Fatalism... Why bother?

Poll: Would you vote for Al Gore?

Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:12 AM EDT

Al Gore Wins Nobel Peace Prize MSNBC News reported just moments ago on television that Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize. This news is so fresh that I have been unable to find other reports on the web.

Continue reading this entry ...

world-news, global-warming, al-gore, gore, nobel-prize, nobel-peace-prize, inconvenient-truth

Boom Times for Dentists, but Not for Teeth

Seeded on Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:26 AM EDT (The New York Times)

I highly recommend reading this while playing For The Love Of Money by the O'Jays in the background. For American dentists, times have never been better. The same cannot be said for Americans' teeth.

us-news, dental-care, dentistry, health-care-costs, money, greed

The Launch of Language

Seeded on Thu Sep 20, 2007 6:41 PM EDT (ScienceMatters @ Berkeley)

The appearance of language has been ascribed to factors ranging from finer control over our voices; the evolution of a grammar module in the brain; even the shift to a meat-based diet. Professor Terrence Deacon takes a very different view.

science, language, evolution, development, human-brain, human-evolution

Navizon now available for the iPhone

Seeded on Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:48 PM EDT (navizon.typepad.com)

A version of Navizon Virtual GPS is now available for the iPhone.

technology, iphone, gps, lbs, triangulation, navizon, iphone-hacks, collaborative-networks, collaborative-computing

Virtual GPS for iPhone

Seeded on Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:42 PM EDT (MacsimumNews.com)

It's based on Navizon's WiFi and cellular tower triangulation techniques. When they install the software and hit the Locate Me button,iPhone users can see their position on a map and get directions to their next destination. See also this article.

technology, iphone, gps, navizon, triangulation, lbs, location-based-services

There are no social networks

Seeded on Tue Sep 4, 2007 3:26 AM EDT (themaninblue.com)

There is only one social network. My social network. Flickr is part of my social network. Twitter is part of my social network. So is Facebook, Upcoming, MySpace, Last.fm, Corkd, Pownce, Del.icio.us and a host of other social sites.

technology, web-technologist, social-networks, social-networking, web-2-0, web2-0

Evil is as Evil Does

Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:09 AM EDT

By NewDraper (Clipped by vas)

The use of the term "evil:" 1) Demonstrates a lack of vocabulary to adequately describe our world; 2) Relinquishes all responsibility for the world we live in, 3) And is very scary stuff.

Continue reading this entry ...

politics, war, violence, evil, iraq, bush, election, world-peace, virginia-tech, evil-doers

China Enacting a High-Tech Plan to Track People

Seeded on Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:29 PM EDT (The New York Times)

SHENZHEN, China, Aug.

world-news, china, privacy, technology-and-privacy, domestic-spying, government-surveillance, domestic-surveillance

Terrorism on the Rise in Afghanistan - A Graphical Representation

Seeded on Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:43 PM EDT (The New York Times)

A graphical representation of the number of terrorist attacks year by year and month by month since 9/11. Also the number of American and coalition military deaths, and a comparison of the amount of money spent on aid and reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq.

world-news, afghanistan, terrorism, war-on-terror, rise-in-terrorism, united-states

How the 'Good War' in Afghanistan Went Bad

Seeded on Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:36 PM EDT (The New York Times)

Two years after the Taliban fell to an American-led coalition, a group of NATO ambassadors landed in Kabul, Afghanistan, to survey what appeared to be a triumph — a fresh start for a country ripped apart by years of war with the Soviets and brutal repression by religious extrem …

world-news, afghanistan, taliban, war-on-terror, iraq-war, 9-11, bush-administration, osama-bin-laden, george-bush

British Criticize U.S. Air Attacks in Afghan Region

Seeded on Thu Aug 9, 2007 2:39 AM EDT (The New York Times)

A senior British commander in southern Afghanistan said in recent weeks that he had asked that American Special Forces leave his area of operations because the high level of civilian casualties they had caused was making it difficult to win over local people.

world-news, war-on-terror, afghanistan, us, united-states, war, civilian-casualites, americas-image

The Idea and Purpose of News First!

Thu Aug 2, 2007 10:02 PM EDT

A Union of Viners who want Newsvine to better reflect its original news-focused vision and who advocate a specific set of changes as the way to attain that vision.

Continue reading this entry ...

newsfirst, newsvine, citizen-journalism

From My Cold Dead Hands -- A Jeffersonian Defense of Gun Rights

Thu Aug 2, 2007 11:33 AM EDT

By Killfile (Clipped by vas)

Like many Americans, my father in law is a single issue voter. While he holds considered and thoughtful opinions on topics ranging from a woman's right to choose to the occupation of Iraq, when the issue of gun control arises, all else fades to irrelevancy.

Continue reading this entry ...

politics, gun-control, inverse-universe, social-contract, thomas-jefferson, hobbes, locke, lowi, democrat, republican

136

Report: Global Opinion Trends 2002-2007 (PDF)

Seeded on Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:12 PM EDT (BBC News)

Seeded by Benno Hansen (Clipped by vas)

Sharp Decline in Support for Suicide Bombing in Muslim Countries

pew-global-attitudes-project, opinion, optimism

Muslim Majorities Turning Backs on Terrorism

Seeded on Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:53 AM EDT (Middle East Times)

Fully 70 percent of Palestinians believe that suicide bombing is justified but support for terrorism is falling in the wider Muslim world, according to a comprehensive US survey released Tuesday.

world-news, al-qaeda, osama-bin-laden, united-states, terrorism, muslims

F.B.I. Chief Gives Account at Odds With Gonzales's

Seeded on Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:51 AM EDT (The New York Times)

The director of the F.B.I. offered testimony Thursday that sharply conflicted with Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales's sworn statements about a 2004 confrontation in which top Justice Department officials threatened to resign over a secret intelligence operation.

politics, alberto-gonzales, robert-mueller, fbi, justice-department, nsa, eavesdropping, domestic-spying, testimony, bush-administration

In Arabic Textbook, Israel Calls '48 War Catastrophe for Arabs

Seeded on Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:40 AM EDT (The New York Times)

Israel's Education Ministry announced Sunday that it had approved a textbook for use in the state's Arab schools that for the first time described Israel's 1948 war of independence as a "catastrophe" for the Arab population.

israel, 1948-war-of-independence, palestinians, arabs, jews, palestine, israel-education-ministry, world-news

8 Things About Me that Should NOT Be on the Front Page

Fri Jul 20, 2007 11:23 AM EDT

I've been tagged by Stacy Malbon, rwarner and DAWeb. If you're opposed to this whole meme thing, and agree that articles like this one shouldn't be on the front page, please read on before judging this post. If you're the opposite, please read to the end before judging the title.

Continue reading this entry ...

8-things, eight-things, vas, newsvine, newsfirst, attention-whore, me-me-me, vasvine

Abstinence Education Faces Uncertain Future

Seeded on Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:44 PM EDT (The New York Times)

HALLSVILLE, Tex. — When Jami Waite graduated from high school this year in this northeastern Texas town, her parents sat damp-eyed in the metal bleachers of Bobcat Stadium, proud in every way possible.

education, sex-education, abstinence-education, teenage-sex, adolescence, virginity-rules, conservative, liberal

Little-Known Group Claims a Win on Immigration

Seeded on Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:28 PM EDT (The New York Times)

When a comprehensive immigration bill collapsed last month on the Senate floor, it was a victory for a small group that had been lobbying Congress for a decade to reduce the number of immigrants — legal and illegal — in the United States.

politics, immigration, numbers-usa, immigration-bill, anti-immigration-lobby, anti-immigration-movement, xenophobia

King George XLIII and the Bankruptcy of Democracy

Seeded on Wed Jul 4, 2007 2:56 AM EDT (globalization.icaap.org)

An fascinating in-depth article that would have even more supporting facts if it were written today rather than in 2005.

politics, king-george-xliii, king-george, george-w-bush, checks-and-balances, rule-of-law, democracy, transparency

Bush Rationale on Libby Stirs Legal Debate

Seeded on Wed Jul 4, 2007 2:27 AM EDT (The New York Times)

In commuting I. Lewis Libby Jr.'s 30-month prison sentence on Monday, President Bush drew on the same array of arguments about the federal sentencing system often made by defense lawyers — and routinely and strenuously opposed by his own Justice Department.

politics, scooter-libby, bush, george-w-bush, commuted-sentence, sentencing, presidential-pardons

Say 'Hybrid' and Many People Will Hear 'Prius'

Seeded on Wed Jul 4, 2007 1:40 AM EDT (The New York Times)

A riddle: Why has the Toyota Prius enjoyed such success, with sales of more than 400,000 in the United States, when most other hybrid models struggle to find buyers? One answer may be that buyers of the Prius want everyone to know they are driving a hybrid.

business, prius, hybrid-automobiles, green-cars, prius-sales, hybrid-car-sales

The GOP's Fading Populism

Seeded on Tue Jul 3, 2007 11:32 PM EDT (The Washington Post)

The condensed excerpts below reflect the basic gist of the article. Read the full article for explanation. These are tough times to be a Republican. An unpopular president, an unpopular war and a trio of ideologically impure 2008 front-runners have left the party in a funk.

politics, gop, republicans, republican-unity, republican, republican-populism, republican-apathy, republican-cannibalism

Analysis: The Court and the 2008 Election

Seeded on Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:19 PM EDT (scotusblog.com)

As the presidential campaign season gets an unprecedented early start, it is not too early to start the hyperbole on the importance of the election for the future of the Court and, as a consequence, the future of American law.

politics, supreme-court, ideological-balance, 2008-election

– Show More

Comments & Feedback

Vas has an incredible style and he's always probing the culture of Social News. One of the biggest assets to the community.

— bmvaughn

As writers its impossible to claim altruistic motives, but here on newsvine the ultimate compliment is to be commented on by "Vas", usually resulting in a remorse that if you could have only rewritten before with his insite to begin with the article would have been considerably better. Thanks for the help Vas.

Forest

— Forest Browne

Vas have given at least me some great readings due to his articles, Comments and seeds. I guess that some people are more often "there" with both their mind as well as with their hearts on issues that concern them a lot. My opinion is that vas is one of those. Great to have you as a friend here in the vine vas. Keep up the great work in here, it is appreciated.

— LiberalRebel