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US researchers have made a step towards understanding why some natural clays are antibacterial, boosting the chances that they could one day be used as alternatives to antibiotic drugs. According to the researchers, the clays supply iron that kills bacteria by generating radicals that attack cell components.People have used clays throughout history for healing. More recently, patients in Ivory Coast suffering from a flesh-eating disease known as Buruli ulcer were treated with French green clays. The clays appeared to ease the swelling of the lesions like an antibiotic, but no-one knew how they did it.Lynda Williams and colleagues at Arizona State University in Tempe came...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Outside the U.S. Supreme Court, speakers blared with the frantic strums of guitars and the voices of four young men singing gospel songs — rock and roll style. Donning shaggy beards and seated on a makeshift stage, the four were among thousands of pro-life Christian activists protesting the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion. Out on the streets, a small band of Yale students led a different chant. Glory, glory, hallelujah! In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea,” the Yalies’ voices sang in harmony,...

In the film The Devil's Advocate, Satan poses as a powerful attorney bent on undermining man through the law. When he finally reveals himself to the main character toward the movie's end, he delivers a self-adulatory monologue during which he proudly states, "I'm a fan of man. I'm a humanist. Maybe the last humanist." Speaking of devilish actions, by now most Americans have heard of Clay Duke (no relation!), the gunman who opened fire at a Panama City, Florida school board meeting. We know that he was upset about his wife's dismissal from a district job and that he wanted...

Jerusalem, July 11, 2010 -- A tiny clay fragment – dating from the 14th century B.C.E. – that was found in excavations outside Jerusalem's Old City walls contains the oldest written document ever found in Jerusalem, say researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The find, believed to be part of a tablet from a royal archives, further testifies to the importance of Jerusalem as a major city in the Late Bronze Age, long before its conquest by King David, they say. The clay fragment was uncovered recently during sifting of fill excavated from beneath a 10th century B.C.E. tower...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/news2010/harrison.ind.htm JULY 9, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BLACK MARKET TRAVEL AGENTS 38 DEFENDANTS INDICTED IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD LOCAL INVESTIGATION EXPOSES NATIONWIDE NETWORK THAT USED STOLEN IDENTITIES, CREDIT CARDS TO PURCHASE AIRLINE TICKETS KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that 38 defendants from across the United States have been charged in a series of indictments that allege an extensive network of black market travel agents who used the stolen identities of thousands of victims as part of a multi-million dollar fraud scheme...

Art Clokey, the creator of the whimsical clay figure Gumby, died in his sleep Friday at his home in Los Osos, Calif., after battling repeated bladder infections, his son Joseph said. He was 88. Clokey and his wife, Ruth, invented Gumby in the early 1950s at their Covina home shortly after Art had finished film school at USC. After a successful debut on "The Howdy Doody Show," Gumby soon became the star of its own hit television show, "The Adventures of Gumby," the first to use clay animation on television.

For more than a decade, the rent-to-own industry has watched as 20 separate pieces of federal legislation it supported failed in Congress. After years of frustration, it decided to assert itself more aggressively. Already a major political donor, the $6.3 billion-a-year industry paid lobbyists to "put a human face" on its case and looked for new ways to sow good will with key Democratic lawmakers, who were wary of an industry that rents equipment such as televisions, appliances, computers, furniture and refrigerators to people -- often low-income consumers -- with the option to buy them later. For instance, the Association...

Clay Aiken, 29, is confirming what many people thought: He's gay. The cover of the latest People magazine shows Aiken holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, with the headline: "Yes, I'm Gay." The cover also has the quote: "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things." Magazine officials said there is an interview with Aiken and confirmed he was on the cover but refused to release the article until today. The baby's mother is Aiken's friend and record producer Jaymes Foster. Aiken, who gained fame as the runner-up on "American Idol" in 2003, rarely addressed the frequent...

Politics Not Off Limits This 9/11 September 11, 2008 BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Kelly in St. George, Utah, welcome to the EIB Network. Nice to have you with us. CALLER: Hi, Rush. RUSH: Hi. CALLER: How brilliant of you, not only to talk about September 11th like the left tells us that we can't, but to use it against them as you should and carefully outline their turpitude. RUSH: Well, thank you. If you're just joining us, I led off the program today with my thoughts on 9/11, and then my thoughts since 9/11. And I just recounted some of...

British scientists have deciphered a mysterious ancient clay tablet and believe they have solved a riddle over a giant asteroid impact more than 5,000 years ago. Geologists have long puzzled over the shape of the land close to the town of Köfels in the Austrian Alps, but were unable to prove it had been caused by an asteroid. Now researchers say their translation of symbols on a star map from an ancient civilisation includes notes on a mile-wide asteroid that later hit Earth - which could have caused tens of thousands of deaths. The circular clay tablet was discovered 150...

A cuneiform clay tablet that has puzzled scholars for over 150 years has been translated for the first time. The tablet is now known to be a contemporary Sumerian observation of an asteroid impact at Köfels, Austria and is published in a new book, 'A Sumerian Observation of the Köfels' Impact Event.' The giant landslide centred at Köfels in Austria is 500m thick and five kilometres in diameter and has long been a mystery since geologists first looked at it in the 19th century. The conclusion drawn by research in the middle 20th century was that it must be...

It has always been believed, but never proven that French clay can kill several varieties of bacteria that cause diseases. Today, a researcher at Arizona State University at Tempe is leading a study to show why certain minerals kill certain bacteria. French clay has been shown to kill Mycobacterium ulcerans, or M. Ulcerans, which is so epidemical in Africa. It also treats Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is responsible for deadly infections that are difficult to treat. Furthermore, it has been known for thousands of years that people have used clay for healing wounds, helping indigestion, and killing intestinal worms....

Where can you go to see a cool example of nanotechnology? Well, just about everywhere. A new study reveals that plain old concrete, the most common human-made material on the planet, owes its properties to its nanoscale structure. Down the road, this new understanding could lead to novel forms of concrete that require less energy and CO2 to generate and might allow researchers to engineer its properties much as they have done with advanced steel alloys. Concrete isn't what comes to mind when most people think of nanomaterials. It's the oldest engineered construction material and was first used by the...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2006 -- Two military relief agencies received a total of $30,000 here yesterday, the proceeds of a July clay shooting event in New York. John O'Connor (center), president of the Pawling Mountain Club, presents a check to Retired Sgt. Maj. Steve Broadway (left), of Army Emergency Relief. John Alexander, a representative of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, looks at the check he just received. O'Connor's club sponsored the Pawling Mountain Invitational sporting clay event, which raised about $30,000 in donations for the two organizations. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The...

Minerals help molecules thought to have been essential for early life to form. A team of US scientists may have found the 'primordial womb' in which the first life on Earth was incubated. Lynda Williams and colleagues at Arizona State University in Tempe have discovered that certain types of clay mineral convert simple carbon-based molecules to complex ones in conditions mimicking those of hot, wet hydrothermal vents (mini-volcanoes on the sea bed). Such complex molecules would have been essential components of the first cell-like systems on Earth. Having helped such delicate molecules to form, the clays can also protect them...

Study suggests steps a planet must go through for complex animal life to arise. Clay made animal life possible on Earth, a UC Riverside-led study finds. A sudden increase in oxygen in the Earth’s recent geological history, widely considered necessary for the expansion of animal life, occurred just as the rate of clay formation on the Earth’s surface also increased, the researchers report. “Our study shows for the first time that the initial soils covering the terrestrial surface of Earth increased the production of clay minerals and provided the critical geochemical processes necessary to oxygenate the atmosphere and support multicellular...

Fri Sep 16, TORONTO (AFP) - Being made of clay will not keep the stars of "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" movie from seeking an Oscar, said their creator Nick Park. Park was denied a prize for his last clay animation movie "Chicken Run" in 2000, despite being widely acclaimed, because the Academy Awards did not have a best animation motion picture category then. It has since been added. "I do like shiny pieces of metal," Park said at the North American premiere of his first feature-length film starring the screwball inventor and his clever dog at...

<p>September 17, 2002 -- NEW Jersey voters already concerned about Sen. Robert Torricelli's low ethical threshold now learn that he's been a paid shill for a group the government identifies as a terrorist organization. Called on this by his Republican opponent, Douglas Forrester, in a debate Thursday, Torricelli said the group had been pulled from the State Department's global terror list and given a clean bill of health. Not true.</p>

Democrats look to higher power MUNSTER: Lake County party leaders seek prayers for guidance in decisions BY ELIZABETH EAKEN eeaken@nwitimes.com 219.933.4183 This story ran on nwitimes.com on Thursday, June 30, 2005 12:37 AM CDT MUNSTER | Leaders in the Lake County Democratic Party are turning to God to help them solve the problems of Northwest Indiana. Lake County Democratic Chairman Rudy Clay, joined by Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, visited the Family Christian Center and asked more than 1,000 people at Wednesday night's service to pray for them. They said they want the guidance of...

TINY robots that can turn into any shape - from a replica human to a banana to a mobile phone - are being developed by scientists in the United States. The new science of claytronics, which will use nanotechnology to create tiny robots called catoms, should enable three-dimensional copies of people to be "faxed" around the world for virtual meetings. A doctor could also consult with a patient over the phone, even taking their pulse by holding the wrist of the claytronic replica, reports New Scientist. And the nano "clay" could be carried around, shape-shifting into virtually anything when required....

A researcher has discovered unexpectedly large amounts of dandruff and other flaking skin, fur, pollen and similar materials in air pollutants known as aerosols. Aerosols, tiny particles in the air, are widely studied because they are an important factor in regulating climate, variously absorbing heat to warm the air and reflecting sunlight to cool it. They are also important in forming rain and snow. But the amount of cellular material — bacteria, plant fragments, spores, fungi and so forth — had been thought to be only a small proportion compared with mineral dusts, clay and sea salt. Now, Ruprecht Jaenicke...

THE United States yesterday announced it was suspending its funding of Kenya’s anti- corruption measures, amid a mounting sleaze crisis in the country.The British government said it was also reviewing contributions, following the resignation of Kenya’s leading anti-corruption official. The announcement is the latest setback for the government of Mwai Kibaki as he attempts to roll back 24 years of rampant sleaze under the former regime of Daniel Arap Moi. His most senior corruption fighter, John Githongo, resigned on Monday amid mounting international criticism that Kenya was dragging its feet on reform. Yesterday, William Bellamy, the US ambassador to Kenya,...

PARIS - A Frenchman lost in a labyrinth of disused mushroom caves said he had survived 35 days by eating rotten wood and clay, after being rescued only thanks to a teachers’ strike. Jean-Luc Josuat-Verges, 48, told French newspapers he had gone to the deserted caves at Madiran in the Pyrenees in December seeking isolation during a spell of depression....

JOE ALLOWAY PREDICTED WINNER OVER PAVLOV IN MICHIGAN 81 –POLL: JOE ALLOWAY’S EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE BEATS OUT PHIL PAVLOV PORT HURON, MI, July 26, 2004 (NEWSWIRE) -- The latest poll of voters in this crucial MichiganState House swing District 81 has Joe Alloway-R (Port Huron Township) the predicted winner over St. Clair’s Phil Pavlov, and Yale’s Steve Pray with a greater than 9-percent margin. The poll of 600 likely Republican voters in St. Clair County Michigan’s State Representative District 81 countywide found Alloway with a solid lead with Education, Experience and USMC background over underqualified Phil Pavlov-R (St. Clair).

In a sworn statement to be made public Tuesday, University of Colorado President Elizabeth Hoffman said a four-letter word used toward women can sometimes be used as a "term of endearment." The comment comes from Hoffman's latest sworn testimony in connection with a federal lawsuit against the university. The suit was filed by women who say they were sexually assaulted by CU football players and recruits. A lawyer for one of the women asked Hoffman about former CU kicker Katie Hnida being called the "c- word" by a teammate. That player was later disciplined by coach Gary Barnett for making...

Jim Stork Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Florida - 22nd District Jim Stork (D) is challenging Rep. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R) from Florida’s 22nd Congressional District. Shaw’s last strong challenge was in 2000 when he won by a mere 494 votes and Gore beat Bush by a solid 6%. Once again, the District will be a top turnout target for Democrats in this year’s presidential election. In March of 2002, Jim Stork, at the time new to politics, won a stunning victory in the race for mayor of Wilton Manors, Florida, defeating an incumbent who had served for 14...

Ancient clay stamp seals and sealings of Sri Lanka by Rajah M. Wickremesinghe The world's oldest clay stamp seal had been unearthed in 1990 in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur. This city was situated in Southern Iraq along the river Euphrates, below present day Baghdad. The seal is attributed to a king of the 1st dynasty of Babylon circa 2550 BC. Sarah Kielt has in her work expressed the opinion that the various types of seals discovered by archaeologists can be dated from as far back as 6000 BC particularly in the ancient civilisations of the Near East. Roger...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Clay Aiken, the North Carolina native who warbled his way to the runner-up spot on "American Idol," heads the list of the "Ten Best-Mannered People of 2003" as named by the National League of Junior Cotillions. The league, based in Charlotte, is an etiquette and social training program for young people in the United States. The list released Tuesday was its 12th annual. The league said it chose Aiken "for his example of humility and politeness." Talk show host Oprah Winfrey (news) came in second "for the warmth and kindness she extends her guests." Gen. Tommy Franks,...

Frustrated by endless busy signals, American Idol's die-hard fans are voting a second time -- with their wallets. And this time the winner is runner-up Clay Aiken ........ As of June 4, Aiken was outselling Studdard FOUR TO ONE and selling twice as many singles as last year's winner, Kelly Clarkson, did during the same period.

New Hampshire mountain range to get name change A 'bump on a ridge' soon to be named Mount Reagan Associated Press MOUNT CLAY, N.H. (AP) — A peak that New Hampshire is naming for Ronald Reagan is one of the tallest in the White Mountain Range, at 5,553 feet, but it isn't exactly a popular hiking destination. The rocky summit doesn't even bulge high enough over its supporting treeless ridge to be a distinctive peak, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club, which doesn't include it on its list of peaks over 4,000 feet. "It's just a bump on a ridge,"...

Is Clay gay? You know we asked Advocate.com was on the scene in Los Angeles for the American Idol finale and couldn’t resist asking runner-up Clay Aiken backstage if he knew how many of his gay fans hope that he’s family too. By Alonso Duralde An Advocate.com exclusive posted May 22, 2003 OK, so when Fox offered me press credentials to attend the big climactic results show of the second season of American Idol, I figured I could write something funny for Advocate.com about fashion (season 1 finalist Christina Christian carried a small dog with her down the red carpet)...

Inside the American Idol Studio The weird vibe at the show's finale. By Michael Joseph Gross Posted Thursday, May 22, 2003, at 2:12 PM PT Fat Man and Little Boy: The bomb that is American Idol It was not like going to a rock concert. The Universal Amphitheatre was close to its capacity crowd of 6,189 for yesterday's broadcast of the American Idol season finale; and if the place was not, as sweet-and-sour host Ryan Seacrest joked, "jam-packed with Hollywood freeloaders," it also wasn't exactly packed with true fans. I tried to pick out people who looked like they had...

just the updated header for now..rumours of delayed phone calls on Clay Aiker's ATT line while the calls went right throgh for Reuben

Coke or Pepsi? Potatoes or stuffing? What do you guys think?

Live thread for comments on the American Idol finals Tuesday night, May 20, 2003!!!!

WARRIORS OF CLAY BY JARRETT A. LOBELL Terra-cotta cavalrymen lead the way followed by hundreds of chariots and infantrymen. Archaeologists are unsure why the figures at the front of the pit face toward the oncoming cavalry. (Wu Xiang) (Pictures Below) For more exclusive images, see the March/April 2003 issue of ARCHAEOLOGY. undreds of foot-tall terra-cotta warriors, along with horses and chariots, have been discovered in four burial pits at a Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) tomb complex some three hundred miles south of Beijing. The ongoing discovery of additional figure-bearing pits has led experts to believe the site may cover...

Unearthed: the humble origins of world diplomacy By David Keys, Archaeology Correspondent 19 January 2003 Archaeologists have discovered evidence of an invasion of the Middle East by one of the world's first superpowers, which destroyed much of the region 33 centuries ago. Under the ruins of a 3,800-year-old royal palace in western Syria they have found part of an ancient diplomatic and administrative library, the most important archaeological discovery of its kind for more than 20 years. Accounts on clay tablets describe the region's conquest by one of the Bronze Age's superpowers, the Hittite Empire, in 1340BC. This helped to...

Clay, Marshall release dueling polls By Don Schanche Jr. Telegraph Staff Writer As Calder Clay III's pollster sees it, GOP candidate Clay is within 7 percentage points of catching up to his Democratic rival Jim Marshall in the race for the 3rd Congressional District seat. But Marshall's own pollster says Marshall has a 17-point lead over Clay. Less than three weeks from the Nov. 5 general election, both campaigns offered a glimpse of what their strategists know or believe about the likely behavior of likely voters. It began Wednesday morning when Clay's campaign released the cover letter to a poll...

<p>SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) --Captain Cook fans who credit the English explorer-adventurer with the formal "discovery" of eastern Australia may have to think again.</p> <p>History teacher Greg Jefferys said on Tuesday he believed he had found remains of a Portuguese warship buried under a beach in what is now the state of Queensland and he had dated the wreck to as much as 200 years before James Cook landed in Botany Bay.</p>

<p>U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. and other local Democrats are calling for an apology from Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond for his allegations of vote fraud during the November 2000 election.</p> <p>The U.S. Justice Department plans a lawsuit against the St. Louis Election Board, alleging thousands of eligible voters were turned away while trying to cast their ballots in the general election.</p>