A Berlin grandmother who has worked the city's diplomatic quarter as a prostitute for the last 49 years plans to retire when she turns 64 next year, according to Germany's Bild newspaper. MILFs rule.
Even though prostitutes were forced to leave the area after the Berlin Wall, fell because dead-end streets in the downtrodden district were re-connected to east Berlin and property values surged, Renate Dolle was allowed to stay, Bild said. "I've got a lot of regular clients," the blonde woman told the newspaper, pictured wearing a short red mini skirt and high-heeled white boots as she stood near the Japanese embassy. Of course. Raw fish is a Japanese delicacy.
"49 years as a hooker? Damn! That's a lot of miles to put on that thing at six inches a stroke!"
"Four."
She said she charges 30 euros ($36) and on good nights she has four to five clients. "I'm going to stop at 64 and retire," said Dolle, whose pimp husband drops her off for work each night after the television evening news and who has a nine-year-old granddaughter. She is one of 10,000 prostitutes in Berlin and 400,000 in Germany, where prostitution is legal. Legal? In that case, German women must be really ugly since Germany continues to have unemployment around 12%.
Dolle said she tried to work in a popular red light district nearby recently but was chased away by younger competitors. "What do you want here, you old whore, get lost," Dolle said they shouted at her. "What did I ever do to them?"
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/12/2005 10:34 ||
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#1
The key phrase: as she stood near the Japanese embassy
The Japanese go for blondes, we've known it for years.
#2
That picture!! Is someone trying to make me throw up? I'm scarred!
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/12/2005 12:16 Comments ||
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#3
Blonde and big-busted. Total contrast to the girls back home. The Koreans are the same.
Oh, and ick. But clearly she is comfortable with the work, and her husband... never mind. I can't even think about following that thought to any sort of conclusion. Ick.
#4
Will you still need me
Will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four?
Posted by: Al-Aska Paul ||
07/12/2005 21:31 Comments ||
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#5
She would be very successful here in beautiful Gaza, home of the aqsa-2 missile. Look at her! She could carry at least 3 bomb belts and still smile!
Posted by: Walid al-Koyoti of ACME of Gaza ||
07/12/2005 21:42 Comments ||
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#6
Walid---that would be like blowing up a whale on the Oregon coast, bloody gross!
Posted by: Al-Aska Paul ||
07/12/2005 22:12 Comments ||
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An Israeli surgeon - on vacation with his family in London - sprang to action following last week's terror attacks and helped save victims' lives.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Dr. Benny Meilik, an emergency surgeon and consultant at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, had arrived in London the day before the attack with his wife and two children. They were looking forward to relaxing and getting away from the pressures of Meilik's job.
But on the first morning of his trip he found himself dragging victims free from the wreckage of the 8:51 a.m. Piccadilly Line eastbound train and working frantically to save their lives.
#4
On vacation from a Tel Aviv ER and winds up in the middle of a bombing in London? - sometimes you can't get away. Reminds me of the guy who moved out of Manassas after the second battle there and wound up hosting Lee's surrender to Grant in the front room of the new house.
#7
One of the bus bomb victims was a middle-aged Israeli woman who'd left the country, according to her boyfried, because she was concerned about the bus bombings over there. If anything better demonstrates the inescapable and global reach of Islamist psycopathy, I haven't heard it...
#5
OK folks, nobody should give Castro any money, hurricane or not.
But please, here's propaganda 101 for you.
You don't offer $50000 when damages are estimated at 1,4 bn dollars. This is a ridiculous sum that of course can be rejected easily. The propaganda success is on Castro's side.. national pride blabla.
No, what you do is: You offer 500 million dollars. Make it known widely. Make sure that every Cuban knows about the offer. No details.
Make Castro reject THIS and people will NOT like it. OK, what if he accepts? Then let the other shoe drop. US aid will of course go directly to the people, delivered by USAID, controlled by Americans.
Of course Castro MUST refuse this.
End of the story: Cubans pissed at Castro, not at the US. Cost? Zero. Castro's face: Priceless
#6
Damn, TGA, why aren't you over here working for us?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/12/2005 20:17 Comments ||
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#7
..Slightly OT but still in regards to that beknighted isle - all Christian missionaries were recently expelled. One is a good friend of mine who's been there for almost 10 years, and he is devastated - a lot of damage aid came from the churches, and now it's not going to get there.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
07/12/2005 23:19 Comments ||
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SEOUL (AFX) - South Korea has offered to lay power lines into North Korea and provide it with electricity if Pyongyang agrees to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young said at a news conference. Cool! Cause developing nuclear weapons in the dark is hard!
The offer comes just days after Pyongyang said it will return to the bargaining table and re-open six-nation talks later this month on ending its controversial program.
South Korea would transmit its surplus electric power to the North through cross-border power lines which have yet to be built, Chung said.
'In order to resolve the nuclear issue, we are willing to transmit power to North Korea, if the North agrees on the dismantlement,' Chung added. only agree... no mention of actually doing it....
'I hope that this offer will provide a crucial momentum for the resolution of North Korea's nuclear issue and for the settlement of peace on the Korean peninsula,' he said.
Chung said that after three years of construction, South Korea would be able to route some 2,000 megawatts of electricity to the North, which has repeatedly asked for energy and security guarantees to abandon its weapons drive.
'We will carry out this proposal on our own but other countries are requested to respond (to this proposal) by making their own gestures,' he said. I'm sure we can deliver a few megatonswatts
Pyongyang was informed of the proposal containing massive economic aid when Chung met North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il on June 10, and Chung said Kim had pledged to 'consider the proposal very seriously.'
Under a 1994 US-North Korea accord, an international consortium led by South Korea and the United States had been building nuclear power reactors in North Korea's northeastern county of Kumho.
But the project came to a halt after Pyongyang allegedly admitted to the United States in Oct 2002 that it was running a uranium enrichment program in violation of the accord. April Fools! (belated....)
The reactor project called for South Korea to underwrite some 3.5 bln usd, 70 pct of total construction costs, with the remaining 1.5 bln usd to be shared by the United States, Japan and the European Union.
South Korea has already spent 1.1 bln usd on the light-water reactor project, and Seoul could use the remaining 2.4 bln to build power transmission lines and overhaul the North's electricity facilities.
Chung said he outlined the offer to US Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a visit to Washington last month.
The initiatives from South Korea come as diplomatic efforts intensify to lay the the groundwork for the six-nation talks in Beijing later this month. The talks also include Japan and Russia.
Chinese presidential envoy Tang Jiaxuan arrived in Pyongyang today, while Rice arrived in Seoul.
Chief negotiators from South Korea, the United States and Japan will also meet here on Thursday.
#2
South Korea has offered to lay power lines into North Korea and provide it with electricity if Pyongyang agrees to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young said at a news conference.
Wow, with this sort of mentality, it's a wonder South Korea even managed to get to where they are.
#3
The South Koreans seemed to be scared to death that the Kim regime will collapse and leave them to support the North, so they prop it up as much as they can. If Kim wigs out and decides to march south, though, they might live to regret that policy.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
07/12/2005 15:52 Comments ||
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#4
The only electricity they should be offering is 440 volts through a chair occupied by the Dear Leader. Idiots.
#5
Make it 4,000MW capitalist running dogs. Enrichment very energy intensive.
Posted by: Lil Kim ||
07/12/2005 17:26 Comments ||
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#6
Jonathan's explanation also parallel's China's reasons, other than f*cking us while they're at it; for the SKors, it just seems to be a "happy" side effect that their regular folks (read: lefties in youth and government) like.
Posted by: Edward Yee ||
07/12/2005 17:43 Comments ||
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#7
If the NORKS want a plug-in, then let the Chicoms provide it. If the SKors want to provide enabling to the NORKS, let them do it on their own nickel and the US can get the hell out of SKor. IF the SKors want to be NORKS, then fine, do it without the US military.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/12/2005 20:29 Comments ||
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July 12, 2005: China's military build up has been big news for the last few weeks. This development was known all along by the military and defense industry media, but the story never broke big, until recently, in the mainstream media. Before that, it was something defense geeks were going on about, and not worth paying much attention to. The Chinese made little effort to hide their military buildup, with civilians, and tourists, able to move past bases where the new weapons, and military units, were in plain sight. As the Internet, and email, became more common in China over the last five years, more details of the Chinese buildup got out to more people in the West. Many Chinese scientists and engineers cultivated email contacts in the West, and freely talked about the military developments in China. They also talked about all the books being published in China that talked of the coming wars with the United States. These developments were reported in the West, but few news directors were connecting the dots. Now they have, and the story of China's military buildup is considered quite a scoop.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/12/2005 10:01 ||
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The head of Fiji's military says he will remove the country's government if it proceeds with plans to grant amnesty to those involved in a coup in 2000. The army "will have no qualms about removing a government that will bring back chaos", Commander Frank Bainimarama said in a statement. But Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said the measure would remove resentment lingering after the coup. It could mean the release from jail of coup leader George Speight.
Speight launched the coup to claim power for indigenous Fijians, removing the ethnic Indian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry. Speight and six gunmen stormed parliament, taking hostages including the prime minister. Order was restored by the military, led by Cdr Bainarama, and Mr Qarase was installed as interim leader before winning free elections in 2002. Speight is now serving a life sentence for treason.
Should the bill pass, Cdr Bainarama threatened, "I will take the people back to the evening of 28 May (2000)", when he declared martial law.
"I am issuing a stern warning as commander that the military will dish out the same treatment to people breaking the law as we did to George Speight and his colleagues," he told Reuters.
I was wondering when the military would decide they'd had enough. Fiji troops have been deployed around the world on UN peacekeeping missions and word has it they are very professional. So much so the local government isn't happy when they are sitting around back home viewing the coruption and cleaning their guns.
He said he believed the Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill would leave Fiji vulnerable to further unrest. He said the law could lead to oppression of Fiji's ethnic Indians, who make up around 40% of the 900,000 population, and that the government was trying to appeal to the indigenous vote ahead of elections due next year. Fiji's opposition Labour Party has also expressed hostility to the bill, walking out of parliament last month, and police and civil rights groups have voiced concerns.
The proposed law states that anyone already convicted and serving a prison sentence for involvement in the coup will be able to have their case reconsidered if they seek amnesty on the grounds that their actions were political rather than criminal. Any person granted amnesty will then be released "forthwith", the bill states.
Your basic "Get Out Of Jail Free" card.
Mr Qarase said: "The bill will go on despite whatever opposition comes our way. "The bill is offering a political solution, that is legally binding, to end the investigations into the 2000 crisis."
Posted by: Steve ||
07/12/2005 08:46 ||
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Chinese officials on Tuesday protested Australia's decision to grant asylum to a former diplomat from China and warned that the case could affect relations between the two countries.
"Hey! Youse can't do dat!"
Australia last week granted a permanent visa to middle-ranked diplomat Chen Yonglin. He left his post at China's consulate in Sydney in May and asked for asylum, claiming he would be persecuted if he returned home because of his sympathy for the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which Beijing brands as an evil cult. He later claimed to have information that Beijing was running a vast spy network in Australia.
Shucks. Bet the Aussies never expected to hear that!
Australian officials confirmed on Friday that Chen, his wife and 6-year-old daughter had been granted a permanent protection visa - typically given to people fleeing persecution in their homeland. The Chinese Consulate General in Sydney issued a statement Tuesday accusing Chen of fabricating ``unfounded and fictitious stories.''
"Lies! All lies!"
The statement rejected Chen's claim that he faced persecution. ``There is no so-called political persecution at all,'' the statement said. ``Therefore we firmly oppose the decision by the Australian government to provide a protection visa to Chen Yonglin and request the Australian side properly handle this case so as to ensure the healthy development of Chinese-Australian relations,'' it added.
A tad angry.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/12/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
Australia has a lot of stuff China needs.
Storm in a Chinese teacup
Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek's plan for a reconciliation gesture towards Sudeten German anti-fascists who were expelled from the country after WWII has evoked a lukewarm response among Sudeten German expellees. Representatives of the Sudeten German Landsmanshaft said it was not yet clear what form the gesture would take or even whether it would ever materialize. Others said that such a gesture should be directed to all expellees, not just anti-fascists. On the home front, the Prime Minister's plan has met with anger from the two main opposition parties, the right wing Civic Democrats and the Communists.
#1
The Sudetenland Germans profitted mightily from the Nazi invasion. Any Czech reparations to them should be balanced out by payment for property and income the expelled Germans had gotten as a result of the Nazi takeover.
COURCHEVEL, France, July 12 (AFP) - Lance Armstrong regained firm control of the Tour de France and the yellow jersey here Tuesday on a gruelling first day in the Alps which left all of his main rivals trailing. Alejandro Valverde, of the Baleares team, won the 10th stage held over 192.5km between Grenoble after beating Armstrong in a two-man race for the finish line - and the American was sporting enough to shake the young Spaniard's hand immediately afterwards.
Overnight race leader Jens Voigt, of the CSC team, finished well off the pace on a first day in the Alps which featured two category one climbs and the first summit finish of the race. Germany's 1997 winner Jan Ullrich came over the finish line among a group of riders at around 2min 20sec behind Armstrong and is now over four minutes behind his American rival. Italian Ivan Basso, of the CSC team, came in at just over a minute behind while Ullrich's T-Mobile teammate Alexandre Vinokourov also fell away on the 21km climb to the alpine ski station, the Kazakh finishing almost five minutes behind.
Armstrong, who began the day in third place overall at 2:18 behind Voigt, now has firm control of the race ahead of Wednesday's second day in the Alps where the first unclassified climbs of the race await his challengers. "It was the first big day for our team," said Armstrong whose Discovery Channel team were found wanting last week in the Vosges when they left him dangerously exposed. "They're a super team and set a great pace for me at the front of the climb. I had good legs today, but I want to say thanks to (Michael) Rasmussen, Valverde and (Francisco) Mancebo - without them I might not have got the result I wanted." Armstrong now leads Rasmussen by 38 secs, Basso by 2:20 and Frenchman Christophe Moreau by 2:42. And he admitted his team had been out to erase their sorry performance of last week. "We have a tough team with a lot of pride. They're professionals," said Armstrong. After benefiting from the work of his Discovery Channel team for most of the day, the 33-year-old American came into his own in the final 15 km of the 21km climb to the summit finish of Courchevel. By the time they had completed a few kilometres of the day's second climb, Armstrong decided it was time to take over the operation. His furious pace up the category one climb had devastating effects. Despite their efforts, it left Ullrich, Vinokourov and Basso all struggling and one by one they fell out of contention.
Armstrong is now in pole position to finish the Tour in the yellow jersey, but despite his evident confidence he warned the race is far from over. "We're in a good position as compared to some of the main rivals - but there's still a lot of racing to go. We have another day in the Alps, a transition stage then two very tough days in the Pyrenees, then the final time trial. "We'll have to race smart," said Armstrong, who nevertheless showed that he is again the man to beat on this year's race.
Armstrong ended up leading a group of five riders on the final 10km of the climb, whose average gradient was six percent. Rasmussen, wearing the polka dot jersey for the race's best climber so far, did well to hang on while Valverde hung on beside his teammate Mancebo. With less than five kilometres to race, Ullrich was already 1:28 behind Armstrong - meaning the German's hopes of upstaging the American on his retirement race were slowly slipping away. Armstrong meanwhile upped the pace further for his companions with just four kilometres to go, and again shortly after Rasmussen had tried to break away a kilometre further on.
In what was a thrilling finale, Armstrong broke away from the group shortly after they had passed through the tunnel beside the 'kilometre to go' mark, but he was pursued by Valverde. Armstrong's efforts to get to the finish line appeared to damage his chances of the stage win in the end - Valverde was hanging on his back wheel, and easily overtook the American in the final 50 metres to claim his first ever stage victory on the race.
Armstrong admitted he had been surprised to see Valverde overtake him after their duel to the finish. "It's a surprise for me. I was hoping for the stage win, but I think today we may have seen the future of cycling. He's strong, intelligent and he's fast. Very impressive."
Posted by: Steve ||
07/12/2005 14:41 ||
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#1
Take nothing but first place; leave nothing but tire tracks.
Posted by: Mike ||
07/12/2005 15:08 Comments ||
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#3
I love Lance and hope he wins but I have to say I will be happy if any team beside T-mobile wins. T-Mobiles fans are pigs who spit on Lance last year. So screw the Germans.
Their are many young and very good riders in this race seeing one of them win would also be wonderful.
#5
and the American was sporting enough to shake the young Spaniard's hand immediately afterwards.
And the writer is surprised because everyone knows Americans can't help being rude.
According to the Discovery Channel special on him, Armstrong is the best in the world at biking up mountains, in part because his muscles just don't seem to build up lactic acid, and in part because his body tolerates the lower oxygen at altitude better. I'm looking forward to more sportsmanly comments from him over the next few days.
#6
Armstrong is an assasin. I saw him spend his last teammate pushing the pace just as Vinokourov began to labor to hold the back end of the lead pack.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/12/2005 22:59 Comments ||
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#7
Is that good or bad, Super Hose? The Tour is one of the many sports I don't follow. ;-)
#8
I enjoyed what he did thoroughly. I watched the Tour last year and am a novice fan. I am on vacation at my dad's house and he is watchig as well, despite his protest that Hemmingway said the sport was corrupt (Dad teaches literature.)
Like anything else, I like to see things done well. Lance is an excellent athlete and a superb tactician, but I like to watch McEwen win in a sprint.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/12/2005 23:45 Comments ||
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#9
Being from Austin (we get lots of Lance stuff) -- well, Lance is all class. He respects his sport, and the "traditions" of his sport. He's showing it every day.
And.. he's really interested in those who will come after him. Knowing that this is his last year, he has voiced often, about who are the next in his sport.
The European Commission said it had raided offices of Intel Corp and computer makers and sellers across Europe. Searching for terrorists, perchance?
Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said: "Commission officials accompanied by officials from national competition authorities are conducting since this morning onsite inspections at several premises of Intel corp in Europe as well as at a number of IT firms, manufacturing or selling computers." Nope. Protectionista goon squad.
He added: "These inspections are carried out within the framework of an ongoing competition investigation." You dopes perhaps produce your own processors?No? Quelle domage...
Intel is under investigation by the commission's competition department for alleged unfair trade practices. Go on boys. Drop those prices again, I dare ya!
#6
Some of AMD's fabs are in Germany. Not all of them and no one has them all on one continent. Intel has fabs in Israel. My guess is Intell has been playing Microsoft with some vendors and they got tired of it and ratted them out.
The French are trying to find reasons to be cheerful. They are being urged to consider all the good things France has going for it in order to dispel the pessimism which has pervaded the country. The loss of the 2012 Olympic games to London and the rejection of the European constitution provided two sharp blows to French morale, and high unemployment, a stagnating economy and dissatisfaction with political leaders, particularly President Jacques Chirac, have done nothing to lighten the gloom.
Now Le Parisien newspaper has produced a three-part series to put a sourire (smile) back on French faces. "There are reasons to hope, more numerous than one would imagine," the paper declared. "While the French are always often arrogant, they also like big depressions and running themselves down.
We also like running them down.
There are certainly lots and lots and lots of reasons to despair ... unemployment has undermined French society for 30 years, parents feel that their children are not doing as well as them ... factories close ... Europe works badly ... the political class is often supported locally but judged incompetent, deaf, and even corrupt nationally. Has everything become so black in this beautiful country of France?" it asks.
Well yeah, pretty much.
The paper gives a number of reasons to be cheerful. Family life is happy, reflected in the fact that the country has the highest birthrate in the EU with 1.88 children per woman which is still below replacement rate. The French live to a grand age, 76.7 years for men and 83.8 for women, one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
Unless there is a heatwave
Its public services are the envy of the world, Le Parisien says, citing the TGV high-speed train, the motorway network, telecommunications and electricity systems and the health service. The paper claims that France has the second biggest agricultural sector in the world.
Then there are its provincial cities, which help to attract 77 million tourists every year - more than anywhere else in the world "and boosting the economy by â¬35bn annually".
The depression in France has not been helped by the relative success and prosperity of its traditional rival, Britain. Yesterday, the likely future presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy rubbed salt into national wounds and managed a dig at President Chirac by telling members of the UMP governing party that Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair were his heroes. "In the 1970s it [Britain] was finished and no longer counted on the international scene. Who could have guessed that in 30 years Great Britain would become a beacon in the world?"
Thatcher and Blair would have.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/12/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
Circling the drain.......Thanks fer the memories.
#2
I'll be willing to reconsider my opinion of the French if they have the uncommon good sense to elect the libertarian hottie Sabine Herold to a suitably high office...
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
07/12/2005 0:59 Comments ||
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#3
In part it is a cultural thing: to be a proper member of the intelligencia one must be able to elucidate everything wrong with the current situation. It gives reason to throw up one's hands and go brood fetchingly over a glass of wine at one's favorite cafe'. This doesn't obviate the fact that there is a great deal wrong with France, and has been for centuries, but much could have been fixed long ago if an intelligently furrowed brow weren't thought to be such a babe magnet. ;-)
#7
Then there are its provincial cities, which help to attract 77 million tourists every year - more than anywhere else in the world "and boosting the economy by â¬35bn annually".
Yeah, too bad many of those "tourists" are now roosting in their midst. And somehow, I don't believe at all that France has the most tourism in the world, unless you count all those Algerians, Saudis, North Africans, etc. that are coming home to roost.
Posted by: BA ||
07/12/2005 10:35 Comments ||
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#8
Tu3031:
Once you factor out the immigrants, they have the lowest birth rate in Europe.
BA:
I think they count anyone who passes through France as a tourist. For example a Belgian family that drives through France on the way to Spain without spending the night there are considered tourists (sort of like driving NY to Phillie and being called a tourist of NJ)
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
07/12/2005 18:16 Comments ||
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#9
Native French birthrate is 1.3-1.4 children/woman, in line with other continental Euro countries. The muslim birthrate is about 4.0. 33% of all children born in France today are muslim. In 10 years, it will be 50%. France will become a muslim and North African/Arab dominated nation with consequences for the rest of Europe.
Here is a 1997 article, before the post 9/2001 handwringing, looking at French demographics: Islam in France Perhaps more important than exact numbers is the spectacular rate of growth since World War II. Muslims in France in 1945 numbered some 100,000 souls; fifty years later, the population has increased by thirty or forty times.8 It continues to grow at a rapid clip, through further immigration (illegal but until now poorly suppressed), natural increase (immigrant Muslim families retain a comparatively high birthrate), or conversion (either as the result of intermarriage or out of a personal religious quest).
If birthrate figures cannot be precisely computed, enough data exists to make educated estimates. Algerian women in France in 1981 had a fertility rate of 4.4 births per woman; in 1990, it had declined to 3.5 births. (Comparable figures for Moroccan women in France are 5.8 and 3.5; for Tunisian women, 5.1 and 4.2.) While declining, the birthrate of immigrant Muslims remains three to four times higher than that of non-Muslim French, which is estimated at 1.3 percent. There is no specific reason to believe that the Muslim rate will eventually parallel the non-Muslim one. It is noteworthy that while in 1981 Tunisian women in France had a slightly lower birthrate than their counterparts in Tunisia (5.1 against 5.2), nine years later it had grown higher (4.2 against 3.4). The reasons for this growth are not clear, but they could include the higher welfare payments in France or the relative ease of family planning, including the choice for a large family, in democratic France compared to semi-authoritarian Tunisia.9
In all, the 1992 fertility rate in France was 1.8 births per woman, a figure slightly above those of Germany (1.3), Italy (1.3), and Spain (1.2) but well beneath that of the United States (2.1).10 France's demographic advantage over other European Union countries is due largely to its larger percentage of Muslims and their higher birthrate.
The birthrate of Muslims being three to four times higher than that of non-Muslims, the proportion of children, teenagers, and young adults in urban France is not 5-11 percent but a very impressive 33 percent or so.
I remember reading in the early 1980's, and thought even more interesting, that the Soviet Union had a Central Asian republics birth rate 5 times the Euro and Far Eastern republics birthrate. That meant the USSR would have become muslim majority in the first half of the 21st century. A highly unstable situation. Even after the breakup, Russia still has a 15% muslim minority, higher than any Euro country. Many like the Tatars, are only nominally muslim, while others are being radicalized. Though I don't know the growth rate, I can guess it is a lot higher than the crashed Russian ethnic population figures.
Posted by: ed ||
07/12/2005 19:27 Comments ||
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#10
In the 17-19th centuries Europeans emmigrated to North America in large numbers, and once there, outbred (& out-survived) the natives by large numbers. They also out-gunned the natives, and as a result they took over total control of the continent.
Now Muslims are emmigrating to Europe in large numbers, and once there are outbreeding the natives by large numbers. If the natives do not exhibit much stronger will than they have so far, and use their fundamentally superior firepower, they will in short order relinquish total control of the continent to the Muslims.
So Europeans (and soon, Americans), ask yourselves NOW, do you want your children to end up like the American Indians (or worse)?
THE Mayor of Paris last night accused London of using âcorruptionâ to win the 2012 Olympics. Bitter Bertrand Delanoe claimed that Tony Blair and bid leader Lord Coe had âcrossed the lineâ in campaigning. And he vowed to fight to prove that the French capital has the âmoral rightâ to stage the games. In a shameless display of sour grapes, Delanoe said: âThey have not respected the rules established by the International Olympic Committee.
But then, who does?
Posted by: Fred ||
07/12/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
Well, I guess we know who would win if there was a gold medal for whining.
#3
âThey have not respected the rules established by the International Olympic Committee.
I'm pretty sure corruption is an accepted part of trying to get the games.
Posted by: Robert Crawford ||
07/12/2005 9:01 Comments ||
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#4
Now, now...if you had thrown in a night with your daughter along with the all expense paid trip to paris and the $1 million, they would have voted for you Mr. Mayor. The English just made a better bribe offer.
#6
Now, now...if you had thrown in a night with your daughter
He can't. He as no daughters. He is gay. While we are at it he was elected despite losing the popular vote but he won thanks to districting(1) A bit like Bush in 2000 but since this benefitted the left
(1) Paris, Lyon and Marseille are unique in France because for town elections they are divided in districts due to an adhoc law voted in the 80s by the socialists in order to weaken the right who controlled two of those three cities and specially the jewel of the crown: Paris
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/12/2005 10:52 Comments ||
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#8
"Another obvious Bushitler/Zionist conspiracy."
Well, I've seen some Paris 2012 supporters reacting on teevee, and the very first thing one of them said learning Paris lost was "it's Bush"...
#9
I'm telling you that Karl Rove has his fingerprints all over this one. Bert sounds just like a Dhimicrat. "The election is over and now I am going to whine for the next seven years." Boo hoo Bert.
#11
Sometimes I wonder how history will treat all of this. W. Bush will no doubt become the next Tailgunner Joe in Liberal mythology and I'm thinking Karl Rove will be elivated to replace Machiavelli in terms of shrewdness and amorality in the eyes of the left.
It took them 20 years to accept that Reagan, perhaps, had something to do with the end of the Cold War. It'll take 200 years before they accept W Bush did anything worthwhile.
#12
What an ugly little troll of a mayor. A sad and nasty midgit eijit nutter of a man to be sure. I'm sure people in the UK are delighted to hear the heartfelt support and sympathy of their EU partner in France. Le EU Ecole d' Charms never managed to open the remedial adult education classes in Paris I suppose.
#14
It certainly couldn't be that Chirak peed in the IOC judges cornflakes, when he made those disparaging remarks toward Finnish food. If I were voting I would have given it to someone else as well.
Saudi Arabiaâs Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has decided to cut his losses in Turkey by selling a beautiful plot of land he bought on the Bosporus Strait in 1984 but never could use, Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported yesterday. He will lose chump change an estimated $7 million in the exchange, Milliyet said. Crown Prince Abdullah bought the land, 618,607sq.ft of wooded hilltop on Istanbulâs Asian side, for $27 million with the promise that he would get permission to build on it, Milliyet said. However, as authorities fought to prevent unauthorised construction on the coastline, they denied permission, and the land appears to be on the market now for just $20 million. Experts say the plot could be worth as much as $50 million once permission is given to build there, Milliyet said.
Maybe Robert Mugabe?
Land located directly on the Bosporus, the legendary strait that splits Istanbul and separates Europe from Asia, is expensive and permission to build there difficult to come by.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/12/2005 00:00 ||
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Two Spanish men who have been together for 30 years were married yesterday, the first couple to wed under Spain's new law allowing same-sex marriages. The ceremony took place in Tres Cantos, a town outside Madrid, eight days after Spain became the third country in the world to grant full legal recognition to same-sex couples. The other countries to do so are the Netherlands and Belgium. Similar legislation is pending in Canada.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/12/2005 00:00 ||
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Associated Press
07/11/2005
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich put the Pentagon on formal notice Monday that he will not approve its proposed move of F-16 fighter aircraft from the 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield to Indiana.
In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, the governor argued that under federal law if he does not consent to the realignment, the change can not legally be made.
Blagojevich said that without the F-16 fighters in Springfield, the 183rd Fighter Wing at Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport would no longer have a flying mission, even though the state needs it for dealing with potential threats to homeland security.
Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood said the Defense Department has abided by the law in making its realignment recommendation and that it expects its plan to stand. He said the Pentagon asked Justice Department lawyers to begin reviewing the issue last week.
The Pentagon plan -- part of a national base-closings effort -- is under review by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which will prepare a final list of base closings by Sept. 8 for President Bush to review.
Blagojevich also formally notified the commission of his decision not to give his consent to the Springfield realignment.
Nov. 7 is the deadline for Bush to certify the commission list and submit it to Congress, which has 45 days to pass a motion of disapproval or the commission's list becomes law. This comes on the heels of the 111th Fighter Wing in Philadelphia, Pennesylvania being dissolved by the Department of Defense and the Governer of Pennesylvania declaring that the National Guard is the equivalent of the State Militia and therefore not under the direction of the Department of Defense. Neither Governer has any say-so in this matter. The Department of Defense can do as it pleases. This puts lie to the assertion by Second Ammendment opponents that the National Guard IS the Militia. The Department of Defense owns all the weapons and equipment of the National Guard as well as all the training facilites and a lot of the actual facilities where these units are located. All the Feds have to do is take away the "toys", deny traing, and close the bases. There would be no more National Guard. That's why it's called the NATIONAL Guard. The President can Federalize the National Guard at any time. Not so with a true State Militia
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/12/2005 15:43 ||
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#1
Properly, individual States should develop their own State militias. The expense would be mitigated by integrating it fully with all sorts of other State organizations. Think of it as a State-level version of Homeland Security. Police activities would be handled by the State police, foreign border patrol would be by a State equivalent of the INS, (open range) firefighting by a State fire department. Ironically, other than adding a few additional services, most of the State militia already exists.
The Congress shall have the power...
To provide for the organizing, arming, and discipling the Militia, and for governing such Parts of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.
A lot of people skip over that part and have their own ideas of what the militia is and isn't. Congress exercises its authority for the organizing of the militia under Title X United States Code, Section 311. Militia: composition and classes.
(a) The militia of the United States consists
of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age
and, except as provided in section 313 of title
32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have
made a declaration of intention to become, citi-
zens of the United States and of female citizens
of the United States who are commissioned of-
ficers of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are--
(1) the organized militia, which consists of
the National Guard and the Naval Militia;
and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists
of the members of the militia who are not
members of the National Guard or the Naval
Militia.
#3
This is interesting reading that offers 2 different viewpoints. Believe it or not, once you get past the "The right of the people to keep and bear arms" part the 2nd ammendment can get a bit murky. I think Thomas Jefferson cleared things up when he wrote "The Second Ammendment shall never be construed as to give Congress the power to deprive law abiding citezens of their arms".
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/12/2005 20:29 Comments ||
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#4
Too bad they didn't shut down Great Lakes. I still hate that place.
#5
The governors might have a better case if they weren't talking about F-16's and such. As an Indiana resident, I'll feel better knowing that they have taken Blago's toys so he can't order a strafing of my neighborhood.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
07/12/2005 23:07 Comments ||
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#6
Earth to Blago: GFL.
But thanks for playing.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/12/2005 23:09 Comments ||
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Robert Earl, who destroyed national security documents during the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal, is working as chief of staff to acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, the Pentagon said yesterday.
Earl destroyed and stole national security documents while working for Lt Col Oliver North during a secret arms deal with Iran in which the US passed money from those weapons sales to Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua, according to a report to Congress by independent counsel Lawrence Walsh.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman confirmed Earl was a senior England aide, a fact first reported in the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. He added, "I wonder why it's an issue now."
"It was a long time ago," Whitman said. "He has served ably for many years in the department and in industry."
Earl was granted immunity for his testimony in the Iran-Contra scandal and was never prosecuted.
John Ullyot, spokesman for Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, said the Pentagon informed the committee about the issue. He declined any further comment.
But congressional watchdog groups raised questions about the administration's decision to give such a senior job to a person with a record of tampering with the very kinds of classified national security documents he will now oversee.
"That fact is that this is a very sensitive and critical job," said Mary Boyle, spokewoman for Common Cause.
"While it is true that people can pay their debts to society ... this is a job that should be filled by someone who is beyond reproach."
#1
It is an OUTRAGE this man is not in prison. That the Republicans allow him to be associated with their administration, shows what a bunch of crooks they all are.
"While it is true that people can pay their debts to society ... this is a job that should be filled by someone who is beyond reproach."
In other words, someone the Left likes.
Wotta krokka shiite.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/12/2005 13:16 Comments ||
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#3
It matches the relative wrist slap Berger received. They only take this stuff seriously when it's someone below the high pay grades, no matter which side of the aisle.
Brazil formally introduced a proposal to reform the Security Council on Monday, a move that could bring the United Nations a step closer to ending a decade-long debate about the composition of its most powerful body. Yet the negative response the draft resolution drew from a familiar group of opponents underscored just how divided the United Nations remains.
Nearly all the 191 U.N. member states agree that the 15-nation council in its current form is an anachronism of the post-World War II era, no longer an accurate reflection of the world's landscape of power. But so far there's been no agreement on how to change it. The proposal from Brazil, Japan, Germany and India would expand the council from 15 to 25 members, adding six permanent seats without veto power and four non-permanent seats. Those four each want a permanent seat, with the other two earmarked for Africa.
The so-called group of four could seek a vote on its proposal as early as the end of the week. Brazil's U.N. Ambassador Ronaldo Mota Sardenberg repeated his supporters' main arguments - that any other proposals won't correct the council's balance. ``As for the argument that working to bring this issue to a conclusion after 12 years of discussion is somehow still premature, we can only consider it beguiling,'' Sardenberg said.
Opponents of the idea retorted with their argument: that the so-called Group of Four's bid is nothing more than a bid for power. ``The seekers of special privileges and power masquerade as the champions of the weak and disadvantaged, asserting that the special privileges that the seek would make the council more rep and neutral,'' said Pakistan's U.N. Ambassador Munir Akram. Akram is a leading proponent of an alternate proposal, from a group calling itself ``Uniting for Consensus.'' Their proposal would add only non-permanent members who would face periodic election.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/12/2005 00:00 ||
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#1
Dump the UN and set up a League of Democracies.
Japan can certainly join. I suppose India and Germany could (but maybe not; depends on the criteria). Dunno about Brazil, but I'm betting not.
I think we'd be glad to PAY to move the Association of Thugs and Dictators UN off US soil. Central Africa would be my choice, though I'd be willing to settle for Phrance.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/12/2005 13:30 Comments ||
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PUTRAJAYA, July 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia, while regretting that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will not attend the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in Vientiane, Laos later this month, however believes that it will not indicate that the United States is giving less importance to Asean.
"It is regrettable because in the history of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and the Post Ministerial Conference (PMC), the US has always been represented at the highest level, that is the Secretary of State," said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar. He said he was told that Rice would be absent in both ARF and PMC which would be held on July 24-29 in Vientiane because of her major commitments to the Middle East region...
"I think Asean is an equally important regional area. So I do not know what signal we should read from her absence," said Syed Hamid. He also expressed confidence in US Trade Representatives Robert B. Zoellick, who will be representing Rice at both the ARF and PMC, describing Zoellick as a very qualified and capable man.
Syed Hamid also said Rice's absence should not be seen as a pressure by the US on Asean to stop Myanmar from holding the regional grouping's chairmanship next year. He believes this is the first time the US would not be sending its Secretary of State to attend the ARF...
"I think it has sent a very uneasy signal. I said it with forthrightness. But you can find reasons for it, anyway," said Syed Hamid.
By the end of the summer, CBS will debut a blog called "Public Eye" that will create a "candid and robust dialogue between CBS News journalists and the public," the network announced today.
Think they'll have an open comments section? Me neither
The press release calls it "a move unprecedented among CBS's peers in broadcast and cable television journalism." The blog will be edited by media writer Vaughn Ververs. "Ververs will serve as the conduit between the public and CBS News to take viewers and users inside the news gathering, production and decision-making process via the use of original video and outtakes, interviews with correspondents and producers, and input from independent experts, among other methods."
This should be fun
Posted by: Steve ||
07/12/2005 14:46 ||
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#3
I thought the canonical form of the statement involved electroplated chrome?
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
07/12/2005 17:59 Comments ||
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#4
"Ververs will serve as the conduit between the public and CBS News..."
Conduit... that's sort of like a sewer, isn't it? A way of piping shit from one place to another?
"...to take viewers and users inside the news gathering, production and decision-making process..."
I have about as much interest in that-- and about as much stomach for it-- as I would in becoming a proctologist. Probing CBS's news "process", probing some dude's diseased rectum... what's the difference?
"...via the use of... input from independent experts, among other methods."
Like the experts who vouched for those Bush National Guard memos?
No thanks.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
07/12/2005 18:14 Comments ||
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#5
I make it up as I go along, Phil... it's more creative, that way.
"The Census Bureau's latest projection of population shifts, the first in eight years, shows a dramatic movement from the North to Southern and Western states over the next 30 years. The study points to a political movement as well.
Heavily Democratic states such as New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Michigan will go on losing congressional seats and thus electoral strength in presidential elections, political analysts say. At the same time, they say, Republican states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada likely will gain congressional and electoral clout.
"The net beneficiary of this will continue to be the Republican Party because the population shift is moving into an environment that is heavily dominated by the Republicans," says Merle Black, a professor of politics and government at Emory University and author of books on political shifts in the South.
"In the 2002 and 2004 exit polls, we saw for the first time a majority of Southern white voters identifying themselves as Republicans and Democratic identification falling to a low 20 [percent] to 25 percent," Mr. Black says.
This doesn't mean that Democrats cannot win, but population shifts give the GOP "a long-term structural advantage," he says, "and assuming they nominate credible candidates, they start with a strong base."
He adds: "The Republicans will continue to be the dominant party in the South for the foreseeable future."
Census Bureau projections show significant population shifts over the next three decades. The share of Americans living in the Northeast and Midwest will fall from 42 percent to 35 percent of the population, while the South and West will rise from 58 percent to 65 percent.
Among the 10 most populated states, Democrat-leaning Michigan and New Jersey will be supplanted by heavily Republican and fast-growing Arizona and North Carolina."
#1
Not sure that the shift is entirely attributable to population movement. Part of it may be related to the fact that libruls usually bread below the replacement figure.
Save the endangered moonbatus librulii species? I am a strict darwinist in this regard! ;-)
#2
Nuts. It's not going to be that static politically. People tend to bring their baggage with them. Examples of political drift can be seen in Idaho, Montana and Arizona vis a vis the 'Californica Exodus', and in New Hampshire from the Massacusetts refugees.
#3
I'm with Pappy on this one. Many will bring baggage with them and cause elections to be closer within each State. However, over the long haul, the Repubs benefit, as the libs don't tend to produce offspring, and the "Roe effect" (hat tip: Taranto at OpinionJournal) continues on. The election's will become closer, but the stakes (# of Electoral College votes) will get bigger.
Posted by: BA ||
07/12/2005 10:41 Comments ||
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#4
They will bring their baggage but they will no longer be brainwashed by the NYT
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
07/12/2005 13:20 Comments ||
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#6
At the same time, they say, Republican states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada likely will gain congressional and electoral clout.
So Florida is a Republican state now? I thought they were one of the all-important swing states.
Class, are there any other factors not included in this Census Bureau report which may have changed the voting pattern in Florida (or other states) since the 2000 election? Anyone? Bueller?
Democrats are toast in so many ways. Ha.
Posted by: Chris W. ||
07/12/2005 14:29 Comments ||
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#7
Of course they can. But a lot of them will content with the paper from the local news stand (who in addition is more centered in things of practical interest for Nevadans), they will have more contacts with republicans, their children will not be brainwashed by total moonbats and so on, perhaps also they will like another style of life (remember, if those people had been so happy about Masschusets they would have remained in it). The longer they stay the more right wing they will turn.
#8
It doesn't seem to be the case as much now but not too many years ago when I would talk to a Northeasterner or Midwesterner that had "emmigrated" to the South their biggest complaint was "That's not how we do things back home". My reply would always be, "Well, then go back home because that's how we do things HERE". I think over time our regional areas have melded somewhat. I have talked to a LOT of people in the last 3 years who have retired here from Northern climes and NONE of them would go back. It's not just the cold up there, but the whole non-moonbat experience of living here. Contrary to what they've been told we here in the South (mostly) don't dislike people just because they are Northerners. They seem to really like the slower pace of living and the fact that, mostly, the local governments stay out of their business. I'm not saying we don't have our share of moonbats but it seems to be a different type of moonbat, one not totally off the deep end. The more Libertarian aspect of life here seems to appeal to them and some have even changed from Democrat to Republican. Some haven't changed from Democrats but did vote Republican in tha last Presidential election. I believe this accounts for why some countys here and in Florida had more votes for President Bush than there were Republicans and Independants. Moonbat Democrats look at this apparent disparity and see evidence of voter fraud. They don't want to face the fact their party no longer appeals to a large segment of it's membership.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
07/12/2005 14:43 Comments ||
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#9
Deacon,
I would agree. The southerners I met were some of the nicest people and willing to help you no matter what. (although I hated the bugs...)
People seem to blend in, for the most part, on where they live.
#10
Really... the biggest complaint I have about living in Texas is they cannot build a road system to save their lives... jeeze, people, you can cove the damn road so it sheds water... and in other places, they have designed freeway interchanges that did not involve a 45-degree dogleg turn, and a steep uphill climb that dumped you out in the fast lane!
I can afford a house in a good neighborhood, y'see. Makes up for a lot. And the city government is as amusing as hell, too.
Really... the biggest complaint I have about living in Texas is they cannot build a road system to save their lives... jeeze, people, you can cove the damn road so it sheds water... and in other places, they have designed freeway interchanges that did not involve a 45-degree dogleg turn, and a steep uphill climb that dumped you out in the fast lane!
Actually, I've always found the roads in Texas to be a lot better than the roads here. OTOH, I had a friend once from up north who said that Louisiana's roads were a lot better than she had imagined them. I suspect because she never went to the "right" streets in New Orleans, or the back roads in Iberia and St. Mary Parish that were badly broken up from all the cane trucks (which the state is starting to regulate somewhat more strongly, hopefully alleviating the problem).
Pappy wrote:
Nuts. It's not going to be that static politically. People tend to bring their baggage with them. Examples of political drift can be seen in Idaho, Montana and Arizona vis a vis the 'Californica Exodus', and in New Hampshire from the Massacusetts refugees.
Well, there's a strong selection effect going on, in that the ones more likely to move to (for example) Texas (outside of Austin, which is sort-of an outlier) are the ones less likely to be freaked out by Texas politics to begin with.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
07/12/2005 17:57 Comments ||
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#13
Migration is a self selecting phenomena. People move from were they are dissatisfied to where they will be more satisfied. So expect a leftward shift in the states being left behind.
Posted by: ed ||
07/12/2005 18:07 Comments ||
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#14
Atlas Tanned, anyone?
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
07/12/2005 18:10 Comments ||
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#15
Contrary to what they've been told we here in the South (mostly) don't dislike people just because they are Northerners
damn straight, we can hate for a hole lot of other reasons, like stealing the damn steps offten my trailer home
The United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo says at least 30 people were burnt to death in their huts on Saturday night. Monuc sent 50 peacekeepers to Mamba village, in South Kivu province, to verify reports it had been attacked by Rwandan Hutu militias. They discovered a village burnt to the ground and two mass graves. Witnesses said 39 villagers, mostly women and children, had been locked in their huts which were then set ablaze. UN officials say at least 50 others were wounded.
The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman in the Congolese capital Kinshasa says the massacre took place 40 km west of Bukavu in the park of Kahozi Biega, a rebel stronghold where UN peacekeepers have only recently begun patrols. The UN believes the massacre could be a warning to the local population not to co-operate with the peacekeepers. Much of the South Kivu region is under the control of the FDLR, which is accused of playing a lead role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in which about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias. Speaking from his exile in Brussels, the leader of the Hutu rebels, Ignace Murwanashyaka, denied ordering the attack, and blamed a splinter group.
I'm afraid I've become numb to anything that happens like this in Africa.
I think part of the problem is that since it's been happening regularly for the past 50 years or so, everybody but the people actually being shot, stabbed, boomed, raped, pillaged, or burned alive has become numb to it as well.
Posted by: Steve ||
07/12/2005 08:38 ||
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#1
"The Horror! The Horror!"
_________________________Kurtz
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A Berlin grandmother who has worked the city's diplomatic quarter as a prostitute for the last 49 years plans to retire when she turns 64 next year, according to Germany's Bild newspaper.
Chinese officials on Tuesday protested Australia's decision to grant asylum to a former diplomat from China and warned that the case could affect relations between the two countries.
The European Commission said it had raided offices of Intel Corp and computer makers and sellers across Europe.
THE Mayor of Paris last night accused London of using âcorruptionâ to win the 2012 Olympics. Bitter Bertrand Delanoe claimed that Tony Blair and bid leader Lord Coe had âcrossed the lineâ in campaigning. And he vowed to fight to prove that the French capital has the âmoral rightâ to stage the games. In a shameless display of sour grapes, Delanoe said: âThey have not respected the rules established by the International Olympic Committee.
Two Spanish men who have been together for 30 years were married yesterday, the first couple to wed under Spain's new law allowing same-sex marriages. The ceremony took place in Tres Cantos, a town outside Madrid, eight days after Spain became the third country in the world to grant full legal recognition to same-sex couples. The other countries to do so are the Netherlands and Belgium. Similar legislation is pending in Canada.
Brazil formally introduced a proposal to reform the Security Council on Monday, a move that could bring the United Nations a step closer to ending a decade-long debate about the composition of its most powerful body. Yet the negative response the draft resolution drew from a familiar group of opponents underscored just how divided the United Nations remains. 
By the end of the summer, CBS will debut a blog called "Public Eye" that will create a "candid and robust dialogue between CBS News journalists and the public," the network announced today. 
