Hillary has long sought a key judicial position in our highest court.  Rumors are that Hillary is being discussed as a candidate for Attorney General to add to her credibility for the next open Supreme Court Justice position.   Several of the Associate Justices are teatering on the brink of retirement, these include:  John Paul Stevens (88),  Ruth Bader Ginsburg (75), Stephen Breyer (70) Antonin Scalia (72), and Anthony Kennedy (72).

As Reported by the New York Times, Sen Obama does not want Hillary in the Supreme Court.  He shows he tolerates Hillary only as long as she or Bill can get him votes.

"But the word in Democratic circles is that Hillary - after being rejected by Obama as his running mate, the position given to Sen. Joe Biden - made it clear to Obama's camp that she wanted to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

One insider said, "Hillary wants an assurance that if she shows loyalty and goes out there like a good soldier, she will be rewarded with a nomination for the Supreme Court should a seat become available." [...]

The problem is, we're told, Obama "balked" at promising Hillary the judgeship, perhaps because he still resents how the Clintons attacked him during the primaries."

Mark Karlin said: "How does Supreme Court Justice Hillary Clinton sound?

It sounds superb to us. Freed of the constraints of "triangulating" political considerations that have hobbled and severely compromised her progressive values, a seat on the Supreme Court would be an ideal way for Clinton to help steer our Constitution back to its original moorings. Without having to worry about voting based on future campaign strategy, she would be liberated to impact America in a profoundly positive way.

And if the Chief Justice position should somehow open (although Roberts is quite young, but who knows, he might tire of a court moving in a different direction if the Democrats regain control of the White House -- and increase their majority in the Senate), then Chief Justice Clinton -- Hillary that is -- sounds mighty fine to us.

You might ask why I would be so supportive of Hillary Clinton serving on the Supreme Court when I have been so critical of her record. Well, the question answers itself. It is her politically calculated record during her Senate term, and the positions that she supported during the eight years in the White House that she counts among her 35 years of experience of which I have been most skeptical as a progressive.

But a seat on the Supreme Court would free Clinton to put her keen intellect to work in resolving Constitutional issues that desperately need to be saved from a wrecking ball by a Court that has veered dangerously to the right. It would allow her the potential to leave an enormous legacy, without worrying about how to vote because of the next election coming down the line. "

The Gunny reports:

"One insider said: “Hillary wants an assurance that if she shows loyalty and goes out there like a good soldier, she will be rewarded with a nomination for the Supreme Court should a seat become available.” A representative for Hillary sent an e-mail to The Post’s “Page Six” column on Wednesday calling the report: “Absurd. Nonsense. Rubbish. Hogwash. Malarkey.” But The Post asserted on Thursday: “The problem is, we’re told, Obama ‘balked’ at promising Hillary the judgeship.”

So is this Trick or Treat!!!!!????

Il malfattore si è dileguato a piedi facendo perdere le proprie tracce. Nessun ferito. Le indagini sono i corso a cura della Compagnia Carabinieri di Agropoli.

fonte www.salernonotizie.it

"Yeah we did some foolish things. I can't quite imagine putting a bomb in a building today, but the way things are in the world, I can't imagine entirely dismissing the possibility either. What if the government is killing a bunch of innocent people and just won't listen? And knowing now that trying to make a better life can lead to the guillotine, and the gulag, I still can't imagine a fully human world without utopian dreams." William Ayers

The Relationship Between Barack Obama And Bill Ayers Is Much More Extensive Than Obama's Campaign Is Willing To Admit 

Obama's Top Campaign Staff Have Attempted To Downplay The Relationship Between Obama And Bill Ayers:

Obama Spokesman Robert Gibbs Said That Obama And Ayers Weren't Close And That Obama Was Only 8 Years Old When Ayers Was Bombing Buildings. Robert Gibbs: "If you read the article ... it says these two men weren't close, this man isn't involved in our campaign. Bill Ayers is somebody that Barack Obama said his actions were despicable and these happened when Barack Obama was 8 years old." (FOX News' "FOX & Friends," 10/6/08)

Gibbs Has Also Limited The Relationship Between Obama And Ayers To Serving On Two Boards Together. John Roberts:  "Barack Obama knew Bill Ayers and had contact with him between 1995 and 2005. Exactly what was the nature of the relationship?" Robert Gibbs: "Well, John, as The New York Times reported this weekend, they served on two boards together during that time period." (CNN's "American Morning," 10/6/08)

Even Obama Has Previously Referred To Ayers As "A Guy Who Lives In My Neighborhood" And Not Someone He Exchanges Ideas With "On A Regular Basis." Obama: "George, but this is an example of what I'm talking about. This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis. And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn't make much sense, George." (Sen. Barack Obama, ABC Democrat Candidates Presidential Debate, Philadelphia, PA, 4/16/08)

But Obama's Connections With Bill Ayers Are Much More Extensive Than He Or His Campaign Staff Is Willing To Admit:

In 1995, During Obama's First State Senate Campaign, William Ayers And Wife Bernadine Dohrn Hosted A Meeting Of Chicago Liberals At Their Home For Obama, Which One Attendee Said Was Aimed At "Launching Him." "In 1995, State Senator Alice Palmer introduced her chosen successor, Barack Obama, to a few of the district's influential liberals at the home of two well known figures on the local left: William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. While Ayers and Dohrn may be thought of in Hyde Park as local activists, they're better known nationally as two of the most notorious -- and unrepentant -- figures from the violent fringe of the 1960s anti-war movement. ... 'I can remember being one of a small group of people who came to Bill Ayers' house to learn that Alice Palmer was stepping down from the senate and running for Congress,' said Dr. Quentin Young, a prominent Chicago physician and advocate for single-payer health care, of the info rmal gathering at the home of Ayers and his wife, Dohrn. '[Palmer] identified [Obama] as her successor.' ... Dr. Young and another guest, Maria Warren, described it similarly: as an introduction to Hyde Park liberals of the handpicked successor to Palmer, a well-regarded figure on the left. 'When I first met Barack Obama, he was giving a standard, innocuous little talk in the living room of those two legends-in-their-own-minds, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn,' Warren wrote on her blog in 2005. 'They were launching him -- introducing him to the Hyde Park community as the best thing since sliced bread.'" (Ben Smith, "Obama Once Visited '60s Radicals," The Politico, 1/22/08)

From March Of 1995 Until September Of 1997, Obama And Ayers Attended At Least Seven Meetings Together Relating To The Chicago Annenberg Challenge. (Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Board Of Directors Meeting, Minutes Of The Board, 3/15/95, 3/31/95, 4/13/95, 6/5/95, 9/30/97; National Annenberg Challenge Evaluation Meeting, List Of Participants, 5/24/95; Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Chicago School Reform Collaborative Meeting, Minutes, 10/23/96)

• NOTE: Bill Ayers Was Asked To Help Obama Formulate The Chicago Annenberg Challenge By-Laws. (Chicago Annenberg Challenge Board Of Directors Minutes, 3/15/95)

In 1997, Obama Praised Ayers' Book On The Juvenile Justice System. "The two men were involved in efforts to reform the city's education system. They appeared together on academic panels, including one organized by Michelle Obama to discuss the juvenile justice system, an area of mutual concern. Mr. Ayers's book on the subject won a rave review in The Chicago Tribune by Mr. Obama, who called it 'a searing and timely account.'" (Jo Becker and Christopher Drew, "Pragmatic Politics, Forged On The South Side," The New York Times, 5/11/08)

• Obama On William Ayers' "A Kind And Just Parent: The Children Of Juvenile Court": "A searing and timely account of the juvenile court system, and the courageous individuals who rescue hope from despair." (Chicago Tribune, 12/21/97)

"[Obama And Ayers] Have Also Appeared Jointly On Two Academic Panels, One In 1997 And Another In 2001." (Russell Berman, "Obama's Ties To Left Come Under Scrutiny," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

From 1999 To 2002, Obama Served With Ayers On The Board Of Directors For Woods Fund Of Chicago. "[Ayers] served with [Obama] from 1999 to 2002 on the board of the Woods Fund, an anti-poverty group." (Timothy J. Burger, "Obama's Chicago Ties Might Fuel 'Republican Attack Machine'," Bloomberg, 2/15/08)

• During The Time Obama And Ayers Served Together On The Woods Fund, Ayers Was Quoted Saying "I Don't Regret Setting Bombs ... I Feel We Didn't Do Enough." "'I don't regret setting bombs,' Bill Ayers said. 'I feel we didn't do enough.' Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago." (Dinitia Smith, "No Regrets For A Love Of Explosives," The New York Times, 9/11/01)

• NOTE: Obama, Born August 14th, 1961, Was 40 Years Old When Ayers Was Quoted. (Obama For America Website, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 10/6/08; Dinitia Smith, "No Regrets For A Love Of Explosives," The New York Times, 9/11/01)

• While Obama And Ayers Were Serving On The Woods Fund Together, Ayers Posed Standing On An American Flag For An Article In Chicago Magazine Entitled "No Regrets." (Marcia Froelke Coburn, "No Regrets," Chicago Magazine, 8/01)

Obama And Ayers Are Neighbors In Chicago's Hyde Park Neighborhood. "Twenty-six years later, at a lunchtime meeting about school reform in a Chicago skyscraper, Barack Obama met Mr. Ayers, by then an education professor. Their paths have crossed sporadically since then, at a coffee Mr. Ayers hosted for Mr. Obama's first run for office, on the schools project and a charitable board, and in casual encounters as Hyde Park neighbors." (Scott Shane, "Obama And '60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths," The New York Times, 10/4/08)

• Obama Spokesman Ben LaBolt Told The New York Times That Last Year Obama And Ayers "Bumped Into Each Other On The Street In Hyde Park." "[Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt] said they have not spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages since Mr. Obama began serving in the United States Senate in January 2005 and last met more than a year ago when they bumped into each other on the street in Hyde Park." (Scott Shane, "Obama And '60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths," The New York Times, 10/4/08)

• Neighbors Have Said "It's Only Natural" That Obama Would Know Ayers, Who Often Opens His Home For Gatherings, As Obama And His Wife "Are A Part Of Our Neighborhood And Part Of Our Social Circle." "Since coming out of hiding in 1980, the couple have raised three boys in Chicago and become part of the fabric of their liberal South Side neighborhood. Neighbors said it's only natural that Obama would know Ayers and Dohrn, who often open their homes for gatherings filled with lively discussions about politics, arts and social issues. Obama and his wife 'are part of our neighborhood and part of our social circle,' said Elizabeth Chandler, a neighbor of Ayers'." (Trevor Jensen, Robert Mitchum and Mary Owen, "Bill Ayers' Turbulent Past Contrasts With Quiet Academ ic Life," Chicago Tribune, 4/17/08)

Ayers' Organization, The Weather Underground, Was A "Violent Left-Wing Activist Group":

"William Ayers ... [Was] A Founding Member Of The Group That Bombed The U.S. Capitol And The Pentagon During The 1970s." (Russell Berman, "Obama's Ties To Left Come Under Scrutiny," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

• Ayers' Group, The Weather Underground, Is A "Violent Left-Wing Activist Group." "Senator Obama's ties to a former leader of the violent left-wing activist group the Weather Underground are drawing new scrutiny as he battles Senator Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination." (Russell Berman, "Obama's Ties To Left Come Under Scrutiny," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

The Weather Underground Produced A Manual Which Begins, "We Are A Guerrilla Organization. We Are Communist Women And Men, Underground In The United States For More Than Four Years." "The coalition was said to be a violence-prone faction inspired by the Weather Underground's ''Prairie Fire,'' a guerrilla warfare manual published in 1974. The manual begins, 'We are a guerrilla organization. We are Communist women and men, underground in the United States for more than four years.'" (Paul L. Montgomery, "2 Women In Brink's Case Identified With Weathermen From Start In '69," The New York Times, 10/ 22/81)

 Armchair quarterbacks at home all believe that we know how to debate much better than Obama and McCain does. We’ll be hurling epithets at the television screen when our candidate misses an opportunity to verbally mangle his opponent or launch a one-liner that will soar the politician into the Lloyd Bensten Hall of fame:

One thing is certain: folks watching the debates are tough!

Does either Obama or McCain have an advantage?

On the surface, it can be argued that McCain has the home-field advantage. The town-hall format is something he prefers and has demonstrated much skill in.

The format allows for direct questioning of the candidates by the audience. 

How to win

So what are the keys to victory?  Much like when Terry Bradshaw and Mike Ditka outline what each team must do in this hallowed and sacred part of the year known as Football Season, two armchair political quarterbacks will analyze what must be done at tonight’s debate.

In the ‘D’ corner:

Chris Lehane is a Democratic strategist, frequent television commentator and former staffer in the Clinton White House.  He provided:

O’s Five Principals of Combat

1.  Error free ball:  The trajectory of this campaign will not change unless O makes a real mistake that plays into a negative storyline (inexperience, elite/arrogant). And the history of presidential debates is that they usually alter the fundamentals of a campaign only when a candidate makes a major mistake that plays into a negative typecast. Thus, no mistakes on something that matters.

2.  Counter-punch like Muhammad Ali: Ali, one of the greatest heavyweights ever, knocked out big punchers like Foreman, Norton, and Frazier by counter-punching. Like Ali, Obama needs to hit back when McCain attacks, because voters absolutely want to know that the person in the Oval Office will stand up and fight for them, and because McCain’s chin will be exposed when he bull-rushes Obama.

3.  Be Michael Coreleone and not Sonny or Fredo:  Obama can’t be like Sonny and go in swinging away without a real plan and he can’t be Fredo and not fight back. He needs to be Michael – smart and shrewd in taking on his opponent.

And being Michael in this debate – and campaign – means homing in on a character compare-and-contrast focused on “who do you trust to make the right economic decisions for you and your family.”

Trust on the economy is where Obama wins when he counter punches – it is the cut above McCain’s eye that he should just pound on at every opportunity (as Biden did in the VP debate).

4.  It is Oprah, not a Harvard vs. Yale debate:  The public watches these debates to get a sense of the character of the candidates. Voters are not scoring it like a Harvard versus Yale debate, but watch it the same way they would watch Oprah.

Given that it is a town-hall style debate involving direct interaction with the audience, the premium on connecting in terms of a candidate’s character is even higher than in a moderated debate.

Candidates have made mistakes in the past that badly hurt them – not just because of what they said – but how they looked. Bush Sr. at his watch; Nixon’s darting eyes; Gore sighs.

5.   You don’t have to win: Obama does not have to win in a conventional sense. He just has to avoid doing anything that changes the fundamentals of the campaign. Thus, don’t let a need to win the debate lead to Obama being “hot” or “out of character.”

In the ‘R’ corner:

Rob Stutzman is a Republican strategist, frequent television commentator and former communications director for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  He offers:

The Five Things John McCain Must Do

1. Be stern but calm. Don’t appear angry. Angry John McCain is not reassuring. Keep it in check.  Your temperament is an issue, don’t fuel the concerns.

2. Speak to Americans who are sitting at home on their sofa scared about the threat to their way of life. Show them you understand.  Talk passionately about middle-class Americans the same way you speak with deep conviction about our brave men and women in uniform.

3. Give those same people the confidence you can lead them through this crisis with an agenda of tax cuts, economic growth, and energy independence that creates American jobs and keeps energy dollars in the USA. Tell them that’s why you want to be their president.

At the moment, Americans don’t care as much that you were right about The Surge as much they want to see someone who will protect the middle class. That’s not your wheelhouse, but it’s the best shot you have at turning this race around.

4. Take on Keating 5 and turn it on Obama. Own it. Talk about how it changed you into a bipartisan reformer. Challenge Obama to describe his life defining experiences that have prepared him to serve. Remind Americans of the Obama experience deficit in dramatic fashion.

Challenge him to cite the great bipartisan accomplishment of his career before you rip off the litany substantive bipartisan achievements you own.

5. Give the performance of your life. Now is your moment. Tonight’s your format. The bleeding in red states must stop now or an Obama landslide could start to manifest itself. Tonight’s an elimination game. Play like there’s no tomorrow.

The debate begins at 9pm EST/8pm CST and will broadcast on all network and cable news programs.  It will also be streamed on the Internet.

Salve omnes,

Sorry this email is so late. It was a trying night with very few hours of sleep. And since then waaaay too many phone calls...

well, Igor informs me that we shifted over into release language sometime around 6:15 am UTC this morning.

We have 'pegged' several circumstances which were ongoing at the time of the shift. These are not necessarily proximate causes, but they do provide the flavor of the moment, and may be guides for the continuing release language that will wash over all of us these next few month.

Russia Buys Iceland 1) the major banks in Iceland had failed. The Icelandic government had rather foolishly, but out of necessity, guarantee *ALL* bank deposits. This had developed prior to this morning. What occurred this morning was the announcement that the banks in question had deposits that ran several times the Icelandic GDP. 1.a) Subsequently, *after* being informed that the EU will not/cannot help them, the Icelandic gov't has turned to Russia for assistance. Russia has agreed to provide the Icelandic gov't with necessary funds of sufficient amount to help them out 'for a few days'. The language around the Icelandic currency failure went from 'worry' into expressions of 'dire' and 'calamitous' very rapidly early this morning.

EU Splinters 2) a meeting in France this morning of the EU official 'finance ministers' was a dud. It was such a dud as to produce a sudden, precipitous change in language around the whole of the EU as a context within our modelspace. This single meeting may be the actual pivotal point for the EU as an organization of nation states. Basically what happened is that the EU politicians in the meeting agreed to take actions which are /were meaningless, such as a 'deposit guarantee' that is now raised, but still is far less than any of the member countries individual deposit guarantees. Thus effectively taking no action at all. Further it is rumored that the attendees of the meeting expressed agreement with the idea of *not* coordinating rate cuts with the Federal Reserve Bank of the USofA. This likely will be seen in the future as *the* moment that the EU began to only crumble back into Europe. (rather than the spectactular Irish vote to kick the EU elite in the crotch). BBC reportedly saying that the "EU is in the shitter...can someone please flush". Other reports have the attendees of the meeting actually running with their aides in tow to avoid having to face any press.

RBS Clearinghouse 'failing' 3) The Royal Bank of Scotland reportedly, this morning, begun seeking a 'recapitalization' so that they may continue their clearinghouse functions. The story coming out via rumors is that RBS is/has run into liquidity issues regarding their ability to handle transactions from other banks. This is also, according to rumor, affecting the currency trades globally. There is now some small substantiation that several of the governmental agencies approached have 'kicked the problem upstairs' as being beyond their ability to accept. The language within the articles and rumors of the RBS capitalization issues is decidedly in the release category.

France to guarantee deposits for its citizens/banks 4) yet another country within the EU collective has had to declare is own intention to guarantee is own banking struture and its citizens deposits separate from the EU. This is *potentially* another Iceland problem as the total insured deposits are rumored to be several times the GDP of France. Yet another nail in the EU coffin.

5) LIBOR rates are still screwed, and banks are still failing, globally, and pretty much any and all banks which got into the SIVs, CDOs or other 'specialty vehicles'. Note such headlines... and the timing... http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article6666.html

6) various military components are also expressing themselves. This includes Iran and airplanes as well as Israeli TeeVee and their open discussion of the 'attack on Iran' being 'vetoed' by TPTB due to fears of huge losses of American soldiers and mercenaries in Iraq should Iran retaliate.

7)...other economic details piling up....

....so where from here.

Firstly there were many emails from people who, in their minds, heard 9/11 and disregarded what we are saying about the emotional tones. They were of the opiniion that 9/11 meant some form of attack, probably nuke-lar, and they were disappointed?!...

What we maintain, is that from this point forward, the release language grows, daily, and at intensity levels which are greater than 9/11. We are already seeing this. Go read some of the icelandic media, and the release language is clearly there to be seen. There are several millions of people globally already affected by the crumbling of the icelandic banking system/currency, and that will grow as the currency disease spreads about the planet over these next weeks and months.

We have shifted into release language. It is dominant now (marginally) and as the days progress, and bank after bank, country after country begin to topple as the currency dies beneath their power structure, the expressions of the release language will grow. By the time that we (the planet) reaches February 19th, we will all be totally sick of the release form of language.

Oh, and given our track record of being a few days early, it would not surprise us to find that this is another situation as in Pakistan and the capitulation of Mussaref where in the 'negociations' were done on the day we had chosen, but the announcement and the implementation came the following day.

Our best guess as to scenario goes to a continuing, inexorable, grinding down of the global economy as a result of the dying of the usofa dollar. We expect that each day brings more release language, and more behavior alteration which begats even more release langauge as it all piles on...day after day after day for months. With a few exciting release gasps thrown in just as seasoning on the mix.

Oh, and by the way, the military component is now rising as the 'rumors' of a 'pending biologic weapon/disease attack' are appearing. AND there are some levels of confirmation that the officialdom of the US is already responding to the 'information'. Hmmm.

So hopefully we can get a few minutes away from the phones here to examine the data streams. We do note that we have had a large, and continuing increase in data since about 11pm last night.

Part Five will bring in the first of the new data sets.

Vale, clif and a very tired igor. "

Depending on how the rest of the week goes, this could either turn into "crash week" or the week the "Euro busted" or any number of other economic events.

http://urbansurvival.com/week.htm

Et voila c'est le lancement tout le monde en parle et veut en parler. Power rangers RPM, le PR 2009 sera t-il à la hauteur de jungle fury?

Mais une chose est sur, les toys sortes les uns après les autres:

Coté finition, bandaï fait toujours de son lmieux et le visuel des figurines est assez sympas, parcontre coté articulation, nous somme un peu déçu par rappoort aux figurines de PR Jungle Fury. Par contre les figurines possèdent tous leurs accessoires. Parcontre, malgré que nous en sommes pas sur il se pourrait que le dernier mecha de go-onger ne sorte pas en toys sous la licence PR, affaire à suivre.

Dipping into the reality bucket again...right now the democrats are railing and fuming about George Bush and the evil Republican empire. I'm so tired of the blame game. I'm a conservative person by nature and philosophy. I believe in the free market, personal responsibility and the right to improve oneself; to achieve the American dream. What I hear from Democrats now is that it is your patriotic duty to redistribute your wealth that you worked hard to earn. What I hear from the Democrats is that George Bush has failed the country (which I agree with in several ways) and the Republicans have trashed the economy (which I disagree with). What I hear is how Obama and the Democrats can save us all through bigger government bloat (read that as socialism).

Why is it that when you talk to your neighbor or families most are frustrated by the bloat of government and its ineffectiveness, and yet when things begin to falter in the free market suddenly say we need more government? You are kidding and fooling yourself if you think the Democrats are so true to the American citizen and will propel us to prosperity.

The very fact is the Democrats are one of the largest hypocritical groups out there. Here is what I mean...take a look at this news report. It is about one Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank. The king of all blow hards who has been blaming EVERYONE else, in particular the "evil" Republicans and George Bush, but his complete ineptness as Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. For those Americans who love to gripe and moan about everything but do not understand how the government works and is organized, the House Financial Services Committee is directly responsible for the oversight of the entire financial services industry. Wait...what is the financial services industry? The very environment that just failed...securities, insurance, banking, and HOUSING.

WASHINGTON —  Unqualified home buyers were not the only ones who benefitted from Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank’s efforts to deregulate Fannie Mae throughout the 1990s.

So did Frank’s partner, a Fannie Mae executive at the forefront of the agency’s push to relax lending restrictions.

Now that Fannie Mae is at the epicenter of a financial meltdown that threatens the U.S. economy, some are raising new questions about Frank's relationship with Herb Moses, who was Fannie’s assistant director for product initiatives. Moses worked at the government-sponsored enterprise from 1991 to 1998, while Frank was on the House Banking Committee, which had jurisdiction over Fannie.

Both Frank and Moses assured the Wall Street Journal in 1992 that they took pains to avoid any conflicts of interest. Critics, however, remain skeptical.

"It’s absolutely a conflict," said Dan Gainor, vice president of the Business & Media Institute. "He was voting on Fannie Mae at a time when he was involved with a Fannie Mae executive. How is that not germane?

Something I keep pointing out to colleagues who get very political with each other is this: while Democrats and Republicans are pointing fingers and accusations about why this is or is not acceptable I like to dumb it down - Would you accept this type of situation at your work? A co-worker gets a promotion because he is on the community baseball team with the boss? If anything but nothing it is the appearance of impropriety and I suspect most hard working Americans would frown at this type of going-on at their place of work.

"If this had been his ex-wife and he was Republican, I would bet every penny I have - or at least what’s not in the stock market - that this would be considered germane," added Gainor, a T. Boone Pickens Fellow. "But everybody wants to avoid it because he’s gay. It’s the quintessential double standard."

I agree with that completely. The Democrats crucified Tom Delay and his lobbyest connections and money he was taking...but it is ok for Pelosi's husband to take PAC funds?

A top GOP House aide agreed.

"C’mon, he writes housing and banking laws and his boyfriend is a top exec at a firm that stands to gain from those laws?" the aide told FOX News. "No media ever takes note? Imagine what would happen if Frank’s political affiliation was R instead of D? Imagine what the media would say if [GOP former] Chairman [Mike] Oxley’s wife or [GOP presidential nominee John] McCain’s wife was a top exec at Fannie for a decade while they wrote the nation’s housing and banking laws."

That's the point. The liberal media which believes in the Democratic platform of "people are victims", "everyone else is responsible for your predicament", and big socialism, would never report this. Or, if they did it would be on page 24A in small print underneath the bra ads that only 11 year old boys are going to look. It is the same thing in the Presidential race. Right now McCain is fair game for everything, however Barack Obama? The liberal media is by-passing all of his questionable relationships he has had. I do think that is an issue for the voter. We all make stupid mistakes, but if it is a pattern of relationships that someone allows themselves to build then that shows you something about their character and decision making skills.

Frank’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

And this surprises us why? Frank has to find someway to spin this. I'm sure it will become something about being a victim and homophobia.

Frank met Moses in 1987, the same year he became the first openly gay member of Congress.

"I am the only member of the congressional gay spouse caucus," Moses wrote in the Washington Post in 1991. "On Capitol Hill, Barney always introduces me as his lover."

I have a problem with that. If Mr. Moses is responsible for influencing policies at Fannie Mae, and Barney Frank is impacting on laws that favor Fannie Mae and Mr. Moses, then you'd think you'd be smart enough to keep it in the closet. Frank is openly gay and proud...he loves to rub it in people's faces.

The two lived together in a Washington home until they broke up in 1998, a few months after Moses ended his seven-year tenure at Fannie Mae, where he was the assistant director of product initiatives. According to National Mortgage News, Moses "helped develop many of Fannie Mae’s affordable housing and home improvement lending programs."

Wow...the very "affordable housing and home improvement lending programs" (read poor financial lending decisions) were developed by the man Barney Frank was all hot and heavy for. Honestly, how many of you have done special things for that someone you had a romantic interest in? I'd imagine all of us, so let's not kid ourselves and say that the coward Barney Frank was not working to assist Mr. Moses.

Critics say such programs led to the mortgage meltdown that prompted last month’s government takeover of Fannie Mae and its financial cousin, Freddie Mac. The giant firms are blamed for spreading bad mortgages throughout the private financial sector.

Wait! I thought according to the Democrats and Barny Frank it is George Bush's fault? That is was the greed of the Republicans that did this?

Although Frank now blames Republicans for the failure of Fannie and Freddie, he spent years blocking GOP lawmakers from imposing tougher regulations on the mortgage giants. In 1991, the year Moses was hired by Fannie, the Boston Globe reported that Frank pushed the agency to loosen regulations on mortgages for two- and three-family homes, even though they were defaulting at twice and five times the rate of single homes, respectively.

And the facts come out to dispute the record. Why are Americans not recognizing that the Democrats are the ones who love big government and perform social engineering. Social engineering does not work. The Soviets proved that 18 years ago.

Three years later, President Clinton’s Department of Housing and Urban Development tried to impose a new regulation on Fannie, but was thwarted by Frank. Clinton now blames such Democrats for planting the seeds of today’s economic crisis.

Hmmm...even the Clinton administration tried to reign in the policies and create some regulation and who blocked it? That is right Representative Barney Frank, the Commander in Chief of the Democratic Party tried to put in controls at one point.

"I think the responsibility that the Democrats have may rest more in resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress or by me when I was president, to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," Clinton said recently.

Bill Sammon is FOX News' Washington Deputy Managing Editor.

So for all the Americans who are busy frothing at George Bush and the Republicans about this financial meltdown, sit and be honest. The Democrats are not smelling like roses. In fact if anything as more and more information pours out about this economic crisis, it appears that their very own were the ones who were benefiting (Dodd, Obama, Kerry) and actively working to block any regulation and control (Frank).

The hypocrisy is simply astounding. But never you worry. Obama is here with words to smooth over your 401k and job.

Take the time to read The Hypocrisy of the Democrats Part I and Part II for more information. If you are interested in finding out who and what caused this economic meltdown watch this video. It is very informative and pulled facts that you can easily find in your own Google search.

~Kryptikos

Yet, at the same time, not entirely unhappy.

At the same time as transferring my little stack of loot (around a month or so back), I advised the missus to do the same. Except her stack was decidedly larger than my stack. Let's just say, in poker terms, we're talking Joe Mugg Vs. Phil Hellmuth.

She agreed, filled in the form and sent it off. They wrote back, and the letter which arrived around 5 or so days ago said something like: "We regret we could not process your application as you have neglected to sign and date the form. Please correctly fill in the enclosed form."

Bit of a 'DOH!' moment. So I gave the missus the form, and advised she filled it all in this time.

On Monday of this week, I took the completed form to work, along with a stamp and an envelope.

I walked into he post room at work, was about the sort out the envelope and stick the form in when I thought it wise to give the form a quick once over before bunging it off. There was a problem.

The small print advised that the form should be filled in with BLACK ink. But the missus, gord bless her cotton socks, filled it in with BLUE ink. I came within a gnat's cock of saying 'fuck it, it'll be right' and bunging it in. I stood there for a few moments just staring at the form. Send, or take back to the missus and hassle her to fill in a new form with a black pen.

I decided to play it safe. Why send the form, only for another rejection to come in 2 weeks later, so we had to go through the form filling all over again and thereby missing out on the better interest rate.

I brought the form home, and a few days elapsed. The rest is history - Icesave (Landsbanki) is fucked.

When I asked the missus why she used blue ink, and why she didn't read the form, she said the following:

"I was busy on the computer, and thought I should quickly fill in the form and set it aside to go out in the post. There were two pens on the side. A black one and a blue one. I took a pen randomly and used that for the form."

So, on a complete coin toss, on a complete pure fluke of luck, we have just saved our entire life savings from potentially going up in smoke.

What amazing twists life has - it just goes to show that nothing at all in this world is certain and nothing is what it seems.

Special Events held in association with the exhibition:

Sunday at the Met - 'Taualuga; the last dance'
Live performance by Shigeyuki Kihara
October 19, 2008, 3pm
The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

'Taualuga; the last dance' – An Artist’s Talk
Artist talk by Shigeyuki Kihara
October 25, 2008, 7pm
Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, Uris Center for Education

A full exhibition schedule for ‘Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs’ can be viewed at www.metmuseum.org.

Optometrists at Primary Eyecare will donate their eye-exam fees on World Sight Day - which is being marked on Thursday - to help the estimated 300 million worldwide who are blind or vision-impaired simply because they don't have access to an eye exam or a pair of glasses.

"Who better to ask to support this program than optometrists and their staff and those who are lucky enough to live in countries where eye care is easily accessible?" said Primary Eyecare optometrist Dr. Joe DiGirolamo. "That’s why we are planning a practice celebration throughout October. It’s an opportunity for our whole office team to support our International Charity of Choice and we hope that our patients will join us, too."

The World Sight Day Challenge is a program of Optometry Giving Sight, a global initiative that targets the prevention of blindess and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error.

Last year, the first year of the Challenge, participating practices raised more than $250,000 toward the cause, money that is funding vision-care activities in Sri Lanka, East Africa, East Timor and South Africa.

For more information about Optometry Giving Sight and the World Sight Day Challenge visit www.givingsight.org.

DATES: This notice and the attached declaration are effective as of the date of signature of the declaration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: RADM W.C. Vanderwagen, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20201, Telephone (202) 205-2882 (this is not a toll-free number).

HHS Secretary's Declaration for Utilization of Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for Anthrax Countermeasures (emphasis added - G)

Whereas significant changes in the nature, regularity and degree of threats to health posed by the use of infectious agents as weapons of biological warfare have generated increased concern for the safety of the general American population particularly following the deliberate exposure of citizens in the

[[Page 58240]]

United States to Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) spores in 2001 that demonstrated the ease of dissemination, infectivity, and mortality; Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security has determined that B. anthracis and multi-drug-resistant B. anthracis present a material threat against the United States population, sufficient to affect national security; Whereas there are covered countermeasures to treat, identify, or prevent adverse health consequences or death from exposure to B. anthracis; Whereas such countermeasures, including vaccines, antimicrobials/ antibiotics, and antitoxins for pre-exposure and post-exposure prevention and treatment, diagnostics to identify such exposure, and additional countermeasures for treatment of adverse events arising from use of these countermeasures exist or may be the subject of research and/or development; Whereas such countermeasures may be used and administered in accordance with Federal contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, interagency agreements, and memoranda of understanding, and may also be used and administered at the Regional, State, and local level in accordance with the public health and medical response of the Authority Having Jurisdiction; Whereas, the possibility of governmental program planners obtaining stockpiles from private sector entities except through voluntary means such as commercial sale, donation, or deployment would undermine national preparedness efforts and should be discouraged as provided for in section 319F-3(b)(2)(E) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6d(b)) (``the Act''); Whereas, immunity under section 319F-3(a) of the Act should be available to governmental program planners for distributions of Covered Countermeasures obtained voluntarily, such as by (1) Donation; (2) commercial sale; (3) deployment of Covered Countermeasures from Federal stockpiles; or (4) deployment of donated, purchased, or otherwise voluntarily obtained Covered Countermeasures from State, local, or private stockpiles; Whereas, the extent of immunity under section 319F-3(a) of the Act afforded to a governmental program planner that obtains covered countermeasures except through voluntary means is not intended to affect the extent of immunity afforded other covered persons with respect to such covered countermeasures. Whereas, in accordance with section 319F-3(b)(6) of the Act, I have considered the desirability of encouraging the design, development, clinical testing or investigation, manufacturing, labeling, distribution, formulation, packaging, marketing, promotion, sale, purchase, donation, dispensing, prescribing, administration, licensing, and use of such countermeasures with respect to the category of disease and population described in sections II and IV below, and have found it desirable to encourage such activities for the covered countermeasures; and Whereas, to encourage the design, development, clinical testing or investigation, manufacturing and product formulation, labeling, distribution, packaging, marketing, promotion, sale, purchase, donation, dispensing, prescribing, administration, licensing, and use of medical countermeasures with respect to the category of disease and population described in sections II and IV below, it is advisable, in accordance with section 319F-3(a) and (b) of the Act, to provide immunity from liability for covered persons, as that term is defined at section 319F-3(i)(2) of the Act, and to include as such covered persons such other qualified persons as I have identified in section VI of this declaration; Therefore, pursuant to section 319F-3(b) of the Act, I have determined there is a credible risk that the threat of exposure of B. anthracis and the resulting disease constitutes a public health emergency.

More: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-23547.htm

From, CathNews: Pets can lead to heaven: Franciscan friar

Pets can be our ladders into heaven, Friar Matthew Hufer said yesterday at a blessing ceremony for pets at Port Melbourne beach in a celebration for the Feast of St Francis of Assisi.

As part of celebrations for the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, renowned for his love of animals, the City of Port Phillip and Kilbride ecumenical centre invited pet owners to a blessing ceremony at the Port Melbourne Lifesaving Club, The Age reports.

Matthew Hufer, a friar from St James of the March Friary in Box Hill, blessed hundreds of dogs, and their owners, for long lasting life and good health.

Despite the invitation, most other animals stayed away from the blessing, with word going around that most cats had decided to stay home and bask in the sunshine. But there was a pair of rabbits that popped out of their box in time to be blessed with the holy water.

Br Hufer was joined at the ceremony by Buddhist nun Carolyn Lawler, who shared the Dalai Lama's mantra of universal compassion.

Using readings from the Bible to demonstrate how important animals could be in people's lives, Br Hufer said God did not discriminate between his creations.

Yesterday's blessing was the eighth such event. Councillor Dick Gross said it was important to promote the role pets played in keeping their owners in good health and good spirits.

Stephen Conrad claims he has been a Democrat for 30 of his 40 years. That’s why it came as such a shock to friends Monday when he told them he “would probably have sex with” Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

“We were out eating, talking about women we would bone, you know the usual,” said longtime friend Demetrius Jones. “When he said he would probably do Sarah Palin, I just dropped my fork, paid my bill and left.”

“I don’t know. She’s pretty hot I guess. She has the whole “sexy librarian” thing going for her,” Conrad said in a press release.

“I’d probably do her if the opportunity ever came up,” he continued.

            Since being named Republican Vice-Presidential nominee in August of this year by presidential hopeful John McCain, Palin has been running on the “Democrat women are completely ignorant and will vote for any woman whatsoever, despite the fact that I am a proponent of completely obliterating womens’ rights” platform. The “pretending to be a progressive woman” approach has been met with mediocre results at best, except among the Republican male and self-loathing Republican female demographics.

            Conrad’s declaration has shaken the Democratic party to its very core, with representatives of the party as high as Presidential candidate Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi chiding Conrad’s opinion.

            “Though Sarah Palin is totally hot, I could not in my conscience ever say I would “do” her,” said Pelosi. “It is completely unethical statements like these, not our passive liberalism and lack of convictions, that make our party look bad.”

            “I just want to make it clear that I don’t want to have sex with Sarah Palin because of her political views, I just think she’s attractive,” Conrad clarified later.

            Sarah Conrad, Stephen’s wife of 20 years, could not be reached for comment.

Pacific LightNet will be exhibiting in booth 658 at the Expo. Stop by and see us!  We'll be ready to talk about all of our local Hawaii telecom services--including Pacific LightNet Hosted PBX, High Speed Internet, and wireless broadband--and how these and other new technologies can positively impact business performance. We're the only Hawaii telecom company exhibiting so we'll be your best source for the latest information regarding what's going on here in Hawaii's telecom industry.

The Pacific Building Trade Expo will be held Thursday, October 9, 2008 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Admission is free and exclusive to building industry professionals, including contractors, suppliers, government officials, maintenance engineers and those who work within the building industry.

Who:Aqua WarriorsVSIce Warriors

What:My Last War

When:Friday October17,2008

Why:Duh my last war lol

Time:4:00pm Eastern Time

Now Party Info!!!

When:October17,2008

Where:TBA

Time:6:00pm eastern time

We will vote on who will host the party and poll link will be on soon!

~Ephris11

RealDVD has been unavailable since Friday, when the studios won an emergency restraining order which forced Real to stop sales. A Federal judge is hearing arguments on RealDVD's fate today. I hope the restraining order is lifted; more important, I hope that RealDVD's legal status is cleared up quickly, and in Real's favor. The manner of copying it provides is fundamentally limited: You can't put a movie onto an iPod or a home network, let alone release it to BitTorrent. It's designed to let consumers get a little more out of the entertainment they've already paid for. And if even that runs afoul of current copyright law, it's pretty darn depressing.

So I'm hoping for the best today. But for the moment, the RealDVD site's smiling lady is still the bearer of bad news:

The cupboard has now been emptied and the bathroom is looking a tad bare. I’ve removed everything I could this evening ready for the workmen to jump on in tomorrow and get started. They already started on next door today and the house over the road, so I’ve got an idea about the amount of noise to expect. Alfie will be spending the day over Nanna’s house tomorrow in order to keep him and ME stress-less!

I managed to throw away a lot of stuff when I emptied the cupboard and moved things around but the one thing I was sad to part with was my beloved sky blue Carlton suitcase! I know it’s silly really to get upset about parting with a suitcase, it’s just that its 13 years old and was part of a set I got for my 18th birthday off my mum! I particularly asked for the suitcase set because of my love for travelling and its seen many a happy holiday with me, still it has gone to the charity shop so perhaps someone else will get some use out of it!

I popped up to visit E today to drop of her birthday present and card, I didn’t stop long, just under an hour. I made excuses that I needed to get home in case the workmen where starting early. I am just not feeling to sociable especially around her at the moment!

Source: Raw Story

Shared stage with abortion doc shooter sympathizer

John McCain, who along with his running mate has been attacking Obama over decade-old associations with unseemly figures, is not without his own nefarious associations.

One association, which seems to have gone unreported until now, involves a delegate who represented McCain at this year's Republican convention and previously expressed sympathy for an activist accused of shooting a doctor who performed abortions.

Applying the same logic as Sarah Palin, one could argue that the members of the GOP ticket are "palling around" with abortion clinic attack sympathizers, supporters of right-wing militants, perpetrators of political espionage and revolutionaries seeking to secede from the United States.

More attention is falling on the Arizona senator's own past since his attacks on Obama and former radical Bill Ayers. The Obama campaign's disquisition on Charles Keating just scratches the surface of what's out there, as reporters and liberal activists dig into McCain's web of connections.

Blogger Jed Lewison highlighted McCain's opposition to a 1994 law that made it a federal crime to bomb or blockade abortion clinics or to attack abortion doctors. McCain's vote against the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act put him in league with the Senate's most radical anti-abortion advocates, who split with more than two dozen anti-abortion senators who voted to crack down on clinic bombers as a matter of preserving law & order.

What's received less notice is where McCain was a few months before casting that vote.

In August 1993, McCain traveled to the Pacific Northwest where he earned the illustrious distinction of becoming the first major politician to address the ultra-far-right Oregon Citizens Alliance. He was apparently making good on a promise he had made to the group the year before as he and other GOP leaders negotiated to prevent the Christian conservatives from running a third-party candidate against Sen. Bob Packwood, who would resign a few years later amid a sex scandal.

The OCA attracted national attention in 1992 for sponsoring an anti-gay ballot initiative in Oregon, and McCain ignored advice to steer clear of the gathering. At the Portland fundraiser, McCain gently admonished the group to observe the "essence of tolerance," according to contemporaneous news reports.

His speech was preceded by some kind words for an anti-abortion activist accused of shooting a doctor.

McCain quickly got a first-hand flavor for the OCA. Marylin Shannon, the vice chairwoman of the Oregon GOP, had a spot on the program to give an opening prayer. In short order, she praised the Grants Pass woman accused of shooting an abortion doctor in Wichita and thanked the Lord ``for Lon Mabon and the vision you put in his heart.''

Shannon, the GOP chairwoman, referred to the accused shooter of the abortion doctor as a "fine lady," who shouldn't be judged solely based on the single act of violence, according to a letter she wrote to The Oregonian, which was accessed via Lexis Nexis.

While she did not endorse violence against abortion providers, she wrote, she recognized the "debate stirring within the anti-abortion movement" over whether killing abortion providers was a "just cause."

My kind comments about Shelley Shannon, the Grants Pass woman accused of wounding abortion provider George Tiller, (``I'm not related to Shelley Shannon, but I think she's a fine lady,'') reflected what I had learned about her from people who have known her for many years. They say she has led a responsible life as a wife, mother and concerned citizen and don't want her judged by this one action.

Acknowledging this side of her does not meant that I approve of others doing what she did. I do not. However, since that night I have learned much about the current debate stirring within the anti-abortion movement: Is killing abortion providers a ``just cause''?

There's no indication that McCain took issue with Shannon's comments, and it's unclear whether any group members lobbied him regarding the abortion clinic protection bill. A search of the Congressional Record in 1993 and 1994 indicates McCain did not speak during debate over the bill, and McCain's campaign did not immediately return RAW STORY's request for comment.

Shannon traveled to the Republican convention as a McCain delegate, and she proclaimed herself a huge fan of Palin as McCain's VP pick. She could not be reached for comment.

To be sure, there is nothing to suggest that McCain supports bombing abortion clinics. But there's also nothing to suggest Obama supports the Weather Underground bombings, which by the way were carried out when he was 8 years old. McCain at least was a sitting member of Congress who took a legislative position on clinic bombings when they were a current issue.

Other ties McCain might prefer to forget include his membership on the board of the US Council for World Freedom, which The Associated Press describes as "part of an international organization linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America."

McCain was something of a de facto member of the group as he launched his political career in the early 1980s, just one of several prominent "names on a letterhead," as the council's founder told AP. But, that membership at least seemed to indicate a tacit endorsement of its goals in Central America, supporting the contras.

Elected to the House in 1982 and at a time when he was on the board of Singlaub's council, McCain was among Republicans on Capitol Hill expressing support for the Contras, a CIA-organized guerrilla force in Central America. In 1984, Congress cut off CIA funds for the Contras.

Months before the cutoff, top Reagan administration officials ramped up the secret White House-directed supply network and put National Security Council aide Oliver North in charge of running it. The goal was to keep the Contras operational until Congress could be persuaded to resume CIA funding.
[Retired Army Maj. Gen. John] Singlaub's private group became the public cover for the White House operation.

McCain says he was unaware of the full extent of the group's activities and claims to have resigned from the council in 1984 and asked to have his name removed from its letterhead two years later. According to AP, that's all news to founder Singlaub.

"I don't ever remember hearing about his resigning, but I really wasn't worried about that part of our activities, a housekeeping thing," Singlaub said. "If he didn't want to be on the board that's OK. It wasn't as if he had been active participant and we were going to miss his help. He had no active interest. He certainly supported us."

Earlier this year, when Obama's past connection to Ayers first crept into national headlines, some observers began to remember McCain's "own Bill Ayers -- in the form of G. Gordon Liddy." The Watergate break-in mastermind, who spent more than four years in prison for his crimes, has called McCain an "old friend" and hosted the candidate on his conservative talk radio show.

Palin, McCain's running mate whose "gloves off" approach has aided Ayers return to the headlines is not without her own questionable connections. Her husband is a past member of the Alaska Independence Party, and she has addressed the group on several occasions. The party's goal is Alaska's secession from the United States and its founder has said "the fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government."

Beyond a 13-minute documentary on Keating, who was a key player in the savings & loan crisis of the late 1980s, the Obama campaign doesn't seem too concerned about publicly digging for dirt in McCain's past.

Economic concerns have spurred a spectacular rise in Obama's poll numbers, and a struggling McCain campaign seems to be doing all it can to stop the election from slipping away.

October 10
Parsons The New School For Design
www.parsons.newschool.edu

November 6
CREA New York
www.creaworld.org