Hostages In Hillarys Office

This has been a day of hostage holding, first I was held hostage all day by Panera's lack of wifi signal, and then a deranged man (Not Rush Limbaugh), wearing what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his chest walked into a Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign office Friday, took several hostages and demanded to speak to the candidate, authorities said.


The man released at least three hostages as the afternoon wore on, but nearly four hours after the standoff began, police said they were still dealing with a hostage situation and the man had not been taken into custody.

The story indicates that the suspect was an older man known around the town to be mentally unstable, the law enforcement official told the AP. He walked into the campaign office and opened his jacket, revealing what appeared to be a pipe bomb.

The law enforcement official confirmed the name of the man as Leeland Eisenberg and said Eisenberg demanded to speak with Clinton. But authorities did not know what Leeland wanted to talk to Clinton about.

It is a hopeful sign that he released three hostages, but law enforcement said that the hostage situation has not been concluded, but he is confident that he has the resources to end the crisis successfully. Our hopes are the same, and good luck!!


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Ronnie aka Phoenix Princess Repost Of Politics For Dummies

I hope this first post today makes you smile or maybe even laugh out loud! I asked for and received permission from a myspace friend, Ronnie aka Phoenix Princess, to repost her post from yesterday. Have a great day! I'll get back to more serious issues later, so enjoy the respite!

Political Economics for Dummies
DEMOCRAT
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.
Barbara Streisand sings for you.

REPUBLICAN
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?

SOCIALIST
You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
You go to lunch and drink wine.
Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.
Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You drink some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You have some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.
TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan , which are two.
You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature's private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.

POLISH CORPORATION
You have two bulls.
Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.

BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.
The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.

FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.
Everyone votes for the best looking one.
Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.
Some people vote for both.
Some people vote for neither.
Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.
Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one you think is the best-looking cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Only five speak English.
Most are illegals.
Arnold likes the ones with the big udders.

I have included a link to her blog also, if you would like to check out her other posts!! Thanks!



blog link

Iran And Hamas Threaten Peace Process

As would-be peacemakers bask in the international limelight of the Annapolis conference, back in the Middle East two other parties are serving up notice that no deal will come to pass, if they can help it: Iran and its Palestinian ally, Hamas. "The Annapolis conference was already a failure," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told journalists after a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday. The U.S. could sponsor a hundred such meetings, he added, and the result would be the same. In Gaza, which is effectively ruled by the fundamentalist Hamas group, anti-Annapolis protesters filled the streets. "They can go to thousands of conferences and we will say in the name of the Palestinian people that we do not accept," Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar told the demonstrators.

Here is a brief overview of Hamas and the problems they create:
HAMAS (in Arabic, an acronym for "Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia", Islamic Resistance Movement, and a word meaning zeal) is a radical Islamic fundamentalist organization which became active in the early stages of the intifada, operating primarily in the Gaza District but also in Judea and Samaria. Formed in late 1987 as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Various HAMAS elements have used both political and violent means, including terrorism, to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel. Loosely structured, with some elements working clandestinely and others working openly through mosques and social service institutions to recruit members, raise money, organize activities, and distribute propaganda. In a January 2006 election, Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian legislature.

HAMAS activists, especially those in the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, have conducted many attacks, including large-scale suicide bombings, against Israeli civilian and military targets. In the early 1990s, they also targeted suspected Palestinian collaborators and Fatah rivals. HAMAS increased its operational activity during 2002-2003, claiming numerous attacks against Israeli interests. The group has not targeted US interests, although some US citizens have been killed in HAMAS operations, and continues to confine its attacks to Israelis inside Israel and the territories.

There are an unknown number of official members; tens of thousands of supporters and sympathizers. Hamas receives some funding from Iran but primarily relies on donations from Palestinian expatriates around the world and private benefactors in moderate Arab states. Some fundraising and propaganda activity take place in Western Europe and North America.

The second part of this duo of peace haters is being led by none other than the "little" man himself, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is already calling the meetings a failure, and again saying Israel will not be part of the Middle East in the future, as they will not "last",and that deterioration is in the nature of this regime as it has been built on aggression, lying, crime and wrongdoing," he added. Where's King Juan Carlos, when you need him--"Shut up Mahmoud!!".


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General Wants Many Detainees Released

Until I read this story this morning I didn't realize the extent of the detainee problem in Iraq, other than the abuse scandals that had occurred earlier in our occupation of the country. However, The commander of U.S. prison camps in Iraq said he wants to cut the number of Iraqis in his custody by around two thirds by the end of 2008 as part of a wider counter-insurgency plan to bring down violence.

The number of detainees held by the American-led military forces in Iraq has swelled by 50 percent under the troop increase ordered by President Bush, with the inmate population growing to 24,500 today from 16,000 in February, according to American military officers in Iraq.

The detainee increase comes, they said, because American forces are operating in areas where they had not been present for some time, and because more units are able to maintain a round-the-clock presence in some areas. They also said more Iraqis were cooperating with military forces.

Nearly 85 percent of the detainees in custody are Sunni Arabs, the minority faction in Iraq that ruled the country under the government of Saddam Hussein; the other detainees are Shiites, the officers say.

Let's do the right thing and get this issue resolved as the General indicates, it will be in "our" best interests to get the "innocent" Iraqi's back in their homes, instead of detainment camps.

There is a second link to a very detailed story by New York Times reporter, Tom Shanker, and will give additional insight into the plight of the Iraqi detainees. The link is just below this post. Thanks!


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tom shanker story

Musharraf Keeps Promise

President General Pervez Musharraf kept his promise as he blinked back tears, Pervez Musharraf, and stepped down as Pakistan's military commander Wednesday, fulfilling a key opposition demand a day before he was to be sworn in as civilian president.


Key opposition leader Benazir Bhutto welcomed the belated move, but she said her party had yet to accept him as head of state. The White House also called it a "good step."

Britain, which shares the United States' deep concern about Islamic terrorism emanating from Pakistan, said Musharraf's move was "an important part" of his plan to restore constitutional order.

As I mentioned yesterday, I am sending best wishes, Luck, and Hope to President Musharraf, and May this begin a new start for Pakistan's struggling "democracy"!!

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Blackwater Lawsuit

The following story is about Blackwater and indicates that a lawsuit against government contractor Blackwater Worldwide accuses its bodyguards of ignoring a direct order and abandoning their post shortly before taking part in a shooting in Baghdad that killed 17 Iraqi civilians.


Filed this week in U.S. District Court in Washington, the complaint also accuses North Carolina-based Blackwater of failing to give drug tests to its guards in Baghdad, even though an estimated one in four of them was using steroids or other "judgment altering substances."

For a quick overview of what Blackwater is all about I have included this post that I wrote shortly after the killings occurred of the Iraqi civilians:
It seems that Blackwater's luck is running strong as it is being reported that, the State Department promised Blackwater USA bodyguards immunity from prosecution in its investigation of last month's deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians. The immunity deal has delayed a criminal inquiry into the Sept. 16 killings and could undermine any effort to prosecute security contractors for their role in the incident that has infuriated the Iraqi government.

Blackwater USA, is the private security firm that has become controversial for its extensive role in the war in Iraq, allegedly opened fire on and killed several Iraqis seems to be the last straw for Iraqi tolerance of the company. Iraqi government officials have promised action, including but not limited to the suspension or outright revocation of the company's license to operate in Iraq.

Pulling Blackwater's license may be all the Iraqis can do, although as of this moment, Blackwater refuses to leave. Should any Iraqis ever seek redress for the deaths of the civilians in a criminal court, they will be out of luck. Because of an order promulgated by the Coalition Provisional Authority, the now-defunct American occupation government, there appears to be almost no chance that the contractors involved would be, or could be, successfully prosecuted in any court in Iraq. CPA Order 17 says private contractors working for the U.S. or coalition governments in Iraq are not subject to Iraqi law. Should any attempt be made to prosecute Blackwater in the United States, meanwhile, it's not clear what law, if any, applies.

Scott Horton, who chairs the International Law Committee at the New York City Bar Association, said "Blackwater and all these other contractors are beyond the reach of the justice process in Iraq. They can not be held to account, there is nothing the Iraqi government can do that gives them the right to punish someone for misbehaving or doing anything else."

This is outrageous, and it just shows how little Bush actually thinks of Iraq as A sovereign nation. There needs to be some accountability in regard to these killings, but it now seems likely that it will not occur! How sad for the victims and their families, and how sad for our country that we allow this to happen!

If the allegations in the lawsuit are true, then we not only have out of control mercenaries running around, doing "our" business, we have impaired mercenaries running around, doing "our" business. Great news, Right! It continues to be one of the underlying "evils" of this war in Iraq, that we are paying mercenary "killers" obscene amounts of money, and they are not under our control, as they run around shooting up the scenery, and the civilians!! Bring these "loose" cannons home and if you cannot prosecute them for past deeds, at least change the law, so you can prosecute them for future conflicts they may be involved in (Iran), and crimes they may commit anywhere we allow them to operate on our behalf!! Personally, I think they should be put OUT OF BUSINESS, but with the ties, and influence they have in Washington, that isn't going to happen!!


lawsuit

Last Day For General Musharraf

Today I am sending kudos and congratulations to General, and President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, as he spends his last day as a General.

Pervez Musharraf was saluted by his troops Tuesday on his last full day as Pakistan's army chief as he bows to international pressure to become a civilian president.


Faced with swelling anger over his three-week-old state of emergency, the embattled US ally received guards of honour as he launched a two-day ceremonial tour of the army, navy and air force.

I don't know that he has done everything right, as he has been somewhat brutal, but I like Musharraf, and if he needs to knock a few heads together to keep control of his nations nuclear weapons, so be it, as our nation has done much worse, for far less, and I found it annoying when Negroponte went to Pakistan to "bitch" slap Musharraf. We talk alot about a nations sovereignty, but for Bush it has always been lip service, and that was just one more example of us "bullying" another country when they are not towing the line as we see it. The General should have walked him out the door and had him shot, and sent the message to Bush, "that I am fighting against the rebels as best as I can, so get off my back", and keep your "messengers" home!

Good Luck, General, with friends like us, you will need it!!

Again, I wish the soon to be former General, Best Wishes, and a More Luck, because with Sharif and Bhutto back in the country, he is going to need it!

general

Quiet Riot Singer Found Dead

There is a sad story today, as Kevin DuBrow, lead singer of the popular U.S. 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has been found dead from unknown causes at his home in Las Vegas, authorities said on Monday.


DuBrow, 52, was found dead at about 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Clark County Coroner's Office said. She said an autopsy was under way on Monday to determine the cause of death.


For those who did know Kevin Dubrow, or Quiet Riot, here is a little recap of the metal band with the first metal song to top the charts:

The original band was started by Randy Rhoads in 1975, but broke up in 1979 when Rhoads went on to join Ozzy Osbourne's band. In 1980, DuBrow formed a band he named DuBrow, which also included brothers Tony and Carlos Cavaso. After Rhoads' death in 1982, Dubrow changed the name of the band to Quiet Riot, which his record company felt would allow the band to capitalize on wide name recognition. Rudy Sarzo ended up joining the band once again before the release of Metal Health, which stormed to the top of the charts, making Quiet Riot the first metal band to achieve number one status on their (U.S. release) debut album. Songs like "Cum on feel the Noise", and "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" then launched them into national fame. Nevertheless, when asked to compose more successful albums, they were unable to do so. This, coupled with DuBrow's diatribes against contemporary metal bands, the press, and eventually his own record company led to the decline of Quiet Riot. DuBrow at one point was even fired from Quiet Riot during a tour's end at Hawaii in 1987; he was abandoned in a hotel while the other members of the band left on an earlier flight.
Quiet Riot continued through the 90's in several different incarnations. They released several albums including Terrified, Down to the Bone, Alive and Well and Guilty Pleasures.
In 2004, DuBrow recorded a collection of cover versions for his first solo album, In for the Kill.
During 2006, Quiet Riot worked on a new studio album that was expected to be released in either 2006 or 2007. The band stated that they had set no timetable for the release of the album, that they are financing the project themselves, and that it would be released when they see fit and on their terms.
The album, Rehab, was released on October 3, 2006. The lineup on the album was DuBrow, Frankie Banali, Tony Franklin, and Neil Citron. Singer Glenn Highes also made a guest vocal appearance on the album.

Condolences to the family, friends and metalheads around the world. Rock Metal will mourn this death. He wasn't the greatest, but he was one of the founders of what was to become metal and helped give it widespread appeal, which helped all metal grow. Metal Rules!!

dead

Iraqis Will Ask US To Stay

In what is surely a "surprise" to most of us, this mornings story indicates that the Iraqi's want us to stay there longer.

Iraq's government, seeking protection against foreign threats and internal coups, will offer the U.S. a long-term troop presence in Iraq in return for U.S. security guarantees as part of a strategic partnership, two Iraqi officials said Monday.


The proposal, described to The Associated Press by two senior Iraqi officials familiar with the issue, is one of the first indications that the United States and Iraq are beginning to explore what their relationship might look like once the U.S. significantly draws down its troop presence.

There is little doubt that no matter who enters the White House after 2008, our Troops will still be a significant presence in Iraq. Hopefully, they will not be dying in the numbers that they have been dying thus far, in this war!



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A MUST VISIT BUSINESS RUN BY PARIS LOVE EX-STRIPPER AND LINK TO HER POST

This is a post concerning a MySpace friend, who is starting a new business and I would like to recommend you to her site if you are interested in purchasing adult toys for you, and/or your partner.


Paris Love Ex-Stripper writes about a variety of things, so I recommend her blog as well. Here is the connecting link to her Thursday, November 1st, 2007, post entitled: A New Job!! I hope you get an opportunity to visit her blog and her website, and have some adult FUN!!


Here is a list of categories that her business carries.

Playful Beginnings
Memorable Moments
Massage & Bath Aids
Romantic Interludes
Bedroom Accessories
Spa Products
Novelties
search by
name

shop by
category
Lubricants
Heighteners
Massage
For Couples
For Him
For Bachelorettes
Bondage
Books & Games
The Classics
Vibrators
G-Spot
Anal
shop by
price
Under $8
$9-$10
$11-$13
$14-$17
$18-$20
$21-$30
$31-$50
Above $50



I have placed my first order with her, for my girlfriend and myself;), and found her to be courteous, professional, friendly, and she shipped the order promptly. So as a very satisfied customer, I recommend her business, and products to everyone who is reading this repost, so please check out her website, and have some adult fun!!


Best of luck to Paris Love Ex-Stripper, on her new venture!!


Thanks!!


ADULT

Sharif Returns To Pakistan

It seems that the stability of Pakistan is being tested weekly, and with the arrival of the former Prime Minsiter today, it is going to be another Interesting week for President Musharraf, and Pakistan.

The Exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home to a hero's welcome Sunday and called on President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to end emergency rule before elections, a fresh challenge to the U.S.-backed leader.

"These (emergency) conditions are not conducive to free and fair elections," Sharif told reporters at the airport after arriving from Saudi Arabia. "I think the constitution of Pakistan should be restored, and there should be rule of law."

Here is a little background of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. He was born December 25th, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan is a Pakistani politician and comes from a well established Kashmiri business family. His wife Kulsoom is the grand-niece of world famous Kashmiri wrestler the Great Gama.He was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, serving two non-consecutive terms, the first from November 1st, 1990 to July 18th, 1993, and the second from February 17th, 1997, to October 12th, 1999. His party is the Pakistan Muslim League N, (Nawaz group). He is best known internationally for ordering Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests in response to India's , and the abrupt end of his final term in a dramatic coup by General Pervez Musharraf.

Whether it is right or wrong is not really the question, as it should be "whether it is going to help or hurt," Pakistan, by creating one more area of tension and instability, in a country that already has more fractures, and security problems than it can handle.


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Shiite Violence Redux?

The bombings hit the day after our Thanksgiving Day holiday, and may mean that a new round of violence is going to begin.

Four members of an Iranian-backed Shiite cell confessed to bombing a public market in central Baghdad, a U.S. spokesman said Saturday. He also blamed Shiites for recent attacks on U.S. bases, raising fears that a three-month truce by the most feared Shiite militia may be at an end.

The blast Friday in the al-Ghazl pet market killed at least 15 people, wounded 56 and shattered a growing sense of public confidence that has emerged following a sharp decline in the bombings and shootings that once rattled the Iraqi capital daily.

This latest violence is just one more indication that our "window of opportunity", to remove ourselves from this situation is closing, and may be closing so fast that we will get caught inside, when it all goes to Hell, Again!!


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More Tragedy In Bangladesh

There is more sadness this morning in Bangladesh as a section of a bridge collapsed Saturday under the weight of thousands of hungry cyclone victims rushing toward a relief center in southwestern Bangladesh. At least one person died and dozens were injured, officials said.

Rescuers worked to remove concrete slabs from the collapsed 30-foot section to search for people feared crushed underneath, while frantic villagers gathered at the site on a river in Patuakhali district, one of the areas hit hardest by Tropical Cyclone Sidr earlier this month.

These poor people just cannot seem to get a break, and I am truly amazed by their resiliency in the face of tragedy after tragedy, and may we send more prayers their way on this Thanksgiving weekend!

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Bloody Day After Thanksgiving In Iraq

Even as we finish up Thanksgiving Day leftovers, and hit the stores for "Black Friday", there is sad news from Iraq.

Two bombs exploded hours apart Friday in a central Baghdad pet market and a police checkpoint in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, killing 26 people and wounding dozens, officials said.

The attacks were among the deadliest in recent weeks, underscoring warnings by senior U.S. commanders that extremists still pose a threat to Iraq's fragile security despite a downturn in violence since a U.S.-Iraqi security plan began in mid-February.

The worst part of this story I believe, is the acknowledgement that no matter what we do, there will still be some violence, and when we leave will it increase again. It seems the only reason it has gone down is because of the troops "everywhere" reality, which gives insurgents less time to plan and carry out attacks, as they are running for "their" lives. Now as we begin drawing down troops, will the violence go back up to pre-surge levels or higher.

I think all we are doing is forestalling the inevitable, and the other reality is that for all of the good armed successes we have had, the Iraqi government, (not local, as they seem to be doing well), is still not doing anything to speak of, except agreeing to an oil revenue sharing plan, and that is still not complete. So let's call it a win and come home, if we did and used all available boats and planes for evacuation, we could have everyone out in less than a month. This is a very difficult issue, because it would be nice if it could work out well for everyone, but it doesn't seem like it will, and that is sad for our troops and the Iraqi people. Our condolences to the Iraqi's and their families who lost loved ones.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.


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Thanksgiving Day History

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, and may you feast in your own way, enjoy family and friends, and just have a Great Day! I almost had the day off, but due to a snow storm in western Iowa, my Art Prints are being delayed, so I am going to meet the truck tomorrow, and will spend a few hours organizing everything for the start of the Christmas buying season, Friday at 6 A.M. Below is a little history, sanitized for today, of how Thanksgiving began and continues up to today, with a link to a cool timeline at the end. Thanks!!

Thanksgiving Day, national holiday in the United States commemorating the Pilgrims, in American history, the group of separatists and other individuals who were the founders of Plymouth Colony . The name Pilgrim Fathers is given to those members who made the first crossing on the Mayflower.The celebration of the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony in 1621, after a winter of great starvation and privation. The celebration was probably held in October. The neighboring Wampanoags, who outnumbered the colonists, joined them for three days and contributed food to the celebration. The first proclaimed day of thanksgiving in the colony was not held until 1623 (probably at the end of July), following an improvement in prospects for the still struggling colony, and was a day of prayer, not feasting.

After the American Revolution the first national Thanksgiving Day, proclaimed by President George Washington, was Nov. 26, 1789, and the Episcopal Church began celebrating an annual day of thanksgiving on the first Thursday in November. Some states established an annual Thanksgiving Day, but there was no annual national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln, urged by Sarah J. Hale Hale, Edward Everett, 1822–1909, American author and Unitarian clergyman, b. Boston, grad. Harvard, 1839. He was the nephew of Edward Everett. The pastor of a church in Worcester, Mass., proclaimed one in 1863, appointing as the date the last Thursday of November. Although the only known contemporary account of the 1621 Plymouth harvest celebration had been rediscovered in 1841, the national Thanksgiving Day initially was not officially linked to it.

In 1939, 1940, and 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Thanksgiving the next-to-last Thursday in November. Conflicts arose between Roosevelt's proclamation and about half of those of state governors, and in 1941 Congress passed a joint resolution decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November. The day is observed by church services and family reunions; the customary turkey dinner is a reminder of the wildfowl served at the Pilgrims' celebration. Canadians also celebrate a national Thanksgiving Day, on the second Monday in October; prior to 1957 it was on the last Monday of the month.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!


timeline

Packing Books And Heat

There is an interesting story of students on college campuses, who want to carry weapons with them at all times.

Mike Guzman and thousands of other students say the best way to prevent campus bloodshed is more guns. Guzman, an economics major at Texas State University-San Marcos, is among 8,000 students nationwide who have joined the nonpartisan Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, arguing that students and faculty already licensed to carry concealed weapons should be allowed to pack heat along with their textbooks.

This is a growing movement as evidenced by this story and a look at their website which I have added in a second post entitled Concealed Campus.Com. I hope you have a chance to check it out and see what you think about their requests to arm themselves, for their own safety.

The concealed campus.compost is just below this one.Thank YOU!!

guns

Concealed Campus.Com

When I first saw the story that I previosly posted on I went on the Internet and right away found that there is a concerted and coordinated effort to promote concealed weapons on campuses all over the country.

Below is the first part of the ConcealedCampus.Com free website, and if you get an opportunity, please stop by an see what they have going on locally and nationwide.


10/26/2007 – SCCC MEMBERSHIP REACHES NEW HIGH AND A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
SCCC Membership Sets New Record
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus now has over 7,000 members nationwide.
Thought for the Day
com·pro·mise (kŏm'prə-mīz')
1. an accommodation in which both sides make concessions
Proponents of gun control typically argue that gun owners should be required to undergo training, testing, expanded background checks, and licensing.
Proponents of gun rights typically argue that gun owners should be allowed to carry handguns in public, for self-defense.
Concealed carry laws allow gun owners who undergo training, testing, expanded background checks, and licensing to carry handguns in public, for self-defense.
When both sides give a little and both sides get a little, that is the true definition of compromise.
Who is more willing to compromise—groups like Students for Concealed Carry on Campus who support licensed concealed carry or groups like The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence who oppose licensed concealed carry?

So what do you think? Should students be able to protect themselves from the growing danger on campuses or should they be left defenseless? I think that if they are properly trained, and meet the requirements of the law, they should be allowed to carry concealed weapons. Perhaps many of the recent killings could have been avoided or lessened if armed students were there to fight back. I personally do not own guns anymore, nor am I a member of the NRA. I choose not to have guns in the house, because of children in the house, and I do not want any "accidents", in our home, but I am all for those who feel the "need" to have guns, to have them. A well armed citizenry may also give pause to those who might wish us harm from within our own government.



concealed

Former Aide Blames Bush And Cheney For CIA Leak

This is the case tonight as former White House press secretary Scott McClellan blames President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for efforts to mislead the public about the role of White House aides in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recounts the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.


Let's Recap The Plame Affair:

The Plame affair (also known as the CIA leak scandal or the CIA leak case) is a political controversy in the United States, involving high-level officials of the George W. Bush administration and members of the media, and resulting in a federal grand jury investigation, a criminal trial, and a civil suit. Beginning in mid-June 2003, according to federal court records, Bush administration officials, including Richard Armitage and Scooter Libby, discussed with various reporters the employment of a classified, covert, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, Valerie E. Wilson (also known as Valerie Plame).

On July 14, 2003, a newspaper column entitled "Mission to Niger" by Robert Novak disclosed Plame's name and status as an "operative" who worked in a CIA division on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Mrs. Wilson's husband, Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, stated in various interviews and subsequent writings (as listed in his 2004 memoir The Politics of Truth) that his wife's identity was covert and that members of the administration knowingly revealed it as retribution for his op-ed entitled "What I Didn't Find in Africa", published in The New York Times on July 6, 2003.

On September 16, 2003 the CIA sent a letter to the US Department of Justice, asserting that Plame's status as a CIA undercover operative was classified information and requesting a federal investigation. Attorney General John Ashcroft referred the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel, directed by Patrick Fitzgerald, who convened a grand jury. The CIA leak grand jury investigation resulted in the indictment and conviction of I. Lewis Libby, Chief of Staff of Vice President Dick Cheney. The indictment was on five counts of obstruction of justice, perjury, and false statements to the grand jury and federal investigators on October 28, 2005; Libby resigned hours after the indictment. The federal trial United States v. Libby began on January 16, 2007. On March 6, 2007, Libby was convicted on four counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements, and was acquitted of one count of making false statements. Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison, a fine of US$250,000, and two years of supervised release after his prison term.

After the verdict, Special Counsel Fitzgerald stated that he does not expect anyone else to be charged in the case: "We're all going back to our day jobs." On July 2, 2007, President Bush commuted Libby's sentence, effectively erasing the 30 months he was supposed to spend in jail. The probation and fines still remain. The Wilsons also brought a civil law suit against Libby, Richard Cheney, Karl Rove, and Richard Armitage. On July 19, 2007, the civil suit was dismissed in United States District Court for the District of Columbia. On behalf of the Wilsons, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed an appeal of the U.S. District Court's decision the following day.

And back to today's story:

"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Tuesday. "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff and the president himself." Bush's chief of staff at the time was Andrew Card.

The excerpt, posted on the Web site of publisher PublicAffairs, renews questions about what went on in the West Wing and how much Bush and Cheney knew about the leak. For years, it was McClellan's job to field, and often duck, those types of questions. Now that he's spurring them, answers are equally hard to come by. White House press secretary Dana Perino said it wasn't clear what McClellan meant in the excerpt. "The president has not and would not ask his spokespeople to pass on false information," she said. McClellan turned down interview requests Tuesday.

Plame maintains the White House quietly outed her to reporters. Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, said the leak was retribution for his public criticism of the Iraq war. The accusation dogged the administration and made Plame a cause celebre among many Democrats.

McClellan's book, "What Happened," isn't due out until April, and the excerpt released Monday was merely a teaser. It doesn't get into detail about how Bush and Cheney were involved or reveal what happened behind the scenes.

In the fall of 2003, after authorities began investigating the leak, McClellan told reporters that he'd personally spoken to Rove, who was Bush's top political adviser, and Libby, who was Cheney's chief of staff. "They're good individuals, they're important members of our White House team, and that's why I spoke with them, so that I could come back to you and say that they were not involved," McClellan said at the time.

Both men, however, were involved. Rove was one of the original sources for the newspaper column that identified Plame. Libby also spoke to reporters about the CIA officer and was convicted of lying about those discussions. He is the only person to be charged in the case.Since that news conference, however, the official White House stance has shifted and it has been difficult to get a clear picture of what happened behind closed doors around the time of the leak.McClellan's flat denials gave way to a steady drumbeat of "no comment." And Bush's original pledge to fire anyone involved in the leak became a promise to fire anyone who "committed a crime."

In a CNN interview earlier this year, McClellan made no suggestion that Bush knew either Libby or Rove was involved in the leak. McClellan said his statements to reporters were what he and the president "believed to be true at the time based on assurances that we were both given." Bush most recently addressed the issue in July after commuting Libby's 30-month prison term. He acknowledged that some in the White House were involved in the leak. Then, after repeatedly declining to discuss the ongoing investigation, he said the case was closed and it was time to move on, but if there was wrongdoing it would be taken care of. It seems that the wrongdoing may hit close to home, however, unless further excerpts are released or McClellan has a interview, we will just have to wait until April.

It is an interesting turn of events, and due to that the "leading us to war in Iraq" intelligence factor, carries grave consequences for the Bush adminstration, as well as for our country, and who it is that we are to believe or not believe, in the future. Perhaps we need to make double and triple sure of our intelligence as we make plans to strike Iran, before they can produce nuclear weapons. As Bush himself tried to say, but messed it up, "Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice shame on you, and should have said (shame on me)." If we allow anyone to fool us again it should be shame on us!! Let's not be fooled Again, People!!

Top 100 NFL Draft Prospects

This next story is for those of use who either watch football, bet on football, or are fanatical Fantasy Football Team Managers, as we are already looking to who should be in our draft picks next year.


This is my third year playing, the first with one team in a private league, last year in a public league with two teams, and this year in a public league with two teams on Yahoo, and two teams on MSN, and even though four years ago I barely paid attention to football and thought fantasy guys were "stupid", I am now daily, checking my players, the latest news, and constantly tweaking the teams to get one more point over my opponent.


So I was excited to see that Yahoo has a story about the Top 100 Prospects for next year, and here is a spoiler----Number 1. ranked was:


Darren McFadden - RB - 6'1" 220 lbs. - Arkansas
Outstanding junior feature back has the complete package for the NFL game.


I hope you enjoy going through the list and preparing your Christmas(draft) list,w way, way too early:) HAVE FUN!!


100

Non Embryonic Stem Cell Research

How cool is this next story, that if accurate could change the lives of millions and the attitude of governments and churches.

Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy.

Laboratory teams on two continents report success in a pair of landmark papers released Tuesday. It's a neck-and-neck finish to a race that made headlines five months ago, when scientists announced that the feat had been accomplished in mice.

Everytime something like this comes out there are still a few on the religious side that may say that doing this is "playing God", and I wonder if God is wondering to himself "How could I have given such intelligence and creative ability to my creations, and yet they keep second guessing themselves about what I intended. Hello, I gave you the abilities to create, don't squander them or that would be a sin and an affront to me!" Of course there is also the scenario, that the religious people are right and we are "playing God", and then HE shall smite us!:)

If you have a moment please let me know what you think. I am hoping that this is a procedure that is not an affront to "God", and that it can help so many who suffer and die each day, because they are not able to reap the possible benefits of stem cell research! Thanks!

stem cells

Pakistan Releases Some Prisoners

In what appears to be a move by Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to assuage some of the criticism of his emergency rule has released many prisoners, as he heads to Saudi Arabia for a visit.

More than 3,000 people jailed under emergency rule have been released, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday, the latest sign that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was rolling back some of the harsher measures taken against his opponents.

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema put the exact figure of those freed in recent days at 3,416, including lawyers and political activists, and said more than 2,000 people remained jailed.

This may be seen as an encouraging sign, but it still is a wait and see climate, as there is always the possibility that rebel terrorists will use this opportunity to strike somewhere, and force the President to come down hard again on Pakistani rights. It seems that he is in a lose/lose situation, as his countrymen demand democratic freedom, and every step in that direction gives the insurgents more of a probabilty of toppling the government, and creating a terrorist state.

What amazes me is that he actually wants to keep this job, as believes that he can keep Pakistan intact, and free of rebel forces. For this he needs strength, diplomacy, and a large dose of luck!



prisoners

Karma Visits Chavez Briefly

I am a believer in Karma, and though this is not a case of receiving his "ultimate" Karmic kick in the butt, it does remind us that Karma, often has a twisted sense of humor as evidenced by this next story.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would not shut up for Spain's king but, over the weekend, he heeded a higher calling to stop talking, his bladder. Surrounded by a throng of reporters at an OPEC summit in Saudi Arabia, the president, who enjoys the media spotlight and often answers questions at length, excused himself, and telling them he had to pee!!

Thank you Karma for shutting him up and for giving us something to smile about, as the week begins!LOL:) !!


karmic humor

Michael Vick Update Enters Jail

Is Michael Vick trying to lessen his sentence by making a good show of being contrite? In a news story just now being reported, Michael Vick has turned himself into to the U.S. Marshalls Service in order to begin serving his expected jail term, according to report by the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Monday.

Vick surrendered to get a head start on serving whatever sentence he receives on December 10 for pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges.

According to the report, Vick was transported from the U.S. Courthouse downtown to one of the regional jails where federal prisoners are housed.

It shall be interesting to follow this story, and see if his strategy of early incarceration works for him. I think what he did was cruel and evil, but I will also be one to see him come out better, if he is truly a changed man inside. Time will be the only true arbiter of his fate, but perhaps this first step will help him, and show those young men who worshipped him, what will happen if you break the law, and may change their lives for the better right now!

jail

Bangladesh Death Toll May Top 10,000

Another rise in the reported number of dead in Bangladesh.

The death toll from Thursday's cyclone in Bangladesh is now more than 3,100, and officials say that number could reach 10,000 once rescuers get to outlying islands. Rescuers are struggling to reach thousands of survivors, and relief items have been slow to reach many. Survivors grieved and buried their loved ones Monday as they waited for aid to arrive.

The death toll from the Thursday cyclone reached 3,113 after reports finally reached Dhaka from storm-ravaged areas which had been largely cut off because of washed-out roads and downed telephone lines, said Lt. Col. Main Ullah Chowdhury, a spokesman of the army coordinating the relief and rescue work.

I did find out this morning that our neighborhood church is going to provide Bangladesh relief, so I am going to help them out. I hope you can find a way to help as well. Thanks!

deaths

Second Bangladesh Tragedy Update

The news continues to worsen as resue workers report more and more deaths in Bangladesh.

The death toll from a cyclone that devastated Bangladesh has surpassed 2,200, officials said Sunday, while rescuers struggled through blocked paths to reach hundreds of thousands of survivors awaiting aid in wrecked homes and flooded fields.

The government deployed military helicopters, naval ships and thousands of troops to join international agencies and local officials in the rescue mission following Tropical Cyclone Sidr. The U.S. and other countries also offered assistance.

Tomorrow is another day, and sadly I am sure we shall see the death toll figures rise once again! Please help if you can, as the relief agencies can surely use your donations. There is an online relief fund called www.helpinghandonline.org, there is also the Red Cross, and the United Nations. Personally I have animus for both the United Nations, and the Red Cross relief agencies, so I will be checking with the local churches like the one across the street from where I live, and donate to one, like the one I mentioned that is sending aid to Bangladesh. Take Care!

update

Cool Florida Quarterback In Record Books

Congratulations to Tim Tebow of Florida, who is now in the history books of college football.

Florida coach Urban Meyer didn't tell his players they were eliminated from the Southeastern Conference race Saturday. He didn't have to, either. Tim Tebow became the first player in major college history with at least 20 touchdowns passing and rushing in the same season and Andre Caldwell broke the school record for career receptions.

May this young man receive the Heismann trophy and then make history in the NFL!


history

NO MIRACLE ON 34TH ST FIELD TRIP AND WHY THE HELL NOT

Here we go again, with political correctness delivering another blow to Christmas, and at least one Winchester mom wants to fight back, and still wants to take her seventh-grade daughter to “Miracle on 34th Street” and organize other parents to do the same after the field trip was axed because some parents complained it was too focused on Santa Claus.
McCall Middle School principal Evander French Jr. said the classic play didn’t tie into the school’s curriculum and he decided to ax the Dec. 19 trip to the Stoneham Theatre last week. (B.S.)
Emily Rudin, a Winchester parent who is raising her children Jewish, said she was offended with French’s decision and told him so on Friday. “This is censorship,” Rudin said. “This is religious intolerance. This is horrible.”
Rudin said the same small group of mothers who allowed their children to attend a local production of a “A Christmas Carol” last year opposed “Miracle on 34th Street.” Now, Rudin said, Jewish middle school students are being harassed by kids who are saying “Jews hate Santa and that’s why we can’t go on the field trip.”
The principal said “A Christmas Carol” is about the human spirit. Sixth-graders read an abridged version of the Dickens classic.
“For me, it’s all about exposure and acceptance for my children, whether it’s about religion, race or a different lifestyle,” Rudin said. “If a few mothers feel that they’re uncomfortable with the content, then keep your kids home.”
Rudin said 300 seventh-graders were planning to attend the play and a pizza party afterward. Rudin said she’ll ask the theater to advertise the tickets if they are still available. “The school may not support it, but it would be a shame for the kids not to go,” Rudin said.
Another parent, Steven Landau, didn’t complain to the principal but called the trip a waste of time. “Multiculturalism is good, but there’s plenty of cultural activities which have no religious basis. Having one which has religious basis or semi-religious basis is not very sensitive to everybody in the school,” Landau said.
On Tuesday, French met with the school’s parents association, where four parents spoke out against his decision to cancel the trip, said association co-president Martha Sampson.Neither French nor School Superintendent William McAlduff returned calls yesterday. Cowards!!
V. French Jr.'s email is vfrench@winchester.k12.ma.us and the telephone number is 1-781-721-7026, and Superintendent William McAlduff's telephone number is 1-781-721-7004, but has no email address listed on the district's homepage.
Let's call or write these idiots and express our displeasure with their decision. I for one still "believes" in Santa Claus, you know the one that brings presents, as I am all about commercialization of Christmas, and every other holiday. It is just too much fun to allow these fuddy duddies to ruin a grand tradition of giving and greed. Personally, I try to do Santa like things all year, but love Christmas, and enjoy it with child-like(ish) glee. Let the kids have their field trip, and maybe for Valentines Day, they could visit a Victoria's Secret store. This may sound "tongue firmly implanted in cheek", but I am a little bit, and I do think they should "Leave Christmas The Hell Alone"! If you like Christmas for religious reasons, fine, if for secular reasons, fine, but if this were a muslim holiday, they would be bending over backwards to accomodate them, and why. Is it fear?, because their "radical" followers would kill cartoonists for making fun of their god, as just one example of the crazy disparity of how christians are treated compared to other religions. Also, don't get me wrong, as I am not promoting chistianity of any kind. I was born and raised a Catholic, but parted ways years ago, and went through my WICCA, and "other", "darker", occult phases, as well as a hint of Taoism, later, etc.,. I wish everyone who believes in a religion would try and understand each others philosophy and faith, but instead the secularists want to separate people from anything that has even a hint of little bit of religion. At least we know their dividing line, Miracle's (bad) A Christmas Carol (good)?? Isn't the second a little more mystical??Go figure, maybe they're using their Magic 8 Ball to decide which is which.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHANUKAH,WINTER SOLSTICE,FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US,MATERIALISTIC - GIVE ME PRESENTS DAY, MATERIALISTIC - GIVE YOU PRESENTS DAY!!;)

NO MIRACLE ON 34TH ST FIELD TRIP AND WHY THE HELL NOT

Here we go again, with political correctness delivering another blow to Christmas, and at least one Winchester mom wants to fight back, and still wants to take her seventh-grade daughter to “Miracle on 34th Street” and organize other parents to do the same after the field trip was axed because some parents complained it was too focused on Santa Claus.
McCall Middle School principal Evander French Jr. said the classic play didn’t tie into the school’s curriculum and he decided to ax the Dec. 19 trip to the Stoneham Theatre last week. (B.S.)
Emily Rudin, a Winchester parent who is raising her children Jewish, said she was offended with French’s decision and told him so on Friday. “This is censorship,” Rudin said. “This is religious intolerance. This is horrible.”
Rudin said the same small group of mothers who allowed their children to attend a local production of a “A Christmas Carol” last year opposed “Miracle on 34th Street.” Now, Rudin said, Jewish middle school students are being harassed by kids who are saying “Jews hate Santa and that’s why we can’t go on the field trip.”
The principal said “A Christmas Carol” is about the human spirit. Sixth-graders read an abridged version of the Dickens classic.
“For me, it’s all about exposure and acceptance for my children, whether it’s about religion, race or a different lifestyle,” Rudin said. “If a few mothers feel that they’re uncomfortable with the content, then keep your kids home.”
Rudin said 300 seventh-graders were planning to attend the play and a pizza party afterward. Rudin said she’ll ask the theater to advertise the tickets if they are still available. “The school may not support it, but it would be a shame for the kids not to go,” Rudin said.
Another parent, Steven Landau, didn’t complain to the principal but called the trip a waste of time. “Multiculturalism is good, but there’s plenty of cultural activities which have no religious basis. Having one which has religious basis or semi-religious basis is not very sensitive to everybody in the school,” Landau said.
On Tuesday, French met with the school’s parents association, where four parents spoke out against his decision to cancel the trip, said association co-president Martha Sampson.Neither French nor School Superintendent William McAlduff returned calls yesterday. Cowards!!
V. French Jr.'s email is vfrench@winchester.k12.ma.us and the telephone number is 1-781-721-7026, and Superintendent William McAlduff's telephone number is 1-781-721-7004, but has no email address listed on the district's homepage.
Let's call or write these idiots and express our displeasure with their decision. I for one still "believes" in Santa Claus, you know the one that brings presents, as I am all about commercialization of Christmas, and every other holiday. It is just too much fun to allow these fuddy duddies to ruin a grand tradition of giving and greed. Personally, I try to do Santa like things all year, but love Christmas, and enjoy it with child-like(ish) glee. Let the kids have their field trip, and maybe for Valentines Day, they could visit a Victoria's Secret store. This may sound "tongue firmly implanted in cheek", but I am a little bit, and I do think they should "Leave Christmas The Hell Alone"! If you like Christmas for religious reasons, fine, if for secular reasons, fine, but if this were a muslim holiday, they would be bending over backwards to accomodate them, and why. Is it fear?, because their "radical" followers would kill cartoonists for making fun of their god, as just one example of the crazy disparity of how christians are treated compared to other religions. Also, don't get me wrong, as I am not promoting chistianity of any kind. I was born and raised a Catholic, but parted ways years ago, and went through my WICCA, and "other", "darker", occult phases, as well as a hint of Taoism, later, etc.,. I wish everyone who believes in a religion would try and understand each others philosophy and faith, but instead the secularists want to separate people from anything that has even a hint of little bit of religion. At least we know their dividing line, Miracle's (bad) A Christmas Carol (good)?? Isn't the second a little more mystical??Go figure, maybe they're using their Magic 8 Ball to decide which is which.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHANUKAH,WINTER SOLSTICE,FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US,MATERIALISTIC - GIVE ME PRESENTS DAY, MATERIALISTIC - GIVE YOU PRESENTS DAY!!;)

Bangladesh Tragedy Update

In an update it is being reported that hundreds of thousands of survivors were trapped Saturday behind roads blocked by fallen trees, iron roofs and thick sludge as rescue workers fought to reach towns along Bangladesh's coast that were ravaged by a powerful cyclone that killed at least 1,723 people.Tropical Cyclone Sidr, the deadliest storm to hit the country in a decade, destroyed tens of thousands of homes in southwest Bangladesh on Thursday and ruined much-needed crops just before harvest season in this impoverished, low-lying South Asian country. More than a million coastal villagers were forced to evacuate to government shelters.

It is the beginning of a long, sad, clean-up and rebuilding period for Bangladesh and its' people. May the world not forget too fast this latest tragedy to hit this country!


update

Bangladesh Tragedy

I was just reading the story about the tragic loss of life in the Bangladesh cyclone.

The United States expressed "its deepest sympathy" for the victims of the cyclone that struck Bangladesh as it took part in international efforts to provide emergency relief. Hundreds of people died and tens of thousands were left homeless after a powerful cyclone smashed impoverished Bangladesh with huge waves, severe winds and torrential rains, officials said Friday.

Even with the death toll topping 1,100 people, this can be seen in a positive light, as it was not as deadly as the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone, unofficially known as Cyclone Gorky, which killed over 138,000 people, or the 1970 Bhola Cyclone, the deadliest ever recorded, which killed over 500,000 people. While every lost person is precious, it was with excellent evacuation plans, that most people got out of the way of this deadly storm. International aid is beginning to arrive and with much help the country can be brought back from this devestation.

I remember the refrain when I was growing up, and when Bangladesh was used as a symbol of great need, like Biafra, and the teachers would encourage people to eat all of their food, even though it was cafeteria food, and chide us with, "there are starving children in Bangladesh, who would be glad to have that food." It was true then, and is true now, as this nation is once again stricken by disaster. We may not box up our lunches and the send them, but we can pick up the phone and make a donation to assist them in their time of need. Thanks, and our best wishes and prayers go with them on this evening after the cyclone.


cyclone

Envoy Warns Musharraf

In the news this morning it is being reported that a senior U.S. envoy who said Pakistan's democratic process had been "derailed" carried a stern warning Friday to President Gen. Pervez Musharraf from the Bush administration to end emergency rule. In an apparent move to blunt criticism from Musharraf's key foreign backer, authorities freed opposition leaders including Benazir Bhutto as well as a U.N. human rights expert and let two independent news channels back on air.

There continues to be a great deal of worries concerning the emergency rule and what if anything can be done to get their democracy back on track. May the weekend bring a respite to both sides, and allow Musharraf and Bhutto time to think this through and understand that they must work together or their nation may fall apart, and that would only be good for their enemies and ours.


warning

Here is another canon in d major solo

there is so much music available

Canon

Here Is A Second Canon In D major Guitar Solos That Is Awesome

second canon in d major link

Bad News From Pakistan

This has truly been a Good News, Bad News, and now more Bad News day!!

There is Bad News From Pakistan just days after it looked like things could be worked out, as the Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was placed under house arrest for the second time in four days to prevent her staging a march on Tuesday to protest emergency rule, police said. A close aide to the former prime minister said she would try to lead the 185-mile procession anyway. The showdown intensified the political crisis engulfing Pakistan and further clouded the prospect of a pro-U.S. alliance against rising Islamic extremism forming between Bhutto and President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

The next few days are crucial and Washington better pull out all the stops and do anything it can to assist Pakistan in its' time of crisis. If things go badly there, it shall have reprecussions long into the future. This is their "dark" night of the soul and the existence of their country is at stake! I wish them the very best and hope they can prevail as a somewhat democratic country, intact, and not fall to the forces of al-Qaeda and extremists!!


bad news

Bad News For Americans Privacy Rights

After reading a good news story about Iraq, I found a "bad" news story about America, and concerns that we will lose more of our "rights", because of the war on terror card being played again! We all agree that things are different since 9/11, but really if we go so far overboard with giving up our rights, then the terrorists have already won, because they made us "change" who we are and that is their main purpose. Well maybe secondary purpose, obviously their main purpose is to kill us, but not living as Americans, is the death of our spirit and makes us less than who we are doesn't it!

As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it is time that people in the United States changed their definition of privacy. Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people's private communications and financial information.

We shall keep a close eye on how all of this plays out and will update when more information is available about the rights they want us to give up. After all the people testifying, basically are saying that we can trust businesses and government, to protect our privacy, and we all know how good the government is at running anything right, So this will just be one more fiasco in the making, and we will all be less safe for it!


bad news

Good News From Iraq

The following story reports that there is good news from Iraq, and that violence is down. This would be a hopeful sign of progress if the Iraqi government was actually using this time to get itself together, but all accounts show that is not happening.

Rocket and mortar attacks in Iraq have decreased to their lowest levels in more than 21 months, the U.S. military said Monday. In the capital, Iraqi officials said a taxi driver was shot dead by a private security guard hired to protect U.S. convoys. Last month saw 369 "indirect fire" attacks, the lowest number since February 2006. October's total was half of what it was in the same month a year ago. And it marked the third month in a row of sharply reduced insurgent activity, the military said.

Unlike many of the Democratic candidates who wish for our troops to keep dying for "their" political benefit, I support the troops and hope they succeed. However, I still think we should leave as quickly as possible, because of the same reason I mentioned In August, when the Iraqi took a months long vacation, while our men and women were dying to protect their country. It seems that if they cannot or will not fix their own government, then the minute the surge ends and we draw down troops, the violence will ramp up again, and all the lives will have been lost for nothing!

Hopefully, the lull in violence will continue, and truthfully, maybe, just maybe, the Iraqi people really are tired of the killings, and they will take control from the ground up and fix the country themselves, in spite of the inaction of their government officials, that could be the best of all outcomes for everyone invested in seeing Iraq succeed!




good news

Want To Live In A Lighthouse

How cool is this next story! Ever think you would like to live in a lighthouse, well many people are already doing it!!

TURNS OUT, VIRGINIA, THERE ARE PLENTY of people who would like it. They've been snapping up offshore lighthouses from the federal government, which has dozens for sale for as little as $30,000, and turning the neglected 19th-century structures into luxurious cottages for weekend getaways, business meetings and retirement recreation.

Lonely as the life of a lighthouse keeper might seem, the new occupants can't get enough time on their remote islands. Scott Holman, an experienced underwater explorer who owns and operates two major foundries in Freeland, Mich., uses his Granite Rocks lighthouse, 12 miles offshore in Lake Superior, for corporate board meetings when he's not weekending there.
"It's a great retreat," says Holman, who was one of the first private citizens to buy a lighthouse. There's no fear of a director wandering far from deliberations for a round of golf: Holman's refurbished lighthouse sits on two and a half acres of granite. And the weather on the temperamental Lake Superior can be unpredictable. Granite Island is famous for its fog. The lake itself hosts storms that best anything on the saltwater oceans. On Jan. 18, 2003, Holman's weather gauges record winds of 143 miles per hour.
Dan Billingsley, an engineer and accomplished ocean sailor from Annapolis, Md., partnered with his brother-in-law to buy the 1,100-square-foot, cast-iron "sparkplug" lighthouse atop a concrete- and iron-encased cement piling in the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Roads, Va., for $31,000. They are spending weekends and $100,000 in materials to restore the Newport News Middleground Lighthouse's exterior and turn the interior into a vacation home. The partners have been working for two summers now, aided by family volunteers. They expect their work to be finished in another eight months.
"It's been a lot of fun," says Billingsley, 58, whose wife also is an engineer and whose two sons are engineering students. One recent treat was watching sailboat races from the lighthouse's deck, 15 feet above the water. It was like watching a horse race from a seat at the inside rail.
THE LIGHTHOUSES WERE OWNED by the U.S. Coast Guard, which no longer needs most of them. New technologies like global-positioning satellites and signal-buoys powered by solar cells have rendered most of the 300 Coast Guard lighthouses obsolete (though at some, the new owners work with the Coast Guard to keep the lights burning).
Sales are handled by the General Services Administration, which advertises the properties and accepts bids online. Thirty-seven lighthouses have been transferred to the GSA since 2006, some for as much as $250,000, and another 51 are being transferred for sale.Historical societies and municipalities generally get first crack at the most desirable lighthouses -- those on the edge of the shore, but there are still plenty for the public to pick from, and some states, like Virginia and Maryland, offer decent tax breaks.

Robert Trapani Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation says the lighthouses are fairly spacious, most with four floors. Buyers should be careful to check out the foundations of cement surrounded by cast iron, which is often 30 feet into the water and seabed. Ice flows can damage the structures, "so stability is an issue," he says. Ralph Conner, who runs the sales for the GSA, says most serious bidders visit the lighthouses with a structural engineer in tow.Holman, an engineer whose companies make parts for offshore oil rigs, paid $86,000 for his lighthouse. He ferried contractors to and from the island hundreds of times for the extensive renovation project, which ran to six-figures. He had roofers install zinc shingles that replicated the asbestos-shingle look of the original and completely gutted the interior plaster walls, which had been ruined by rainwater, and replaced them with sheetrock.He rewired the house and installed solar panels and wind generators for power. He had the old wood floors refinished, installed new kitchen cabinets and appliances, and had masons repair the island's 400 steps and walkways.

Because it was so difficult to land a boat by the rocks, Holman ordered a 22-foot Zodiac, a type of boat that has a hard bottom and inflatable sides. He logged 3,000 miles on it in less than three months, but the boat wasn't always up to the job. Once, he says, Superior's rough waves partially split the craft on a return trip; the operator managed to make it ashore only after using wire to tie the sides of the boat together. The manufacturer eventually replaced that boat and, in the meantime, Holman bought a 30-foot Zodiac with a cabin to complete the work.Billingsley has had his share of daunting experiences, too. He said it took several weeks to clean his lighthouse of bird droppings, feathers, eggs, and nesting materials. He installed a hoist to lift a 750-pound diesel generator and other equipment into place (and rebuilt it when it burned out), and put in such niceties as a $2,000 marine toilet.So what in the end does a lighthouse owner really get? "It looked like a unique summer cottage," Billingsley says. "But it's more like a giant tree fort."



There is a second link that takes you to the LightHouse Depot, and a third link to an auction site, which has information and actual lighthouses listed for sale!! VERY COOL!!



lighthouse depot

auctions


history

Thank You Hawks

Thank you to the University Of Iowa Hawkeyes for winning today and making a bowl game and a moderately acceptable "building" season possible!!!


Albert Young rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns, Jake Christensen added 157 yards passing and Iowa became bowl eligible with a 21-16 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. The Hawkeyes (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) reclaimed the "Floyd of Rosedale," a bronze pig given annually to the winner, with its sixth victory in seven tries over rival Minnesota (1-10, 0-7).

Next week we face Western Michigan and may we provide a better show and a better game!!Good Luck Guys!!!


win

King Of Spain Tells Chavez To SHUT UP

The KING of Spain told Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to "shut up" Saturday during a heated exchange at a summit of leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Chavez, who called President Bush the "devil" on the floor of the United Nations last year, triggered the exchange by repeatedly referring to former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar as a "fascist.

The King of Spain has a long history and an impressive biography:

JUAN CARLOS DE BORBON Y BORBON was born on January 5th, 1938 in Rome, where the Royal Family was living at that time, having had to leave Spain when the Republic was proclaimed in 1931. His father, Don Juan de Borbon y Battenberg, Count of Barcelona and Head of the Spanish Royal Household ever since King Alfonso XIII had relinquished this status, and his mother, Dona Maria de las Mercedes de Borbon y Orleans. At the express wish of his father, he was educated in Spain, which he visited for the first time at the age of ten. In 1954 he completed his Baccalaureate at the San Isidro School in Madrid, and in 1955 began his studies at the Academies and Military Colleges of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. During this time he carried out his practice voyage as a midshipman on the training ship Juan Sebastian Elcano and qualified as a military pilot. In 1960.61 he completed his education at Madrid's Complutense University, where he studied constitutional and international law, economics and taxation.

On May 14th, 1962, he married Princess Sofia of Greece, the eldest daugther of King Paul I and Queen Federika, in Athens. After their honeymoon, the Prince and Princess went to live at the Palacio de la Zarzuela, on the outskirts of Madrid, which is still their residence. In 1963 the first of their three children, Princess Elena, was born, followed, two years later, by Princess Cristina and finally, in 1968, by Prince Felipe. After his designation as future succesor to the Head of State in 1969, he embarked on a series of official activities, touring Spain and visiting many foreign countries, including France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States, Japan, China and India. On the death of the previous Head of State, Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was proclaimed King on November 22nd, 1975. In his first message to the nation he expressed the basic ideas of his reign, to restore democracy and become King of all Spaniards, without exception.

The transition to democracy, under the guidance of a new Government, began with the Law on Politicial Reform in 1976. In May 1977, the Count of Barcelona trasnferred to the King his dinasty rights and his position as head of the Spanish Royal Household, at a ceremony which confirmed the fulfilment of the role incumbent on the Crown on the Crown in the restoration of democracy. A month later the first democratic election sice 1936 was held and the new parliament drafted the text of the current Constitution, approved in a referendum on December 6th, 1978. The Constitution establishes as the form of government of the Spanish State that of a parliamentary monarchy, in which the King is the arbiter and overseer of the proper working of the institutions. By giving the royal assent to this Constitution, King Juan Carlos expressly proclaimed his firm intention to abide by it and serve it. In fact, it was the actions of the Monarch that saved the Constitution and democracy during the night of February 23rd. 1981, when the constitutional powers had been retained in the Parliament building in an attempted coup.

In the course of 18 years the King has toured Europe, Latin America, the United States and Canada, the Arab countries, Israel, China, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and many countries in black Africa. He has also addressed many international organizations: the United Nations, the institutions of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American States, UNESCO, the International Labour Organization and the Arab League. The King has encouraged a new style in conducting relations with Latin America, emphasizing the identifying features of a cultural community based on a common language, and pointing out the need to generate common initiatives and take part in suitable kinds of cooperative activity. The countries of that area have shown great generosity in agreeing on the need to create a permanent framework capable of expressing this new situation, setting objectives and organizing programmes and specific lines of action. This is the rationale behind the Latin American Conferences, the first of which was held in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1991.

As a convinced European, and a winner of the Charlemagne Award in 1982, Juan Carlos delivers insistent reminders of Spain s European calling throughout its history. The importance of the European union in the contemporary world and in particular in the areas which are most akin to it, including Latin America, has been stressed by the King in many messages, such as the one he gave at the French National Assembly in 1993. King Juan Carlos, who pays constant attention to the world of intellectual developments and its capacity for innovation, has a special relationship with universities, both in Spain and abroad, where he has had conferred upon him honorary doctorates by the most renowned centers, including the Universities of Bologna, Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, amongst many others. He is also an associate member of the Institut de France and the American Philosophical Society. As honorary chairman of COTEC, a Spanish Foundation for technological innovation, King Juan Carlos gives his personal support to this fundamental activity on the threshold of the 21st century.

He also pays special attention to the future of the Spanish language, the heritage of the community of Spanish speakers. The King is honorary president of the Board of Trustees of the Cervantes Institute, which is dedicated to the dissemination of the Spanish language worldwide, and the Foundation in support of the Royal Accademy, to whose setting up in 1993 he contributed out of his own personal patrimony. As a keen practitioner of several sports, such as skiing and sailing, Juan Carlos supports and appreciates sport as a formative influence of unquestionable social value. The presence of the King and Queen and their encouragement of the Spanish Olympic teams during the Games in Barcelona in 1993 attest to the importance which Juan Carlos attaches to this activity.

Hugo Chavez in contrast is a evil little marxist, who puts down protestors by all means possible:

Born in Sabaneta, Barinas, Venezuela , he is best known as the President of Venezuela, 1999-present Name at birth: Hugo Rafael Chávez Frias, and was born 28 July 1954.
Hugo Chavez was elected president of Venezuela in 1998 and took office 2 February 1999. Chavez was a career military man who formed a revolutionary force within the Venezuelan army and led a failed attempt to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez in 1992. After two years in prison, Chavez was pardoned by President Rafael Caldera and made the transition from soldier to politician. An engaging speaker and charismatic personality, he was elected to the presidency as a leftist reformer and modern-day Simon Bolivar. (His reforms are called the "Bolivarian Revolution.") Since taking office he has instituted sweeping reforms that have resulted in widely divided opinions of his presidency: supporters see him as a populist leader and champion of the poor, while critics call him anti-business and neo-fascist. He has shunned U.S. and European support and focused on South American and Third World solidarity. He is an economic and political supporter of Fidel Castro, and a sharp-tongued critic of President George W. Bush, often calling him the "Devil". His presidency has provided some topsy-turvy times for Venezuela: Chavez survived a kidnapping and coup attempt in April of 2002 and withstood a recall referendum in August of 2004, and news accounts from Venezuela often report both pro-Chavez and anti-Chavez rallies. A parliamentary election in late 2005, boycotted by some opponents, gave Chavez supporters control of the National Assembly, and on 3 December 2006 he was easily re-elected to another six-year term.
In recent years Chavez has accused the United States of supporting the 2002 attempt to overthrow him and of a continuing conspiracy to remove him from power... In 2005, U.S. television evangelist Pat Robertson made headlines when he suggested Chavez should be assassinated, and God would sanction it.

So we have a shout down and a winner of cool person of the week is King Carlos of Spain. Congratulations, and next time a "bitch" slap, and a shout down, would be in order as well!!



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