News – Tenet Defense

Not so much again as work has been pestering me for hte past hour. Rather than delay any longer, here’s the news, almost finished. 😉

US

Tenet has made his speech at Georgetown University. He touted the wait and see on WMD and noted how hard it was to penetrate Iraq’s closed society while touting the intelligence community’s achievements. That’s all grand, yes, but the CIA does need to focus on ways to penetrate closed societies. Successes are to be give attention, but failures need to be analyzed and dissected for means by which to turn the same situations into future successes.

January job growth was 112,000, less than was expected.

The White House appointed Intelligence Probe group may have John McCain in it. He sounds like a relatively independent republican, but I don’t know too much about him personally.

Amid security concerns, the Pentagon scraps its overseas e-voting system.

The Archdiocese of Boston has made it’s response on the gay marriage ruling in Massachusetts. What I wonder is what the people of the state think.

Iraq

It is being said that Ayatollah Sistani survived an assassination attempt. However, some clerics are saying that it isn’t true.

Israel/Palestine

Sharon’s plan for Gaza settlements seems to have bumped up his approval rating some, from 33% last week to 39% now. If we consider this, we have to assume that some changed their opinions into the negative, as many are quite upset at his plans. I wonder what the details behind the generic percentage say about the total swing in both directions.

Ahh, some detail comes out. One possible situation is that the Gaza settlers might be moved to the West Bank.

Pakistan

Outside of Iraq’s WMD issues is that of Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. He was dealing with several ‘rogue states’ and one has to wonder just how complicit the military or government of Pakistan was in his activities. Might it have an effect on our relations with them?

Russia

An explosion, suspected to be a suicide bombing, has killed at least 40 in a packed underground train. Injured are upwards of one hundred.

General

Calorie restriction might help you live longer, but it isn’t much of a life. Researchers are seeking ways to prolong life without the need for dour restrictions. Works in worms and yeast and while some researchers argue that things are different in humans Leonard Guarente, the lead author of the study and a biology professor at MIT, begs to differ.

A paint that soaks up noxious gasses will be going on sale in Europe soon. How does it work?

The polysiloxane base is porous enough to allow NOx to diffuse though it and adhere to the titanium dioxide particles. The particles absorb ultraviolet radiation in sunlight and use this energy to convert NOx to nitric acid.

The acid is then either washed away in rain, or neutralized by the alkaline calcium carbonate particles, producing harmless quantities of carbon dioxide, water and calcium nitrate, which will also wash away.

Outstanding. I know a few cities in the US that could use a good coat of that paint.

Scientists of coaxed the secret of water splitting from plants. Being able to split water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms would be a good step toward producing hydrogen fuel.

Day to Day: Tainted Juries and Celebrity Trials

Explainer details Maoists so you can tell them from your average communist.

Today’s Papers has foreign revenge as countries put up red tape and raise costs for visas as the US has done, response to Tenet’s speech and more.

Amusements

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this bust of Dan Quayle, the latest addition to the Senate’s Vice Presidential Bust Collection – The opportunities for comedy abound.

Courier 12 declared obsolete on US diplomatic documents. They’ll be switching over to the more modern Times New Roman 14.