] Whose names are on the microchips?
]
] The names on the microchips are from individuals who
] submitted their own names along with the names of
] friends and family if they chose to include them. Also,
] all members of the Planetary Society and the National
] Space Society current as of 1998 were included. In
] addition, as a special tribute, all names on the Vietnam
] War Memorial in Washington, DC were included.

I was originally following this story because my name is one of the 1+ million that are included on this probe. But something about the fact that all of the names from the Vietnam War Memorial are also currently mixing with the stardust of a comet, really touches me. :)

Stardust Microchip Names include those who fell in Vietnam

] Libya wants to solve all problems and we want to focus on
] development and advancing our country. This (weapons)
] programme does not benefit our people or country... We
] want to have ties with America and Britain because this
] is in the interest of our people.

(from Decius) Saddam's capture has overshadowed two other major wins for the administration this week. The first was Iran's agreement to allow inspections of it's nuclear facilities. The second was Libya's disarmament agreement. In the wake of the Iraq war a number of our enemies have decided that opposing us is counter productive.

Good. :)

BBC NEWS | Africa | World reaction to Libya's decision

Happy Holidays. :)

'Ace in the Hole' : Political Cartoons about Saddam's Capture

In Baghdad, huge crowds celebrated in the streets with gunfire.

Whoohoo!

Saddam Hussein Captured Alive; Iraqis Celebrate

In a highly unusual maneuver, Bush slipped away from his Texas ranch Wednesday night, arrived in Iraq Thursday and spent 2-1/2 hours with the troops, making him the first US president ever to visit Iraq.

I think this was pretty cool of him to do. :)

Bush Makes Surprise Thanksgiving Visit to Iraq

This is the complete text of Bush's speech today. It's an excellent summary of his international priorities and policy.

I don't always agree with everything Bush says, but I'm 100% in agreement with some of it:

] On September the 11th, 2001, the terrorists left their
] mark of murder on my country and took the lives of 67
] British citizens. With the passing of months and years,
] it is the natural human desire to resume a quiet life and
] to put that day behind us as if waking from a dark dream.
] The hope that danger has passed is comforting, is
] understanding and it is false.
]
] The attacks that followed in Bali, Jakarta, Casablanca,
] Bombay, Mombasa, Najaf, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Baghdad and
] Istanbul were not dreams. They're part of a global
] campaign by terrorist networks to intimidate and
] demoralize all who oppose them.
]
] These terrorists target the innocent and they kill by the
] thousands. And they would, if they gain the weapons they
] seek, kill by the millions and not be finished.
]
] The greatest threat of our age is nuclear, chemical or
] biological weapons in the hands of terrorists and the
] dictators who aid them.
]
] The evil is in plain sight. The danger only increases
] with denial. Great responsibilities fall once again to
] the great democracies. We will face these threats with
] open eyes and we will defeat them.

Bush's Speech in London - 11/19/2003

] By the afternoon, one plane to Denver had been delayed
] several hours. United personnel kept asking for
] volunteers to give up their seats and take another
] flight. They weren't getting many takers. Finally, a
] United spokeswoman got on the PA and said this, "Folks.
] As you can see, there are a lot of soldiers in the
] waiting area. They only have 14 days of leave and we're
] trying to get them where they need to go without spending
] any more time in an airport then they have to. We sold
] them all tickets, knowing we would oversell the flight.
] If we can, we want to get them all on this flight. We
] want all the soldiers to know that we respect what you're
] doing, we are here for you and we love you."
]
] At that, the entire terminal of cranky, tired,
] travel-weary people, a cross-section of America, broke
] into sustained and heart-felt applause.
]
] And, yes, people lined up to take the later flight and
] all the soldiers went to Denver on that flight.

Not an urban legend. Verified. True. :)

Snopes: True support of the troops (*not* an urban legend)

] After years of silence, a teenager is accusing the
] founder of a popular sci-fi convention of long-term
] sexual abuse.
]
] The new accusation against DragonCon founder Ed Kramer,
] 41, comes on the eve of his trial on child molestation
] charges involving two other boys.
]
] Kramer is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 3 on felony
] charges of child molestation and aggravated child
] molestation for alleged incidents in 1999 and 2000
] involving the sons of a woman he met on the Internet.
]
] But this week an 18-year-old testified before a grand
] jury panel, claiming four years of sexual abuse by
] Kramer, a family friend, prosecutors said.
]
] "This is information we just developed," said Gwinnett
] Assistant District Attorney Jim Miskell. "We're pleased
] any time a victim of abuse can come forward to tell the
] truth about what happened to them."

Third teen levels molestation charges at Ed Kramer

] Melissa Fleming, a spokes woman for the International
] Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, says: "As
] many as 400 potentially lethal radioactive sources are
] still missing from the inventory at al-Tuwaitha."

(sigh)

Tuwaitha: Lethal Radioactive Material Still Missing from Iraqi site

] The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Tuesday
] that Web loggers, website operators and e-mail list
] editors can't be held responsible for libel for
] information they republish, extending crucial First
] Amendment protections to do-it-yourself online
] publishers.
]
] Online free speech advocates praised the decision as a
] victory. The ruling effectively differentiates
] conventional news media, which can be sued relatively
] easily for libel, from certain forms of online
] communication such as moderated e-mail lists. One
] implication is that DIY publishers like bloggers cannot
] be sued as easily.

Whew!

Wired News: Bloggers Gain Libel Protection