Human

Okay!!! What would Luke have to gain by this? Who in gods name would get involved in a no nothing race for council person in d.c. All that these postings are about is two or three people getting caught up in a pissing match as to who can out do the other. The way this board is headed right now, I would NOT tell any other democrats about this web site "For the simple reason that even the democrats that I know of, I don't wish to look like an idiot in there eyes”. By the way; the democrats that I know are as hardcore Democrat as I am Republican.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/5f1b72aa-c053-11d...00779e2340.html Petrobas halts Bolivia investment plans after breakdown in gas talks By Hal Weitzman in Lima Published: March 31 2006 03:00 | Last updated: March 31 2006 03:00 Petrobras, the largest international company operating in Bolivia, has suspended plans to invest up to $5bn in the country's gas sector after it said negotiations with the government of Evo Morales had broken down. "We're not putting down a dime until the entire situation is well defined," said José Sérgio Gabrielli, chief executive of Brazil's state-owned oil company. "There is a set of investments that need to be made and whose decision-making process depends on what happens in Bolivia. If we don't have a process of negotiation on track, we will have to delay our decisions." The announcement signals a deterioration in relations between the Morales administration and the gas sector. "Within the sector there is complete disappointment and lack of enthusiasm," said an industry insider. "I've never seen anything like it." The Brazilian company has invested about $1.5bn in Bolivia in the past decade. It accounts for 20 per cent of the country's direct investment and 18 per cent of its gross domestic product. Petrobras had said last month it planned to invest $5bn in Bolivia's gas sector in joint ventures with YPFB, the state energy company. But as negotiations have dragged on, the atmosphere appears to have soured. Petrobras's change of heart appeared to have come in response to a series of aggressive statements from Andrés Soliz Rada, Bolivia's hydrocarbons minister. In recent days, Mr Soliz has threatened to raise tax rates on some gas fields from 50 per cent to 70 per cent, refused to negotiate with oil companies that are threatening to go to international arbitration. He has also accused Brazil of hardening its attitude in talks and of viewing Bolivia "as some kind of semi-colony". Aides to Mr Morales had previously indicated they would give preferential treatment to state-controlled companies over private investors. Mr Morales's good personal relations with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, also led to expectations that Petrobras would come up with the investment needed to revitalise Bolivia's gas sector. "Petrobras was supposed to have a political edge over the other companies because of its size, because it's state-controlled and because of Evo's good relationship with Lula," said Roberto Laserna, a political analyst in Cochabamba. "If relations aren't good with Petrobras, you can only imagine what they're like with the other companies." The industry source said the knock-on effects of Petrobras's announcement could be extremely serious. "If Petrobras is saying that, it makes it more likely that the whole sector will just stagnate," he said.

I admit it, I am a Rees supporter, I also admit that I am a Democrat. Don't let my posting fool you, I am a hardcore Democrat. <burp> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I edited the article to get to the meat of the matter. For those who wish to read the full article the link is below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://tech.monstersandcritics.com/news/ar...her_at-a-glance The Cambridge, Mass.-based company Ambient Devices Inc. is a leading maker of 'glanceable' forecasting devices using wireless technology and is winning over praise since its start in the fall of 2001. The company aims not to crowd consumers with a number of features but rather produce objects that are so-called polite technology. The company, aside from its products, also licenses this technology out to other companies aimed with the same goal such as GPS systems for cars allowing for individuals to know traffic congestion, or LG refrigerators with weather forecasts. But their latest anticipated device is the 'Forecasting Umbrella' set to debut in summer 2006 and the 'E Ink Weather Wizard' this fall. The Forecasting Umbrella uses proprietary data-radio in the handle, which receives accuweather.com information and pulses when rain is forecast. Battery-operated, its handle also glows to remind a forgetful individual to take the umbrella with them. Meanwhile, the E Ink Weather Wizard is a thin display mounted to the wall, refrigerator or used as a bedside clock, and shows the 'Atomic time' with current conditions and the five-day forecast, according to the company. Using batteries, it too connects to accuweather.com, updating the forecasts every hour, using weather icons and giving temperature expectations.

In many of these demonstrations we have all seen the Mexican flag flying high. This is not Mexico, it is also not The United States of Mexico. Those who want Illegal Immigration to continue DO NOT WANT A CLOSED BORDER. We in the United States WANT to controll our OWN BORDERS, and not let ANOTHER Country to dictate to us when we can or cannot controll our own borders. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20060329-084824-8472r.htm In 1907, during one of the great immigration waves, President Teddy Roosevelt said that the immigrant who comes here "in good faith ... shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin." However, he added, "We have room but for one flag, the American flag." Words well worth recalling as we noticed what student protesters decided to hoist up their high school flagpole while ostensibly demonstrating against immigration reform. In Spanish this is called reconquista, the reconquering of Mexican land lost during the Mexican-American war (1846-48), and its appearance in Los Angeles this week adds a dark dimension to the entire immigration debate. In contrast to Mexican immigrants, those who emigrated to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries came mostly from countries -- Ireland, Poland, Italy, Bohemia, Germany and Greece -- that had little if any significant historical dealings with the United States. Nearly all had never had colonial possessions in America, nor had lost territory on the continent in war. Their citizens emigrated because they were inspired by hopes for a new and better life, not redress for past indignities. In time they became Americans. Something entirely different motivates the Hispanic radicals. Their inspiration is anti-Americanism, which they cheerfully articulate in banners proclaiming "This is our continent, not yours!" They claim citizenship, or at least the benefits of citizenship, to be theirs by right, rather than something to be earned. And their ultimate fantasy is no different than the radical Muslim immigrants living in the slums outside Paris: To retake what they think was formerly their ancestors' land, if not in name then in numbers. Tragically, they are able to dupe idealistic students into advancing their cause by masking their true intentions behind the facade of ethnic pride or civil rights. Nothing is more un-American, especially for those requesting American citizenship. We acknowledge that a majority of protesters gathering in Los Angeles and San Diego this week do not believe in the reconquista agenda. Their disagreement is with Congress, not America. But by accepting radicals into their ranks, by allowing students to desecrate the American flag, they have given tacit approval of the reconquista message. If the leaders of the Latino community wish to bring public opinion to their side, they must condemn these verbal and symbolic calls for reconquest.

For Businesses In latin America, I will try to keep politics out of the postings that I will do on Latin America Businesses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/bu...e73b6355f&k=683 CIBC to pay US$1.1B for controlling stake in FirstCaribbean International Bank Canadian Press Published: Monday, March 13, 2006 TORONTO (CP) - The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSX:CM) has tentatively agreed to buy a majority stake in FirstCaribbean International Bank for nearly $1.1 billion US. CIBC said Monday it has signed a non-binding letter of intent with Barclays Bank PLC to acquire the British bank's 43.7 per cent stake in FirstCaribbean. After the deal, CIBC would own 87.4 per cent of FirstCaribbean, the largest regionally traded bank in the English-speaking Caribbean. The transaction is expected to cost $1.62 US a share, with a total value of $1.08 billion US. CIBC has a long-standing presence in the Caribbean, where it opened its first branch in 1920 and acquired its current stake in FirstCaribbean when its Caribbean operations were merged with those of Barclays to form FirstCaribbean in 2002. "With its established retail, wealth management, corporate and capital markets businesses, FirstCaribbean is an excellent fit for CIBC and is well-positioned for long-term success in a region that we believe has attractive growth prospects," Gerry McCaughey, CIBC's president and chief executive, said in a release before stock markets opened. "We have enjoyed our partnership with Barclays in building a strong leader in the Caribbean financial services industry and we are committed to FirstCaribbean's strength and success." The transaction is expected to close late this year and is subject to completion of due diligence and the negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement. The transaction may also face regulatory approvals. Under terms of the deal, CIBC will have the option of paying for the transaction through cash, CIBC common shares or a combination of cash and shares. "FirstCaribbean has performed well since the local businesses of Barclays and CIBC were combined in 2002," said Naguib Kheraj, group finance director of Barclays PLC. "The merger has created value for all shareholders in FirstCaribbean as well as benefits for customers and the regional economy. With the integration of the businesses complete, FirstCaribbean is now well positioned for its future development. Barclays and CIBC both believe that the future strategy of FirstCaribbean is best pursued with one controlling shareholder and we are pleased that we have reached this preliminary agreement." FirstCaribbean is listed on the Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean Stock Exchanges and has assets of more than $9.6 billion US and more than 3,400 employees and 100 branches and financial centres across the region. © The Canadian Press 2006

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-re...e/s_436529.html Hugo's state Sunday, March 26, 2006 Hundreds of Americans disillusioned by the Great Depression flocked to Josef Stalin's "workers' paradise." Disillusionment set in. And they did not hide it. Many died in the gulag or were executed -- targeted as foreign subversives and obliterated on the pyre of Stalin's growing paranoia. Today, American leftists are pilgrims to President Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. Money from the sale of oil that energizes capitalist-inspired enterprises funds his "Bolivarian Revolution." The curious come as tourists; the committed stay. In the former class was Harry Belafonte, who in a meeting with Mr. Chavez went bananas, proclaiming President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world" and later shouted "Viva la revolucion." Others who have passed through include Cindy Sheehan, the spectacularly grieving Gold Star Mother, and Cornel West, a professor of black studies who would rather agitate than teach. Authentic revolutions should have a limited term after which success is apparent. This would attest to the competence of the revolutionaries. In Russia, it was seven decades of revolution until the government collapsed. In Cuba, where Chavez's ally Fidel Castro presides, the revolution has lasted since the late 1950s. Add North Korea and China. What do we see in common? Police states. Chavez has been at the top for only seven years or so. Maybe he'll need more time.

http://www.diamondgrading.com/Articles_How...y_A_Diamond.htm <~~~~ It's a nice read.

It's sad that the Democrats view for Winning the War on Terror is to SURRENDER. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0603/S00343.htm By Cindy Sheehan t r u t h o u t | Perspective From: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/032306R.shtml Thursday 23 March 2006 Being on the road constantly and being in the trenches for peace leaves me little time (and, if truth be told, little inclination) to keep up with George's dishonest and often incoherent ramblings; nonetheless, this week, two of his more calculated comments caught my attention. The first comment was on the White House lawn on Sunday, March 19th, the 3rd anniversary of the invasion. By the way, the White House website has entitled this speech "The President's Remarks on the Third Anniversary of the Liberation!!!! (italics and exclamation points added by me) of Iraq." A few sentences in his short remarks were: Ours is an amazing nation where thousands have volunteered to serve our country. They volunteered to - many volunteered after 9/11, knowing full well that their time in the military could put them in harm's way. Notice how many times George says a variation on the word "volunteer:" three times in one sentence. This caught my eye because right-wing warniks who don't want to take any responsibility for supporting George's war of terror and it's accompanying mayhem are always reminding me that Casey "volunteered." And you know what? The warniks got me there! Casey did volunteer. He volunteered in May of 2000, to, first of all, serve his country and, second of all, get the benefits that his recruiter deceived him about. The biggest lie that Casey's recruiter told him was that "even if there is a war, you won't see combat ... you scored so high on the ASVAB test, you will only go to war in a support role." The tragic thing about this false promise is that Casey, a Humvee mechanic, was killed in combat five days after he arrived in Baghdad. The truly alarming and upsetting thing about the false promise made to Casey, though, is that recruiters are using that same lie today to potential volunteers while our country is in the middle of an occupation where many of our troops are being deployed for their third and fourth tours of duty. I believe another aspect of George emphasizing the word "volunteer" so many times in one sentence is that he would love to absolve himself of the mortal sin of sending our troops to die and kill innocent people immorally, while still reaping (in his mind) the so-called benefits of being a "war president." George Bush wants to play-act at commander in chief, but thinks he can wash the gore of over 2,300 brave human beings off of his hands by resting assured that they "volunteered." I have so many other problems with this volunteer rationale, too. For instance, if one volunteers to be in the military why can't one just "un-volunteer" if he/she doesn't find the lifestyle suitable; or say, if they don't find the mission compelling enough, or legal and moral enough, to go fight, perhaps die and kill innocent people for? What about the people who volunteered after 9/11? Whatever reason they volunteered for: revenge, patriotism, a sense of duty, a sense of hopelessness - they all volunteered to protect America - not be sent to die for the war machine. They volunteered to wear the uniform of our country, which most of them didn't know or realize is the identical uniform of the war profiteers, and that they would soon be asked to invade and occupy a country that was no threat to the USA, and neither did they truly comprehend that the very thing they enlisted to prevent was being engineered by the neo-cons. Even more exploited than our regular military are our states' National Guard units, which comprise almost 40 percent of the forces in Iraq and a disproportionately high amount of the casualties. I have spoken to many of our families who have had a national guard soldier killed in Iraq and they feel so betrayed because their family member did not sign up to go to Iraq - they volunteered to guard the nation. In my opinion the most loathsome piece of George and the warniks who support the immorality in Iraq, while pardoning themselves for the deaths without doing any penance, is that what they are saying is essentially this: your loved one got what he/she deserved for volunteering to join our armed forces. If we want to have a military to defend our country, then it is our responsibility to elect leaders that the entire world can depend on to use our military as an absolute last resort to protect America - not as a first option to solve invented problems to fulfill their lust for mammon. The solution to the problem of our troops being sent to die for George's war is obvious and simple: no one should volunteer to be cannon fodder for this cowardly commander in chief and the war machine. Soldiers who don't want to go to die for George should also volunteer to stay home. According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a soldier does not have to obey an unlawful order. The occupation of Iraq is unlawful by all standards, including our own constitution. I don't know what the American public expected when a silver spoon failure was "elected" to be our leader: a sub par student who failed at every business attempt he made and who had to be bailed out of his failures and the Vietnam War by Daddy and his friends over his entire lifetime. We are all human and make mistakes or do some things that we aren't proud of. I don't have a problem with George being a failure, as long as his mistakes are localized - as most people's are. Now George, who as the head of the corrupt and failed ship of our state, has failed in Iraq in huge, D.W. Griffith epic proportions and has left the solution and the bail-out to some "future" president. Recently, George said in his last, unfunny stand-up comedy show, which he likes to call a "press conference," in response to a question about some undetermined, future, non-timetable-ish day when there will be no American troops in Iraq: That, of course, is an objective, and that will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq. This is another way for George to be bailed out of his failures and to again wash his hands of the flesh and blood that he is up to his elbows in. We should all be appalled, horrified, angry and up in peaceful arms about this statement. George just admitted that the occupation of Iraq is lasting at least almost another three years. The answer to this problem is glaringly obvious: we need a new president, ASAP. We need someone else who is willing to ask directions and change course when it is so apparent that the course is not only wrong, but damaging our country in palpable ways. Only a delusional, self absorbed, irrational person would stay such a misguided and murderous course. It is also conspicuously evident that even if George had the will to leave Iraq, he doesn't have the tools to get out of the chaos he has gotten everybody into there. The bull can't put the china shop back together again and the destruction won't stop until the bull gets out of that china shop. We can't wait for future presidents. We can't wait for November 2006: people are dying every day for volunteering - and the innocent men, women and children of Iraq did not volunteer to be liberated by being killed by the thousands. George, and every person in his administration that lied to us, needs to be impeached, removed from office and held accountable for the crimes of Iraq and the crimes against Americans. We can't allow them to get away with murder.

Bfrank, I do get it. It's just when I see board fights spilling over to other boards, and lasting for a long time it just gets real old. In anycase I won't jump into this anymore. I do wish you people well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay! I actually like having you democrats investigate your own. PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey Bfrank, just how long will you and truthseeker, goldengirl, factchecker will be typing about Rees? Just curious here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8669.doc.htm 23 March 2006 The Security Council this morning extended for an additional 12 months the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in order to provide political and strategic guidance to the Afghan leadership and its international partners as they embark on the ambitious and vital next phase of State-building. Unanimously adopting resolution 1662 (2006), the Council also called on all Afghan parties and groups to engage constructively in the peaceful political development of the country and avoid resorting to violence. In addition, the Council reiterated its call on the Afghan Government, and on all members of the international community and international organizations, to implement the Afghanistan Compact -- a five-year framework agreed to in London at the end of January to help consolidate democratic institutions, curb insecurity, control the illegal drug trade, stimulate the economy, enforce the law, provide basic services to the Afghan people and protect their human rights -- and its annexes in full. In his latest report on the situation in Afghanistan (document S/2006/145), the Secretary-General states that the country would continue to need considerable political and financial engagement by the international community for some time to come. The commitments entered into by the Government and the international community in launching the Afghanistan Compact provided a reassuring signal and a clearly articulated common vision of Afghanistan’s future. Indeed, he added, without sustained support, the danger of a relapse into the dynamics that plunged Afghanistan into years of war, and the re-emergence of the consequences of the years of neglect, would be genuine. (For the full summary of the report, see Press Release SC/8660 issued on 14 March.) The meeting began at 10:06 a.m. and ended at 10:09 a.m. Resolution The full text of resolution 1662 (2006) reads as follows: “The Security Council, “Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolution 1589 (2005) extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) through 24 March 2006, and its resolution 1659 (2006) endorsing the Afghanistan Compact, “Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, “Reaffirming in this context its support for the implementation by the Afghan Government and all members of the international community and international organizations of the Afghanistan Compact under the ownership of the Afghan people and its support for the interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy (iANDS), “Pledging its continued support for the Government and people of Afghanistan as they build on the successful completion of the Bonn Process in rebuilding their country, strengthening the foundations of a constitutional democracy and assuming their rightful place in the community of nations, “Stressing the inalienable right of the people of Afghanistan freely to determine their own future and welcoming the successful holding of the Parliamentary and Provincial elections on 18 September 2005, “Determined to assist the Government and people of Afghanistan in building on the successful London Conference held on 31 January- 1 February 2006, “Recognizing the interconnected nature of the challenges in Afghanistan, affirming that sustainable progress on security, governance, development as well as the cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics, which necessarily involves capacity-building, is mutually reinforcing, and welcoming the continuing efforts of the Afghan Government and the international community to address these challenges, “Recognizing the continuing importance of combating increased terrorist attacks caused by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other extremist groups and narcotic threat, “Expressing concern at the increasing threat to the local population, national security forces, international military and international assistance efforts by extremist activities and stressing the importance of the security and safety of the United Nations staff, “Recalling the importance of the Kabul Declaration of 22 December 2002 on Good-Neighbourly Relations (Kabul Declaration) (S/2002/1416), and stressing that regional cooperation constitutes an effective means to promote security and development in Afghanistan, “Expressing its appreciation and strong support for the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Afghanistan, “Stressing the central and impartial role that the United Nations continues to play in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, including the coordination and monitoring of efforts in implementing the Afghanistan Compact, “1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 7 March 2006 (S/2006/145); “2. Welcomes the United Nations long-term commitment to work with the people and Government of Afghanistan; “3. Decides to extend the mandate of UNAMA, as laid out in the report of the Secretary-General of 7 March 2006 (S/2006/145), for an additional period of 12 months from the date of adoption of this resolution; “4. Reiterates its call on the Afghan Government, and on all members of the international community and international organizations, to implement the Compact and its annexes in full; “5. Emphasizes the importance of meeting the benchmarks and time lines of the Compact for progress on security, governance and development as well as the cross-cutting issue of counter-narcotics and of increasing the effectiveness and coordination of the assistance to Afghanistan; “6. Calls on all Afghan parties and groups to engage constructively in the peaceful political development of the country and avoid resorting to violence; “7. Welcomes the substantial progress in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process in accordance with the Bonn Agreement, including the completion of disarmament and demobilization; encourages the Afghan Government to complete the DDR process by June 2006; calls for determined efforts by the Afghan Government, including its security authorities, to disband illegal armed groups and to dispose of ammunition stockpiles; and requests the international community to extend further assistance for these efforts, taking fully into account the guidance by UNAMA; “8. Welcomes the development of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police and the ongoing efforts to increase their capabilities as important steps towards the goal of Afghan security forces providing security and ensuring the rule of law throughout the country; and further welcomes in this regard the outcome of Doha Conference on Border Management on 28 February 2006; “9. Welcomes the inauguration of the new Afghan National Assembly; commends Afghan efforts to ensure its efficient functioning, which will be critical to the political future of Afghanistan; welcomes the international efforts to provide technical assistance; and encourages all the institutions to work in a spirit of cooperation; “10. Calls on the Afghan Government to ensure continued public administrative reform and anti-corruption efforts, as described in the Compact; “11. Welcomes the finalization of the 10-year strategy for justice reform in Afghanistan, as detailed in the “Justice for All” paper presented by the Ministry of Justice; and invites the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, to continue to work towards the establishment of a fair and transparent justice system, including the reconstruction and reform of the correctional system, as highlighted in the Compact, in order to strengthen the rule of law throughout the country and eliminate impunity; “12. Calls for full respect for human rights and international humanitarian law throughout Afghanistan; in this regard, requests UNAMA, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to continue to assist in the full implementation of the human rights provisions of the Afghan constitution and international treaties to which Afghanistan is a State party, in particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women of their human rights; commends the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission for its courageous efforts to monitor respect for human rights in Afghanistan as well as to foster and protect these rights; welcomes the adoption of Action Plan on Peace, Justice and Reconciliation on 12 December 2005; and encourages international support for this Plan; “13. Welcomes iANDS presented at the London Conference; calls on the Afghan Government to further provide strong leadership in its implementation; and encourage the fulfilment of the pledges made by the participants at the Conference, including financial assistance available for the implementation of the Strategy, which has reached $10.5 billion; “14. Recognizes the risk that opium cultivation, production and trafficking poses to the security, development and governance of Afghanistan as well as to the region and internationally; welcomes the updated National Drug Control Strategy presented by the Afghan Government at the London Conference; calls on the Afghan Government, with support provided by the international community, to pursue early implementation of the strategy; and encourages additional international support for the four priorities identified in that Strategy including through contributions to the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund; “15. Emphasizes the important role in monitoring the implementation of the Compact to be played by the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board, which will be co-chaired by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and the Government of Afghanistan and supported by a small Secretariat; “16. Welcomes the proposal of the Secretary-General to extend the reach of regional offices, security circumstances permitting; “17. Calls upon all Afghan and international parties to continue to cooperate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the security and freedom of movement of its staff throughout the country; “18. Calls upon the Afghan Government, with the assistance of the international community, including the Operation Enduring Freedom coalition and the International Security Assistance Force, in accordance with their respective designated responsibilities as they evolve, to continue to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, other extremist groups and criminal activities; “19. Encourages the promotion of confidence-building measures between Afghanistan and its neighbours in the spirit of the Kabul Declaration in order to foster dialogue and cooperation in the region in full respect for the principles of territorial integrity, mutual respect, friendly relations and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; “20. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council every six months on developments in Afghanistan; “21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”

Oh!! But it is true BFrank, it is Democrat vs. Democrat bashing, and it's rather nasty. Your posts as well as others in here more than prove it. As a Republican myself I am getting a taste "for a lack of a better term" the strategy that your side "Democrats" WILL be employing for the next round of Elections= Negativity with out any Solutions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "bfrankdc Posted Today, 05:17 PM but to call this a democrat versus democrat "bashing" would be false."

The Republicans were never the ones who set out to cut the Military Budget, The Republicans have not ruined the economy. The Republicans ARE the ones who got a Prescription Drug Plan for the elderly through "of which I might add that the democrats have talked about, and would to this day still would have just talked about one", and the list goes on. When it has come to the War on Terror, the democrats have moved heaven, and earth to undermine Our Countries Position with respect to the war on terror. Al gore feeding the hate propaganda machine against OUR Beloved Country, Carter playing up to the left wing in the Americas, and Russ Feingold calling for Censure For a President who is trying to keep us safe from terrorism. The Democrats record when it came to matters of intelligence is ALL TO CLEAR; It will take 5 years TO FIX THE DISASTEROUS POLICIES that created a non functioning CIA. Hispanic/Latino groups are WELL AWARE in how the Democrats treat Minority groups, and my group will Not be ignored or abused as you "democrats” have ignored the African American Community. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story...1552&ran=200775 By PHILIP WALZER, The Virginian-Pilot © March 17, 2006 The state's community college system will raise tuition and fees 6.3 percent next school year, or an extra $135 for full-time students. At Tidewater Community College, which charges additional fees, the total annual cost for full-timers will rise to $2,430, or $81 per credit hour. The numbers were approved Thursday by the State Board for Community Colleges . Glenn DuBois , the chancellor of the two-year system, described the increase as "modest." Part of the additional tuition revenue, he said, will help increase financial aid for part-time students, add full-time professors and bump up faculty raises to 6.2 percent. The bottom line is, no one likes to increase tuition," DuBois said, "but money just doesn't come from the sky." Tiara Selby, 20, a science student who attends TCC's Norfolk campus, didn't consider the increase modest. "I don't feel it's right," Selby said. "It's already hard enough to go to school and get financial aid. If they raise tuition, it'll be even harder." The tuition increase is about the same, in terms of percentage, as those for the past two years. Under a six-year plan, DuBois said, annual tuition increases at community colleges will fall between 4 and 7 percent through 2009 . Last year, the State Council of Higher Education estimated that Virginia ranked 29th in the nation in community college tuition, or cheaper than most states. Including tuition and fees for items such as technology, the minimum cost to attend a Virginia community college in 2006-07 will be $2,270 a year for full-time students. Tidewater Community College charges an additional $160 a year in fees to help pay for intramural athletics, student activities, cultural events and parking, said Phyllis Milloy , the college's vice president for finance. Neither the systemwide fees nor the TCC fees will rise in 2006-07. Norfolk State University's Board of Visitors is expected to decide tuition rates today .

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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/200...a-mta031406.php Molecule targets and kills tumor cells, starves blood supply A man-made chemical compound called ARC causes tumor cells to die but leaves normal cells unharmed, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago report in a study highlighted in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research. ARC also proved to have strong anti-angiogenic properties, showing promise as an inhibitor of new blood vessel formation in tumors. ARC, an acronym for its long chemical name, resembles one of the bases that are the building blocks of DNA. Researchers found it by screening more than 2,000 compounds for their ability to inhibit a key step in the cell cycle. Previous studies had shown that blocking that step spurs apoptosis, or cell suicide, in cancer cells. When cancer cells (human lung cells that had been transformed by a virus to become cancerous) were treated with ARC, 50 to 70 percent killed themselves within 24 hours. Normal lung cells exposed to two to four times higher concentrations of ARC were unharmed. "Our results suggest that while ARC induces cell death in tumor cells very efficiently, it only causes a cell-cycle block in normal cells," said Andrei Gartel, assistant professor of molecular genetics at UIC and principal investigator on the study. "This gives ARC an important advantage as a potential anticancer drug, because many of the drugs currently used to fight cancer are also toxic to normal cells." In other experiments, Gartel said, ARC induced cell suicide in breast, colon, gastric and liver cancer cell lines. An important aspect of ARC-induced cell suicide, Gartel said, is that it does not rely on p53, a normal protein in cells that is often responsible for initiating cell death after the cell has been treated with cancer drugs. The problem, he said, is that in more than half of all human tumors p53 has been inactivated. Gartel said while it is not yet known how ARC induces apoptosis in cancer cells, his group has shown that in normal cells the molecule inhibits RNA synthesis, a key step in gene expression. "One possible reason for ARC's effect on cell death may be that cancer cell lines are more dependent on the protective effect of particular molecules to survive, and when those become less abundant after ARC treatment, the tumor cells undergo apoptosis," he said. "We are continuing our investigation of ARC's mechanism of action." To test whether ARC could also inhibit blood vessel formation in tumors, scientists at the National Cancer Institute performed three different angiogenesis assays. In all three assays, Gartel said, ARC performed "in the range of effectiveness" of a compound already in clinical trials as an anti-angiogenic agent. "We think ARC may have potential as an anti-cancer drug," said Gartel. "Here we have a compound that induces cell death in tumors, but not in normal cells, and is highly anti-angiogenic. We have already begun to explore its potential against a range of different types of tumors." The researchers now must test ARC against other cell lines in the laboratory and perform further preliminary animal experiments before human trials could be planned. Only a tiny fraction of promising candidate drugs enter clinical trials, and few of those are approved. UIC research specialist Senthil Radhakrishnan is co-author of the study. The study was funded by the UIC Department of Medicine, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the National Institutes of Health. UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.

Any more strong support by the democrats such as we have all witnessed with the ports deal WILL make our country "The United States" seem like the biggest bunch of Racists, and Intellectual Hypocrites in the World. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washingt...the_dubai_plan/ Dean trumpets Democrats for derailing the Dubai plan By Donna Cassata, Associated Press | March 12, 2006 WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the Democratic National Committee yesterday accused Republicans of having a ''pre-9/11 mind-set" on ensuring safety at US ports. In his party's weekly radio address, Howard Dean trumpeted the Democrats' success in helping to derail a plan for a Dubai-owned company to manage some operations at six US ports. Bush strongly backed the deal involving the United Arab Emirates-based company, but many lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, opposed having a foreign government oversee operations at ports vulnerable to terrorist attacks. DP World said Thursday it would transfer terminal operations at six ports to a US entity, sparing Bush a veto showdown with GOP lawmakers. However, the Financial Times of London reported Friday that DP World is considering retaining a 49 percent interest in the port operations. A DP World spokesman could not confirm the report. ''America had a great victory this week in the war on terror," Dean said in the radio address. ''Key Democratic senators and representatives forced President Bush to give up the idea that six major American ports should be run by a foreign country." © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/12/int3.htm The Turkish foreign minister stressed he did not want debate limited to the cartoons, and would call on his European colleagues to work together on all aspects of racism and discrimination to prevent other crises. “In this fragile world we have to be very responsible ... I invite all of us to be more careful, because there are people or individuals that want to exploit these issues,” Gul said, adding that he thought the cartoons’ publication had been wrong. The call to review legislation is controversial. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said on Friday that EU countries would not change laws on “freedom of expression.” EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner suggested on Friday that EU states make an inventory of national laws protecting religions from insult but did not call for specific changes. They also urged the 25-nation EU to work with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which groups 57 Muslim nations, to draft a joint United Nations resolution promoting religious tolerance. The EU and the OIC previously presented competing resolutions to the UN General Assembly, but EU countries voted against the OIC text on the ground that it focused too narrowly on discrimination against Islam. The head of the OIC had criticised the EU for not doing enough to heal wounds with Muslims caused by the cartoons row.—Reuters

http://www.cbpp.org/2-22-06sfp-pr.pdf

In a state that has produced the likes of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, could fix their own problems first. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/p...20364/1002/NEWS Despite federal suit, New York says it can't comply by election time Yancey Roy Albany bureau (March 2, 2006) — ALBANY — New Yorkers will vote on the familiar lever-style voting machines in 2006, officials and watchdog groups said, despite a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday followed through on threats to sue New York for its tardiness in complying with a federally mandated overhaul of its election system. It's the first lawsuit of its kind under the federal Help America Vote Act. The lawsuit may put New York under the nation's spotlight, but it may be more symbolic than practical. Despite the legal action, there is insufficient time to replace the lever-style machines for this year's statewide elections, officials said. "The lawsuit isn't going to change anything," said Douglas Kellner, a member of the state Board of Elections. Getting new machines "can't be done" in time, he said. Sally Brown, co-chairwoman of the League of Women Voters in Rochester, said it's disheartening that the state hasn't been able to resolve the issue itself. Because of the lawsuit, she's concerned that an effort to get new machines may be done in haste, without adequately addressing accessibility and security issues. "New York state is as usual behind, as usual dysfunctional and as usual not doing the job," she said. "Our federal government is actually suing us to get going. It's pretty ridiculous." But some election watchdog groups — who have criticized the state's three-year slog toward election reform — defended the state. They said forcing a swift resolution could create chaos. "It's absurd to rush such a process," said Neil Rosenstein of the New York Public Interest Research Group. "This action (lawsuit) may do more harm than good." New York didn't pass legislation to enact the changes until last summer — the last state to do so. But its tardiness had some advantages. For example, other states had problems compiling databases and had to start over. New York officials figured they are now in the middle of the pack. Some participants in the Democrat and Chronicle's Reader Interactive Project said the state was at fault. "New York is always late in anything," wrote Norma J. Cummings of Greece. "I am not surprised. I do hate to see New York lose any of the funding available. ... However, the voting machines we are currently using 'do the job' and always have." Will Herzog of Rochester said that he can't imagine anyone who couldn't find help at the voting booth if needed. "We are just a too litigious society," Herzog said. "States have lost all power to the feds. The bounds of power is whatever our emperor's staff says; not the Constitution." Monica Mattioli of Elba, Genesee County, said the state should have understood what it meant to be given a deadline. "In my opinion, regardless of whether the federal government overstepped or not, a mandate is a mandate. Compliance is mandatory. Clearly (the state) understands what a mandate is." Still, John D. Coy of Clarkson said he believes New York state has one of the best voting systems in the country. "The dysfunction is at the federal level; we are one of the few states that have not had any problems with our election machines or our counts. Simply it is another way for the federal government to be able to have more control over the people. I do not care what they say, every computer system can be tampered with and that is what some politicians and political parties would like. Look at what has happened in Florida and Ohio — need I say more?" Carrie Paddock of Rochester said the federal government has a lot of nerve suing New York. The federal government, she said, has "failed to approve of these machines." "Our 'elderly' lever machines are still the best thing going. They are easy to use and the people understand them. They may not always be handicap-accessible; however, these machines are approved by the federal government." Amy Zaborowski of Henrietta sees the issue as an example of New York ignoring its citizens: "I believe that all should have equal access to voting. Differently abled voters should not be forgotten." New York officials had been feverishly negotiating with the Justice Department to avoid the lawsuit — which could cost the state about $49 million in aid earmarked for voting machines. They told federal officials they would continue to use the old machines while considering two stopgap methods for disabled voters, including one that would employ a telephone system to cast a ballot. YROY@Gannett.com Includes reporting by staff writer Joseph Spector.

There is MORE than enough room for both groups in this Country. :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BFrank; I saw the signs back then for the 1995 internet decency act section 230, and I did not put 2&2 together. (This time I am not picking on your side of the isle "just so you know". That type of Legislation is why we ALL have the type of problems that we do have on the internet today. That's why no matter whether it be Republican Legislation's or Democrat Legislation's WE MUST AS A SOCIETY BE WATCHING WITH A MAGNIFYING LENS THE TYPE OF LEGISLATION BEING PUSHED THROUGH.)

You want to see real change , it's simple but you and others would NEVER BE ABLE TO DO IT. The reason is real simple too, it's because of this ~~~~~~~~~~~~> 1995 internet decency act section 230 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I also wouldn't mind if the Council considered some stringent internet laws, where impersonations are taken seriously. Something that the last several weeks has taught me...nothing should be taken for granted where rational public discourse is concerned. B. Frank