Drudge Retort: ZombieHunter's blog

Millions in Bangladesh Poisoned by Arsenic

zombiehunter — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:31:41 -0400

Up to 20 million people in Bangladesh are at risk of suffering early deaths because of arsenic poisoning -- the legacy of a well-intentioned but ill-planned water project that created a devastating public health catastrophe. Bangladesh's arsenic crisis dates back to the 1970s when, in an effort to improve the quality of drinking water and counter diarrhoea, there was large-scale international investment in building tube wells. It was believed the wells would provide safe supplies for families, otherwise dependent on dirty surface water which was killing up to 250,000 children a year. The arsenic contaminating so much of Bangladesh's water occurs naturally in the water courses of the rivers that sustain hundreds of millions of people.

Panic as Georgia Broadcasts Fake News of Russian Invasion

zombiehunter — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:58:52 -0400

Georgian TV aired a fake report Sunday with the headline “Russia invades Georgia, Saakashvili dead”. The government controlled Imedi TV channel aired a 30-minute “news report” showing Russian troops invading Georgia and stating that Georgian President Michail Saakashviili had been killed.

Most viewers missed the initial short warning that the report was merely an example of possible events that could only occur “if Georgian society is not brought together against Russia's plans.”, leading thousands of individuals to rush out onto the streets.

Is it Ever Appropriate to Censor the Internet?

ZombieHunter — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:24:04 -0400

Google controls nearly two-thirds of the world's search results, making it the Internet gateway for most people. As a result of that clout, Google's censorship policies are closely watched.

Google has a longstanding policy of censoring search results or hosted content, like videos, for people in nations where that material is illegal. But Google is in the process of deciding how to handle censorship in China, where that nation's policies are murky.

For example, Google may not agree with Germany's censorship laws, but that country has a government elected by the people, and it is transparent with its citizens about what it censors. On the other hand, China's government is not democratically elected, and its censorship laws are a state secret.

Happy Spring, Drudge Retort!

ZombieHunter — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:47:45 -0400

Um... pretty self-explanatory!

Wisconsin May Criminalize Faith-Healing Deaths

zombiehunter — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:41:17 -0400

A bill has been introduced in the Wisconsin legislature that would make it a crime to refuse to seek medical attention for a sick child. The bill was prompted by a case where the parents of 11-year-old tragic death of Madeline Kara Neumann died when her parents elected to pray rather than seek treatment for her increasingly severe symptoms of diabetes.

Somali Pirates Try to Hijack Dutch Warship

zombiehunter — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:21:05 -0400

Troops aboard the Dutch warship HNLMS Tromp fired warning shots Wednesday off the coast of East Africa as suspected Somali pirates in two small skiffs raced toward their warship, the EU Naval Force said.

After the pirates realized they had made what spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour called a "rather silly mistake," they turned around and fled. EU Naval Force personnel tracked down the two skiffs and a third suspected mothership, finding ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades on board, said Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force.

The two skiffs were destroyed, and the pirates were set free on the mothership after it had been cleared of weapons.

Hacker Remotely Disables over 100 Vehicles

zombiehunter — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:05:44 -0400

More than 100 drivers in Austin, Texas found their cars disabled or the horns honking out of control, after an intruder ran amok in a web-based vehicle-immobilization system normally used to get the attention of consumers delinquent in their auto payments.

The dealership used a system called Webtech Plus as an alternative to repossessing vehicles that haven't been paid for. Operated by Cleveland-based Pay Technologies, the system lets car dealers install a small black box under vehicle dashboards that responds to commands issued through a central website, and relayed over a wireless pager network. The dealer can disable a car's ignition system, or trigger the horn to begin honking, as a reminder that a payment is due. The system will not stop a running vehicle.

Thai Protesters Fling Bags of Human Blood at PM's House

ZombieHunter — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:24:58 -0400

Red-shirted protesters hurled plastic bags filled with their own blood into the residential compound of Thailand's prime minister Wednesday, hoping their shock tactics will bring down his government.

Several thousand later gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy, saying they wanted to tell the international community that their government is illegitimate. A protest leader, Jatuporn Prompan, went into the embassy compound, where he said he talked with U.S. diplomats.

The dramatic act which followed similar "blood sacrifices" Tuesday at Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's office and the headquarters of his Democrat Party grabbed attention, but put the "Red Shirt" protest movement no closer to its goal of forcing new elections.

Thieves Steal $75 Million in Pharmaceuticals

ZombieHunter — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:19:50 -0400

The thieves apparently scaled the brick exterior of the warehouse during a blustery rainstorm, cut a hole in the roof, and rappelled inside. After disabling the alarms, the thieves spent at least an hour loading pallets of drugs into a vehicle at the loading dock.

Edward Sagebiel, a spokesman for Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly, put the wholesale value of the drugs at $75 million and said they included the antidepressants Prozac and Cymbalta and the anti-psychotic Zyprexa. No narcotics or other painkillers were in the warehouse, he said.

US Hospital Ship Departs Haiti

zombiehunter — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:30:53 -0400

The US Navy hospital ship Comfort departed Haiti Wednesday. In the harbor off of Port-au-Prince, its gleaming white topsides accented with red crosses have been a conspicuous symbol of US generosity since the country's devastating earthquake. For 11 days before it departed, as some hospitals on the ground in Haiti overflowed with patients, no inpatients with earthquake injuries were treated onboard. "They're not a solution. They're an emergency bridge," said Miriam Aschkenasy, who runs a Haitian relief effort. "To me, that's what I see their role is, and I think they played that perfectly."

Iran Braces for Fire Festival Crackdown

ZombieHunter — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:40:47 -0400

The celebration of Chaharshanbe Soori, Red Wednesday, on the evening March 16 marks the last Wednesday of the Iranian year and is rooted in pre-Islamic Zoroastrian tradition as a rite of the arrival of spring and is thus rejected by the country's ruling Muslim clerics.

Pro-Green Movement websites are recommending innovative methods such as "a Green silence - every Iranian should hold a candle and cry out loud, 'God is Great', and plant a tree", instead of taking part in violence and conflict with the authorities.

Police say they have confiscated more than 30 tonnes of explosives in Tehran alone and seven people have been killed across the country while making firecrackers and other devices. According to the news agency ISNA, 2,000 people were arrested last year.

Florida: No Tax Credits for Gay TV Shows

ZombieHunter — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:52:17 -0400

Florida lawmakers are considering a "family friendly" bill that would deny tax credits to films and television shows with gay characters in favor of those promoting traditional values. The proposal, which has fueled a heated controversy for its discriminatory nature, would increase current tax credits from 2 to 5% of production costs for shows considered "family friendly." The little-known provision was slipped into a $75-million incentive package that Republican leaders who hold the majority in the state House of Representatives hope will bring more entertainment industry jobs to Florida.

Deranged 9/11 Truther Opens Fire on Pentagon Guards

ZombieHunter — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:22:55 -0400

The gunman killed in an attack on the Pentagon last night was acting alone and was not connected to any terrorist plot, officials said as reports emerged that he was a 9/11 conspiracy theorist who grew marijuana at his home. John Patrick Bedell, 36, from California, wrote on the internet about government conspiracies in the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, "institutionalised violence of government" and other theories.

Two officers were shot, one in the leg, another in the shoulder, and they and a third officer opened fire. Bedell was struck in the head and died later in hospital.

Police declined to speculate about a motive, but in internet writings Bedell rants about property rights and his theory that a criminal organisation has taken over the US government.

Indian Doc Made Millions on Stolen Kidneys

ZombieHunter — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:30:39 -0500

An Indian medic is accused of running illegal clinics that duped poor labourers into selling their kidneys and then peddled them to wealthy clients in Australia and other countries. Scores of foreigners paid Amit Kumar for organ transplants, while authorities in Delhi say he invested some of the millions he allegedly made from his crimes on properties in New South Wales and Queensland. Indian investigators believe Mr Kumar also holds bank accounts in Australia.

SPLC: Anti-Government Militant Groups Tripled

ZombieHunter — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:59:28 -0500

512 anti-government Patriot groups were active in the United States last year, a leap from 149 in 2008, according to a new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. "We are in the midst of one of the most significant right-wing populist rebellions in United States history," said Chip Berlet.