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Halloween, the time when we lure strangely-clad strangers to our homes by lighting lanterns in our windows, and offering them food and welcome at our doors.

This tradition is firmly associated with the celebration of ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night, but does it also fulfil some deep-rooted need in us to just go forth into the darkness of a night lit only by lanterns?

Fire is fast becoming an elusive element in our lives, yet for our ancestors it was a vital part of their existence. After human ancestors controlled fire 400,000 to 1 million years ago, flames not only let them cook food and fend off predators, but also extended their day.
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NASA Scientists have been gagged in the US in the past–now Canadian scientists are complaining that their vital research on health and environment issues is being suppressed.

On BBC News, Pallab Ghosh quotes university scientist Thomas Pedersen as saying, "The Prime Minister (Stephen Harper) is keen to keep control of the message, I think to ensure that the government won’t be embarrassed by scientific findings of its scientists that run counter to sound environmental stewardship. I suspect the federal government would prefer that its scientists don’t discuss research that points out just how serious the climate change challenge is."
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A certified movement analyst is going to be watching President Bush’s State of the Union speech in a special way. Karen Kohn Bradley says, “It is important for reporters and analysts to utilize the tools of nonverbal communication and body language in assessing the messages the American population receives from the White House, candidates and other leaders. What is conveyed through movement is, after all, behavioral patterns that impact policies, and ultimately, the lives of the people.”
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Last night I read a document that turned my blood to ice.

The document I am referring to was created by John Ashcroft last month and presently exists in draft form. It is called the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003. It has thus far been given to only two members of congress that I know of, the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, and Vice-President Cheney as President Pro-Tem of the Senate.
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