The concept of private organizations funding the public school system makes perfect sense; until the major donor(s) folds or decides to pullout for x or y reason(s). What about when they start to dictate what should be on the curriculum? Tricky situation here, it all boils down to wanting the glamour and the money, but remaining

Snippet: The work suggests that the skin-whitening mutation occurred by chance in a single individual after the first human exodus from Africa, when all people were brown-skinned. That person's offspring apparently thrived as humans moved northward into what is now Europe, helping to give rise to the lightest of the world's races.

Well, if you were/are living in a hole for the past week or so, then you're not aware that tomorrow is "D" day for the Nyxem worm (aka Blackworm, Kamasutra). The malware is coded to wreak havoc on Windows based computers, and start deleting popular files on February 3rd.

Snippet: Unlike many other recent Windows viruses, Nyxem-E has been built to delete many popular types of file. Security firms suggest that it was written to target businesses because many of the file types it deletes, spreadsheets and presentations, are more common in firms than homes.

On the same note, but different paper, Microsoft says it will not release and early detection/fix utility for the worm. Keep your Antivirus program updated and stay away from promises of free porn.

Well, since we did the Christmas post I guess its only right to do the New Year companion piece.

NEW YEAR'S DAY:
January 1, 45 B.C.

In 45 B.C., New Year's Day is celebrated on January 1 for the first time in history as the Julian calendar takes effect.Soon after becoming Roman dictator, Julius Caesar decided that the traditional Roman calendar was in dire need of reform. Introduced around the seventh century B.C., the Roman calendar attempted to follow the lunar cycle but frequently fell out of phase with the seasons and had to be corrected. In addition, the pontifices, the Roman body charged with overseeing the calendar, often abused its authority by adding days to extend political terms or interfere with elections.In designing his new calendar, Caesar enlisted the aid of Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer, who advised him to do away with the lunar cycle entirely and follow the solar year, as did the Egyptians. The year was calculated to be 365 and 1/4 days, and Caesar added 67 days to 45 B.C., making 46 B.C. begin on January 1, rather than in March. He also decreed that every four years a day be added to February, thus theoretically keeping his calendar from falling out of step. Shortly before his assassination in 44 B.C., he changed the name of the month Quintilis to Julius (July) after himself. Later, the month of Sextilis was renamed Augustus (August) after his successor.Celebration of New Year's Day in January fell out of practice during the Middle Ages, and even those who strictly adhered to the Julian calendar did not observe the New Year exactly on January 1. The reason for the latter was that Caesar and Sosigenes failed to calculate the correct value for the solar year as 365.242199 days, not 365.25 days. Thus, a 11-minute-a-year error added seven days by the year 1000, and 10 days by the mid-15th century.The Roman church became aware of this problem, and in the 1570s Pope Gregory XIII commissioned Jesuit astronomer Christopher Clavius to come up with a new calendar. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was implemented, omitting 10 days for that year and establishing the new rule that only one of every four centennial years should be a leap year. Since then, people around the world have gathered en masse on January 1 to celebrate the precise arrival of the New Year.

Apreciados amigos:
Les deseo una muy feliz navidad, que la llegada del ni

Snippet: Festival founder and artistic director Danilo P

The PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) group has set out to change they way that chickens are slaughter before being scaled.

Excerpt: PETA and socially responsible investment firm Trillium Asset Management issued a shareholder's resolution calling on the fast food giant McDonald's to require its suppliers to switch to a humane system of slaughtering chickens.

A "humane" system of slaughtering chickens? WTF am I missing here? Slaughter defined. We inject humans with lethal juice, yet we're trying to find a humane system for killing our food?

Please, someone, anyone, please explain to me what is "the right way" to slaughter chickens? If you want humane then vegan is the way. But then they'll bitch and complain about the way to root the vegetables. "They pull on the plant until it is completely out of the ground. How cruel"

Governor Schwarzenegger: "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption."

Tookie Williams [After guards struggled for 12 minutes to find the vein]: "Still can't find it?"

Barbara Becnel [Supporter and he editor of his books]: "The state of California just killed an innocent man."

N.Y. Times piece: Crips Gang Co-Founder Is Executed

danZenie: HUMANS ARE ALSO ANIMALS!!

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Do you know the history behind the term scapegoat? During the middle ages people thought that if something was going wrong in their village they could put all the sins of the town on a goat. After doing this they would drive the goat out of town. Now I know you are asking yourself, why the F@#K is this boy on here talking about goats and shit? But bear with me, my reason for talking about this is that America refuses to confront the endemic violence that is engrained in it

I decided to file this one under "Good News" because for years this ground breaking comedy pioneer has been suffering with the nerve wrecking MS. Now he can finally rest in peace. The New York Times has a very extensive article about Richard filled with photos, and even short video clips of him on stage.

Remeber there are always two sides or more to any story. Not all had great/positive things to say about Mr. Pryor. Stanley Crouch fron the NY daily news has a few not so positive words to say. I already know what most of you are thinking: "Always a black man gotta put another black man down." But, that is exactly what freedom of speech is about. I could say what the hell I want. Taking into consideration off course that there could be serious consequences paid for what I say. You could say it, but man up for what's next

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You're favorite wigga white rapper, Mr. Marshall Mathers III, has rejoined love forces with his former wife Kimberly Mathers. Yeah, I also found this one hard to sallow, specially after this verse:

Ha! Go ahead yell!
Here I'll scream with you!
AH SOMEBODY HELP!
Don't you get it bitch, no one can hear you?
Now shut the fuck up and get what's comin to you
You were supposed to love me
{*Kim choking*}
NOW BLEED! BITCH BLEED!
BLEED! BITCH BLEED! BLEED!

Don't mean to stereotype here, but I doubt a "Sistah" will have rejoined after that verse. I guess all IS fair in love and war, or if the price is right.

An unhappy one that is. According to an Ohio State University report, lack of agreement and lots of quarrels between couples can hinder the production of a protein deemed vital for the wound healing process. That's right people, you're better of alone than in a bad relationship.

Snippet: The authors said there is already a sizable body of research showing that marital disagreement causes adverse health impacts ranging from high blood pressure and depression to the ability to cope with heart disease and heart failure.

Personally I don't think it has anything to do with being married. It all boils down to being over exposed to stress filled environments. Call it work, call it a marriage, call it IT. At the end of the day its about this stress. To follow up on that note, here is a link that explains how stress can make you sick: Sydney Researchers Explain How Stress Can Make You Sick

No relation to Vic Brown here, I swear. Anyway, not deaf like def, or fresh, or dope, but deaf like you mama warned you about when you played that Sony/Aiwa walkman at full vol. First Lil' Kim is blind, or senile, and now Fox Boogie is going def? WTF is happening here?

Excerpt: Brown, 25, revealed during a court appearance in September that she would soon undergo surgery to try to correct her hearing. Obviously straining to hear questions, she refused to discuss the possible cause of the problem.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the story also talks about her court ordeal for allegedly assaulting two nail salon workers on Aug. 29, 2004, in a fight over payment for a manicure at Bloomie Nails in Manhattan's Chelsea district. Come come now, you know the rule: Guilty until proven innocent. Or is the other way around?