February 20, 2006

News from the South Atlantic - Falkland Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha - South Atlantic Remote Territories Media Association
Friday night’s Force-8 gales proved to be too much for Colin Yeates, who had set off from Stanley on Friday in a second attempt to circumnavigate Antarctica in a rowboat. According to Fisheries Operations, who had promised to track Mr. Yeates’ progress, the Force-8 gale capsized his boat several times.

The fishing vessel, DORADA, was tasked to pick Mr. Yeates, who by this time had become concussed, up and take him to safety.

The 47, said he wanted another chance to circumnavigate Antarctica this year and had a harrowing backwards and sideways journey the first time, Mr. Yates had hoped he could be towed far enough away from the Falklands to leave the coastal pull that scuppered his first attempt in January but even with the extra distance he couldn’t cope with the gale-force winds.

After retrieving his boat, a survey of the damage was made and the Kevlar skin was found to be intact. Epoxies flown in by Lan put the boat back to seaworthy condition, only to have it capsize several times on the second attempt.

New York Daily News - News & Views Columnists - Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: After Klaus, she’s quiet as a mouse
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS First the bad news: I hear that right-wing radio guy Rush Limbaugh and CNN daytime anchor Daryn Kagan — who’ve been dating for nearly two years — are finally kaput. The good news, of course, is that the fabulous Kagan is back on the market.

What about Rush?

Readers’ Tastes on 9/11 Take Radical Turn — Best-seller Now Webster Tarpley’s ‘9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA’

For skeptics of the official story of 9/11, the taboo of 2002 has become the cornerstone of 2006: they now believe the Twin Towers and building WTC 7 did not collapse from fire, but were demolished by explosives — an act that could only be carried out from inside the US power structure.

There is a market for the mix. So far this year, the Amazon sales rank for “9/11 Synthetic Terror” has led all other 9/11 exposés, vying with the official report of the 9/11 Commission for first place. A recent ranking:

• 1,354 9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA, by Webster G Tarpley
• 1,851 The 9/11 Commission Report, by US Government
• 2,358 Crossing the Rubicon, by Mike Ruppert
• 3,477 The New Pearl Harbor, by David Ray Griffin
• 6,761 The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions, by David Ray Griffin
• 11,156 Inside Job, by Jim Marrs

Most of the other alternative 9/11 authors tried Michael Moore’s easier path to popularity: criticizing both the Bush regime and the bogeyman of Islamic terrorism, says Leonard. For instance, Noam Chomsky’s early hit “9/11″ championed the “blowback theory” that 9/11 was repayment for the evils of imperialism.

It is really discouraging to see these sales figures (which appear reasonably accurate from a quick spot check) and to realize that loony conspiracy theories sell so well.