I have a new theory I would like to share with you. I have done much reading on subjects such as religion and history of mankind. I have seen numerous documentaries on the subjects as well.
Recently I rented the new documentary from Bill Maher, Religulous. It is an excellent film on religion and it's destructive force in the world. It is really a great movie. Many things Bill covers about religion make you think. Especially the end of the movie. That is the best part and strongest message of the film.
I have come to the conclusion that this "Judgement Day" that is in all of our religious scriptures is nothing more than the final clash of cultures. Our inability to let others live will be our final demise.
No God will seek revenge. No Divine Being will rise from the dead. Simply put, we will do it to ourselves.
Hopefully this time, the lessons of what happens is not buried along with history of what happens.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Record-Breaking Heat Scorches Southern Australia
Australia – Wildfires destroyed more than 20 homes while hundreds of thousands of others lost power as a record-breaking heat wave that began claiming lives maintained its oppressive grip on southern Australia on Saturday.
About six people died from heat stress in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, over three days before the temperature mellowed to 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) on Saturday, Victoria state Police deputy commissioner Kieran Walshe said.
Melbourne on Friday recorded its third consecutive day of temperatures above 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) for the first time since record-keeping began in 1855.
South Australia state authorities said Saturday that the heat had probably caused some of the recent 22 sudden deaths there. It was not yet clear how many, state Health Minister John Hill said.
Heavy air conditioner use caused a breakdown in Melbourne's electricity grid Friday night, blacking out 500,000 homes and businesses while pulling the plug on the city's electric train network.
"These events are unprecedented," Victoria state Energy and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor said Saturday. "In some respects, they are not unlike a natural disaster, impacting on a community like a flood or tornado."
Both Melbourne, capital of Victoria, and South Australia capital Adelaide have experienced localized blackouts in recent days as energy providers share electricity to cope with the unprecedented demand.
Ambulance services in both cities have reported increases in emergency calls because of the heat.
In Victoria, at least 23 houses were destroyed Friday night and Saturday by wildfires that burned 16,000 acres (6,300 hectares) of forest and farm land, Country Fire Service spokesman Paul Swan said.
About 400 firefighters and 12 water-bombing aircraft continued to battle the blaze, he said.
Adelaide is expected to match its longest heat wave in a century on Monday, with six consecutive days exceeding 104 F (40 C). The heat there buckled train and tram lines.
About six people died from heat stress in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, over three days before the temperature mellowed to 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) on Saturday, Victoria state Police deputy commissioner Kieran Walshe said.
Melbourne on Friday recorded its third consecutive day of temperatures above 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) for the first time since record-keeping began in 1855.
South Australia state authorities said Saturday that the heat had probably caused some of the recent 22 sudden deaths there. It was not yet clear how many, state Health Minister John Hill said.
Heavy air conditioner use caused a breakdown in Melbourne's electricity grid Friday night, blacking out 500,000 homes and businesses while pulling the plug on the city's electric train network.
"These events are unprecedented," Victoria state Energy and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor said Saturday. "In some respects, they are not unlike a natural disaster, impacting on a community like a flood or tornado."
Both Melbourne, capital of Victoria, and South Australia capital Adelaide have experienced localized blackouts in recent days as energy providers share electricity to cope with the unprecedented demand.
Ambulance services in both cities have reported increases in emergency calls because of the heat.
In Victoria, at least 23 houses were destroyed Friday night and Saturday by wildfires that burned 16,000 acres (6,300 hectares) of forest and farm land, Country Fire Service spokesman Paul Swan said.
About 400 firefighters and 12 water-bombing aircraft continued to battle the blaze, he said.
Adelaide is expected to match its longest heat wave in a century on Monday, with six consecutive days exceeding 104 F (40 C). The heat there buckled train and tram lines.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Fox & Republicans are Morons!
Hypocrites...I cannot stand most Republicans just for this reason...believing you are the only ones with the "right way" is a very ignorant and narrow way to think.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
President Obama Wears Bullet-Resistant Suit at Inaugural
Barack Obama had more than the Presidential 'beast' limo taking care of his safety yesterday.
According to some reports, he wore a suit made by a clothier specializing in bullet-resistant clothing during the inauguration ceremonies.
While no one from the U.S. Secret Service have yet to mention any details about the garment's structure, some are speculating it may have come from the line by Colombian designer Miguel Caballero. As we noted last year, Caballero is well known for his super tough but flexible and business appropriate clothing (see pic at right), such as the $7,500 polo shirt that can stop a shot from a 9-mm revolver.
Due to some of the unfortunately rising levels of dangerous conflicts in Colombia and other parts of Latin America, the need for this type of clothing has also led to a spike in sales.
According to Caballero, many of his garments offer more than three levels of ballistic protection and they are about seven times more flexible than the Kevlar vests that are usually worn. Designers that use Kevlar tie together dense strands of the material (500 to 1,500 filaments per strand of yarn, according to Slate), which is then weaved into the clothing.
With close to 2 million people on hand to watch the president-elect take the Oath of Office, the level of security was understandably tight and every precaution was taken to ensure safety for all.
Earlier this month, we noted that President Obama will be using the safest Presidential limo ever built, the so-called Cadillac One (or simply, "The Beast"), whose toughness rivals a tank and seals off like a bank vault in the event of a potential attack.
According to some reports, he wore a suit made by a clothier specializing in bullet-resistant clothing during the inauguration ceremonies.
While no one from the U.S. Secret Service have yet to mention any details about the garment's structure, some are speculating it may have come from the line by Colombian designer Miguel Caballero. As we noted last year, Caballero is well known for his super tough but flexible and business appropriate clothing (see pic at right), such as the $7,500 polo shirt that can stop a shot from a 9-mm revolver.
Due to some of the unfortunately rising levels of dangerous conflicts in Colombia and other parts of Latin America, the need for this type of clothing has also led to a spike in sales.
According to Caballero, many of his garments offer more than three levels of ballistic protection and they are about seven times more flexible than the Kevlar vests that are usually worn. Designers that use Kevlar tie together dense strands of the material (500 to 1,500 filaments per strand of yarn, according to Slate), which is then weaved into the clothing.
With close to 2 million people on hand to watch the president-elect take the Oath of Office, the level of security was understandably tight and every precaution was taken to ensure safety for all.
Earlier this month, we noted that President Obama will be using the safest Presidential limo ever built, the so-called Cadillac One (or simply, "The Beast"), whose toughness rivals a tank and seals off like a bank vault in the event of a potential attack.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Friday, January 09, 2009
Brown Pelicans Showing Up Dead in California
Over the past few weeks, brown pelicans have been showing up disoriented and malnourished on busy freeways, neighborhood backyards and even a Costco parking lot miles from the ocean -- and those are the lucky ones.
Reports are coming in from Baja California to Oregon of hundreds of pelicans found dead along the coastline for unknown reasons. Scientists and biologists are scrambling to determine what is killing the prehistoric-looking birds.
More than 20 have been found dead or dying in Ventura County, Calif. alone since Christmas.
"This is unusual," said David Caron, a biological sciences professor at the University of Southern California, who will be doing blood work on injured birds. "When we have one of these mortality events, it's a significant hit to the population."
Large numbers of pelicans sometimes die because of a naturally occurring toxin called domoic acid, but these latest victims do not seem to have the usual symptoms, and no other animals in the marine ecosystem seem to be affected. Although domoic acid is not being ruled out, such outbreaks usually occur later in the year, and birds and other animals have seizures because of neurological damage.
"We've seen enough to imply that something is odd, and right now it is a big question mark what it is," said Jay Holcomb, executive director of the International Bird Rescue Research Center, whose offices in northern and southern California have received more than 100 sick birds since the new year.
What concerns scientists, beyond not knowing the cause, is that a large number of adult pelicans are showing up emaciated and with discolored pouches at the oddest of places.
"I've got them from the Costco parking lot in Goleta and the Kmart parking lot in Lompoc," said June Taylor, who works with seabirds for the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. "I get reports every day of dead pelicans on the beach. I've never seen anything like it."
Since Dec. 20, she has cared for more than 50 birds from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, she said. She got a report of a dead pelican in the Ventura Harbor on Tuesday and has heard of other dead ones near Surfers Point in Ventura. Rehabilitation centers like hers are quickly becoming overwhelmed by the birds, which can have a wing span of more than 6 feet.
The large die-off comes less than a year after biologists celebrated pelicans being taken off the endangered species list. Years of exposure to the pesticide DDT had caused the birds' eggs to thin and collapse during nesting. In 1970 on Anacapa Island, the largest pelican nesting colony in California, only one nest successfully hatched an egg. Now the island has about 4,500 active nests a year.
"Poor pelicans, they can't catch a break," said Karen Hughes, a volunteer with the Wildlife Care Network who has been picking up sick birds in Ventura County for weeks. Her garage has been converted into a makeshift way-station for the birds, where she helps them get warm or rehydrated before transferring them to official rehabilitation centers. Most of the pelicans, however, are dying a few hours after she finds them, she said.
There are numerous theories about what could be happening. Taylor said it could be a toxin, such as fire retardant, running off the land and into the water.
Dan Anderson, an ecotoxicologist and avian ecologist at UC Davis, has only seen something like this once or twice in his 35 years of studying pelicans. He said it could be a disease, or a toxin in the water or food the birds are consuming.
Caron said the birds could have been affected by domoic acid in the past and suffered brain damage.
Some new trigger in the environment, such as cold weather or another disease, could be exacerbating the previous damage.
"It will take some detective work," he said.
Meanwhile, rehabilitation centers are working nonstop to save what birds they can.
Reports are coming in from Baja California to Oregon of hundreds of pelicans found dead along the coastline for unknown reasons. Scientists and biologists are scrambling to determine what is killing the prehistoric-looking birds.
More than 20 have been found dead or dying in Ventura County, Calif. alone since Christmas.
"This is unusual," said David Caron, a biological sciences professor at the University of Southern California, who will be doing blood work on injured birds. "When we have one of these mortality events, it's a significant hit to the population."
Large numbers of pelicans sometimes die because of a naturally occurring toxin called domoic acid, but these latest victims do not seem to have the usual symptoms, and no other animals in the marine ecosystem seem to be affected. Although domoic acid is not being ruled out, such outbreaks usually occur later in the year, and birds and other animals have seizures because of neurological damage.
"We've seen enough to imply that something is odd, and right now it is a big question mark what it is," said Jay Holcomb, executive director of the International Bird Rescue Research Center, whose offices in northern and southern California have received more than 100 sick birds since the new year.
What concerns scientists, beyond not knowing the cause, is that a large number of adult pelicans are showing up emaciated and with discolored pouches at the oddest of places.
"I've got them from the Costco parking lot in Goleta and the Kmart parking lot in Lompoc," said June Taylor, who works with seabirds for the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. "I get reports every day of dead pelicans on the beach. I've never seen anything like it."
Since Dec. 20, she has cared for more than 50 birds from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, she said. She got a report of a dead pelican in the Ventura Harbor on Tuesday and has heard of other dead ones near Surfers Point in Ventura. Rehabilitation centers like hers are quickly becoming overwhelmed by the birds, which can have a wing span of more than 6 feet.
The large die-off comes less than a year after biologists celebrated pelicans being taken off the endangered species list. Years of exposure to the pesticide DDT had caused the birds' eggs to thin and collapse during nesting. In 1970 on Anacapa Island, the largest pelican nesting colony in California, only one nest successfully hatched an egg. Now the island has about 4,500 active nests a year.
"Poor pelicans, they can't catch a break," said Karen Hughes, a volunteer with the Wildlife Care Network who has been picking up sick birds in Ventura County for weeks. Her garage has been converted into a makeshift way-station for the birds, where she helps them get warm or rehydrated before transferring them to official rehabilitation centers. Most of the pelicans, however, are dying a few hours after she finds them, she said.
There are numerous theories about what could be happening. Taylor said it could be a toxin, such as fire retardant, running off the land and into the water.
Dan Anderson, an ecotoxicologist and avian ecologist at UC Davis, has only seen something like this once or twice in his 35 years of studying pelicans. He said it could be a disease, or a toxin in the water or food the birds are consuming.
Caron said the birds could have been affected by domoic acid in the past and suffered brain damage.
Some new trigger in the environment, such as cold weather or another disease, could be exacerbating the previous damage.
"It will take some detective work," he said.
Meanwhile, rehabilitation centers are working nonstop to save what birds they can.
There is No Justice
If we were kids that were on a playground and one kid was beating the crap out of another, wouldn't anyone stop the fight? Especially if one kid was doing all the beating and the other was throwing maybe one punch to this other kids 50 punches?
Then why is the world just sitting around and watching Israel kill people?
I actually saw a commercial on TV that was pro Israel. It stated that many Jews are killed and was asking for money to help them. No mention about the Palestinians, who though have been murdered and had their land taken from them. Can you believe there was a commercial for Israel? The commercial was acting like Israel is the victim and cannot help itself. Israel has killed over 700 people since last week alone! 4 Israelis have been killed. That is a bit dis-portioned.
Imagine if that was 700 of our people that have been killed...........
I still say if God does exist, I think he will have something to say to his "chosen people" for all the blood that is on their hands....
I ain't pro Jew or pro Palestinian. I am pro stop killing each other! We as a race will never get beyond this time now till we stop the killing. It will be impossible for us to evolve!
Many of us suffer everyday for the bullshit of myths, legends and other distractions. I am so tired that if I found out I was gonna die of cancer, I would not care. This world has no future. Plus I am ashamed to even be a human being when I look around at the world. To me it would not matter. What am I leaving? A world filled with hate, murder, ignorance, stupidity.......
I really dislike our world because it is based on who has what and who knows who. There is no justice in this world anymore. None, zero, zip, zilch......
Madoff ripped off billions and is on home arrest in this million dollar apartment. There is no fuckin' justice what so ever....this will be why we fail as a race. Holding down those who are without while they raise up those who do. I was caught with a plant and you would have thought I was a terrorist. Madoff steals billions and gets nothing so far.
If this is the best "God" can do, then he is one fucked up being. Maybe he is a bipolar twelve year old with A.D.D. and an anger management issue.
"You can't smell your own shit on your knees or see the forest for the trees....." - Marilyn Manson
Wake up....Open Your Eyes....Grow up.....
Then why is the world just sitting around and watching Israel kill people?
I actually saw a commercial on TV that was pro Israel. It stated that many Jews are killed and was asking for money to help them. No mention about the Palestinians, who though have been murdered and had their land taken from them. Can you believe there was a commercial for Israel? The commercial was acting like Israel is the victim and cannot help itself. Israel has killed over 700 people since last week alone! 4 Israelis have been killed. That is a bit dis-portioned.
Imagine if that was 700 of our people that have been killed...........
I still say if God does exist, I think he will have something to say to his "chosen people" for all the blood that is on their hands....
I ain't pro Jew or pro Palestinian. I am pro stop killing each other! We as a race will never get beyond this time now till we stop the killing. It will be impossible for us to evolve!
Many of us suffer everyday for the bullshit of myths, legends and other distractions. I am so tired that if I found out I was gonna die of cancer, I would not care. This world has no future. Plus I am ashamed to even be a human being when I look around at the world. To me it would not matter. What am I leaving? A world filled with hate, murder, ignorance, stupidity.......
I really dislike our world because it is based on who has what and who knows who. There is no justice in this world anymore. None, zero, zip, zilch......
Madoff ripped off billions and is on home arrest in this million dollar apartment. There is no fuckin' justice what so ever....this will be why we fail as a race. Holding down those who are without while they raise up those who do. I was caught with a plant and you would have thought I was a terrorist. Madoff steals billions and gets nothing so far.
If this is the best "God" can do, then he is one fucked up being. Maybe he is a bipolar twelve year old with A.D.D. and an anger management issue.
"You can't smell your own shit on your knees or see the forest for the trees....." - Marilyn Manson
Wake up....Open Your Eyes....Grow up.....
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Obama's Trillion Dollar Tax Cut
Many are complaining this is too much money. Those same people did not have a problem putting a trillion dollars on the backs of our children for a war that had nothing to do with 911.
Or the 700 billion that is just shy of a trillion to the richest banks in the country.
Just a thought.............
Or the 700 billion that is just shy of a trillion to the richest banks in the country.
Just a thought.............
Profit From Starving Criminals
A northern Alabama sheriff was in federal custody Thursday after a judge ruled he purposely fed inmates skimpy meals so he could make money from an unusual system that lets sheriffs turn a profit on their jail kitchens.
Morgan County Sheriff Greg Bartlett testified at a Wednesday court hearing that he made $212,000 over three years by cheaply feeding prisoners — every cent of it legal under a Depression-era state law and reported on his tax forms as income.
But U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon ordered federal marshals to arrest Bartlett after hearing a string of skinny prisoners testify they were served paper-thin bologna, bloody chicken and cold grits in the north Alabama county's jail.
"He makes money by failing to spend the allocated funds for food for the inmates," Clemon ruled after a daylong hearing in a lawsuit filed by prisoners over jail conditions.
Ten prisoners testified that they were so hungry after meals they are forced to spend hundreds of dollars at a for-profit store inside the jail for junk food like oatmeal pies and chips.
"We had an apple on Christmas, and I think we've had them one other time," said Clifton Goodwin, who's been in Bartlett's jail for 15 months.
Alice Hines, who has two sons in the jail on drug charges, said she gives them all the money she can — $50 sometimes, $100 others — to buy food from the jail store so they won't go hungry. Prisoners are even forced to buy basics like salt, pepper and ketchup to spice up bland meals.
"You're supposed to pay for your crime, but good God, feed them," said Hines.
Bartlett's lawyer, Donald Rhea, said the sheriff would be incarcerated in his own jail, but the department declined comment on Bartlett's whereabouts. The U.S. marshal's service did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Bartlett looked stunned as Clemon ordered him into custody. A lawyer for prisoners called his arrest "extraordinary."
Sheriffs in 55 of Alabama's 67 counties operate under a Depression-era system allowing them to make money operating their jail kitchens. The state pays sheriffs $1.75 a day for each prisoner they house and lets the elected officers keep any profits they can generate. Bartlett said he also received money from the county and the U.S. government for housing federal prisoners.
According to testimony, Alabama's ethics commission cleared Bartlett of a complaint in December, turning aside allegations that he improperly used his office for personal gain by profiting from inmate meals. The ethics commission cited the state law allowing the practice and a previous legal opinion from Alabama's attorney general.
Clemon's order dealt only with Morgan County, but the longtime head of the Alabama Sheriff's Association said its impact will be felt around the state since counties lack money to feed prisoners and state budgets are stretched thin.
"It's going to be real far-reaching. It's going to affect a lot of counties other than this one," said association executive director Bobby Timmons.
Bartlett testified he made a $212,000 profit over the last three years to supplement his annual salary of about $64,000. Bartlett said last year's profit was $95,000 — almost half of the total jail feeding budget of about $203,000 for about 300 prisoners. Bartlett said profits from the jail store are used to pay for equipment and training and don't go into his pocket.
Morgan County Sheriff Greg Bartlett testified at a Wednesday court hearing that he made $212,000 over three years by cheaply feeding prisoners — every cent of it legal under a Depression-era state law and reported on his tax forms as income.
But U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon ordered federal marshals to arrest Bartlett after hearing a string of skinny prisoners testify they were served paper-thin bologna, bloody chicken and cold grits in the north Alabama county's jail.
"He makes money by failing to spend the allocated funds for food for the inmates," Clemon ruled after a daylong hearing in a lawsuit filed by prisoners over jail conditions.
Ten prisoners testified that they were so hungry after meals they are forced to spend hundreds of dollars at a for-profit store inside the jail for junk food like oatmeal pies and chips.
"We had an apple on Christmas, and I think we've had them one other time," said Clifton Goodwin, who's been in Bartlett's jail for 15 months.
Alice Hines, who has two sons in the jail on drug charges, said she gives them all the money she can — $50 sometimes, $100 others — to buy food from the jail store so they won't go hungry. Prisoners are even forced to buy basics like salt, pepper and ketchup to spice up bland meals.
"You're supposed to pay for your crime, but good God, feed them," said Hines.
Bartlett's lawyer, Donald Rhea, said the sheriff would be incarcerated in his own jail, but the department declined comment on Bartlett's whereabouts. The U.S. marshal's service did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Bartlett looked stunned as Clemon ordered him into custody. A lawyer for prisoners called his arrest "extraordinary."
Sheriffs in 55 of Alabama's 67 counties operate under a Depression-era system allowing them to make money operating their jail kitchens. The state pays sheriffs $1.75 a day for each prisoner they house and lets the elected officers keep any profits they can generate. Bartlett said he also received money from the county and the U.S. government for housing federal prisoners.
According to testimony, Alabama's ethics commission cleared Bartlett of a complaint in December, turning aside allegations that he improperly used his office for personal gain by profiting from inmate meals. The ethics commission cited the state law allowing the practice and a previous legal opinion from Alabama's attorney general.
Clemon's order dealt only with Morgan County, but the longtime head of the Alabama Sheriff's Association said its impact will be felt around the state since counties lack money to feed prisoners and state budgets are stretched thin.
"It's going to be real far-reaching. It's going to affect a lot of counties other than this one," said association executive director Bobby Timmons.
Bartlett testified he made a $212,000 profit over the last three years to supplement his annual salary of about $64,000. Bartlett said last year's profit was $95,000 — almost half of the total jail feeding budget of about $203,000 for about 300 prisoners. Bartlett said profits from the jail store are used to pay for equipment and training and don't go into his pocket.
Why is TV Going Digital This Year?
So it can be in the pocket of every person with a cell phone!
Millions of consumers by year's end should be able to watch free, over-the-air television on cellphones, PDAs and other portable digital devices as the result of initiatives that will be unveiled today by some of the nation's largest TV station owners and electronics manufacturers.
The changes promoting on-the-go viewing are "quite significant," says John Eck, president of the NBC TV Network and Media Works. "If we play it right, it can be a compelling service," for example, by offering local news, which normally isn't available from cellphone video services.
At least 63 stations in 22 cities — including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston and Washington — will transmit news, entertainment and sports to portable devices this year, according to the broadcast industry's Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC).
The initial group will include affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW, ION and PBS. Each city will have a different mix. Most will simulcast regularly scheduled shows.
In conjunction with the announcement, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, manufacturers including LG, Samsung, Zenith and Kenwood will display mobile receivers due in stores later this year.
Millions of consumers by year's end should be able to watch free, over-the-air television on cellphones, PDAs and other portable digital devices as the result of initiatives that will be unveiled today by some of the nation's largest TV station owners and electronics manufacturers.
The changes promoting on-the-go viewing are "quite significant," says John Eck, president of the NBC TV Network and Media Works. "If we play it right, it can be a compelling service," for example, by offering local news, which normally isn't available from cellphone video services.
At least 63 stations in 22 cities — including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston and Washington — will transmit news, entertainment and sports to portable devices this year, according to the broadcast industry's Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC).
The initial group will include affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW, ION and PBS. Each city will have a different mix. Most will simulcast regularly scheduled shows.
In conjunction with the announcement, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, manufacturers including LG, Samsung, Zenith and Kenwood will display mobile receivers due in stores later this year.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Super Wedgie
You can hear him say, "get me up on that shit mother fucker". This has to be the greatest famous last words ever! He is so going to regret later he ever said such a thing.
Monday, January 05, 2009
It's Raining Fire in Gaza
Cluster bombs are against International Law. Israel just like America has no problem ignoring international laws. The rules do not apply to them or the US. This is the attitude we have adopted for many years. It is simply hypocritical and not the example we should be setting.
Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject smaller submunitions: a cluster of bomblets. The most common types are intended to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles. Submunition based weapons designed to destroy runways, electric power transmission lines, deliver chemical or biological weapons, or to scatter land mines have also been produced. Some submunition based weapons can disperse non-munition payloads, such as leaflets.
Because cluster bombs release many small bomblets over a wide area, unexploded bomblets can kill or maim civilians long after a conflict has ended. Unexploded submunitions are very costly to locate and remove.
Cluster bombs are prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was adopted in Dublin in May 2008 and signed by 94 nations on 3-4 December 2008 in Oslo. The general rules of international humanitarian law aimed at protecting civilians also apply to cluster bombs as they do to all weapons.
Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject smaller submunitions: a cluster of bomblets. The most common types are intended to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles. Submunition based weapons designed to destroy runways, electric power transmission lines, deliver chemical or biological weapons, or to scatter land mines have also been produced. Some submunition based weapons can disperse non-munition payloads, such as leaflets.Because cluster bombs release many small bomblets over a wide area, unexploded bomblets can kill or maim civilians long after a conflict has ended. Unexploded submunitions are very costly to locate and remove.
Cluster bombs are prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was adopted in Dublin in May 2008 and signed by 94 nations on 3-4 December 2008 in Oslo. The general rules of international humanitarian law aimed at protecting civilians also apply to cluster bombs as they do to all weapons.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
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