Human

http://www.physorg.com/news147454178.html Starwars style holographic 3DTV could be a reality by 2018, experts say Led by Professor John Watson from the University's School of Engineering, experts from the institution were partners in a four year European Commission (EC) funded project to investigate the underlying principles, technologies and practicalities of introducing 3D TV systems to the mass market. The findings of the project suggest that a stereoscopic 3D TV with the viewer wearing 3D glasses is near market and may only be a few months away. More advanced systems based on autostereoscopic technology, which do not require the wearing of glasses, are being piloted by several TV manufacturers and are only two or three year away from market. Whilst the ultimate 3D experience, using fully interactive floating holographic images - similar to that which is seen when Princess Leia appears in front of Luke Skywalker as a hologram in Star Wars - could be on the market by 2018. The University is one of 19 institutions across Europe, brought together under an EC Network of Excellence in the €6 million research project coordinated by Bilkent University in Turkey. which concluded this month. The team of experts from the University undertook detailed analysis into the technologies of 3D visual displays the applications which would be spawned from such systems and the laser technology required to record programmes to be broadcast on this type of system. The research coordinated by Professor Watson, drew upon expertise from key institutions from countries including Finland, Bulgaria, Turkey and Germany as well as the UK. Professor Watson said: "The aspect of the work in which we were involved aimed to further investigate the crucial progress needed in the development and implementation of TV's which would receive and display programmes incorporating 3D images. "Our research also looked at how 3D imagery may be used in various areas of technology including medicine, air traffic control, underwater measurement, computer graphics and gaming in order to gain a better understanding of what is needed from this technology and what applications would make best use of it. "Our findings into how 3D TV systems would be packaged as a product suggested that either a small table with an imaging hovering above it, or a wall mounted television with an image coming out of it, would be the most feasible options. "In order for 3DTV to become a reality, a number of significant technological developments need to be made. Importantly this includes the development of technology to allow programmes to be created which can be televised in this format and the ability to transmit the vast amount of information needed to realise a fully 3D image. If 3DTV is holographic then this would involve the use of cutting edge laser technology during the programme filming process. "It's likely that within three years we will see a TV on the market which will use autostereo systems to create 3D images, so that viewers do not need to wear traditional 3D glasses. However, in ten years time it is highly probable that TV using holographic images which would appear to float as if in mid air will be available for consumers to purchase." Provided by University of Aberdeen

This stuff is very important for a reason; You see under the Clinton Administration The Clintons cut off most of the funding to Latin America. Which in turn Latin America moved towards the Middle East for their funding. So in Barack Obama appointing Hillary to be the Head of Department Of State is already sending a signal to Latin America in stating that America WILL keep Latin America at arms length. It also shows that even though Barack obama is smart in picking smart people, it's also showing that he IS a novice when it comes to foreign policy, and so is Hillary. Do you see the problem? There REALLY IS too much politics in this town, and I do understand why Barack Obama picked her.

If I am reading Obama Correctly? His next pick for the Top State Department Official for Latin America might be? Frank Sanchez, and Dan Restrepo at NSA. Either way It's going to be interesting to see who goes where? Why? Simple; It will telegraph as to which direction Barack Obama IS going to go in Latin America. Both WILL be in the Obama Administration, and that's for SURE. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HTTP://WWW.MIAMIHERALD.COM/NEWS/COLUMNISTS...ORY/768818.HTML THE OPPENHEIMER REPORT Obama's top Latin American advisors are mostly centrists BY ANDRES OPPENHEIMER AOPPENHEIMER@MIAMIHERALD.COM The big question in Washington's Latin American diplomatic circles is who will be the Obama administration's top policymakers for Latin America and the Caribbean. At least half a dozen names are being mentioned. The first name that comes up is that of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Mexican American with an impressive diplomatic résumé whose early support for Barack Obama was critical to help the president-elect win the Hispanic vote. Richardson and former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry are leading contenders for secretary of state in the Obama administration, several sources close to the transition team told me this week. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican who earlier this week was also cited as a leading contender, is now more likely to be appointed as special envoy for Russian affairs or special envoy for energy security issues. Supporters of Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and secretary of energy during the Clinton administration, cite his extraordinary credentials and the fact that it's time for the United States to have its first Hispanic in that job. Kerry supporters, in turn, cite his strong congressional ties and the fact that -- according to them -- he would be more of a team player, a key quality considering the Obama team's near obsession with discipline and team work. SECURITY ADVISOR One well-placed Washington insider tells me that Obama is likely to strengthen the job of White House national security advisor, who would work with Vice President-elect Joe Biden and play a larger-than-usual role in the next administration. If that happens, former Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke or former NATO commander Gen. James L. Jones might get the White House job and Richardson might be appointed secretary of state. Regarding Obama's Latin America advisors, the top two are Frank Sanchez, a former Clinton White House Latin American aide, and Dan Restrepo, a young attorney and former congressional staffer who headed the Obama campaign's Latin American advisory group. Sanchez, from Tampa, graduated from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and served in the office of the special envoy to the Americas and later as assistant secretary of transportation during the Clinton administration. He was one of the early members of the Obama campaign -- he was already at Obama's side in February 2007 -- and was a key figure in Obama's national Hispanic outreach campaign. Sanchez, who speaks fluent Spanish, is being mentioned as a possible special envoy to the Americas or as an assistant secretary at the State Department. Restrepo, an attorney who before heading Obama's Latin American advisory group worked for Obama transition team co-director John Podesta's Center for American Progress, is being mentioned for a senior State Department or National Security Council job. The son of a Colombian father and a Spanish mother, he is also fluent in Spanish. EXPERIENCED AIDES The second tier of Obama's Latin American advisors includes Robert S. Gelbard, former top State Department anti-drug chief and ambassador to Bolivia; Jeffrey Davidow, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico; Arturo Valenzuela, a former NSC Latin American chief and campaign advisor to Sen. Hillary Clinton; and Vicki Huddleston, former chief of the U.S Interest Section in Cuba. Other Obama advisors include former State Department Latin American affairs chief Pete Romero, former Ambassador to the Organization of American States Luis Lauredo and former Ambassador to Chile Gabriel Guerra-Mondragón. My opinion: While Latin America will rank far behind the economy, the Middle East and Iraq among Obama's top priorities once he takes office Jan. 20, he will have little choice but to map out a Latin American policy in the first weeks of his administration: On April 17, Obama is scheduled to attend the 34-country Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, where he will be expected to lay out his regional agenda. Richardson would be a great choice for secretary of state. (In the interest of full disclosure, he wrote a blurb for my book, Saving the Americas, but I would have rooted for him anyway.) And both Sanchez and Restrepo are fresh faces that could help re-energize U.S.-Latin American relations. The good news is that most of Obama's Latin American advisors are centrists, and most of them know the turf. That's good news for the United States -- and for Latin America.

Folks, you just have to do your home work "That's all". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c49948 Media & Entertainment being one of the under-researched industries- our goal here is to help shine a bit more light on what is going on in each county in this industry and help provide more granularity regarding market figures, segmentation, key ISVs, etc. This was an extensive research project covering over 80 Media & Entertainment companies in India, focusing on the IT Market Trends and Opportunities in the coming years. We are starting off with India for this research and we look to expand this out to the other major markets in the region. The Media & Entertainment industry globally is undergoing a rapid change related to the emergence of the Internet and Digital Media. These technology advancements are viewed by M&E as both a challenge and an opportunity and M&E is looking to IT to enable the transition to a business model that can meet M&E industry demands. This has led to a significant increase in IT investment across the M&E industry. Springboard’s IT in the Media & Entertainment Industry report series aims to help IT vendors understand more about the opportunities that are being created by the growth of the M&E market in Asia. Springboard’s report also details the size of the M&E market and how IT can effectively tap into that market. IT spending by the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry expected to grow to US$220 million by 2010; IT vendors who offer industry-specific technology solutions to M&E will outpace the competition. Estimates put the growing M&E market at US$300 million by 2010 with a compound annual growth rate of 32%. Data showed an increasing trend among M&E companies to focus on IT solutions that are specific to the Media & Entertainment industry. A vast majority of the M&E companies Springboard surveyed said that they have either invested or plan to invest the largest portion of their IT budget on industryspecific solutions. A further 47% said that their largest IT investment was for a technology solution tailored towards the Media & Entertainment industry. “From our research, we are seeing that one of the key ways for IT Vendors to gain traction in this industry is to market the M&E industry-specific benefits that they can provide,” said Nilotpal Chakravrti, Market Analyst for Springboard Research. “While many of the IT challenges Indian Media & Entertainment companies are experiencing are similar to other industries, they are perceived as being specific to Media & Entertainment and these companies are looking for industry-specific solutions to these challenges,” added Chakravarti. Drivers for IT spending in the M&E industry include the urgency of Indian M&E firms to reach new markets (named by 27% of M&E respondents) and the focus on solutions that better manage and deliver M&E content (according to 24% of respondents). IT is viewed as an enabler to help M&E firms achieve these two business goals and deliver their content more efficiently within the Indian sub-continent. “Many Indian M&E firms are looking at investments in technology as a way to more effectively deliver their content to new audiences, especially cities and towns outside of the major metropolitan areas,” Chakravarti explained. Springboard Research’s report findings also show that software represents the largest spending component by Indian Media & Entertainment firms, followed by hardware and IT services. IT services is indicated as the fastest growth area of the market. Local IT vendors are still viewed as the primary external influencers in this industry, with IBM being the only multinational vendor of note to gain a significant number of mentions as a primary influencer. About the IT in the Media & Entertainment Industry Reports The Media & Entertainment industry globally is undergoing a rapid change related to the emergence of the Internet and Digital Media. These technology advancements are viewed by M&E as both a challenge and an opportunity and M&E is looking to IT to enable the transition to a business model that can meet M&E industry demands. This has led to a significant increase in IT investment across the M&E industry. The IT in the Media & Entertainment Industry report series aims to help IT vendors understand more about the opportunities that are being created by the growth of the M&E market in Asia. Springboard’s report also details the size of the M&E market and how IT can effectively tap into that market.

It is done. You have mail. Any which you want to go now? It's up to you. Bfrank, you CAN'T stop him now in any which way that he wants to go, and that in part is what it is to be Republican. The freedom to choose which party a person wants to be in no matter what propaganda either side puts out. To be independent of thought, and action. You see the thing is? I give out that type of information to the homeless ALL of the time. I DON'T give the homeless fake hope, but REAL HOPE. For most, the info I give them goes in one ear, and out the other, but the one's who really take info to heart? THEY CAN DO ANYTHING. :) <~~~~ this is a jaws smile.

Nice to Have you Back Rees. Missed ya in here, and Happy Thanksgiving to you, and to all. <wink> I think That I will send ya the info you need to do as you please Whether in business, or in politics. Consider it a consolation prize for your tenacity. I like ya; You don't give up. Plus I figured out Barack Obama, and I think instead of me going after just the democrats legally as well as politically, I will also go after Barack Obamas Network in the same manner that I will go after the democrats. Barack Obama WILL keep his network seperate from the DNC machine. You are not the only one who is going to have fun this time. :)

http://www.theblackfriday.com Nice web site. I'm going thru it like there was no tomorrow.

http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/ Just so all of you know, and since in the New Administration are Free Traders "It's nice to know about this program". The structure of NAFTA is in place now. There really is more politics in this town than most of you can dream of. The security aspects HAD to be addressed, and no one really wanted to touch that one. Now you know.

Now as to how will President elect Barack Obama will deal with Venezuela? He "Barack Obama" will follow the Bush Doctrine of CONTAINMENT.

Even though in terms of the "War on terror" President Elect Obama is a positive image in the fight against terrorism. Just by the Cabinet picks so far suggest that President elect Obama has no real grasp on how to deal with World Leaders, and will be leaving foreign policy to Hillary, and to a great degree to Bill Clinton as well. As to how President Elect Barack Obama will deal with future Foreign policy crisis? That remains to be seen. With one of the more major issues being Iran having sufficient Nuclear Material for 1 Atomic bomb thus far. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?ed...rticle_id=97705 By David Ignatius Daily Star staff Saturday, November 15, 2008 Let's try for a moment to read the mind of an Al-Qaeda operative in the remote mountains of Waziristan as he listens to the news on the radio. His worldview has been roiled recently by two events - one confounding his image of the West and the other confirming it. The upsetting news for our imaginary jihadist is the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. This wasn't supposed to happen, in Al-Qaeda's playbook. Their aim was to draw the "far enemy" (meaning America) ever deeper onto the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Instead, the jihadists must cope with a president-elect who promises to get out of Iraq, and whose advisers are talking about negotiating with the Taliban. And to top it off, the guy's middle name is "Hussein." Before the election, the radical Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradhawi even issued a fatwa supporting John McCain: "Personally, I would prefer for the Republican candidate, McCain, to be elected. This is because I prefer the obvious enemy who does not hypocritically [conceal] his hostility toward you ... to the enemy who wears a mask [of friendliness]." Obama makes the jihadists nervous because he is an appealing new face whose ascension undermines the belief that Islam and the West are locked in an inescapable clash of civilizations. "The Democrats kill you slowly without you noticing it. ... They are like a snake whose touch is not felt until its poison enters your body," observes Qaradhawi. "Even in the Arab world, Obama is very popular," explains Jean-Pierre Filiu, a French scholar of Islam. "The global jihadists leaned toward McCain because they hoped the confrontation would get worse." The key constituency in this battle of ideas isn't Al-Qaeda itself, a dwindling group whose harassed members have little time to think about politics. It's the potential recruits in mosques and madrassas around the world who are assessing which way the wind is blowing. Among this group, there is a new ferment, according to a US intelligence official who monitors jihadist websites. He sees curiosity about Obama among Muslim militant groups such as Hamas, Hizbullah and the Taliban. "If I were Al-Qaeda, I would worry about the American election," says the intelligence official. He argues that the jihadists have benefited from overheated rhetoric about the "war on terrorism," which has given Al-Qaeda more stature in Muslim eyes than it deserves. There is a national-security opportunity, he argues, "to take advantage of a new face in Washington. The new administration has a chance to say, 'We're different.'" Our imaginary jihadist may be singing the blues as he contemplates the Obama presidency. But when he looks on the bright side, there is the global economic disaster. The financial news brings daily evidence that Allah is smiting the infidels. The radicals' message is that "the kufr [unbeliever] economy is collapsing," says Filiu. This riposte is especially sharp for the wealthy Arab nations of the Gulf, the "near enemy" for Al-Qaeda strategists. The jihadists can argue, "You see! You have been collaborating with them - your money is in infidel banks, and now look!" says Filiu. Some Muslim commentators argue that the economic crisis is divine punishment, the equivalent of the collapse of the Soviet Union. "We are happy that the US economy has come across difficulty," roared Iran's radical Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati last month. "The unhappier they become, the happier we get." Filiu says that among radical Muslims, there is a growing belief that we are entering an apocalyptic "Battle of the End of Time" foretold in a famous saying of the Prophet Mohammad. This hadith predicted that the climax would come in the land known as "Khorasan," which today includes Afghanistan, the tribal areas of Pakistan and parts of Iran. Filiu has gathered evidence of this Muslim eschatology in a new book called "L'Apocalypse dans l'Islam," which will be published soon in English. So here's the challenge for Obama: Seize the moment; "turn a page," and thereby transform the intellectual battlefield; keep the military pressure on Al-Qaeda's hard core, but discard the "war on terrorism" rhetoric; remind the world that Al-Qaeda's victims have been overwhelmingly Muslim, and that its brutal jihad has brought only ruin. And while you're at it, Mr. President-elect, fix the global economy, which is feeding the dream of those men hiding in the caves of Waziristan that the foundations of the West are crumbling, and that they can still win. Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILY STAR.

Looking into my crystal ball, I see Chavez wanting to rule Venezuela for life. Looking deeper into my crystal ball; If he wants to run the country into the ground, and the vast majority of Venezuelans supporting him? Who are we to say no. <A Jaws type smile> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...r=latin_america Venezuela Opposition Candidates Win Caracas, 3 States (Update2) By Matthew Walter and Daniel Cancel Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan opposition parties won races for mayor of Caracas and governor in at least three states, beating President Hugo Chavez’s candidates four years after his coalition took near total control of regional governments. Chavez’s Venezuelan United Socialist Party, or PSUV, was upset by the opposition in Zulia and Miranda, the country’s two most populous states, and may lose two more states when final tallies are published, according to results announced by the National Elections Board. The president, whose candidates won 21 out of 23 state elections in 2004, still controls 17 governorships. “We’re committed to this city and to the most poor,” Caracas mayor-elect and opposition leader Antonio Ledezma said after hearing the results. “To the president of the republic I have a message: You and I have many differences, but I invite the president to work with us to save Caracas.” The opposition’s wins today are a blow to Chavez’s drive to centralize control of the oil-exporting country. While the president remains popular among poor voters, accelerating inflation, rising crime and a plunge in oil prices have caused voters to question his socialist political agenda. Last year voters rejected his proposal to eliminate presidential term limits, and opposition parties expect Chavez to try make a second run at changing rules that will force him to step down in 2013. Test of Support The country’s 16.9 million registered voters cast ballots to elect 603 posts yesterday, including 22 of the country’s 23 state governors and 326 top municipal officials. Elections regulator Tibisay Lucena said results for two remaining states, Carabobo and Tachira, will be published later. The opposition candidate in Carabobo, Henrique Salas Feo, claimed victory in a speech broadcast by Globovision. Chavez called yesterday’s elections a test of support for his presidency, and campaigned almost daily over the past month for his party’s candidates to head off a loss like the national referendum last December, his first electoral defeat since taking office in 1999. Chavez said that his socialist party’s wins in a majority of states show that he still has the support of most Venezuelans. “I recognize the adversary’s triumph,” he said in comments broadcast by state television. “Of course we would have liked to win every governorship, but this was a great victory.” Stage for Conflict Today’s wins for the opposition in a handful of the country’s most populous states and its largest city set the stage for increased conflict with the president. Opposition parties have been marginalized since Chavez’s coalition nearly swept regional elections in 2004 and won almost every seat in the National Assembly in 2005. During the election campaign this year, Chavez threatened to suspend funding for development projects where opposition candidates win. “The worst scenario is something like Bolivia, where Chavez simply decides to mistreat the political leadership that gets elected from the opposition and increase the level of confrontation,” said Javier Corrales, associate professor of political science at Amherst College. “He has threatened to use not just economic strangulation but also carry out military plans against these leaderships.” Chavez regularly accuses opposition parties of trying to overthrow him, and he survived a brief coup in 2002 and a national strike in 2003. Ledezma said he’ll make crime reduction a priority as mayor of greater Caracas. Caracas’s homicide rate jumped to 130 per 100,000 people last year, a 47 percent increase from 2005, according to government data compiled by the Central University of Venezuela’s Center for Peace. Henrique Capriles-Radonski, the opposition governor-elect in Miranda state, said he’s willing to work with Chavez “Here we have new authorities that are willing to work with our people with the goal of improving peoples’ lives,” he said. “The government should know that we didn’t come to argue, but to work.” To contact the reporter on this story: Matthew Walter in Caracas at mwalter4@bloomberg.net; Daniel Cancel in Caracas at dcancel@bloomberg.net. Last Updated: November 24, 2008 02:19 EST

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In other words; Discipline.

http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbea...m#nanoparticles Nanoparticles in the Home: More and Smaller Than Previously Detected Extremely small nanoscale particles are released by common kitchen appliances in abundant amounts, greatly outnumbering the previously detected, larger-size nanoparticles emitted by these appliances, according to new findings* by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). So-called “ultrafine particles” (UFP) range in size from 2 to 10 nanometers. They are emitted by motor vehicles and a variety of indoor sources and have attracted attention because of increasing evidence that they can cause respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. NIST researchers conducted a series of 150 experiments using gas and electric stoves and electric toaster ovens to determine their impacts on indoor levels of nano-sized particles. Previous studies have been limited to measuring particles with diameters greater than 10 nm, but new technology used in these experiments allowed researchers to measure down to 2 nm particles—approximately 10 times the size of a large atom. This previously unexplored range of 2 to 10 nm contributed more than 90 percent of all the particles produced by the electric and gas stovetop burners/coils. The gas and electric ovens and the toaster oven produced most of their UFP in the 10 nm to 30 nm range. The results of this test should affect future studies of human exposure to particulates and associated health effects, particularly since personal exposure to these indoor UFP sources can often exceed exposure to the outdoor UFP. Researchers will continue to explore the production of UFP by indoor sources. Many common small appliances such as hair dryers, steam irons and electric power tools include heating elements or motors that may produce UFP. People often use these small appliances at close range for relatively long times, so exposure could be large even if the emissions are low. The experiments were conducted in a three-bedroom test house at NIST that is equipped to measure ventilation rates, environmental conditions and contaminant concentrations. * L. Wallace, F. Wang, C. Howard-Reed and A. Persily. Contribution of gas and electric stoves to residential ultrafine particle concentrations between 2 and 64 nm: Size distributions and emission and coagulation rates. Environmental Science and Technology, DOI 10.1021/es801402v, published online Oct. 30, 2008. Edited on Nov. 13, 2008 to correct copy.

Red; The General Public does not understand the stakes of checks, and balances. The Minnesota race just floors me? I REALLY did Not believe it possible. The only Explanations' that I can come up with is that; Most folks being online think that with information being so readily available online that the solutions will be just as quick "When in reality it is not". Or that the Republicans mistakes were so grave that it could not get any worse. Either way, the General Public is in for a rude awakening if the democrats hold a 60 vote majority, but the latter scares me the most. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If President elect Barack Obama goes after NAFTA? Consider it "Economic Suicide". The Politics of linking foreign trade with Union Demands IS A NON-Starter "That type of Politics IS OVER". President Elect Obama you WILL have to renegotiate "In the current light of REALITY" your political obligations with the unions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...CfguGDE9FuBcMbQ LIMA, Peru (AFP) — Twenty-one Asia-Pacific economies making up half of world commerce made a plea Thursday against protectionism and urged a quick breakthrough in global trade talks to beat the financial crisis. Trade and foreign ministers met for two days of in-depth talks in Peru's capital Lima seeking a formula to tear down tariff walls -- the key roadblock in global trade negotiations -- by year end. The push to resurrect the so-called Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks comes despite rising criticism of globalization in some quarters, as the world economy suffers its worst crisis since the Great Depression. "We will stand firm against any protectionist sentiment arising out of this crisis," the ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum said in a joint statement. The ministers were laying the groundwork for a weekend leaders' summit which is the last scheduled foreign trip for outgoing US President George W. Bush. The ministers pledged to work to resolve the key WTO sticking point of tariff barriers by the end of December, paving the way for an elusive global trade pact. "A strong agreement would demonstrate the ability of the international community to work together to bolster a deteriorating global economy," the joint statement said. Leftist workers plan to meet Bush on his arrival Friday with protests blaming him for setting off the global economic crisis by championing free trade. Bush's successor, Barack Obama, backs free trade but has criticized US deals with some APEC members as harmful to US workers. US unemployment claims soared to a 16-year high, government data showed Thursday. Susan Schwab, the outgoing US trade representative, predicted that Obama would also pursue free-trade pacts. "We all brought lessons from what happened in the 1930s when the United States and other countries took the wrong approach by raising barriers" and worsened the Great Depression, she said.Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley of Chile said "we are simply running out of time" to show the potential of free trade. "We can produce excellent news on the financial crisis if we have a Doha agreement in the next couple of months," he told reporters. "We can also provide an excuse for those pushing for protectionism if we don't get the Doha round done." Free trade talks collapsed in July due to acrimony between rich and developing countries -- particularly the United States and India -- on how far to go in protecting poor farmers from the globalized economy. The APEC ministers called on their leaders, including Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao, to offer support to wrap up the global trade talks, launched in the Qatari capital Doha in November 2001. "We are in a state of emergency," Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said. "I sensed a strong determination in the region to work together." Amid the breakdown in WTO talks, regional nations have increasingly been inking free-trade deals among themselves. Australia and Peru on Thursday agreed to join negotiations with the United States on a cross-Pacific pact to reduce tariffs, bringing the number of nations in the budding deal to seven. Australia's trade minister, Simon Crean, said those negotiations showed there were plenty of ways to liberalize trade. "That is even more important in the current climate because one of the most important drivers of economic activity is world trade," Crean said. Chinese President Hu Jintao , who was welcomed Wednesday with a parade through the heart of Lima, wrapped up negotiations on a free trade deal with Peru, the latest such pact for China. The APEC Summit comes just a week after leaders of 20 major developing and industrialized states met in Washington and announced a series of actions to stabilize the economic system and stimulate growth. The APEC ministers said they "strongly support" the Group of 20 plan.

This Time, None of your Socialist games will be permitted. Compromise, because it's no longer an election season. In the next Congress play as you will, in this one? Not as you will.

MR President elect; WELCOME to a NUCLEAR LATIN AMERICA, and the DEMOCRATS MADE THIS ONE POSSIBLE. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/...ianovosti02.htm Chavez says Russia to build nuclear reactor in Venezuela RIA Novosti 17/11/2008 10:39 MOSCOW, November 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will help Venezuela build its first nuclear reactor in the northwestern province of Zulia, President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday. Chavez had announced on Friday that Venezuela was in talks with Russia on nuclear energy cooperation, and the issue is likely to be discussed during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit later this month. "A nuclear reactor, to produce energy for peaceful purposes, will soon be built in Estado Zulia and named in honor of the Venezuelan scientist of the last century Humberto Fernandez Moran," Chavez told supporters in Maracaibo, the capital of Zulia state. "Brazil has several nuclear reactors, as does Argentina. We will also have our own reactor," the president said. Medvedev's trip to Venezuela on November 26 will be the first visit by a Russian president. Russian nuclear power plant constructer Atomstroyexport, established in 1998, has completed or is working on reactors in Iran, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, China and India.

Have the States EVER thought of living with in their means? For example; California has 764 State Agencies "Plus or minus 10". Do they really need that many agencies? Virginia has 153 State Agencies. Then their budgets, health plans, pensions "You get the idea". To what level is enough enough? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.csmonitor...01s05-usec.html New York - The nation's economic downturn is now squeezing state and city budgets – a financial turn of events that is forcing many mayors and governors to join the growing group of people on their knees asking Congress for help. The sense of urgency has increased because states have seen their revenue fall sharply over the past two weeks. One early estimate puts the states' mid-year budget gap at $24 billion, double the estimate from the end of last month. If Congress does not act soon on a fiscal stimulus package, states are warning of plans to lay off librarians, cut healthcare services, and ask unions to forgo raises. Some mayors are cutting recreational basketball leagues and mothballing housing projects. It's gotten so tough, the mayor of Trenton, N.J., Douglas Palmer, has had to demote firemen. "There are problems everywhere," says Iris Lav, deputy director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington. "The Feds need to step in because it's extremely difficult." Ms. Lav's group estimates 41 states have faced or are facing budget shortfalls. By 2010, she estimates state deficits could ultimately hit $100 billion, or 13 percent to 14 percent of state budgets. "The Feds must help before there is devastation of those budgets," she says. However, mayors and governors are aware the politics of federal fiscal stimulus might prevent them from getting help right away. "Waiting for fiscal stimulus from Washington is an iffy prospect," said Gov. David Paterson (D) of New York at a press conference Wednesday. "It may not happen this year, it may take a while for it to happen in the new administration." Washington observers say Governor Paterson is wise not to expect a check in the mail to solve his budget gap, which amounts to $47 billion over the next four years. "I may be wrong, but just writing a check is unlikely," says Stanley Collender, a budget expert and managing director at Qorvis Communications in Washington. "But, there will be some assistance for states in some form whether it be a loan guarantee or the government buying their paper." If the states had their way, they would like Congress to give them help in four areas: help with the growing number of people applying for Medicaid, more funding for the rising unemployed, help with the growing number on food stamps, and an injection of funds to jump-start infrastructure projects that are ready to go. "We're not asking for a stimulus package because it will fill budget gaps," says Michael Bird, federal affairs counsel of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Washington. "We think it will provide additional benefits for those most disadvantaged by the downturn and create economic activity through the infrastructure package." The cities also have their wish lists for a $89.9 billion package geared towards jobs and infrastructure projects. "We are focused on the lame duck session of Congress next week," says Tom Cochran, executive director of the United States Conference of Mayors in Washington. "We are urging a down payment on a Main Street stimulus package." Mr. Cochran argues that money should go directly to metro areas. "We know how to use the money immediately, we don't want it to get stuck in the state capitals," he says. Mr. Bird counters that the projects may "be done by the state but they are done in localities." The mayor of Trenton, Douglas Palmer, ticks off projects he has had to mothball to help close a $20 million shortfall. He says he has a 46-unit housing project that just needs $500,000 for street engineering. There are new schools that could be jump-started. And, the city has blueprints to repair miles of roads. "Money should go directly to the cities on a project by project basis," he says. He could also use money for salaries. He plans to lay off 70 municipal employees and won't fill 40 vacancies. "I've even had to demote firefighters," he says. Public servants around the nation are beginning to feel the heat. Gov. Donald Carcieri ® of Rhode Island, facing a $372 million gap in fiscal year 2009, has negotiated no pay raises for this year and changes in healthcare benefits, including higher co-pays. The governor meets with legislative leaders next week to look at more belt-tightening, says Amy Kempe, a spokeswoman. Some states are beginning to look at tax hikes to fill the gap. According to news reports, they include Nevada, California, and Oregon. However, governors are mostly trying to avoid raising taxes in a recession. "The governor does not believe it's smart policy to raise broad-based taxes in an economic downturn and does not believe in making the state more uncompetitive," says Ms. Kempe. New York's Paterson, facing a $1.5 billion deficit this year, talked spending cuts instead. The governor pointed out New York increased spending between 1990 and 2007 by 130 percent. With Wall Street cutting jobs, state tax revenues are fading quickly. "We can't get around the fact we have to cut spending," he said.

Nothing more needs to be said. Remember my first Post on this Thread, it aint NO GAME..... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/13/...in4598895.shtml "McCain Adviser" Revealed To Be A Hoax "Martin Eisenstadt" Fooled MSNBC And Other News Organizations With Phony Claims NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2008 (AP) MSNBC was the victim of a hoax when it reported that an adviser to John McCain had identified himself as the source of an embarrassing story about former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the network said Wednesday. David Shuster, an anchor for the cable news network, said on air Monday that Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, had come forth and identified himself as the source of a Fox News Channel story saying Palin had mistakenly believed Africa was a country instead of a continent. Eisenstadt identifies himself on a blog as a senior fellow at the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy. Yet neither he nor the institute exist; each is part of a hoax dreamed up by a filmmaker named Eitan Gorlin and his partner, Dan Mirvish, the New York Times reported Wednesday. The Eisenstadt claim had mistakenly been delivered to Shuster by a producer and was used in a political discussion Monday afternoon, MSNBC said. "The story was not properly vetted and should not have made air," said Jeremy Gaines, network spokesman. "We recognized the error almost immediately and ran a correction on air within minutes." Gaines told the Times that someone in the network's newsroom had presumed the information solid because it was passed along in an e-mail from a colleague. The hoax was limited to the identity of the source in the story about Palin - not the Fox News story itself. While Palin has denied that she mistook Africa for a country, the veracity of that report was not put in question by the revelation that Eisenstadt is a phony. Eisenstadt's "work" had been quoted and debunked before. The Huffington Post said it had cited Eisenstadt in July on a story regarding the Hilton family and McCain. Among the other victims were political blogs for the Los Angeles Times and The New Republic, each of which referenced false material from Eisenstadt's blog. And in July, Jonathan Stein of Mother Jones magazine blogged an item about Eisenstadt speaking on Iraqi television about a casino in Baghdad's "Green Zone." Stein later realized he'd been had. "Kudos to the inventor of this whole thing," Stein wrote. "My only consolation is that if I had as much time on my hands as he clearly does, I probably would have figured this out and saved myself a fair amount of embarrassment."

President Bush HAS ordered that ALL Transitions be MADE SMOOTH for the Democrats, and HIS ORDERS WILL BE OBEYED IN FULL. If the democrats want to play games with their own group? That is their business.

It's better for him to get All of his people, and advisors in place first, and get fully up to date first before jumping on in. He will soon be one of the World Leaders, and he is playing his cards right in this respect. On the National front though? That remains to be seen, but he will have to move fast on that one. The markets don't take well to uncertainty. For the record; For what it's worth? From this Republican, YOU ARE in my prayers President Elect Obama. Because the pressure you are under right now IS intense, and probably wont be slowing down for you for at least a year. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/12/europe/obama.php By Peter Baker Published: November 12, 2008 The world is waiting for President-elect Barack Obama, and some of its most prominent leaders are flying into the United States this weekend clamoring to meet with him. But they will have to keep on waiting. The leaders of 19 foreign powers, including Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, converge on Washington on Friday for an emergency economic summit meeting hosted by President George W. Bush. Although invited, Obama has opted to stay in Chicago and will not meet any of the leaders separately. Coming so soon after last week's election, the summit meeting has proved an uncomfortable moment for the president-elect and an early test of his handling of international diplomacy. Even as aides are closing his campaign headquarters and just beginning to assemble a governing team, they are fending off interest from foreign governments eager to take the measure of Obama and trying to avoid tying him to the Bush administration. Several Obama advisers, in separate interviews, all used the word "awkward" to describe the situation. But Robert Gibbs, a senior adviser to Obama, said: "While some may say it's awkward that he's not there, it would be far more problematic to be there. We firmly believe there is only one president at a time." The situation has already fostered misunderstandings. A Kremlin official told reporters in Moscow that President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia would probably meet with Obama during his trip to the United States this weekend, even though the Obama camp has ruled that out. The potential for even more significant misunderstanding was underscored last weekend when a quick, seemingly perfunctory telephone call by Obama returning the congratulatory call of the Polish president led to a dispute about what was said about missile defense. If confusion over such a delicate issue could arise from a roughly five-minute phone call, Obama advisers reasoned, then the prospect of longer encounters in person with foreign leaders at this point would be fraught with peril. He has not even designated a secretary of state, Treasury secretary or national security adviser. Instead, the Obama team is scrambling to arrange for surrogates to meet with visiting foreign officials while emphasizing that Bush remains the nation's leader until Jan. 20. "It's not appropriate for two people to show up for this meeting," said John Podesta, co-chairman of Obama's transition team. The White House expressed no disappointment and vowed to work closely with the president-elect. "We continue to work with the transition team on the financial summit and will keep them up to date," said Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman. Foreign affairs veterans said Obama was trying to play it safe and avoid being forced to take positions on matters he is not yet authorized to decide, much less take ownership for the problems and decisions of Bush. "I sort of understand why he can't go to that meeting," said Representative Howard Berman, a Democrat from California and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "What if the administration makes a suggestion that he doesn't agree with? Should he pop up and say something? Is his silence acquiescence? I think he's making the right call." Stephen Krasner, a former policy planning director at the State Department under Bush, said Obama should not assume a role he does not formally have yet. "It may appear to be awkward," he said, "but the key thing is it's a government that operates by law, and Obama has no authority until he's inaugurated." The period between an election and inauguration has often fostered tension and uncertainty when it comes to foreign affairs. Lyndon Johnson wanted his successor to support peace talks with North Vietnam and arms talks with the Soviet Union, but Richard Nixon undercut those efforts. The first President Bush sent troops to Somalia after his re-election defeat but before Bill Clinton's inauguration. The protocol for making first contacts with foreign leaders can be complicated and delicate. New presidents have traditionally made the Canadian prime minister the first foreign leader they meet with after taking office, a nod to its singular status as the nation's neighbor and trading partner. In January 1993, Clinton met with the Mexican president in Texas as president-elect, setting off protests from Canada. He responded by promising to make their prime minister his first foreign visitor after he took office. Similarly, the Canadians were upset when the current President Bush took office in 2001 and promptly scheduled a trip to Mexico. Bush rectified the situation by bringing the Canadian prime minister to Washington for a hurriedly arranged meeting before the departure for Mexico. Obama called for "a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20" during a campaign stop in Miami in September. But some of his advisers said the timing of the gathering this week was not their choice and wished there were a graceful way to call it off or at least postpone it. Obama advisers said it would be impractical to set up separate meetings with any foreign leaders on the sidelines of the summit meeting, if only because it would be hard to meet with a few and not all 19 visitors. Peter Feaver, a former strategic adviser to Bush at the National Security Council, said meeting foreign visitors should be a low priority at this point. To organize and set up a social meeting like that "just consumes staff time and energy that could be devoted to transition planning and 100-day planning and staff and so forth," he said. "And the payoff would be fairly low." Reporting was contributed by Jeff Zeleny from Washington, Clifford J. Levy from Moscow, Nicholas Kulish from Berlin and Steven Erlanger from Paris.

Thank You Raven, It's been an experience in here. My sources are NOT Republican, but I had to make sure that the original source was not trying to goat me. I checked it out with three other sources who don't know each other, and the three confirmed what the first one told me. I aint no sweet heart myself, but dear god she aint running for president yet and to start before President Elect Barack Obama takes over shows me a REAL viciousness by the democrats. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You know what I find so interesting about this Sarah Palin Story? It is that My sources are telling me that your group "The Democrats" ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO DESTROY HER POLITICALLY. Perfect timing for me to leave ALL message boards by January 1st. For from that point on I WILL BE ACTIVELY INVESTIGATING THE Democrats. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.dailyadvance.com/news/nation/el...ain-233209.html Palin says she might run for high office again By GENE JOHNSON The Associated Press Monday, November 10, 2008 WASILLA, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she wouldn't hesitate to run for the presidency in four years if it's God's will, even though she never thought Campaign 2008 would be "as brutal a ride as it turned out tobe." In a series of interviews in the wake of last Tuesday's elections, Palin said she had no problem with Republican presidential nominee John McCain, but that she resents rumors she said were spread about her and her family by the Arizona Republican's aides. She emphatically denied that she was a drag on the GOP ticket. "I think the economic collapse had a heckuva lot more to do with the campaign's collapse than me personally," the governor said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show. Palin also said "There were a lot of times I wanted to shout out, 'Hey, wait a minute, it's not true.' It's pretty brutal." Nevertheless, the relatively obscure governor of Alaska, whose selection for the ticket by McCain last August brought excitement — and controversy — to the 2008 campaign, said she would be eager to do it all again under the right circumstances. "I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door," Palin said in an interview with Fox News on Monday. "And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door." In the wide-ranging interview, Palin said she neither wanted nor asked for the $150,000-plus wardrobe the Republican Party bankrolled, and thought the issue was an odd one at the end of the campaign, considering "what is going on in the world today." "I did not order the clothes. Did not ask for the clothes," Palin said. "I would have been happy to have worn my own clothes from Day One. But that is kind of an odd issue, an odd campaign issue as things were wrapping up there as to who ordered what and who demanded what." "It's amazing that we did as well as we did," the governor said of the election in a separate interview with the Anchorage Daily News. "I think the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, too much of what had gone on in these last eight years, that Americans were kind of shaking their heads like going, wait a minute, how did we run up a $10 trillion debt in a Republican administration? How have there been blunders with war strategy under a Republican administration? If we're talking change, we want to get far away from what it was that the present administration represented and that is to a great degree what the Republican Party at the time had been representing," Palin said in a story published Sunday. Palin has scheduled a series of national interviews this week with Fox, NBC's "Today" show and CNN. She also plans to attend the Republican Governors Association conference in Florida this week. Palin has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2012. She also could seek re-election in 2010 or challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Still uncertain is the fate of Sen. Ted Stevens, who is leading in his bid for another term but could be ousted by the Senate for his conviction on seven felony counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts, mostly renovations on his home. If Stevens loses his seat, Palin could run for it in a special election. Palin and McCain's campaign faced a storm of criticism over the tens of thousands of dollars spent at such high-end stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to dress the nominee. Republican National Committee lawyers are still trying to determine exactly what clothing was bought for Palin, what was returned and what has become of the rest.

For all of us not to look at the Middle East as a Great Opportunity for Business would be a disadvantage that NONE of us can afford. I propose that we as a Country Increase Trade Relations with the Middle East. We can't limit ourselves to our own preconceived conceptions of the Middle East. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://export.gov/middleeast/

My mother board on my computer went bye bye once. Tried to get the computer company to fix it, they didn't. My price was real simple; No Major Contract in another country for their games. It wasn't nice of me, but neither was their service. That's one of the nice things about Washington D.C., You NEVER KNOW who you are playing with. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------