Residents of Bermuda installed storm shutters and hauled their yachts onto beaches in preparation for Tropical Storm Florence, which intensified Saturday and was expected to become a hurricane as it approaches the North Atlantic island.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday he would be open to again changing Venezuela's constitution to raise the cap on consecutive presidential terms. "I think that the Bolivarian Constitution may need to be reformed in some parts and that also the people should not be stripped of their right if they wish to re-elect a compatriot - whoever it may be - three, four, five, six times to steer the nation," he said to cheers.
"Oh, yasss! They should have the freedom to vote me into office over and over again, until I'm older than Fidel!"
Chavez was first elected in 1998. A new constitution adopted the following year introduced a two-term presidential limit instead of one, allowing Chavez to be re-elected in 2000 elections held under the new charter. The Supreme Court has since ruled that he can run again for a third term this year because his initial election came when a different constitution was in effect. Critics of Chavez, most among the more educated and wealthier electorate, have accused him of fixing previous elections and have repeatedly complained that the president is trying to cement his grip on the Venezuelan people dictator-style, making it nearly impossible to vote him out of office.
You mean Hugo wants to be just another banana republican dictator? But how could that be? Jimmy Carter said he was so nice!
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Going directly to President For Life is too big a leap? Baby steps, Hugo. Baby steps.
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/10/2006 10:55 Comments ||
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#5
Perhaps you joined us after TGA left, gromgoru, and so you don't know who he is. He is a German Jew, who survived first the Nazi concentration camps, then the Soviet Stalags. He used to be active on the Jewish Council in Germany, which is the interface between the German Jewish community and the German government, as well as advising the government more or less unofficially in a variety of capacities. He spoke in passing of mentioning this site to Secretary of Defence Rumsfeld, when the gentleman visited Germany. He also consulted with Angela Merkel's campaign, and hasn't been heard from since her election to the Chancellorship. TGA knew the pope socially back when he was a mere archbishop, and spoke approvingly of his character and knowledge, which certainly shaped my opinion of the gentleman.
#7
I can only hope that Pope Benedict does not lose any of the momentum he began with in terms of criticizing Islam and Muslim majority nations for their disregard of religious freedom.
Like John Paul before him, Benedict holds vast power in shaping this world's political future. It is critical that all other churches belabor Islam for its theistic monoculture and making apostasy a capital offense.
This world must present a united front in resistance of Islam's aspirations to become a global religious power. Benedict has one of the strongest levers to move it towards that end.
Ministers of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries arriving in Vienna on Sunday have indicated concern that oil prices may fall. Though the eleven-nation group is unlikely to officially reduce its production quota when it meets on Monday, the change in ministers tone could be a harbinger of things to come.
Inventories are very comfortable, prices are coming down and nobody is concerned about a shortage of supply, Ali Naimi, Saudi Arabias oil minister and Opecs most powerful member, said as he arrived in Vienna.
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At previous meetings Opec members, including Saudi Arabia, have voiced discomfort about oil prices being too high, threatening global economic growth. But there was little the group could do because its members were largely already producing at full capacity while high prices were prompted mainly by worries about sudden interruptions in supply caused by hurricanes or geopolitical tensions.
Now ministers no longer think oil prices, at around $67 a barrel, are too high. Instead they are concerned that the recent $10 drop in prices could be a sign that the market is at the beginning of a larger correction, one that could eventually impinge on oil producers revenues.
In the US, for example, sport utility vehicle sales fell 14 per cent in August, while sales of compact cars were up 18 per cent. Opec expects oil consumption in North America to increase by only 90,000 b/d in 2006, compared to the 230,000 b/d jump it experienced in 2005 and 520,000 b/d in 2004.
This would see Opec increasingly dependent on strong economic growth in China and other developing countries feeding demand for oil. But this brings back bad memories of 1997, when Asias financial crisis took Opec by surprise and the drop in demand from the region eventually pushed prices down to $10 a barrel. China, which in 2004 saw demand jump by 790,000 b/d, with other Asian countries adding another 430,000 b/d, is expected to register growth of 540,000 b/d this year.
No analyst is talking about a retreat to $10 per barrel, but even a slide to a more realistic $50 would displease many Opec ministers. To guard itself against a sudden oversupply in the market Opec is already producing 500,000 b/d below its quota of 28m b/d.
At the groups meeting the ministers are likely to raise the possibility that they will have to take action at their next meeting in December. With oil prices still in the mid-$60 range, output cuts risk painting the group as a greedy cartel and enemy of the west.
Until their next meeting, ministers still have two months of hurricane spotting to do and three months to keep tabs on the unfolding diplomatic drama between the west and Iran. By then they should also have a better grasp of how cold the northern hemispheres winter will be and how much heating oil the US and Europe will need.
#1
Welcome to Capitalist Economics 101. Americans are conserving, something we do very very well when the high cost of something hits our wallets. Less use of a commodity = larger supply = lower prices. IIRC, the last time prices crunched, OPEC went into 'every-man-for-himself' mode and kept producing at full blast simply to keep the money coming in at all. And since people have gotten a pretty decent education this time on how market forces work, I suspect they will continue to conserve.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/10/2006 13:43 Comments ||
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#2
"market forces" - the West's secret weapon. If we use it right. It's starting - continue the push ahead of winter. Panic them.
#3
oil at $55-60 would be a welcome boost to the economy
however, if prices collapse to the low 40s it would be devestating to a number of the alternate sources; for example the deep resource that Chevron discovered recently requires a price of $50 or so to be economically developed
Striking back, the American public has had enough. Now if we can turn their greed into infighting and break OPEC.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/10/2006 17:05 Comments ||
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"Opec concerned over falling oil prices"
I have just got to find my nano-violin! I'm missing so many opportunities to give a nano-concert. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/10/2006 17:08 Comments ||
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#6
While this is a good thing short term, we really, really need to get past being hooked on OPECs oil and move on to something else to fuel our tranportation and electric needs besides oil and imported natural gas. We should be self-sufficent in Energy and Food and hostage to no ones agenda, economics, or politics. High Oil prices spur research that can amd must lead to energy indpendence. The Multinational Oil Companies will not be helping us out here, they want to keep us hooked. We need to proceed in spite of them and the Enviromental TRANZIs. Prices need to stay above 50 bucks.
#7
The Multinational Oil Companies will not be helping us out here, they want to keep us hooked.
Indeed they do. If you doubt it, just have a look at our decrepid railroad system. Oh, you'd rather fly than go by car or rail? You can return that $700. Brooks Bros. suit if it's not entirely to your liking. Try to do the same with an airline ticket. Last loaf of break or case of beer on the shelf still costs about he safe as the first case... not so with an ailine seat. Ever notice how closely alligned the fares of all the carriers are? We used to refer to that as "price fixing." A term no longer heard. The streetcar will never return, they've seen to that. Yes, it's all about OIL.
#9
High oil costs (and the associated high state and federal taxes) much like illegal immigrants, and import tariffs are huge revenue producers for the donks in Washington. It's a business decision, nothing will change.
#13
Oil prices are not driven by US demand when Asian demand is increasing by over 1 million barrels/year. With Chinese vehicle production increasing 25% each year, that won't without a drastic change in US trade policy.
The smartest thing the US could do is build a enough 100,000 barrel/day $4B coal2oil plants to replace imports. That sets a US ceiling on prices at $35-40/barrel, less if nuclear plants are colocated to provide heat and hydrogen inputs. Then if oil prices drop under $30/barrel it is cheaper to idle the plants with subsidies (capital cost of $4-5/barrel over the 30-40 year life of the plant) than do what we are currently doing.
Another thing the Us could do is go wholesale hybrid or plug in hybrid with subsidies wiping out the $3000 price differential (Ford Escape). At $60B/year for 15M cars, it is still much cheaper than trying to bring democracy to murderous primitives.
Posted by: ed ||
09/10/2006 22:06 Comments ||
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#14
that won't change without a drastic change in US trade policy.
$4000 price differential
Posted by: ed ||
09/10/2006 22:11 Comments ||
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#15
Trade policy can go to hell. Doha failed anyway.
#16
ed - that would require politicians to think beyond the next election and corporations to think beyond the next quarter. Never going to happen - damn it.
TORONTO (AP) - First, General Motors. Then gun control, followed by George W. Bush. Now rabble-rousing filmmaker Michael Moore has turned his irreverent camera on health care in America.
"Sicko," Moore's dissection of the health care system, promises to be another hilarious documentary romp, based on excerpts he showed Friday night at the Toronto International Film Festival.
During a two-hour appearance, Moore discussed his career as a counterculture journalist, provocative filmmaker and liberal standard-bearer, and he played three clips from "Sicko," which he said would be in theaters next June.
The segments presented stories of personal health care nightmares, including that of a woman denied payment for an ambulance ride after a head-on collision because it was not preapproved.
The "Sicko" excerpts also included a segment comparing Canada's public health care to the privatized system in the United States, concluding that Canadians have more equitable access to medical services. Guess which one Mike Al-Moore uses? It doesn't have a maple leaf on it!
The idea for "Sicko" grew out of a segment from Moore's TV show "The Awful Truth," in which he staged a mock funeral outside a health-maintenance organization that had declined a pancreas transplant for a diabetic man. The HMO later relented. As opposed to Canada where the diabetic man simply had to wait until a year after he died....
Health care representatives downplay the potential impact of Moore's documentary.
With a laid-back persona but an in-your-face documentary style, Moore broke onto the scene with 1989's "Roger & Me," chronicling his efforts to meet with GM boss Roger Smith amid the economic chaos the automaker's plant closings had on Moore's hometown of Flint, Mich.
Moore's 2002 gun-control film "Bowling for Columbine" won the documentary prize at the Academy Awards. Dispite it being a work of pure bullshit fiction.
He followed with 2004's "Fahrenheit 9/11," skewering Bush for his actions over the Sept. 11 attacks. The film topped $100 million at the box office to become the biggest documentary hit ever. It had to win something for hollywierd so they placed it in the 'documentary' field - in spite of its lack mere facts.
"Michael Moore is a political activist with a track record for sensationalism. He has no intention of being fair and balanced," Johnson said.
#1
No intention of being fair and balanced.
Or honest, or anything else but the anti American slob he is. EMbrace him Hollyweird, he is the pinacle of success for the deranged.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/10/2006 10:23 Comments ||
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#2
another hilarious documentary romp
'nuff said
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/10/2006 10:54 Comments ||
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#3
"Sicko"? Interesting title. Is it Mike Moore's autobiography?
#5
While I don't really care enough to track it down like this guy did for his Halliburton stock, it'd be interesting to see whether Mikey trades in health care or pharma stocks. "The movie's coming out next month. Short Merck."
Posted by: Matt ||
09/10/2006 12:14 Comments ||
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#6
Let's hope Mikey never ends up in the care of anyone he attacked in his "romp".
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
09/10/2006 17:03 Comments ||
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#7
"Michael Moore Dissects U.S. Health Care"
Lemme know when the coroner U.S. health care dissects Moore-on.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/10/2006 17:10 Comments ||
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#8
Let me guess...
He's advocating an extortion-funded treatment rationing system?
Few people turned out Saturday for a rally demanding amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants, the latest sign of pro-immigrant groups' struggles to regain momentum after hundreds of thousands marched for the cause in the spring.
Local bands played rock music, vendors offered chicken tacos and dozens of activists set up information booths in a downtown field. But only about 350 people showed up, and many were organizers and journalists. Million-Hombre-March!
Organizers, who had expected about 5,000 participants, downplayed the low turnout. They said their point was made even with sparse crowds. Speaking truthiness to power with a megaphone to 20 or so participants!
"This community has shown it wants a solution, so we shouldn't have to show it with half a million people each time we do it," said Maria Elena Durazo, secretary treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Whoring to organize illegals in unions...
The rally comes as pro-immigrant coalitions try to re-energize their campaign after summer vacation and internal divisions have weakened a movement that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets in the spring. summer vacations? What a dedicated and tireless group of activists
The rally culminated this week's National Latino Congreso, billed as one of the largest gatherings of Hispanic leaders in decades.
Sessions included speeches and workshops on registering Hispanic voters as democrats, running Hispanic political democratic candidates, wage gaps between Hispanics and whites, environmental issues and a lack of access to health care in immigrant communities.
how about all the trash, empty plastic bottles and used diapers, and environmental damage done by the flood of illegals?
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/10/2006 12:23 ||
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#1
Basically, they think they should get free shit for being mexican. Same as the blacks and queers. Well, I guess if they bitch and cry long enough, they WILL get it.
#2
You've got a real lumpy philsophy there, EG8036. A super-simplified lump 'em all together if they don't look like you thingy... and don't, for heaven's sake, think too hard about it - you might strain yourself or find out you're full of shit.
#5
They really don't need a lot of supporters for amnesty showing up. They've got big-guns working it in the background, everyone from corporate sponsors like Miller Brewing, to Hollywood, Big Labor, and the Catholic Church along with other churches...
#6
If you've been minding your wallet and income tax returns for the past 40 years, and have been watching the migration of wealth, jobs, and benefits from the have's to the undeserving have nots by the liberal communists in Washington.... you'll understand Ebbo's comment. A bit crudely worded, but simple and crude are oftentime quite effective methods of communication.
#8
Ebboluse Gletle8036, let me clue you in. Conservatism is about thought. Conservatives think a thing through, unlike libs who simply profer the standard knee-jerk emotional reaction. If you want to be taken for anything more than a simple minded racist or homophobe here in Rantburg, you've got to think. I know it's hard to try new things, but I encourage you to make the effort nonetheless.
#4
Prime Minister John Howard, a friend and ally of Bush, said he would not meet Gore during his Australian visit and would not heed his advice to sign up to Kyoto.
``I don't take policy advice from films,'' Howard told reporters.
Heh.
Posted by: Matt ||
09/10/2006 12:06 Comments ||
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#5
Barb, I agree, a good ole fashion cat fight amongst whimpy donks (Biden, Billary, Gore) would be entertaining.
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/10/2006 12:27 Comments ||
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#6
let's see:
Garlic - check;
Cross - check;
Wooden Stake - check;
Sliver Bullet - would a can of Coors work?
Anyone up for a petition drive to amend the Constitution so Howard can run for President?
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
09/10/2006 16:31 Comments ||
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#8
I'm gonna send him an email begging him to run!!!
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/10/2006 16:49 Comments ||
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#9
No, no, #7 & 8!
We need him in Australia! (And so does Australia.)
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
09/10/2006 17:06 Comments ||
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#10
I meant Gore not Howard, sorry.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/10/2006 17:37 Comments ||
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#11
Reminds of the old joke about RUN HILARY RUN bumper stickers. The Dems place 'em on the back bumper and the Republicans place 'em on the front. However, I suspect that all of the RUN AL RUN stickers will be on front bumpers.
India is set to purchase an advanced short-range air defense system from Israel to bolster its aging Russian-made equipment, a news agency reported Sunday.
India has agreed to buy the Spyder system, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, adding that the military was awaiting Cabinet approval for the deal worth about US $240 million.
The army plans to buy four batteries of the system, PTI quoted unnamed senior officers as saying.
Military officials were unavailable for comment Sunday.
The truck mounted system is made by Israel's Rafael armaments company. In India, the missiles would be mounted on locally made Tata trucks, PTI said.
The Spyder is designed to counter attacks by aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and precision guided munitions, according to Rafael's Web site.
It uses a combination of two missiles, the Derby active radar missile and the Python 5, which uses infra red to track incoming objects, according to Rafael. The system's radar can track up to 60 targets at a time.
The company had no immediate comment on the purchase.
Israel has emerged as a leading arms supplier to India in recent years as it tries to modernize its large military.
In 2004, Israel agreed to sell three PHALCON airborne early warning systems to India. The US $1.1 billion dollar deal was Israel's biggest one-time sale of military hardware.
Posted by: john ||
09/10/2006 11:03 ||
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Space shuttle Atlantis thundered into orbit Saturday with no obvious damage from debris to worry NASA or the six-member crew as they prepared to resume construction of the international space station for the first time since the 2003 Columbia disaster. After two weeks of delays due to storms and technical glitches, Atlantis rose from its seaside pad through a partly cloudy sky at 11:15 a.m. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin declared the launch "majestic."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Princess Leia: Would it help if I got out and pushed?
Han Solo: It might!
US attempts to haul Myanmar before the UN Security Council showed that Washington wants to overthrow the ruling junta, state media said on Saturday. "It is apparent that the US government is attempting to install a puppet government in Myanmar," the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.
The paper accused US lawmakers of colluding with "internal and external lackeys and terrorist groups in exile" which were attempting to "make good use of the Security Council for political gain". It said some pro-democracy groups, including Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, were seeking to seize power under the cover of the US' diplomatic attacks.
And this is bad because ...
Posted by: Fred ||
09/10/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Isn't their current government a Puppet of the Generals?
#3
The paper accused US lawmakers of colluding with "internal and external lackeys and terrorist groups in exile" which were attempting to "make good use of the Security Council for political gain".
Well, you got to understand. Cause they won't let the US beat up on poor old Iran, Syria, and North Korea. You see they can make people nervous. You on the other hand are a back water, forgotten land more recalled as Burma than the new fangled name you pasted on yourself. So, to give the US a bit of a release from all the pent up energy to go thump the real bullies in the neighborhood, the UN council has decided you get to be Luck Pierre! And you don't have any oil, or rugs, or white slag and the Afghans are now back into the illicit drug trade again, so no one will miss you, or your piddling secret bank accounts, or your mistresses, etc, etc, etc. Come on, boys, you can't even travel as well has our boy Hugo to jump up and down shouting - Look at me, Look at me!
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.
Residents of Bermuda installed storm shutters and hauled their yachts onto beaches in preparation for Tropical Storm Florence, which intensified Saturday and was expected to become a hurricane as it approaches the North Atlantic island.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday he would be open to again changing Venezuela's constitution to raise the cap on consecutive presidential terms. "I think that the Bolivarian Constitution may need to be reformed in some parts and that also the people should not be stripped of their right if they wish to re-elect a compatriot - whoever it may be - three, four, five, six times to steer the nation," he said to cheers. 
Few people turned out Saturday for a rally demanding amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants, the latest sign of pro-immigrant groups' struggles to regain momentum after hundreds of thousands marched for the cause in the spring.
US attempts to haul Myanmar before the UN Security Council showed that Washington wants to overthrow the ruling junta, state media said on Saturday. "It is apparent that the US government is attempting to install a puppet government in Myanmar," the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.
