Human

http://www.responsiblelending.org/ And also they came out with a pretty good pdf report on who is affected by this subprime mess. Okay, I can't put up the pdf file cause it's over 200k So here is the link to that pdf report; http://www.responsiblelending.org/pdfs/Net...e-Ownership.pdf So!!! For anyone out there curious as well as needing help? The main responsible lending link is definitely where to go. Very, very good info. Oh!!!! They also have more recent reports.

Agreed BlackSun; The Man Was a TRUE VISIONARY. A man Ahead of his time. I also HONESTLY believe that many of our future technologies WILL be based on his artistic works.

UPDATE; Colombia and Ecuador reach an agreement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ipsnews.net/latin.asp COLOMBIA-ECUADOR: OAS Rejects Military Incursion By Constanza Vieira* BOGOTA, Mar 18 (IPS) - After 14 hours of deliberation, the foreign ministers of the members of the Organisation of American States (OAS) announced Tuesday that they "reject" Colombia’s recent cross-border incursion into Ecuador, which was carried out "without the knowledge or prior consent of the government" of that country. The United States, however, refused to approve that point. In a report prepared by an OAS commission that investigated the Mar. 1 bombing raid by Colombia on a FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrilla camp within Ecuadorian territory, the Colombian government modified its own initial version of how the attack was carried out. Colombia was pleased that the OAS resolution did not include the much stronger term "condemn," and that it did not consider sanctions. The term "reject" is stated in the fourth paragraph, while the third paragraph "reaffirm(s) the full applicability of the principle of territorial sovereignty". The United States supported the resolution with reservations, arguing that Colombia has the right to act in self-defence as established by Article 22 of the OAS charter, which was approved in 1948. But paragraph four states that Colombia violated Articles 19 and 21 of the OAS charter. Article 19 establishes that "No state or group of states has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other state", while article 21 says that "The territory of a state is inviolable; it may not be the object, even temporarily, of military occupation or of other measures of force taken by another state, directly or indirectly, on any grounds whatever." The first paragraph of the resolution approved Tuesday says that "abstention from the threat or use of force, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states" are "principles that are binding on all (OAS) member states in all circumstances." The OAS once again avoided describing the FARC as a "terrorist" force, as it is classified by Colombia, the United States and the European Union. The resolution also took into account Colombia’s request "To reiterate the firm commitment of all member states to combat threats to security caused by the actions of irregular groups or criminal organisations, especially those associated with drug trafficking," and to create a mechanism for monitoring compliance with this resolution. After meeting all night in Washington, the ministers finally reached an agreement on the resolution at 5:00 AM GMT. The Colombian bombing of the FARC camp in Ecuador, which killed the rebel group’s international spokesman, Raúl Reyes, led to the rupture of diplomatic ties with Colombia by Ecuador. The OAS resolution also "welcomed" the declaration adopted by the heads of state and government of the Rio Group, Latin America's highest-level political forum, at its Mar. 7 summit in the Dominican Republic, underlining "its contribution to the easing of tensions and to rapprochement between the parties, based on the principle of international law." After a heated debate in the summit in Santo Domingo, handshakes and hugs put an end to the tension between Presidents Álvaro Uribe of Colombia, on one hand, and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Rafael Correa of Ecuador on the other. COLOMBIA’S NEW VERSION The foreign ministers also received the report by the OAS fact-finding commission that visited the site of the attack and other spots in Ecuador as well as Colombia from Mar. 9-12, headed up by Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, in compliance with a resolution adopted by the OAS Permanent Council on Mar. 5. In the report, the description of events that the Uribe administration gave the OAS delegation differs from what was described in the government’s initial public statements. The report presented by the delegation says Colombian authorities had initially planned to attack a camp in Colombia, where Reyes was supposed to be found on Feb. 29. But late that night, the Colombian military received information that Reyes was actually across the border in Ecuador, which led them to the decision to carry out a "double" operation, with attacks on both camps, using "different planes," as Uribe administration officials told the OAS commission. Immediately after the raid, however, Colombian Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos had stated that the military had originally planned to bomb a location in Colombia, close to the border, at 12:25 AM, but that as the troops being transported by helicopter were approaching the place, to occupy it, they were attacked from across the Ecuadorian border. The communiqué read out by Santos added that after a soldier, Carlos Hernández, "unfortunately died in the attack by the guerrillas," the camp from which the rebels opened fire was located, 1,800 metres inside Ecuador, and was bombed from Colombian territory, without violating Ecuadorian airspace. But the Colombian government told the OAS that Hernández died in Ecuador and that his body was transported to Colombia from that country along with the bodies of Reyes and another guerrilla, who has not yet been identified. Colombian journalist Ignacio Gómez told the Noticias Uno TV news station on Sunday that Hernández was killed when a tree left just barely standing after the camp was bombed from the air fell on him. Ecuadorian President Correa expressed to the OAS his doubts on whether international humanitarian law was respected, since several bodies had "bullet wounds in their back, fired from a short distance," indicating that they had been the victims of extrajudicial execution. The people in the camp were sleeping at the time of the bombing raid. Ecuador also called for clarification of "how long the incursion by the Colombian military forces in Ecuadorian territory lasted." According to the technical report that the Ecuadorian military presented to the OAS, "six 500-pound GBU-12 bombs were dropped by planes flying in a South to North direction, and four bombs were dropped by planes moving in a North to South direction…within Ecuadorian airspace." The Correa administration also maintains that the bombs used require advanced technology that the Colombian air force does not have. The GBU-12 (Guided Bomb Unit) is an antitank laser-guided air-to-ground missile that has no propulsion system of its own, which means the pilot must be relatively close to the target in order for the laser guidance system to operate. Colombia, however, claimed that the bombs used were "conventional" and roundly denied that its planes had overflown Ecuadorian territory. According to the Colombian government, the bombs were launched by A-37 planes and guided by satellite by means of the Global Positioning System (GPS). But when Bogotá notified Quito of the attack, it provided inaccurate coordinates, according to the Correa administration, which is why the first Ecuadorian military contingent took longer than expected to reach the site of the bombing, arriving at 1:00 PM that day (the raid occurred in the early morning hours). *With additional reporting by Humberto Márquez in Caracas. (END/2008)

For those into farming. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://hamptonroads.com/2008/03/preserving...e-official-says By Linda McNatt The Virginian-Pilot © March 12, 2008 SUFFOLK Todd P. Haymore wouldn't be surprised to hear any time that his family farm in Pittsylvania County, near Danville, will be sold. It sits at an intersection near a major highway and is ripe for development, he said. Haymore, the state's commissioner of agriculture, spoke at the city's annual Farm Family lunch Tuesday, and he talked mostly about preserving the family farm in Virginia. More than 100 farmers, city officials, friends and relatives gathered to honor the family of David and Audrey Page Bosselman, who won the Farm Family award this year. The award is handed out annually by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. Living in rural, northwest Suffolk, the Bosselmans noted that development moving in on their own farm is one of their greatest concerns in the coming years. "You are part of Virginia's oldest and largest industry," Haymore told the family. "Agriculture represents $36 billion a year on an annual basis." As for the commissioner, "I've been trapped in Richmond for the last 60 days," he said. And he - along with others - have been trying to talk state lawmakers into putting more money toward farm preservation. Neighboring states, such as Maryland, are well ahead of Virginia in preserving farms, he said. Farmland preservation in this state, he said, is one of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's top priorities. Kaine has set a goal of saving 400,000 acres of farmland during his term. "We're in the process of distributing $4.24 million to purchase development rights," Haymore said. "We're trying to find a few more dollars this year. We're talking about millions and millions of dollars in Richmond." Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Isle of Wight County recently were among 14 Virginia localities to get farm preservation funding. Linda McNatt, (757) 222-5561, linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com

Spring time is coming. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/ho...0,1099324.story HOME FIX-UP garden task Short of space? That's not a problem for gardeners Dean Fosdick | The Associated Press March 8, 2008 If you're dreaming big about your garden this year, think small. Many of the nation's leading nurseries are predicting big profits in 2008 by developing plants and vegetables for containers and space-deprived urban gardeners. "Gardening is morphing into an outdoor-living accessory, an extension of your home," said Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Association in South Burlington, Vt. "People are using their patios and balconies rather than get their hands dirty in the ground." Smaller yards and busier lives have fueled a desire for gardening on a smaller scale, said Randy Schultz, a spokesman for the Mailorder Gardening Association in Albuquerque, N.M. Gardening is also a hobby that grows more popular as people grow older. But as they continue to age, they tend to downsize. That generally means growing plants in pots or raised beds in sunny but protected corners. Plant varieties are now being designed to grow in containers, and Schultz calls that "perhaps the fastest-growing segment of this market." Lettuces, salad greens and herbs all grow well in pots or small raised-bed gardens, Schultz said. Cherry and bush tomatoes, chard, pole beans, peppers and eggplants thrive in tight spaces, too. "Container gardens filled with red and green lettuces or a container that holds yellow tomatoes, purple basil and red peppers can be just as beautiful as a pot of flowers and much more delicious," said Kathy LaLiberte, director of gardening for Gardener's Supply Co., in Burlington, Vt. Here are some plants and plant collections expected to be hot sellers in 2008: Balconi red tomato (from Thompson & Morgan; tmseeds.com): An exceptionally sweet cherry tomato variety that trails well when grown as a basket plant and is decorative and productive. One plant can fill a 12-inch container. Pepper Mini Belle (Thompson & Morgan): A dwarf, decorative plant that produces a large crop of small sweet peppers maturing to red, orange or chocolate color. Musa Dwarf Lady Finger (from Logee's Greenhouses, Ltd.; logees.com ): A new, hardy edible banana variety that grows to 5 feet in height, manageable for patios or indoor sunrooms. Good for temperatures no lower than 60 degrees. Petunia Shock Wave series. (Developed by Ball Horticultural Co., sold nationwide in catalogs and garden centers): Annual. Tiny blossoms in vivid colors. Long-blooming and well-suited for hanging baskets, mixed and solo containers. Lettuce mini-green improved (Another Thompson & Morgan offering): Tennis ball-sized heads of iceberg lettuce bred so each is a meal for one person. Eighty-day maturity. Best grown in succession from spring through midsummer for a continuous supply of salad hearts. Eupatorium Little Joe and Sedum Autumn Joy (Collection from Great Garden Plants; greatgardenplants.com ): Four months of color from a drought-tolerant pair of summer perennials. A collection that thrives in confined-space gardens. (Good for zones 3 to 9). Blazin Lime Iresine (Ball Horticultural Co., will be sold extensively in catalogs and garden stores): Lime and cream variegated leaves good for mixed containers or garden beds. Does best in shade.

I still don't understand why you democrats support chavez. It also looks like farc is hoping that barack obama gets into office. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/2...farclaptop.html By Frank Bajak ASSOCIATED PRESS 6:14 a.m. March 5, 2008 BOGOTA, Colombia – A single laptop can reveal much, and so it is with the digital treasure chest that Colombian commandos found in the jungle quarters of slain rebel leader Raul Reyes. Files in the computer seized in Saturday's raid into Ecuador that claimed the lives of Reyes and 23 of his comrades offer an intimate portrait of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's desire to undermine Colombia's U.S.-allied government If authentic, the documents show that sympathies Chavez first aired publicly in January grew out of a relationship that dates back more than a decade. But Chavez is not one of the correspondents, and his sentiments mentioned in these documents are relayed solely through the rebels. Venezuela says the documents are lies and fabrications. If they are, they are expertly done. Not only do they offer an unprecedented glimpse into the rebels' mind-set, they also discuss diplomatic overtures from governments including the United States – cryptically – and France – explicitly. They are signed electronically by the most powerful men in the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the hemisphere's oldest and most potent rebel movement. Those signing the documents include: Reyes, the FARC's foreign minister and public face, whose killing struck a chilling blow to the group; Manuel Marulanda, the rebels' 77-year-old supreme leader; Jorge Briceno, their much-feared field marshal; and Ivan Marquez, the insurgents' apparent go-between with Chavez. Marquez is believed to live in Venezuela. Copies of 13 documents were sent to reporters Tuesday by Colombia's national police chief, Gen. Oscar Naranjo. He revealed their existence Sunday as his government came under a withering diplomatic assault for violating Ecuador's territory with the raid. They indicate that Chavez, seeking to raise the FARC's stature and relieve it of its international pariah status, shares their goal of isolating and discrediting Colombia's president, Alvaro Uribe. But do they prove that Venezuela was actually financing the FARC's bid to overthrow a democratically elected government? That's not clear. Naranjo alleges the “300,” called the “dossier” in a Dec. 23 message signed by Marquez, refers to a $300 million gift from Chavez to the rebels. In a Jan. 14 missive, Briceno discusses what to do with the “dossier.” “Who, where, when and how will we receive the dollars and store them?” he asks fellow members of the FARC's seven-man ruling secretariat. Uribe has worked as no other Colombian president to defeat the FARC. So it's no surprise that in the Jan. 14 message, Briceno discusses a desire to undermine Uribe by making him cede a safe haven to the rebels for talks on a prisoner swap. “Uribe will become more isolated, together with his boss from the North,” a clear reference to President Bush, whose government provides Colombia with some $600 million a year in military aid. In a document dated Feb. 9, Marquez passes along Chavez's thanks for a $150,000 gift when he was imprisoned from 1992-94 for leading a failed coup – and indicates Chavez's desire to smear Uribe. Marquez tells Marulanda and the other secretariat members that Venezuela wants documentation of damage by Colombia's military to “the civilian population, also images of bombardments in the jungle and its devastation – to use as a denunciation before the world.” Marquez also relays that Chavez's government “invites the FARC to participate in some sessions of the analysis group he's formed to follow Colombia's political situation.” In a letter the previous day to the same recipients, Marquez discusses Chavez's plan to try to persuade leading Latin American nations to help get the FARC removed from lists of international terror groups. At least three of the documents express Chavez's deep desire to meet with Marulanda, hopefully on Venezuelan soil. Marulanda has reportedly never left Colombia. Marquez also says Chavez is prepared to offer Venezuelan territory for the FARC's desired prisoner swap, which would be a huge embarrassment for Uribe. The FARC has proposed exchanging some 40 hostages, including three U.S. military contractors, for hundreds of rebels currently in Colombia's jails. The FARC captured the three when their surveillance plane crashed in February 2003. The rebels have released six hostages – all Colombian politicians – since Uribe tried to end Chavez's mediation role with the FARC in November, accusing the Venezuelan president of overstepping his mandate. The four freed most recently, on Feb. 27, say hostage Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate who also holds French citizenship, is extremely ill. Betancourt has become a cause celebre in France. French contacts with Reyes are mentioned in several documents, including a request that the French envoy, identified only as “Noe,” be granted a meeting with Marulanda. References to U.S. diplomatic overtures are scintillating, if vague. In a Dec. 11 message to the secretariat, Marquez writes: “If you are in agreement, I can receive Jim and Tucker to hear the proposal of the gringos.” The same message says an Italian referred to only as Consolo has told Marquez “the European Parliament wants to get involved in the prisoner exchange.” Writing two days before his death, Reyes tells his secretariat comrades that “the gringos,” working through Ecuador's government, are interested “in talking to us on various issues.” “They say the new president of their country will be (Barack) Obama,” noting that Obama rejects both the Bush administration's free trade agreement with Colombia and the current military aid program. Reyes said the response he relayed is that the United States would have to publicly express that desire. Another message, to Reyes from a lower-ranking commander and dated Feb. 16, includes mention of a possible purchase of 50 kilos – 110 pounds – of uranium. Uribe's government has claimed that means the FARC was seeking to build a dirty bomb. But the message discusses a different motive: selling the uranium at a profit.

Mccain is not to right or left "Right in the middle". I on the other hand am a moderate right winger. :) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/ <-------------- It has the nutritional values of each type of seafood that we all eat, and alot more. Pretty cool web site. Here let me give you an example of the nutritional values of a lobster, and of a mako shark "It's on their web site". LOBSTER Nutrition Facts Servings 1 Serving Weight 100g Amount Per Serving Calories 90 Total Fat 0.9 g Total Saturated Fatty Acids 0.18 g Carbohydrate 0.5 g Sugars 0 g Total Dietary Fiber 0 g Cholesterol 95 mg Selenium 41.4 mcg Sodium 296 mg Protein 18.8 g MAKO SHARK; Nutrition Facts Servings 1 Serving Weight 100g Amount Per Serving Calories 130 Total Fat 4.51 g Total Saturated Fatty Acids 0.925 g Carbohydrate 0 g Sugars 0 g Total Dietary Fiber 0 g Cholesterol 51 mg Selenium 36.5 mcg Sodium 79 mg Protein 20.98 g

Even though we are fighting each other politically Tooth, and Nail? CONGRATULATION'S on your victory. I still don't like your group "Democrats", I still don't like that your group supports Chavez "And that was just to make this administration look bad". Even with that, and a whole lot of other things? I tip my hat off to you.

Now this action makes two countries that Venezuela has threatened to invade. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-04-voa18.cfm OAS to Hold Emergency Meeting on South American Crisis By VOA News 04 March 2008 The Organization of American States will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday in an attempt to peacefully resolve a dispute involving Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, which have sent troops to their borders. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa says he feels betrayed by Colombia's government for the attack against Colombian FARC rebels encamped in Ecuador. He also says the raid derailed talks between his government and FARC to secure the release of 12 hostages, including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. Ecuadorian officials also reject Colombian claims that Quito has links to the Marxist rebels. Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos said Tuesday material found on the computer of FARC's deputy commander showed the group was trying to buy radioactive material to use in so-called dirty bombs. Colombian officials also say their forces found documents during Saturday's raid showing that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez paid $300 million to support FARC rebels in Colombia. Venezuelan officials reject the claim. Venezuela has ordered the expulsion of Colombia's ambassador and other diplomats from Caracas. Ecuador has also broken relations with Colombia. Both the Ecuadorean and Venezuelan presidents have ordered troops to their countries' borders with Colombia. Colombia's government apologized for the raid, which killed 21 people, but said it was a necessary part of its decades-long military struggle with FARC rebels. U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey voiced support for Colombia's efforts to respond to threats from the FARC, which the United States considers a terrorist organization. Casey appealed for a diplomatic solution to the dispute between Colombia and Ecuador, and called on Venezuela to stay out of it. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

Even with ALL of China's Nuclear Expertise, they still the United States help?? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. nuclear experts help clear Olympic sites in top-secret Beijing visits By Sue Bailey And Jim Bronskill, THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA - American nuclear experts have made at least two trips to Beijing to help move radioactive materials away from Olympic sites before thousands of athletes from Canada and around the world arrive for competition. The work has been kept so far under wraps that Canadian and even international nuclear safety personnel could offer no details. Sport Canada and Foreign Affairs officials in Ottawa were equally in the dark. It is known, however, that a delegation of American scientists visited Beijing last fall and again in mid-December to move potentially dangerous radioactive items from the vicinity of Olympic venues. Sources familiar with the project say it's likely part of a security sweep focusing on highly radioactive devices in hospitals and research labs. The fear is they could be detonated using conventional explosives - effectively becoming a "dirty bomb" that would spew radiation and sow panic at the global sporting spectacle set for August. Aside from any immediate casualties, the resulting fallout and fear of illness from contamination would leave the Olympic precinct unuseable for weeks or even longer. Charles Ferguson, fellow for science and technology at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, said such security operations are precautionary. "I think the worry is that if terrorists were able to take explosives, let's say, and target a radioactive source that's located at or near an Olympic site venue and blow up that facility . . . then that could be a huge international event." A similar low-profile security effort took place before the 2004 Athens Olympics. International atomic energy officials and their Greek counterparts contacted the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) for assistance. The agency enlisted New Mexico-based Sandia National Laboratories to work with Greece to help prevent the theft of radioactive devices from hospitals, including a blood irradiator and a machine for sterilizing medical supplies. The team recommended installation of motion sensors, video surveillance systems and special locks to deter thieves from making off with the radioactive sources from Greek facilities. The Olympics have been a target of terror in the past. In 1972, Palestinian terrorists scaled a two-metre fence around the Munich athletes' village before dawn, broke into an apartment housing Israeli athletes and eventually killed 11 of them. A serial bomber determined to use the Atlanta Games to embarrass the United States for legalizing abortion engineered an explosion at a crowded entertainment venue for the 1996 Olympics as television cameras rolled. One woman was killed. Ferguson said security agencies have taken steps in the past to safeguard radioactive devices before World Cup soccer matches and other international sports events. "They contact hospitals, universities in those cities to figure out where are the powerful radioactive sources," he said. "It's not that these things have a high probability of getting loose or falling into the hands of bad actors or terrorists, but they're just taking precautions. Especially for something as high-profile as the Summer Olympics." The Canadian Olympic team, composed of some 340 athletes, will join over 10,000 other competitors from more than 200 countries when the Games open in Beijing on Aug. 8. The U.S. NNSA has acknowledged initiating "a co-operative effort with Chinese authorities in support of the 2008 Beijing Olympics." Officially, however, agencies in both China and the United States are tight-lipped about the security plans due to a non-disclosure agreement between the two countries. John Broehm, a spokesman for the NNSA, was curt when asked for details of the operation. "We just don't have any information to give you. That's all I'm going to say." Officials with the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing did not respond to queries. Nuclear experts say Chinese caution - and pride - may account for the silence. "I know a number of Chinese scientists and they are very proud of their accomplishments, which are enormous," said Peter Zimmerman, a former professor of science and security at King's College in London, England. "And I think China might consider it a loss of face to admit that it had gone to another nation, another nuclear power, to do something like this. I'm sure they would have insisted upon treating it as proprietary with a news blackout." "It's still a pretty closed society," said Ferguson. "The Chinese government officials need to be educated that when reporters in the West find out about these activities, they need to be better informed. "Because otherwise people might jump to kind of a worst-case scenario."

Even this republican has learned that oil really is a finite resource, and that we need to make a bigger investment into alternative fuels. And MOST definitely putting in the infrastructure, because even with all of these potential fuels? With out the infrastructure? All of this means JACK. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=jumbo-...palm-oil-flight February 25, 2008 Jumbo Jet No Longer Biofuel Virgin after Palm Oil Fuels Flight One short hop for jet travelers, one (giant?) leap for biofuel-based jets By David Biello Virgin Atlantic became the first commercial airplane operator to fly a plane powered partially by palm tree oil this week. In a short but historic flight, one of the company's Boeing 747-400s flew more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from London Heathrow Airport to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, reaching a peak altitude of 25,000 feet (7,600 meters) during the 40-minute flight, with one of its four engines burning a blend of 20 percent coconut and babassu oils mixed with regular petroleum-based jet fuel. "This pioneering flight will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future," Sir Richard Branson, president of Virgin Atlantic, said in a statement. Unfortunately, that low-carbon fuel of the future is not likely to be the blend that performed well here. The reason: such biofuel may end up causing rather than curing climate change, according to recent studies. In addition, fuel from the world's limited supply of coconuts could drive up the price of the cooking oil as well as lead to further clearing of endangered rainforests in Southeast Asia for palm plantation expansion. And though the babassu palm grows wild in Brazil--not unlike switchgrass, a native perennial grass that might be used for ethanol in North America--there may not be enough of it to slake much of commercial aviation's thirst for fuel. Regardless, the nut-generated biodiesel did not gum up the unmodified engine (biodiesel can gel when exposed to the low temperatures found at high altitude) or impair its smooth functioning. Technicians from Virgin Atlantic, Boeing, GE Aviation (maker of the engine) and fuel provider Imperium Renewables now plan to analyze data collected during the flight to assess the engine's performance and pollution emissions. Air New Zealand will test a Boeing 747 (this one powered by Rolls-Royce engines) using biofuels in coming months--and more demonstrations may follow. The Virgin Atlantic flight "is just to prove to industry that you can make fuel that has these cold-flow properties," (does not congeal at lower temperatures), says David Daggett, Boeing's technology leader for energy and emissions. "The second [test] will be to look more at sustainability issues and second-generation feedstocks." Virgin's flight follows in the jet wash of the U.S. Air Force, Airbus and BioJet 1. Both the Air Force in December and Airbus earlier this month completed flights powered by synfuel--liquid jet fuel made from coal or natural gas. Last October, BioJet 1--a 1968 Czechoslovakian L-29 fighter jet--reached around 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) on 100 percent biodiesel during a test flight in Reno, Nev. Florida-based Green Flight International plans to fly the old jet--chosen because it has fuel-line heaters to keep the biodiesel from gelling--more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from Reno to Orlando, Fla., later this year, pending U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval. The FAA has already approved at least one biofuel--ethanol--as an alternative fuel for two types of aircraft and engines, including the Piper Pawnee powered by Lycoming IO-540 engines. At least 1,000 crop dusters in Brazil have already logged "over 650,000 hours in spray operation on 100 percent ethanol," says Max Shauck, director of the Baylor Institute for Air Science. But ethanol will not work for the larger jumbo jets in commercial aviation because it does not pack enough power per gallon. Sir Branson ultimately hopes to use algae to produce the energy-dense oil needed to fly them. The microscopic plant can produce 60 percent of its weight as oil and can be grown in dirty freshwater or even in the oceans, according to systems engineer Ron Pate at Sandia National Laboratories in White Sands, N.M., who has been analyzing its fuel power potential. As Boeing's Daggett says: "There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome, but 10 to 20 years is a reasonable time frame for production of biofuels from algae."

A more friendly Russia. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/putin-war...3467455526.html February 24, 2008 RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has described Kosovo's declaration of independence as a "terrible precedent" that will come back to hit the West "in the face". The comments came as Moscow stepped up its condemnation of Western support for Kosovo's secession from Serbia, with a Russian envoy warning NATO and the European Union that "brute force" might be used in the region. Russia has vehemently opposed independence, reflecting its historical ties with Orthodox Christian Serbia, which continues to claim Kosovo as a Serbian province. "The precedent of Kosovo is a terrible precedent, which will de facto blow apart the whole system of international relations, developed not over decades, but over centuries," Putin told a Moscow meeting of regional leaders. "They have not thought through the results of what they are doing. "At the end of the day it is a two-ended stick and the second end will come back and hit them in the face." In recent weeks Russian officials have suggested that Kosovo's declaration could boost the independence claims of separatist regions in Western Europe. Since Kosovo's ethnic-Albanian majority declared independence last Sunday, Russia has used its position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to try to get the move declared null and void. But with Western powers backing Kosovo's move, Moscow has taken to supporting Serbia with a string of verbal broadsides and veiled threats. Russia's newly appointed representative to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said support for Kosovo from the European Union or NATO would give Russia the right to use its own "brute force" in future scenarios. "If the European Union works out a common position, or if NATO breaches its mandate in Kosovo, these organisations will be in conflict with the United Nations," Mr Rogozin was quoted as saying in a video link-up from Brussels. "We too would then have to proceed from the view that in order to be respected we must use brute force, in other words armed force," Mr Rogozin said. European Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger condemned the remarks by saying that "speculation over the use of force is certainly not helpful in this situation". The Kremlin later downplayed the threat of military intervention with Putin's special representative for European affairs Sergei Yastrzhembsky, saying the Kosovo problem "could not have a military solution". Source: The Sun-Herald

It must be SELECTIVE amnesia with Barack on NAFTA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://facts.hillaryhub.com/archive/?id=6019 Associated Press: Obama said the United States should ‘pursue deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.' "Obama said the United State should continue to work with the World Trade Organization and pursue deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement." [AP, 9/8/04] Decatur Herald & Review: 'Obama said the United States benefits enormously from exports under the WTO and NAFTA.' "While some people believe NAFTA has been good for U.S. farmers, the trade results could have been better, Keyes said. NAFTA negotiators said the United States might lose manufacturing jobs but would become a service economy, but now those service jobs also are being exported, he said. Obama said the United States benefits enormously from exports under the WTO and NAFTA. He said, at the same time, there must be recognition that the global economy has shifted, and the United States is no longer the dominant economy. 'We have competition in world trade,' Obama said. 'When China devalues its currency 40 percent, we need to bring a complaint before the WTO just as other nations complain about us. If we are to be competitive over the long term, we need free trade but also fair trade." [Decatur Herald & Review, 9/9/04]

It seems even the left wing support's Barack "No matter what country that they come from". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://news.aol.com/story/_a/nicaraguan-le...214145409990047 Nicaraguan leader calls Obama's campaign 'revolutionary' AP Posted: 2008-02-14 14:54:56 MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - President Daniel Ortega, who led the 1979 revolution in Nicaragua, says Barack Obama's presidential bid is a "revolutionary" phenomenon in the United States. "It's not to say that there is already a revolution under way in the U.S. ... but yes, they are laying the foundations for a revolutionary change," the Sandinista leader said Wednesday night as he accepted an honorary doctorate from an engineering university. Ortega led a Soviet-backed government that battled U.S.-supported Contra rebels before he lost power in a 1990 election. He returned to office last year via the ballot box. In statements broadcast on Sandinista Radio La Primerisima, Ortega said he has "faith in God and in the North American people, and above all in the youth, that the moment of great change in the U.S. will come and it will act differently, with justice and equality toward all nations." Obama, a senator from Illinois, is locked in a tight battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Ortega also called Obama a spokesman for the millions of Central American and Mexican citizens who migrate to the U.S. in search of work, though polls indicate most Latino voters so far have favored Clinton over Obama. Since returning to office, Ortega has maintained diplomatic and commercial relations with the United States even as he has built alliances with anti-Washington figures such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. 02/14/08 14:51 EST

This is not even close to being over; even a bruise CAN cause life threatening problems "Poor blood circulation, skin break downs, I'm sure you get the idea". I hope the lawyer he has sues the living bleep out of "Charlette Marshall-Jones ". Apparently Discrimination is NOT limited to skin color. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/13/na...il-suspensions/ By MIKE WELLS, The Tampa Tribune Published: February 13, 2008 TAMPA - A deputy roughly dumps a man out of a wheelchair, and he tumbles to the floor. Brian Sterner lands on his ribs, then rolls over and lies on his back while Hillsborough County Detention Deputy Charlette Marshall-Jones checks his pockets before she and another deputy put him back in the chair. These moments were recorded Jan. 29 by cameras in Orient Road Jail. The video has repulsed many and resulted in the suspension of Marshall-Jones, a 44-year-old deputy with 22 years on the job, and her supervisors. Sterner, 32, can drive a car, but he hasn't been able to walk for 14 years. He said he told Marshall-Jones as much when he was booked into jail on a traffic-related charge. She didn't believe him, he said. Sheriff David Gee said he was at a loss for words after viewing the video. "This was not a training issue," Gee said late Tuesday. "It's a human decency issue. I can't imagine any explanation she might have. "It's like being a blackjack dealer in Vegas," the sheriff said of the surveillance system. "I put those cameras in there for a reason. They're to protect the deputies as much as the suspects who are brought in." Deputies arrested Sterner, 32, on a warrant from Tampa police at his home in Riverview. He posted bail and was freed Feb. 3. Gee said he was told by his staff that Marshall-Jones has a good record and there have been no similar complaints against her. The sheriff is in Jacksonville at a Florida Sheriff's Association meeting, leaving Chief Deputy Jose Docobo in command. After watching the tape Monday, Docobo ordered Marshall-Jones to be immediately suspended without pay, he said. Three of her supervisors who were visible on the tape were suspended with pay. 'Indefensible, At Every Level' "The actions are indefensible, at every level," Docobo said. "Based on what I saw, anything short of dismissal would be inappropriate." Sterner's attorney, John Trevena, said he wants Marshall-Jones charged with felony battery and wants her supervisors to be disciplined and to undergo mandatory retraining so that this kind of incident is not repeated. Gee said he spoke to Trevena early Tuesday evening and conveyed his feelings on the matter. "I'm embarrassed, professionally and personally," the sheriff said. "I can't offer an explanation." An internal affairs investigation is reviewing the actions by Marshall-Jones and the three supervisors: Cpl. Decondra Williams, 36; Cpl. Steve Dickey, 45; and Sgt. Gary Hinson, 51. Investigators had not interviewed the deputy or her supervisors, Docobo said. No reports were filed about the incident, so investigators are trying to determine what the supervisors knew, Docobo said. Each of the three appears at various times on the video, but none intervenes with Marshall-Jones. Dickey walks into the frame from the side and appears to smile as he walks away. "That none of the supervisors acted upon what they saw is of great concern," Docobo said. "This is not the norm at the sheriff's office. It's an aberration." Phone messages left for Marshall-Jones and Hinson were not immediately responded to. A number could not be found for Williams. Dickey declined to comment on the investigation when reached by telephone. He is president of the Hillsborough detention deputies' chapter of the West Florida Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents deputies. There are more than 30 other inmates in jail who use wheelchairs, and their special needs are nothing new to the department, Docobo said. The sheriff's office has a policy to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also requires "an intake nurse to assess inmates upon admission for evidence of a disability or special management need." Sterner has been without the use of his legs since a wrestling accident in 1994, he said. He has no feeling below his sternum and has partial use of his arms. Trevena says his client is classified as a quadriplegic. Sterner has been a wheelchair rugby player and has a master's degree in philosophy from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. He was director for the Florida Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center for about four years until 2006, he said. In January, he was laid off from a job selling wheelchair vans, Sterner said. Problem Started With Traffic Ticket He drives a Mini Cooper outfitted with hand controls. On Oct. 25, Tampa police ticketed him, saying he blocked an intersection, court records show. He later was charged with a third-degree felony of fleeing to elude an officer in connection with the same incident. Trevena called the felony charge questionable. "He made no attempt to evade," Trevena said. "He made one turn and stopped." On Jan. 12, Sterner was ticketed again. The citation says he was driving with a suspended license without knowledge, meaning he didn't know his license was suspended, Trevena said. He wasn't arrested at the time because the felony warrant had not been filed. A deputy arrived at his Riverview home on Jan. 29 to serve the warrant. Sterner was brought into the booking room in a wheelchair owned by the jail. Marshall-Jones ordered him to stand, Sterner said. He told her he couldn't. "She was irked that I wasn't complying to what she was telling me to do," he said. "It didn't register with her that she was asking me to do something I can't do." Sterner said he thought he had suffered two cracked ribs, but it turned out to be bruising, Trevena said. An X-ray showed no fractures. Marshall-Jones offered no apologies, Sterner said. "Not one word." He was released five days later after posting $2,000 bail, records show. Sterner said his stay was made even more humiliating when he had a bowel accident and was left to sit in his waste for three or four hours until a staff member helped him clean up. Joseph DiDomenico of Self Reliance, a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities live independently, said he was disgusted by what happened to Sterner. DiDomenico said Sterner was a client several years ago. "He could've been hurt," he said. "The longer you're a quadriplegic, the more brittle your bones become. It stunned me." Sterner will make appearances today on NBC's "Today" show, CNN and the syndicated news magazine "Inside Edition" to talk about the treatment he received, Trevena said. Trevena said the sheriff's office "seems to be headed in the right direction" by offering an apology for Marshall-Jones' actions but that his client deserves more. "When she's arrested, then I'll believe they're serious about it," he said. Reporter Mike Wells

Who knows? It may be tasty after all. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle3341789.ece February 10, 2008 Asia licks its lips over Year of the Rat Michael Sheridan, Bangkok PARTLY thanks to a Vietnamese ban on eating cats, the arrival of the Year of the Rat last week has been greeted with more than usual relish across Asia. The rat is not just an astrological symbol of the lunar new year. It is also a delicacy from China through southeast Asia to Vietnam, where the cat ban was introduced in 1998 to help control rodent numbers. Long a snack for peasants, rat has cornered a market among the sort of consumer who may also enjoy dog, fox, snake, tiger and squirrel, all of which are regularly served on Asian dining tables. For those who swear by a nice plump rodent, it can be prepared in an infinite variety of recipes. In Guangdong, a province of southern China, rat may be stir-fried with green peppers or stewed with lotus seeds. In the provincial capital, Guangzhou, local people enjoy rat hotpots in the chilly winter months and gently steamed rat with lemon in the summer. One restaurant proclaims the merits of rat as a health food, rich in vitamins and minerals. The rat’s liver, gall bladder, brain, eyes, skin and saliva were all recommended. In 2003, when the gourmets of Guangdong found that many wild animals had vanished from the menu because of fears that they harboured the respiratory disease Sars, one restaurant in the city of Zhuhai was serving more than 100 rodents a day. Last year there was a plague of rats in central China after engineers at the Three Gorges dam released water that sent some 2 billion rodents fleeing. Many ended up on the dining tables of Guangzhou, netting a tidy profit for local villagers. In Hanoi, where the winters are foggy and damp, residents favour a broth containing rat hearts and livers. In Thailand, where a substantial Sino-Thai community was also celebrating the new year, plump country rats are barbecued and sold at roadside stalls. “It’s not for me,” said Sombat Weeraworn, a Bangkok taxi driver, “I’ll stick to deep-fried beetles.”

http://www.vabf.org/links.php So it's winter, but it never hurts to learn.

It is very Brave of you IRAN to support groups who use these type of tactics. What's next? Using little babies? I'm not going to add any further comments about this post "For the simple reason that it makes my blood boil toooo much". ================================================================== http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/01/...main/index.html BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote control, a top Iraqi government official said. The bombs killed at least 98 people and wounded more than 200 at two popular pet markets on the holiest day of the week for Muslims, authorities said. In both bombings, the attackers were mentally disabled women whose explosive belts were remotely detonated, Gen. Qasim Atta, spokesman for Baghdad's security plan, told state television. An aide to Atta said that people referred to the bomber at central Baghdad's al-Ghazl market as the "crazy woman" and that the bomber at a second market had an unspecified birth disability. The nationalities and identities of the women have not been released. U.S. military officials referred to the two attacks as suicide bombings, saying both women detonated the explosive devices. The U.S. attributed the attacks to al Qaeda in Iraq and made no reference to the mental conditions of the women. "By targeting innocent Iraqis, they show their true demonic character," said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman for the Multi-National Division-Baghdad. "They care nothing for the Iraqi people; they want to subjugate them and forcefully create a greater Islamic sharia state," he said, referring to Islamic law. One bomb blew up at al-Ghazl animal market around 10:30 a.m., killing 69 and wounding more than 140. The second blast happened about a half-hour later in the New Baghdad neighborhood pet market, killing 29 people and wounding 67. Al-Ghazl pet market is a popular destination where people buy and sell cats, dogs, monkeys and other animals. Attackers have struck the market on Fridays -- its busiest day -- several times in the last year or so. A January 2007 bombing killed 15 and wounded 52 at the pet market, and 13 people died and 58 were wounded in a November attack. The violence, the bloodiest series of attacks in the capital since August, broke a brief stretch of relative calm as attacks and deaths dropped at the time of the 2007 increase in U.S. troop strength known as the surge. On Thursday, a parked car exploded in a predominantly Shiite district in the Iraqi capital, killing five civilians and wounding eight others, the Interior Ministry said. The attack occurred after a string of roadside bombings that wounded 21 people, ministry said. In one, a bomb near the deputy minister of electricity's convoy wounded at least five people. Also Thursday, a spokesman for the Polish military said Poland will withdraw its troops from Iraq by the end of October. October 31 will be the last day of the Polish presence in Iraq, Maj. Dariusz Kacperczyk said in Warsaw. New Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has promised to bring troops home from Iraq, where the country has been one of the larger contingents apart from the United States and Britain. About 900 Polish troops are in Iraq, with most in Diwaniya, some in Baghdad and others in the southern city of Kut. Twenty-two soldiers from Poland have died during the nearly 5-year war in Iraq.

No matter what politics we play against each other, We ALL best keep an eye on this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=4&storyid=8413 RUSSIA: A gas cartel similar to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could form as soon as June, Russian daily newspaper Kommersant reported. A meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum will take place in Moscow that month and could pave the way for the organisation to become a cartel, with a charter akin to that of OPEC. Among its members would be Algeria, Bolivia, Brunei, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela, if all current forum members sign up. Norway has been a keen observer of the gas forum in the past, while Turkmenistan has taken part in some meetings of the group, which was first formed in 2001. At present the forum does nothing more than act as a go between for producers, consumers, governments and others energy sector bodies. If the Iran-spearheaded change goes ahead, then it would grasp control of supply and pricing. Both the European Union and the United States will strongly oppose such a cartel, with the possibility that political repercussions could be threatened. The exact date of the June meeting has not been set, but members agreed to the month when they met in Cairo earlier this week.

I never knew that the Universities played this game. Or the better question is, am I the last one to find this out? You know, this does raise questions as to what the Universities are up to. I am starting to get very curious as to what Georgetown University is up to though, as well as others out there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.thehoya.com/comment/reply/12346 Jan 12 2007 Like Doha’s ever-expanding skyline, Georgetown’s growing campus in this tiny, wealthy oil state is still, literally and figuratively, under construction. As enrollment at the School of Foreign Service’s Qatar campus doubled to more than 40 students this year (sophomores now have a rowdy class of freshmen to pick on), administrators began drafting plans to replace its current, freakishly modern quarters with a giant Georgetown-specific building. And the Washington campus continued to ship over top faculty and staff — people like SFS dean Brendan Hill. Along with the four other American universities in Qatar, Georgetown has made a deep, ostensibly permanent, commitment to Qatar and the Middle East. Yet the main campus community’s response to its Qatari counterpart has been tepid and uncritical. I think SFS-Qatar is a good thing, an interesting and unprecedented experiment that deserves time to work itself out. And it’s full of good, caring administrators that want it to succeed. I love the place. But it’s time we started thinking about the tough questions it raises. *** How did Qatar convince Georgetown to set up a smaller version of itself nearly 7,000 miles away? Money talks. Georgetown gets paid to be there. Working through something called the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Qatar’s government is investing billions of dollars — yes, billions — in a place called Education City, the giant complex housing the emirate’s American universities. In addition to covering the entire budget for Georgetown’s Qatar operations, the Qatar Foundation gave the main campus more than $1 million extra last year, a number expected to rise annually, and it’s paying to build Georgetown’s new Doha building. SFS Dean Robert Gallucci told me last fall that the cash is compensation for the human cost the main campus incurs (losing top professors to Doha, and all the time D.C.-based administrators spend on the phone, for instance). But it begs the question: Are we OK with being bribed? And if we are, are there better ways Georgetown could use its money in Qatar? Disturbingly, the Qatar Foundation won’t release its annual budget, nor will it reveal the details of its agreements with American universities (neither will Georgetown). But unlike the main campus, SFS-Qatar seems to have a lot of money. And it sometimes uses it in, well, interesting ways. For instance, it recently spent thousands of dollars flying out some main campus students helping out with a Model United Nations conference to Doha. SFS-Q housed them in a five-star hotel and let them pig out on all the room service they wanted (in the interest of full disclosure, I was one of those students). And the cost of the annual Model United Nations conference, for which SFS-Q is subsidizing the expenses of elite high schools throughout the Middle East? Administrators declined to comment on the record, but a conference I attended last year included free hotel rooms and ornate dinners. Thousands and thousands of dollars. *** Here are more questions: Is SFS-Q only a thin reflection of Georgetown? If so, can we fix that? Although administrators are trying hard, students at SFS-Q have an extremely limited schedule of classes with little access to provocative electives taken for granted on the main campus. And in a country where homosexuality is illegal, there is no Qatar version of GU Pride, nor is there likely ever to be. There is no Georgetown-Israel Alliance, no Corp, no Saxatones. The Hoya barely ever shows up, and the SFS-Q newspaper, The DoHoya, has basically died. Several students visited the main campus last year, but now SFS-Q has inexplicably slashed its budget to fly students to the mother campus. In short, there are a lot of things missing from the Qatar experience. There always will be, and the students know it. Many classes are the same as in Washington, but it’s not the same education, no matter what administrators say. On a satellite campus thousands of miles away, however, there’s just no easy way to fix this. There are other giant elephants administrators must see but haven’t publicly confronted. SFS-Q is theoretically open to anyone, but in practice mostly elites make it to Education City, and about 10 percent of SFS-Q is made up of members of Qatar’s ruling family. Yet most of Qatar is filled with desperately poor laborers who are often treated poorly and will never have the chance to go to college. And while Qatar’s current emir has gradually liberalized the country’s laws, opened Qatar to investment and seems like a good guy, he took power in a coup and is far from a democrat. Amnesty International says 39 political prisoners remain jailed in the tiny emirate. The country sponsors women’s conferences, but the constitution says women can’t accede to the throne. Two final questions: Is Georgetown talking to Qatar about all this? Does it have a responsibility to do so? *** SFS-Qatar is a grand experiment and nobody really knows where it is headed. While there are many unanswered questions — some quite troubling — the campus also has great potential and we should be proud of it. We should want it to succeed. I know I do. It could one day be our window to the real Middle East and Qatar’s window into American culture and thought. Maybe it can even change attitudes there and simultaneously change the way we think. The hard work Georgetown administrators have put into SFS-Q is impressive and the attitude of Doha’s Hoyas even more so. Despite all the challenges, they want to feel like they’re a part of Georgetown and they ought to feel that way. But first, you have some questions to ask. And Georgetown has a duty to answer. Moises D. Mendoza is a senior in the School of Foreign Service and is a former editor in chief of The Hoya. Days On The Hilltop will appear every Tuesday.

That's it, the Latino Community has spoken. McCain I'm Latino, and I'm with you.

You got to love the internet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://meo.tv/english/?id=23581 On the way south, Gathafi visited Cordoba and Granada Gathafi makes unexpected trip to Malaga Libyan leader quits five-star hotel in southern Spain, heads to port city. MADRID - Libyan leader Moamer Gathafi and his entourage quit Sunday a five-star hotel in southern Spain a day earlier than expected and headed to the port city of Malaga, a source close to his delegation said. Wearing sunglasses and wrapped up in a scarf, Gathafi, who is due in the Spanish capital on Monday for the start of his official visit, left the Hacienda La Boticaria in one of about 30 official vehicles. His convoy swept out of the exclusive countryside hotel and headed for Malaga, a port near the touristy Mediterranean strip in southern Spain known as the Costa del Sol. The source close to his delegation said the Libyan leader was now expected to spend the night in Malaga. On the way south, he visited Cordoba and Granada, which were centres of power during the centuries of Moorish Muslim domination from 711 to 1492, the source added. He also stopped along the way to talk with local farmers: about the Arabic language origins of Spanish towns such as Guadalajara - from the Arabic Wadi Al-Ljara or Valley of Stones - or about the European Union. Later, he went for a walk in the streets of Malaga, posing for pictures with passers-by and even accepting some Christmas gifts. Another source close to the Libyan delegation said Gathafi intended to travel to Madrid Monday by car for the start of the official part of his Spanish visit, rather than fly. He is scheduled to meet Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Monday and King Juan Carlos on Tuesday, a government source said. Spain and Libya are to sign a political cooperation agreement and a deal on investments while several contracts are being negotiated between companies from both countries, a diplomatic source said. Gathafi's visit to Spain follows a five-day stay in France, during which the Libyan leader signed contracts that Paris said were potentially worth 10 billion euros (14.7 billion dollars) for French firms. Late Saturday, Gathafi dined with Spain's former conservative prime minister Jose Maria Aznar and his wife Ana Botella. In September 2003, Aznar became the first western leader to visit Libya shortly after the United Nations lifted sanctions imposed against Tripoli.

To the democrats; You created Chavez, you get to clean up your OWN MESS. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080...NYT02/801230756 Rise of Chávez Sends Venezuelans to Florida KIRK SEMPLE WESTON, Fla. — In December 2002, Ariel Dunaevschi, then the owner of a furniture business in Caracas, Venezuela, was on vacation in New York with his family when opponents of President Hugo Chávez called a crippling labor strike hoping to bring the government to its knees. As the protest wore on, paralyzing the country’s oil industry and devastating the economy, the Dunaevschis saw a very uncertain future for Venezuela and arrived at a painful decision: they would be better off staying in the United States. They flew to Florida and rented a house here in Weston, a suburb west of Fort Lauderdale that has become so popular with Venezuelan immigrants, it is known as Westonzuela. “I had a business in Venezuela, I had shops in Caracas, everything was working perfectly,” Mr. Dunaevschi, 39, said. “I left everything.” He added, “I began here from zero.” The Dunaevschis are part of a wave of Venezuelans, mostly from the middle and upper classes, who have fled to the United States as Mr. Chávez has tightened his grip on the country’s political institutions, imposing his socialist vision and threatening to assert greater state control over many parts of the economy. While many have been able to establish legal residency and obtain a green card, either through business or marriage, others have remained here illegally. The surge is an example of how the political and social realities of Latin America are immediately reflected on the streets of South Florida, a dynamic that has come to define this region in the past half century. Many Venezuelans have been able to transfer some of their wealth as they have settled in America. For two years, Mr. Dunaevschi flew to Caracas every few months carrying empty suitcases, which he filled with the family’s essential belongings and carted back to Miami. In Caracas, he laid off the family’s employees, sold his cars, furniture and properties and eventually closed his business. Meanwhile, in Miami, he opened a new furniture company and settled into his new American life. According to census data, the Venezuelan community in the United States has grown more than 94 percent this decade, from 91,507 in 2000, the year after Mr. Chávez took office, to 177,866 in 2006. Much of that rise has occurred in South Florida, making the Venezuelan community one of the fastest growing Latino subpopulations in the region this decade. In many ways, the Venezuelan influx is reminiscent of the Cuban migration spurred by Fidel Castro’s overthrow of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and his imposition of a socialist state. Manuel Corao, director of one of several Venezuelan newspapers published in South Florida, said the main reason for the migration was a fear that Mr. Chávez would significantly alter the quality of life for the middle and upper classes. “The principle reason is fear of change of daily life, the loss of private property, loss of independence from the government, fear of the loss of constitutional rights and individual liberties,” said Mr. Corao, who relocated permanently from Venezuela in 1996 and runs Venezuela al Dia, a thrice-monthly tabloid with offices in Doral, a Miami suburb where Venezuelans have settled. Like many of the Cubans who came to South Florida in the early Castro years, most Venezuelans who arrived during the first few years of the Chávez administration probably did not expect to stay long. “They didn’t think Chávez would last long, so a lot of Venezuelans are moving their families nearby, and the nearest place in the states is Miami,” said Thomas D. Boswell, professor of geography at the University of Miami. Sinking their roots into the South Florida soil, Venezuelans have shifted their money into American banks, married and divorced, opened businesses, become active in local politics, and seen their children graduate from American schools. Mr. Dunaevschi’s decision to keep his family in the United States was made easier because his wife, from whom he is getting divorced, was an American citizen. “I could work,” he said. “But for a lot of people without papers, it’s more complicated.” Like many Venezuelans who have recently come to South Florida, Mr. Dunaevschi underwent a significant change in his standard of living. Faced with a much higher cost of living, he abandoned some of the luxuries he enjoyed in Venezuela, like a domestic staff and chauffeur. “Life was very good there,” he said. But like many Venezuelans here, he cannot imagine returning as long as Mr. Chávez is in power, a sentiment that echoes the resolve of many Cuban exiles not to return to Cuba until Mr. Castro dies. “I won’t consider it, as long as there’s that guy there,” Mr. Dunaevschi said. Even the defeat of Mr. Chávez’s constitutional overhaul in December, which would have allowed him to remain in office indefinitely, did not seem to offer the deeply cynical exile community much new hope. In the meantime, Venezuelan exiles go on with their new lives here. There are now at least five newspapers and magazines that feature news about Venezuela and the Venezuelan community in South Florida. Venezuelans have started restaurants and bakeries, business groups, political organizations working on both American and Venezuelan issues, and even a medical center for low-income Venezuelans. “We untied the boat in Venezuela and now we’re here,” said Ernesto Ackerman, who runs a medical supplies business in Miami. “We’ve tied knots in this port.” Mr. Ackerman is also president of Independent Venezuelan-American Citizens, a group that is trying to encourage Venezuelan participation in local politics. He and other community leaders say they are inspired by the example of the Cubans, who have come to dominate South Florida politics, but they acknowledge that the Venezuelans are still in their political infancy here. Venezuelans are outnumbered in South Florida by Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Mexicans, Nicaraguans and Dominicans, according to data from the 2006 census, but Venezuelan leaders here believe their population may have vaulted to fourth place on that list, upwards of 100,000, taking into account those who have overstayed tourist visas. The growing Venezuelan population has been a windfall for Miami banks, as many Venezuelans bring their money here. Ken Thomas, a banking analyst in Miami, said the amount of that capital flight was unclear, although he said it was “clearly in the billions.” “One of the interesting things about South Florida is that when Latin America is doing well, we do well,” said Israel Kreps, who handles public relations for Mercantil Commercebank, a Venezuelan-owned bank based in Coral Gables. “When Latin American is doing badly, we do well.” For many Venezuelans, the move has come at an emotional price. In return for the relative political and economic security of the United States, they have suffered the cultural dislocation and homesickness familiar to immigrants everywhere. One place they have sought camaraderie is El Arepa zo, a small cafeteria-style Venezuelan restaurant attached to a Citgo gas station in Doral. “It’s become a place of celebrations and protests,” said Carlos Nuñez, 46, a Venezuelan who moved to Miami in 2000 and now owns a company that sells heavy construction machinery. “We celebrate the failures of Chávez and bemoan the successes of Chávez.” On a recent Thursday night, several dozen people — mainly men, mainly Venezuelans — had gathered at El Arepazo for a weekly dominos session. The matches were lively, the players raucous. They heckled each other and the news broadcasts on El Arepazo’s seven television screens, which were showing Venezuelan soap operas and news footage of Mr. Chávez celebrating with two Colombian women, whose release from Colombian rebels he had negotiated. Daniel Garcia, 34, an events promoter in Miami, stood off to one side watching the games. Mr. Garcia moved to Miami from Venezuela in 1996 to take a summer job distributing a friend’s entertainment magazine. But he ended up staying longer than he expected, and once Mr. Chávez came to power in 1998, he decided to make his relocation permanent. “There was no question I wasn’t going back,” he said. “No way.” Mr. Garcia is now married and has a child. He said places like El Arepazo kept him and other Venezuelans connected and helped numb the longing for home. “For a while you may forget about Chávez, forget about Miami, you’re drinking your beer, you’re insulting everybody, you’re having fun,” he said. “It’s a way to forget about everything.” Last modified: January 23. 2008 5:01AM

Just maybe Argentina should reconsider its position? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/2...shsuitcase.html By Anthony McCartney ASSOCIATED PRESS 9:33 a.m. January 25, 2008 MIAMI – A Venezuelan man pleaded guilty Friday in a scheme to cover up the source of $800,000 in a suitcase seized in Argentina, where it was allegedly sent by Venezuelans as a donation to Cristina Fernandez's presidential campaign. Moises Maionica, 36, admitted to acting as an unregistered foreign government agent in the U.S. He could be sentenced to up to 15 years for this and a related conspiracy count, but is cooperating with prosecutors and thus could get a reduced sentence. U.S. officials said Maionica and four others tried to hide the Venezuelan source of the cash, which was carried into Argentina in August by dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen Guido Antonini Wilson, now wanted by Argentina on money laundering charges. Instead of sending Antonini Wilson back to Argentina, U.S. investigators wired him with a recording device in Florida and gathered evidence against the alleged Venezuelan agents who pressured him to conceal the money's source, according to court documents. Antonini was apparently a last-minute passenger on a plane chartered by Venezuelan oil officials and was asked by one of them to carry the cash-laden suitcase through customs in Buenos Aires, prosecutors said in court Friday. Maionica admitted arranging calls between Antonini and a senior official in Venezuela's intelligence agency, which the FBI said it recorded. He also acknowledged that he met with Antonini and the other suspected agents: Venezuelans Carlos Kauffmann, 35, Franklin Duran, 40, and Uruguayan Rodolfo Wanseele, 40. All have pleaded not guilty and face up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines if convicted at trial, now set for March. Another Venezuelan charged in the case, Antonio Jose Canchica Gomez, has not been found. Maionica's sentencing is scheduled for April 4. According to the FBI, it was Duran who was recorded telling Antonini the money was for the campaign of Fernandez, who was later elected despite the scandal. The governments of Argentina and Venezuela have bitterly denounced the U.S. investigation as politically motivated, which the Bush administration has denied. Ruben Oliva, Maionica's attorney, said his client had been in the U.S. getting ready to take a cruise, and got involved in the scheme after he received a call from a high-ranking Venezuelan official asking him to help Antonini Wilson. Maionica, an attorney in Venezuela, did not know he needed to register with the U.S., Oliva said, but ignorance of the law is not a defense. He entered his plea and politely answered questions from U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard in Spanish, his hands clasped behind his back. More information about Maionica's involvement will be introduced before his sentencing, Oliva said. Duran and Kauffmann are business and social acquaintances of Antonini. They are also shareholders in the Venezuelan petrochemical company Venoco and have economic ties to the Venezuelan state oil company that finances the government of President Hugo Chavez. Duran owns a waterfront mansion on the Miami suburb island of Key Biscayne.