Below are the 13 most recent journal entries recorded in millenniumnews' LiveJournal:

Saturday, July 16th, 2005
8:41 pm	Weblogs Inc. Hacked Large portions of the Weblogs Inc. blog network have been hacked and replaced with the following text: Fuxz Ownz You! fuxz0r@gmail.com This is as of 7:54PM July 16th. This was reported by one of our staff who actually reads Luxist.com (a Weblogs Inc. website) and after calling a number she found in the Google Cache decided this might make an entertaining news item. A screenshot of Luxist.com is above. I for one welcome our new blog master Fuxz and plan to email him in his parents' basement shortly (just joking, please don't hack us! ...though I do plan to email him). Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
3:01 pm	Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Review, Plot Summary, and Spoilers ...from the "posted as soon as it was legal to department": Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince ...review, plot summary, and spoilers... a Millennium News Network Exclusive Chapter Listing The Other Minister Spinner's End Will and Won't Horace Slughorn An Excess of Phlegm Draco's Detour The Slug Club Snape Victorious The Half Blood Prince The House of Gaunt Hermoine's Helping Hand Silver and Opals The Secret Riddle Felix Felicis The Ubreakable Vow A Very Frosty Christmas A Sluggish Memory Birthday Surprises Elf Tails Lord Voldemort's Request The Unknowable Room After the Burial Horcruxes Sectumsempra The Seer Overheard The Cave The Lightning Struck Tower Flight of the Prince The Phoenix Lament The White Tomb Secrets Revealed (SPOILERS) Harry acquires a textbook whose margins are filled with notes by one "halfblood prince." Using these notes, Harry is able to skip far ahead of the class in his studies. Through visitations with Dumbledore and the use of a Pensieve, Harry learns that Voldemort is the halfblood prince. The sad tale of Voldemort's origins is also recalled: Voldemort is half Muggle, the result of a union between one of the last direct descendents of Salazar Slytherin and one Tom Riddle, a Muggle nobelman. The union was also the result of Voldemort's mother, Merope's, use of a both potent and illegal love potion on Tom Riddle. Voldemort, then known as Tom Riddle, was taken to Hogwart's by none other than Dumbledore from the orphanage where he lived as a child, following the tragic death of his mother. Direct from the book, "Voldemort killed his father and his grandparents and made it look as though his uncle Morfin did it." Voldemort has split his soul into 7 pieces (in addition to the main portion which inhabited his body during "normal" life) and has secreted those pieces away in a 7 magical devices known as horcruxes. This makes him pretty much immortal unless all 7 horcruxes are found and destroyed. Harry goes out with Ginny Weasly (sorry girls). Dumbledore is killed by drinking a poisonous potion recovering what turns out to be a fake Horcrux with Harry. That pretty much sums it all up. The book ends with Harry still needing to find the last few Horcruxes and destroy them as well as complete the rest of the prophecies. Observations: There are a ton of strong parallels between Voldemort and Harry. Both have amazing powers. Both are enticed by the dark side at times. Speaking of the dark side, parts of the book read like an unauthorized biography of Darth Vader. An interesting read all around, though definitely anti-climactic. This book could definitely be seen as the "The Empire Strikes Back" of the Harry Potter series. Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
12:05 pm	Happy Birthday MN2 Well, another year has passed here at MN2. I'd give you the year in review, but of course, our last server ate it. Instead I leave you with the usual promise that as in the last 4 years, the best of MN2 is yet to come. So keep reading, keep submitting, and we'll keep reporting the news as it should be! Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
12:00 pm	Gray's Anatomy: Proof That IP Law is Working Wikipedia describes Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body in brief: "an anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on human anatomy. The book was first published under the title Gray's Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical in Great Britain in 1858, and the following year in the United States. The book's British author died after the publication of the 1860 second edition, at the age of 34, but his much-praised book was continued by others and on November 24, 2004, the 39th British edition was released. (Wikipedia Article on Gray's Anatomy)" The point is, Gray's Anatomy, while not particularly accurate by today's standards, is a quintessential classic of anatomy in much the same way as the work of Freud. Which is great, because now the book is entirely free of copyright. That's correct, since 1970, the 1918 edition ( a much celebrated one) has been available for free use and reproduction for those who could find a copy. Where can you find a copy today? The internet of course, at Bartleby's, an online bookseller. ...and what will this great work set you back? Nothing! No registration required, just click here and you've got the entire book at the mercy of your mouse pointer. "it shows that even with all the lawsuits and pending congressional revisitations to Intellectual Property Law, for the moment the system is working" Why is this significant? Because it shows that even with all the lawsuits and pending congressional revisitations to Intellectual Property Law, for the moment the system is working. Try not to let your jaw hit the ground at that statement. For those of us who aren't familiar with IP Law, at current all copyrighted materials enter the "Public Domain" (a copyright free state where they can be reproduced and used in any way without license) after 52 years. The only way for a manufacturer or writer to get around this is to rework the original product and innovate creating an improved and altered product... which they should be doing in the first place! I won't say that IP Law is perfect. For a close friend of mine, 52 years was far too long to wait for AIDS research to enter the public domain, but there is hope yet, and I for one find the thought of Mickey Mouse printed on the cover of my own personal copy of Gray's Anatomy 1918 coming out of my laser printer a very heartening one. Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 12th, 2005
1:16 am	MN2 Relaunch After technical difficulties and reorganization in the spring of this year, MN2 is relaunching its media outlet with a new website. It may take us a couple weeks to get all the bugs out as well as get all the articles transferred over from the old database, in the meantime please bear with us. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 11th, 2005
11:23 pm	Hurricane Dennis makes landfall on Gulf Coast near Pensacola Hurricane Dennis regained strength during its north-westerly crossing of the Gulf of Mexico to surge into Florida's western panhandle near Mobile, Alabama with Category 3 force that packed sustained winds of 120 mph. Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Escambia were the first Florida counties hit by the eyewall of the hurricane at 3:25 EDT Sunday afternoon. The small storm eye of the powerful hurricane spared the region more major destruction. The compact storm picked up travel speed from 14 to 18 mph as it came to within 3 hours of landfall, where the storm's eye made for the Pensacola Bay. Its strength suddenly dropped from Category 4 before it struck land and moved swiftly inland. It continued to gain speed, traveling at 21 mph, while its strength sapped to Category 2 on a track into the Ohio Valley. Residents of Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola who remained in the region, were told hours before the storm's arrival that storm shelters were full, and they were urged to stay home or find other shelter. In Escambia County Florida, officials announced at 2pm they were no longer able to respond to 911 calls for help due to the high winds. The storm came 10 months after Hurricane Ivan, which struck the panhandle and Mobile Bay region last year. Dennis landed just 50 miles east of Ivan's, where recovery efforts from that storm were still ongoing. The Dennis landfall matched Ivan's Category 3 wind speeds. Power outages were reported in Mobile and across the panhandle. Florida governor Jeb Bush promised in a televised press conference that all efforts to restore power would be done as quickly as possible so that, "people can help themselves" recover from the storm. A hospital administrator at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola said it lost power at 2:30pm, and can operate 60 hours using back-up power generators. Sunday evening, President Bush declared that Florida has major disaster areas, making the state eligible for FEMA assistance. In Alabama, interstate highway I-65 was re-routed for northbound traffic only when an evacuation order was issued on Friday, by Governor Riley, for Mobile and Baldwin counties. Northern parts of the state, up into the southern part of Tennessee, were booked full with those who evacuated. A curfew lifted Sunday at 6pm in the city of Mobile. The Mississippi Gulf Coast region was victim of the Category 5 storm, Hurricane Camille, in 1969. Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
Friday, July 8th, 2005
5:48 am	37 Dead, 700 Wounded in London Blasts, Terror Suspected LONDON - Early in the morning on Thursday, scores of commuters and others in Londo were killed as bombs ripped through three subway trains and destroyed a crowded trademark double-decker bus. 37 were killed and over 700 wounded with those numbers expected to rise by what public officials are calling a terror attack. Said Prime Minister Tony Blair, the bombings had all the "hallmarks of an al-Qaeda-related attack." Too, the attack coincided with the openning of the G-8 environmental summit, and came on the heels of an announcement that London will host the 2012 Olympics. Whether either of those events contributed to the timing of the attack, let alone who is responsible is still to be determined. It is now indicated that all blasts resulted from the detonation of backpack-bombs located on the trains and bus. It is thought that the backpacks were left there and possibly detonated with the use of a cellphone. Due to increased security, cellphone reception was nearly non-existant in much of London on Thursday and even in the United States, cellphone reception has been disabled within many traffic tunnels. One group, calling themselves ``The Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe'' has said the blasts were retalliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. These claims have yet to be confirmed, but true or not, few details of any official investigation into the blasts have been released. In the next fews days and into next week the death toll is expected to rise dramatically as excavators are able to enter into the blocked subway tubes. Those who escaped both the bombs and entombment remain shocked at the carnage, if happy to be alive. ``I didn't hear anything, just a flash of light, people screaming, no thoughts of what it was. I just had to get out of the train,'' said subway passenger Chris Randall, 28, who was hospitalized with cuts and burns to the face, the legs and hands. ``It was chaos,'' said Gary Lewis, 32, evacuated from a subway train at King's Cross station. ``The one haunting image was someone whose face was totally black (with soot) and pouring with blood.'' It has been widely discussed that the blasts fit the typical operations of al-Qaida. ``This is clearly an al-Qaida style attack. It was well coordinated, it was timed for a political event and it was a multiple attack on a transportation system at rush hour,'' said Lawrence Freedman, professor of war studies at King's College in London. Blair too has pointed the finger at Islamic extremists but reminds the public that not all Muslims are responsible for this. ``We know that these people act in the name of Islam,'' he said, ``but we also know that the vast and overwhelming majority of Muslims here and abroad are decent and law-abiding people who abhor this act of terrorism every bit as much as we do.'' Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 6th, 2005
9:20 am	London to host 2012 Olympic Games London is to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The announcement was made today by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge following four rounds of voting, penultimately shortlisting London and Paris. 116 members of the IOC in Singapore voted throughout the rounds from a pool of cities comprising of Paris, Madrid, London, New York, and Moscow. The final tally was 54 votes for London, and 50 for Paris. The voting came after all five cities made their final presentations to the assembled members. The news was met with screams of joy from the 15,000 people who had gathered in Trafalgar Square in London, while jeers and boos rang out across Paris, as rain began to fall in the French capital. Former Olympic runner Sebastian Coe, who led the British bid, told BBC Radio Five Live afterwards: "I'm in a state of shock. The whole team has made a fantastic effort. This shows that the United Kingdom is a special place for sport, passionate about sport." This is the first time the Games will be staged in London since 1948, while this marks the third failure by Paris to host the Olympics. London has hosted the Games twice before, making it the first city ever to host them three times. The official announcement was given by the IOC at 12:46 BST today, after much speculation. The 2012 London Olympics are widely anticipated to bring about a revival of both sporting culture in England, and the much maligned Docklands area of London, where most main sporting venues will be constructed. [edit] Dignitaries Present, physically or by video link, were several dignitaries of the participating countries, including the British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, Queen Sof�a of Spain, and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Tony Blair is quoted to have said via a recorded video message "Our vision is to see millions of young people participate in sport and improve their lives. London has the power to make this happen." Also present with the British campaign team were world famous soccer player David Beckham, athletes Denise Lewis and Sir Steven Redgrave, and Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, who brought with her a message from Queen Elizabeth II: "I've been impressed by the way everyone has united behind London's bid. As a country we share a passion for sport." French President Jacques Chriac was also present, along with actress Catherine Deneuve and singer Johnny Hallyday, both French. "The heart of Paris and the heart of France are beating in unison in the hope of becoming Olympic host in 2012...you can put your trust and faith in France, you can trust the French, you can trust us," he said. America's assembly consisted of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and bid leader Dan Doctoroff, focusing on New York's multicultural make up and readiness. Mr. Bloomberg chose to remind the Committee of New York's recovery after the September 11 attacks. "In our city's darkest hour, we asked ourselves, can we recover? ...New Yorkers stood up then and said, 'Yes, we can recover, we will rebuild and we must continue to welcome everyone.' That spirit will be given to your Games." U.S. President George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton spoke in a recorded video message. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his case in a live video clip, urging the Comittee to take advantage of a "unique and truly historic opportunity", and to select Moscow for the games in 2012. "Moscow is a meeting place of cultures. Moscow is perfectly suited to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games," he said. Prime Minister Jos� Luis Rodr�guez Zapatero from Spain and Queen Sof�a argued in favour of Madrid. "The whole Spanish royal family is convinced that Madrid fully meets the conditions to offer to the world the best Olympic Games," said Queen Sof�a. Questions from the IOC regarding threats from the Basque extremist group ETA drew the following response: "Absolute security is assured...It's our main priority. Those who have tried to attack our candidacy will see that this is something that is doomed to disappear in Madrid and all of Spain." Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
Monday, June 27th, 2005
8:23 am	Paul Winchell, voice of Tigger, Gargamel, dead at 82 Paul Winchell, the english voice of Gargamel in the animated children's show The Smurfs and Tigger in Disney's Winnie the Pooh died on 23 June at age 82. Winchell also voiced several other characters including Boomer in Disney's The Fox and the Hound and several characters for Hanna-Barbera productions. Winchell, in addition to being a prolific voice artist, patented more than 30 inventions including an artificial heart, a flameless cigarette lighter, and a disposable razor. Paul Winchell won a Grammy Award in 1974 in the Best Recording For Children category for his work on "The Most Wonderful Thing about Tiggers" in the animated Disney film Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too. His first performance as Tigger was in the 1968 Disney film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day which won an Academy Award. Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 2nd, 2005
11:39 pm	Pope John Paul II dies John Paul II (Karol J�zef Wojtyla) 1920-2005 After months of failing health, His Holiness Pope John Paul II passed away today, April 2, at 9:37 p.m. local time (19:37 UTC). He was 84 years old. An email message to journalists from the spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls from The Vatican confirmed the death at 20:00 UTC. The Pope had a tracheostomy earlier this year to help him breathe, and then lost his ability to speak last week. On Thursday March 31 he developed a urinary tract infection that led to septic shock and cardiovascular collapse. A nasogastric feeding tube was inserted to help him regain strength. The Pope elected not to return to Rome's Gemelli hospital, but instead to stay in his own apartments where he was tended to by his personal doctors and Vatican medical staff. The same night, he was adminstered the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick also known as the last rites. On Friday April 1, the Vatican said he was having difficulties with both his heart and his kidneys. Italian news agency Agenzia Giornalistica Italia reports the pope's final message was "I am happy, you be happy, too. Let's pray together with joy. I entrust everything to the Virgin Mary with joy". A description of the last moment of the holy father from father Jarek Cielecki, director of the Vatican service news and of the Italian TV catolic Tele Padre Pio, tells us the last moment of life of this great man. "The Holy father died looking at the window, gathered in prayer. As such he was conscious. Just before dying, the Pope raised his right hand in a sign of blessing, as if he was aware of all the people gathered in prayer. Then, as soon as the prayer ended, the Pope did a huge effort, said the word 'Amen' and died." The Vatican has announced that the funeral will take place on Wednesday, April 6 and that the Pope's body will lie in state from Monday, April 4. Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 31st, 2005
4:20 pm	Terri Schiavo dies Terri Schiavo died this morning in St. Petersburg, Florida, moments after 9 a.m. EST. Thirteen days ago, her feeding tube was removed after courts repeatedly ruled Schiavo would not want to be kept alive in her current state. Schiavo suffered severe brain damage in 1990 after a mysterious cardiac arrest. Many news sources allege the cardiac arrest was caused by an eating disorder, while her family maintains she had no eating disorder at all. During the attack, her brain was starved of oxygen for 14 minutes, leading to the death of many of the neurons in her brain and possibly leaving her in a persistant vegetative state (PVS). Michael Schiavo argued before the courts that his wife would not want to live for a prolonged period on a feeding tube. In 2001, the tube was removed, but was reinserted two days later after an appeal by Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. After the Schindler family had all of their appeals rejected, the tube was removed once again in 2003, but reinserted six days later when Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida legislature collaborated on a bill, allowing Bush to order the tube reinserted. After the law was overturned in May of 2004, and the Schindler family's numerous appeals were again rejected, the tube was removed on March 18th. President George W. Bush held a press conference, in part to offer his condolences to the friends and family of Schiavo. The president commended those on both sides of the issue. An autopsy is planned to be performed in the coming days, which both the Schindler family and Michael Schiavo hope will shed some light on the cause of her brain damage. Schiavo is survived by her husband, parents and her younger siblings Robert Jr. and Suzanne; she had no children. Schiavo was 41 years old. Copyright Millennium News Network - 2002 - Some Rights Reserved - Contact Us Today! (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 15th, 2001
1:10 am	Millennium News Network Founded By visiting this website you assert that you understand and agree to the following: Abstract: Millennium News Network, an international publisher of news materials, has been founded. Detail: Millennium News Network / MN2 / MN-squared has been founded. MN2 is devoted to bringing its readers comprehensive and objective news coverage of events worldwide. Coverage: MN2 is always looking for news tips, articles, leads, and of course reporters, editors, and writers. If you think you might be interested in a position with MN2, reply here or email the admin and have a resume ready. Advertisements: From time to time, MN2 will also include advertisements in its news coverage. If you are someone who might like to place an ad with us, please reply or contact the admin. Link Exchange / Publicity: If you would like to exchange links or otherwise publicize our site reply or contact the admin for details. Copyrights / Licensing: As of this date, all articles on MN2 may be reprinted in part or in entirety without any additional permission so long as the MN2 website is clearly cited as the originating source. The citation must be linked to MN2 if the article is used on the internet. Millennium News Network(s), MN2, and MN-squared are all trademarks of Millennium News Network and may not be used without permission. The contents of the above agreement are subject to termination or change at any time by MN2 without prior notice. (Comment on this)
Friday, July 13th, 2001
1:46 am	Technorati Profile (Comment on this)