Jim Carson

Bob wrote on (September 9, 2003 2:19 PM)

Original headline: "Naked Activists Protest WTO Meeting"
From: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/09/09/mexico.wto.ap/index.html

Photo:
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030908/capt.1063045153.mexico_wto_cun101.jpg

Although organizers have said they want to shut down the talks, they also pledged to avoid violence. "We are not here to throw sticks or stones," said Rafael Alegria, international secretary of the farm group Via Campesina. "We are here to send a clear and ringing message: Take agriculture out of the WTO talks." In one of the first protests Monday, 29 activists stripped off their clothes on a public beach and spelled out "No WTO" in the sand with their bodies.

Fictitous comment:

During subsequent protests, several journalists decided it would be much more fun to clarify the message by spelling "Take agriculture out of the..."
A cameraman who did not wish to be named commented, "I'm just doing my part to provide fair and balanced, um, coverage."

mitch wrote on (September 9, 2003 5:23 PM)

France Sends Its Elderly to Patrol Iraq to Increase Their Longevity

PARIS (AP) - France's leading undertaker estimated the country's death toll from the summer heat wave at 15,000 on Tuesday, far exceeding the official government tally and putting further pressure on the French government to improve its health care system.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, continued resistance from the remnants of the Baathist regime continue to hound U.S. forces. Since President Bush declared major combat over 4 1/2 months ago, 149 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq, none from the intense desert heat.

The U.N., looking for a way to reconcile the two countries, realized that it would take 37.5 years for 15,000 elderly French to die in Iraq, compared to staying one summer in France, and that increased manpower looked desireable in the region. A deal was struck this week to ship the French elderly to Iraq to take part in patrol duties to stablize that nation and increase their life span.

"This is a win-win situation for all involved," beamed Kofi Annan, who negotiated the deal. "France gets to see continued longevity in its aged without straining its health system or importing air conditioners, the U.S. gets to increase its presence in the region, and Iraq gets increased vigilance against those who would undermine its future."

Monica wrote on (September 12, 2003 7:46 PM)

Antarctic Ozone Hole Second Biggest Ever

From: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=585&ncid=585&e=4&u=/nm/20030912/sc_nm/science_ozone_dc

"It was the largest it has ever been during August, and we are waiting to see what happens over the next few days," Shanklin told Reuters by telephone from BAS headquarters in Cambridge.
"It's not the biggest 'hole -- that dubious honor still belongs to Larry Ellison -- but at 10.81 million square miles, it is certainly worth worrying about."
Looking around nervously, Shanklin added "Excuse me, I need to apply another layer of SPF 25,000."