The United States has temporarily avoided federal default. As the Republicans lick their wounds, the Democrats are triumphant. But no one should be happy, because the debacle has exposed just how broken the American political system truly is.

Dear idiot in chief...

One of Kevin Rudd's strongest supporters has questioned the former prime minister's judgment, reportedly describing his election policies as cruel and idiotic.

Australian authorities are gathering more than 300,000 contact lists a day from personal email and instant messaging accounts, on behalf of the US National Security Agency, a new report has claimed.

FROM CHRIS FLOYD.... As we all know, the use of chemical weapons is the most heinous crime that can be committed by a brutal, aggressive government: a brazen act of state terror, an offense against all humanity. Those who perpetrate such actions put themselves beyond the pale; indeed, they rank themselves with Hitler himself, as a succession of America’s highest officials has pointed out in recent weeks.

One of the most intriguing and challenging question that intelligent people ask me when discussing global warming is "WHAT TRIGGERED THE END OF THE LAST ICE AGE, considering humans were not indulging in burning fossil fuels?"...

Very very good question if you ask me... The answer of course is complex and not specifically due to a singularity... but to a confluent of happenings... There is a "natural" carbon cycle which has been observed through the record by studying ice cores. In this "natural" cycle there are ice ages and warmer climes... We know that. 

Oil and gas giant Chevron is under fire for asking prospective employees if they have ever had a miscarriage or an abortion.