Halting ‘deer AIDS’ State acts to keep out fatal…

Halting ‘deer AIDS’

State acts to keep out fatal disease

As if there isn’t enough to worry about already, there’s Chronic Wasting Disease. (Terrible name.) It’s more like Mad Cow than AIDS, and appears to be carried by prions like Mad Cow. So far, it’s known only in deer. This story says that it’s unlikely to jump to humans, but CNN reported yesterday that three outdoorsmen in Wisconsin (where CWD has lately been found) are suspected to have died of the disease in the 1990s. The big fear would be of the disease jumping to cattle.

Russian priests to talk of religion, spirituality …

Russian priests to talk of religion, spirituality

Two Russian Orthodox Catholic priests will make a presentation, ”Russian Spirituality: Then and Now,” Tuesday at Faith Presbyterian Church.

This beat out the original title, “Russian Orthodox Priests: We’re Allowed to Get Married, So You Can Trust Us With Your Children”.

Rapes of teenagers increasing in state Alabama r…

Rapes of teenagers increasing in state

Alabama ranks fourth in nation in number of youths who say they were forced to have sex

Dear God… I doubt that the rate is actually increasing; what’s is increasing is more probably the report rate.

A survey done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta says 10.4 percent of young people in Alabama say they have been forced to have sex, compared to the national average of 7.7 percent. South Carolina, New Jersey and Mississippi had the highest rates.

I wonder what New Jersey is doing in there… I assume that by “young people” they actually mean young women. Ten percent! That’s sickening. How does this happen in a theoretically civilized society?

The Nando Times: Turkey’s nationalists challenge E…

The Nando Times: Turkey’s nationalists challenge EU reforms

The Nationalists are actually the largest party in parliament, though short of majority status. And they aren’t happy about the abolition of the death penalty or (in particular, I expect) the increase in Kurdish-language rights. Both came in as part of a package to try to get into the EU, but personally I don’t think Turkey will get in anyway. If they did, and the Nationalists took over and set the clock back, would the EU kick Turkey out?

Defying China, Taiwan’s Leader Backs a Vote on Sov…

Defying China, Taiwan’s Leader Backs a Vote on Sovereignty

And you know that is going to go over well in Beijing. If nothing else, this is something to keep in the back of our minds.

Small Bomb Explodes in Lebanon Camp I’ve got a …

Small Bomb Explodes in Lebanon Camp

I’ve got a question… If this is a “refugee camp”, why is there a grocery store for this bomb to go off outside of? I’m guessing this is another “camp” that’s really a town, like Jenin. At any event, I’m guessing this is internecine warfare among the Palestinians.

2 killed, 14 hurt in shooting attack in Jerusalem …

2 killed, 14 hurt in shooting attack in Jerusalem

Not counting the terrorist, who was shot by border policemen; the victims were a Palestinian bystander and a security officer. Meanwhile:

3 injured, 2 seriously, after car fired on near Tul Karm

I don’t know if all this is coordinated or if it’s more or less coincidental. I don’t care, either.

Meryl, they have you surrounded. Snakeheads dis…

Meryl, they have you surrounded.

Snakeheads discovered in N.C. lake

Two of them about two feet long. The story doesn’t say if they’re different sexes. If they are, that lake is in trouble. The lake is apparently between North and South Carolina, actually. Snakeheads are legal in NC.

Or not. I made a joke in the comments to Andrea Harris, I think, about how the snakeheads in Florida weren’t a problem because the alligators would eat them. Guess what else was found in Lake Wylie lately?

ArabNews: Kingdom, Iran oppose attack I don’t k…

ArabNews: Kingdom, Iran oppose attack

I don’t know if hanging out with Iran’s government makes the Saudis look bad, or if hanging with the Sauds makes Iran look bad. Or if both are so irredeemably awful that it doesn’t matter.

Jordan Times (News Section) Palestinians accuse a…

Jordan Times (News Section)

Palestinians accuse army of blocking emergency services in Nablus

Imagine. It’s not like Palestinian ambulances have been used as a terror weapon or to transport arms and explosives or something.