Human

Reports To Congress on Iraq reconstruction. Be very careful, the reading CAN get Intensive, and Extensive. http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/default.aspx <~~~~~~~~ this could have been a link of the month, but what I have planned for august is going to be fun "at least what I consider to be fun". Remember folks!!!! Wait till you see what I can do for link of the year in december. It will be very,very hot.

I will vote for OH!!!!! , let's get real about this. About the only reason that I am voting for McCain is that he does have the experience. Barack has none and All the World Leaders Know This. Add to that, that he has never reached across the aisle on any major piece of legislation adds to his weaknesses. For McCain does have EXPERIENCE in reaching out across the aisle to the democrats, and Barack does not. <What really amazes me in this race is that; He "Barack" has NO experience in federal, international matters, and what little that there is to point to when it comes to economic legislation. To me it's like putting your self in the hands of a novice when what you really need is a Doctor.>

My God Slick!!!!!!! You are correct. I was wondering when people were going to catch on that D.C. also out sources jobs. The TREND “Of out sourcing government jobs" was actually started by the democrats, when it was harder for them at the local level to get expert computer techs” It was actually considered innovative at the time". <~~~ just a little back ground old net history. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a question to the aclu; Does the State police Now Spy on you too? Why? Just curious. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's an old story by internet standards, but it's still worth noting for you parents out there. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/...ublevel433.html Researchers call for supplements for breastfeeding infants and increased milk intake for toddlers June 2, 2008 Many otherwise healthy infants and toddlers have inadequate vitamin D levels that may put future bone health at risk, finds a study from Children's Hospital Boston. The major risk factor for infants was exclusive breastfeeding without vitamin D supplementation; for toddlers, it was inadequate milk consumption. Findings appear in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Led by Catherine Gordon, MD, MSc, Director of the Bone Health Program at Children's, the researchers studied 365 infants and toddlers who visited the hospital's general pediatric clinic for well-child exams at age 9 and 18 months, respectively. Blood testing found that 40 percent of the children had vitamin D levels below the optimum considered good for bone health, and 12 percent were frankly deficient. Of the deficient group, 13 children (32.5 percent) had evidence of bone loss, as assessed by computed radiography of the wrist and knee. Three children (7.5 percent) had bone changes consistent with rickets (a softening of the bones that can lead to fractures, stunted growth and deformities like curved spine and bowed legs), although only one of these children had signs of rickets on physical examination. "We were struck by the number of children in our study with suboptimal vitamin D levels," says Gordon. "Vitamin D status is not routinely checked as part of routine care, and the majority of the children did not show signs of rickets or other evidence of a deficiency, so it is concerning that this problem would have otherwise gone undetected." In infants, the major predictor of deficiency was exclusive breastfeeding without vitamin D supplements. Infants in this category were 10 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than infants who were exclusively bottle-fed. (Breast milk does contain vitamin D, but inadequate amounts for exclusively breastfed infants whereas formula and cow's milk are fortified with the vitamin.) In toddlers, the major risk factor was inadequate milk consumption: blood vitamin D levels increased in close correlation with the number of cups per day of milk the child drank. "As a pediatrician, I am pleased that breastfeeding has become more common among new mothers," says Gordon. "Of concern, however, is the rise in cases of rickets accompanying this trend. Our data suggest the importance of vitamin D supplementation for young children, and particularly breast-fed infants." The authors were struck by the strength of the correlation between vitamin D deficiency and breastfeeding without supplementation, since only 8 percent of children in the study were exclusively breastfed. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics and Institute of Medicine recommend that infants and children receive 200 IU daily of supplemental vitamin D, few breastfed infants in this study were receiving such supplementation. Since both dark skin and sunscreen reduce absorption of the ultraviolet rays that help the body manufacture vitamin D, the researchers expected to find skin pigmentation, sunscreen use and time spent outdoors to be predictive of vitamin D deficiency. However, their data revealed no significant correlation with these factors. They speculate that the layers of clothing babies are typically dressed in may prevent them from absorbing enough sunlight. "We were surprised that neither skin pigmentation nor season significantly predicted vitamin D deficiency," Gordon says. "Our data suggest that unique risk factors for this problem can arise, ones that pediatric health care providers should be cognizant of in the care of young children." The infant and toddler years are the first crucial period for laying down bone. Once bone mass reaches its peak--by age 18--it can never increase. No one really knows what will happen when children with bone loss enter adulthood and old age, but Gordon fears they may be predisposed to osteoporosis. The study was funded by the Allen Foundation, Inc., the McCarthy Family Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.

Anyone else wanting to push for the Kyoto Protocols after reading this article? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...88-2703,00.html Peter Alford, Rusutsu, Hokkaido | July 07, 2008 THE largest, most expensive gathering of world leaders under the G8 banner convenes today confronted by an awesome array of problems, from runaway oil prices and scarce food to flaring inflation and global warming, but with little prospect of real breakthroughs on any front. Failure this year could call seriously into question the viability of the Group of Eight industrialised nations, a 33-year-old gathering originally of the top Western powers, struggling now for relevance against huge shifts in the world's political and economic geography. That shift will be underlined when the "Plus 5" developing nations issue for the first time their own communique after meeting the G8 leaders on Wednesday at the Windsor Hotel, the luxurious and now heavily-secured summit site on Lake Toya, in Toyako, near here. Since the 2005 Gleneagles summit, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa have met annually as the "G8 plus 5" with the chief summiteers, the leaders of the US, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia. But because of their rising economic power, their huge hunger for energy and food and their critical role in deciding a new climate change regime - or not - after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, the Plus 5 communique will carry as much weight as G8 statements. The summit situation also gives force to calls from France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Britain's Gordon Brown, lately joined by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, for the eight to be expanded to a G13 with the emerging powers as full partners. This idea is strongly resisted by Washington and Tokyo, the Japanese apparently fearing further dilution of their claims to Asian leadership if China gains a seat. The other national leaders in Toyako for "outreach" sessions include the rest of the 16 members of the MEM (major economies or major emitters) program on climate change, including Australia's Kevin Rudd and the presidents of South Korea and Indonesia. Seven other African leaders are attending as the G8 tries to reinvigorate Tony Blair's "millennium development goals" for Africa, though his successor, Mr Brown, admitted at the weekend that the target date of 2015 could not be met. In all, 22 national leaders, plus European Community president Jose Manuel Barosso, who holds a de facto seat at the G8, are in Toyako this week. They're accompanied by nine other leaders of multinational agencies such as the World Bank and regional groupings such as the African Union. Host Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who desperately needs a productive summit to bolster his political survival prospects at home, has abandoned earlier hopes of in-principle commitment to Japan's aspiration for a 50 per cent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Instead, Mr Fukuda said yesterday he wanted the G8 to show general leadership on the environment and food and energy security. "These are precisely what world leaders must discuss," he said before his first "sidelines" meeting, with George W. Bush. "And this is a summit that is required to indicate a certain direction." In the US President, Mr Fukuda yesterday immediately encountered one of the impediments to Japanese and European hopes for G8 agreement on a targeted carbon dioxide emission regime post-Kyoto. Mr Bush, attending his final G8 summit, is reluctant to commit to either Japan's 2050 target or the European Union interim commitment to a 20 per cent emissions cut - from a less challenging 1990 base - by 2020. And he continues to insist that Washington cannot sign up for a new greenhouse treaty that does not include commitment by the major developing nations - particularly China and India - to specific reductions. Mr Bush vowed last night to play a "constructive" role in curbing carbon emissions blamed for climate change, but warned that any effort was doomed if it did not include China and India. "I'll be constructive," he said after talks with Mr Fukuda, but "we're not going to solve the problem" unless those two fast-growing economies take part in any long-term deal. While Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has offered a vaguely worded commitment to a national plan for emission cuts, China and India remain adamant that G8 nations, and developed nations generally, bear the burden of targeted emission cuts. Though by some measures China has exceeded the US as the world's largest CO2 emitter, top Beijing climate change official Su Wei last week reiterated that "developing countries are innocent and they are the biggest victims of climate change". The most concrete outcome on climate change from Toyako is likely to be G8 support for a technology development fund to combat climate change, likely to start at $US6 billion ($6.2 billion). But again, the interesting and perhaps crucial question about the fund will be whether China and India agree to the G8's call to contribute to it.

Yeah! But the problem is that there are no quick and easy solutions to any of this. Non-opec countries are producing as fast as possible, and other countries are playing politics with oil. Add to that, that we are currently playing resource economic wars with each other "Around the world". China investing in Latin America, South Africa, and India investing in it as well. While Russia see's this a political opportunity to use oil as a leverage when it comes to affecting other countries politics. Sure! We can tweak a few regulatory laws out there. The underlining factors still remain though; We have to kick our reliance of foreign oil, and develop wind, solar, oil, nuclear with in our own territory. Why no bio? Phosphorous. I use to be for biofuels, but then I read up more on it. To be honest, I'm hesitant on bio-fuels now. But if law wants to PLAY politics with this, then by all means. Please explain to all of us what your side has planned for the pension funds since they account for over half of the money in oil futures???? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The democrats can now add this feather in their cap as to Nuclear Proliferation with in the Middle East. Jordon has joined the crowd. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080531/ap_on_..._france_nuclear Fri May 30, 8:57 PM ET AMMAN, Jordan - Jordan and France signed an agreement on Friday to help the Arab kingdom develop its nuclear energy program. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and his Jordanian counterpart, Salaheddine al-Bashir, announced the deal in Amman. The agreement calls on France to help create nuclear reactors to be used for electricity production and desalination of sea water. France will also train Jordanian nuclear scientists and help in uranium extraction, according to the agreement. Uranium is abundant in the desert country. Jordanian Nuclear Energy Commissioner Khaled Toukan told reporters that "an executive protocol" will be signed between the two nation's within a month, to follow up Friday's agreement. Iran's controversial nuclear program has prompted a slew of Mideast countries, including Egypt, Turkey and several Gulf Arab countries, to announce plans of their own — in part simply to blunt Tehran's rising regional influence. Despite the declarations of peaceful intentions, there are worries the countries could be taking the first steps toward a dangerous proliferation in the volatile Mideast.

Now how are you going to do that Barack? When I was the one who got you, and a few other African Americans to throw 19 to 23% of your own group to the streets "For the Latino Vote"? Honey Explain that away. Remember! It's what's on paper that counts. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maybe Venezuela should change its name to Venecuba? And these are the type of people that the democrats idolize. Appease, Appease, Appease. There is a problem with such a strategy, It does not Work. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/533744.html VENEZUELA Police get training from Cuba By CASTO OCANDO El Nuevo Herald The first contingent of Cuban police experts arrived this week in Venezuela with the task of designing a training program for the new Venezuelan National Police Force. The Cuban police delegation is led by Ramón Rodríguez Curbelo, chief of the National Revolutionary Police of Cuba, who will be in charge of a three-month training program that will take place in Cuba. Various Venezuelan police units are expected to be cycled through the program on the island. The arrival of Rodríguez Curbelo in Caracas coincides with a similar mission by agents of the Nicaraguan police who will also conduct training courses for their Venezuelan counterparts. ''In June, July and August, institutional visits will take place to highly experienced police organizations that have shown great results in training officers of communitarian police forces such as Cuba and the revolutionary police of Nicaragua; both successful models,'' Venezuela's Minister of the Interior, Ramon Rodríguez Chacin, said at a recent press conference. According to the minister, the training program's objective will be to carry out the ''Law of National Police'' recently approved by the government for the creation of ''community'' police forces throughout the country. Three pilot precincts have already been established in low-income neighborhoods in Caracas. The pilot precincts were created with the help of Cuban and Nicaraguan police, Wilmer Flores Trossell, Caracas police commissioner, told reporters.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=54975...ionid=351020706 Lula: Brazil wants OPEC membership Sat, 10 May 2008 05:06:51 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says his nation wants to join OPEC to help bring down oil prices, a German magazine says. Lula said in the interview published in Der Spiegel news magazine that his nation plans to exploit massive deep-water oil reserves discovered near Rio de Janeiro. "Then Brazil will become a major oil exporter," Silva said in an advance copy of the interview to be published Saturday. "We want to join OPEC and to try to make oil cheaper." Brazil's proven oil reserves are 11.8 billion barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is a group of nations headquartered in Vienna that meets regularly to try to ensure stability of prices in international oil markets.

http://www.crashcards.com/pedlinks.htm

www.medicaledu.com/wndguide.htm

For the record; We really got to kick this oil habit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=464310 NEW ORLEANS -- Stephen Harper issued a direct warning Tuesday in the debate over NAFTA's future, reminding Americans who want to reopen the accord that U.S. dependence on Canadian oil gives Canada a big bargaining chip. The Prime Minister staked out his position as he joined presidents George W. Bush of the United States and Felipe Calderon of Mexico at a joint news conference to end their three-way summit, which turned into a pep rally supporting NAFTA in the face of threats from the Democratic presidential contenders to kill or rewrite it. Mr. Harper said the deal has been good for North America and that the Canadian government's preference is not to renegotiate it. But he made clear he was ready to go that route if need be. "We'll be prepared for any eventuality," he said of calls by Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to re-open the agreement to toughen environmental and labour standards. Mr. Harper took the opportunity to play what many consider Canada's trump card in any future negotiations -- U.S. dependence on Canadian oil and gas. "Canada is the United States' No. 1 supplier of energy," he said. "We are a secure and stable supplier that is of critical importance to the future of the United States. "If we have to look at this kind of an option [a renegotiation], I say quite frankly, you know, we would be in an even stronger position now than we were 20 years ago. And we will be in a stronger position in the future." Mr. Bush made a similar point, stressing more than once that Mexico and Canada stand out as secure and stable suppliers of oil at a time when prices are closing in on US$120 a barrel and when other U.S. suppliers in the Middle East are unpredictable at best. Under the free-trade agreement, Canada is committed to keeping up its energy supplies to the United States even in times of shortages at home. In effect, it says cuts to U.S. buyers can be no deeper than they would be to Canadians. Mr. Harper said he expects the next president will come to see the importance of the pact to North America and continue to work with it. All three leaders launched staunch defences of the pact and stressed the benefits it has delivered. Mr. Calderon said reopening it would "condemn the region to complete backwardness" while India, China and the European Union are increasing their competitiveness. Mr. Bush argued those "who say get rid of NAFTA as a throwaway political line" are playing with fire because ditching the agreement would cost jobs and investment in all three countries. The summit in hurricane-battered New Orleans was designed by Mr. Bush to showcase the city's recovery. The leaders stayed close to the centre of town, which was largely spared Katrina's wrath in 2005, and only ventured near some of the ruined neighbourhoods when they had breakfast at a well-known restaurant called Dooky Chase. It is located across the street from a flood-condemned housing project, known as Lafitt. Before leaving New Orleans, Mr. Harper did do a quick tour of Ward Nine, the area hardest hit by Katrina. His guide was David Wilkins, U.S. ambassador to Canada. The leaders spoke with reporters after meeting business leaders from all three countries who make up the North American Competitiveness Council. The council, which includes 10 leaders from each country, pressed the leaders to stick with NAFTA and also to press ahead with efforts to deepen the economic, social, environmental and security relations among the three countries. Canadian critics were quick to jump on Mr. Harper's stance, saying they were upset that he was talking about U.S. energy security without mentioning the need to secure Canada's own energy supply. "There was not one word about Canada's energy security," said Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union. "Eastern Canada is still in a position where all of its oil must come through the United States even though it starts in Alberta and Saskatchewan." Canwest News Service Close Presented by

Of course BlingBling, I am a Republican Latino. I have always been for my group"Latino's y Latina's". My God!!! My group "Hispanics, or what ever you want to call us" has always known. What did you expect? BlingBling, you are for your group, and I am for mine. I am VERY PROUD to call myself a REPUBLICAN LATINO. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

blingbling, it goes to the character of barack obama of whom he associates himself with. I can run rings around obama in my part of political world. One of the reasons that I DON'T POST incredibly detailed information as to what's going on in my sphere of politics is cause, IT CAN IMPACT CURRENT OR FUTURE LONG TERM U.S. INTERESTS. I KNOW BETTER, but your side sadly does not. A nuclear middle east, a nuclear latin america, supporting chavez just to make this administration look bad, and he is trying to destroy our economy. And all of that was very stupid what your side HAS DONE". This is how barack obama gets to know the issues out there; Calling CRS "Congressional research services" I NEED a POSITION PAPER in favor or against on so and so of this issue "and that's it". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He is no anti christ, he is just a politician who keeps on making poor choices, as well as a serious lack of understanding as to what's going on. And we as a nation are NOT at war with Muslims, but we are at war with extremists who do want to destroy us. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reality is stranger than fiction. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770 Strength of the euro has created surge in cocaine market in Europe, experts claim Last updated at 01:17am on 12th April 2008 The euro's gains against the dollar may be affecting the cocaine market - attracting the drug from U.S. markets to greater profits in Europe. U.S. drugs tsar John Walters said some EU countries had experienced 'enormous increases' in the availability of the Class A drug. The past year has seen falls in purity of cocaine in the United States, rising prices and a decline in volumes seized at the southwestern border, Walters said. "There have been speculations that the power and strength of the euro and the cost of cocaine here in Europe have been the reason here for the movement - it's more profitable and it's a better currency exchange," he told reporters during as visit to Brussels. "There's no doubt that those forces are there," said Walters, director of U.S. national drug control policy. A spokesman for the European Commission had no immediate comment, but the euro has risen about 20 percent against the dollar in the past year, hitting a record high of $1.5912 on Thursday. Walters also pointed to workplace drug testing to explain the fall in the United States as well as pressure on Colombia's FARC guerrillas and a crackdown on supply networks for Colombian cocaine though Mexico. Workplace drug testing showed a 20 percent drop in positive cocaine tests in the United States in 2007, he said. Walters reiterated U.S. concerns about a rise in trafficking of Colombian cocaine via Venezuela and from there through West Africa. He said the long-term solution was for countries, including European states with better relations than the United States had with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, to "reach out and encourage him to do the right thing" to stop the trade. "Our goal working with the Europeans is not just to move the cocaine from the United States to Europe," he said. "Our goal is to remove the cocaine. "A movement through West Africa that destabilises the nations of West Africa further than their already weakened state is not good for anybody in Europe, or South America, or North America, or Africa. Obviously that is a critical issue."

It seems that Evo Morales greatly under-estimated his brotherhood with chavez who seems to be all talk and no action on his prior international pledges of support. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/484160.html Bolivia's stagnant natural gas sector affects Southern Cone Posted on Mon, Apr. 07, 2008 BY TYLER BRIDGES tbridges@MiamiHerald.com CARACAS -- Venezuela's state oil company has failed to fulfill promises to make badly needed investments in Bolivia's natural gas fields. This has contributed to a lack of new production under Bolivian President Evo Morales, which in turn, has had huge ramifications throughout the Southern Cone. Brazil, Argentina and Chile -- which all were depending on more gas from Bolivia for their growing economies -- find themselves facing energy shortages that seem likely to pinch consumers, businesses and economic growth during South America's upcoming winter months. By no means is Venezuela's PDVSA solely to blame for the energy crunch. Political turbulence in the years preceding Morales' 2006 inauguration combined with his nationalization policy have led to Bolivia's foreign gas companies shaving investments to the bare minimum, said Carlos Alberto López, a former secretary of energy who now consults for the gas companies. López said investment in gas was about $175 million in 2007, down from $442 million in 2002 and $1.1 billion in 1998 when Bolivia was aggressively seeking foreign investors. LOW PRICES NEXT DOOR Meanwhile, neighboring Argentina under President Néstor Kirchner had been keeping home heating bills low in recent years, ''which has acted as a disincentive to investment,'' said Daniel Kerner, an energy analyst with the Eurasia Group, a New York-based consulting firm. But PDVSA's role is striking because Morales and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez have forged a close alliance. Chávez has showered Bolivia with millions of dollars for new schools, health clinics and roads throughout the country. Chávez promised even more money to tap into Bolivia's natural gas reserves, the second-biggest in Latin America after Venezuela's. He and Morales signed a comprehensive agreement in May 2006 -- four months after Morales took office and three weeks after Morales ''nationalized'' the gas industry by sharply raising taxes and forcing the companies to sign new contracts. Chávez said that Venezuela would invest $500 million immediately and another $1.5 billion in the coming years. PDVSA was supposed to find new gas, train 200 Bolivian engineers and build both a gas processing plant and a petrochemical plant. ''Bolivia and Venezuela are embracing forever, taking the path of equality and justice,'' Chávez said exuberantly, with Morales at his side. With little progress evident, Venezuela and Bolivia held another ballyhooed ceremony in December 2006, announcing again that they would form a joint venture to produce more gas. But PDVSA action in Bolivia has consisted of little more than opening an office in La Paz. ''We have seen no specific investment plans that will lead to increased production in the near future,'' said Sophie Aldebert, a Brazil-based analyst for Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a consulting firm. She suggested that PDVSA is not up for the task, noting that Venezuela has huge untapped gas reserves of its own and that Venezuela's oil production has been falling. In one of the most specific statements to date, Bolivian Energy Minister Carlos Villegas said in January that PDVSA was studying oil deposits in nearby La Paz. PDVSA in Bolivia did not respond to an interview request. MORE OUTSIDE INTEREST Iran and the Russian energy company Gazprom have also made grand announcements within the past year that they will help Bolivia find more gas, but nothing concrete has developed. Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva also announced a major investment by Petrobras, the private-public energy company, but nothing has developed yet. ''Announcements come cheap,'' said a frustrated López. Villegas has said that Bolivia will produce an average of 42 million cubic meters of gas per day in 2008, with most of it (30 million cubic meters per day) destined for Brazil. But Brazil had wanted even more, especially for greater Sao Paulo, which might face electricity rationing in May and June because of shortages. Argentina also badly needs more gas, for itself and to fulfill contracts it has to send gas to Chile. But Bolivia has been unable to consistently meet its current contract with Argentina to provide 7.7 million cubic meters per day. As a result, Argentina, too, may have to endure rationing in the coming months. Kirchner and his successor, wife Cristina Fernández, have responded by cutting off most gas exports to Chile, which may be facing the most severe energy shortages of all. A drought is wreaking havoc on hydro-electric production. Morales and Kirchner had announced a medium-term solution to the gas problem: construction of a $1.6 billion pipeline from Bolivia to Argentina by 2010 that would quadruple Bolivia's exports to Argentina. But the two countries have delayed plans this year, with the source of financing still unidentified and Bolivia unable to produce the required additional gas. With no work on the pipeline yet underway, analysts like Lopez doubt it will ever become a reality. ''I think they'll just expand the existing pipeline,'' López said. ``Argentina is openly committing to LNG.'' In doing so, Argentina is following the lead of Brazil and Chile, which -- having concluded that Bolivia is not a reliable source -- are now spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build terminals that would allow them to import liquefied natural gas from Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Trinidad and elsewhere.

Money talks, and if President Correa does the same as chavez? He will destroy his country economically. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...dName=worldNews Ecuador military crisis to test Correa's mettle Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:58pm EDT By Alonso Soto QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa faces a stiff battle to increase his influence over the military, after his top commanders quit and ended his honeymoon with an institution that ousted three presidents in a decade. Correa's strong popularity should shield him from major fallout, but experts say the leftist must tread carefully. The armed forces have strong economic ties and for years have been a major arbitrator of the Andean country's unstable politics. Correa fired his defense minister on Tuesday and three top military commanders quit in protest a day later after the president claimed their intelligence units shared data with the United States during a border crisis with Colombia in March. "Correa has a clear advantage because of his high popularity and divisions inside the military, but there will always be a risk if he does not implement real changes to the institution," said Bertha Garcia, a military expert at Quito's Catholic University. "If he wins this battle with the military, he would secure stability for his leftist policies," she added. A popular former economy minister who took office just over a year ago, Correa has already won over Congress and increased his influence over top courts as he vows to challenge Ecuador's corrupt elites. Since Ecuador returned to democracy in 1979, the armed forces have played a central role in the country's politics, helping oust the last three elected presidents by withdrawing their backing during congressional upheaval and protests. Correa last week accused the military of delivering intelligence to the CIA, which he said shared it with U.S.-ally Colombia after Bogota's raid on a rebel camp inside Ecuador sparked a diplomatic spat between the neighbors. He shunned an urgent request from military bosses to discuss his criticism, and in a surprise move replaced his defense minister with a close ally, who has vowed more civilian checks over the institution. "This government is not a puppet... we will not allow them (military) to trample over our authority and democratic legitimacy," Correa said after naming new military leaders on Wednesday. "We are not going to allow our intelligence officers to report directly to the CIA." POPULAR Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a fierce U.S. critic and Correa ally, expressed solidarity for Correa's condemnation of suspected U.S. infiltration in its spy agencies. A member of Correa's inner circle of advisors told Reuters that the military is not considered an immediate threat to the government, and said it had been Correa's goal to boost his influence among the troops since the start of his government. "This process of change was accelerated by the Colombian crisis," said the official, who asked not be named because he was not allowed to speak on the matter. "You need to get close to the military in this country, but you also need to make it more professional and subjected to civilian rule." Ecuadoreans widely trust the armed forces for their performance in repeated border clashes with Peru, and the military holds major interests in industries ranging from airlines to banana farms. Correa has not threatened the military's business holdings, and mid-level officers say the soldiers are not unhappy with Correa, who has raised salaries and granted major state contracts to several units. "The top ranks' discontent doesn't reflect what the troops are feeling," said a Navy captain who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak. "Correa can make changes, but military support will depend on how far he goes." (Reporting by Alonso Soto; editing by Patricia Zengerle)

To the Democrats; HOW does it feel to OPEN UP PANDORAS BOX? I told all of you who have read my posts in here that the democrats quest for having power back "No matter what" had consequences. The Middle East, and Latin America ARE incredibly dangerous because of your "democrats"actions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also this link; CIA chief says he thinks Iran is pursuing nuclear bomb http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stor...FF?OpenDocument ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5imG-Gmy...ThgngAD8VQ0MTG0 Report: New Nuclear Arms Race Possible By BARRY SCHWEID – 3 days ago WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia most likely would develop nuclear weapons if Iran acquires them, according to a report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. High-level American diplomats in Riyadh with excellent access to Saudi decision-makers said an Iranian nuclear weapon frightens the Saudis "to their core" and would compel the Saudis to seek nuclear weapons, the report said. The American diplomats were not identified. Turkey also would come under pressure to follow suit if Iran builds nuclear weapons in the next decade, said the report prepared by a committee staff member after interviewing hundreds of individuals in Washington and the Middle East last July through December. While Turkey and Iran do not see themselves as adversaries, Turkey believes a power balance between them is the primary reason for a peaceful relationship, the report said. Egypt most likely would choose not to respond by pursuing its own nuclear weapons program, said the report prepared in late February and obtained Wednesday. The impact on relations with Israel and the United States were cited as the primary reasons. A U.S. intelligence estimate late last year said Iran worked on nuclear weapons programs until 2003 before abandoning them. However, the intelligence analysts also reported Iran was continuing to enrich uranium, a key weapons component, and possessed the capacity to produce nuclear weapons if it decided to do so. Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., the senior Republican on the committee, directed staff member Bradley Bowman to conduct the study. Among its conclusions, the report said demands for nuclear energy and for matching Iran's nuclear progress virtually guarantees that three or four Middle Eastern countries will generate nuclear power by 2025. And this, in turn, will reduce the obstacles to acquiring nuclear weapons, the report said. The spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East could reduce regional security and endanger U.S. interests, the report said. In the next two or three years, the United States must take steps to restore Arab and Turkish confidence in U.S. security guarantees, the report concluded. Otherwise, it said, "the future Middle East landscape may include a number of nuclear-armed or nuclear weapons-capable states vying for influence in a notoriously unstable region." (This version CORRECTS reference in the third graf to Iran, not Iraq.)

It's always nice to be up to date. If the pdf links dont show up on this post, just go to the web site. It's all there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.dfes.gov.uk/byronreview/ Published 27th March 2008 On 6th September 2007, the Prime Minister asked me to conduct an independent review looking at the risks to children from exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate material on the internet and in video games. My Review is about the needs of children and young people. It is about preserving their right to take the risks that form an inherent part of their development by enabling them to play video games and surf the net in a safe and informed way. By listening to children and young people and putting them at the heart of this Review - and by replacing emotion with evidence - I hope I have provided some very necessary focus to what is a very necessary debate. PDF versions of the Full Report, Annexes and supporting documentation are available below. Final Report • Safer Children in a Digital World: Full Report (PDF, 2756kb) The Full Report also contains a glossary, bibliography, details of the Review process, and a list of key contributors to the Review. • Safer Children in a Digital World: Executive Summary (PDF, 110kb) • Safer Children in a Digital World: A Summary for Children and Young People (PDF, 970kb) Press Releases • Byron Review Press Release (Word, 269kb) (PDF, 45kb) • Government Response Press Release Call for Evidence • Annex D: Summary Report of the Byron Review Call for Evidence (PDF, 92kb) The summary also includes a list of respondents • Annex E: Summary Report of the Byron Review Children’s Call for Evidence (PDF, 46kb) Additional Documents • Annex F: Byron Review Qualitative Research Report (PDF, 286kb) • Annex G: The Impact of the Media on Children and Young People with a particular focus on computer games and the internet (PDF, 305kb) Prepared for the Byron Review on Children and New Technology • Annex H: Byron Review on the Impact of New Technologies on Children: A Research Literature Review: Child Development (PDF, 158kb) • Annex I: Brain development in childhood: A literature review and synthesis for the Byron Review on the impact of new technologies on children (PDF, 344kb) Related Documents • Byron Review Consultation Document (PDF, 50kb) • Byron Review Children's Consultation (PDF, 126kb)

Hey!!!!! not everyone has it as lucky as we do here in america. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc100?OpenForm <---------- It's a United Nations web site. It's a very good web site "easy to use,latest information, good stuff". :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...0/MNCFVPKN0.DTL All over the world, food prices on the rise Weather, economy, other factors lead to dramatic increases Katherine Corcoran, Associated Press Sunday, March 30, 2008 03-30) 04:00 PDT Mexico City -- If you're seeing your grocery bill go up, you're not alone. From subsistence farmers eating rice in Ecuador to gourmets feasting on escargot in France, consumers worldwide face rising food prices in what analysts call a perfect storm of conditions. Freak weather is a factor. But so are dramatic changes in the global economy, including higher oil prices, lower food reserves and growing consumer demand in China and India. The world's poorest nations still harbor the greatest hunger risk. Clashes over bread in Egypt killed at least two people last week, and similar food riots broke out in Burkina Faso and Cameroon this month. But food protests now crop up even in Italy. And while the price of spaghetti has doubled in Haiti, the cost of miso is packing a hit in Japan. "It's not likely that prices will go back to as low as we're used to," said Abdolreza Abbassian, economist and secretary of the Intergovernmental Group for Grains for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. "Currently if you're in Haiti, unless the government is subsidizing consumers, consumers have no choice but to cut consumption. It's a very brutal scenario, but that's what it is." No one knows that better than Eugene Thermilon, 30, a Haitian day laborer who can no longer afford pasta to feed his wife and four children since the price nearly doubled to $0.57 a bag. Their only meal on a recent day was two cans of corn grits. "Their stomachs were not even full," Thermilon said, walking toward his pink concrete house on the precipice of a garbage-filled ravine. By noon the next day, he still had nothing to feed them for dinner. Their hunger has had a ripple effect. Haitian food vendor Fabiola Duran Estime, 31, has lost so many customers like Thermilon that she had to pull her daughter, Fyva, out of kindergarten because she can't afford the $20 monthly tuition. Fyva was just beginning to read. In the long term, prices are expected to stabilize. Farmers will grow more grain for both fuel and food and eventually bring prices down. Already this is happening with wheat, with more crops to be planted in the U.S., Canada and Europe in the coming year. However, consumers still face at least 10 years of more expensive food, according to preliminary FAO projections. Among the driving forces are petroleum prices, which increase the cost of everything from fertilizers to transport to food processing. Rising demand for meat and dairy in rapidly developing countries such as China and India is sending up the cost of grain, used for cattle feed, as is the demand for raw materials to make biofuels. What's rare is that the spikes are hitting all major foods in most countries at once. Food prices rose 4 percent in the United States last year, the highest rise since 1990, and are expected to climb as much again this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As of December, 37 countries faced food crises, and 20 had imposed some sort of food-price controls. For many, it's a disaster. The U.N.'s World Food Program says it's facing a $500 million shortfall in funding this year to feed 89 million needy people. On Monday, it appealed to donor countries to step up contributions, saying its efforts otherwise have to be scaled back. In Egypt, where bread is up 35 percent and cooking oil 26 percent, the government recently proposed ending food subsidies and replacing them with cash payouts to the needy. But the plan was put on hold after it sparked public uproar. "A revolution of the hungry is in the offing," said Mohammed el-Askalani of Citizens Against the High Cost of Living, a protest group established to lobby against ending the subsidies. In China, the price hikes are both a burden and a boon. Per capita meat consumption has increased 150 percent since 1980, so Zhou Jian decided six months ago to switch from selling auto parts to pork. The price of pork has jumped 58 percent in the past year, yet every morning housewives and domestics still crowd his Shanghai shop, and more customers order choice cuts. From car parts to pork The 26-year-old now earns $4,200 a month, two to three times what he made selling car parts. And it's not just pork. Beef is becoming a weekly indulgence. "The Chinese middle class is starting to change the traditional thought process of beef as a luxury," said Kevin Timberlake, who manages the U.S.-based Western Cattle Company feedlot in China's Inner Mongolia. At the same time, the increased cost of food staples in China threatens to wreak havoc. Beijing has been selling grain from its reserves to hold down prices, said Jing Ulrich, chairwoman of China equities for JPMorgan. "But this is not really solving the root cause of the problem," Ulrich said. "The cause of the problem is a supply-demand imbalance. Demand is very strong. Supply is constrained. It is as simple as that." Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says fighting inflation from shortages of key foods is a top economic priority. Inflation reached 7.1 percent in January, the highest in 11 years, led by an 18.2 percent jump in food prices. Meanwhile, record oil prices have boosted the cost of fertilizer and freight for bulk commodities - up 80 percent in 2007 over 2006. The oil spike has also turned up the pressure for countries to switch to biofuels, which the FAO says will drive up the cost of corn, sugar and soybeans "for many more years to come." In Japan, the ethanol boom is hitting the country in mayonnaise and miso, two important culinary ingredients, as biofuels production pushes up the price of cooking oil and soybeans. A two-pound bottle of mayonnaise his risen about 10 percent in two months to as much as 330 yen (nearly $3), said Daishi Inoue, a cook at a Chinese restaurant. 'We have no choice' "It's not hurting us much now," he said. "But if prices keep going up, we have no choice but to raise our prices." Miso Bank, a restaurant in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district, specializes in food cooked with miso, or soybean paste. "We expect prices to go up in April all at once," said Miso Bank manager Koichi Oritani. "The hikes would affect our menu. So we plan to order miso in bulk and make changes to the menu." Italians are feeling the pinch in pasta, with consumer groups staging a one-day strike in September against a food deeply intertwined with national identity. Italians eat an estimated 60 pounds of pasta per capita a year. The protest was symbolic because Italians typically stock up on pasta, buying multiple packages at a time. But in the next two months pasta consumption dropped 5 percent, said farm lobbyist Rolando Manfredini. "The situation has gotten even worse," he said. In decades past, farm subsidies and support programs allowed major grain exporting countries to hold large surpluses, which could be tapped during food shortages to keep prices down. But new trade policies have made agricultural production much more responsive to market demands - putting global food reserves at their lowest in a quarter century. Without reserves, bad weather and poor harvests have a bigger impact on prices. "The market is extremely nervous. With the slightest news about bad weather, the market reacts," said economist Abbassian. That means that a drought in Australia and flooding in Argentina, two of the world's largest suppliers of industrial milk and butter, sent the price of butter in France soaring 37 percent from 2006 to 2007. Forty percent of escargot, the snail dish, is butter. "You can do the calculation yourself," said Romain Chapron, president of Croque Bourgogne, which supplies escargot. "It had a considerable effect. It forced people in our profession to tighten their belts to the maximum." The same climate crises sparked a 21 percent rise in the cost of milk, which with butter makes another famous French food item - the croissant. Panavi, a pastry and bread supplier, has raised retail prices of croissants and pain au chocolat by 6 to 15 percent. Already, there's a lot of suspicion among consumers. "They don't understand why prices have gone up like this," said Nicole Watelet, general secretary at the Federation of French Bakeries and Pastry Enterprises. "They think that someone is profiting from this. But it's not us. We're paying." Food costs worldwide spiked 23 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to the FAO. Grains went up 42 percent, oils 50 percent and dairy 80 percent. Economists say that for the short term, government bailouts will have to be part of the answer to keep unrest at a minimum. In recent weeks, rising food prices sparked riots in the West African nations of Burkina Faso, where mobs torched buildings, and Cameroon, where at least four people died. But attempts to control prices in one country often have dire effects elsewhere. China's restrictions on wheat flour exports resulted in a price spike in Indonesia this year, according to the FAO. Ukraine and Russia imposed export restrictions on wheat, causing tight supplies and higher prices for importing countries. Partly because of the cost of imported wheat, Peru's military has begun eating bread made from potato flour, a native crop. "We need a response on a large scale, either the regional or international level," said Brian Halweil of the environmental research organization Worldwatch Institute. "All countries are tied enough to the world food markets that this is a global crisis." Poorer countries can speed up the adjustment by investing in agriculture, experts say. If they do, farmers can turn high prices into an engine for growth. But in countries like Burkina Faso, the crisis is immediate. Days after the riots, Pascaline OuDedraogo wandered the market in the capital, Ouagadougou, looking to buy meat and vegetables. She said a good meal cost 1,000 francs (about $2.35) not long ago. Now she needs twice that. "The more prices go up, the less there is to meet their needs," she said of her three children, all in secondary school. "You wonder if it's the government or the businesses that are behind the price hikes." IrGene Belem, a 25-year-old with twins, struggles to buy milk, which has gone up 57 percent in recent weeks. "We knew we were poor before," she said, "but now it's worse than poverty."

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/03/22/s...an.html?ref=rss France to send 1,000 troops to Afghanistan, report says Last Updated: Saturday, March 22, 2008 | 11:31 AM ET CommentsRecommendCBC News French President Nicolas Sarkozy will tell British officials next week that his country will send 1,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in a move that will help bolster Canada's mission in the region, a British newspaper reported Saturday. The Times of London said Sarkozy will discuss the troop deployment during a trip to Britain next week. A senior British minister told the Times that France will send in "slightly more than 1,000 troops to the eastern region." France already has 1,900 soldiers in Afghanistan. "A formal announcement is expected when NATO leaders meet in Romania in early April," the CBC's David Common said Saturday from Paris. But, Common said, "there is an expectation that the French president may say something before then." So far there has been no reaction in France to the Times story, Common said. Canada has 2,500 troops participating in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, mostly around Kandahar province in the country's volatile south. In February, a high-level delegation of Canadian officials travelled to Paris for talks on sending French troops to support Canadian forces. The delegation was led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff, Ian Brodie. Also in February, French Defence Minister Hervé Morin said he would be willing to have French troops stationed in the south. The Times report said Sarkozy has not yet decided where the extra troops will be deployed. The newspaper said the troops could "be sent to the south to fight alongside the Canadians or east to the border with Pakistan." Earlier this month, the House of Commons voted to keep Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan until 2011, but the mission's extension was contingent on NATO allies agreeing to provide 1,000 extra troops, and on Ottawa's securing access to unmanned surveillance drones and large helicopters. Many Canadian soldiers are on their second tour in Afghanistan and the casualty count has been heavy — 81 soldiers have died since the mission began in 2002. Last Sunday Defence Minister Peter MacKay said at a NATO summit in Brussels that Canada expects its NATO allies will soon offer 1,000 more soldiers to support the Canadian contingent in Afghanistan. "Those 1,000 extra troops — that is really a minimum," MacKay told a conference of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, where transatlantic security issues were debated.

As a Hispanic, and to all other Hispanics out there? To be blunt; Lets not repeat the same mistakes that the African American Community has committed upon itself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/3559...iconline24.html Hispanic families begin to resemble black families THE ECONOMIST Every Sunday Elias Loera stands behind a pulpit made from motorcycle parts and preaches family values to the people of Fresno. He rails against sinful living and neglectful fathers, yet is careful not to offend. Loera reckons more than half of the women in his almost entirely Hispanic congregation are single mothers. He tries to avoid speaking of "father God," so dismal are many people's experiences with fathers in this struggling Californian city. Whether Cuban, Mexican or Puerto Rican, most Latinos revere la familia. But the Hispanic family is changing. In the past 10 years the birth rate among unmarried Latinas has risen from 89 to 100 per 1,000. It is now much higher than the rate among black or white women. Late last year came a significant but little-noticed announcement: probably for the first time, half of all Hispanic children in America were born out of wedlock. The Latino family is not in such a dire state as the black family, where 71 percent of children are born to single mothers. Yet the gap appears to be closing. In 1995 the unmarried teenage birth rate for Latinas was 20 percent lower than the rate for blacks. It is now 12 percent higher. This is not just a worry for socially conservative preachers. More than half of all young Hispanic children in families headed by a single mother are living below the federal poverty line, compared with 21 percent being raised by a married couple. Many blame these changes on the decay of traditional mores. Ed Moreno, Fresno's public-health officer, points to the enormous differences between recent immigrants from rural areas -- at the moment, the city is seeing an influx from the Mexican state of Oaxaca -- and American-born Latinos. The new arrivals rule their children with an iron hand. Among them teenage pregnancies are rare and often followed by marriage, sometimes at the point of a metaphorical shotgun. By the second or third generation such old-fashioned attitudes are generally forgotten. Among the poor, cohabitation is seen as normal and single parenthood merely regrettable. Research by Wendy Manning of Bowling Green State University and others shows that unmarried Mexican-American couples who have children while living together are slightly more likely to break up than are blacks or whites in similar circumstances. America is not wholly to blame for the state of the Hispanic family. What may be particularly disastrous is the combination of American inner-city norms and traditional Latin attitudes. Those who campaign against teenage pregnancy complain of a "1950s mentality" among Hispanic parents, who continue to believe that talking to their children about sex puts ideas in their heads. Pedro Elias of Planned Parenthood says machismo persists among young Latinos in Fresno, making them less inclined to use condoms. Latinas frequently obtain imported birth-control pills from flea markets, together with dodgy advice about how to use them. Although poor Hispanic families are coming to resemble poor black families, they do not feel like them. Marriage is no less prized as it becomes less common. Many Latinos still regard it as deeply shameful to allow one's parents to enter a nursing home. Yet this may be changing. A question about whether they expect to live with their children in old age provokes confident head shaking among a group of Mexican mothers who are learning English in a Fresno school. Above all, the large extended families and networks of godparents, which provide crucial support to young Latina mothers, seem to be weakening. A big reason is language. An immigrant grandmother, for example, may well struggle to communicate with her American-born children. She will probably speak little English, while they are likely to speak almost no Spanish. Extended families are also strained by migration: Latinos are increasingly spreading out from traditional enclaves in California, Texas and New York to places such as North Carolina and rural Ohio. The alarm that these changes have produced has been picked up and amplified by the fast-growing Latino evangelical movement. Samuel Rodriguez, head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, describes the state of the Latino family as a more urgent problem than reform of America's dysfunctional immigration system. For some, family breakdown presents an opportunity for evangelism. Loera says his congregation has grown in part because he takes in women who are evicted from other churches when they become pregnant. He relentlessly promotes marriage. A slim majority of Hispanic adults were born outside America, and retain a degree of traditional attitudes. In time the balance between native and foreign-born will surely tip, as it has already done in Fresno. As Latinos become more American, they may be able to achieve a more benign balance between old and new ways. Or they may fail. In which case, just as they overcome one obstacle to progress in America -- the English language -- they will hit another of their own making. c.2008 Economist Newspaper Ltd. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.