Human

At least we all know now how cyber monday got started. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.dailypress.com/features/dp-life...0,3769148.story Cyber Monday is a myth Cube rats used to shop online soon after Thanksgiving. Now, they procrastinate. By Adam Tschorn / | Los Angeles Times November 26, 2007 According to retail lore, Black Friday — the biggest or second-biggest brick-and-mortar shopping day of the year — is followed three days later by "Cyber Monday." That's the day the nation's cubicle dwellers emerge from their collective turkey comas and buy enough L.L. Bean socks, Harry Potter books and robotic vacuum cleaners to make it the busiest on line shopping day of the year. Only it's not. According to comScore, a company that tracks online spending in the United States, the 2006 holiday season honors went to Dec. 13, which generated $667 million. The Monday after Thanksgiving saw $607.6 million in e-commerce. The year before, Dec. 12, a Monday, topped the list with $556 million. So how did the 12th-busiest day of the holiday season get singled out as something special? The credit goes to Ellen Davis , senior director of strategic communications for the National Retail Federation, who coined the term "Cyber Monday" two years ago after retailers mentioned a recurring spike in online sales the Monday after Thanksgiving. "We thought about calling it 'Black Monday,'" she said, "but that's also the term for the big stock market crash, so we didn't want to go there. We considered 'Blue Monday' — because of the color of hyperlinks — but that had the connotation of being sad or depressed." Davis said that although the "cyber" prefix may seem outdated, "it does give you a pretty good idea of what it is." She said the term was intended to signal the start of the online shopping season, with online retailers offering discounts and deals (similar to Black Friday's door-busters) and does not necessarily refer to the busiest single day for e- commerce. Nonetheless, the term took on a life of its own, spreading faster than a chain e-mail promising a free laptop from Bill Gates. Enjoying the celebri-day status, the federation launched cybermonday.com last year, as a clearinghouse for deals and specials offered by 500 members of its shop.org association of online retailers. So what about this season's busiest day for e-commerce? Forecasts center on two possible Mondays. With the caveat that he isn't issuing an official forecast, comScore senior analyst Andrew Lipsman said Dec. 17 seemed like a logical choice. "It's usually a Monday or a Tuesday at least a week before Christmas, though with the holiday on a Tuesday it might push it back an additional week." That would make it Dec. 10. That's the date Dariana Lau, spokeswoman for a cluster of online companies including eBay, PayPal and shopping.com, has circled on her calendar. "The second Monday of December was our busiest day last year, and we expect it to be this year, too. I know it sounds cheesy to go with the color thing, but around here we call it 'Green Monday.'" And don't put the crayon box away just yet. Matt Tatham , a spokesman for Hitwise, a company that tracks 100 of the largest online retailers, says there's another trend that has emerged over the past few holiday seasons: the greatest amount of online traffic (searching and visiting, although not necessarily buying) happening on Turkey Day itself. "After the tryptophan wears off, we've seen that people are going online and planning their strategies for the brick-and-mortar stores," Tatham said. "Then they go out and shop the deals Friday and the weekend." Tatham cited a Hitwise study that found savvy consumers — and retailers — have started leveraging the term Black Friday, with searches on "Black Friday ads" up 91 percent compared with last year. Which could only mean one thing: Brown Thursday.

Because of your politics "Democrats"; Latin America is going NUCLEAR "REAL BRIGHT". One of the strongest allies that the United States has is COLOMBIA, and you DEMOCRATS ARE PLAYING with them????????????? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2007-09-24-uribe_N.htm By David J. Lynch, USA TODAY BOGOTA, Colombia — With a controversial trade deal with the U.S. at risk, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Monday rejected charges from congressional Democrats that his government has done too little to combat routine killings of union leaders. "The murder rate for this specific group is far below the murder rate for the average (person) in Colombia," Uribe insisted in an interview with USA TODAY. Uribe said killings of trade unionists have fallen from 65 last year to just 23 so far this year, part of a broader decline in violence since he took office in 2002. According to detailed figures Uribe cited, the murder rate for unionists is roughly one-seventh that of the rest of the population. Congressional Democrats sharply dispute Uribe's accounting and are delaying consideration of a trade deal with Colombia while they demand more aggressive efforts to prosecute paramilitaries believed responsible for the killings. "It is difficult to contemplate a trade deal with Colombia given its continuing record of violence against labor leaders," wrote six Democratic senators in a Sept. 20 letter to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. The senators complained that there have been only two convictions in 236 murders of unionists over the past three years. Two-way trade between the United States and Colombia was a relatively modest $16 billion in 2006. But the pending treaty is seen as significant because Colombia is the USA's closest ally in Latin America and its drug cartels provide much of the heroin and cocaine sold on U.S. streets. This decade, the U.S. has spent more than $5 billion helping Colombia battle drug traffickers. Colombia has been embroiled in a multisided civil conflict for more than four decades, involving left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries with government links, and drug traffickers. In the late 1990s, the annual death toll was an estimated 35,000. Last year, the government says, 17,000 people died. Since Uribe took office in 2002, the number of murders, kidnappings and urban attacks has declined sharply and the economy is enjoying its eighth-consecutive year of expansion. Still, the threat of violence for union leaders, politicians, journalists and judges remains real. Uribe says his government is making extraordinary efforts to protect those at risk, including unionists. Colombia spends $39 million to help guard around 6,000 individuals, including 1,200 union leaders, Uribe says. "We have recovered the safety for them," he said of union officials. The Colombia trade deal is one of three agreements with Latin nations that await congressional approval. Congress is expected to act on a deal with Peru next month. According to customary procedures, the Colombia agreement should come up next. But opposition from congressional leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, means it likely will remain stalled, perhaps until after the 2008 election. Uribe warned that an indefinite delay would imperil all that has been accomplished in recent years. "Delay is as bad as disapproval," he said, saying that it would discourage the investment Colombia needs to cement recent economic gains. "What I ask from the U.S. Congress, we accept whatever we have to do in addition to what we have done," he said. "But, please, recognize what we have done."

Hey!!! to the Democrats, you wanted power back no matter what. YOUR SIDE "Democrats" in achieving POWER NO MATTER WHAT? HAS MADE THE WORLD WAY MORE DANGEROUS THAN MY GROUP "Republicans" COULD EVER HAVE. I would laugh, but none of this is funny, and I owe that democrat in congress who told me “That his group CAN make the general public believe anything that they want them to”. I OWE HIM A DINNER. <I really wished to God that he was wrong, and it breaks my heart to know that he was RIGHT. There are some political lessons that are very hard to swallow. LIVE AND LEARN HUH? WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/I...how/2547767.cms CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pursued an ambitious diplomatic mission Saturday aimed at persuading OPEC nations to maintain oil prices at their current level, defending Iran's nuclear program, and stepping up efforts to get Colombian rebels to release hostages. Chavez wants the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries summit in Saudi Arabia this week to take on a stronger "political and geopolitical" role and return to its stance of the 1970s when it tightened the screws on consumer nations. Chavez believes that oil should be priced between 80 and 100 dollars a barrel, and that OPEC must find a way to compensate the world's poorest countries for the high prices. The Venezuelan leader also wants OPEC to consider distributing its windfall profits by subsidizing oil and gas products in the Caribbean and Latin America. Chavez has proposed a "protection formula" so that soaring oil prices "do not become a destructive bomb on the Third World economies." However he also believes wealthy consumer countries should pay high prices for oil in order to prevent hydrocarbon waste. From the summit Chavez will head to his fourth visit to Tehran on November 19, for a meeting with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, with which Venezuela has signed eight billion dollars' worth of accords, mostly in the oil and gas sectors. Venezuelan-Iranian ties are strengthening at a time when the West favors a third series of sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program. Chavez has defended Iran's right to nuclear energy, and has offered his services as a mediator to talk with the United States and its allies - though nobody has asked him to act yet. In a recent interview with French television, Chavez announced that, just like Iran, "Venezuela will also begin to develop nuclear energy with peaceful purposes, just like Brazil is doing, just like Argentina is doing."

There are some things out there; I just shake my head in disbelief. This will also give RIAA more than a few headaches. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/213053.html WASHINGTON — With time running out, the tiny Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda holds the cards in a dispute over Internet gambling that could ultimately cost the United States billions of dollars. If arbitration efforts fail, Antigua and other aggrieved parties, including the European Union, could begin exacting sanctions as early as next month over the U.S. decision to withdraw from a World Trade Organization accord recognizing the legality of Internet gambling. Antigua is seeking sanctions worth $3.4 billion, and has suggested it might claim that sum by becoming a harbor for pirated intellectual property such as movies and musical recordings. Total sanctions claimed by the EU, India and other countries approach $100 billion, although the United States, in negotiations, contends that appropriate levels of compensation would be far less. Eight House Democrats, including Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers and Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, this week wrote U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab expressing surprise that her agency had moved on the issue without consulting with Congress on possible solutions. The lawmakers said they viewed the administration action “as a drastic step which could have significant consequences for the entire WTO system.” Antigua in 2003 initiated WTO dispute proceedings against U.S. federal and state laws barring foreign participation in U.S. Internet gambling markets. The WTO, in rulings in 2004 and 2005, found that the United States had violated its 1994 General Agreement on Trade in Services, or GATS, which the WTO says allows Internet gambling. The USTR responded last May by asserting that U.S. laws banning interstate gambling have been in place for decades. When GATS was being negotiated, said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John K. Veroneau, “no WTO member could have reasonably thought that the United States was agreeing to commitments in direct conflict with its own laws.” The United States, he said in his May statement, had decided “to exclude gambling from the scope of the U.S. commitments under the GATS.” That “is regarded by many as a cynical manipulation of the system — you lose the game, so you try and change the rules,” WTO arbitration expert Joseph Weiler, a professor at the NYU School of Law, told Conyers’ committee last week. “It also charts a way and creates a political precedent which might harm U.S. interests when other countries emulate such behavior,” said Weiler, who said he had been retained by several law firms with clients indicted or threatened under U.S. law for offering betting services from outside the United States. Specifically, former USTR director of policy planning Naotaka Matsukata told the same committee, China and Russia would welcome a means of reducing its commitments re- quired as part of accession to the WTO. “A global trading order doesn’t fall all at once, but one rule at a time,” he said. John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, said some $80 billion to $100 billion is wagered online around the world every year, with providers taking in from $15 billion to $20 billion in revenues. He said some 10 million Americans played Internet poker for cash in the past year. The issue, Matsukata said in an interview, is not one of legality but of discrimination against foreign providers such as Antigua and, to a far larger scale, the EU. He noted that negotiations are now under way, with the WTO set to make a decision on the Antigua case at the end of this month and a mid-December deadline for others. While Antigua is asking for $3.4 billion in compensation, the United States has offered about $500,000, he said.

I might have to try this out myself. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lif...,1,480970.story Is black the new black? Ebony-colored foods may be next health trend By Janet Helm | Special to the Tribune October 24, 2007 Black dominates the decorations and costumes of Halloween, but you may want to add black to your plate. Black-colored foods are a signal of health in some parts of the world, and it may be the next big nutrition trend in this country. The black food craze is red-hot in Asia, particularly Japan, and it may be poised to jump West, according to Simone Baroke, health and wellness analyst for Euromonitor International, a global market research firm. Paul Yamaguchi, a New York-based analyst of the functional-foods market in Japan, said that black foods have always played a prominent role in Japanese cuisine, but now they've reached new heights due to the health claims made by these products. "Black foods have been eaten for hundreds of years in Japan for their rich taste, but now people are buying them for their nutritional value," he said. The black-food fervor in Japan started a few years ago when a company called House Foods introduced a cocoa drink spiked with black soybeans. The trend was fueled further when a black-soybean tea was granted FOSHU status (foods for specified health use), the Japanese equivalent of a U.S. FDA health claim. Black ingredients are now added to all types of beverages in Japan, including black vinegar drinks that are being promoted as a tonic to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Other popular black items include black rice, black sesame biscuits and cereal, black soy milk and black soybean coffee. Even U.S. companies have jumped on the black foods bandwagon in Japan. You can buy a black sesame seed cereal made by Kellogg's and get a scoop of black Haagen-Dazs ice cream made with black sesame seeds. Science backs up the black In traditional Chinese medicine, colors in food are linked to specific organs of the body, and black foods are believed to help the kidneys, said Yao-wen Huang, a professor of food science and technology at the University of Georgia who has conducted research on black foods. So is it true that black foods are really good for you? The answer is, well, not so black and white. In Asia, the medicinal claims may get a bit exaggerated. But most black foods do live up to their healthful reputation, studies have shown. Often foods are black -- or deeply hued -- because of natural plant pigments called anthocyanins that do much more than provide the color. Derived from the Greek words for "plant" and "blue," anthocyanins are what make blueberries blue, cherries red and blackberries black (or almost black). Typically the darker the color, the more anthocyanins are inside. Studies suggest these powerful antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties and may offer protection against heart disease and cancer. Monica Giusti, assistant professor of food science at Ohio State University, recently found that anthocyanins from blue corn helped slow the growth of human colon cancer cells. In previous laboratory studies, Giusti and colleagues found that black carrots slowed the growth of cancer cells by up to 80 percent, and black raspberries helped reduce the growth of esophageal and colon cancer tumors. Eating black Even though the black-food fervor hasn't fully arrived in the U.S., ebony-colored items are beginning to creep onto restaurant menus. In Chicago, you can find miso black cod with black forbidden rice on the menu at Sola. At The Gage, chef Dirk Flanigan adds black sesame seeds to a tiered beet and goat cheese salad. And at the May Street Market, chef/owner Alexander Cheswick serves up black lentils and sauteed black kale to accompany pork. "There's something sexy about black for food," said Cheswick, who likes the bold contrast of black foods on white plates. In honor of Halloween, we've assembled some wickedly black foods worth checking out: *Black beans: These dark, dense beans contain more antioxidants (including anthocyanins) than any other bean. No surprise, white beans contain the least amount. Add them to chili, soups and salads. *Black rice: This whole-grain rice contains more fiber and nutrients compared to white rice. Some varieties look purple when cooked. *Black soybeans: High in protein, fiber and anthocyanins, black soybeans may be better at lowering cholesterol levels than yellow soybeans, according to Japanese researchers. *Black vinegar: Available in Asian markets, this dark vinegar is typically made from brown rice. It's similar to balsamic, but the aging gives it a woodsy and smoky flavor. *Blackberries: These deeply hued berries are higher in antioxidants than any other fruit. *Nigella seeds: Staples in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, these tiny jet-black seeds have a nutty, peppery flavor. Also called black onion seeds, they're used as a seasoning for vegetables, beans and bread (including naan). They can be found at ethnic markets and the Spice House. *Black mushrooms: Aromatic and rich in flavor, black mushrooms include shiitake, wood ear and black trumpet. Dried versions are easily found in Asian markets. -----------

It does make you wonder how other foods have changed. For me? I always make my lunch or whatever at home, and then take it with me "It's alot healthier". Don't get me wrong, I break down like everyone else, and I will get Chinese fried rice, and I might go to subway once in a blue moon "Just wayyyyyy tooo much bread, but I do get them to put on the toppings like they are going out of season". I'm a New Yorker, and I'm use to REALLY BIG SUBS "Ya know, the kind where they stack it to such a point? That a footlong is for two people easily". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2208745,00.html Piling on the pounds? Blame 'calorie creep' · Changes identified in recipes of leading brands · Even so-called healthy options are not immune Fran Abrams Saturday November 10, 2007 The Guardian Fast food, fizzy drinks and larger portion sizes have all been blamed for rising levels of obesity. But figures obtained by the Guardian suggest changes to the recipes of many of our favourite foods could be to blame. Of a dozen leading brands for which we were able to compare nutritional information from a decade or more ago with today, nine showed an increase in calories, sugar or saturated fat. Kellogg's Rice Krispies contain 36 more calories per 100g than in 1983 - an increase of about 10% - while Kraft Dairylea Triangles contain 15 more calories per 100g than in 2001, a 7% rise. While cheese used to be their main ingredient, followed by skimmed milk, whey and butter, it now comes third and accounts for just 16%. Häagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate ice-cream - always marketed as a dangerous pleasure - contains 16% more calories than in 1994, and 26% more fat. Even products marketed as healthy options are not immune to this "calorie creep". Jordans Original Crunchy bars have 16% more calories than in 1986, and more fat. Experts said the findings, derived from a comparison of current labels with old ones stored in museum archives, fitted a pattern whereby manufacturers remove salt and some types of fat from food for health reasons, only to replace them with sugar and more fat. "Reducing salt is an excellent measure, but as a result companies are faced with bland processed food," said Tim Lobstein, the former director of the Food Commission who now heads the child obesity programme at the International Association for the Study of Obesity. "The cheap way of flavouring it up is to sugar it. Fat can also help because it helps your tongue notice the flavours - that's why you butter bread," he said. A Kraft spokeswoman confirmed this is what had happened in the case of the cheese triangles. "We are trying to balance what consumers say they want in terms of the taste they enjoy, while trying to reduce the salt. But instead there's more butter, so that led to a modest increase in the calorie level," she said. The triangles today have more calcium and added vitamin D, as well as a third less salt. McVitie's Classic Rich Tea biscuits contain 6% more saturated fat than they did in the mid-1990s - but the company insists this is a change for the better. "Following consumer demand we moved from animal to vegetable oil, and later from hydrogenated vegetable oil to palm oil. I think the palm oil must have a higher amount of saturated fat," a spokeswoman said. Ingredient labelling became the norm in the late 1970s and nutrition labelling in the mid-1990s, but sometimes the limited information stored in the archives of the Museum of London and Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising makes it difficult or impossible to tell what has changed. Kellogg's did not give any details of salt, sugar or fat on its early labels, but since a 100g helping of Rice Krispies today contains only 1g of fat, it seems likely that sugar accounts for the 10% increase in calories. Glucose-fructose syrup has been added as an extra ingredient since the 1980s. Paxo used to give the nutritional value of its sage and onion stuffing according to its dry weight - which meant there were 360 calories in each 100g. But now it gives the quantities in the cooked product, which has significantly more. The company said the cooking process increases the calories, so for years it gave the public nutritional information on a product they were never likely to eat. Sainsbury's said that improved testing was the reason the amount of sugar in its sliced bread appeared to have increased by 400% in the past decade, to 4g in each 100g. "The sugar content hasn't changed. The sugar that's found as a part of the carbohydrate in the flour can be better identified now," a spokeswoman said. Other companies also cited more rigorous and sophisticated tests as the reason for discrepancies. But Professor Erik Millstone, of the science and technology policy research unit at Sussex University, an expert on food additives, criticised the supermarkets and others for selecting information to make foods look healthier. Sainsbury's Gravy Granules, for example, were listed in 1982 as containing a colour, E150. Today the same additive is listed as caramel. "People will look at this and say it hasn't got any E numbers in it," he said. "It's often misleading to give the chemical names without giving the E numbers as well. "For me, the form in which nutritional information is presented is singularly unhelpful. I don't actually know how many grams of gravy I eat. If you want to make sense of food labels you have to have a lot of patience, a lot of time and you have to never eat anything outside the home." Not all the foods examined have changed for the worse. Twiglets have barely altered, while Heinz baked beans, advertised even in 1983 as being free from artificial flavours and preservatives, now contain less sugar, fat and salt. Cadbury's Flake contains less milk and more cocoa than it did in 1983 - the bars are now 25% cocoa and 14% milk solids, while they used to contain 20% of each. Sun-Pat Crunchy peanut butter contains fewer calories and less sugar, though the proportion of saturated fats declared on its label has grown. But does the increased calorific value of so many shopping trolley staples help explain our thickening waists? In 1997 fewer than 10% of British primary schoolchildren were obese. Now the figure is nearly 17%. And figures from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation show a striking rise in our calorie intake, to almost 3,500 a day - which means that unless we are exercising more, we should on average be putting on 7kg a year. Dr Lobstein said the biggest problem remains the fact that we are eating more than we used to. "If you buy a cookie on a station, it's four inches across. Compare that with the biscuits your granny used to eat. Companies are selling to our eyes rather than to our health needs. And it's only if you read the small print that you can tell what's going on."

Good idea ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.deltadentalwa.com/WDSFoundation...ion_SmileMobile The SmileMobile, a modern dental office on wheels, brings oral health services year-round to children from limited-income families who would not otherwise have access to much needed dentistry. The 40-foot-long, brightly colored mobile clinic is supported by teams of volunteer dental professionals from each community it visits. Services range from examinations and preventive care to fillings and minor oral surgery - all provided at little or no cost to patients. The SmileMobile, which began operating in 1995, is a partnership between Washington Dental Service, Washington Dental Service Foundation and the Washington State Dental Association. Since it first hit the road, the mobile clinic has treated more than 15,000 children throughout the state.

Thank You Luke for snapping me back into reality. You are right, I became that which I loathed the most "A Politician". To those who wish to play politics with me? I don't have a problem with it, BUT REMEMBER THIS, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT? This IS WASHINGTON D.C. and you really never know with whom you are typing too ESPECIALLY in this town. For this town is not just about Local politics, but it's also National politics, and International Politics. All of you know, Or at least the regulars here know that I AM REPUBLICAN. In this coming election I will Vote Republican, because I've seen first hand the results of the Clintons As well as the Democrats games of politics. <Just read my posts on Latin America and you will get to understand it.> Blingbling, as a Latino myself; You know that I will be always pushing for my group Latinos/Hispanics. But understand this with me, When you play politics with me? IT'S FOR REAL. Blingbling you ACTUALLY encouraged me to grab one of the shinning stars of the democrats party and TURN him for Illegal Immigration Reform, and now I have a very nice list of Leaders with in the African American Community who I CAN PUSH the Latino/Hispanic agenda with. "Thanks" Nelson, NEVER CALL ME A LIAR, I WILL USE YOUR POST AGAINST MARK WARNER. "Again Thank You very much". The Democrats ARE HAPPY because they got the Latino vote back. That's Politics. <Some Times I just CAN'T WIN THEM ALL> lol REMEMBER THIS PEOPLE, in THIS town? Politics really is Hatfield’s vs. McCoy type of politics.

October 30, 2007 Pensacola predator sentenced to 120 months following ICE investigation PENSACOLA, FL - A 21-year-old predator was sentenced here late last month to serve 120 months in federal prison following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Enrique De Varona was also ordered to serve 120 months of mandatory supervised release following his prison term. The honorable U.S. district judge Casey Rodgers imposed a $1,000 fine. De Varona was indicted in April 2007 following a four-month ICE investigation that revealed that he possessed and engaged in the trafficking of child pornography. He subsequently pleaded guilty in May 2007. "Those who engage in the possession and trafficking of child pornography should know that ICE will use all of its law enforcement tools to bring you to justice," said Robert Weber, special agent-in-charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Tampa. "Predators beware: we will find you and put you behind bars where you belong." Weber thanked the Canada Service Border Agency and the Windsor Police Department for their assistance in this case. This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. Since Operation Predator was launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 10,000 individuals nationwide. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com. -- ICE --

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...08-38d880652460 Corruption crusader Fox under scrutiny Ex-Mexican leader's lifestyle in spotlight Pablo Garibian, Reuters Published: Thursday, October 25, 2007 Former Mexican president Vicente Fox always delighted in his image as an honest rancher, but his reputation is sagging in the face of a corruption probe and fierce media scrutiny of his flashy cars and lavish lifestyle. A charismatic figure who electrified Mexico by ending 71 years of corrupt one-party rule at elections in 2000, Mr. Fox is now being investigated by a congressional commission after he opened up his renovated ranch in central Mexico to a glossy society magazine. The San Cristobal ranch, where paint once peeled from the walls, now boasts expensive furniture, remodelled rooms, a swimming pool and immaculately kept grounds with peacocks and deer. Mr. Fox, who left office last December, also came under fire after a newspaper reported that a businessman gave his wife a decked-out Jeep Wrangler as a gift early in his term. Several newspapers later reported that Mr. Fox was driving an expensive Hummer not registered under his name and that had been "lent" for free by a car firm to the presidential guard. In a well-publicized humiliation, Mr. Fox was last week forced to hand it back after President Felipe Calderon, his successor and former energy minister, ordered an end to such loan deals. Mr. Fox firmly denies any wrongdoing, but the revelations have caused a furore in a country where half the population lives on $2 a day or less and tarnished the reputation of a man who promised in 2000 to end the corruption that flowered during 71 years of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Protesters pulled down a statue of the former leader this month in the tropical state of Veracruz. "He made his name fighting against the corruption of the PRI. This situation is a terrible irony in the final analysis of his government," said political analyst Jorge Zepeda. The scandal comes as Mr. Fox, a former Coca-Cola executive, tries to carve out a role as an elder statesman, touring the United States to promote his biography, Revolution of Hope, and by setting up his "Centro Fox" think-tank. Mr. Fox, who was not involved in any financial scandals as president, is adamant the accusations are an attempt to discredit him. "They won't find out anything. Let them investigate, let them fool about!" he recently told CNN. His frustration hurt him when he insulted a reporter and stormed out of an interview when asked about the charges. Mexicans generally like the former president despite his failure to deliver on promises of rapid economic growth during his six-year term, but some say he is paying the price for staying in the limelight too long. "The question now is what to do with Fox? He complicates things for everybody, including himself," wrote Federico Berrueto in the daily newspaper Milenio.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/93800.htm Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC October 22, 2007 The Merida Initiative: United States – Mexico – Central America Security Cooperation Joint Statement on the Merida Initiative: A New Paradigm for Security Cooperation Today President Bush announced his request to fund a new security cooperation initiative with Mexico and the countries of Central America in order to combat the threats of drug trafficking, transnational crime, and terrorism in the Western Hemisphere. President Calderón of Mexico has taken decisive action to fight drug trafficking and criminal organizations operating on both sides of the border. The Presidents of Central America have clearly expressed the political resolve to join forces to strengthen regional security and seek additional tools and capacity to execute such will. This partnership would support coordinated strategies to: Produce a safer and more secure hemisphere where criminal organizations no longer threaten governments and regional security; and Prevent the entry and spread of illicit drugs and transnational threats throughout the region and to the United States. To achieve these goals, President Bush has requested $550 million as part of a multi-year program to provide: Non-intrusive inspection equipment, ion scanners, canine units for Mexican customs, for the new federal police and for the military to interdict trafficked drugs, arms, cash and persons. Technologies to improve and secure communications systems to support collecting information as well as ensuring that vital information is accessible for criminal law enforcement. Technical advice and training to strengthen the institutions of justice – vetting for the new police force, case management software to track investigations through the system to trial, new offices of citizen complaints and professional responsibility, and establishing witness protection programs. Helicopters and surveillance aircraft to support interdiction activities and rapid operational response of law enforcement agencies in Mexico. Initial funding for security cooperation with Central America that responds directly to Central American leaders’ concerns over gangs, drugs, and arms articulated during July SICA meetings and the SICA Security Strategy. Includes equipment and assets to support counterpart security agencies inspecting and interdicting drugs, trafficked goods, people and other contraband as well as equipment, training and community action programs in Central American countries to implement anti-gang measures and expand the reach of these measures in the region. The President’s Commitment to Regional Security Strategy “The United States is committed to this joint strategy to deal with a joint problem. I would not be committed to dealing with this if I wasn’t convinced that President Calderón had the will and the desire to protect his people from narco-traffickers. He has shown great leadership and great strength of character, which gives me good confidence that the plan we’ll develop will be effective.” President George W. Bush, August 21, 2007 Montebello “Our countries are working together to fight transnational gangs. And the President (Berger) was right – I suggested we think about this issue regionally. You’ve got to understand that these gangs are able to move throughout Central America and up through Mexico into our own country, and therefore, we’ve got to think regionally and act regionally.” President George W. Bush, March 12, 2007 Guatemala City Drug Demand Reduction The United States has done more than any other industrialized nation to reduce illegal drug use among its population. Through a broad array of efforts, it has succeeded in reducing cocaine use among 18-25 year olds by nearly 60% since its peak in 1979, and overall youth drug use has fallen by 23.2% since 2001. The President’s FY2008 budget dedicates $4.6 billion to an array of new federal prevention and treatment initiatives. Since 2001, the Administration has spent $16.7 billion on drug demand reduction. The National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy United States federal agencies along the Southwest border are coordinating their efforts to implement 68 objectives under this new strategy in the following areas: intelligence collection and information sharing, interdiction at and between ports of entry, aerial surveillance and interdiction of smuggling aircraft, investigations and prosecutions and countering financial crime. It is estimated that U.S. is spending $1.9 billion to implement this strategy in addition to funds being requested for the Security Cooperation Initiative. On October 2, 2007 John Walters, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy said that this balanced strategy will serve as an effective response against violent drug trafficking organizations that work to undermine democracy and rule of law. Reduction in Trafficking in Arms In 2005, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms launched its Southwest Border Initiative to attack the firearms-trafficking infrastructure of criminal organizations working across the border. New programs to share tracing capabilities with the Mexicans, close off trafficking corridors, expand actionable, real-time intelligence cooperation and aggressively pursue prosecution have resulted in marked increases in interdictions and arrests of individuals seeking to move firearms across the border. 2007/905 Released on October 22, 2007

Nothing like the Democrats Opening up Pandora's Box. Do you people finally understand that the Democrats politics in getting power back "NO MATTER WHAT" has caused this? There will be a NUCLEAR MIDDLE EAST, and the democrats made the case for it, and that's a reality that the democrats CAN'T CHANGE. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.upi.com/International_Security/...r_nuclear/3069/ Published: 1, 2007 at 2:02 PM By DEREK SANDS UPI Energy Correspondent WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Deals to build nuclear power plants in Yemen and Jordan have come sooner than many expected, but a lack of funding and internal violence could derail those plans before they ever get off the ground. Many countries in the Middle East are considering nuclear power, hoping to free up petroleum reserves for export, and also to balance Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Among others, regional heavyweights Egypt, Saudi Arabia, as well as the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- have expressed interest in nuclear power. But building nuclear power plants is an expensive proposition, and not all countries can afford the costs. The government of Yemen is planning to build five nuclear power plants over 10 years, according to news reports from Sanaa. Work would start in 2009, and they would supply a total of 5,000 megawatts to the country, at an estimated cost of $15 billion. Such spending seems unlikely in a country the World Bank described as “one of the least developed countries in the world.” Currently Yemen produces about 1,000 megawatts of electricity, but faced with chronic shortages, it has plans for several gas-fired power plants that would provide between 340 and 3,800 megawatts, according to the Energy Information Administration, the data arm of the U.S. Department of Energy. While oil and natural gas provide an overwhelming amount of government revenue, Yemen is in desperate need of new sources of power and income. Oil exports account for 74 percent of government revenue and 33 percent of its $19.1 billion gross domestic product. The country’s oil reserves will be depleted by 2014, according to estimates by the World Bank. Yemen’s interest in nuclear power has been longstanding, but its relatively small government revenue, as well as the country’s instability, made it unlikely. The recent deals would have to overcome those obstacles if Sanaa hopes to embrace nuclear power. Rebel groups in the country have often targeted energy infrastructure in Yemen. In 2006 coordinated suicide attacks against oil facilities were thwarted by security forces, but in 2002 the French oil tanker Limburg was bombed off the coast of Yemen. And that same year a missile was fired at a helicopter owned by a U.S. oil company. In fact, energy facilities have proven such a tempting target in the region that Saudi Arabia announced in August the creation of a 35,000-person dedicated security force to protect its oil and gas facilities. For its part, Jordan has long expressed an interest in nuclear power as well. At the end of August, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khalid Touqan told King Abdullah that nuclear power would provide Jordan with 30 percent of its power by 2030, according to the state-run news agency Petra. And the U.S. Embassy in Amman on Sept. 16 announced that it would help Jordan reach that goal. In a memorandum of understanding signed by energy officials from both countries during a ministerial meeting in Vienna, they agreed to cooperate on all aspects of Jordan’s efforts to embrace civilian nuclear power. The agreement falls under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, a U.S. initiative that aims to reduce the risks of nuclear proliferation while encouraging peaceful nuclear power worldwide. Although Jordan’s GDP per person is about four times that of Yemen, Jordan’s energy situation differs drastically. It imports 95 percent of its energy needs and has no significant oil deposits, according to the EIA. Jordan has about 230 billion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, and its one developed field powers a plant that provides the country with about 8 percent of its electricity, according to the EIA.

http://www.staysafeonline.info/ And don't forget to BACK UP your Info always.

Yeah!! that's what it does for me too, and lots of pushing around "jogging, just in a different way" on the weekends. Thankyou also for your prayers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the article “and I haven't read the full details" the person reports that "they don't know why people with disabilities smoke more", and I think that I have the answer to that. With my disability my doctor tells me that I should stop smoking, and I usually just smile and say to the doctor "Yeah you are right", and then I let it go. The reason being, my doctor tells me that cigarettes can kill me. OKAY, so can UTI's, kidney failure, bed sores which except for the kidney failure I Have had everything else, plus blood poisoning? So my logic is very simple, I've gone through everything else, and been close to death more times than "and I can safely say" everyone in this message board combined, and my doctor worries about cigarettes killing me?????????????? Give me a break for gods’ sake; I've been hospitalized over 150 times. I stopped counting in 1997 in how many times I've come close to a hairs breath from dying. Cigarettes are the least of my problems, and I seriously doubt that the cigarettes will get me first. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h3n-_u5...NfOQuQD8S1VDNO0 By MIKE STOBBE – 2 days ago ATLANTA (AP) — Americans with disabilities smoke more than everyone else, according to the first national study to compare smoking rates between the two groups. About one in four disabled people are smokers, compared to about one in five among the non-disabled, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. More people with disabilities also said they'd seen a doctor or nurse recently, and had been advised to quit cigarettes, the CDC study found. Having such national data is helpful, but the results aren't surprising, said Kenneth Warner, a leading tobacco researcher who is dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health. The disabled population included people with mental illness and drug and alcohol addictions — groups known to have higher smoking rates. "It is very believable," Warner said, of the CDC study's findings. More than 10 million Americans with disabilities smoke, according to the study authors. They said many disabled people are smokers partly because a disproportionate percentage of them are low-income, and poor people have higher smoking rates. However, the study found that among people with lower incomes, disabled people smoked at a higher rate (37 percent) than non-disabled poor people (23 percent). "We find that disability still matters," said Brian Armour, a CDC health economist who was the study's lead author. The surprise was that disabled smokers more often reported getting medical advice to quit, although a substantial number said that advice didn't include specifics. The nationwide study was done through a random-digit-dialed telephone survey in 2004 of about 294,000 U.S. adults. The survey did not include people in institutions or people whose disability prevents them from answering the phone, so it's likely the disabled smoking rate is even higher. Delaware had the highest smoking rate among people with disabilities, about 39 percent. The state also had the largest gap in smoking prevalence between disabled and non-disabled people, 17 percentage points. It's not clear why. On the Net: The article: http://www.cdc.gov/PCD/issues/2007/oct/06_0179.htm

Here is a link for the teachers can use, and for the rest of us who wish to learn about cells. www.cellsalive.com The other one that I like that explains this in greater detail is ask.com http://www.ask.com/web?q=Cell+Structure&am...pq=cell+biology

Now if we all could just leave the politics out of this? Then we would all be better off. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/2007...434/1033/NEWS01 Dengue warning for Latin America By MICHAEL MELIA ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Dengue fever is spreading across Latin America and the Caribbean in one of the worst outbreaks in decades, causing agonizing joint pain for hundreds of thousands of people and killing nearly 200 so far this year. The mosquitoes that carry dengue are thriving in expanded urban slums scattered with water-collecting trash and old tires. Experts say dengue is approaching record levels this year as many countries enter their wettest months. "If we do not slow it down, it will intensify and take a greater social and economic toll on these countries," said Dr. Jose Luis San Martin, head of anti-dengue efforts for the Pan American Health Organization, a regional public health agency. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has posted advisories this year for people visiting Latin American and Caribbean destinations to use mosquito repellant and stay inside screened areas whenever possible. "The danger is that the doctors at home don't recognize the dengue," said Dr. Wellington Sun, the chief of the CDC's dengue branch in San Juan. "The doctors need to raise their level of suspicion for any traveler who returns with a fever." Dengue has already damaged the economies of countries across the region by driving away tourists, according to a document prepared for a PAHO conference beginning Monday in Washington. Some countries have focused mosquito eradication efforts on areas popular with tourists. Mexico sent hundreds of workers to the resorts of Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Acapulco this year to try to avert outbreaks. Health ministers from across the region meet at the PAHO conference and San Martin said he will urge them to devote more resources to dengue fever. The tropical virus was once thought to have been nearly eliminated from Latin America, but it has steadily gained strength since the early 1980s. Now, officials fear it could emerge as a pandemic similar to one that became a leading killer of children in Southeast Asia following World War II. Officials say the virus is likely to grow deadlier in part because tourism and migration are circulating four different strains across the region. A person exposed to one strain may develop immunity to that strain -- but subsequent exposure to another strain makes it more likely the person will develop the hemorrhagic form. "The main concern is what's happening in the Americas will recapitulate what has happened in Southeast Asia, and we will start seeing more and more severe types of cases of dengue as time progresses," Sun said. The disease -- known as "bonebreak fever" because of the pain -- can incapacitate patients for as long as a week with flu-like symptoms. A deadly hemorrhagic form, which also causes internal and external bleeding, accounts for less than 5 percent of cases but has shown signs of growing. So far this year, 630,356 dengue cases have been reported in the Americas -- most in Brazil, Venezuela, or Colombia -- with 12,147 cases of hemorrhagic fever and 183 deaths, according to the Pan American Health Organization. With the spread expected to accelerate during the upcoming rainy season in many countries, cases this year could exceed the 1,015,000 reported in 2002, according to San Martin. In Puerto Rico, where 5,592 suspected cases and three deaths have been reported, some lawmakers called this week for the health secretary to resign. In the Dominican Republic, which has reported 25 deaths this year, the health department announced Thursday that it would train 2.5 million public school students to encourage parents and neighbors to eliminate standing water. Researchers have not yet developed a vaccine against dengue and Sun said that for now, the only way to stop the virus is to contain the mosquito population -- a task that relies of countless, relentless individual efforts including installing screen doors and making sure mosquitoes are not breeding in garbage. "It's like telling people to stop smoking," he said. "They may do it for a while, but they don't do it on a consistent basis and without doing that, it's not effective." While dengue is increasing around the developing world, the problem is most dramatic in the Americas, according to the CDC. Health officials believe the resurgence of the malaria-like illness is due partly to a premature easing of eradication programs in the 1970s. Migration and tourism also have carried new strains of the virus across national borders, even into the United States, which had largely wiped out the disease after a 1922 outbreak that infected a half-million people. Mexico has been struggling with an alarming increase in the deadly hemorrhagic form of dengue, which now accounts for roughly one in four cases. The government has confirmed 3,249 cases of hemorraghic dengue for the year through Sept. 15, up from 1,924 last year. The CDC says there is no drug to treat hemorrhagic dengue, but proper treatment, including rest, fluids and pain relief, can reduce death rates to about 1 percent. San Martin said he use the meetings starting Monday to urge enforcement of trash disposal regulations, more investment in mosquito control and new incentives for communities to participate. "It is a battle of every government, every community and every individual," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6994595.stm Computers could mimic human speech so perfectly that vocal terrorism could be a new threat in 10-15 years' time, scientists suggest. In the future, it may be possible to mimic someone's voice exactly after recording just one sentence. Such technologies would pose a danger if it were not possible to verify who was speaking, researchers believe. Scientists were predicting the future at the British Association (BA) Festival of Science in York. Dr David Howard from the University of York said: "The reason things are changing is because no longer are we using an acoustic model proposed in the 1950s." New methods of creating computerised speech use models of a vocal tract to create a realistic sound, replacing the existing technique of copying sounds. "We are beginning to simulate virtual vocal tracts in the computer," said Dr Howard. "When we simulate this in the computer, which we are beginning to do, we begin to get sounds that musicians describe as organic or more natural. "If we get to the point where we are synthesising the actual shape of somebody('s vocal tract) based on analysis of their speech, then the speech we are producing should sound and look like the actual person." 'Not scaremongering' Worrying scenarios envisaged by the researchers included a phone call, apparently from your bank manager, requesting you to confirm details of your account. If the call actually came from a computer able to mimic the bank manager's voice flawlessly, your account could then be emptied by the people operating the computer. Fraudsters are already making this kind of call; but the new technology could make them much more convincing. It might become easier to make prank calls as well. The terrorism aspect would come in if the technology were used for more malicious purposes, such as someone taking over a communications network for a country and broadcasting a speech apparently from the country's leader. "This gives rise to this notion of what I call vocal terrorism as a possible scenario in the future, which I'm suggesting one should be thinking about now and not thinking about when it happens. "It's not scaremongering; it's trying to say to people, 'we have to think about these things'," he said. Dr Howard made these predictions to challenge the view of young people on social responsibility.

Hey!!! When are they going to make these for the general population? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.ironkey.com/pressrelease20070920 IronKey Launches Secure USB Flash Drive for Enterprises and the Military Designed specifically for use on sensitive government, military and enterprise networks September 20, 2007 - Los Altos, CA. - IronKey Inc., a provider of secure portable computing products and Internet security services, announced today the launch and availability of the IronKey: Enterprise Special Edition, a secure flash drive designed for use on sensitive government, military and enterprise networks. "We have been working closely with numerous enterprises and government agencies to develop an IronKey that retained the military-grade hardware encryption and nearly indestructible design of the original IronKey, but that can be easily deployed in extremely sensitive and restrictive network environments," said David Jevans, CEO of IronKey and Chairman of the Anti-Phishing Working Group. "And that is what the IronKey: Enterprise Special Edition is, a device designed to protect the most critical data assets of our government, military and enterprise customers." The IronKey: Enterprise Special Edition, like all of IronKey's product family, has been designed to be the world's most secure USB flash drive, using onboard hardware encryption to protect the gigabytes of files that can be stored on the device. No software or drivers need to be installed on your computer to use an IronKey. A password is used to unlock your IronKey, and this is verified in hardware. If an IronKey is lost or stolen, attempts to unlock or tamper with the IronKey will trigger a self-destruct sequence, ensuring data is kept confidential. Designed For Government, Military & Enterprise Networks Designed for use on sensitive networks, the IronKey: Enterprise Special Edition automatically performs dynamic drive mapping to function seamlessly in enterprise environments with network-mapped drives. It does not include Firefox, Secure Sessions, Secure Updates or the IronKey Password Manager that ship with the consumer version of the device, making it ideal for military, government and enterprise deployments where there are strict requirements about use of browsers and networking connections. IronKeys can easily satisfy most organizations' network management policies and interoperate with enterprise management and endpoint security products from the industry's leading providers and the IronKey Enterprise Security Alliance. The IronKey Enterprise Security Alliance is a partnering program that brings together vendors from different parts of the security and portable computing infrastructure to help create new highly secure enterprise and government solutions that can work across a variety of computing platforms including Windows, MAC, and Linux. The IronKey: Enterprise Special Edition features include: Hardware-Encrypted USB Flash Drive: With its strong hardware AES cryptography and authentication, there is no need to install additional hardware, software or drivers. No Administrator Privileges Needed: Unlike many other encryption products, the IronKey does not require Administrator privileges on Windows XP or Vista. Designed for Enterprise Networks: The IronKey performs dynamic drive letter mapping for use in enterprise environments with network-mapped drives. Tamper-Resistant and Waterproof: The IronKey is designed so that it cannot be physically tampered with or disassembled by a determined hacker. The IronKey has also tested, passed, and exceeded military waterproof standards (MIL-STD-810F). Easy to Inventory: Each IronKey has a unique, easy-to-read serial number, making it easy for IT managers to inventory the devices. Assists in Regulatory Compliance: The IronKey helps organizations meet regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and GLBA. Rugged and Durable: Unlike plastic USB drives, the IronKey's rugged metal casing is filled solid with epoxy, making it both tamperproof and waterproof.

Maybe this is a good time to rebuild our Manufacturing Base? I would LOVE to see that little ole label saying "MADE IN AMERICA". :) By the way Law; Nice to see you again, and welcome back.

Just to let you know, ole Virginia; Fair Oaks Mall, George Mason University, and of course national. This stuff is nation wide, and I'm going to stop looking because this is getting depressing.

Concerned Parent here is my complaint; Those like me who are in wheelchairs for LIFE did not lobby for ADA just so the Gay Community Can use the bathrooms as little sex dens "okay!” Not to mention the Public Safety and Health concerns associated with such type of behavior. Do you understand my point?

I just did a quick search to see what areas in washington dc are a hot cruising ground for the gay community, and the results were sad. At least I know now why I can never seem to use the handicap bathroom stalls in National Airport. "It's just uncool” and Georgetown university library 1st floor. There is more, and it's really depressing. I wont be posting the web site, but I will be giving it to the police.

For me, what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom is no ones business. There is a fine line between what two people do in privacy, and what they do in bathrooms in airports, malls, parks, rest areas that are used by the general public. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have a better question for you; Why are some in the Gay Community supportive of having sex in public areas? "http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20529609/site/newsweek/?from=rss

A simple request from a Guy in a Wheelchair; Could you please not do your aheming in the bathrooms. Those of us in wheelchairs DO NEED the bathrooms.