Obama Gains Support in Pennsylvania

In a move that could help Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama gain inroads with white, working class voters and business people, he gained an important endorsement from Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, who has strong ties with the labor class in that state.
So far, Obama has been trailing Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, which is heavy in white, middle class citizens and Catholics, both of whom have shown her preference in recent polls. She has gained the support of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, which has helped bolster her success in the state.
Casey’s endorsement coincides with a six day push in Pennsylvania by Obama as he tries to gather support for the upcoming April 22 primaries, where 158 delegates are at stake. This is the biggest prize left in any upcoming primary, and a key decision in the nomination process.
Casey Believes Obama can Heal America
Senator Casey, who shares Obama’s support of gun rights and opposition to abortion, has been described as a quiet and gracious man whose support is greatly appreciated, but was not fought hard to attain. Obama said he did not press hard for the Casey endorsement, but is very grateful to have it.
Casey said in a speech that he believed Obama has the necessary skills to lead America in a dangerous world, to take the nation in a new direction that will lead us back to prosperity, and to heal America’s wounds.
When asked about the Casey endorsement, the Clinton campaign expressed their gratitude for the abundance of support they have received so far from the state of Pennsylvania. Representative John Murtha and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter are among Clinton’s supporters in the state.
Leahy Calls for Clinton’s Withdraw from Campaign
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, urged Clinton to abandon her bid for the White House. In a radio interview that was broadcast earlier in the week, Leahy said he felt there was no chance of Clinton winning enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. He further stated that Casey’s endorsement only underscored the support Obama has garnered so far. Leahy upheld Clinton’s right to remain in the race, but said he felt she did not have a good reason to continue, and that the Democratic Party needed to come together in order to have a chance at defeating McCain come the November elections.
Pennsylvania is seen as a crucial state for the candidates, with elderly voters and white working class and business people opting for Clinton, while the younger voters seem to prefer Obama.
In an effort to boost support, Obama has stepped up his television campaign, and will be touring the state of Pennsylvania with Casey, who currently shows a 62 percent approval rating among Pennsylvania Democrats.
Securing the Pennsylvania nomination could prove to be a crucial turning point in the nomination process, with the decision still up for grabs as the Democratic National Convention in Denver approaches. Democrats are hoping to have a clear-cut candidate in the near future so they can begin strategizing on the November elections.

A Middle East Legacy For The Presidential Library

Southern Methodist University (SMU) is the likely site of the George Bush (43) Presidential Library. His library will reportedly be the most expensive Presidential Library ever built with an estimated construction cost of $500 million. This planned Bush Library will join the Presidential Libraries of all of our most recent Presidents. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George Bush (41), Ronald Reagan, and Richard Nixon now keep their papers records and archives in one.
In fact, twelve Presidential Libraries can be found across America. Some charge admission for the public to see the pictures, films, letters, and records of the former Presidents and First Ladies. Like the ancient tombs of the Pharaohs, these Presidential Libraries stand as historical monuments to former United States Presidents.
Of course the problem for many of these massive libraries is what to put in them. A huge monument to a man needs some historic achievement. It needs to show impressive domestic success or some big foreign policy or world encompassing achievement. Indeed, the Presidential Library needs policy accomplishments and real legacies to be very relevant.
It is in the last year of the second four year term in office that the sitting Commander and Chief begins to consider the use of the word "former" in relation to his Presidential terms in office. The election for the next President of the United States is well underway. The United States Congress does even less than usual awaiting the upcoming elections and new presidential leadership. In fact the term "lame duck" is often used to describe an Administration's final year in the Oval Office.
It is for all these reasons that the President turns to foreign policy during his last year to find some final relevance. Often, presidential success in the final year of the second term is found overseas not with any "lame duck" domestic agenda. In the spectrum of foreign policy, the President's attention in his last year in office ultimately turns to Israel and the Middle East. The last two Administrations have tried to become the power broker for that troubled area of the world's elusive peace event in their final year in office. Indeed, peace in the Middle East would be a lasting legacy for any United States President.
The last major peace initiative sponsored by the United States between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs was in the last year of the second term of the Presidency of William Jefferson Clinton (during 2000). Clinton tried to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. That failed brokered peace formula was an Israeli "occupied" land swap for peace arrangement . The 2000 Clinton-sponsored peace negotiation was between Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, and Yassar Arafat of the Palestinian authority.
The dubious ramifications of that last minute Clinton peace initiative are outlined in the book, "The Much Too Promised Land". The book's author and scholar, Aaron David Miller, writes about his experience as a top American negotiator in those talks which he describes as "the temptations of the ticking clock". Aaron David Miller writes: "By moving too fast and overreaching, the Clinton Administration ended up undermining the prospects of hope". History has taught us that the breakdown of that last minute peace initiative led to an escalation of violence in Israel. Indeed, eight years later, the prospects for peace in the Middle East are as elusive as ever. Of course, this foreign policy failure in his final year in office will not be highlighted in the archives in the Clinton Presidential library.
George Bush has started his final year in office in 2008 in the same manner as William Jefferson Clinton did in 2000. After seven years as President of the United States, Bush has just made his first trip to Jerusalem. Bush recently predicted that a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs" can happen" in 2008. Bush also used the word "occupied" to describe Israel's hold on the West Bank. It is obvious that the same failed diplomatic formula, an Israeli controlled land swap for the promise of peace in 2000, will be tried again in 2008.
However, the conditions for peace for Israel in the year 2008 do not exist. Today, things are far worse for Israel than in the year 2000. Iranian-sponsored terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah launch rockets into Israeli-controlled land every few days. Iran has indicated that Israel needs to be "wiped off the map". Palestinian authority President and Israel's apparent peace partner, Mahmoud Abbas, has a hold on his own position of power that is tentative at best.
It is very obvious that a Middle East Peace legacy will not appear in the archives of the Bush (43) Presidential Library. It should not be very surprising that another American administration that has governed for eight years will not be able to claim peace in the Middle East as an accomplishment. The fact is that it took United Kingdom Prime Minister, Tony Blair, ten years and thirty seven peace missions to bring peace to Northern Ireland. The problems in the Middle East involve several different countries and to achieve lasting peace is a more difficult and complex task than in Northern Ireland.
The fact is that it takes time, dedication, tedious diplomatic work, and plain luck to achieve a breakthrough on complex world problems such as peace in the Middle East. It requires a multi-year initiative and a persistence that comprises more than several months of last minute diplomatic work at the end of a President‘s time in office.
The reality is that the diplomatic breakthrough for lasting peace in Israel and the Middle East should be a focused objective throughout an entire Presidential term. Sadly, for the last two Administrations, it appears to have become nothing more than a final year initiative in search of a foreign policy legacy for the archives of a planned library.

Recession Answers

Are you concerned about inflation, a recession, or even a depression in the early 21st Century? If you are concerned about either one or the real possibility of all the economic woes that potentially face the United States you are surely not alone as more and more people find they are having real trouble paying their mortgages and putting food on the table as money dries up, home values plummet, grocery prices escalate and petroleum prices sky rocket.
America's economic picture is driving the election primaries of both parties as well as the independents. As Tip O'Neill once opined, all politics are local. If your perception is, "it's the economy stupid" you want one candidate. If housing prices are holding in your neighborhood, you want another candidate.
It was not many days ago that our collective major concern was the War in Iraq and American service members scattered around the world in harms way as Islamic Jihadists swore their destruction. If you have a son, daughter, wife, husband, mother or father on their fourth or fifth tour of duty with the United States Military in Iraq as the Tennessee Mountain Man and Computer Man do that may well remain your driving force and you probably support yet another candidate. But it appears to be more and more clear that across the board, America's primary concern in the 2008 election year rightly or wrongly is the economy.
There is a raging disagreement between those well heeled gurus in the know who live on the upper side of town about whether or not we are in a recession. Many on the Fox Business Channel seem to believe we are and that Chairman Ben Bernanke of the United States Federal Reserve Bank is behind rather than in front of the curve. Bernanke disagrees although he did seem to tell congress in middle January, 2008, that we could be in danger of sliding in that direction.
The federal government apparently agrees with the view that a recession is imminent if not in full throttle otherwise why would the captain of the ship be ordering the life rafts deployed with all haste. Both political parties are rushing to get cash back in the hands of the people hoping they will spend it on new purchases driving the economy forward.
Grand ma who was already having a problem deciding whether to buy the medicine her doctor prescribed or the food her body needed and who remembers the great depression don't have any doubts. She has seen the horse and buggy, the model T, the iron horse, the air plane, Sputnik, the man in the moon and a man on the moon and air conditioning (although she can't afford any) replace the funeral home fan along with a recession or two in her life time, and she knows a recession when it comes roaring through her family.
Since Grand ma knows little to nothing about GNP/GDP. She basis her observations on the real life of real Americans struggling to survive, not on the fancy mathematical maneuvering and stats of professors and practitioners isolated in their ivory towers or professional politicians lost in the bowels of government hidden inside the Washington Beltway.
The truth is real people are hurting. There is plenty of blame to go around and probably more than one solution to the recession issue. It is after all a complicated issue, and some business types like auto manufacturers and home builders are hurting more than others.
It does not help that we have shipped so many manufacturing jobs off shore and over taxed and imposed other burdens on businesses to the point many have been forced to either close their doors or move their operations outside the United States.
Remote Helpdesk 1 has seen many businesses come and go over the years. We have seen a recession or two ourselves, and we have learned that there are some fairly safe options for entrepreneurs during an economic turn down. In fact there are some who do much better in tough times.
Tired of punching a clock, lost your job or just want to be your own boss? In bad times there are always ways to thrive if you are perceptive and agile. Never feel that because a recession is under way that there are no opportunities for you.
You might want to consider one of these: the health industry, collections, funeral parlor, auto repair, used furniture outlet, used clothing and household items store, pawn shops also thrive in such times, tutoring, selling on an online auction, internet ad business... use the computer between your shoulders as well as the one on your desk to come up with options.
If you are already in business, this is not the time to become despondent. It is time to drive forward. You can't sit and wait for your ship to come in. There are opportunities! Increase advertising, get more personally involved in your community and your church and business and professional organizations, slash your prices to bare bones if you need to, visit current and dormant accounts and customers and make sure they know you are still around and that you appreciate them.
Remember, we have been here before. You are not going through this alone. It is cyclical, and this too shall pass. In the mean time, make up your mind to enjoy the ride. You have little choice but to take the trip so determine to arrive stronger, happier, and richer as a result of the experience that God, in His wisdom has allowed you to conquer with His provision and guidance.

South Africa - I demand

It has been a dark week in South Africa and for once it has nothing to do with the local energy supplier. A racist video has surfaced and negative images have flashed across the globe and the international media have turned on the country saying that our purported “transformation” is only a façade. The country is hurting.
Compare this to the way the UK’s national pride has swelled this week when the story broke that Prince Harry had quietly been going about his duties in Afghanistan for the last 2 months. The “Brits” are proud of the prince because he proved he is a true leader – he could have stuck his head down and done drills on a UK base – instead he accepted the responsibility of being a leader and walked out with the rest of the troops to do battle.
Last night I sat around a table where there were 3 highly qualified engineers all taking their skills out of the country. None of them wants to go but the lack of leadership around tackling socio-economic problems is a worry for them. They can live with a bit of crime, they can live with electrical problems now and then – they can’t live with uncertainty.
This editorial is a not a “soft and fluffy” filler piece – it’s a damn battle cry for THE LEADERS in this country to stand up. I’m not talking about politicians – they are not leaders. Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma are not leaders until they show they can lead. When they step up to the plate and start acting like leaders they cease to become mouthpieces, until they can do that they don’t feature. Jacob Zuma – if you want to lead this country down the line – you go and get in the trenches with everyone else.
I am talking to the principals at the school who are developing the minds of the next generation of young South Africans, I am talking to the business owners who are losing skilled staff and whose very livelihoods depend on their businesses being successes. I am talking to Alan Knott-Craig of I-Burst – damn straight sir – you lead – you tell your staff why SA is the best place on earth.
Ordinary South Africans – you have the same responsibility. Make demands of your leaders. If your business holds weekly staff meetings then you demand that your boss steps up and tells you every reason why you SHOULD be here and contributing to the. If you are a pupil in a school you demand that your principal takes responsibility for pushing your education and for inspiring you to learn more.
Before readers turn to me and say its very difficult to become inspired by this when they are being attacked in their own homes, taxed to death, frightened of what the next president might do and having their businesses crippled by electricity supply issues. I’ve also been shot at, I’ve also lost a bucket load of business at the end of last year but I refuse to accept it. We have a responsibility to ourselves to show our generation can and will lead.
We need to look at ourselves. We are quick to blame and complain but when was the last time we volunteered and gave something back? When the electricity crisis hit how many of us made any effort to change to energy savings globes? We sat around blaming people and not taking the responsibility to make a difference by finding ways to conserve energy. We show plenty of “ingenuity” by making and distributing spoof videos but we can’t do the same for education material? What about all these people who complain about crime – when was the last time you got involved in a community development or neighbourhood community forum? Hell when was the last time you actively went out and made a donation to a charity that your own business or school didn’t organise?!
An article cannot change the way a community thinks. What it can do is it can make its own demand of the leaders in this country. If one leader can inspire those around him then this concept will be “paid forward” to the next leader and so on
South Africa – demand your leaders in all walks of life stand up and lead – the true measure of them is not how they perform when things are easy and business is successful. They are measured how they perform in adversity.

World Magazine

World Magazine is a biweekly full colored English publication of U.S. This is one of the most prestigious and renowned magazines of the world. World magazine believes in the philosophy of “The Truth is Truth”. World Magazine is engaged in reporting authentic news in its original form based on truth. Since its first published edition, the World magazine has maintained the reputation of its name.
The contents being published in World Magazine is always independent of any influence or inhibition from any political parties or interest group, or celebrity influence. No matter, who is in the context of news, they only publish the news of people’s interest. They don’t even hesitate in criticizing U.S. President. All news, sections, featured columns, and stories are result of extensive research and expertise of its correspondents.
Even the advertisements published in World magazine follow all the strict neutral principles of magazine. Any kind of influenced news content, public addressing or press releases are avoided. The World magazine has proved itself as voice of general public, always fighting for truth, and it has been always criticizing the administration for corruption or its bad moves which might affect people.
The World magazine always looks for challenging, informative and suggestive stories rather than just glamorous or fashion based content. Although, magazine covers all aspects of the news: national, international, cultural, politics, business, medicine, science, technology, and sports. There are regular featured columns written by prominent correspondents.
The World Magazine claims, “We stand for factual accuracy and biblical objectivity, trying to see the world as best we can the way the Bible depicts it. Journalistic humility for us means trying to give God's perspective. We also distinguish between journalism and propaganda: We're not willing to lie because someone thinks it will help God's cause.”
The exclusive nature of news contents and magazine’s commitment to provide the best in terms of news makes it people’s favorite. People love to read their favorite magazine. The best way to ensure your copy of this prestigious magazine is to take subscription.
You can subscribe for world magazine on MagazineLand.com, that too at cheap discounted news stand’s price. Magazine Land is a one stop source for all kinds of magazine subscriptions. You can get your favorite magazine on a much less price.

Electricity - Right or Privilege?

Without blowing my own horn – am I the only one who doesn’t think that this Eskom price hike is the worst thing in the world?
The Problem – Eskom does not have enough capacity to meet the countries demands - resulting in blackouts and the now infamous term of “load-shedding”.
The Solution – build more infrastructure to cope with the demand.
The South African response – GASP! You can’t do that because us consumers are already battling away here and this is just going to hit us harder… but we still want electricity and when we don’t get it we are going to complain.
A lot of South Africans have been very surprised to learn that we currently enjoy some of the lowest electricity tariffs in the world. Even post these price hikes we will still be attractive compared to other countries.
So Eskom gets, say a 60% price hike which is inevitable – if you want electricity that is what it is going to cost. However this raises two issues for me:
1. What are they going to do with the billions that will go into their coffers?2. Who exactly do these increases get applied to?
Where is the money going?If the money is just going to go into commissioning another old coal plant then it is just money being wasted. One must remember that Eskom has two more plants already coming online and these will meet South Africa’s grid demands by the end of 2008. A new coal plant being commissioned in 2010 will not make an iota of difference to consumers now.
However if Eskom were bright they would start addressing one of the major problems which is HOW South Africans are using their electricity and how Eskom is supporting these consumers.
Bluntly:- Their call-centre is kak and consumers are going nuts in the dark trying to figure out what is happening- Eskom do not have maintenance skills and regimes in place to maintain the infrastructure they do have – I do not mean to be facetious but with the maintenance issues the company has been having, one cannot help but imagine monkeys running around the power plants trying to work out what is wrong.- It should be a priority exercise to remove all non “energy-saving” bulbs from houses and from circulation in shops. If this had been done 5 years ago we would not be experiencing at least 30% of the problems that we are seeing now- Establishment of gas and nuclear energy infrastructure as well as alternative energy systems to take non priority stuff off the grid- Instead of criticising business and mines for their consumption and telling them to stop working so hard so that Eskom can recover – they should be working with these guys to subsidise independent energy supplies for the mines that don’t pull from the centralised grid – mines can go on churning out revenue and making money without being a strain on the electricity supply.
Who do these increases get applied to?This I think is the crux of my argument. The trade unions and politicians all came out very aggressively saying that these price hikes were unacceptable and going to hurt consumers – blah blah blah. It became something of a political hot potato and Eskom apparently took a step back and was being quoted in newspapers as saying that these increases will not be applied to the lower income consumers.
This is where I become a bit grumpy.
Is electricity a right or a privilege? The way Eskom is talking at the moment electricity is a privilege – if I want electricity in my house or business then I must pay for this. This is fine but then it is a privilege for everyone not just those who can afford it.
If it is a basic human right then it must be subsidised by somebody and not me subsidising somebody else.
I am not sure how true it is but I know when the load-shedding was at its worst a few people I know joked that it is better for them to go back into the townships because at least there they knew they got a regular, reliable electricity supply. If this is true then it grates me big time.
At the end of the day – I have no issue with the increases – the reality is that South Africans have been spoilt and Eskom has been mismanaged. Now when the cracks eventually become too big we are shocked by the big increases. I do however have an issue with the way the increases are to be utilised and I hope that Eskom and government come out with a proper and fair strategy that South African consumers can understand and accept.

Ralph Nader and Nader's Raiders Strike Again

The republican party got an early Easter Basket Sunday, 24 February, 2008 when Ralph Nader announced on NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert (the same forum where he announced his 2004 presidential run) that he was tossing his hat into the ring for the Office of The President of The United States of America.

In 1992 a third-party candidate, H. Ross Perot, claimed a large share of the American vote, nearly Twenty (20) percent , playing a role the Republican base will never forget.

The day following Nader's announcement, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is apparently contemplating his own independent presidential bid, defended Ralph Nader's right to seek the Nation's Highest Office.

So while Nader may be the nemises of the democratic party, it may be that the republicans have a spoiler of their own on their hands. If so, like H. Ross Perot, he has enought money of his own to make the country take him seriously - at least for a time.

Nader is a member of the Green Party. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a consumer advocate. His most significant program to the mind of a car lover, like the Tennessee Mountain Man, was spearheading the demise of what he dubbed the coffin on wheels - the Chevy Corvair. Computer Man saw one of Nader's rolling coffins in mint condition traveling on Rossville Blouvard in Chattanooga, Tennessee just a week or so preceding Nader's announcement, and wondered if "the spoiler" would show again.

Given Nader's ego and his apparent thirst for power, he could have done no less. Having run unsuccessfully in 2000 and 2004, the 2008 bid will be Nader's third run for the office. Will the third time be the charm? Surely not.

Although Nader attracted just 2.7 percent of the vote nationwide, the democrats have not forgotten, nor forgiven, Ralp Nader for what they believe cost Al Gore the 2000 election. In 2004 he garnered only 0.3 percent of the vote, and yet he once again finds himself vilified in the Blogosphere as being in bed with The Grand Old Party.

Obama, who briefly organized with a Nader influenced group as a young man, taking the high road, said, "Ralph Nader deserves enormous credit for the work he did as a consumer advocate, but his function as a perennial candidate is not putting food on the table of workers." Obama did opine, that Ralph Nader in recent years tended to assume that candidates are fatally flawed if they fail to recognize the wisdom of his views.

Hillary, talking with reporters onboard her campaign plane said of Nader's run “Obviously it’s not helpful to whomever our Democratic nominee is, but it’s a free country" . In reference to the AL Gore - George Bush race of 20000, she suggested that Ralph Nader's Green Party candidacy cost the nation the "greenest president'' it could have had. She believes Nader's new candidacy for the White House, at best, poses an unwelcome distraction.

Nader has run as both a Green Party candidate and an independent in past elections. He has not yet declared how he will run in the upcoming general election. Whatever his decision, he will be a power with which the Democratic Party Nominee will have to contend.

Not suprisingly, the Republicans were not so dismissive. On the other hand, Ward Harkavy, in the Village Voice Blog, dubbed Nader, "America's Suicide Bomber" while The Age saw him as the "Democrats bogeyman", and The Nation Blog apparently believes America still needs Ralph Nader to be Public Citizen Number One pursuing matters as a consumer advocate and not a presidential candidate.

Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee couldn't resist a little fun at Nader's expense and joked on CNN that Republicans would welcome Nader's entry into the race and hope that maybe a few more will join in. Huckabee said in a television interview that a Ralph Nader candidacy was a suicide mission and would more likely pull votes away from Democrats than Republicans, and he welcomed the longtime consumer advocate into the fray.

Ron Paul's camp believes there is unhappiness among the electorate, and that he (Paul) best captures that anger, and that Ralph Nader is not the proper vehicle for the expression of America's year of discontent. Nader, they feel, was a spoiler in 2000 and will long be remembered as being responsible for the election of George W. Bush, and that just as when he ran again in 2004 there will be few who care in the final analysis.

John McCain being the odds on favorite to benefit the most from the Nader candidancy has appropriately remained mum on the subject.

Barack Obama Will Become U. S. President

Definitive Best-Relationship-Advice on Barack Obama becoming U. S. President

Today is Wednesday, February 6, 2008, the day after the Super Tuesday – the single biggest U. S. presidential primary day.

Notwithstanding the fact that so far neither Senator Hillary Clinton nor Senator Barack Obama could proclaim the victory of the presidential primaries after the Super Tuesday, Best-Relationship-Advice is, however, prepared to make a bold and definitive advice that the now Senator Obama will become President-elect at the end of 2008.

Barack Obama will not only prevail the presidential primaries of the U. S. Democratic Party but also advance to enthrone to the White House becoming the forty-fourth President of the United States. He is making history in the presidency of the United States of America – the first non-white ethnic President of the World’s Super Power. What "An American Dream!"

It has to make clear that Relationship Adviser is not American. He is not a member of or an affiliate to any political party – he does not have a slightest interest in politics. He is not a psychic either.

This piece of definitive advice is not fortune-telling based on horoscope or psychic power, as most fortune-telling always gives equivocal answers which are largely subject to interpretations after the event to its favor. The advice is like when a traveller books a plane flying from New York to Paris on a certain day with a certain flight time, he or she would be foretold the scheduled time of arrival in Paris on that particular day. When he or she actually takes the flight and onboard the plane, he or she would almost certain that the plane will get to Paris at about the ETA – estimated time of arrival – foretold by the Captain. At the end of the journey, the plane would actually get there at about that foretold ETA.

This seems exceedingly natural nowadays but not before May 21, 1927 when The Spirit of St. Louis was flown by Charles Lindbergh which made the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

The above analogy is most apparent and easily understood but not the advice on the outcome of a weighty presidential election campaign.

Most people would certainly be extremely skeptical about the credibility of Best-Relationship-Advice, but time will soon prove the stunning accuracy of Best-Relationship-Advice which relies on meticulous calculation and not on guesswork. After all, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

Best-Relationship-Advice is intended for people who are very serious about making decisions of significant consequence, and today this piece of bold and definitive advice is monumental to demonstrate how credible it is.

Best-Relationship-Advice is unprecedented, definitive and invaluable for those seeking for right directions in order to make right decisions, not only in love and marriage relationships.

Rudy Giuliani calls Himself an Agent of Change

Republican Rudy Giuliani has declared himself a "change agent". The former New York mayor claimed he had brought more changes to New York City than any other mayor.

Speaking to reporters on a press bus, while on his three-day tour of Florida, Giuliani said, "I was a mayor who was a change agent. Whether you agree with my changes or not, I think you'd have to say I was probably the mayor of New York City who, at least in modern times, brought about the most change." He said, "Other mayors have done other things, I'm not taking anything away from them, but I had to make major changes".

Giuliani did not spell out the changes that he claimed he had brought about. However, during his campaign he has often referred to his role in changing certain things. These include his efforts to cut down on welfare rolls and cleaning up Times Square of its adult bookstores and peep shows. Then there was also his program to track daily police statistics, which was credited with eliminating crime in New York City. Giuliani is reportedly counting on a victory in the primary to be held in Florida on January 29.

Earlier, Giuliani had criticized Democratic candidates for peddling a message of change. He said their policies amounted to "bad" change.

Speaking to retirees during a town hall meeting at Fort Myers, he said, "As soon as the election is over, somebody should put up an armistice." He said, "They should put a white flag somewhere either at the Capitol or at the White House or at both places, everybody get together and say 'How about we don't fight for a year or two, how about we try to get something done for a year or two,' and let's have a debate over principles." Giuliani was responding to question on how he would resolve inter-party disputes. This is a popular theme that is also being pushed by other candidates such as Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee.

Obamas All New and Impregnable Firewall - It's About America

Some reports say five and others say up to six times people have fainted in Obama’s political rallies. You tube is showing several of the incidents and bloggers are sliding off into two camps about the matter. Progressives are offering explanations about standing in long lines, weather conditions and exhaustion.

Conservatives are not convinced and on The Amboy Times February 16, 2008 online, one blog excerpt says “A Wall Street Journal writer, James Taranto, has uncovered a hilarious and puzzling coincidence at 5 different Sen. Obama campaign speeches over the last few months, including the recent speech in Seattle. Dori and listeners have found one other Sen. Obama incident posted on YouTube where a person near the stage faints. Sen. Obama responds to each incident with the same routine and phrases.”

We have seen the frenzy at Obama’s gatherings and now we have the fainting but the newest addition to the impervious image of the Dem’s Golden Boy is the clichéd firewall he is heard repeating after every criticism or question put before him. His applauded reply when asked even the hardest questions is “it’s not about… it’s about America.

Even his opponents have to admit as verbal devices employed in political rhetoric go, it is without parallel. Who can fight it, who dares say otherwise? Silence is all that is left to the naysayer. Or is it?

Sen. Obama can make all the promises he wants to the reality is that all we have to go on to date is his record as a US Senator. It is that record that speaks not just the loudest but the most accurately. Barack Obama is at the very least someone who is true to himself and what he believes. This is the reason conservatives are cringing at the prospect of some four to eight years with Barack Obama at the helm of the most powerful yet teetering nation on the globe.

Without getting excessively philosophical it is the “true believer” that can do either the most good or the most harm for any nation. We are not talking about belief in the gospel or the Bible but belief in his own vision for the United States.

Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, and Stalin were all true believers. Nero, Antiochus Epiphanies and Caligula were all true believers. No I am not putting Barack Obama on a scale with these people. What I am doing is reminding the wise of the efficacy contained in the old adage that “sincerity is no substitute for the truth.”

Before a single word can be said about visions it does well to remember that most democrats, liberals or frenzied supporters of the Obama campaign will never read a single word of the criticism of Mr. Obama’s vision. The New York Times won’t rush to quote anything here and the Washington Post may as well be on Saturn. In fact, although it is purely subjective and hard to prove I would say that at least some of the conservative rags, blogs and online sites seem to be increasingly on the defensive if not squeamish about hard anti Obama rhetoric. It is hard to tell if they are being civil or if they have been dazzled a bit themselves.

Rather than being silenced, embarrassed or ashamed by Obama’s “It’s about America” retort to questions raised to him, it would be a simple matter of doing our homework. It indeed is “about America” and the difference that the conservatives see for America and the vision of Sen. Obama is the argument. His record is the evidence that his argument is faulty. Rather than being an effective firewall against all other ideas Obama’s very words are the answer to his argument.

What does Sen. Obama see for America? It is no secret that Sen. Obama’s voting record on abortion issues and gay issues is what makes his vision for America frightening. Martin Luther King may have had a dream but this African American is proposing a nightmare.

Not even conversion experiences can balance the inequity of Barack’s vision for America. Both Christianity Today and Belief net have questioned him and reprinted his apparent encounter with God. In his interview with Dan Gilgoff on Belief net, when asked if he had a conversion experience or if he was born again he replied with “It wasn't an epiphany. I didn't “fall out,” as they say in the black church. It was an emotional and spiritual progression, as well as an intellectual one. And it didn't happen overnight. What happened was that I felt drawn to the message of Jesus Christ and the power of the church to fortify people in their spiritual journeys. And, you know, in my heart, at least, I felt God's spirit beckoning me. So ultimately, as I write in [“The Audacity of Hope”], I submitted myself to his will, dedicated myself to discovering his truths.”

If this could be considered a conversion experience and it is as Barack says “a progression” that began when he submitted himself to his will,” can we expect the Senator to come to the conclusion that God was quite serious when he said homosexuality is an abomination and the killing of the unborn comes under the most disdained of all human behavior in Gods eyes, namely the shedding of innocent blood? (Jeremiah 22:3)

Should someone close to the Senator tell him that being drawn to a message is no more of a conversion experience than fainting at a political meeting? But even if it should be, all conversion experiences are open to the acid test of obedience. Christ tells everyone who claims to have an experience with him the same thing. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Mt. 7:21)

In a published statement about his vote against a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage Obama said in a press release June 7, 2006 from his office “I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. But I also agree with most Americans, including Vice President Cheney and over 2,000 religious leaders of all different beliefs that decisions about marriage should be left to the states as they always have been.”

Vice Presidents and 2000 religious leaders are not the people we should be listening to about what a marriage is. It is the God who created us that has the last word here and not any one of the fifty states of this country. God has not relinquished his authority to state legislators and candidate Obama has no right or theological premise by which he can pass the buck to them.

Mr. Obama has stated on numerous occasions that we must depend on the responsibility of pregnant women to make the hard decision about whether to abort or not. 50 million abortions later isn’t it about time we admit that these women have taken the path of least resistance and not the hard road to personal responsibility? Marriage and abortion are matters not ever passed over by God to kings, prophets, judges or legislatures.

Yes, it is about America Senator Obama and your idea of what changes we need for our future will help to fulfill the dark prophecies of eschatology as found in the Bible. America could take a different stand as she always has. She could stand in the gap and be counted as one nation that won’t go the way of all flesh. This is more than an election time it is the very valley of decision for America.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:14)

Beijing 2008: Human Rights Are A Propaganda Game

Beijing's loss of the 2000 Olympics Games to Sydney, Australia was attributed mainly to it's poor human rights record. After sitting out the bidding for the 2004 Olympic events, China made a promise of improving it's human rights record as the centerpiece of it's successful bid for the 2008 Olympics.

In fact, prior to launching it's bid for the 2008 Games, China voluntarily signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which declares: "Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice."

On September 27, 2006, Liu Qi, the President of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee and a Politburo member of China's Communist party reassured the world: "China will live up to it's words and will turn it's words into deeds... The government will honor the promises and commitments made during our bid to host the Games."

So is China living up to the human rights promises that allowed it to win it's bid for the Olympic games in 2008? Sadly the human rights assurances it made to the international community now look dubious indeed. Consider that on December 27 , 2007 China's police arrested Hu Jia at his home in Beijing. While the focus of the world's news media was in Pakistan, police arrested China's leading human rights activist. "Reporters Without Borders" described the arrest as follows : “The political police have taken advantage of the international community’s focus on Pakistan to arrest one of the foremost representatives of the peaceful struggle for free expression in China.”

Hu Jia was last seen by the international community through his participation (via a web camera) in a parliamentary hearing in Brussels in November 2007. The topic of the hearing was human rights in China. At the hearing Jia said: “It is ironic that one of the people in charge of organizing the Olympic Games is the head of the Bureau of Public Security, which is responsible for so many human rights violations. It is very serious that the official promises are not being kept before the games".

Hu Jia is married to Zeng Jinyan. Zeng was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time Magazine in 2007. In 2007, Time Magazine (Arianna Huffington) describes her as follows: "When Zeng's husband, (Hu Jia) was detained by the Chinese government without any legal proceedings last year, Zeng, now 22, started a blog detailing her experiences and the oppressive activities of the country's secret police. Since then, her blog has been blocked in China, and she and her husband have been harassed, intimidated and subjected to round-the-clock surveillance. But she has steadfastly continued to blog, attracting an international audience with her sardonic style—and her courage".

On December 13, 2007 Chinese writer Wang Dejia was arrested and charged with "subverting state authority". He had just written a blog entitled, " The Olympic Games in Handcuffs Will Just Bring Misfortune on the Population". Wang had criticized the government’s human rights situation as it prepares for the 2008 Olympic Games and had met with U.S. Embassy officials to discuss human rights in China in October 2007.

Larry Siems, Director of the Freedom to Write and International Programs at PEN American Center commented on the arrest of Wang Dejia as follows: "With the arrest of Wang Dejia (pen name Jing Chu), the total number of writers PEN believes are unjustly imprisoned in China has risen to forty one. It is certainly disconcerting that despite it's promises of press freedom, the Chinese government is instead continuing to tighten it's control over the media. As the Games approach, the number of writers in prison should be dwindling, not rising. We fear that Wang Dejia’s arrest may be the first of many in a final push to clamp down on dissent within China before August 8, 2008."

It is clear that the promises of improving the country's human rights that China made to win the 2008 Olympic Games have not being realized. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) needs to become more critical of China's broken promises and ongoing human rights injustices.

This year’s Olympic slogan is "One World, One Dream". That Olympic slogan certainly rings hollow as China continues to suppress basic human rights. Indeed, the recent suppression of free speech combined with the silence of the IOC means that improving human rights are just a Beijing propaganda game.

Global Warming: Palm Oil owed an apology

The new Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd offered the nation's first apology to Aborigines taken from their families for assimilation with the white community, saying the policy was a “blemished chapter” in the nation's history.

Rudd, in his first parliamentary speech as leader, apologized for the “past mistreatment,” and urged the nation to “turn a new page” by “righting the wrongs of the past.”

“For the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry,” Rudd said. “We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.”

Rudd told Canberra's national parliament: “We apologize for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.”

Aborigines in the parliament's public gallery, including Olympian Cathy Freeman, dual Wimbledon winner Evonne Goolagong Cawley, and members of the so-called “Stolen Generation,” wept and hugged. The chamber erupted in a standing ovation with applause and whistles.

From 1910 to 1970, up to one-third of indigenous children were removed from their families and communities and placed in institutions, church missions or the homes of white Australians, according to a government-commissioned report published in 1997. The inquiry found many children lost their cultures, languages, heritage and lands, and recommended reparation be made.

“We have to remove the great stain on this nation's soul,” Rudd said. “It's time for fresh ideas for Australia's future.'”

Rudd's predecessor John Howard, who was defeated in a November election after 11 years in office, refused to apologize, saying the present generation shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of the past.

There is a moral here. Even well-meaning “official government policy” can be wrong, seriously wrong. Successive Australian Governments have refused to acknowledge the truth, let alone apologize for this grave travesty visited on its own citizens by a duly elected government!

A parallel can be drawn here with the situation that palm oil, unwittingly finds itself in. The healthy and sustainably produced oil has had to withstand an onslaught of well-meaning but seriously flawed attacks on its integrity by first, the infamous Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which tendered spurious claims that palm oil was primarily saturated fat, bad for the heart and intrinsically unhealthy. However, 15 years and over 150 overwhelming nutritional research bears out that CSPI was either misguided or heaven forbid, had deliberately misinterpreted or misrepresented the facts about the effects of the fatty acids found in palm oil.

It is well established that red palm oil contains a mixture of saturated fatty acids (51%), monounsaturated fatty acids (38%), polyunsaturated fatty acids (11%) and a whole spectrum of anti-oxidative carotenoids (vitamin A), tocopherols and tocotrienols (vitamin E) as major constituents.

Due to its high content of saturated fatty acids CSPI has suggested that red palm oil may elevate blood cholesterol levels. However, the most prominent saturated fatty acid in the red palm oil is palmitic acid, which has neutral effects on plasma cholesterol. Similarly, the fatty acid that gives olive oil its beneficial effects is called oleic acid. Seventy to eighty percent of the fatty acids in olive oil are oleic acid which is much greater than the 45 % in red palm oil. In red palm oil the oleic acid is situated on a position of the triglyceride backbone (the triglyceride is a bit like a skeleton on which other molecules are attached to build a fat) which increases its ability to be absorbed (i).

As red palm oil is also the only oil that contains high amounts of tocotrienols, tocopherols and carotenoids which are very potent anti-oxidants, it is this combination (oleic acid, carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols) that makes it a potent and healthy functional food.

Having been shown up to be less than kosher in their attempts to discredit palm oil as a healthy vegetable oil, CSPI then quickly changed tack and proceeded to make unfounded allegations of massive deforestation by oil palm plantations, leading allegedly to global warming and the destruction of habitat for the orang utan and pygmy elephants in Indonesia and Malaysia. Sensing a chance to gain a financial windfall in the form of increased government, corporate and public funding, environmental NGO’s such as the Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Wetlands fell over each other in joining the queue to drum up a chorus and cacophony of apelike noises echoing CSPI’s sly stratagem to question and discredit the palm oil industry’s environmental record. “Palm oil: Cooking the Climate”, a banal position paper issued by Greenpeace recklessly supported those unproven allegations.

Unfortunately for Greenpeace and organizations like CSPI and the Friends of the Earth, the weather just refuses to march to the beat of their dissonant drum. Contrary to their predictions of hotter summers, milder winters and concomitantly, the rising of sea levels, 2008, like 2007 and 2006 before it, is ushering in a new year with harsh winters that just got colder and colder. In fact, the winter storms of North America, Europe, Afghanistan and even Central, Eastern and Southern China experienced in early 2008, the most severe winter storms for the last few decades (and in China’s case, for the past century)!

Siberia is bracing itself, over the New Year for its coldest winter in 149 years with temperatures dropping to minus 55 degree Celcius! All over the Northern Hemisphere, from the United States to Europe, the thermometer continues to drop to record lows with plunging temperatures, ice and sleet causing major road chaos as Europeans returned to work after the festive break. Temperatures dropped to an un-seasonal minus 17 degrees Celcius in Britain, and Chicago recorded a shocking minus 33 degrees Celcius in February (with the wind chill factored in, in the windy city).

Through all this, the environmental movement has been conspicuous by their silence. Would these reckless environmental organizations now blame palm oil for global-cooling?

The profane silence of these environmental organizations, of course does not mean that these senseless attacks against palm oil has stopped. The cudgels are now taken up by the unsuspecting and perhaps compliant media. Juhana Rossi, writing in the venerable Finnish newspaper, “Helsingin Sanomat” in a convoluted and feeble attempt to paint a distorted picture of the oil palm industry in Malaysia, produced a piece of flawed investigative reporting that plunges the article to the level of banal, trashy and third rate journalism, by writing: “Forests in Malaysia are more vulnerable than in Finland. Finish commercial forests differ much less from the preceding natural forest than palm oil plantations do from untouched rain forest. When a tropical rain forest is felled, its flora and fauna are destroyed completely.” Then the writer continues, and wait for this…(trumpets sounding)… “At the same time, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released, which accelerate climate change!”

It behooves any reasonably perceptive reader to ask just how flora and fauna can “release large amounts of carbon dioxide” and “accelerate global warming?” First, it is patently untrue that Malaysia’s “civic society and legal system”, as the writer attempts to say, “are not as strong as Finland’s.” Secondly, to argue that “Chinese companies are able to ruthlessly do what they want in the forests of Borneo, which belongs to the indigenous population of Malaysia” is an affront to the rule of law which forms the very basis of Malaysian society.

Perhaps the writer is not cognizant of the recent march on the office of the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah by a coalition of indigenous tribes: “Representatives of the Murut, the Kadazandusun, and the Rungus, and some 30 more tribes coming from the remote region of Tongod, traversed in July of this year from northern Borneo to reach the gleaming office of Sabah’s Deputy Chief Minister of Land, Datuk Lajim Haji Ukin at the capital city of Kota Kinabalu.” With the assistance of community support organizations these indigenous tribes have filed a court case against the State and two plantation companies: Hup Seng Consolidated Berhad and Asiatic Development Berhad. The case is the first deliberate test of Sabah’s land tenure laws with regards to indigenous peoples.” In a land where indigenous people can file suit in court surely lays waste to the claims that such tribes are being deprived of their customary land with impunity!

Whilst conceding that most Malaysian palm oil plantation companies like IOI practices sustainable planting by “not cutting down old forests, and does not banish indigenous inhabitants out of the way….”, and that “It treats its workers well and bears social responsibility”, the writer goes on to argue that “the palm oil business…is a …business that is being pushed onto the road of destruction by the worldwide enthusiasm for biological fuels …”. Just how sustainable plantations could push the palm oil business “onto the road of destruction by the worldwide enthusiasm for biological fuels”, the writer does not say!

In the view of the Palm Oil Truth Foundation, the palm oil industry is certainly owed an apology from these environmental organizations and irresponsible writers, in much the same way that the Australian government has, after many decades of denials and prevarications, finally elected to come clean, to do the honorable thing and apologize to their aboriginal community’s “lost generation”.

The Commander In Chief Has The Vapors... Again

The Forty Second (42nd) President of The United States of America and his loving spouse must remember that although they currently reside in New York and rub elbows with high society they are the Clintons from Arkansas - not the Kennedy's from Massachusetts.

Bill Clinton having made the point, speaking on the stump in the 2008 Presidential campaign, that he cannot make Hillary younger and that he can't make her male, must surely understand that he can't bequeath her Presidential experience or powers by osmosis or any other means.

The lady from Arkansas who would not bake cookies found herself playing a stewardess on "Hill One" and serving donoughts to the press minions. So she may have limited experience as a waitress, and that could serve her well in the future.At least, she has proven herself to be a mediocre actress who just might have the ability to weep on cue.

Perhaps it can be put in terms the Clintons can understand if they can visualize the Razor Backs. The Arkansas football team has an equipment manager and a water boy among others, and these kids rub elbows with the coaching staff, the real players, and the quarterback but in the final analysis irrespective of their team and personal pride they are easily replaceable support staff - not the team stars.

Occasionally these kids get caught up in the whole heady experience and forget their place. Caught up in the moment they imagine themselves kings and king makers; and thinking they run things, they begin to usurp those titles and powers that belong to others. Finding it easier to usurp work accomplished by others and assume their accolades than to earn your own, they at least try to do just that until the young lady who is unlucky enough to be the object of their affections is forced to put them in their place.

Having pushed, intimidated, and bullied their way through life the Clintons apparently actually thought they had replaced the Kennedy's as America's premier political family. They assumed and usurped Jack Kennedy's mantle until his brother Ted Kennedy, the Senator from Massachusetts publicly anointed another.

Suddenly the would be Commander In Chief who insists she wears the pants suits in her house suffers from the southern lady syndrome and suffering from the vapors comes out weeping appropriately to evoke the heart stings of any gentleman. It is inconceivable to the Tennessee Mountain Man that one can simultaneously be both the tough experienced Commander In Chief of the earth's only super power and a wilting violent in need of a woman's wiles to get her way. Itis nothing short of illusion and witchcraft.

Twenty Eight (28) years of Bush and Clinton are more than enough for the computerman. America is ready for and wants a new direction... new blood... new leadership. If they were running again for the highest office in the land in any other country, America (democrats and republicans alike) would be up in arms. The Computer Man is reminded of the fire storm surrounding the George and Lurleen Wallace comedy hour. Does America want that scenario for the nation? Have we learned nothing? Or, are we simply so politically correct and self loathing that we can't help ourselves?

No matter which way the country goes, it is back to the future! The remote help desk team believes the question to be, do we want Kennedy's Camelot or Clinton's chicanery. Does the United States want the visionary Kennedy's hope or Clinton's divisiveness with no inspiration? On the other hand there is a grumpy, angry, old white man for those who don't know who they are or where they stand on any particular issue from day to day.

Perhaps if Hillary would just buck up and stop whining to MSNBC and the public. She could take a lesson from the Tennessee Mountain Man's girlfriend who on coming across the Mountain Man in a lounge with another young lady and reading too much into the situation, swayed up to the bar and placing her hands on his leg thrust her tongue into his ear. Then whispered, "Honey, make me jealous. If I get jealous, I get hurt and then I get over it. But, please, don't make me mad. Because if I get angry, I will snatch that bitch off that bar stool and mop up the floor with her. Then I will jerk her up by hair of her head and beat you with what is left." No matter what your politics, that is the "the straight talk express".

How many times must the world see Hillary melt in her mint julep suffering the vapors to plead her case and persuade the masses?

Surely Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Osama bin Muhammad bin 'Awad bin Laden were duly impressed.

Crisis in Kosovo

Kosovo is the southern province of Yugoslavia and is spread over an area of approximately 4300 miles; of the two million population, 90% are Muslims and 10% are Serbs. The Muslims had been demanding independence for the past few years but the Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosovic played the butcher's role by shelling and destroying valleys of the Albanian Muslims. The Serbs, under his orders, committed heinous crimes, which included gang rapes of Muslim women and torturing thousands of Kosovers to death.

The world condemned Serb atrocities but Milosovic was unmoved and continued his brutal behavior. When the situation got worsened, the European Council and the NATO took a serious note of it. NATO threatened Yugoslavia with air strikes if Milosovic did not come to terms. Peace talks were arranged in France and draft of the peace Agreement was prepared. The Kosovo Albanians signed an international peace plan in 1999 but Milosovic did not sign it, and consequently NATO gave March 24, 1999 as the deadline to Milosovic to sign the peace plan failing which Yugoslavia would face NATO air strikes.

NATO started its air strike when Milosevic failed to sign the peace accord by March 24, 1999. It bombed civil and military targets all over the Yugoslavia, which included military installations, oil refineries, ammunition stores, airfields, Radio and T.V. Stations etc. These air strikes continued for 79 days till 10 June 1999, but during this period, the Serb atrocities continued, which forced about half the Muslim population (Muslim Albanians) to leave Kosovo and seek refuge in Albania and Macedonia. Apart from supporting NATO, the United Nations also helped the refugees by providing them food and shelter. The NATO strikes inflicted heavy damages upon Yugoslavia, which forced Milosovic to accept the international peace plan.

With the acceptance of the peace plan by Belgrade, the 79 days NATO bombing was temporarily suspended on 10 June 1999. Simultaneously the Serb troops were withdrawn, and NATO and Yugoslavia military commanders held talks in Macedonia to implement the peace terms. The Serb troops were replaced by the UN peacekeeping force (KFOR); thus, began the "Operation Joint Guardian" aiming at the return and rehabilitation of Kosovo refugees in Kosovo. It was a huge and challenging task as the province of Kosovo was badly damaged due to the war. The UN Security Council, on 10 June 1999, had adopted the peace plan for Kosovo by 14-0 votes which asked for the replacement of the Serb forces by the 50,000 peace-keeping force (KFOR) in Kosovo. The KFOR consisted of contingents from 30 countries and was organized in five geographical sectors under a unified NATO command.

The "Operation Joint Guardian" helped the Albanian Muslims to return to their destroyed homes. It is important to note the role played by the USSR in the process. When the UN peace-keeping forces entered Kosovo, they were surprised to see that the Russian troops had already took up positions at the Pristine airport, which was against their earlier commitment. Later, an agreement was reached between the US and USSR according to which the Russians agreed to work under the unified KFOR command. This agreement paved the way for the Kosovo liberation Army (KLA) to contribute to the post war disarmament initiatives. Kosovo's separatist earlier had demanded that the Russians be placed under the KFOR command failing which they would not disarm themselves.

Following the successful resolution of the operations of Russian troops under KFOR command, KLA signed on accord with KFOR on the demilitarization and phased disarmament of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in Kosovo. The agreement provided for cease-fire, disengagement from the zones of conflict, demilitarization and integration into the civil society. Ultimately, the control of KLA on the weapons depots would be transferred to KFOR within a period of four months in phases. The positive and constructive role played by KLA was applauded worldwide.

IRS Welcomes Hillary's IGS

The computer man has no idea who the forty-fourth (44th) President of The United States will be, but one or two things are certain. One is that the American people as a whole are fed up with forty-three (43) and with the Bush dynasty. A member of the remote helpdesk team has observed that should Hillary become number forty-four (44), it would not take two terms for the people to also have more of the Clinton dynasty than they could stomach.

America's sons and daughters think Bush - Chaney was in the pocket of big business. But, the Tennessee Mountain Man fears that a Hillary Presidency would make all previous favors won by lobbyists seem little more than the proverbial "drop in a bucket".

Mike Huckabee wanted to "nail the going out of business sign on the doors of the IRS". A great idea. Why not a fair tax? But, realistically, we know the IRS is going nowhere soon. In fact Hillary will need to create a sister agency for them. She wants a federal law forcing everyone to pay a heath care tax.

Hillary talks about it in glowing terms of health insurance for everyone. The one catch to her plan is, everyone will be required by law to purchase this coverage from companies who have always tried to avoid "preventative care". Why? Money! It is cheaper to wait until people are dying and spend a few dollars in their final days or months than to prolong their life and care for their health for extended years.

A Clinton dynasty would not only mean four (4) more years of Bill Clinton running around a White House full of young impressionable interns fishing with his trousers down, but doing so with plenty of time on his hands as the first lady simply does not have the responsibilities and demand on time the President does.

Do we really want to spend the next four (4) years suffering the Clinton's condescension, contempt, and chicanery while we are required to pay off their insurance company friends? What she has planned for those who can least afford it is a federally sanctioned good old fashion shake down in the name of universal health care.

Obama says he understands the need for universal health care but also knows the reason most people who are not insured or who are under insured is not because those folks don't want insurance. But, rather it is because they simply can't afford it, and that there has to be another way. Hillary's other way is wage garnishment or jail or both.

Here come da IGS (Insurance Garnishment Service) or some such federal bureaucracy that will make the IRS seem like the girl next door. Vern Beachy's blogspot refers to it as Hillabeast, and that sounds about right. She has taken special interest money from everyone and their brother. Ask them where Bill made all his money! It may have been American Dollars but it was not from
Americans or our friends and allies. And, they expect you and I to repay it. Obama, on the other hand, has taken no money from anyone except you and I. He owes no one but us. You must ask yourself, "to whom do I wish to be indebted for the next decade?".

The United States government already knows how much money you spend and on what. Do you recall the pony tail bandit? A girl of means, by no means. She should have been under the radar, but not hardly. Big brother is here to stay, but we need not give big sister a lift up.

It is apparently not enough for Hillary that former employers, former spouses, lending companies, financial institutions, the state, and the federal government and a host of other plaintiffs can garnish your wages. We need, she believes, another federal agency to keep the lower and middle classes of this country in line. The result - we already miss John Edwards.

If a person receiving Medicaid or Medicare needs certain services now, especially long term care, he will find his car, his home, and any funds he may have managed to put away seized. Hillary wants to do this on the front end and get it over with all in the name, again, of federally required universal health care.

In the United Kingdom, the Debtors Act of 1869 abolished imprisonment for debt and the United States soon followed suit covering most instances. Although for ostensibly different reasons and under somewhat different circumstances there are those like Jes Beard and Hillary Clinton who want them reinstituted.

The computer man lost tens of thousands of dollars because bad things happen to good people. People who never saw their financial problems looming lost their life as they knew it and because of circumstances beyond their control hurt the computerman. That does not give the computerman or anyone else the right to add insult to injury.

There was a time in the United States when you did not want to be found by the cops with no money in your pocket. It was off to jail. Now you get stopped with "too much" money in your pocket and it is off to jail. The coming twist thanks to President Hillary Clinton, should that come to pass, is to be found sick with no health insurance, and you guessed it..... Here come da IGS! And, God only knows what and who else would befall the American public to enrich the Clinton dynasty should Hillary become number forty-four (44).. Hillary's IGS would make J. Edgar Hoover look like the diminutive little ego maniac he was, and his law enforcement arm like the cub scouts.

Super Delegates vs. Electoral College

All of his life, the Tennessee Mountain Man has heard the call to exercise your right to vote. Even fighting in one of the country's wars was not sufficient in the eyes of many. Voting was some how more than a right, it was a constitutional requirement of any and every son of the United States.

That worked well while America's back room whiskey swigging, cheap cigar puffing, wheelers and dealers enjoyed an illiterate voting public. Then along came Sam! No... not the cartoon character, Yosemite Sam, nor the gunslinger immortalized in song, but our Uncle Sam. The uncle fed prodigiously by President Lyndon B. Johnson in pursuit of the Great Society.

Forget a chicken in every pot! What America needed was a new car in every drive, money in the hands and pockets of everyone to buy the junk food they craved... forget the government cheese. Every day of his senior years the Computer Man's maternal grand pa asked grand ma for some jingling money, and having received same set off for the county square.

Grand pa made sure he had in his pockets his sharpest folding knife, his old old pocket watch which he set at noon everyday with the sounding of the surrounding factory lunch whistles, a stick of cedar for whittling, a twist of King-B for chewing, and a little pocket change for jingling... grand pa was now prepared for his day, indeed for the remainder of his days.

Wearing his worn out gray felt hat, grand dad would set out walking down the street. The state had long ago taken his drivers license and his children had finally taken all of his automobiles. Not that anyone wanted them. The last one the computerman recalls had the startling ability to be hand cranked. One need not necessarily be concerned with the state of the battery. It represented the old man's last ditch effort at his brand of freedom and to have a car no one would take from him. It didn't work. He was simply not safe on the road nor was anyone on the road with him safe.

As he walked along his way, grand pa jingled the little bit of coins grand ma had provided for his pockets and sang old book songs from the Hardshell Baptist Hymnal. You know... they only sang the notes, not the words... yours truly never understood that, but I digress.

Upon arriving at his destination, grand pa took a seat along side the other old timers gathered outside the Jackson County Courthouse in Scottsboro, Alabama, just before dawn, and producing his pocket knife and a newly split piece of cedar that cost him two bits he began to smooth off the edges of the stick preparing for a full day of "visiting, reminiscing, conversation and piddling". Oh! The smell of that cedar, and the sound of his booming voice which reverberated around the square.

What does grand pa have to do with anything? Well, he was not always an old man ignored by most and simply forgotten by others. No, grand dad, a Justice Of The Peace in his day, was one of those back room shakers and movers in one party or the other in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. He knew the system inside and out. He was a ward captain. He decided who run for what office and made sure however he had to, including a little well placed hooch - and just maybe some of that walking around or as he called it jingling money, who got elected.

Grand dad used to say he was a republican for one reason and one reason only. I just can't remember what that reason was. Shades of the old man, I suppose. What I can be sure of is grand pa's generation never conceived of super delegates for either party. Not withstanding the republican and democratic parties are both private entities, and as such they can allow and restrict membership as they see fit. They can nominate and withhold as they wish. They and they alone decide who their power base, movers and shakers, and insiders are.

What has this to do with a democracy? Not nearly as much as grand dad had to do with politics in Alabama. As the Tennessee Mountain Man perceives the democrats since the days of LBJ to slide more and more toward socialism and the republicans to move more and more to fill the democratic shoes of yore he feels the need for independent involvement in the American Political process. A painful and foreboding journey to be sure.

Grand pa, although a self professed republican, always believed President Lyndon Johnson to be on the right track although improperly executed. He long wanted to abolish the electoral college in favor of the popular vote - the nemeses of professional politicians. Today, I often wonder how many times the old man has rolled over in his grave considering how dumb Americans have become as the state has spent more and more to educate the masses. It seems, the more we learn about less and less, the more we dumb down.

Along with the computerman, grand pa's question, today, I believe, would be "super delegates!... where in heaven's name (like that phrase? It stops the holier than thou crowd's sausage grinder dead in it's tracks!) did my republic go?".

Hillary vs. Obama

The older the Tennessee Mountain Man gets the more he finds himself contemplating the history written in his lifetime, and how that history effects the present. In the midst of the 2008 political season there are inescapable memories and applications both good and bad of yesteryear.

A recent visit between the computer man and a politically well connected lawyer friend turned on the topics of politics, the election season at hand, and how the 2008 elections bring memories of the "good run" the two men had enjoyed in their life as well as the pain they had endured. Both now finding themselves leaning right recalled their happier years growing up in democratic
households and finding that sixty (60) years of living, loving, and maturing gives one quiet a perspective.

Hillary Clinton for example dredges up memories like the Rose Law Firm, Kathleen Willy, lost files, "that woman, Miss Lewinsky", perjury, Gennifer Flowers, smoking pot without inhaling, Paula Jones, white water, Susan McDougal ad infinitum.

Barack Obama stirs up memories as well. Memories like the pride that swells up in a boy's heart for his country as he watches Chet Huntley and David Brinkley televise and report on the operations of the republican and democratic conventions in real time.

As Hillary, like Tammy Wynette, stands by her man she conjures up recollections not of The Possum (George Jones) but of George Wallace and his wife, Lurleen who ruled as Governors of Alabama during the 1960s and 1970s. A time most people would rather not revisit.

On the other hand Obama is trailed by the legacy of another young man of that era. A United States Senator, a Roman Catholic, by the name of John F. Kennedy stirred a nation and caught the imagination and hope of the American people when he dared run for and win the Presidency of the United States.

The Clintons bring back memories of Bull Conner and his attack dogs while Obama brings ringing memories of Freedom Marches, of Martin Luther King, of Jack Kennedy and of Robert Kennedy.

The Clinton's win at any price hardball back room politics bring back memories of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover and his abuse of power taping and spying on Dr King and political operatives of both parties for his personal aggrandizement. He black mailed our leaders of the day keeping the pressure on. With certain kinds of people, the end justifies the means.

George and Laurleen bought black votes by buying off the religious leaders. The fact was that they could not have stayed in power without the support of the African-Americans living in Alabama. At least one Fox reporter has said the Clinton Machine is providing Black church clerics with "walking around money" for their support against Obama, one of their own. Hello! Bill Clinton was not the first black president, but Obama could be. Clinton was and is the "other white meat", you know, the one the Holy Bible warns you against.

Obama having run a clean campaign faces a Clinton Machine which, to state only a couple of examples, first introduced racial issues into the democratic primary by race baiting, and which raised the youthful indiscretions of Obama trying to make the masses believe him to be an addict and drug dealer. What ever happened to the old adage, "don't throw rocks if you live in a glass
house"? Or the rule requiring a plaintiff to have clean hands to bring an action?

If the Clinton Machine is not bonking you they are pimping you and whether they like it or not they got caught pimping their daughter. Yet they appear to be able feign pain as well as Hillary does tears and get all out of joint when called on it. It brings back the memories of Bill's righteous indignation over what the meaning of "is" - "is". Makes one remember Hillary's "vast right wing conspiracy" which turned out to be nothing more than Bill Clinton's zipper. They don't, however, seem to have an issue with our troops fighting a war on foreign soil being referred to as pimps.

The Clinton Machine changed its collective mind and expressed a desire to seat Michigan and Florida delegates after they fudged on campaigning and managed to win an election in states that were not supposed to count for anything in the 2008 democratic party nominating process. But no caucus says Billary, we would lose that.

Billary always wanting to change the rules in the middle of the game. They remind yours truly of the kid who always managed to empty a playground by just showing up.

Hillary vs. Obama. The 2008 election truly is a choice between yesterday and tomorrow.

Super Tuesday Results

After the tears, just before Super Tuesday, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has reason to smile. Some significant victories in important states helped her close in on her closest rival Barack Obama. Meanwhile, John McCain emerged with a lead relegating both, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, to the sidelines.

Super Tuesday saw Clinton winning from Democrat territories, New Jersey and New York, the latter also being her home state. She also won from Arizona, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Tennessee; Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Barack Obama, incidentally, had put the spotlight on Massachusetts. However, Clinton's greatest catch, undoubtedly, was the important and delegate-rich state of California.

In spite of Clinton's wins, Obama too managed to keep up the pace of his past performances. He scored wins in Delaware, Georgia, and the delegate-rich state of Illinois, apart from the caucuses in Idaho and Colorado. Besides, he won a narrow victory in the Missouri primary, though a recount could be in order here. He also won the Kansas, North Dakota, and Minnesota caucuses, as well as the primaries in Connecticut, Utah, and Alabama. “If there is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final results to know, our time has come,” Obama told voters in Chicago on Tuesday night, adding, "And change is coming to America."

In spite of the several surprises sprung by Super Tuesday—including unexpected strokes of luck for Clinton—at the end of the day, the democrats continue to be locked in a tight battle. Since all of the Tuesday contests award delegates to Democrats proportionally, the final results could be inconclusive.

Unlike the democrats, from amongst the republicans, one leader, John McCain emerged as a clear winner. His wins, according to a projection by Fox News, includes Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma. Speaking to applauding fans in Phoenix, the senior senator said, "Tonight I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner," and added, "And I don’t mind it one bit."

McCain's rivals, however, did not fare too well, though they seemed to enjoy some home state advantage. Romney, for instance, won Massachusetts, North Dakota, and Utah, undoubtedly on the goodwill of the Mormon population in these states. He also scored victories in the Colorado, Minnesota, and Montana caucuses. He told supporters in Boston, "We’re going to go all the way to the convention. We’re going to win this thing."

On the other hand, Mike Huckabee, who had been pretty low of late, started with a win in the GOP convention in West Virginia. He later went on to score from Arkansas, his home state, along with Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, no doubt, on the strength of evangelical groups. "A lot of people have been trying to say that this is a two-man race," a jubilant Huckabee told supporters. “Well, you know what — it is, and we’re in it, " he said.

Eskom Power Outrages

Eskom, the company responsible for the electricity in South Africa, has recently changed their executive management structure in an attempt to deal with the power crisis. For the last few years, power cuts have been on an increasing rise, with load shedding being implemented to conserve power.

Jacob Maroga, the head of the power utility at Eskom, reported that changes have indeed been made, not only in management but also in structures to restore supply-side stability. He also confirms that much of the recent system instability relates to more of a supply-side underperformance than a massive demand growth.

Through a combination of load losses, poor coal supply and unplanned outages, up to 25% or more than 10 000 MW of Eskom's capacity has been unavailable. Load shedding rose to unprecedented levels, and a decision was made to cut the power on South African mines.

A recovery team was put into place to prevent a repeat of the load shedding. The recovery team will be lead by the current MD of Systems Operations, Erica Johnson. Eskom has also assigned Brain Dames to take over as MD of a new department, which is made up of Primary Energy and Generation and Enterprise Division.

Part of the recovery plan is to negotiate and buy back power from large industrial consumers. Eskom has placed an executive, Ehud Matha, in charge of this project. Large Industrial consumers have been urged to reduce power consumption.

After rolling power cuts to the South Africa’s mining industry, Eskom has now restored full power. However, during that time the mining industry had losses of over 200 million Rand a day.

Local companies have taken things into their own hands while waiting for Eskom to pull itself together. One of these companies is Aberdare Cables, who have launched products for power distribution to new developments.

Some of their products include a house service connection cable, ABC aerial bundled conductor and low cost cables for long distance electricity connections. The feature of the Airdac is to have a phase conductor safely in the middle of the cable to prevent electricity theft.

Meanwhile, with the shedding and power shortages, business and individuals are making claims against Eskom for damages and loss. To date, the claims are a total of R1 million.

In cases where companies are individuals who have contracts with Eskom, lawyers believe there is ground for suing Eskom. Others who get their power supply from the municipality (who gets it from Eskom) have less chance of winning a case.

People and businesses with contracts could claim for negligence, if there was a direct loss such as appliances getting damaged or food loss. Eskom spokesperson, Andrew Etzinger said all claims would be evaluated on merit.

So far, there hasn’t been one clear solution to how Eskom will be able to restore power, but hopefully with new changes in management, Eskom will be able to brainstorm new ideas. In the meantime South Africans, including companies and citizens, are urged to cut back power usage and go green.

Recession Risks: The Silver Lining

The US appears to poised on the very brink of recession. Investors are reacting as news of a contraction within the service sector for the first time in five years, an FBI investigation into predatory lending, and increasing unemployment statistics, has sent shock waves of panic through stock markets worldwide. Who wins out in a crisis of this magnitude? And how can an individual take advantage of such a difficult scenario?
While volatility in recent months is hardly a comforting phenomenon, recognizing its continued presence (within relatively unstable areas of the economy such as the stock markets) is key to weathering such a crisis. Even though most areas of the US economy are contracting in some fashion, the saying that the US's sneeze makes the world catch cold is less true than ever before. As China and other Asian economies become increasingly decoupled from America, the tendancy of compensating mechanisms to come into play should increase. Someone will be able to profit from the US shoring up spending, even if it is only oil companies for some period of time. Most of these companies are reinvesting the money they make in stable companies like American financial institutions, thus tying their fate to that of the US without risk of takeover bids or boardroom posturing.

While the transmission of wealth from the American middle class to wealthy overseas oil giants is gradually becoming a less attractive proposition to the average American (with increasing energy prices helping this along), the climate crisis may be able to facilitate a reduction in dependence on foreign oil that balances this feedback loop in the future. Americans are right to begin saving on a more realistic scale, if a bit slow to react. Most of America's weaknesses in this regard are only sustainable if nothing goes wrong, and the sub-prime crisis is destined to affect many other industries such as credit card companies. If a significant amount of consumer spending turns into savings, Americans will be hurting. But like an unpleasant vaccination, they will be safer in the long run. Perhaps a lesson or two in solubility and risk management has been learned.

As far as an individual's best chances for taking advantage of these weakened sectors, buying a house couldn't be smarter now (?) as the glut of unsold houses in many areas continues to drive down prices. Emerging economies will continue to grow even if America stagnates for some period of time, so investment in these regions is a safer bet than ever before. Global GDP will still grow, even if the rest of the world no longer wants to hold the West's hand while they cross the street. In fact, the complex financial instruments that have fueled the credit crunch were created in order to minimize risk. As we can see, they have only made it less obvious and harder to bring ontol a balance sheet, which costs much more. If layoffs begin to increase, government action on a larger scale is practically inevitable. The Federal Reserve is obviously prepared to drop interest rates considerably further, which means there is still some breathing room (even if it is shrinking).

Giuliani Endorses McCain

Republican Rudy Giuliani gave in to the predictable inevitability of his flagging popularity and bowed out of the presidential race. He also endorsed John McCain, who is currently in the leading position. Giuliani's move came after the disappointing third place he won at the recently held Florida primary; McCain, incidentally, emerged victorious. Giuliani's endorsement has strengthened his association with McCain—who often ran his campaign on similar issues related to national security.

The former New York mayor extolled McCain, with whom he shares a close friendship, and termed him an 'American hero'. "John McCain is the most qualified candidate to be the next commander in chief of the United States," he said. Giuliani had earlier said that McCain would be his choice for president, if he was not a running contender himself. Ostensibly referring to Romney, who has often criticized him for shifting positions, he also stated, "If I'd endorsed anyone else, you would say I was flip flopping."

McCain, who stood beside Giuliani, responded by terming his friend and colleague as "my strong right arm and my partner". He said, "This man is a national hero and I'm honored by his friendship."

Giuliani, who had enjoyed a reigning position on popularity polls last year, was seen as a likely Republican nominee. However, his status started plummeting at the start of the year. The debacle at the Florida primary may have been the final straw that helped him decide to quit.

Earlier, addressing voters following his win at Florida, McCain had expressed a warm camaraderie with Giuliani, saying, "I want to thank my dear friend, my dear friend Rudy Giuliani, who invested his heart and soul in this primary and who conducted himself with all the qualities of the exceptional American leader he truly is." He said, "Thank you, Rudy, for all you have added to this race and for being an inspiration to me and millions of Americans."

The former mayor won much praise for his role in handling New York during the September 11 crisis. Popularly dubbed as the 'Mayor of America', Giuliani was banking on his 9/11 credentials to help him win the presidential race.

However, there were incongruities surrounding his candidature. As a republican, Giuliani held views that were almost moderate or liberal. Referring to his office as mayor of New York, Giuliani said that he created the most conservative government in one of the most liberal of cities in America.

Before joining politics Giuliani, was a reputed federal prosecutor who won fame for his role in legal proceedings against gang bosses and corrupt political figures. He won as mayor in 1993, after losing once in 1989. However, failure in winning any primaries, combined with a drop in popularity forced him to gracefully bow out of the race.

Top Internet Evangelist says Romney Vote is a Vote for Satan

Bill Keller the founder of the controversial “LivePrayer” program running for the last eight years is no stranger to controversy. He has confronted the gay activists, Planned Parenthood, Muslim groups and even posted a video response to Osama Bin Laden.

The website is replete with a list of those who have decided to endorse Romney called “The Judas Gallery.” The endorsees listed make up a formidable list of lawyers, politicians, religious leaders, radio and TV talk show hosts and political pundits.

The list of names reflects a cross section of people including those thought to be politically conservative and evangelical Christians. Named are, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Ralph Reed, Paul Weyrich, Tom Monaghan, James Bopp, Ann Coulter, Bob Jones, Jay Sekulow, and Mark DeMoss.

When I spoke to Bill Keller he emphasized that the main purpose of the website is to “educate the American public on exactly what the Mormons really believe and practice.”

Bloggers have jumped into the controversy head first and the onsite forums have drawn both naysayers and former Mormons. The impassioned responses are proof that the issue is on the minds of more Americans than anyone may have imagined. Some of the forum responses include people with 40 years or more as former Mormons.

The flare of Keller’s new website may be attention getting but the ideas he puts forth are anything but new. Conservative Christian theologians, preachers and writers have long held that the Mormon religion is a heresy or a cult. One of the most famous theologians to point out the spurious nature of the Mormon religion is the late Walter Martin who is known for his work in uncovering the greatest heresies and cults of the last two centuries.

The origins of Mormonism are what come into question most often. Many books and websites are dedicated to uncovering the suspect beginnings of the Mormon religion. Sites like “Josephlied” have detailed outlines of the errors in the Mormon faith and although not as colorful as Keller’s site go a long way to educate an unsuspecting public.

Many believers who credit themselves with “testing the spirits” are inclined to think that Mormons may have salvation not because of their religion but in spite of it. Bill doesn’t entertain any of those ideas but refers to the Bible to support his position.

One of the tendencies of cults is to proclaim that they alone are the real thing and those in other religions are lost and hell bound. Mormons also espouse this claim but in contrast conservative Christian religions do not. Baptist, Presbyterians, Methodists, Pentecostals and independent Christian faiths generally see all those who profess Christ in their ranks as saved.

It is the Bible that becomes the unifying factor between all the various Christian denominations and faiths. Keller cannot be faulted for his position in the eyes of most evangelicals and others but with apostasy and the new more tolerant theology of the day he is not without his protagonists. Anyone who knows Bill Keller will understand that the best invectives won’t even slow the man down.

About knowing the man, Bill delivers a daily devotional every day to upwards of forty thousand people who have opted into his email list. He addresses every issue they bring up but more than that he communicates with them in a genuinely warm and human way. Keller will soon be setting up at the famous Florida State fair and ministering to thousands among which there will be quite a few Floridians who have been part of his ministry based in St. Petersburg for a long time.

When asked what the real message of his new site really is Bill replied with “Mormon theology is one hundred percent inconsistent with Biblical theology and a Mormon is no more Christian than a Muslim.”

While some Americans are sure that the only real issues are the economy, immigration and the Iraq war it must be noted that the three out of four Americans that claim to be Christians may see a candidate’s faith as a very important issue. Bill is trying to address that issue.