The SECRET is yourSELF. The SECRET is your PAIN. The SECRET is letting GO/giving UP/breaking DOWN/giving IN. Giving in to the END. Giving in to the BEGINNING. Giving in to LOVE.
Let me know that You hear me
Let me know Your touch
Let me know that You're near me
Let that be enough
- Switchfoot
Syria handed over a highly wanted half-brother of Saddam Hussein who is suspected of funding and planning the post-war insurgency, Iraqi sources say.
Iraq's government announced the capture of the former Saddam Hussein aide Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hasan al-Tikriti.
Iraq did not comment on Syria's role but the Iraqi sources said Damascus had acted under international pressure.
People who say Bush is stupid for touting the gay marriage thing don't understand how truly sly he is. He picks the most devisive issue that separates Liberal from Conservative, beats on the drum, and flushes all the snakes from the tall grass. Every time some homo or homo-symp squawks about it, they out themselves, and we discriminate and move on.
Brilliant strategy. The Iraq attack has done the same thing, by flushing out our traitors here, and showing us who our friends and enemies in the world really are. And better yet, making our enemies out themselves.
Brilliant.
LEBANON, Tenn. — A Tennessee judge is under fire from some civil libertarians, and now a higher court must decide whether a parental language requirement is an issue of civil rights or child welfare.
“He can no more order people to learn English or lose their children than I can order you to learn Spanish,” said Jerry Gonzalez, a civil rights attorney. “The First Amendment has clearly been interpreted to mean that we can all communicate with our children in whatever form we want to.”
Sri Lanka has so many tsunami relief supplies it is now distributing them to those unaffected by the disaster.
The country's social services minister said goods were being sent to homes for the elderly and institutions for children and the disabled.
Supplies of milk powder, tinned food, bottled water and other goods have left warehouses bulging.
Many conservatives say the Bible is an infallible guide to human conduct, which must be followed strictly.
The liberals say the Bible must be interpreted in the light of modern knowledge.
They also point out that some conservatives are selective in choosing which injunctions to obey: nobody now takes the Bible seriously on the treatment of slaves, for instance.
And Jesus himself is not on record as saying anything about homosexuality.
Militants in the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent group with ties to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, said the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah was involved in the attack.
However, Hezbollah's television station, Al Manar, reported the Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility.
DANVILLE, Kentucky (AP) -- For years, sociology professor Beau Weston has held informal office hours off campus in a local coffee shop, sipping his mocha latte while advising students.
As he did, he formed relationships with other coffee shop regulars who might otherwise have remained strangers. That caused a sort of academic epiphany, and now he's one of a handful of teachers across the nation who have developed courses that study coffee and its effect on society.
Don't drop your morning cup of joe. Weston's class, offered during a recent intensive three-week term at Centre College, was hardly "Starbucks 101," although the 15 students who enrolled in "The Cafe and Public Life" could be forgiven if that was their original impression.
Some of [Paris'] friends have been besieged with calls and e-mails. Actress Lindsay Lohan tells the magazine: "It's crazy. I even got an e-mail from someone pretending to be Hugh Hefner."
An Australian teenager told police he killed two Thai-born prostitutes as a "favour" to a Hells Angels motorcycle gang, a Darwin court heard on Friday.
Ben William McLean, 19, said the gang had threatened to kill him because he owed them A$50,000 ($39,000).
"They said that they will knock me off unless I do them a favour to repay the money," Mr McLean was quoted as saying.
The bodies of Phuangsri Kroksamrang, 58, and Somjai Insamnan, 27, were found in Adelaide River in March 2003.
The family of a woman who died after being moved out of a trauma room to accommodate Michael Jackson say they will sue the hospital and the pop star.
Manuela Gomez Ruiz, 74, was moved out of the room at the California hospital after Mr Jackson arrived suffering from "flu-like symptoms".
Mrs Ruiz, who was being treated for a massive heart attack, died later that day, the family told ABC News.
The hospital said it was confident of the level of care it gave patients.
The Marian Medical Centre in Santa Maria expressed its deepest sympathy to Mrs Ruiz's family, adding that patient privacy laws prevented it from commenting on individual patients' care, the news channel reported.
A spokesman for Mr Jackson said the pop star sent his condolences to the family, but added that it was "outrageous" that Mr Jackson's name should be involved, as the situation was beyond his authority and control.
A US navy missile over the Pacific intercepted a target missile, which the military on Thursday said was the fifth successful test of a system to shield North America.
Although I found the warship comment amusing, I have to defend the Candaian's stand on not joining the US Star Wars program. Even though I'm fairly anti-war, I won't comment that way, since your site is obviously coming from a very different background. Strictly monetarily, it doesn't make sense for Canada to support a missile defense system that no one has made work. It doesn't work! it costs a fortune, and IT DOESN'T WORK. That's gotta at least make some sense to you...
You know, Fly, I actually agree. If Canada's going to be benefitting from a missile defence shield, then yeah, we should maybe toss in some coin. There's just one problem:
WE CAN'T FUCKING AFFORD IT.
It's not our fault that the U.S. government is determined to go ahead with this project at this time. We've got other priorities that need attending to. You should be happy that the defence budget got expanded at all! Our health care system is already in shambles, education gets cut more and more every year, we're in debt, our military, while still very well trained and proficient, is under-funded, under-equipped, and too damn small... the list goes on and on. And now you want us to chip in on the missile defence shield? Sorry. No dice.
And by the way... the only thing that's wrong with the Canadian Military is that they're under equipped and small. They're among the best trained soldiers in the world, I've read.
The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits.
LONDON, England (AP) -- The U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada have withdrawn from a key body of the global Anglican Communion under pressure from conservative church leaders horrified by the election of a gay bishop in the United States and the blessing of same-sex unions in the two countries.
Though the suspension of the two churches was said to be temporary, it marked the first formal split in the communion over the explosive issues of sexuality and biblical authority.
A statement from the 35 Anglican primates, which also summoned the two churches to explain their thinking on gay issues at another Anglican meeting in June, was issued a day earlier than planned, following a week of meetings in Northern Ireland by leaders of the national churches.
The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Frank T. Griswold, said the debate would continue and that his fellow church leaders had made room "for a wide variety of perspectives."
The statement said the two churches were withdrawing from the Anglican Consultative Council, a key body for contact among the national churches, at least until 2008.
"In the meantime, we ask our fellow primates to use their best influence to persuade their brothers and sisters to exercise a moratorium on public rites of blessing for same-sex unions and on the consecration of any bishop living in a sexual relationship outside Christian marriage," the statement said.
Griswold issued a brief statement stressing that discussions were continuing.
"These days have not been easy for any of us and the communique reflects a great deal of prayer and the strong desire to find a way forward as a communion in the midst of deep differences which have been brought into sharp relief around the subject of homosexuality," Griswold said.
DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- Syria, under mounting international pressure after a former Lebanese prime minister was killed in Beirut, has said it will withdraw troops from Lebanon in line with a 1989 Arab-brokered agreement.
However, a government official indicated Thursday there would be no immediate and total pullout as demanded by the international community.
The announcement by Syria, though a reiteration of long-standing policy, was the first government statement since the outcry against Damascus over the February 14 killing of Rafik Hariri.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem said the government was surprised at the "political and media escalation" over its plans to withdraw troops but pledged to cooperate with a U.N. envoy.
He added that Lebanon had to be ready "to fill the vacuum" left by the withdrawal of its troops.
Israel and NATO pledged Thursday to deeper ties during the first visit by a NATO chief to the country, although a top Israeli official denied the Jewish state had any ambitions to join the military alliance.
Speaking at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Israeli Foreign Minister Shalom said Israel was looking to upgrade its relationship with NATO.
"This is an historic visit because it is the first time that the head of NATO has visited our country. It reflects the mutual goals of deepening ongoing ties and realising the potential for cooperation," Shalom said.
"We want to move from a dialogue relationship to a partnership relationship," he said. "We think the time has come to have more cooperation in the security, political and military fields."
Iran said Thursday it opposed a US role in nuclear talks alongside the European Union, just two days after a government-linked think-tank floated the idea of talking to an administration that still refuses to rule out military action.
"The Islamic republic sees no reason for US participation in the discussions between Iran and Europe," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told the official IRNA news agency.
"If the Americans joined the talks, the best that could happen is that they would bring nothing to the negotiations and in the worst case scenario they would sabotage everything.
"We hope that the Europeans will continue to act independently," he said, charging that it was Washington's aim to convince them that they could not hope to deal alone with Iran on an issue as sensitive as nuclear technology.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- A 24-member Palestinian Cabinet dominated by professional appointees, including nearly half with doctoral degrees, took office Thursday after being approved by the parliament in a major move toward long-promised government reform.
The new Cabinet was sworn in by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, hours after parliament gave its approval.
The 54-12 vote, with four abstentions, ended days of wrangling between rebellious legislators and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei, who initially sought to retain political cronies from the Yasser Arafat era.
Reverend Lovejoy: Thanks a lot, Marge. That was our only burlesque house!
An Iranian weblogger has been jailed for 14 years on charges of spying and aiding foreign counter-revolutionaries.
Arash Sigarchi was arrested last month after using his blog to criticise the arrest of other online journalists.
Mr Sigarchi, who also edits a newspaper in northern Iran, was sentenced by a revolutionary court in the Gilan area.
His sentence, criticised by human rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders, comes a day after an online 'day of action' to secure his release.
Iranian authorities have recently clamped down on the growing popularity of weblogs, restricting access to major blogging sites from within Iran.
A second Iranian blogger, Motjaba Saminejad, who also used his website to report on bloggers' arrests, is still being held.
Pakistan has warned the US that any sale of its Patriot anti-missile system to India could plunge the region into a new crisis.
Islamabad said on Wednesday it was opposed to any kind of arms race in South Asia and would like the region to be free of any systems like Patriot.
Foreign office spokesman, Masood Khan, said he did not believe India was on the verge of purchasing Patriot.
But he said Islamabad had warned the US a sale could erode regional deterrence.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has won the backing of the main Fatah faction for a new cabinet.
Fatah MPs had called on Mr Qurei not to give jobs to veterans of Yasser Arafat's time - widely seen as corrupt.
BRUSSELS, Belgium — President Bush scolded Russia for backsliding on democracy Monday and dined on lobster risotto and filet of beef with French President Jacques Chirac.
Three days before seeing Vladimir Putin in Slovakia, Bush admonished the Russian leader to "renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law." Putin has raised alarms in the West by consolidating power, rolling back democratic reforms and curbing press and political freedoms.
Bush said the United States and all European countries "should place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue with Russia." The president suggested that Moscow's entry in the World Trade Organization could hinge on whether it changes course.
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Tens of thousands marched Monday in the biggest anti-Syrian protest in Lebanese history amid signals that Syria will soon withdraw its troops from parts of the country. President Bush renewed demands for Syrian forces to leave Lebanon immediately.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Il told a visiting Chinese envoy that his government will return to six-party nuclear disarmament talks if the United States shows "sincerity," the communist state's official news agency said Tuesday.
The announcement — the latest in more than two years of conflicting statements over North Korea's nuclear program — came less than two weeks after Kim flouted Washington and its allies by claiming that it had nuclear weapons and would boycott the talks.
"We will go to the negotiating table anytime if there are mature conditions for the six-party talks thanks to the concerted efforts of the parties concerned in the future," Kim said Tuesday, expressing the hope that the United States would show "trustworthy sincerity," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Italy has complained at EU Commission plans to drop Italian translation from some of its press briefings.
In a letter to the president of the commission, the Italian ambassador to the EU asked why Italian was "relegated to a completely secondary division".
Some Italian newspapers have joined in the row and European Affairs Minister Rocco Buttiglione called the commission's move "unacceptable".
The EU denied Italy was being singled out and said the move was pragmatic.
Until now, EU Commission press conferences have been translated in the 20 official EU languages. Last week, it decided only English, French and German would be automatically translated.
"We have to consider the unavailability of interpreters and their costs," EU Commission spokeswoman Francoise Le Bail was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying.
A warning sign
I missed the good part, then I realised
I started looking and the bubble burst
I started looking for excuses
Come on in
I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in
I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign
When the truth is, I miss you
Yeah the truth is, that I miss you so
- Coldplay, "Warning Sign"
And nobody knows
What's gonna happen tomorrow
So don't let go
Now we've come this far
- Duran Duran, "What Happens Tomorrow"
The Fly is a twenty-seven year old curmudgeon. He's a devout Anglican, a dedicated conservative, a renaissance man in combat boots, and an unlikely connoisseur of feminine pulchritude. His writings are a cure for ignorance and boredom in a troubled world.
| - | Yomping |
| Week 1 | 35 mins x 25 lbs |
| Week 2 | 35 mins x 25 lbs |
| Week 3 | 35 mins x 30 lbs |
| Week 4 | 40 mins x 30 lbs |
| Week 5 | 40 mins x 35 lbs |
| Week 6 | 40 mins x 35 lbs |
| Week 7 | 45 mins x 40 lbs |
| Week 8 | 45 mins x 40 lbs |
| Week 9 | 45 mins x 45 lbs |
| - | Swimming |
| Week 1 | 25 mins x4 |
| Week 2 | 25 mins x4 |
| Week 3 | 30 mins x4 |
| Week 4 | 30 mins x4 |
| Week 5 | 35 mins x4 |
| Week 6 | 35 mins x4 |
| Week 7 | 40 mins x4 |
| Week 8 | 40 mins x4 |
| Week 9 | 45 mins x4 |
| - | Push-Ups |
| Week 1 | 3x15 x3 days |
| Week 2 | 4x20 x3 days |
| Week 3 | 4x25 x3 days |
| Week 4 | 4x25 x3 days |
| Week 5 | 5x25 x3 days |
| Week 6 | 5x25 x3 days |
| Week 7 | 5x30 x3 days |
| Week 8 | 5x30 x3 days |
| Week 9 | 5x30 x3 days |
| - | Sit-Ups |
| Week 1 | 3x15 x3 days |
| Week 2 | 4x20 x3 days |
| Week 3 | 4x25 x3 days |
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| Week 5 | 5x25 x3 days |
| Week 6 | 5x25 x3 days |
| Week 7 | 5x30 x3 days |
| Week 8 | 5x30 x3 days |
| Week 9 | 5x30 x3 days |
| - | Pull-Ups |
| - | N/A |
