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The world's largest frozen peat bog is melting, which could speed the rate of global warming, New Scientist reports.

The huge expanse of western Siberia is thawing for the first time since its formation, 11,000 years ago.

The area, which is the size of France and Germany combined, could release billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
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Not quite as evocative as "Ten thousand years on the Shining Mountain", but yeah.

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Wal-Mart employees kill alleged shoplifter

Speaking of predatory lower animals, ever seen a Praying Mantis eat a hummingbird?

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Swedish Police Train Sperm-sniffing Dog.

US Government: "Foreigners in the USA have absolutely no rights, even if you're just passing through and never leaving the airport." At most, the official insists, white passengers *might* have a limited right to not be tortured by Americans. The U.S. Justice Department argues that even if torture does occur, U.S. officials can't be sued under the Torture Victims Protection Act

LA Times covers the "Swift Boating" of Cindy Sheehan. Remember, how do you tell when somebody is telling the truth? Republicans call them unpatriotic.

Ms Sheehan has met the president before, a few months after Casey died. She describes his behaviour as "disrespectful" and "inappropriate", saying he kept referring to her as "mom", could not remember Casey's name and acted as though he were at a party. Bush said he could not imagine losing a loved one like an aunt or uncle or cousin. She reminded him that Casey was her son.

Speaking of the US military, filing a request to be considered a Conscientious Objector is now a crime.

The Rolling Stones have an interesting new song on their next album, called "Sweet Neo Con". Sample lyrics: "You call yourself a Christian, I call you a hypocrite/You call yourself a patriot, well I think you're full of shit". "It is direct," Mick Jagger told Newsweek. "Keith said [he breaks into a dead-on Keith imitation], 'It's not really metaphorical.' I think he's a bit worried because he lives in the U.S." Jagger smiles "But I don't."

james_nicoll brilliantly captures the parallels between the scientific brilliance of Trofim Lysenko and that of the modern leaders in American education today.

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One can dream....

A "judicial watchdog" reports that a Chicago grand jury has returned indictments against Bush, Cheney, Rice, and other Taliban officials for perjury and obstruction of justice - naming USSC justices Rehnquist and Scalia as co-conspirators.

This comes from two sources (both referenced in the one article, however) and has not been independently corroborated yet. This article claims that Newsweek has the story slated to come out Monday.