"The research breaks controversial new ground in scientists' ability to probe people's minds and eavesdrop on their thoughts, and raises serious ethical issues over how brain-reading technology may be used in the future."

Labels: brain scan, interrogation, mind reading

Labels: cloned meat, GMOs, lab-created meat

Labels: myspace, newscorp, social networking

Labels: 2008 presidential election, christian conservatives, evangelicals, McCain

Prosecutors allege Wilkes paid Cunningham, a former member of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, more than $626,000 in bribes between 2000 and 2004 to win government contracts for his companies. But it's Wilkes' links to other lawmakers, lobbyists and government officials that has dramatically expanded the case.

"It's all about Wilkes paying people to get contracts,'' said Melanie Sloan, a former federal prosecutor in Washington and executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "Anybody who Brent Wilkes has been making substantial contributions to, they're going to be looking at. They'd have to.''

Tom DeLay (R-TX) = $25,000
Former House Majority Leader, and member of the House Appropriations Committee

Randall "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) = $19,500
A former member of the House Appropriations Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense

Jerry Lewis (R-CA) = $18,000
Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee

John Doolittle (R-CA) = $15,000
Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Resources Committee

Duncan Hunter (R-CA) = $13,200
Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee

Bob Livingston (R-NJ) = $10,000
Former Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee

Billy Tauzin (R-LA) = $10,000
Former Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee

Well the Broncs started off somewhere they should have stayed far from, Wide Receiver. It is my contention that this position should be avoided in drafts like the plague. For Denver this is usually how it works: WR gets drafted, WR spends a couple years on the developmental squad, WR fades away. Unless that receiver is drafted in the first couple of rounds. Then this is the scenario: WR gets drafted, WR spends a couple years on the bench seeing limited action, WR fades away. But I suppose you can't always count on an undrafted free-agent who played QB in college to spend a year on the developmental squad and then tirelessly work to become the greatest WR your franchise has ever seen (Rod Smith).

Anyway, the Broncos grabbed a couple of former Safties (though they both did play WR to end their college careers) to develop into some future bench warmers and practice squad guys. Both are tall and fairly quick. Central Florida WR Brandon Marshall is 6'4", 230 lbs, and runs a 4.57/40 and may end up being a TE conversion since he is apparently nowhere near as fast as his 40 time would indicate. The other would be Akron WR Domenik Hixon who comes in at 6'2", 192 lbs, and runs a sub-4.4/40. Not a whole lot on him, other then that he is a former saftey. Like I said, these guys are most likely destined to flounder on the Broncos bench.

The teams third 4th round selection (though in terms of actual order, it would have been their 2nd 4th round pick) was the shortest. At 5'11", Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil appears to be packed full of upside, although he's apparently kinda lazy. I've always wanted an Elvis, now we've got one.

The Broncos finished off the draft by selecting a couple of Offensive Lineman. These guys will spend a couple of years in development before at least one of them becomes a perennial all-pro. Will it be North Dakota G Chris Kuper or Outland Trophy winner Minnesota C Greg Eslinger?

Hopefully both.

Shannahan stunned just about everybody in football land by trading up (yet even further) to take Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler at the number 11 pick. Many believed that Shannahan was trying to position himself for Maryland TE Vernon Davis (#6-SF), but Shannahan rarely drops hints and typically keeps his cards pretty close to his chest, so Cutler was probably the guy he had targeted when he started making all these moves which eventually led to securing the no. 11 pick. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm a pretty big supporter of Plummer, who continues to improve under a competent coaching staff (unlike what he was forced to deal with in AZ), and at the age of 31, has plenty of football still left in him. Last year his ints were down drastically, he led his team to the AFC Championship game, where they were handily defeated by a superior Pittsburgh team (let me officially go on record as stating that Roethlisberger is all man as evidenced by the ease at which he picked us apart in just his 2nd year as a pro), and he was selected to the Pro Bowl. There are only two ways he could have possibly topped what he did last year. One, win the league MVP. Two, win the Super Bowl. Now, of course, I trust Lord Shannahan wholey (except when it comes to drafting WRs), but this is quite a gamble considering what talent was bypassed in exchange for a pick of choice rather then need, not to mention the investment in how much Cutler's going to count against the cap in years to come. Three years from now, the Broncos will not be able to afford to keep both Cutler and Plummer, and a no. 11 pick will no doubt be given the opportunity to start several games before being sent off somewhere. So unless Cutler gets those starts filling in for an injured Jake Plummer, it's quite likely that Plummer's days here in Denver are numbered. Let's hope Cutler develops into the talent which Shannahan believes he is. If he does not, Shannahan should either be restricted from selecting in the first round from here on out, or limit the options for that first pick to Linebackers and D-line (where he is stellar).

In the second round, Shannahan grabbed Western Michigan TE Tony Sheffler. This definately addresses a need. With Sharpe behind a desk on Sundays, Putzier seeking greener pastures, and the nearly fatal car accident involving Dwayne Carswell, we severly need a pass catching TE. At 6-5, 255, with 4.6 speed, I like the direction. It would have been cool to get CU grad Joe Klopfenstein, but he went about 15 spots before the Broncs had their 2nd pick.

Then there was the trade. Javon Walker for a second round pick. What are you kidding me!?! What a freakin' steal. A couple of years ago (prior to the ACL injury) this was a Pro Bowler and the most dangerous deep threat in the NFL (and I include Holt in that), and you snatch him up for one 2? All the guy does is catch TDs. Lots of TDs. Long TDs. This is even better then the Bailey trade. Hail Lord Shannahan!

I tell you what kids, with the signing of Plummer a few years ago, the Bailey trade a couple of years ago, the acquisition of the Browns D-line last year, and now this Walker robbery, Shannahan has been on fire in the off-season.