CIA Letters Give Rationale for Torture: Stopping Terrorism

The Justice Department has told Congress that U.S. operatives trying to thwart terrorist attacks may use interrogation methods that might otherwise be barred under international law. The legal interpretation, outlined in recent letters, sheds new light on the still-secret rules for interrogations by the Central Intelligence Agency.

How savage pirates reign on the world's high seas

It has become the most dangerous strip of sea in the world with weekly attacks on European ships. Off the Somalian coast brutal pirates are hijacking luxury yachts, vast cruise liners and even food aid ships and demanding - and getting - huge ransoms. Xan Rice reports on the ancient menace that has become a modern peril

Obama's Prescient Judgment Again

Obama warned of the impending mortgage crisis a year ago. Here's the relevant letter on March 22, 2007. On this and on Iraq nd on Pakistan, his actual judgment simply put him on a level far beyond Clinton and McCain, let alone the current president. Judge for yourself:

Sharing Salary Figures on Facebook

A new generation is less afraid to flirt with what many over 35 consider the last taboo in American life: discussing salary openly with friends and colleagues.

The way to a man's heart? Through his left ear

Research suggests that declarations of love, jokes, or words of anger are best remembered when they are heard through the left ear, while instructions, directions and non-emotional messages have more impact on the right side. But it's not just ears that are affected. The right eye has been shown to be best for processing colors

Where did that fuzz come from Otto?

Otto, a very guilty Boston Terrier

Austrian 'hid daughter in cellar'

A 73-year-old Austrian is under arrest on suspicion of hiding his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathering six children with her, police say.

Gene therapy 'aids youth's sight'

A 17-year-old whose sight was failing has had his vision improved in a pioneering operation carried out by doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

Japanese Scotch Voted World's Best by Whisky Magazine

"Yoichi 20 Years Old", distilled on the shores of the Sea of Japan, has become the first variety produced outside Scotland to win the coveted Single Malt Award in an international competition run by Whisky Magazine, the main industry publication.

Air Traffic Controller Sounds Alarm

Doug Church, union spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, says the practitioners of this unsung profession are being hung out to dry. "We're left trying to hold the system together like MacGyver — with duct tape and scissors and string."

Which version of GTA IV is better?

They are almost evenly matched, feature for feature. Gamers will have to decide which is more important to them, a slightly more technically sound experience on the PlayStation 3 or downloadable content and Xbox Live integration on the Xbox 360.

Police say 7 year-old took his grandma's SUV for a joy ride

A 7-year-old boy from Florida took his grandmother's Dodge Durango for a ride Friday and left a path of damage in his wake.

Long before there was Twitter, there was AOL

When Twitter suffered a brown-out last weekend, the "twitterati" had a collective conniption. I suppose the good news for co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone is that the bad news kicked up such a storm. Lots of people are so addicted to Twitter that the intermittent problems wreaked havoc with their daily routine.

The Greatest Hangover Machine Never Built

Rube Goldberg eat your heart out!

The Media is Failing its Mission: Bowling 1, Health Care 0

If voters want a vibrant, vigorous press, we will have to demand it, by talking constantly in the ears of those in whom we have entrusted this enormous responsibility.

An Extreme Close Up of an "Iris Melanoma" - Eye Tumor [Pic]

Iris melanoma patients usually have no symptoms. The tumor might be noticed by the patient, their family, or by the eye care specialist (during a routine eye examination).

Super Mario Brothas [PIC]

There goes the nintendo neighborhood.

Atheist U.S. Army soldier files discrimination lawsuit

Hall was a gunner on a Humvee, which took several bullets in its protective shield. Afterward, his commander asked whether he believed in God. "No, but I believe in Plexiglas," Hall said. His promotion to sergeant has been blocked, and he's been told that "having faith would make him a better leader."

Two Views of Earth Show How Far We Have Come

SPACE.com wishes all its readers a great Earth Day with two photos that show how far mankind has come while riding Spaceship Earth. The left photo of Earth was the first taken from the weather satellite TIROS-1, on April 1, 1960.

What Ansel Adams Saw Through His Lens

Adams first visited Yosemite in 1916 when he was 14 years old. On that trip, he hopped up on a tree stump to take a photo of Half Dome, then stumbled, headfirst, and accidentally pushed the shutter release. The upside-down image remained one of Adams’s favorites, he wrote in his autobiography.

Unmotivational Posters (some NSFW)

A selected collection of a twist on those motivational posters, with a focus on the ladies...(although the emo kid raging in mom's minivan is precious)

GameTrailers.com - GTAIV Video Review

GameTrailers.com reviews Rockstars latest installment in the now legendary GTA series.

High School Student Finds Conservative Bias in U.S. Textbook

Throughout my life, my teachers have told me that school is a neutral environment where my classmates and I can count on teachers and textbooks to provide us with the factual and unbiased information that will equip us for life. Lately, though, I've begun to wonder whether they really mean it.

Why It Sucks to be the Younger Brother [PIC]

22nd anniversary of Chernobyl

Ukraine marks 22nd anniversary of world's worst nuclear incident.

All-time low ratings for George Stephanopoulos!

Looks like ABC is paying the price for not talking about issues that matter to bill-payers

Arizona superdelegate pledges vote for Obama!

Sen. Barack Obama picked up another superdelegate today at the Arizona Democratic Party's state convention...Charlene Fernandez, chairwoman of the Yuma Democratic Party, was chosen the state party's first vice chairwoman, a position that carries with it superdelegate status.

Is Ubuntu usable enough for a non-tech-savvy girlfriend yet?

The author asks his girlfriend to perform simple tasks using a fresh Ubuntu installation. It's surprising how some of the simple things we assume to be easy are actually hard for someone who's never used Linux. Interesting insight into how ready Linux is for the desktop.

The Top 5 Laziest Inventions

Brilliant scientists and tiny overseas hands work eighteen-hour days to produce 5 devices that can make you even lazier than a stereotypical American!

Thoroughbred Germs Make Fuel From Garbage

Imagine converting virtually any waste--grass, municipal waste, old tires, wood chips--into fuel for your car. A company called Coskata claims it can do this using a patented bioreactor and anaerobic microbes found in nature.

Why Things Cost $19.95: Scientific American

This article explains the psychological "rules" of bartering.

I'm Going To Scale My Foot Up Your Ass

Engineers love to talk about scalability. It makes us feel like the bad ass, dick-swingin' [swear word] that we wish we could be....People who talk big about scalability don't need to worry about it.

Top 10 rules of videogame Fanboyism

Memorize, dear diggers (Since this applies nicely to iPhone too!)

'Water wars' with U.S. in our future: experts

Parched U.S. states could start "water wars" in the years ahead and fight for access to Great Lakes resources as they become more desperate to meet growing needs, Canadian and American experts said yesterday at a water conference.

File Sharing Site Offers 250GB Storage Free to Diggers

This story is geared towards Diggers and I just signed up for it and liked the interface, and the ability to make files either private or public and send someone a download link rather than emailing a big file. 250GB free online storage...wow.

Mac & PC UK

A compilation of TV ads. from UK for Apple's Mac.

GTA 4 Review Life, Liberty City And The Pursuit Of Happiness

Grand Theft Auto needs no introduction to anyone remotely familiar with video games. But for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 entry in the series, Rockstar has upped the ante, creating a startlingly realistic reinterpretation of New York City as backdrop to a violent crime epic.

Realistically Painted Bowser

How would Mario’s arch-enemy look like, if he would be real? A Bowser Redesign painted completely in Photoshop.

The best images ever (NSFW)

This is a extended compilation of the best poster images that I found on digg. These are not safe for work.

Your Password Must Be at Least 18770 Characters

Error Message: Your Password Must Be at Least 18770 Characters and Cannot Repeat Any of Your Previous 30689 Passwords