ALL THE NEWS UNFIT TO PRINT

A few pre-hurricane random rakings

Hurricane Dean will take center stage this weekend.. until them, some various randoms links from around the world making headlines today..

The old days are melting away: Canada's last igloo to be flattened to make way for offices in the Arctic..

The DAILY SHOW will really be in Iraq this week..

Don't follow him: Uncle Kracker arrested on sex charges..

Be careful what you read: The CIA and Vatican have something in common: They edit Wikipedia!

Michael Myers and Rob Zombie: A marriage made in hell

A mining disaster-- on the other side of the globe

... the tragic situation still unfolding in Utah, but a whole new mining tragedy taking place in China. .Heavy rains and flooding in Eastern China have trapped more than 180 coal miners .. Official word from China only puts a "slim" chance of the miners surviving..

Though the incident was natural in cause, the last few paragraphs from this Reuters story are extremely important to think about:

"Heavy demand for coal to feed rapid economic growth in the world's fourth-largest economy has led some mine operators to push production beyond safe limits, despite Beijing's efforts to crack down on corruption and lax enforcement of standards. Last year, 4,746 people were killed in thousands of blasts, floods and other mining accidents. While this year's record had been improving, the level is far worse than in other major coal-producing nations. The U.S. Department of Labor, for instance, had recorded 14 coal mine deaths as of August 10 this year. Chinese officials estimate that China now suffers 1.485 mine deaths for every million tonnes of coal produced, compared with about 0.04 U.S. deaths for every million tonnes that country produced in 2005."

Sensible email and a revised headline..

My posting this morning about the Utah mine disaster caused one reader to email a pretty sensible comment. I wrote "Miners stilled trapped search suspended after tragic deaths of rescue workers.. ".. The reader wrote, "The miners may be trapped but we don't even know if they are alive. We pray they are, but to assume that after all of this time in the ground they could still be alive? Well I don't know what you think but I see that unlikely." Maybe it is.. but looking through the history of mining disasters and cave-ins.. A few facts from recent history give us reason to hold out that "hope" that Bob Murray told us to keep thinking about, but the desperate situation is definitely grim. And even more so now with the suspension of rescue missions underground. The other interesting piece of information that is getting more play--especially with the help of Keith Olbermann the other night on MSNBC'S COUNTDOWN--is the media attention on Bob Murray's words and actions pre and post mine disaster.. The story will intensify .. We're holding out that hope you asked for, Mr. Murray, but expect those hardball questions to get harder..

PHOTO: AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Trent Nelson

Jamaica braces for Mean Dean

DEAN is taking aim at Hispaniola, Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, with forecasters saying it could turn into a Category 5 storm within 72 hours..

Major developing story in the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. The track of Dean after striking the Caribbean this weekend puts it near the Texas Gulf Coast by Wednesday. However, it will cross the Yucatan Peninsula and possibly lose some strength..

Miners still trapped, search suspended after tragic deaths of rescue workers..

A sad tragic situation worsened this week. The miners trapped in a Utah mine still trapped.. three rescue workers trying to locate the trapped miners died this week when a mountain "bump" caused a cave in at the Crandall Canyon Mine. And now the search for the previously trapped miners suspended..

Were they doing retreat mining, Bob?

Ashcroft's Hospital Bed Nightmares

Fascinating stories this week that sound more like they are from a spy novel than from real life: Reports that former Attorney General John Ashcroft was feeble and stressed after being visited by Alberto Gonzales in March of 2004. Gonzo wanted to Ashcroft to reauthorize the secret wiretap program that no one really knew of back then. Aschroft, according to the FBI notes and reports, did not have full access to information and details. He did not approve the program from his bed. As we know from history, the wiretap program went forward.. Jose Padilla was found guilty this week by a United States court.. And what would John Ashcroft think of this from a hospital bed!? Spy satellites are going to be used for domestic surveillance under new rules imposed by the White House . .The goal, expand the use for terrorism -- and eventually "law enforcement".. The brave new world increasingly fearful. The brave new world increasingly frightening. Liberties activists are obviously worried about the impending eyes in our skies. General population not much so. As usual, the news is just noise in the background of life. 1984? Hopefully not. 2007.. I guess.

All the news unfit to print for Sunday, August 12, 2007

Christian Boot Camp Gone Bad

Pastor accused of dragging girl behind his van for failing to keep up during exercise..

The Kos with the Most

Markos Moulitsas appeared on Meet the Press this morning with former Congressman Harold Ford Jr, a man pretty much blue dog in heart..

Mr. Moulitsas' flare for self aggrandizing love was clear throughout the show..

It's been a big week for Markos Moulitsas. Democrats appeared at the yearly Kos Convention.. pandering to the far left of the Democratic party in the process. Hillary Clinton, at one point, even got boos from the crowd..

Markos Moulitsas, however, is having some newfound trouble on the Internet. The blogs of freedom from around the world--at least in countries that allow free speech online and countries that are not cracking down on the afermentioned--are challenging Mr. Moulitsas on his own turf..

Francis Holland reporting that the founder of the Daily Kos would work for the CIA and already did for 6 months in 2001..

It has some websites even asking if the Daily Kos is "CIA Engineered Controlled Opposition"!

The worldwide web of wonders and fears. It's fun.

The leader of the "Kossacks" however is now being tested by some members of his own faction..