more animals used in UK experiments -- Charles Fourier judged society by its attitude towards women -- perhaps now, a society should be judged by its attitude towards animals

with the recent growth of Christian and Moslem fundamentalism, we seem to have regressed to a world of "an eye for an eye"

there's little difference between the UN authorising "no-fly zones", and the Vatican authorising armed invasions in medieval times

"the United States... whose record of violence is documented in the crushing of fifty governments since World War II, many of them democracies." - John Pilger

David Cameron's the 'big society'?

whatever happened to 'small is beautiful'?

"Baby Doc" Duvalier returning to Haiti to help his former subjects?
with help like that, who needs national disasters?

is it feasible for the USA to ever pay off its national debt?

those who have been most wronged are sometimes the most forgiving

Enemies of the Internet (2010)

Saudi Arabia, Burma, China, North Korea,
Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam

RIP Benoit Mandelbrot (20 November 1924 – 14 October 2010), whose book "The Fractal Geometry of Nature" may turn out to be the most important scientific publication of the C20th.

UK Defence Minister Kevan Jones attacking English icon Joanna Lumley? he's either very stupid, or is determined to commit political suicide

Google vs the Chinese Government?
Bring it on!

if the human race goes into space, it will probably need to modify its genotype

Tony Blair is fortunate that Robin Cook is no longer alive to give evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry

when we were young we knew everything, except how fast we would forget what we knew

if it wasn't for the fact that they're being slaughtered in huge numbers for Chinese "medicinal" products, i'd like to be reborn as a manta ray... tho i'd miss the stars

BBC Natural World - Andrea, Queen of Mantas

Afghanistan is as important to the security of the UK as Vietnam was to the security of America

why aren't countries competing to see who can do the most to alleviate the effects of climate change, rather than competing to see who can do least?

(maybe because they're reflecting the views of those they represent?)

RIP  Mercedes Sosa  (4th October 2009)

looking back though our history on those who have been tortured and killed for their beliefs, it's obvious that the 'morality' proclaimed by authorities is often little more than superstitions being used to control the people