XIAM007 - Making Unique Observations in a Very Cluttered World: 08/12/11

Friday, 12 August 2011

Rep. Phillip Hinkle 64 yrs old Implicated In Sordid E-Mail Sex Scandal - attempting to pay for sex with a 18 yr-old man -

With Weinergate calmed down, we've been due for the next political sex scandal: Rep. Phillip Hinkle, come on down!

A new report from The Indianapolis Star puts the 64-year-old, six-term Republican lawmaker in a sordid Internet sex scandal, as emails obtained by the paper suggest he was attempting to pay for sex with a 18-year-old man named Kameryn Gibson. (Hinkle recently cast his vote supporting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.)

Based off emails, the paper reported that Hinkle responded to a Craigslist ad Gibson placed under the banner M4M (men for men) Casual Encounters. The ad -- featuring a picture of a shirtless Gibson -- was posted at 7:37 a.m. Saturday.

Less than an hour later (47 minutes, to be exact), Gibson told the paper he received a response from the email address phinkle46@comcast.net with an email signature that read "Sent from Phil's iPad."

In the exchange, phinkle46@comcast.net wrote, "Cannot be a long time sugar daddy but can for tonight. Would you be interested in keeping me company for a while tonight? ... I am an in shape married professional, 5'8", fit 170 lbs, and love getting and staying naked."

Gibson replied and the two negotiated over a price to meet -- $80 and a tip -- before agreeing on a number. After a few more emails over the details, they arranged to have their rendezvous at the JW Marriott hotel.

When they met, Gibson told the newspaper, the Indiana State Representative picked him up, gave him a room key, and told him to meet him upstairs, as they couldn't been seen together. Gibson said Hinkle showed up about 15 minutes later, changed into nothing but a towel, and revealed to him his high-profile job, even showing him his ID.

"My eyes got big," Gibson told the paper. "I didn't really know what to say, so I didn't say anything.

Gibson said he told Hinkle he wanted to back out but Hinkle refused to, telling him, "You need to do this, because I came and got you, and I'm not taking you back until we do what we need to do."

Gibson said Hinkle grabbed him, dropped his towel and sat down on the bed naked, exposing himself.

Gibson contacted his sister Megan to come get him and when she arrived, Gibson claims, more heated words were exchanged, and Hinkle offered up his iPad, a Blackberry and $100 in cash to quiet them. (They accepted it.)

Megan Gibson told the paper that after she and her brother left the hotel, she received a barrage of calls from Hinkle and his family members on the Blackberry he gave her, offering as much as $10,000 for her silence.

Megan said she took the story to the paper because she felt his actions were "creepy" and should be publicly known, given his position.

Asked if he was aware of the emails, Hinkle told the paper, "I am aware of a shakedown taking place."

Hinkle's office issued the following statement Wednesday: "Representative Hinkle is aware of the inquiries by The Indianapolis Star and we are investigating the matter at this time.

"We request that everyone respect the privacy of the family at this time."

Read more -
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/08/representative-phillip-hinkle-implicated-sex-scandal

Who wants to marry a cannibal? - Indonesia's most infamous (reformed) cannibal is lonely and is ready for love -

Who wants to marry a cannibal? - Indonesia's most infamous (reformed) cannibal is lonely and is ready for love -
Indonesia cannibal 2011 08 12

A cannibal infamous for digging up and consuming the corpse of an old woman is ready for love, the Jakarta Post reports.

But Sumanto, still in rehabilitation on the island of Java, has standards.

"The most important thing is that [she] is a woman and can cook," he told the Post, adding that he also wants someone "religiously devout" and good with kids.

But she doesn't have to be beautiful, he said.

Ladies, however, should take caution: a fascinating profile of Sumanto published by Agence France Presse in 2009 suggests he's not such a catch.

Neighbors still recall the man's "fang-like teeth, forked tongue and diet of cats, cockroaches and lizards," according to AFP.

Said one neighbor: "There'll be chaos if he ever comes back. I don't want him to kill me and have

Texas Congressman Ron Paul has won the first-ever online Iowa straw poll, capturing a commanding 44% -

Texas Congressman Ron Paul has won the first-ever online Iowa straw poll, capturing a commanding 44% of the over 6,000 votes cast in an online poll sponsored by Iowa Congressman Tom Latham's campaign. The results of the two-week online poll (located at: onlineiowastrawpoll.com) were announced one day before Saturday's Ames Straw Poll, which is considered by most as the first real test of a presidential candidate's organizational strength in Iowa.

The results of the online poll promoting Saturday's big event for the Republican Party of Iowa were:

1st - Ron Paul with 44% of the unique online votes

2nd - Herman Cain 16%

3rd - Michele Bachmann 10%

4th - Rick Perry 8%

5th - (TIE) Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney 5%

7th - Sarah Palin 4%

8th - "Someone Else" 3%

9th - Rick Santorum 2%

10th - (Tie) Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich with 1% of the unique online votes

It should be noted that Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin are not yet officially announced candidates for the GOP nomination and will not appear as options on Saturday's actual straw poll ballot in Ames.

"I congratulate Ron Paul and his campaign on this victory," said Iowa Congressman Tom Latham whose campaign for Iowa's new Third Congressional District sponsored the poll. "Regardless of the results, the most important message of this online poll is that Iowans are united in their motivation to bring common sense back to Washington. And it's clear why. Americans are tired of paying for Washington's failed and costly policies. They are ready to fight for leaders who will put people before politics and progress before partisanship to change the way Washington works and the work that Washington does to restore the confidence in the American Dream."

The Iowa Republican Straw Poll will take place Saturday in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University. More details on the event can be found at: IowaGOP.org

Rick Perry is the Neocon Warmonger Choice for President - aligned himself with Bush era neocons, arranged by D. Rumsfeld -

On Wednesday, Josh Rogin, writing for Foreign Policy, noted that Texas governor Rick Perry, who will announce his presidential candidacy on Saturday in South Carolina, has aligned himself with a number of Bush era neocons.

Perry has “reached out” to the likes of Douglas Feith and William Luti. The meetings were arranged by Donald Rumsfeld, according to Politico.

Perry is the “defense-minded but internationally engaged candidate, contrasting himself with the realism of Jon Huntsman, the ever-changing stance of Mitt Romney, or the Tea Party budget cutting focus of Michelle Bachmann and Ron Paul,” writes Rogin.

“He will distinguish himself from other Republicans as a hawk internationalist, embracing American exceptionalism and the unique role we must play in confronting the many threats we face,” said a foreign policy advisor. “He has no sympathy for the neo-isolationist impulses emanating from some quarters of the Republican Party.”

After posing as the anti-war and peace candidate, Obama continued the Bush era neocon agenda. Establishment Democrats have not engaged in the same rhetorical flourishes as the Bush neocons – as defined by Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld – but their foreign policy is almost identical to that of Obama’s predecessor in the White House.

15 Tips for Avoiding Hotel Bedbugs - Make sure the only thing your taking home with you are new memories -

If you're sleeping somewhere other than home, beware. Bedbug prevalence is on the rise, and hotels and motels are some of their favorite hangouts. These pesky critters can cause severe itching and welt-like bites, and it's costly to get rid of them if they follow you home. What's more, research suggests they can cause financial distress, anxiety, and social isolation. But no need to get depressed just yet. With these easy tips, you can cut your chances of critter trouble while on the road.

1. Head Straight for the BathroomBefore you check out your hotel room's mini bar or oceanfront view, give it a thorough bedbug inspection—and until you've done that, stash your luggage in the lobby. "Bedbugs are least likely to be found in the bathroom," says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association. "They don't like the tile floors and there aren't as many hiding places. They like to be closer to where people may be sleeping."

2. Inspect the BedHere's how to check for a bedbug infestation: Pull back the linens, and check all the way around and under the mattress and behind the headboard. Look for blood stains or small black dots that look like mold or ground pepper, says Christine Johnson, Ph.D., a behavioral ecologist in the American Museum of Natural History's Division of Invertebrate Zoology, in New York City. Check for the critters too. Bedbugs are about the size and shape of anapple seed, and you may find them hiding in corners or seams of the bedding. If you see any suspicious signs, alert the hotel staff immediately.

3. Check The RoomNext, broaden your bedbug search to the area immediately surrounding the bed: behind picture frames, under the telephone and alarm clock, and even in books, says Johnson.Studies have shown that most bedbugs are found in or within 15 feet of a bed, but some may still be further away. Check in the cushions and seams of any couches or soft chairs, and in the closet before putting your clothes away.

4. Keep Luggage Off the GroundLeaving suitcases and bags on the floor—or on a second spare bed—may be one way to bring home an unwanted souvenir, says Henriksen."Bedbugs can travel (from) room to room, so even if initially you don't have them, they could be in the room next to yours and they may come looking for meal sources," she says. For the duration of your trip, keep your bags on the desktop, on top of the dresser, or on a luggage rack in the room. (Don't leave clothing lying out, either!)

5. Wrap Suitcases in PlasticFor extra protection, keep your suitcase encased in plastic during your trip, says Henriksen. Storage and luggage retailers also sell zip-up bags specifically for this purpose."I've even seen people traveling with garbage bags wrapped around their suitcases," Henriksen says. This precaution can protect your belongings not only in your hotel room, but also in transit; bedbugs can also hide in airplanes, trains, and taxis.

6. Teach Kids Hotel Protocol Tell your children why you're inspecting the hotel room and what you're looking for. "We teach kids our concerns about other insects, like bees and mosquitoes; bedbugs should be on that list as well," says Henriksen. Also watch for traces of white powder, says Johnson; it could be a pesticide used to treat a previous problem."Insecticides aren't good for anyone, especially young children, and you might want to ask for another room or switch hotels if you think you're being exposed."

7. Move Two Floors AwayAny suspicious marking or evidence of bugs should be enough to warrant a new room, and when it comes to a bedbug scare, hotel staff should be more than willing to oblige. Request that your new room be at least two floors away from the initial room, says Henriksen, because chances are good that the bugs may spread via the wallboards or electrical sockets.

8. Speak UpIf you don't like to make waves, it may be tempting to stick with the room you've got, despite a little dirt on the mattress. "Now's the time to be a little bolder and ask the right questions," says Henriksen. "You do not want to be a victim, especially when most hotels will move you without question and will do a proper inspection right away. They don't want their guests to leave the hotel with bedbugs and they don't want the problem to go untreated, either."

9. Ask About Bedbug Prevention PlansPrior to check-in, ask the hotel what practices they've put in place to deal with bedbug prevention and treatment."The overwhelming majority of businesses in the hospitality industry are doing a great job in having an action plan in place to protect themselves and their guests," says Henriksen. Many hotels conduct proactive inspections and work with pest management companies to quickly remedy any problems.

10. Read Reviews (Cautiously)With a little Internet research, it's easy to find out if bedbugs have been reported at your hotel. Don't put too much stock in these resources, though, warns Henriksen. "There's no accountability for what people are posting," she says. "It could be a disgruntled employee or a competing property. And even if the hotel does have a room with a problem, they will jump on it right away. Just because one guest room has a problem on Saturday, it certainly doesn't mean they'll be there on Wednesday or that it's a hotel-wide problem."

11. Pitch a TentOne way to make sure bugs aren't lurking in your bed on vacation? Bring your lodging with you. "Bedbugs are hitchhikers," says Henriksen. "They come into your life based on you being somewhere else where they are." Because of this, there's little chance you'll come in contact with them if you're pitching a tent in the woods, for example, or traveling in your own mobile home.

12. Have a Post-Vacation PlanWhen you return home from vacation, wash all your clothing—even the items you didn't wear—in hot water. Bedbugs can't survive in temperatures above 122 degrees Fahrenheit, says Henriksen, so this will assure they don't take up residence in your drawers and closets. (Sending delicates to the dry cleaner will work, too.) Inspect and vacuum out your suitcases before storing them away, as well—and if you've invested in a plastic luggage case, keep it sealed up until you need it next.

13. Watch for Bedbug Bite MarksBite marks are one sign that you may have brought bedbugs home with you, says Henriksen. "They often bite in a line-shaped pattern, in threes: In the industry we call that breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Itching or bites alone aren't enough to confirm an infestation, however. If you experience these symptoms, you'll need a professional home evaluation before you can seek treatment.

14. Call a Professional"Bedbugs are not a do-it-yourself pest," says Henriksen. If you suspect that you've brought home bedbugs from a recent vacation, call a pest-management service to conduct an inspection. A professional will look around your bed for signs of the insects, and may use a bedbug-sniffing dog if he can't identify the source. Once an infestation is confirmed, he may use heat, freezing, vacuuming, or steaming methods to clear your home.

15. Don't Make Yourself CrazyBedbugs have been found in all 50 states, in many locations—rural, urban, and suburban. "They're an equal-opportunity pest," says Henriksen. "They can be in budget properties as well as four-star resorts." But there's no reason to douse yourself, your kids, or your home with insecticides, says Johnson."Panic and paranoia doesn't help at all," adds Henriksen. "Vigilance is the most important thing—following the checklist, doing an inspection—and those are the things that are going to minimize your likelihood of an infestation."

US Skier Tossed Off Team After Allegedly Urinating on Girl During Flight -

An 18-year-old was dismissed from the U.S. Ski Team's development squad after he was accused of getting drunk and then urinating on a fellow passenger aboard a JetBlue flight.
Robert "Sandy" Vietze, of Warren, Vt., was detained by police at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday morning after arriving on a red-eye flight from Portland, Ore.

He faces a federal misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn.
"Based on the information we have, Sandy Vietze is in violation of the USSA code of conduct and team agreement, and has been dismissed from the team," U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Executive Vice President of Athletics Luke Bodensteiner said in an email sent to The Associated Press on Friday.
The New Post reported that the splashed flier was a sleeping 11-year-old girl. The youngster was traveling with her sister and father on the flight, and had been left alone for a few minutes while the others used the lavatories. Vietze stumbled from his seat five rows behind her and emptied his bladder, a witness told the newspaper.
"I was drunk, and I did not realize I was p***ing on her leg," Vietze said, according to law-enforcement sources. He later claimed to have consumed eight alcoholic beverages, the Post reports.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/12/man-allegedly-urinates-on-11-year-old-girl-during-flight-to-new-york/?test=faces

Did media cover up Sen. Durbin's confrontation with reporter? -

This week U.S. Senator Dick Durbin held a press conference with members of the mainstream media to talk about the downgrade crisis. But the Senator’s scripted storyline veered off-course when a conservative reporter – me – showed up to ask an embarrassing question. Namely, “Senator, you’ve blamed the tea party…but do you bear any responsibility for this downgrade crisis?”

What, you didn’t hear about this incident in the media? For those of you that need more proof that journalism is dead, read on.

Monday was another beautiful day for a mainstream media cover-up in Chicago. But it would not have been complete without a picnic-basket full of hypocrisy from our very own U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois.

You may remember Dick.

He’s the Senator that hysterically compared the treatment of the Gitmo detainees to Nazis, Soviet gulags, and Pol Pot. While calling for an end to “hateful” rhetoric, he’s the one who wrongfully pointed his crooked finger at the Tea Party Movement and Gov. Sarah Palin, blaming them for the Tucson massacre and the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Recently, he’s the one that, hypocritically, accused the Tea Party Republicans of “political extortion” in the debt ceiling debate.

While the markets were tanking – Durbin took some time out to have a press conference and dish to his friends in the Chicago media about the S&P downgrade of our nation’s sterling credit rating.

Given his history, I expected more of the same accusatory rhetoric about the tea party from Durbin. Since the report of the downgrade hit the newswires last Friday, members of Durbin’s party have been in full anti-tea party spin control.

“The fact of the matter is that this is essentially a tea party downgrade,” said former White House advisor David Axelrod on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Sen. John Kerry must have received the same memo. “This is the tea party downgrade,” said Kerry on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

I went to Durbin’s press conference to set the record straight. My objective: some journalistic balance. Not only did Durbin refuse to answer the question but his cronies in the Chicago media went on the attack.

City REMOVES 2,400 Street Lights to Save Money... -

The city of Rockford is getting a little darker under a plan to save $500,000 by removing 2,400 streetlights.

The Rockford Register Star reports that city officials and ComEd crews have already removed more than a third of the targeted streetlights.

Alderman Linda McNeely says some residents are unhappy with the plan. She says they're complaining that it is too dark to see anything when they come home at night.

Marcy Leach is Rockford's engineering operations manager, and she says the city spent hundreds of hours determining which lights to remove to make sure adequate light remains.

Leach says the Public Works Department is working with the Rockford police to make sure safety is maintained.

Dog comes home with human hand - launching a search that turned up the body -

A family dog in Mission brought home a severed human hand Thursday, launching a search that turned up the body of a suspected unauthorized immigrant, police said.

Sgt. Jody Tittle said police were called to a residence around 8:25 a.m. on reports that the family's black Labrador retriever had the hand in its mouth.

Police searched with the assistance of Border Patrol search dogs for about 21/2 hours before coming upon the body of a man near a canal.

Tittle said the body appeared to have been there two to three weeks, and that the man's clothing had paperwork leading officials to believe he was an immigrant.

Tittle said police were reaching out to the Mexican consulate for help identifying the body.

The case was being treated as a homicide pending an autopsy, Tittle said.

He said the body was found along a rural route that led back about a mile to the Rio Grande.

‘Angry Birds’ Maker May Seek Funds at $1.2B Valuation - plans to make a movie and sell stuffed animals and clothing -

Rovio Entertainment Oy, the Finnish creator of the “Angry Birds” mobile-phone game, is in talks to receive funding that would value the company at about $1.2 billion, two people with knowledge of the discussions said.

The Espoo, Finland-based game maker is considering taking a strategic investment from a company in the entertainment business, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. The name of the entertainment company couldn’t immediately be determined. Rovio has rejected similar offers from large institutional investors, the people said.

Rovio may use any new funds to fuel its expansion. The company plans to make an “Angry Birds” movie and open offices outside of Finland, and is seeking to capitalize on the popularity of its brand in countries such as China, where it aims to sell stuffed animals and clothing in 200 retail stores.

The most likely investors in Rovio include game developers Electronic Arts Inc. and Zynga Inc., and media giants News Corp. and Walt Disney Co., said Michael Pachter, managing director of research at Wedbush Securities Inc. These companies could help Rovio reach new audiences, he said.

“I can see how Disney would take ‘Angry Birds’ and turn them into a theme-park ride and a movie,” said Pachter, who is based in Los Angeles. “Zynga could take ‘Angry Birds’ and make it into ‘FarmVille.’”

Earlier Funding

In March, Rovio received $42 million in funding from investors including Skype Technologies SA co-founder Niklas Zennstrom’s Atomico as well as Facebook Inc. backer Accel Partners.

Sini Matikainen, a spokeswoman for Rovio, declined to comment on the company’s funding plans. Jeff Brown, a spokesman for Electronic Arts, declined to comment on potential investments. Dani Dudeck, a spokeswoman for Zynga, also declined to comment, as did Dan Berger, a spokesman for News Corp. in Los Angeles. Zenia Mucha, a spokeswoman for Disney, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Angry Birds” is one of several Web games to be offered on Google Inc.’s new social-networking site, the Mountain View, California-based company said in a blog post yesterday.

--With assistance from Ari Levy and Cliff Edwards in San Francisco and Andy Fixmer in Los Angeles and Diana ben-Aaron in Helsinki. Editors: Jillian Ward, Nick Turner

The blackest planet - Astronomers uncover alien world so 'extraordinarily dark' it makes coal look shiny -

The blackest planet - Astronomers uncover alien world so 'extraordinarily dark' it makes coal look shiny -
Black planet: This artist's impression shows TrES-2b, a planet so hot it glows red like embers, but is also officially the darkest known planet

Black planet: This artist's impression shows TrES-2b, a planet so hot it glows red like embers, but is also officially the darkest known planet

Astronomers have discovered the darkest known planet.
The exoplanet, known as TrES-2b, reflects less than 1 per cent of light, which makes it darker than any other planet or moon.
The discovery, detailed in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, was made by analysing data from Nasa's Kepler spacecraft, which provides extremely precise measurements on the brightnesses of faraway stars.

Black planet: This artist's impression shows TrES-2b, a planet so hot it glows red like embers, but is also officially the darkest known planet'TrES-2b is considerably less reflective than black acrylic paint, so it's truly an alien world,' David Kipping of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) told Science Daily.
TrES-2b, a gas exoplanet roughly the size of Jupiter, is around 750 light years away and was discovered in 2006 by the Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey; hence its less-than-catchy name.

The reason it differs from other similar-sized planets is that Jupiter, for example, is surrounded by ammonia clouds that reflect more than one third of its sunlight.TrES-2b has no ammonia clouds to reflect light because it is extremely hot.
It orbits its star - GSC 03549-02811 - at a relatively intimate five million kilometres, which means it exhibits temperatures of up to 1,000C.
Instead, it has an atmosphere made up of chemicals such as vaporized sodium, potassium and gaseous titanium oxide, which absorb light, but that still does not explain the planet's extreme blackness.

Read more -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2025150/TrES-2b-The-blackest-planet-space-uncovered-astronomers.html#ixzz1UpBRBnVi

Gov't pays for empty flights to rural airports - airlines get subsidies through $200M Essential Air Service program -

On some days, the pilots with Great Lakes Airlines fire up a twin-engine Beechcraft 1900 at the Ely, Nev., airport and depart for Las Vegas without a single passenger on board. And the federal government pays them to do it.

Federal statistics reviewed by The Associated Press show that in 2010, just 227 passengers flew out of Ely while the airline got $1.8 million in subsidies. The travelers paid $70 to $90 for a one-way ticket. The cost to taxpayers for each ticket: $4,107.

Ely is one of 153 rural communities where airlines get subsidies through the $200 million Essential Air Service program, and one of 13 that critics say should be eliminated from it. Some call the spending a boondoggle, but others see it as a critical financial lifeline to ensure economic stability in rural areas.

Steve Smith, executive director of the Jackson, Tenn., airport authority, also has seen empty or near empty flights take off, since the airlines get paid per flight, not per passenger. The subsidy amounted to $244 for each of the 2,514 people who flew out of Smith's airport last year, though few if any passengers knew that.

"They fly the empty plane so they can still get the money," Smith said.

The fight over the subsidies was a key sticking point that led to the recent political standoff in Washington that temporarily shut down the Federal Aviation Administration, putting thousands out of work for nearly two weeks. There were other disputes as well, such as a GOP proposal that would make it more difficult for airline workers to unionize.

Republicans got the EAS cuts they were looking for in last week's agreement - but with a major caveat. Subsidies to Ely, Jackson and 11 other communities are set to end, but Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has the authority to continue them if he decides it's necessary.

Rep. David McKinley, a Republican who came into office with tea party support, sided on the issue with Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a fellow West Virginian who has used his position as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to support the current funding.

Flights out of Morgantown, W.Va., were among those targeted by other Republicans. A $1 million subsidy amounted to about $52 for each of Morgantown's more than 10,000 passengers last year.

McKinley describes himself "as a small government, free-market focused owner of a small business," but said airports that receive subsidies "serve as crucial engines of job creation for many small towns and rural areas."

The EAS was created to ensure service on less profitable routes to remote communities when airlines were deregulated in 1978.

A spokesman for the Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment about the program, which has grown in scope and cost. In 1999 the EAS served 89 communities - 68 in the continental United States, one in Hawaii and 20 in Alaska. Today, it serves 45 in Alaska and 108 elsewhere, and over the last 10 years the budget quadrupled from $50 million to $200 million.

Japan to set up new nuclear watchdog - as Fukushima operators build massive tent to cover damaged reactor -

Japan is to establish a new nuclear watchdog under the country's Environment Ministry, as the fallout continues at the country's Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

Media reports in Japan say the government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Friday agreed the nuclear agency should fall under the remit of the Environment Ministry, and not the Cabinet.

According to The Japan Times, government sources said the Cabinet Office was dropped because it had close ties with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Japan's existing Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) is part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which actively promotes nuclear power.

It has come under criticism following the March earthquake and tsunami that devastated eastern Japan for failures in correctly supervising the industry, and its slow response to the nuclear meltdown.

Agence France Presse reports that the new agency will consist of several hundred officials, and is expected to be active by April next year.

Meanwhile legislation allowing Japan's central government to remove debris from from affected areas was also enacted on Friday.

The law means that the central government will meet 95 percent of the costs, with local governments to shoulder the remaining costs, reports The Japan Daily.

Bert and Ernie are straight after all - now they will go after the seven dwarfs from Snow White?.... -

It’s the question every kid wonders from when they are five years old – are Bert and Ernie gay? Well Sesame Street has “come out” to say they are straight.

The show producers issued a statement saying, “They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves.”

“Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics … they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.”

This controversy became a hot topic after an online petition was started to marry the two characters. However the show creators insist that will not happen.

Bert and Ernie are straight? Well this video says otherwise. Ernie just seems to concerned about Bert’s exercising.