[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN woman exhales cigarette smoke into the mouth of a gaunt, naked patient at a Jakarta clinic, where tobacco is openly touted as a cancer cure.
Cheez! Why didn't I think of this?
The Western patient is suffering from emphysema, a condition she developed from decades of smoking. Along with cancer and autism, it's just one of the ailments the Griya Balur clinic claims it can cure with cigarettes.
'I missed this,' says the woman, a regular customer, with an American accent, as Phil Collins's 'I Can Feel It' blares in the background.
Griya Balur would be shut down in many parts of the world, but not in Indonesia, one of the developing-country new frontiers for big tobacco as it seeks to replace its dwindling profits in the health-conscious West.
Long traditions of tobacco use combined with poor regulation and the billions of dollars that flow into government coffers from the tobacco industry mean places like Griya Balur go unchallenged.
The 'treatment' for the emphysema sufferer includes the blowing of smoke from 'divine cigarettes' infused with 'nanotechnology' to remove their cancer-causing 'free radicals", through a tube into her diseased lungs.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
[Arab News] Japan raised the severity level of the crisis at its crippled nuclear plant Tuesday to rank it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, citing cumulative radiation leaks that have contaminated the air, tap water, vegetables and seawater.
Japanese nuclear regulators said the rating was being raised from 5 to 7 -- the highest level on an international scale overseen by the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency -- after new assessments of radiation leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant since it was disabled by the March 11 tsunami.
The new ranking signifies a "major accident" that includes widespread effects on the environment and health, according to the Vienna-based IAEA.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
See also FREEREPUBLIC > JAPAN: AFTERSHOCK SEQUENCE MAY LAST [up to] TEN YEARS: REPORT
[Ross Stein - Geophysicist, USGS].
and
* WORLD NEWS > TEPCO LIABILITY MAY BE CAPPED AT US$24-45 BILYUHN [Y$2.0-3.8 Trilyuhn]:REPORT.
Presuming that TEPCO Bigwigs don't weirdly-n-mysteriously declare formal bankruptcy first, it amy have to payout US$100-200Bilyuhn annually for 15 years from its corporate profits.
* SAME > BOJ REPORT NOTES MASSIVE DAMAGE TO LOCAL ECONOMIES. Urban-Suburban-Rural.
* TOPIX > JAPAN NEEDS TO BRACE A PERIOD OF BIG QUAKES.
* SAME > EXPERTS:JAPAN TO EXPERIENCE FUKUSHIMA AFTERSHOCKS FOR NEXT 6-12 MONTHS [High-Mangitidue = MAG 7.0 or greater].
* WMF > 03/11/2011 "SENDAI" QUAKE-TSUNAMI DESTROYED JAPAN'S ECONOMY FOR NEXT 5-20 YEARS, UP TO 18.0MILYUHN JAPANESE MAY LEAVE JAPAN FOR CHINA DUE TO RADIATION POISONING.
* WMF > SENDAI QUAKE CAUSED PARTS OF JAPAN"S TERRITORY EQUIVALENT TO 1/2 THE LAND AREA OF TOKYO TO SINK TOWARDS SEA LEVEL.
* WMF > PROFESSOR TAKASHI OF TOKYO EARTHQUAKE RESEARCH INSTITUTE:MORE EARTHQUAKES OF MAG. 9.0 OR GREATER SIMILAR TO 03/11/2011 DISASTER MAY OCCUR IN JAPAN REGION, WORLD WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, JAPAN MAY SUFFER UP TO EIGHT MAJOR AFTERSHOCKS OF MAG 7.0 OR HIGHER FROM THE FUKUSHIMA QUAKE.
* WMF > JAPAN METEREOLOGICAL AGENCY WARNS OF VIGILANCE AS NATION'S TOP 20 VOLCANOES ARE EXHIBITING HIGHER FREQUENCIES OF EARTHQUAKES.
* TOPIX > [Helium.com] CASCADING EARTHQUAKES + THE THEORY OF GLOBAL RUPTURE | WHAT IFF A SUPER-EARTHQUAKE LED TO OTHER SUPER-QUAKES AND SENT THE WORLD INTO A CASCADING CARCOPHY OF CATASTROPHE?
Lest we fergit, "2012" + "QUAKE HEARD/FELT AROUND THE WORLD", aka Global = Universal Quake.
Which according to the HISTORY CHANNEL must be a Quake = "Trigger" Quake of minima MAG 10 or HIGHER???
#3
WMF > JAPAN THINK-TANK: EXPANDING CHINESE PLA MILITARY TEHCNOLOGIES, MISSION SCOPES COULD LEAD TO SINO-JAPANESE WAR.
* SAME > WHITE RUSSIANS BEGIN TO FLEE RUSS FAR EAST DUE TO FEARS OF RADIATION POISONING FROM JAPAN "FUKUSHIMA" NUCLEAR CRISIS.
CONUS + NATO-EU, ready or not here they come!
* SAME > CPLA MUST PLAN FOR POSSIBLE REGIONAL WAR AGZ JAPAN DUE TO DESPERATION OVER THE DOMESTIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR DISASTER. RISE OF DISASTER-LED JAPANESE MILITARISM [including NUCLEAR].
* SAME > RUSSIA'S DECLINING POPULATION: 20,000 VILLAGES, SMALL CITIES ARE "EMPTY" DUE TO LOW BIRTHRATES + RURAL-URBAN ECON RELOCATION.
#4
This upgrade is not due to any change in the situation at the site. Radiation levels continue to decline and the situation continues to stabilize. The change is a result of a recalculation of iodine-131 released a few weeks ago. It appears more of it was released than previously thought (75% of which has now decayed and is no longer in the environment).
This is more of an administrative change than anything else. There will be no changes to stability operations at the site.
* RENSE > JAPAN COVERED UP [Pre-SENDAI = 03/11 QUAKE] PROBLEMS AT FUKUSHIMA BEFORE 2006.
* SAME > JAPAN'S ECONOMY IN "SEVERE" CONDITION AFTER QUAKE.
* PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > JAPAN:RAISING GENERATIONS OF RADIATION. Nippon's already "greying" population to be complemented by their radioactive descendants, environment.
* IRNA > OVER 600.0MILYUHN PEOPLE IN EUROPE STILL SUFFER FROM CHERNOBYL AFTER-EFFECTS:STUDY [IPPNW].
* DAILY TIMES.PK > CHINA CONCERNED AT JAPAN'S PROLONGED NUCLEAR CRISIS.
* WMF > JAPAN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: HIGHER MAGNITUDE QUAKES [MAG 9.0-plus] MAY OCCUR THROUGHOUT VARIOUS CHINA SEAS REGIONS, NEW 700-KM LONG REGIONAL FAULT LINE MAY FORM INTERCONNECTING THE SEA OF JAPAN, EAST + EAST CHINA SEAS, SOUTH CHINA SEAS, + MIYAZAKI EARTHQUAKE ZONES.
* SAME WMF > MASSIVE HUMAN DIASPORA OR MASSIVE HUMAN INVASION TO BE CAUSED BY FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR CRISIS + JAPAN'S DUMPING OF HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE WATER INTO THE PACIFIC THAT SPREAD TO MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL REGIONS..
#1
"Zbigniew Brzezinski served as US National Security Adviser to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981 and has also advised Barack Obama on foreign policy."
And look where that's gotten us.
In other words, another liberal everything-should-be-all-unicorns loser.
I stopped reading right there.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/13/2011 13:22 Comments ||
Top||
#2
It seems to me that the crisis involving Libya is a crisis that provides the West with a rather unique opportunity for united action and I would have been more pleased if Germany had chosen to be in some fashion part of it, even if not necessarily a direct military participant.
Can't argue with that.
I think what is involved here is a missed opportunity to underline, to affirm something that is desirable and important, namely the ability of the West to act in common.
Can't argue with that either.
The more united the West is, the shorter the conflict will be. Because obviously Gadhafi and his associates want to prolong the conflict, create a stalemate and in some fashion remain in power. So it's not irrelevant to the outcome how united the West is and how determined it is.
Dang, three in a row.
I think Mr. Brzezinski found an acorn.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/13/2011 14:11 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Just don't ask ol' ZB about Israel or the Jews...
#4
When will Carter and his fellow traveling retards disappear?
Posted by: Water Modem ||
04/13/2011 14:29 Comments ||
Top||
#5
...because getting the Germans all worked up about war is such a good idea [after a couple hundred years of militarism culminating in two world wars in the 20th Century]. /sarc off
Maybe we like our Germans cuddly and peaceful even if it creates complications.
#7
Snark aside, one thing about the Germans. They learned a different lesson from WW2 than the rest of the us. We learned that if you sit out too long the war will be really bad when you finally have to get involved. The Germans learned War is bad.
[Maghrebia] For many Tunisians, a shift towards a more traditional culture is at odds with the country's recent history. They fear the gains of the revolution could be lost.
At an April 1st protest in Tunis, organised in part by the Islamic Liberation Party, some demonstrators called for imposing the niqab on women and requiring them to stay at home.
"It's really alarming," student Amal Arifi said. "I see them everywhere with their strange clothes and preference for isolation rather than mixing with others even in universities. It's true that they are peaceful, but the prejudice they are exercising against women has made me feel somewhat uncomfortable about them."
In response, the Tunisian interior ministry on Thursday (April 7th) banned prayers on streets and public squares, urging worshippers to avoid blocking thoroughfares. The religious affairs ministry also said it was relying on the understanding of Tunisians to combat the phenomenon.
Tunisians have always been known for their moderation and support for free speech and respect for religious freedom, said Najet Hammemi, a religious affairs ministry official. She added that the ministry was keen on adopting a moderate religious discourse at mosques involving tolerance and acceptance of the other.
"In my opinion, it's important for the current government to show greater firmness in dealing with the forces that attract us backwards," said Sofiene Chourabi, a member of the High Commission for the Realisation of Revolutionary Goals, Political Reforms and Democratic Transition. "It's also necessary to take strict measures against those who violate personal freedoms and try to impose their religious interpretations and readings on the society. Tunisians have always been characterised by their tolerance, and they are supposed to remain as such."
Although the revolution gave Sourour Ben Atia the freedom to wear the veil in public, she didn't see a justification for calls to restrict women's role to the home.
"These calls can't be put under the name of enforcement of the rules of Islam which gave freedom to women, who have always been an effective element in society," Ben Atia said.
As for the call to impose the veil or niqab, Boutheina Majdoub said: "Dress is a personal matter and lies under women's individual freedom. No one whosoever has the right to intervene in it by banning it or forcing others to wear it."
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#4
Wish to see an Obama future? Read R.W. Johnson. Affirmative Action or in the case of Johnson's book, Black Economic Emplowerment (BEE), and the thuggery they both empower are little more than symtoms of communism.
[Al Jazeera] Police in Swaziland have fired water cannons at pro-democracy protesters and jugged people on the streets to prevent demonstrations in sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy.
Simantele Mmema, a spokeswoman for the Swaziland National Association of Teachers, said on Tuesday that more than 1,000 protesters who were singing and chanting in a teacher's training centre were dispersed by police using water cannons.
Mmema said teachers left the centre and were marching to the centre of Manzini, the economic hub of southern Africa's usually peaceful mountain kingdom.
An online campaign has tried to rally support for the demonstrations, which come exactly 38 years after the current Swazi king's father, King Sobhuza II, banned political parties and abandoned the country's constitution.
A police spokeswoman, Wendy Hleta, said union leaders were being questioned over threats to overthrow the government they allegedly made to foreign media.
COSATU, the biggest trade union federation in neighbouring South Africa, said police placed in durance vile seven labour leaders on Tuesday morning.
A South African radio station said one of its news hounds had been jugged in the country, where she was sent to cover planned pro-democracy protests.
Talk Radio 702's report followed a statement from a pro-democracy group in the country that several activists had been placed in durance vile ahead of planned protests.
Mswati's grip on power
The protest has been called by a coalition of civil society and trade unions marching under the banner of the Labour Coordinating Council.
Unions have taken the place of banned parties and are at the forefront of the protest calls - similar to those in north Africa that have toppled presidents in Tunisia and Egypt.
King Mswati III, who has 13 wives and a fortune estimated at $100m in a country where 70 per cent of people live on less than a dollar a day, has refused to loosen the monarchy's grip on power.
Forbes magazine lists the 42-year-old king among the 15 richest monarchs in the world. He assumed the throne in 1986 at the age of 18, has a penchant for fast cars, luxury palaces and extravagant parties.
Police commissioner Isaac Magagula said the police, the army and correctional services were ready to face down "evil" protesters.
"Such evil will not be tolerated," the Times newspaper, a privately owned publication, quoted him as saying.
Police have been raiding activists' homes since last week, with four key protest organisers placed in durance vile on Monday.
Last week the national organiser of the banned Swaziland Youth Congress, Mcolisi Ngcamphalala, said he was held and tortured by police for 24 hours.
The prime minister, Barnabas Dlamini, has declared the demonstrations illegal and warned that anyone who took part did so at their own risk.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Tired of the King marrying every good looking babe every year?
The Reed Dance is a traditional opportunity for Swaziland's maidens to pay tribute to the Queen Mother. Although the King has used the occasion to choose wives a few times, the ceremony is not about him primarily. The king's own children partake in this event.
The annual Umhlanga (Reed) Dance is an assembly of about 20,000 young maidens (recently reaching 100,000) who bring tall (4 m) reeds to present to the Queen Mother. These reeds are then used to build windbreaks around the Queen Mother's residence. The Reed Dance usually lasts for a week and the king only attends the last day as a sign of respect to his mother. He also uses the occasion to thank the young girls who have traveled long distances to attend the event by slaughtering cattle and presenting them with a feast before they return home.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
04/13/2011 14:49 Comments ||
Top||
UN leader the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon told Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara on Monday the country must avert new "bloodshed" and ensure there is no retaliation against supporters of fallen strongman Laurent Gbagbo ... Former President-for-Life of Ivory Coast from 2000 to 2011. Laurent lost to Alassane Ouattara in 2010 but his representative tore up the results on the teevee and he refused to vacate the presidential palace. French troops assisted the Oattara forces in extricating him from his Fuhrerbunker... , a UN front man said.
The UN secretary general spoke to Ouattara in the hours after the internationally-recognized president's forces captured Gbagbo in his Abidjan bunker, which followed a new military operation by UN and French troops.
Ban said the Ouattara government was responsible for Gbagbo's safety and "underlined to President Ouattara the expectation that with Mr. Gbagbo now in the hands of the president's forces any further bloodshed will be avoided.
"He stressed in particular the need to ensure that there is no retaliation against Mr. Gbagbo's supporters," UN front man Martin Nesirky said.
The UN chief welcomed Ouattara's call to set up a national truth and reconciliation commission to look into accusations of massacres and other crimes made against both sides in the Ivory Coast conflict, Nesirky added.
Ban reaffirmed that "those responsible for human rights ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedom at the convenience of the state... abuses, regardless of their affiliation, must be held accountable."
Ivory Coast now has an "historic opportunity" and must work to foster national reconciliation, establish a national unity government, ensure accountability for serious human rights violations and re-establish state authority throughout the West African nation, which has been in turmoil for much of the past decade, Ban said.
The United Nations ...an international organization whose stated aims of facilitating interational security involve making sure that nobody with live ammo is offended unless it's a civilized country... , which has more than 9,000 troops and police in Ivory Coast, will keep up its mission helping to re-establishing law and order and Ban offered help countering what he called a "critical" humanitarian emergency after the conflict.
Several hundred people have been killed in the unrest since a presidential election in November, which Gbagbo refused to recognize he had lost.
UN guards are now protecting Gbagbo even though he is in the custody of Ouattara forces.
Ban called on "all parties to work together to put an end to this tragic chapter, which could have been avoided had Mr. Gbagbo respected the will of the people at a far earlier stage," said his front man.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
He stressed in particular the need to ensure that there is no retaliation against Mr. Gbagbo's supporters
Any bets on how many non-Muslims Ivory Coast has 10 years from now?
[The Nation (Nairobi)] Nigeria's opposition seems to have eroded the ruling party's dominance of parliament, results showed today, with the children of ex-presidents among losers in polls seen as a step towards real democracy.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, however, looked set to remain the largest party in the 469-member legislature despite losing ground in the southwest and parts of the north of Africa's most populous nation.
Saturday's parliamentary polls, the first of three crucial elections this month, have been described by officials and observers as a clear sign of progress in Nigeria despite violence and two earlier postponements.
Presidential elections are to be held this coming Saturday, while governorship and state assembly ballots are set for April 26.
Losses for the ruling PDP included Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, a senator and daughter of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, and Maryam Yar'Adua, daughter of late president Umaru Yar'Adua who was defeated in her bid to join the house.
The speaker of the house of representatives, Dimeji Bankole, also lost his seat -- and reacted in a way that may have surprised Nigerians weary with win-at-all-cost politicians.
"For me, the race was not a life and death duel," he said in a statement.
"Of more importance is building, maintaining and developing our democratic institution and processes as a means towards true national development and greatness."
In the country's southwest, where the economic capital Lagos is located, the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria had made a strong showing.
The Congress for Progressive Change opposition, whose presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari, an ex-military ruler, is seen as the main challenger to incumbent Goodluck Jonathan ... 14th President of Nigeria. He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He is a lover of nifty hats, which makes him easily recognizable unless someone else in the room is wearing a neat chapeau... , made inroads in the north.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
[Tolo News] Ivory Coast's UN-recognised President Alassane Ouattara has said Laurent Gbagbo ... Former President-for-Life of Ivory Coast from 2000 to 2011. Laurent lost to Alassane Ouattara in 2010 but his representtive tore up the results on the teevee and he refused to vacate the presidential palace. French troops assisted the Oattara forces in extricating him from his Fuhrerbunker... will soon face trial, reports say.
Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was captured by French forces on Monday and handed over to opposition leaders.
Now the main task ahead of Ouattara is to reunite the nation.
Ouattara has said a truth and reconciliation would soon be established.
Laurent Gbagbo surrendered after hus residence in Abijdan came under attack. He refused to step down after the November election in which his rival Alassane Ouattara was announced the winner.
The UN also recognised Ouattara as the legitimate President of Ivory Coast, but Mr Gbagbo refused to cede power leading to a civil war that claimed hundreds of lives.
Both the UN Secretary General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack B.O. Obama have welcomed the capture of Gbagbo.
Obama has urged gangs to strengthen opportunities of a democratic future and lay down their arms.
Mr Gbagbo and his wife are reportedly under UN guard at Abidjan's Golf Hotel.
In a TV message, Ouattara has called on the people of Ivory Coast to refrain from violence. A message has also been aired from Gbagbo calling for and end to hostilities.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
About damn time.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/13/2011 0:39 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Or to die in jail of a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Slobodan_Milo%C5%A1evi%C4%87.
#4
Who's on the take to slip him the cyanide martini?
Or are they just going to stuff and mount him and send him to Ki-Moon for a birthday present? It's not often a Secretary General gets to depose a dictator. I think Gbagbo and Quadaffy would make a nice set of book ends for the UN Charter to sit in the General Assembly hall.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
04/13/2011 22:58 Comments ||
Top||
Muslims who had come to pray at the Grand Mosque in Mecca were shocked when a man took the microphone and declared he was the Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam who is expected to come prior to the Day of Resurrection.
Eyewitnesses say the imam had just started the Asr prayer when the man snatched the microphone and made his announcement. Mosque security quickly arrested the man, an Egyptian national in his 30s.
Security officers took the man to the mosque's police station for investigation. Police concluded that the man was suffering from mental problems.
#7
"Police concluded that the man was suffering from mental problems."
What was their first clue? That he was in Mecca?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/13/2011 12:54 Comments ||
Top||
#8
As a kid, I used to memorize and go around spouting Lord Lawrence OLivier's lines from the movie KHARTOUM. My sister and parents were driven half nuts. Great flic by the way...
[Arab News] The Shoura Council recommended a separate department to issue Islamic verdicts, or fatwas, on women's affairs on Monday. The proposal was made by a Shoura member at a session chaired by the council's chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh.
Taking sexual segregation to a new level. It will be interesting when the male/female rules diverge as a result, and the fatwa departments start to argue among themselves.
Shoura Council Secretary-General Muhammad Al-Ghamdi told news hounds that the suggestion was made by the council's committee for Islamic affairs and judiciary when it presented its observations on the annual report of the General Presidency for Scientific Research and Issuing Fatwas.
An interesting combination...
"It was pointed out that such a department for issuing fatwas on women's affairs should be linked to the standing committee based at the General Presidency for Scientific Research and Issuing Fatwas," Al-Ghamdi said. He added that the house strongly felt that there should be more personnel such as translators to work in this field so that the government could render improved services to people interested in learning more about Islam.
The members also suggested that the presidency's website should be made available in foreign languages such as Russian, German and Chinese to disseminate useful information to a larger clientele of browsers interested in learning about the latest advances in the field.
Al-Ghamdi said the members hailed the services of the Islamic scholars and researchers rendering yeoman services in the field of Islamic jurisprudence.
Subsequently, the council's committee on administration and human resources submitted its recommendations on the annual report of the supervision and investigations committee for the fiscal year 2009-2010.
The house suggested that relevant government officials be summoned for an informal discussion to conduct a detailed study on the matter.
The house suggested that the anti-corruption commission formed on the recommendation of King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah should chalk out a comprehensive strategy to wipe out corruption in government departments.
The house also approved the draft agreement between the Kingdom and Eritrea to promote bilateral relations.
Al-Ghamdi said the agreement containing nine articles is designed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of culture, information, scientific research, trade and investments.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under:
[Arab News] Soddy Arabia on Monday announced its plan to sign a nuclear cooperation agreement with China. The Cabinet said it has authorized Hashim Yamani, president of the King Abdullah City for Nuclear and Renewable Energy, to hold talks with Chinese officials to reach a deal for peaceful use of atomic energy.
The new move comes after the Kingdom signed its first ever nuclear treaty with La Belle France in February. Yamani, who signed that agreement, said it would pave the way for the Kingdom's long-term plans to build power stations utilizing alternative energy sources to produce electricity and water.
The agreement allows the two countries to cooperate in the fields of production, use and transfer of knowledge regarding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Soddy Arabia has decided to make use of alternative resources such as atomic, solar, geothermal and wind power to meet its growing energy requirements.
Power demand is forecast to increase by 8 percent annually in the Kingdom. Demand for electricity in Soddy Arabia is expected to triple by 2032, which will give rise to the need for energy plants with a total of 80 gigawatts of installed capacity.
King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who chaired the Cabinet meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, briefed the ministers on the outcome of his talks with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the content of a letter he received from Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.
The Cabinet discussed the latest developments in some Arab countries. It also welcomed the GCC's call on the Yemeni government and opposition to meet in Soddy Arabia for talks aimed at reinforcing peace and stability in the country and achieving the hopes and aspirations of the Yemeni people.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/13/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
hmmmm ...I wonder why the Saudi Arabians suddenly feel the need to court the Chinese?
#5
ION NOT-KSA, DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > IRANIAN ARMY TO BOOST DEPLOYMENT OF [Ground] FORCES ALONG BORDERS, as due to Iran-preceived changes in the nature of threats facing Iran.
#6
...The Saudis have been talking to the Chinese for a looooooooooong time now:
http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/missile/saudi.htm
The House of Saud are no fools. They play a very long game, and they have been hedging their bets for decades. Don't worry about a crisis caused by spending in Washington - worry about what will happen the day Chinese troops take up bases in the Magic Kingdom....
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
04/13/2011 8:53 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Chinese should be building nuke plants and get off of oil altogether. Leapfrog the west. Its not as if they have environmentalists to worry about and even with sweet Saudi deals they'll have a long way to ship that oil to market.
After former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker was appointed in 1979, the consumer price index surged into the double digits, causing the now revered Fed Chief to double the benchmark interest rate in order to break the back of inflation. Using the methodology in place at that time puts the CPI back near those levels.
Inflation, using the reporting methodologies in place before 1980, hit an annual rate of 9.6 percent in February, according to the Shadow Government Statistics newsletter.
Since 1980, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has changed the way it calculates the CPI in order to account for the substitution of products, improvements in quality (i.e. iPad 2 costing the same as original iPad) ['I Can't Eat an iPad'] and other things. Backing out more methods implemented in 1990 by the BLS still puts inflation at a 5.5 percent rate and getting worse, according to the calculations by the newsletters web site, Shadowstats.com.
#1
I just can't believe inflation is that low. This current climate reminds me of the Carter years. Then we had double digit inflation. The problem is this simply. Every time you order product for resale you have a cost increase. Profit is gone and you don't recover your money spent. Inventory now takes all your money to stock. When you pay your bills is when you wonder where the money went. Sounds like the song- wonder where the money went.
#5
Three accountants apply for a job at OMB*. The interviewer asks the applicants 'what is 2 plus 2'. The first replies '4'. The second replies '4'. The third replies 'What do you want it to be?'. Of course they hired the third applicant.
In what The Financial Times describes as an "unusually stern rebuke," the International Monetary Fund says that the United States "urgently" needs a "credible strategy to stabilize public debt."
An IMF analysis points to the United States as the world's "only large advanced economy" - with the exception of earthquake-ravaged Japan - that's looking at an increased deficit this year.
Earlier this week, the Bank of England Governor, Mervyn King, irked US authorities by pointing out that even the worlds economic superpower has a major fiscal problem -even the United States, the worlds largest economy, has a very large fiscal deficit were his words. They were rather vague, but by happy coincidence the International Monetary Fund has chosen to flesh out the issue today. Unfortunately this is a rather long post with a few chunky tables, but it is worth spending a bit of time with the IMF analysis is fascinating.
#1
Please consider deleting. I was reading it for background info on the above article. This article is from 2010. It's now 2011 and another $2 trillion of government debt.
#2
Let me get this straight, if I can, the FRENCH are complaining to NATO about a lack of support and follow through on a bombing campaign in a Middle Eastern Country....
It boggles the mind, the FRENCH are the new tough guys of NATO.
Either they're coming out of their hibernation or our administration has sunk so low the Brie and Wine Crowd on Avenue Foch seem like tough guys.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
04/13/2011 20:55 Comments ||
Top||
#3
"Either they're coming out of their hibernation or our administration has sunk so low the Brie and Wine Crowd on Avenue Foch seem like tough guys."
I'll take Door #2, Bill.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
04/13/2011 21:26 Comments ||
Top||
#4
France has been doing this kind of thing for ages -- look at their little adventure in post-colonialism in the Ivory Coast, which they got the UN put its name on.
#5
Being cynical, I think the French felt it was time for those "things" they keep in cages over at the Foreign Legion barracks needed some fresh air and a walk so they sent them to the Cote D'Ivore.
As for Libya, that really neat attack aircraft the French are marketing is a 20 year old design so the bombing campaign is not a satellite of the Paris Air Show. I think the French got a conscience transplant when Villapaine got his walking papers. They do seem to "care" about what's happening in Libya.
Too bad they didn't "care" about Iraq.
I am still amazed the Avenue D'Marshall Foch crowd is all lined up at the pier waving hankies and cheering their boys on.
Posted by: Bill Clinton ||
04/13/2011 22:50 Comments ||
Top||
The California Teachers Association is preparing for Wisconsin-type activities aimed at forcing the legislature to pass tax increases on Californians in a series of actions planned for next month culminating in a takeover of the State Capitol.
Many of the steps outlined in CTA plans include the use of students, taxpayer-funded public school facilities to which the union has access, and highly controversial "secondary boycott" tactics that involve targeting businesses in the districts of legislators who refuse to accede to union demands.
The union is conducting its actions in support of taxes under the guise of a "State of Emergency."
Union officials were clearly caught off guard today when their plans were leaked, which had been posted on a nondescript website for union organizers only. They can be viewed via these links:
STATE OF EMERGENCY State Council Ideas for Action:
This comprehensive 10-page outline of protest actions is a must-read. It includes the highly controversial secondary boycott, use of kids and classrooms to which the union has access, "letters home to parents," use of parent-teacher conferences, and more. This document is no longer posted on the CTA's State of Emergency website.
STATE OF EMERGENCY Plan of Action
Summary of the union plans leading up to and during the week of May 9. Includes reference to taking over the state capitol.
STATE OF EMERGENCY Leaders Guide
One page summary for leaders of union protests in the field
STATE OF EMERGENCY Member Flyer
One page document to mobilize CTA members
#8
How long before they start talking some disadvanged students to become suicide bombers? Much like their hero's do.
In Washington State some machinist's union Members / Thugs were demonstrating in support of the teachers union. I had to wonder how the machinist union members would feel if the Legislature raised taxes on 'Big Corporations' (like they wanted) and they then lose their job because their employer had to move out-of-state (or off-shore).
Members of Iran's parliament have sponsored a bill barring dogs from public places because they are "unclean" and keeping pets is an "un-Islamic" custom, according to Iran's state news agency Irna.
Under the bill, dog owners will be banned from taking their pets out into public spaces and in vehicles. First-time offenders will be fined five million riyals (around 4,800 dollars) and will be given 10 days to dispose of their dog.
If the dog owner fails to comply with these rules, health authorities will be called in to remove the dog from its owner. It is unclear what would be done to the dog.
The health ministry has been asked to enforce the rules, as have city councils and the 280-member parliaments culture committee, Irna reported.
Besides being unclean, keeping dogs as pets goes against Iranian values, as it is a pratice which indicates the influence of Western culture, according the 39 MPs who tabled the bill.
Hardliners have moved to crack down on dog ownership, which has been on the rise in recent years in Iran, especially among citizens in the affluent neighborhoods of the capital, Tehran.
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.
[Straits Times] AN INDONESIAN woman exhales cigarette smoke into the mouth of a gaunt, naked patient at a Jakarta clinic, where tobacco is openly touted as a cancer cure.
[Maghrebia] For many Tunisians, a shift towards a more traditional culture is at odds with the country's recent history. They fear the gains of the revolution could be lost.
[Al Jazeera] Police in Swaziland have fired water cannons at pro-democracy protesters and 
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, however, looked set to remain the largest party in the 469-member legislature despite losing ground in the southwest and parts of the north of Africa's most populous nation.
Muslims who had come to pray at the Grand Mosque in Mecca were shocked when a man took the microphone and declared he was the Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam who is expected to come prior to the Day of Resurrection. 
[Arab News] 
