition to misdemeanor battery. Prosecutors dropped a count of burglary with assault. Orange County Circuit Court Judge Marc L. Lubet sentenced Nowak to two days in Orange County Jail with credit for time served and one year of probation. She must stay away...

WASHINGTON – The euphoria of 2008 is over: America is in a funk. Elected last November on a wave of optimism, President Barack Obama now finds himself governing an increasingly pessimistic country in recession while muscling through Congress a health care reform overhaul and weighing whether to commit more troops to the 8-year-old Afghanistan war. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows that Americans grew slightly more dispirited on a range of matters over the past month, continuing slippage that has occurred since Obama took office as the year began. They were more pessimistic about the direction of the country. They...

Sometime within the last month I saw a political cartoon related to the mortgage crisis that I forgot to copy. There's a series of dominoes in an arc; the first one has CRA written on it; the next Fannie Mae; then Freddie Mac; and so on. Second or third to last is one labeled Wall Street. In the middle stands a "politician" pointing at the Wall Street dominoe screaming "that's where it started" or something to that effect.

Adobe Systems said Tuesday it is cutting 680 full-time jobs, or about 9 percent of its work force, to align costs with its fiscal 2010 budget.

November 10, 2009Exclusive: Who is Anwar al-Awlaki? Adrian Morgan At Ford Hood on Friday November 5th, after giving away a Koran, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan called out "Allahu Akbar" and began shooting at his fellow military personnel. Ultimately he killed 13 and wounded more than 30, and the media was buzzing with rumors.     Recently, one American born Islamic academic has been in the headlines, apparently connected to both Major Hasan and also to al Qaeda terrorists. Anwar al-Awlaki was born in New Mexico. He has lived in Yemen since late 2001 or early 2002, but possesses a...

t - 3 hrs and counting down..

11/10/2009 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- Ramstein Air Base Airmen delivered the base's last E-model C-130 Hercules Nov. 2 to Powidz Air Base, Poland, marking the end of 38 years of service to the U.S. Air Force but the newest addition to the Polish air force's blossoming fleet of strategic airlifters. C-130 tail No. 1299 touched down and as the aircrew exited the aircraft Polish air force Brig. Gen. Tadeusz Mikutel, the 33rd Air Base commander, and Lt. Col. Mieczyslaw Gaudyn, 14th Airlift Squadron commander, welcomed the American Airmen with warm greetings and a firm handshake. "The main...

TAMPA - A U.S. Marine reservist attacked a visiting Greek Orthodox priest he believed to be a terrorist, Tampa police say. When the priest tried seeking directions from Jasen D. Bruce, 28, of Tampa, on Monday, Bruce struck the priest with a tire iron and chased him. Police say he attacked the Rev. Alexios Marakis, 29, of Crete, Greece, who was visiting St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tarpon Springs and wound up lost in Tampa. Marakis had performed a blessing of another retired Greek priest in the West Shore area and then accidentally exited Interstate 275 north into downtown...

“Unfortunately, America loves Guns. We love guns to a point where that uh we see devastation on a daily basis. You don’t blame a group.”

11/10/2009 - SHREVEPORT, La. (AFNS) -- An Air Force recruiter stopped a robbery in progress while attending his unit's annual training conference Oct. 29 here. Staff Sgt. Cesar Munoz, a recruiter with the 344th Recruiting Squadron stationed in Killeen, Texas, subdued two assailants attempting to mug an elderly man at the Sam's Town Hotel and Casino in Shreveport. Sergeant Munoz and his wife, April, had just left the squadron's annual promotion party at the hotel and were heading to the casino. The party had featured a Halloween theme, so Sergeant Munoz entered dressed as Elvis, complete with white sequined jumper,...

In looking ahead to next year’s midterm elections, President Barack Obama and the Democrats would certainly like to see a reprise of 1998, when the party of the previous Democratic president gained seats in the House and held its own in the Senate. Republicans, no doubt, would love to see another midterm like 1994, when they swept into power on both sides of Capitol Hill. Yet when looking at some of the major factors that shape the electoral backdrop — presidential popularity, the state of the economy and ongoing wars overseas — the current landscape points to a different set...

The President of leisure has a pretty slow day Monday, highlighting the point that no pressing business kept him from celebrating the fall of communism 20 years after the Berlin Wall fell. Jim Gerraghty of The Campaign Spot on National Review goes over the official schedule for our leader yesterday: Just look at the man's schedule: He had a 10 a.m. daily briefing from the intelligence community, a 10:30 a.m. economic daily briefing, an 11 a.m. meeting with senior advisers . . . and then, right after that, at 6:45 in the evening, he had to sign an executive...

When Notre Dame Head Football Coach Charlie Weis showed up for his first day on his new job under the Golden Dome, there was a short letter waiting for him in the middle of his desk. It was from Charlie's predecessor, Ty Willingham. The letter read as follows: Dear Coach Weis, Congratulations on being named as Notre Dame's football coach. It is truly an honor and a privilege to represent this University and coach these outstanding young men. You have a wealth of experience that has prepared you for the challenges you will face, but I suspect that you may...

KABUL, Nov. 10, 2009 – Afghan National Police and international forces seized 250 tons of suspected bomb-making material and detained 15 people in a Nov. 8 raid in southeastern Afghanistan, military officials reported. Based on reliable information, the combined force searched a warehouse in Kandahar province, where they seized 1,000 100-pound bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and detained 15 people. They found an additional 4,000 100-pound bags of fertilizer at a nearby compound, and also seized 5,000 components used in improvised explosive devices. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is a key ingredient in IEDs and is illegal in Afghanistan. “This was a...

In a breathtaking example of hypocrisy, Jim Cooper testified today - presumably with a straight face - that deficit spending of the sort that has lead to $55 trillion dollars in unfunded mandates threatening to cripple the US Economy is a "fiscal cancer." While he does say that the Health Care bill passed in the House on Saturday won't help address the problem, he neglects to mention he voted for it. Instead he recommends another Congressional panel to make recommendations.

Republicans Jump to Six-Point Lead on Generic Ballot Republican candidates have stretched their lead over Democrats to six points in the Generic Congressional Ballot. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 37% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent. Republicans have held the lead for over four months now. Voters not affiliated with either party continue to heavily favor Republicans, 43% to 20%.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2009 – A U.S. commander in Baghdad today said all efforts are focused on helping Iraqi forces provide security for upcoming national elections in Iraq. Army Col. Gregory Lusk, commander of the North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, joined a chorus of U.S. officials praising the Iraqi Parliament’s passage this week of key legislation that paves the way for balloting in January. “With the recent passing of the election law, Iraq has indeed reached an important milestone,” he said by satellite in a Pentagon news conference. “All of our efforts since our day of...

On October 15th, local ACORN spokesman David Lagstein was the special guest of the East County Democrat Club in El Cajon, CA. Lagstein is ACORN’s chief organizer in the San Diego area. The meeting was held at Coco’s Restaurant, a very public venue. Because of ACORN’s close ties to the Democrat party, Mr. Lagstein clearly felt he was among friends. These two clips ...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2009 – Iraqi police, working with U.S. advisors, arrested five suspected members of the al-Qaida in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq terrorist groups today during operations in Iraq’s Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, military officials reported. In Saytiyah, about 65 miles northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors searched with an arrest warrant for an alleged Islamic State of Iraq member known to be directly linked to a—Qaida in Iraq. The man is suspected of orchestrating attacks in Baghdad from remote locations in Diyala province, and also is wanted for providing vehicles for vehicle-borne bombings in...

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said it wasn't notified that U.S. intelligence agencies had intercepted emails between suspected Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan and an extremist imam until after last week's bloody assault, fueling new questions about whether the government missed warning signs that could have helped prevent the incident. A senior defense official said that federal investigators didn't tell the Pentagon that they were investigating months of communication between Maj. Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki, who knew three of the Sept. 11 hijackers and hailed Maj. Hasan as a "hero" after the Army officer allegedly killed 13 people and wounded...

Rome, 9 Nov. (AKI) - One of Italy's largest Muslim organisations on Monday condemned the feminist and former rightwing MP Daniela Santanche for calling the Prophet Mohammed a paedophile and polygamist on television at the weekend. "If there is a basis to make a formal complaint, we will do so because we need to say enough is enough with this kind of vulgarity targeting Islam's prophet," said a spokesman for the Muslim group UCOII, Elzir Izidin.

Charles Darwin published his “Origin of Species” in 1859. There he presented the classic formulation of his theory of evolution. Lady Ashley, reacting to the theory at the time, remarked, "Let's hope that it's not true; but if it is true, let's hope that it doesn't become widely known." Lady Ashley's second hope has failed: Darwin's theory is everywhere and has now become textbook orthodoxy. This year, universities around the globe are celebrating the 150th anniversary of Darwin's “Origin of Species” as well as the 200th anniversary of his birth. But what about Lady Ashley's hope that Darwin's theory is...

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Nov. 10, 2009 – Soldiers here continued the renovation of their base by relocating and resizing the fuel point area at Forward Operating Base Altimur, Nov. 7. Army Sgt. Luke Morrow pulls the liner of a new fueling system tight at Forward Operating Base Altimur, Afghanistan, Nov. 7, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Rob Frazier   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Several months ago, soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, implemented a new program called “Operation Extreme Make Over.” The goal was to coordinate quick, Afghan-led projects to improve areas in local villages, instill...

Glenn Beck's "The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book" will debut at the top of the New York Times children's bestseller list tomorrow.

KILLEEN, Texas, Nov. 10, 2009 – Waiting at the airport last night for the last families to arrive for today’s ceremony honoring victims of the fatal shooting rampage at nearby Fort Hood, several soldiers were dealing with their own pain and confusion by reaching out to families of the fallen and to each other. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Hall, Army Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Rodriquez and Army Spc. Laurence Palmer man a table in Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport in Texas on Nov. 9, 2009, to welcome families arriving for a ceremony scheduled the next day to honor the 13 people...

P.S. Yesterday, we got a tip that N.O.W. was holding a protest to demand that "health care" include child-killing. In about 2 hours, we mobilized 7 people, and had out own counter-protest. We tormented them! It was PRETTY FUNNY. Check out the short video here: Link --Randall Terry. (One aborted fetus sign is shown -- the baby they've named "Malachi.") Click video to view.

Although the details of Monday night's talks between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama continued to be shrouded in secrecy, speaking to reporters before boarding the plane to Paris from Washington on Tuesday night, the prime minister dismissed suggestions of a tense meeting and said the "importance of the visit will become clear in the future." Reports about a bad atmosphere are garbage," he said. "To put it mildly, they are grossly inaccurate and don't reflect the truth." Netanyahu the atmosphere "was very open and very warm." "The discussions dealt with the complex of issues vital for...

I don't know if I can post copy from The Bulletin website. Go to this: http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/11/10/top_stories/doc4af9ba9ddb2ef623854371.txt

New figures have revealed that sea levels along the coast of Western Australia are rising at a rate double that of the world average. Statistics from Australia's National Tidal Centre show levels have increased by 8.6mm a year off the coast of the state capital Perth. That compares to a global average of just over 3mm. Scientists have said that man-made climate change has played a significant role in the rise. Climatologists have said that a combination of natural variability and man-made pollution have caused sea levels to rise around the world. Double trouble For much of the past century...

Sunday, November 8, we published a piece entitled The enemy within. On Monday we were treated to this. And as ABC (bless their souls) has reported, there is a definite connection between the murderer of Fort Hood and Anwar al Awlaki. We would not advocate rounding up all Muslims and putting them in concentration camps. Not at all. But we would advocate identifying the individuals, organizations and institutions that harbor the Awlaki's and the Hasan's and deal with them effectively. Effectively enough to prevent another 9-11 or Fort Hood. It turns out that Nidal Hasan had attended the same Muslim...

Not many debut recording artists have the courage to make a concept album. But it would be fair to say that Pope Benedict XVI has ideological weight behind his Alma Mater, formed around the chants that have been intoned in St Peter’s Basilica for centuries. The Pope’s Christmas album, released on November 29, is the first record to feature a singing pontiff and is likely to give the likes of Bob Dylan, Sting and Tori Amos — all hoping for seasonal success this year — a run for their money. Alma Mater could be an even bigger hit than Abba...

When it comes to discussing controversial issues, the Obama administration's idea of dialogue is a curiously one-way affair. According to an Oct. 26 administration court filing, a lawsuit by fired AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin should be dismissed without a trial because the White House already has participated in the "political dialogue" with Congress required by the statute governing IG dismissals. It's odd, then, that the administration continues stonewalling Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican, long a champion of independent IGs. On June 10, the Obama administration fired Mr. Walpin, without explanation, just after he filed two reports alleging White...

Thought this was interesting.

Well, let’s test this latest theory of FBI inaction, shall we? Had e-mail existed in World War II, would we have ignored messages between an Army major and Josef Goebbels if the officer in question was working on a counter-propaganda project? Would we have shrugged at correspondence between a naval officer studying Kamikaze attacks and a member of Tojo’s staff? Or would the FBI have hotfooted it over to the Pentagon to recall the officer in question ASAP? The FBI apparently says that your mileage may vary: "The FBI determined that the e-mails did not warrant an investigation, according to...

CNSNews.com) – Virginia’s Governor-elect Bob McDonnell (R) said that his administration would not participate in a government-run health insurance plan, if one is passed by Congress and signed into law. He also urged other governors to “stand up” against federal proposals if they are not good for their states. McDonnell, who won election on Nov. 3 with 59 percent of the vote, said on the Nov. 8 edition of CNN’s “State of the Union” that a government-run public option would be bad for his recently red state. McDonnell also said that during the campaign he heard concerns from Virginia voters...

THE first thing a journalist - I mean a real journalist - would do is tell you what actually happened. Like this: an American officer shot dead 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas on Friday. Then the second thing a journalist - a real one - would do is to try to explain why. You know, to help you make sense of this, and to help stop such a terrible thing from happening again. So this real journalist would be keen to pass on to you these following clues. The Fort Hood killer, army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, was a...

Mexico's indigenous minority converting to Islam - 14 Mar 08 New Iman Monica Aparicio New Muslim Revert Mexico

I HAD no idea I was a corrupt, reckless, arrogant, dangerous and gutless conspirator who'd rather put my children in danger than help the Prime Minister stop global warming. But so Kevin Rudd has told the nation, naming me as one of just four Australians who've joined a global cabal plotting to stop him from saving you. Never have I heard such a mad speech from a prime minister as the one Rudd gave on Friday at the Lowy Institute, when he exposed an alleged "legion of climate change sceptics" who were "active across the world" and had "tentacles" deep...

Intel Committee Republican Says Administration is Withholding Information on Fort Hood Attack, Demands Preservation of Documents for Possible Congressional Probe.CNSNews.com) – Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Monday that the Obama administration has been withholding “critical information” on the Fort Hood murders allegedly committed by Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan. Hoekstra is demanding that the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency and the Director of National Intelligence preserve documents relating to the incident for use in possible future congressional investigation. "President Obama said people...

With the issue he has positioned to be his crowning achievement as president at a crossroads, Barack Obama once again called on his former rival to help him follow through. Former President Bill Clinton told a room full of Democratic senators Tuesday that passing health care reform — which he failed to do 15 years ago — is not only a moral issue but also “an economic imperative.” Clinton argued that even “the most cold-hearted person” ought to support health care reform simply from an economic standpoint. He reminded Democrats of the political momentum their failure to pass reform in...

Is anyone experiencing out of date order (and time order) with articles that are being posted?

Over ONE MILLION copies sold! On the NYTimes Bestseller List for 19 weeks, 12 weeks at #1!Buy it… read it… live it!“Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811