Here is one for Vincas to look into, he at least might be able to. Several blogs talk about Choicepoint having allowed quite a bit of customer data to be stolen. See Michelle Malkin, Jackson’s Junction, and Ed Foster.

In other news:

“‘Minutemen’ to Patrol Arizona Border” talks about some people deciding to take on the problem of illegal immigration. This seems a less severe case of citizens taking matters into their own hands than one I heard about a while back in the state & national parks out west.

“Supreme Court to Hear Eminent Domain Case” talks about Connecticut citizens fighting to keep their homes.

I’m not sure what I think of either of these. I see the legitimacy of the state in creating zoning laws and changing them as the needs of the community change. I can also see where this could be abused. I understand citizens being frustrated with federal failure year after year; I read in history the problems of vigilantes. What is right? What is best? These are hard questions.

In looking at the Freedom of Religion:

“Judge drops all charges against Philly Christians” restores some semblance of sanity, this judge saw through the legal antics of those who would silence Christians. It is a rare piece of good news.

“Impeach Judge Napoleon Jones!” is on a nearly opposite note. This activist judge is on a crusade to remove the Boy Scouts from the public life over which he presides. The ACLU is eager to help him, with their well demonstrated hatred of all things Christian. Apparently city governments cannot form partnerships with the Boy Scouts to fund and maintain public parks.

“City appeals Commandments removal” is not primarily about that judge in Mississippi, as you might expect. Rather, it appears a similar thing is happening in Wisconsin. The local government there took what seems to me an unusual step in avoiding the necessity of removing the monument: it sold the monument and the land to a non-profit. Apparently even though this has worked in other cases, it is again being challenged. Good luck to those fighting to keep awareness of our Christian heritage alive.

This is part of a disturbing trend that David Limbaugh has spent considerable time documenting. There are consistent efforts to broaden the “Wall of Separation” that Jefferson wrote of. Somewhere recently I read about when this became precedent in the US Supreme Court, I am going to have to find that article again. Ah, this is a reminder of why I set this log up, the article in question is in my log, on Friday, 18th of February 2005. And surprise surprise, the ACLU was involved in removing religion from the public sphere here also! this article is a must read, I find myself wanting to quote nearly all of it.

Some news on the pro-life front today.

“Parents of Woman in Florida Lose Bid to Keep in Feeding Tube” and “Right-To-Die Case Hinges on Appeals Court” are talking about the Terri Schiavo case down in Florida. It appears that she is once again about to have her feeding tube removed. Pray for her and all involved.

“Latin America Fails to Deliver on Basic Needs” talks about a move in many Latin American countries to move back to public sector services to try to provide clean water and such for the people the private versions were failing to help. I applaud these governments for attempting to help their people, but given the record of failure of governments world wide and in this area specifically to be able to efficiently and effectively manage things, will this help?

Robots and cyborgs and modified muscles in today’s news. “Brain-controlled ‘robo-arm’ hope” talks about controlling a robot arm from probes embedded in a monkey’s brain. “Athlete cheats seek genetic boost” has a really wrongheaded focus. Athletes using drugs to build their bodies is nothing new. Being able to use gene therapy to modify the body is much more news worthy. Coupled together, these articles continue along a series of posts I have made in which we will eventually be forced to face questions of along the lines of “what constitutes life?” “What is human?” and “What is intelligence?”.

Michelle Malkin is correct, “Texan arrested; said he was after bin Laden bounty” is simply downright weird. If the guy is telling the truth, what in the world was he thinking? And what’s up with the FBI simply assuming he is lying? If he’s serious, he isn’t unreasonably equipped, though he sands no chance at success for all that. If he is lying, then you really want to ask what in the world was he thinking? Did he really think they would buy that excuse? Either way here we have lots of issues.

Quite a bit happening in the news today. A quick run down, I may come back to some of this in more depth later.

“New proof that man has caused global warming” apparently only human caused global warming fits the data according to the models they looked at.

“Gene map opens up uncharted territory” talks about using the genome to target certain diseases. This is so close to being able to target your biological weapons at certain populations that the scientist even realized it and tried to say they weren’t looking at race. Oh and what’s up with all the pink here? “DNA map to help target new drugs” has more on this.

“The Wall of Separation Between Church and State” fascinating article on why the “Separation of Church and State” is a myth that should be overturned. Also, interestingly, it isn’t even all that old an interpretation. Only 60 years or so. Sounds like its about the same time as the right to privacy mess started to be … um, my word choice here was about to be a little too coincidental.

“Bush to Sign Bill Curbing Lawsuits” affects class action law suits.

“Senate OKs Ban on Genetic Discrimination” sounds all Gatica like.

“Landlord Tosses Tear Gas Grenade in House” is weird.

“Judge Upholds Ban on Polygamous Marriage” about which I can only say “Thank goodness there is still some sanity.”

“New Robots Walk Like Humans” Title says it all.

Thank you for reading this addition of Luke’s random news. I hope you have found something of interest. This has been a presentation of Luke’s random news.

According to my mom, Michael won his first match at states!! If all goes well, I will be getting off at 4 today, I hope the first round takes a while. ;-)

So, according to “Oldest fossil ‘rabbit’ unearthed,” finding a fossil rabbit 20 million years earlier than any previous rabbit “adds weight to the idea that rabbit-like creatures first evolved no earlier than 65 million years ago.” I find this fascinating. If that confirms the theory, what would manage to call the theory into question (without actually constituting a contradiction of the theory)? Would anything? This is a prime example of why I do not like evolution. If something doesn’t happen, that proves it wasn’t designed. If something does, it proves it did evolve. <sarcasm>This sounds so incredibly scientific to you as well I am sure. </sarcasm>

“Judge OKs Taking Infant Off Life Support” was quickly followed by “Court Reinstates Infant Life-Support Order” such that you can only look at them together if you really want an accurate view of things. This is an incredibly sad story, in which society as sunk to the point that we have to fight in court, and fight such a close battle in court, for the chance for this little baby to have even his short life. I hope his mother’s craziness will not undermine her case.

More news on the case of the Chinese girl whose parents want to take her back from the couple who have been raising them. “Tenn. Court Gets Chinese Girl Custody Case” provides some details the previous article did not. This little girl is at risk of being taken from the only family she knows. I cannot but feel for both sides in this one, the parents who want their child back and the family that wants to stay together. As that sentence betrays, I think I am moving towards the side of the Bakers, who currently have the child. This is a tragedy all around however this case comes out, no need to wreck this child’s life as well as one couple or the other’s.