New! Submit a site
whatUseek Directory Site Listings:
Korean Thaw - If Woo Yong-gak walks out of prison this Thursday -- and it's looking very much like he will -- it means freedom for the world's longest-serving political prisoner. Woo, 71, has been imprisoned by South Korea since being captured while leading a North Korean commando raid against the south in 1958. Woo would be released as part of an amnesty announced Monday in Seoul that will eventually free 9,000 prisoners. The amnesty represents one of the first concrete steps toward reconciliation between North and South Korea, who have remained technically at war since the Korean conflict ended in 1953. [Wired News]
La Resistance - If the French had fought this hard during World War II, maybe they would have lasted more than six weeks on the battlefield. But that was merely war; this present fracas threatens the very soul of France itself, involving as it does, food. Reacting to a European ban on the importing of hormone-treated beef, the United States and Canada levied customs duties of 100 percent on such (mainly French) delicacies as fois gras, Roquefort cheese, and shallots. The reaction to that was swift and brutal: Farmers in southwestern France staged a two-day occupation of a McDonald's restaurant in Auch, while a pancake house in Dijon jacked up the price of a single bottle of Coca-Cola to 50 francs, or about $8. Thus, honor is served. [Wired News]
Last Gasps - Republican prosecutors, having all but given up hope of actually forcing President Clinton from office, have decided to at least go down defiantly. In closing arguments to the Senate Monday, Rep. James Sensenbrenner told senators that "the truth is still the truth and a lie is still a lie." The Wisconsin Republican said the evidence clearly shows Clinton knew what he was up to and was engaging in some big-league spin control. After the prosecution has its last whack, the defense will wrap up its end. The trial is expected to end this week. [Wired News]
Le Blackout - The owner of the French domain altern.org pulled the plug on 47,634 accounts on his Web page hosting service Thursday. Valentin Lacambre made the decision after a judge flayed him for allowing nude pictures of Estelle Hallyday, a French model, to appear on a site within the domain. The court said that Lacambre should be held responsible for the content of his servers -- a decision that has upset netizens in France and prompted criticism from the European Parliament. [Wired News]
Legislating Etiquette - Lawmakers in Louisiana think they have the answer to the "national problem" of kids showing no respect. The state's Republican governor has just signed into law the nation's first attempt to polish students' manners through legislation. The law requires students in grades K through 5 to address teachers as "sir" or "ma'am," or with the correct title of Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. It does not, however, mandate any punishment for a slip of the tongue or lapse in politesse, leaving that to the discretion of the individual school districts. [Wired News]
Less is More - The bleeding of patients was a common practice by doctors in the Middle Ages. Turns out they may have known a thing or two. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that critically ill patients with mild anemia fare better with less blood, not more. Statistics show that patients receiving red-cell transfusions for anemia run a greater risk of dying than those where blood was withheld. No one is quite sure why, but it may be that the introduction of additional red cells weakens the immune system in some cases. Doctors were quick to point out that in certain instances -- cardiovascular disease, bleeding, and emphysema -- transfusions are still necessary. [Wired News]
Let There Be Light - It's a Herculean task, but after years of stalling it's finally underway: The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse -- all 4,800 tons of it -- is being moved 1,600 feet inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The structure, which at 208 feet is the tallest lighthouse in the United States, has been a landmark on North Carolina's Outer Banks since 1870. It was originally 1,600 feet from the ocean, but erosion caused by the powerful surf has brought the Atlantic to within 150 feet of the distinctive tower. The move, expected to take about two months to complete, involves dragging the lighthouse using a sophisticated hydraulic system. Because of the curving coastline, the Hatteras Light will actually be dragged about 2,900 feet from its original spot. [Wired News]
London Blast Kills 2 - A nail bomb that exploded in a crowded gay pub in the Soho district of London Friday, killing two and injuring scores, may have been planted by right-wing extremists, police say. It was the third such attack in two weeks, and white supremecists have claimed responsibility for the other two -- one aimed at blacks and the other at Bangladeshis. The bomb exploded shortly after 6:30 p.m. local time at the Admiral Duncan pub, causing what one witness described as "absolute carnage." Two patrons were confirmed killed in the blast and as many as 40 were injured, Reuters reported. [Wired News]
Lookin' for Work? - Any American kid, the saying goes, can grow up to become president of the United States. But who would want to? According to the Jobs Related Almanac, it's a high-stress job in a lousy working environment, and it finished 229th in a ranking of 250 jobs. Not surprisingly, blue-collar jobs and seasonal workers fared the worst, but some of the so-called glamour jobs -- actors (218th) and pro football players (211th) -- didn't do so hot, either. Les Krantz, author of the almanac, rated careers according to income, stress levels, physical demands, job security, growth potential, and the working environment. In the world according to Les, you're better off working in the math and science fields. The top job? Web site manager. The man must be crazy. [Wired News]
Looking Ahead - After she's through being first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton says she plans on living in New York, even if she doesn't run for the Senate there. In an interview taped for the TV news magazine 60 Minutes II, Mrs. Clinton gave no inkling about her political intentions -- although it is widely assumed that she'll run for the Senate seat vacated by Daniel Moynihan. Since she wouldn't discuss the meat-and-potatoes stuff, like whether her husband might be coming along, her interrogator was left to ask which New York baseball team she planned on rooting for. Mrs. Clinton, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, said she'd root for both. That sounds like someone getting ready to run for political office. [Wired News]
Looking Back - They're Zeiss glasses -- the best -- and they're stamped with the emblem of the Kriegsmarine, as the German navy was called during the Third Reich. That alone would be enough to make them valuable to a collector of militaria, but these particular binoculars have a singular distinction that sent the bidding price into the stratosphere: They were once the property of Adolf Hitler. Der F hrer's glasses, taken from his yacht at the end of the war, sold at auction to an anonymous bidder Thursday for US$44,800. Just the thing for a spot of bird watching. In Poland or France. [Wired News]
Lost in Space - If was a horse, they'd shoot it. But it's not a horse; it's the Mir space station, the Russians are very fond of it, and they want to keep it aloft, even though the old tub has long outlived its usefulness. But they've always kept it manned, too, and now that they're not, there are new worries. Cosmonaut Viktor Afanasyev, commander of the last regular crew to serve aboard Mir, said the aging space station might begin to deteriorate without the constant attention that's been lavished on it for 13 years. A cleanup crew is supposed to go up to Mir next year to prepare it for its gradual descent and eventual breakup in the atmosphere. But upon his return to Earth over the weekend, Afanasyev expressed fears that Mir might not be in any condition to receive a docking craft next year. Maybe they should just dispatch it with a photon torpedo. [Wired News]
Low Finance - It's estimated that there are 200 billion pennies in circulation out there, but thanks to people hoarding them in jars, piggy banks, and socks, there's actually a shortage of the damned things. Although small merchants and banks feel the pinch first, a penny shortage is believed to be symptomatic of a robust economy, CNN reports. It's when you've got them coming out of your ears that you should start to worry. So a penny for your thoughts. [Wired News]
Lusty Canucks - Is it the mating season in the Great White North? Whatever the reason, American cities and towns bordering Canada are being inundated by hordes of randy Canadians on the prowl for Viagra, the sex drug that remains unavailable in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and those other hotbeds of carnal craving. According to the Associated Press, Canadians account for as much as 80 percent of Viagra sales at US pharmacies near the border. What's going on up there, anyway? [Wired News]
Main Man - William Shakespeare, picked as Britain's man of the millennium in a poll of BBC radio listeners, was hailed Saturday as an international superstar. But scientists felt Charles Darwin or Isaac Newton should have taken the prize. As one said, Shakespeare told us "what we already know but in a very beautiful way, whereas Newton and Darwin transformed the way we thought about humanity and the world."b [Wired News]
Mall Rats - In an attempt to rid an Australian mall of loitering teens, the Wollongong shopping center south of Sydney is hitting teenagers where it hurts. Mall-goers are being treated to a musical diet of all Bing Crosby, all the time. The mid-century crooner seems to be working like a charm. Teens are leaving the mall in droves, calling the music "damn annoying." For those who are braving through the endless renditions of Crosby's "My Heart Is Taking Lessons," the mall-owners have another trick up their sleeve. Pink fluorescent lights that highlight pimples. [Wired News]
Managing Monica - House prosecutors grilled Monica Lewinsky for a couple of hours on Sunday, characterizing the session as "very constructive" even though she offered no revelations. As agreed, no sexual details were discussed. Instead, they asked about the timing of President Clinton's gifts to her and conversations between her and Clinton about how Lewinsky would respond to a subpoena in the Paula Jones case. The real point, though, was to establish the need to call witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial, and that issue may be decided Monday. [Wired News]
Mandela Farewell - Nelson Mandela exited the world stage Wednesday, hailed as a man who chose reconciliation over revenge, thus easing South Africa's transition from apartheid to majority rule. Mandela joined the country's new president, Thabo Mbeki, at the latter's swearing-in ceremony in Pretoria, a gala that was attended by a number of world leaders. Mbeki praised the 81-year-old Mandela as the man who "pulled our country out of the abyss and placed it on the pedestal of hope on which it rests today." As Mandela heads off on a "secret holiday retreat" arranged by his wife, Mbeki must now contend with South Africa's welter of problems, including widespread poverty and a soaring crime rate. [Wired News]
Many Hats, One Ring - Lamar Alexander has taken the plunge, while Elizabeth Dole continues advancing steadily, if slowly, toward announcing her candidacy for president. Alexander joins former vice president Dan Quayle, New Hampshire senator Bob Smith, and conservative gadfly Pat Buchanan in an increasingly crowded Republican field, while Dole and Texas Governor George W. Bush pussyfoot around with exploratory committees. On the Democratic side, Al Gore has done everything but confirm that he'll be running, and he'll be the odds-on favorite for the nomination when he does. On Tuesday, Gore said his campaign (if there is one) will be "about the American people." That's probably vague enough to get the ball rolling. [Wired News]
Market Watch - US stocks surged in early Monday trading, led by computer and Internet-related stocks, on optimism about the growth of the economy in the new year. The Wired Index rose 12.07 to 579.31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 125.39 to 9306.82, and the Nasdaq advanced 31.22 to a record 2223.91. [Wired News]
|
