Human

Here is some thing I do Not understand; What's the point in texting on a phone when it's supposed to be just a phone? I'm considering of getting a wireless phone for ONCE in my life, and all of those little nick nacks are just a way for the phone companies to add extra charges. I will get one from verizon with a 25 dollar amount on it, and that's it. So if I lose it? like I care who gets a hold of it cause it will only have 25 bucks on it, and that's it. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A suggestion to the current administration as well as to the incoming Administration; RUN a SYSTEM WIDE security check on ALL white house computers "AND I DO MEAN ALL". Also whatever programs that have been downloaded by staff unto the computers? MUST BE PERMENANTLY DELETED ASAP. The article does not surprise me in the slightest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10086732-83.html Posted by Robert Vamos It was revealed this week that the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain were hacked over the summer. Now, a report has surfaced that the White House has suffered multiple attacks in recent months as well. According to a story by the Financial Times on Friday, U.S. officials have confirmed that the White House e-mail archives were attacked several times in recent months. The report says the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, a new unit established in 2007 to tackle cybersecurity, detected the attacks on the White House, and also traced the attacks back to servers based in China. The quoted source said each time the attack was detected, new defenses were put in place. "It is constant cat and mouse." Overall, the attackers apparently only had access to the unclassified White House computer network. Nonetheless, the data could still have value. The unnamed official quoted within the report speculated that the cyberattacks might follow the "grain of sands" approach used by Chinese intelligence. That involves parsing through often low-level information to find a few nuggets.

http://www.transitionjobs.us/appointments-new-administration Usually I don't like google, but there is a first time for everything.

Intranet NOOOOO, but internet "OH YEAH!!!!!". All you have to do is type in on google; 2008 plum book, and that's it................................................. It honestly is that simple.

forgot one last part; 900 positions have to be filled. For further information just go to the "Plum Book". OKAY, NOW THAT'S REALLY IT.

forgot to add this part (sorry about that). The President elects transition team will be known as "Obama-Biden Transition Project" a non-profit 501-c. <Just wanted to be technical about it.> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey folks! I want to tell you some thing. The reason I went after your group "The democrats" on posting white house telephone numbers online when my group was in power; It was not just because you democrats would heckle my group "The Republicans", but also if your group "The democrats" made it back to the white house that you would NOT receive the same treatment as my group DID.

Senior staff as follows; Chris Lu - Executive Director Dan Pfeiffer Communications Director Stephanie Cutter Chief Spokesperson Cassandra Butts General Counsel Jim Messina Personnel Director Patrick Gaspard Associate Personnel Director Christine Varney Personnel Counsel Melody Barnes Co-Director of Agency Review Lisa Brown Co-Director of Agency Review Phil Schiliro Director of Congressional Relations Michael Strautmanis Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs Katy Kale Director of Operations Brad Kiley

Remember folks! No matter who wins? We still have to work together. Any how, it's going to be a long night for all of us. :)

I too would like to share my deepest Condolences to His family, and to ALL other Cancer patient Families out there. And to the insurance companies? I really have NOTHING nice to say about you all.

For a minute there I thought That you would ask for some thing easier like meeting the Chairman of Sony. It's only a 15 hour trip to get to meet him. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fun side of politics is in the connections that one develops over time. I have a friend who is an Ambassador to another country, and he asked me 2 years ago to put together for him the Entire Chinese pharmaceutical database for him. It was simply amazing; Company "D" employs 38 people and generate revenues of 500 million plus. Company "B" employs over a 1000 people and their revenue is 6 billion plus a year. I put the database together for him to just keep in good relations "Plus what I learn is invaluable". Not to mention the Access That I have in that area of the world. It's the perks of politics, and since I WILL be leaving this message board by the Beginning Of January. Because lets be honest about it; I would be a fool not to take advantage of opportunities like that. By the Way; I thank God for Spell Checker. :)

Nice link, but still the Countries that I watch, I look at their Individual Industries and which one Has shown a consistent growth with in a sector, and will continue to do so. For instance; Industry "A" was at 1.5 million 4 years ago, and now it has become a 35 billion dollar a year Industry. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wall Street is losing its grasp on what's going on out there. Even in the Hemisphere that I am familiar with I know where the money is going [Remember? Follow the Money]. Wall Street isn't following the money to well. Hey Folks!!! We are all on the net because of the volumes of information out there. A google search will only give you 2% of what's actually out there. Me Being Old Net [Anyone before 1984] I got to honestly tell you that you have no idea what you are missing out on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081024/wall_street.html

What can I say; I'm just curious to see what google is up too. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.google.org/projects.html Grants and Investments As of September 2008, Google.org has committed over $100 million in grants and investments to further our five initiatives. These include: RE<C Makani Power Inc.: $15 million investment to support R&D on high-altitude wind energy extraction technologies aimed at producing utility-scale power cheaper than coal eSolar Inc. and BrightSource Energy, Inc.: $10 million investments in each to support R&D on solar thermal power to produce utility-scale power cheaper than coal AltaRock Energy, Inc: $6.25 million investment in EGS technologies and project development to support the advancement of enhanced geothermal systems. Potter Drilling: $4 million investment in two tranches focused on developing hard rock drilling breakthrough technologies for EGS. Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab: $489,521 grant to improve geothermal resource assessment techniques and update the Geothermal Map of North America. U.S. National Academy of Sciences: $250,000 grant for a study that will develop recommendations for U.S.-Chinese cooperation on renewable electricity. Stanford University: $135,000 award to increase the power output per advanced geothermal well RechargeIT Aptera Motors and ActaCell: $2.75 million investment to support the development of technologies that will enable widespread commercialization of plug-in electric vehicles Brookings Institution: $200,000 to support a conference in spring 2008 on federal policy to promote plug-in hybrids CalCars: $200,000 multi-year grant to the California Cars Initiative to support their work educating the public about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) Electric Power Research Institute: $200,000 to support EPRI's plug-in vehicle research and development program including participating in advanced infrastructure development, vehicle-to-grid technology demonstrations, and studies of the environmental and economic benefits of plug-ins Rocky Mountain Institute: $200,000 to partially fund an 'Innovation Workshop' to promote new strategies for greater production and market adoption of plug-in next-generation hybrid vehicles Dr. Willett Kempton at University of Delaware: $150,000 for megawatt plug-in to grid research and implementation planning Plug-In America: $100,000 to raise public awareness of and to advocate for plug-in transportation options Predict and Prevent Global Viral Forecasting Initiative (GVFI): $5.5 million multi-year grant to support the collection and analysis of blood samples of humans and animals in hot spots within Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Malaysia, Lao PDR and Madagascar. InSTEDD: $5,000,000 multi-year grant to establish this nonprofit organization focused on improving early detection, preparedness, and response capabilities for global health threats and humanitarian crises Children's Hospital Boston supporting HealthMap and ProMED-mail: $3 million multi-year grant to combine HealthMap's digital detection efforts with ProMED-mail's global network of human, animal, and ecosystem health specialists. Global Health and Security Initiative: $2.5 million multi-year grant to strengthen national and sub-regional disease surveillance systems in the Mekong Basin area (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and China-Yunnan province) Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health: $2.5 million multi-year grant to accelerate the discovery of new pathogens, and to enable rapid, regional response to outbreaks by establishing molecular diagnostics in hot spot countries including Sierra Leone and Bangladesh. Woods Hole Research Center: $2 million multi-year grant to support high-resolution satellite mapping of forests to enhance monitoring of forest loss and settlement expansion in tropical countries. Columbia University, International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI): $900,000 multi-year grant to improve the use of forecasts, rainfall data and other climate information in East Africa, and link weather and climate experts to health specialists so they can better predict outbreaks of infectious diseases. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: $900,000 multi-year grant to support the building, implementation and evaluation of a weather-based disease decision-support system in West Africa. Clark University for Clark Labs: $617,457 to Clark University, with equal funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, to support the development of a system to improve monitoring, analysis and prediction of the impacts of climate variability and change on ecosystems, food, and health in Africa and the Amazon HealthMap: $450,000 multi-year grant to conduct in-depth research into the use of online data sources for disease surveillance Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network: $250,000 for developing country participation at the TEPHINET conference to enhance capacity for outbreak detection and response Inform and Empower Pratham: $2,000,000 to create an independent institute that will conduct the Nationwide Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) and large scale assessments in the education sector HakiElimu: $1,800,000 multi-year grant to improve the quality of education in Tanzania by conducting critical research, conducting policy analysis, and stimulating public debate in the media. Educational Initiatives India: INR 61.9 million (approximately $1.6 million) contract to conduct a benchmark study to gauge levels of student learning in classes 4, 6 and 8 and to identify learning gaps in India. Institute for Finance Management & Research (IFMR): $1,015,000 multi-year grant to create district level development indices in India and to support mapping of information including research, government, non-government, and NGO database information PRS Legislative Research: $880,000 multi-year grant to increase citizen engagement, track the performance of members of parliament, and procure photocopies of state laws throughout India Aspen Institute Africa Leadership Initiative: $851,053 grant for the ALI - East Africa program, in support of the program's efforts to develop and cultivate the next generation of leaders in the region from the business, non-profit and public sectors. Center for Budget and Policy Studies (CBPS): $765,000 multi-year grant to create a Budget Information Service for local governments in India, with the goal of facilitating better district and municipal-level planning Centre for Policy Research (CPR): $600,000 multi-year grant to increase the debate and discourse on issues of urban local governance and urban service delivery in light of the rapid expansion of cities in India $250,000 multi-year grant to create a centre for accountability that will collect accountability tools, analyze them, identify gaps, assess the effectiveness and disseminate this information to policymakers and civil society in India. Policy Forum: $510,000 multi-year grant to support a coalition of civil society organizations seeking to make the policy process in Tanzania more transparent, participatory and accountable, to benefit society, especially the poor and marginalized communities Shekhar Singh: $250,000 contract to conduct a study of the use and implementation of the Right To Information (RTI) Act across various stakeholders in India (including public authorities, information commissions, media, judiciary, NGOs, and corporate sector). Center for Global Development (CGD): $220,000 grant to support the launch of the International Initiative on Impact Evaluation (3IE), which will bring new financial and technical resources to conduct and disseminate impact evaluations around the world $150,000 grant to help CGD grow and continue to expand their work on education and outcome based assessments International Budget Project of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (IBP): $197,000 multi-year grant to support the building of a larger constituency for budget tracking work in India. Social Development Network (SODNET): $149,967 multi-year grant to support a budget tracking tool to monitor Kenya's Constituency Development Fund and other development funds providing communities the opportunity to make better expenditure decisions to maximize their well-being. Fuel Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises TechnoServe: $1.7 million for managing the business plan competitions and entrepreneurship programs in Ghana and Tanzania since 2006 Acumen Fund: $5.2 million to build and support innovative enterprises serving the poor through market-oriented approaches TechnoServe: $3 million as a general support grant to expand TechnoServe's efforts to support enterprises, spur job creation, and strengthen poverty alleviation programs in the Africa region Grameen Foundation: $200,000 to assess the potential for mobile applications to provide information for rural enterprises and households in East Africa Special Projects & Learning Grants ONE Action Campaign: up to $3,000,000 to ensure global health and development issues, specifically the need to conquer malaria, are prominently represented in 2008 U.S. presidential election campaigns Seva Foundation: $2,000,000 to support programs to prevent blindness and restore eyesight in India, Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Tanzania and Guatemala NRDC: $100,000 to support the Environmental Entrepreneurs Climate Campaign to assist with the implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (California's AB 32) $2,000,000 to create a Center on Energy Efficiency Standards to help the US and China achieve major reductions in the use of electricity and natural gas – and significantly cut associated global warming pollution and energy bills – through voluntary and mandatory efficiency standards for buildings, equipment and appliances World Bank - Development Marketplace: $500,000 to support their international business plan competition that funds innovative, early-stage projects with high potential for development impact UC Berkeley Regents: $451,000 to support research on water intervention in Kenya PlanetRead: $345,000 to support Same Language Subtitling (SLS) programs in India UC San Francisco: a multi-year grant of $200,000 to support Dr. John Kane's malaria research TEDGlobal / Sapling Foundation: $100,000 grant to support the TEDGlobal-sponsored Fellows' Program which seeks to provide African entrepreneurs with financial and other philanthropic support, as well as communication technologies to make markets and governments more efficient Energy Foundation: $50,000 for climate change research Support for global disease eradication efforts: Rotary Foundation: $3,500,000 in matching funds to support polio eradication globally The Carter Center: $1,450,000 in matching funds to support guinea worm eradication in Ghana Support for disaster response and recovery: China -- more than $1.5 million to support disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake in central China. Myanmar (Burma) -- $1 million to support disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Cyclone Nagris. $600,000 in initial grants to: CARE USA Doctors Without Borders Friends of the World Food Program; Emergency Telecommunication Centers Project Save the Children United States Gulf Coast -- $950,000 to support disaster response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Accion USA Trickle Up Program City Year Louisiana National Urban League Greater New Orleans Foundation Liberty Bank

That's one thing I love about Information, you never know where it's going to lead you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?ed...rticle_id=96679 BEIRUT: The credit squeeze in the United States, Europe and some of the oil-rich Gulf countries has convinced many Lebanese expatriates and Arab nationals to transfer parts of their massive assets to Lebanese banks, local bankers said Friday. "The deposit base in some Lebanese banks surged in the third quarter and this trend is continuing due to the global financial crisis," Saad Andary, the adviser to the chairman of Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries (BBAC), told The Daily Star. He added that Beirut was now regarded as a safe haven by many depositors. At present, total bank deposits in Lebanese banks are close to $73 billion and bankers expect this figure to reach $80 billion by the end of 2008. The International Monetary Fund has credited the Banque du Liban for adopting stringent measures that shielded Lebanese banks from the direct fallout of the global financial crisis. Andary said that most of the deposits are coming from Lebanese expatriates who are based in Africa and Europe. According to the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), more than 45 percent of the assets in Lebanese banks are liquid and most of this liquidity is in foreign currency, which affords protection to these banks. In addition, the lending-to-deposits ratio is one of the lowest in the region. The Central Bank prohibits commercial banks from making direct investment in properties in Lebanon or any other country. But banks are allowed to lend, to a certain degree, to investors seeking to develop real estate projects. "They [Lebanese expatriates] are liquidating some of their portfolios in Europe and the United States and depositing this cash in Lebanese banks," Andary said. Another banker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also applauded the ban on direct investment in real estate. "This policy, which was enforced by [Central Bank Governor] Riad Salameh, has allowed local banks to avoid making any risky investment," the banker said. "At the end of the day banks should not venture with the deposits the clients." The banker said that investors had confidence in the soundness of Lebanese banking system and this trust was translated into more deposits. Lebanese bankers stressed that if the flow of deposits increased in the coming months many banks would start paying lower rates on deposits because of various costs and risks associated with digesting such large amounts of capital. "We have to cut our rates down and we have started doing this few months ago," Andary said. The average current interest rate on dollar deposits is a little less than 4.5 percent, while the average interest on Lebanese-denominated deposits is between 8 and 9 percent. Echoing similar views, Joe Sarrouh, the adviser to the chairman of Fransabank, said that banks are getting lot of inquiries from abroad. But he stressed it is difficult to calculate the deposits that are coming to the country for the time being. The Central Bank issues reports on the growth of Lebanese banks every six months. "I expect the trend of inflow of deposits to accelerate in the coming few months," Sarrouh told The Daily Star. He also predicted that that if the current trend continued, many banks in the country would reduce their rates.

More good news in the business front. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/delt...D&dist=hppr Last update: 12:00 p.m. EDT Oct. 22, 2008 ATLANTA, Oct 22, 2008 4:01pm 10/22/2008 The only U.S. network carrier to serve Africa, today announced it will expand its service to the African continent with the introduction of the first and only flight between Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Monrovia's Roberts International Airport, Liberia*. The service, which will make a stop at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island, Cape Verde*, will start in June, 2009. Passengers on the only flight between the U.S. and Liberia will benefit from significant time savings over other routes. They also will be able to connect to more than 150 destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean via Delta's Atlanta hub. "Delta is pleased to add Monrovia to our industry-leading Africa network," said Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president - Network and Revenue Management. "Passenger traffic to and from Africa continues to grow at some of the highest rates in the world. We are very encouraged with the response to our flights to Africa and look forward to serving Liberia and contributing to its trade and tourism development efforts." Currently, Delta offers service between the United States and six African destinations with flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; Cairo, Egypt, and Cape Town in South Africa (via Dakar) and between Atlanta and Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa (via Dakar). Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. The country has strong historical and cultural ties to the United States. With key exports of minerals and timber, there is a strong and growing market for business traffic between Liberia and the U.S. In an announcement today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf praised Delta's investment in her country. "I was excited to learn that Delta Air Lines has made the commitment to provide direct flight service to Liberia," said Johnson-Sirleaf. "Liberia continues to flourish and, with the commitment by companies in the U.S. to do business in our country, there is opportunity for continued economic growth. This development also provides convenience for Liberians in Diaspora to come home and to bring their skills and talents in support of the country's development. Delta Air Lines is providing a means to bring business into the country and we welcome them." Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, which owns significant development projects in Liberia, also commented on the flight during the announcement. "Two years ago, while attending the Clinton Global Initiative, I made a commitment to mobilize $30 million for Liberia after hearing President Sirleaf speak and appeal to the American private sector for support," said Johnson. "I have further committed to mobilizing funds through a recent $100 million finance protocol with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to build housing, as well as to build an 84-room villa style hotel. I applaud Delta Air Lines for making the commitment to provide direct air service to Liberia which will provide economic growth opportunities to Liberia from a variety of business sectors around the world," he added. Delta's new service between Atlanta and Monrovia will be operated using a Boeing 757 aircraft with up to 174 seats in a two-cabin configuration -- 16 seats in Delta's award-winning BusinessElite service and 158 seats in economy class. Delta's BusinessElite service features all-leather sleeper seats, innovative food offerings from celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein and award-winning, original wine selections chosen by Delta's Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson. The airline's on-demand personal in-seat entertainment boasts more than 20 first-run and popular classic movies, a variety of TV programs, a broad range of music, and a suite of 12 video games in both classes of service. Economy class customers also benefit from new all-leather economy seats, amenity kits and enhanced food offerings.

Okay! At least the debates are over on this. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.wjbf.com/jbf/news/state_regiona...ant_plans/7775/ Published: October 17, 2008 COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The South Carolina agency that inspects public utilities has given the go-ahead for two new nuclear reactors in Fairfield County. Executive director Dukes Scott said Friday that the Office of Regulatory Staff will recommend to the South Carolina Public Service Commission that it should approve an application for the plans. The reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station will be jointly owned by South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. and state-owned utility Santee Cooper. SCE&G has applied under a new state law to begin charging higher rates now to help pay its portion of the $10 billion price tag for the reactors. Scott says the Public Service Commission will consider the recommendation at a hearing in December.

What will be the Doctrine no matter who gets in? Containment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.syracuse.com/newsflash/index.ss...t=international Venezuela plans new Caribbean naval base 10/20/2008, 3:12 p.m. EDTThe Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez says a big naval base will be built on Venezuela's largest island. Chavez says Margarita Island's strategic location off Venezuela's coast in the Caribbean Sea makes it perfect for "a naval base of large proportions." Margarita covers an area of 1,020 square kilometers (394 square miles). It is a popular tourist destination and is home to about 450,000 Venezuelans. Chavez says a naval base there will help authorities fight drug trafficking. Chavez's office said Monday that the president visited the island on Sunday along with American actor Sean Penn and Venezuelan Indy car driver Milka Duno. U.S. officials have expressed concern about Venezuela's Russian-backed military buildup.

How can we men lose over a computer? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.physorg.com/news143718616.html An online poll of more than 2,600 US adults conducted by Harris Interactive showed that women office workers spend nearly triple the amount of time with their computer as they do with their significant other -- 9.3 hours with the disk drive and keyboard compared with 3.6 hours with their human partner. And only one in five of the women said she wished she could spend more time with her partner than with her computer, even if the latter caused them pain, often in the form of carpal tunnel syndrome, according to the poll. Nearly two-thirds spend more time with their computer than they do shopping or outdoors, eight in 10 spend more time with the tower and screen than do exercising, and four in 10 are with the computer more than with their family. That is understandable, given that the 8.2 hours spent on average by Americans at work make up the largest slice of the pie chart for time use on an work day for employed persons, aged 25 to 54, with children, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The second biggest allotment of time goes to sleep -- 7.6 hours -- according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

I'm terrified of the TYPE of history he will make in the foreign policy arena. All of his lawyerly talk aint going to help him when he runs into the REALITY of international politics. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like I have said in here before In my political World; They are Not salivating that Obama might be the First Black President in U.S. History. THEY "International Community" ARE Salivating over the Fact that he Doesn't know Jack about International Politics.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/20/bi...administration/ Barack Obama will face an international crisis early in his presidency, Joe Biden warns, fueling Republican charges that the Democratic presidential candidate's own running mate admits Obama is a blank slate in the face of coming national security threats. Speaking in Seattle on Sunday, Biden said he could guarantee that the world will want to find out if Obama is up to the job, which he assured voters he is. "Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking," Biden said. "Remember I said it standing here. if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. And he's gonna have to make some really tough -- I don't know what the decision's gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it's gonna happen," Biden continued. The Delaware senator's remarks were the second of their kind over the weekend. At a fundraiser in San Francisco, Biden said Obama's challengers will "find out this guy's got steel in his spine" whenhe is tested. The McCain campaign jumped on Biden's remarks, saying the next president "won't have time to get used to the office." "Just last night, Senator Biden guaranteed that if Senator Obama is elected, we will have an international crisis to test America's new president," reads a memo from the McCain campaign. "We don't want a president who invites testing from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting in two wars. ... "Senator Obama wont have the right response, and we know that because we've seen the wrong response from him over and over during this campaign. ... We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: hoping for our luck to change at home and abroad. We have to act. We need a new direction, and we have to fight for it," the statement said. During a McCain campaign press conference on Monday, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani also weighed in on the Democratic vice presidential candidate's remarks, saying they reveal that "Biden continues to harbor doubts that Obama is ready to be commander-in-chief." But Democratic aides said that Biden was merely reciting history and assuring supporters that Obama is the man for the job. "Sen. Biden was making it clear that history has shown presidents face challenges starting on day one, and with our nation fighting two wars and 21st century threats abroad, we know that we need steady leadership in tumultuous times, not the erratic lurching and stubborn ideology of John McCain," said Biden spokesman David Wade Democratic strategist and pollster Doug Schoen said Biden's comments are "probably an uncomfortable truth, certainly not what you want as a Democratic strategist for your vice presidential candidate to say.... "But he probably is going to be tested and he hasn't had experience and I'd like to think he'll be up to the task with whatever we face, but politics is about making choices. But the question is given the failures of the Bush administration ... do we want to go in that direction or do we want to go in a different direction?" Schoen asked.

I'm in agreement with the scientists, limit the amount of tourists. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 8, 2008 GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, ECUADOR -- A few weeks ago, 19 Ecuadorean citizens detained on these world-renowned islands were marched onto a plane and sent back to the continent under armed guard. Their crime? Illegal migration. So far this year, the government has expelled 1,000 of its citizens from the Galapagos -- a living laboratory of unique animal and plant species -- who were there without residency and work permits. It has also "normalized" 2,000 others, in effect giving most of them a year to leave. The migrants are attracted not by the tortoises or blue-footed boobies but by the islands' booming economy, which offers plentiful jobs and good pay. Typical wages run 70% higher than on Ecuador's mainland, the public schools are good, and violent crime is nonexistent. Last year, Ecuador was stung by a United Nations warning that the islands, whose human population has doubled in 10 years to about 30,000, are at risk from overcrowding and mismanaged tourism. Priming the economy is the apparently insatiable demand by foreign tourists for a close-up look at giant tortoises, elephant seals, flamingos, marine iguanas and other species in their native habitat. As a result, scientists warn, that habitat is becoming increasingly less pristine. The 2007 report issued by UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural arm, placed the islands on its "in danger" list, a designation upheld in July. The rising tide of tourists, residents and suppliers has introduced alien species, including rats, goats, cats and, more recently, mosquitoes and fire ants, UNESCO's Marc Petry said by telephone from Paris. Such intrusions, as well as sewage and oil discharged from boats, threaten the islands' plant and animal life, he said. The expulsion of Ecuadorean nationals has sparked a debate about whether the government should be more concerned with imposing a cap on tourism than culling residents. Scientists at Galapagos National Park want to see a limit on visitor traffic, which in the last decade has grown 13% a year on average. Tourists visiting the park this year are expected to total about 180,000, more than officials say they can keep up with. "When visitors reached 50,000 a year, we said to ourselves, this really is the limit. We can't handle any more. But now it's triple that figure," said Sixto Naranjo, the park's coordinator and former director. The government of President Rafael Correa has resisted any move to cap the number of visitors. Environment Minister Marcela Aguinaga said in a September interview that there was no sign that tourism was "oversaturated." Migration controls, resident training and the development of a new "tourism model" are the answers, she said. "President Correa declared the islands in danger four months before UNESCO and already had taken several measures to confront the problems," Aguinaga said. The new tourism model, which is being studied for a report due by mid-2009, might try to freeze visitation levels with strategies such as raising the entrance fee for foreigners to $300 or more from $100. The government has also launched a training program designed to reduce the number of fishermen. Too many are plying the waters for too scarce a resource, especially since overfishing in the 1990s decimated the stock of sea cucumber, a delicacy in Asia. Shark and lobster populations also have been illegally exploited. The management of Galapagos tourism is a sticky issue for Correa, a self-described green president who briefly taught college economics. Galapagos tourism generates an estimated $200 million a year in revenue, about one-fourth of which ends up in the pockets of local ship captains, cooks, guides and other suppliers living on the islands. The rest goes to airlines and tour packagers on the mainland. Despite rising prices and global economic downturns, the number of visitors has increased tenfold since 1980, with middle-aged Americans and Europeans making up the fastest-growing market segment. These tourists, in contrast to the shoestring-budget backpackers of two decades ago, are increasingly affluent. Nearly half the Galapagos visitors this year will be from the U.S., and most will spend $2,000 to $3,000 for a four-to-seven-day boat tour of selected islands, on top of the not-inexpensive airfare. Half the islands' visitors have annual incomes of $50,000 or more and one-third are older than 50, said Fabian Zapata, director of INGALA, the regional planning agency. Most will emerge as amazed as naturalist Charles Darwin, whose 1835 visit inspired his “The Origin of Species,” the tract in which he laid out his theory of evolution. UNESCO declared the archipelago a World Heritage Site in 1978, the inaugural year for the designation. Correa's government was the first to strictly enforce laws that require formal "visas" for Ecuadoreans to visit the Galapagos. The papers of all arriving at the islands' two airports are checked. Many with limited-stay tourist visas simply remain to look for work. Checkpoints and patrols have become routine on Santa Cruz Island, home to the port town of Puerto Ayora, at 20,000 residents the Galapagos' largest city and the embarkation point for most tours. But the undocumented still slip through security and now represent an estimated 20% of the islands' population. Businesses say they are besieged by undocumented Ecuadoreans looking for work. "I put up a sign to fill a waiter position today and I got five applicants, none of whom had papers," said Hernan Herrera, owner of the popular Cafe Hernan in Puerto Ayora. "It's a privilege to live here," Herrera said. "But also a responsibility

By 2013 the latest "And that Includes Bad weather, and other natural disasters" we better have KICKED our dependency of Venezuelan oil. Because NOT? He "Chavez" WILL KICK IT for us. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.oilandgaseurasia.com/news/p/0/news/2999 16.10.2008 President Hugo Chavez has signaled that Venezuela's heady days of easy oil wealth are coming to an end, but many believe his tendency to spend will stay intact. The president and his closest officers have insisted that "austerity" will be practiced in the 2009 budget to be released this week, as oil prices have fallen far below the level needed to sustain the state's fiscal purse. Prices for Venezuela's crude fell to $81.78 a barrel last week, far below the all-time high above $126 that it hit in July. The reversal is so sharp, analysts say, that there will need to be cutbacks in spending - which had been rising at a pace in line with prices - to avoid a producing a fiscal deficit. "I hope to see some moderation," said Tamara Herrera an economist with consulting firm Sintesis Financiera, referring to next year's government outlays. "But social spending will still remain a priority," for Chavez. Mindful of upcoming municipal and state elections in November, Planning Minister Haiman El-Troudi has made it clear that less spending does not mean cutting social programs. During his years in office Chavez has spent billions of dollars in social initiatives popular with the poor who remain his loyal supporters. Still, observers do expect some areas to face more constraint. Initially, financial and energy aid to allied nations in the Caribbean and Central America could be constrained, as well as spending on military equipment. Since Venezuela's price per barrel fell below $100, Caribbean countries involved in the PetroCaribe energy accord have seen a generous credit program reduced to 40% of the total bill, down from 50%. PetroCaribe gives members the chance to pay a portion of their energy bill over 25 years at 1% interest. In some cases countries can also pay with products and services, a controversial issue among Venezuelans. Similarly, Chavez has purchased $4.4 billion of Russian military equipment since 2005, that includes Kalashnikov rifles and Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets. Last month, however, Chavez acquired a $1 billion Russian loan to buy more military equipment, the first time the president has sought financing for such purchases. Chavez has shown little willingness to cut back on spending in the past. Even in lean times early in his presidential mandate, he pushed the fiscal envelope, often announcing spending plans and wage hikes before his finance ministry had found ways to finance them. So now, after five years of record oil revenues, many believe the idea of fiscal prudence won't sit well with the Venezuelan president. Chavez may call for another constitutional reform referendum next year, some say, and this will require more money. Already the president's spending ahead of November elections has broken all estimates and pushed inflation to an annualized 36% year-on-year as of September. What's more, many analysts believe the downward tendency that began when oil prices first dropped from record levels over the summer will continue. Venezuela and other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries have already called for a November extraordinary OPEC meeting to discuss the issue. Venezuela is expected to push for an output cut to stem the decline in prices. Caracas-based economic consulting firm Ecoanalitica is forecasting that the Venezuelan government will push spending to 29% of gross domestic product next year with a deficit of 0.1% of GDP. But that prediction optimistically assumes an oil price of $96.5 per barrel for Venezuelan crude providing 2.4% of GDP in financing needs. At $85 per barrel, Econanalitica estimates, the government deficit would rise to 2.3% of GDP next year. And in the extreme case of $50 a barrel, its fiscal gap would represent 8.9% of GDP. The parameters of Chavez's 2009 budget are still unknown, but few people expect an alteration from the nominal growth trend that successive budgets have shown. The past trend doesn't mean much, however, as prior results have frequently differed greatly from actual results. Typically, official budget numbers understate expected oil revenues and state spending. By some estimates, Venezuela's state outlays will end this year at $86 billion, 34.6% higher than the $63.9 billion programmed in the 2008 spending plan. Economists expect the same divergence from the budget in the coming year.

Law, you are grasping at straws when the ECOMOMY is what is important to ALL "That includes you?". -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay!!! To the Democrats; ARE you Sure that you are not WORKING for the other side "As in chavez and his group trying to bring down this economy"? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.bucksright.com/barney-frank-bla...-is-racist-1620 Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 10:42 am Democrat Congressman Barney Frank, responsible for oversight of the banking industry during the greatest financial sector collapse in modern history, says it’s racist to blame Democrats for the collapse caused by Democrat mandates that loans be given to people who could not pay them back. Ironically, in using the race card to explain away his responsibility for the current economic crisis, he shows exactly how the Democrats were able to derail numerous attempts by Republicans to reform and reign in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. “They get to take things out on poor people,” Frank said at a mortgage foreclosure symposium in Boston. “Let’s be honest: The fact that some of the poor people are black doesn’t hurt them either, from their standpoint. This is an effort, I believe, to appeal to a kind of anger in people.” That’s exactly the tactic Democrats used to derail any attempt at sub-prime mortgage reform. When President Bush tried to reform the system in 2003, when Congressional Republicans tried to beef up the role of the regulator in 2004, and when John McCain proposed greater regulation in 2005 they were beaten back by false claims of “racism” by Democrats. Frank said Republicans controlled Congress for 12 years and passed no regulation, while Democrats passed a Bush administration Fannie and Freddie regulation package since gaining control of the House and Senate in January 1997. “If I could have stopped a Republican bill during the Bush years, I would have started with the war in Iraq. Then I would have gone to the Patriot Act. Then I would have gone on to the hundreds of millions in tax cuts,” said Frank, to applause from the audience. Republicans were stymied in their attempts to pass regulations by Democrats consistently calling attempts to do so “racist.”