China's Economic Stability Benefits the U.S.

BEIJING - The United States should stop politicizing China's currency issues, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday, emphasizing that China's economic stability and growth mean more benefits to the US economy and consumers.


In an article by the China Daily, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-10/16/content_11417457.htm, Yao Jian, spokesman for the ministry, said China should not be a "scapegoat" for the US' economic and unemployment woes.

China is the third largest exporting destination of the US, but the US also benefits from the large number of US companies operating in China that export back to the US, Yao said.

Yao's remarks came hours before the US Department of Treasury was scheduled to release a biannual currency report on Friday, in which the largest economy in the world will decide whether to label its major trading partner a currency manipulator.

Opinion: These are rather shortsighted comments by the Ministry of Commerce official.  The U.S. consumers may be benefiting from the flow cheap goods in the country, but it is at the cost American jobs regardless of what they say.  U.S. companies are purely motivated by profit without regard for the worker.  I would rather pay a little more for a product made in this country, by our workers if it meant putting our people back to work and ushering in a new age of prosperity.  I'm afraid that we are selling ourselves out.

British Security Consultant Kidnapped in Somalia

A British security consultant contracted by U.K. charity Save the Children was kidnapped on the Somalian border with Ethiopia.

They were seized in the town of Adado, which is under the control of clan bosses. It is also used as a base by piracy kingpins whose gangs have netted tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from hijacking ships.

In a report by the Guardian News, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/15/british-charity-workers-kidnapped-somalia, Ali Sayid Omar, the owner of the guesthouse where the pair were staying, told the Guardian that militia groups were pursuing the kidnappers, who are believed to be moving east towards the coast.

"They are trying to find them before they get too far," he said.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In Southern Lebanon

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has praised Lebanon for its resistance against Israel, while addressing a huge crowd in a Lebanese village close to the Israeli border.


Speaking to 15,000 cheering Hezbollah supporters on Thursday in Bint Jbeil, the scene of fierce fighting between the Iranian-backed group and Israeli soldiers in July 2006, Ahmadinejad said the town was a symbol of resistance.
"Today the Lebanese nation is alive and is a role model for the regional nations," he said, declaring that the "Zionists are mortal".


Ahmadinejad, a known critic of Israel, is on a two-day visit to Lebanon.


In a report by Al Jazeera, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010101416133587181.html, on arriving in Lebanon, Mr. Ahmadinejad stated that Iran would support Beirut against Israel's hostility.


Opinion: What could be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motives behind his comments.  It appears to me that he is more interested in inciting confrontation rather than seeking peace in the region.  Iran could be a major player in promoting peace in the Middle East by using it's sizable influence, yet Mr. Ahmadinejad seems to be nothing more than a mouthpiece for Iran's real leadership.  I have a great respect for the Iranian people and I hope that the future will bring a more reasonable leadership to power.

Opinion: Chilean Miners Rescued

This story has been followed worldwide so there is no need for me to report it.

I, just as many of you, I'm sure, were impressed with the courage of these miners in the face of adversity.  On top of this, the site of Chilean President Sebastian Pinera at the site of the recovery was one of the most impressive and responsible things that I think I have ever seen from a nation's leader.  His excitement seemed genuine, with no hint of a political motive.  He was proud of these men and their rescuers, like no one I have ever seen.

To all of the miners rescued today...Welcome back and God Bless You and Your Families.

President Pinera...I think many of the worlds leaders could learn something about integrity and pride in their country from you.

Ahmadinejad Backs A United Lebanon

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that his country is strongly in favor of a unified Lebanon, during his first visit to the country.

As reported by the BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11526143, Ahmadinejad's remarks came amid fears that his visit could adversely impact the fragile political balance in Lebanon.

He later spoke at a rally in an area where Iran funded reconstruction after the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli conflict.

On Thursday Mr. Ahmadinejad will tour towns and villages on the southern border with Israel, a move that may inflame his critics.

U.N. Worker Kidnapped In Darfur

A United Nations worker was kidnapped to day in Sudan's Darfur region hours after a Security Council delegation arrived in the area.

Darfur

The employee who was working with peace-keepers, was snatched from his residence in the city of Fasher.  Security Council representatives had just arrived in Fasher to express concerns over the rise in violence in Darfur .

Omar al-Bashir

Earlier, Sudanese armed forces, long accused of atrocities in Darfur, launched renewed attacks on rebels.  The government forces said they had taken a key stretch of road from the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, about 100 miles (160km) away from Fasher.

The BBC reports that http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11497460, later on Thursday, the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force, Unamid, told journalists that that one of their workers had been snatched.

Opinion: The disaster in Sudan continues.  Lawlessness seems to prevail and yet there doesn't seem to be any signs of real improvement.  I doubt that any substantive change will occur until President Omar al-Bashir is brought to justice on his international arrest warrant.

Chilean Miners To Be Rescued In Days

Photo by Eva Salinas, Santiago Times

Excessive pressure on the hammer of the T-130 drill – perforating the so-called “Plan B” escape hole – prompted engineers to stop drilling and change the hammer Monday night at the San José mine in northern Chile, where 33 miners are trapped 700 meters underground.

The Santiago Times reports that, http://www.santiagotimes.cl/news/other/19927-all-eyes-on-chile-as-miner-rescue-expected-within-days, the engineers also decided to reduce the diameter of the hole from 28 inches to 26 inches. This will enable the drill to pass a curve in the tunnel without wearing away the hammer prior to the final stage of drilling.

President Sebastián Piñera said he hoped the miners were out before his scheduled trip to Europe, where he is expected to participate in several official activities beginning Oct. 18. 

Some reports by various other news agencies feel that the miners could be rescued as soon as Saturday.  In any event it looks like these brave miners will be rescued far sooner than the worst estimates.

Hungary...Toxic Sludge Is An Ecological Catastrophe

As if the loss of 4 lives and 120 injuries was not enough of a tragedy, we now are focusing on the ecological catastrophe that is unfolding.  


Hungary today declared a state of emergency in three western counties after a dam holding back a vast reservoir of toxic red sludge, from an aluminum plant burst.  The sludge, which is waste produced during aluminium manufacture, swept cars off roads and damaged bridges and homes, forcing the evacuation of 400 residents. About 7,000 people are thought to have been directly affected by the spill.


The sludge poured out yesterday when a dam at the reservoir of the Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt aluminum plant, owned by MAL Zrt, broke after days of heavy rain.


The Guardian of the U.K. reports that, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/05/hungary-toxic-sludge-spill so far, about 1,000,000 cubic meters of sludge have leaked from the reservoir.  Seven towns, including Kolontal, Devecser, and Somlovasarhely, have  been affected near the plant in Ajka, 100 miles southwest of Budapest.

Birtukan Mideksa Ethiopian Opposition Leader Released

Birtukan Mideksa the highly popular Ethiopian opposition leader has been released from jail.  Her release comes four months after the government's landslide win in elections.

She was one of several opposition leaders imprisoned for life after the 2005 poll. They were later pardoned, but Ms Birtukan was rearrested for violating the terms of her release.

"I am very relieved," she told the BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11483828 at her home in the capital, where crowds had gathered to welcome her.

Ms Birtukan is a former judge and was one of the younger and more charismatic leaders of the coalition that did well against the ruling party in the 2005 elections.

Opinion: It is about time that this honorable woman has been released from prison.  Her courage while being unlawfully imprisoned should be an inspiration to those of us who don't have to deal with the adversity that she has had to confront.

Congratulations Ms. Mideksa on your release!

Democratic Republic of Congo Rebel Leader Arrested Over Mass Rapes

UN peacekeepers and the army in DR Congo have arrested a rebel leader suspected of leading attacks involving the mass rape of hundreds of civilians.

The UN said Lt Col Mayele of the Mai Mai Cheka rebel group was captured in a joint operation in North Kivu province.

Between 300 and 500 people are thought to have been raped during violence in eastern DR Congo in July and August.

As reported by SwissInfo.ch, http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/U.N._says_captures_rebel_who_led_Congo_rapes.html?cid=28479892, peacekeepers were criticized for failing to stop the attacks, some of which took place close to a UN base.

Opinion: The peacekeepers are clearly undermanned and appear to be doing the best they can under the current conditions.  The world needs to respond to this crisis with a more concerted effort.  How many more years are we to stand by and watch this tragedy continue to unfold.

Deadly Red Sludge Kills 3 and Injures 120 in Hungary

Hungary has declared a state of emergency in three counties following a toxic red mud spill that has killed three people and left another 120 injured.


A reservoir of residue from an aluminium plant broke on Monday night, releasing corrosive sludge that swamped Kolontar and Devecser, two villages in western Hungary.


"We have declared a state of emergency in Veszprem, Gyor-Moson-Sopron and Vas counties," a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.


The sludge was reported to be threatening at least another two counties.


Al Jazeera reports, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/10/2010105122242999996.html, that one million cubic metres of red mud had poured out of the containment pond at the Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt plant.


He described the incident as the worst-ever chemical accident in Hungary, saying: "It's an ecological catastrophe".

West Bank Mosque Burned By Jewish Settlers In The West Bank?

The attack left walls charred, books burned and graffiti scrawled on the walls

Israel is investigating Palestinian suspicions that a mosque in the West Bank was set alight by Jewish settlers.

Arsonists reportedly scrawled Hebrew graffiti on the walls of the mosque in Beit Fajjar, near Bethlehem.

The mayor of a nearby settlement condemned the attack and said those carrying it out must have been "extremists".

The assault comes as Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have faltered over the issue of settlements.

The BBC reports, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11464621 residents of Beit Fajjar said a group of settlers went into the mosque overnight and set fire to carpets and copies of the Koran.

Reports say the word "revenge" was scrawled on the wall in Hebrew.

Opinion: If this is true then the culprits must be brought to justice.  This is a disgrace, if the accusation prove to be true.

Dutch Anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders Goes On Trial

Geert Wilders: "I am sitting here as a suspect because I have spoken... nothing but the truth"

The Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders has gone on trial in Amsterdam accused of inciting hatred against Muslims.

Mr Wilders, whose statements have included comparing the Koran with Hitler's Mein Kampf, told the court freedom of expression was on trial.

BBC News reports: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11464025

If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of a year in jail.

Mr Wilders' Freedom Party is the third biggest in the Netherlands after June's elections, and is expected to play a key role in the next parliament.

Prosecutors have brought five charges of inciting hatred and discrimination, and the trial will scrutinise statements he made between 2006 and 2008.

Opinion: Mr. Wilders clearly has a hatred of those religions and peoples that are different from his own.  Unfortunately he doesn't seem to see that his views are both hateful and disrespectful.  I feel sorry for him and for his ignorance.

Al Qaeda Shows French Hostages

Al Jazeera - The North African wing of al-Qaeda on Thursday released photographs of seven hostages held in Niger, the first since the group was kidnapped earlier this month.

The photo shows seven hostages, with a group of heavily armed men behind them

The photos released to Al Jazeera show the group, which includes five French nationals and one each from Madagascar and Togo, sitting on the sand as several gun-toting men in Bedouin clothing stand behind them. It is impossible to identify where the photos were taken.

A spokesman for the French foreign ministry declined to comment on the photographs.

The group was abducted earlier this month, and are reportedly being held in a mountainous region in northwestern Mali. French officials say they have not received any demands from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the group that carried out the kidnapping.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/09/201093013231890813.html

The hostages are employees of two French firms, Areva and Vinci, which do business in the mining town of Arlit in Niger.

China Opposes U.S. Bill On Foreign Currency Reform

Reported by the Xinhua New Agency China.

BEIJING - China firmly opposes legislation passed by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday to penalize countries that allegedly manipulate their currency values for trade advantages, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Thursday.


China urged US lawmakers to fully comprehend the importance of Sino-US trade and resist protectionism to avoid harming the interests of the people of China, the United States, and the world, Jiang said when answering a question at a regular press briefing.

Jiang said China had made clear its principle and stance on many occasions concerning issues related to RMB exchange rate.

Any attempts to exercise protectionism against China with the excuse of RMB exchange rate would seriously damage Sino-US trade and badly affect the economic revival of both countries and the world.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the proposed Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, which allows the Commerce Department to impose trade sanctions against its trade partners for allegedly manipulating their currencies.

Muslims in Birmingham England Targeted In Unlawful Surveillance Operation

A secret police operation to place thousands of Muslims living in Birmingham under permanent surveillance was implemented with virtually no consultation, oversight or regard for the law, a report found today.

Project Champion was abandoned in June after an investigation by the Guardian revealed police had misled residents into believing that hundreds of counter-terrorism cameras installed in streets around Sparkbrook and Washwood Heath were to be used to combat vehicle crime and antisocial behavior.  

In a report by the Guardian Newspaper of the U.K. reported that, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/30/police-surveillance-muslims-no-regard-law, the network of CCTV and automatic number plate reading (ANPR) cameras, which were weeks away from being switched on, were intended to monitor people entering and leaving the predominantly Muslim suburbs.

This is clearly a violation of their civil rights. Is the world becoming so intolerant that we are willing to violate the rights of an entire religious/ethnic group.  Although I am not terribly familiar with U.K. law, I am certain that this is not and should not be tolerated.

.

Russia To Reopen Unsolved Journalist Murders

In what seems like a sudden shift in policy, the Kremlin has decided to reopen, and actively pursue, the unsolved murders of Russian journalists.  One of these murders was that of journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, in a highly publicized case that was never solved.

The Christian Science Monitor reports, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/0930/In-shift-Kremlin-reopens-cases-of-Russian-reporters-unsolved-murders, top Moscow authorities met Thursday with a visiting delegation from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists and pledged to aggressively pursue investigations into 19 unsolved, work-related murders of Russian journalists since Vladimir Putin came to power a decade ago, including at least five cases that had previously been closed or suspended.

Christine O'Donnell, Her Story Gets Stranger And Stranger!

Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell has responded to accusations that she overstated her education in her resume by insisting that a LinkedIn profile erroneously stating she went to Oxford University wasn't authored with her knowledge.

But now a new website has surfaced listing the same erroneous biographical information. And a website spokesman claims that O'Donnell entered the data herself.  

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/30/second-website-surfaces-w_n_745231.html

Two days in a row it appears that Christine O'Donnell's educational background has been debunked.  What will be next...a Doctorate from Harvard.  I think not. 

Too Few Americans Bear The Burdens Of War

Defense secretary Robert Gates, speaking said Wednesday that most Americans have grown too detached from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and see military service as "something for other people to do."
This on a personal level distresses me.  My son has enlisted into the U.S. Army Infantry Division so this comment strikes very close to home.


In a speech Wednesday at Duke University, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/29/robert-gates-war-burdens-too-few-bear_n_744536.html, Gates said this disconnect has imposed a heavy burden on a small segment of society and wildly driven up the costs of maintaining an all-volunteer force.

Because fewer Americans see military service as their duty, troops today face repeated combat tours and long separations from family. The 2.4 million people serving in the armed forces today represent less than 1 percent of the country's total population.


It appears that Americans have forgotten their sense of duty.  We as Americans have chosen to let everyone/anyone else serve the cause as long as it wasn't them.

Why is it right that someone elses son or daughter die serving our country and not mine.  Of course I hope that it never comes to that, but I can't let myself feel that it is someone elses obligation to fight for our freedom.

I just hope that I never need to go through the pain that a child's death brings.  My son is as precious to my wife and I just as your son or daughter is precious to you.  

Please pray for the sons and daughters of your fellow Americans just as I hope that the world prays for them.

Is Christine O'Donnell Imploding?

It appears that Tea Party backed Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell is imploding a little bit each day.  From her date with a Satanist, and her taking part in their ritual, to her latest lie, stating that she was a graduate of Claremont Graduate University.  It turns out that Ms. O'Donnell, per CGU's records has never attended the university.

I think that it would be wise for voters, and the Tea Party movement to carefully check out the candidates that they vote for and support.

This is not particularly a dig at the Republican party, as both parties have less than qualified candidates, but just a commentary on the poor choices that you and I are forced to choose between.

As a candidate that is running partially on her moral standing, she would have been better off being honest about her background.  I as one would certainly have had more respect for her had she been honest with the American people.

What do you think?

Mystery Airstrike as Somalia Collapses

Here is an interesting story, that I don't believe received much if any press in the U.S.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- A mysterious helicopter attack on a gathering of Islamist leaders suggests that the United States, using either Special Forces or mercenaries, may be trying to decapitate jihadist forces who are escalating a war to topple the Western-backed government.


http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/09/28/Mystery-airstrike-as-Somalia-collapses/UPI-81181285695250/




On Sunday, an unidentified foreign military helicopter, flying in from the sea, fired rockets into a house in the Shabaab-held coastal town of Merca, witnesses said.


Merca, 50 miles southwest of Mogadishu, is near where Saleh was assassinated.


At least seven al-Shabaab leaders were gathered in the house but none was reported harmed since the missiles narrowly missed them. The helicopter, painted gray or olive green, flew off when al-Shabaab fighters opened fire on it, witnesses reported.



Whether this story truthful or not is certainly up for debate as there doesn't appear to be any concrete proof of the west, or America as having taken part in this attack.

Muslim Cleric Issues Anti-terrorism Fatwa

Muslim scholar, Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, head of the Minhaj ul-Quran religious and educational organization, has issued a 600 page fatwa in the U.K. stating that suicide bombers are "destined for hell".  


In a report by Al-Jazeera, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/03/2010321321826236.html, Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, says of suicide bombers,  "They can't claim that their suicide bombings are martyrdom operations and that they become the heroes of the Muslim Umma [the wider Muslim community], no, they become heroes of hellfire, and they are leading towards hellfire,".


It is refreshing, as a non-muslim, to see this man, a reputable scholar, speaking out about Islam and its message of peace.  Islam is not a religion of hate, but quite the contrary.  Any religion, if taken in single verses, Christianity included, can be viewed as evil, but studied in the intended context is likely to be a religion of peace.

Sudanese V.P. Urges The U.N. To Reject ICC Arrest Warrants

Sudanese Vice President, Ali Osman Taha, has called on the U.N. to reject the International Criminal Court arrest warrants against Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir for allegedly masterminding a campaign of genocide Sudan's Darfur region.

The Voice of America news has reported that, http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/east/Butty-VP-UNGA-Speech-React-Ismail-28september10-103910679.html, Mr. Taha addressing the U.N. general assembly, stated that the involvement of the ICC is a threat to the peaceful settlement of the Darfur conflict.

OPINION: Hopefully the U.N. does not bend to this threat of blackmail by Mr. Taha.  Omar Al-Bashir justifiably has the arrest warrants issued against him if for nothing else than his inaction to resolve the conflict and at the worst for ordering the genocide.  This man needs to stand trial and either prove his innocence or suffer the consequences of his actions.

Hamid Karzai Sets Up 68 Member High Council For Peace

Hamid Karzai has setup a "high council for peace", consisting of 68 members hand-picked by the president to hold talks with the Taliban and other armed groups.

Al Jezeera reports, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/09/2010928122241286855.html, that the list includes former president and warlord Burhanuddin Rabani, warlords Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayaf and Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, all key figures in the resistance during the 1996-2001 Taliban rule over the country.
These commanders helped the United States and other Western allies topple the Taliban from power in late 2001.

Dozens of pro-government religious leaders, former government officials and tribal elders are also part of the new council, along with at least seven women, Waheed Omer, Karzai's spokesman, said.


Officials said the council would include former members of the Taliban and Hizb-i-Islami, a minor armed group led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former prime minister and mujahedeen leader.

Hizb-i-Islami is currently in a tenuous alliance with the Taliban, although both sides remain suspicious of each other.


"This council is mandated to broker peace through negotiation and reconciliation" with the Taliban, Omer said.


"The mandate given to the high council for peace is a big mandate. The government will respect their mandate."

U.S. The Most Religious Industrialized Nation In The World, But...

According to a newly released Pew Research poll, the United States is the most religious of the industrialized nations of the world yet we know little about religion, our own, and even less about other religions.

Atheists, Agnostics, Jews, and Mormons are at the top of the religious knowledge survey while Evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants, and Catholics, score at the bottom of the survey.

Read the survey, http://pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowledge-Survey.aspx, and take the survey yourself, Pew Research Religious Knowledge Quiz.

I took the quiz and it is interesting to see where you rate based on a variety of categories.

At Least 4 Dead and 12 Missing in Mexican Mudslide

A hillside collapsed on hundreds of sleeping residents Tuesday in a rural Mexican community drenched for days by two major storms, killing at least four and leaving 12 confirmed missing.

As reported by CBS News correspondent Adrienne Bard from Mexico City, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/28/world/main6907591.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel.

The death toll could rise much higher in Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec, a town about 130 miles southeast of Mexico City.

What's Going On In America...Opinion

I am feeling a little  confused about the state of America.

What are we  doing a where are we going?  I don't think that these are too tough a question to ask.  I am not sure what America is doing.  We are letting the banks and investment banks run Wall Street.  We obviously did learn from the lessons of Lehman Brothers.

Since the recession has began, what have we done to try to prevent this from happening again?  The answer is NOTHING!

Although I voted for President Obama, I don't find that he has been strong enough to prevent this problem from arising in the future.  Maybe it is the Republican party from preventing any change, or maybe it is the inability of the Democratic party from being strong enough from prevent it from happening again, but none-the-less, nothing substantial has been done.

As Americans, what are we going to do?  Hope...and Change...hasn't been effective propaganda to put measures in place to protect the U.S from further economic disaster.  I don't think Republicans or Democrates are capable of fixing this mess that both parties have gotten us into, but ultimately I don't see that we have very many choices.  Obviously the 2 party system isn't working.  They both claim to be representing the best interests of the American people, but in the end they are only looking out for their own best interests.

I suppose that America is not that different that the rest of the world, but as this is the only world that I know first hand this is what I have to relate too.

What are you feeling in your country?  I am interested in knowing.

Sudan Arms Militia to Fight the Lords Resistance Army (LRA)

South Sudan is arming militia groupa know as the "Arrow Boys" with guns, communications, and training to defend civilians from the brutality of Joseph Kony's group, the Lords Resistance Army.

According to the New Vision Online,of Uganda:

 http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/733342

Armed militia groups know as the "Arrow  Boys" currently defend civilians from the LRA using crude weapons such as machetes due to Sudanese government forces being stretched too thin.  Now these militia groups will have more advanced weapons to more effectively defend the civilian population until the regular army can arrive to take their place.


“The homeguard units will be trained and armed so that they can provide effective defence until the regular forces can intervene,” said Joseph Bakasoro, the governor of Western Equatoria state, speaking by telephone from Yambio, the state capital. 

It's 50 Years After the Election Of John F. Kennedy

First off, I was not alive during the Presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  He was brutally murdered just a year before I was born, but his legacy lives on.  Whether Democrat or Republican, you have to admire and respect this man.  He won the presidency of the United States during a time of turmoil.  We as Americans were tackling our civil rights failures namely racial prejudice, thanks to Dr. Martin Luther King, the showdown between the U.S. and Russia/Cuba during the Bay of Pigs, and what seemed like an inevitable show down in a small country called Viet Nam, to name just a few.

In addition to this, he had to deal with the fact that he was America's first Catholic President.  I have to admit that I don't really understand what the issue was with this.  I realize that many narrow minded American's at the time felt that all Catholics had direct ties to the Pope and that because JFK was Catholic the Pope would have direct access to the Presidency, but obviously this was just garbage.

I don't think any American alive to day, if they look deep within themselves can deny JFK his due place toward the top of America's best, most admired, Presidents.  The time in which he lived was a very different time than now.  People seemed to have a generally greater respect for the office.

This article in USA Today, September 27th, 2010 edition, http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-09-26-jfk-kennedy-mystique_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip, pays tribute to this great American whose time was cut way too short.

May God Bless America.

World Leaders Decry Israeli Move - Al Jezeera

Even as world leaders expressed disappointment on Israel's decision to lift the 10 month ban on settlement building on the West Bank on Monday, settlers resumed building across the West Bank.

Al Jezeera reports that, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/09/201092718349628699.html, although the building restarted, they were praising the Palestinians for not quiting the peace talks.

Don't you think that this shows some exceptional resolve on the part of the Palestinian's?  I think it does although it would be nice to have Hamas in agreement.  I would assume that Hamas will issue some form of retribution on the Israel and so the vicious cycle will continue...

U.S. Disappointed By Israel's Decision Not To Extend The Ban On West Bank Settlement Building

U.S. envoy George Mitchell has been sent back to Middle East in an attempt to salvage the peace talks between  Israel and the Palestinians.

The BBC has reported, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11422065, that the ban on settlement building in the West Bank ended on Sunday at midnight.  As much of the world expected, settlement  building would be one of, if not the most difficult hurdles to handle in these peace talks.  As Israel has, in the past, been unwavering in their desire to continue building settlements this should come as no surprise.

Opinion: If these peace talks collapse, then Israel can pat themselves on the back for destroying another chance, if only a slim one, for peace in the region.  I'm not sure what their motivations are, but at this point is appears that nothing will come of these talks...once again.

Tonights Posting is Personal

I am feeling a little melancholy tonight as I write this.  I received a Facebook post from a friend I haven't spoken to in about 25 years and she was telling me that her son is serving the in U.S. Army in Afghanistan.  This touches a little close to home for me.

My son has enlisted in the Army and is leaving for basic training in November.  What really gets me is that of all of the jobs available to him he chose to enlist in the infantry.  Lets face it, the odds of him being sent to Afghanistan rises exponentially.  I have to say that I am sad, scared, and at the same time very proud of him.  I need to tell him this before he leaves, for his sake and mine.

I am very hard on him, probably harder than I should be, but I am worried that he doesn't recognize the seriousness of his decision.  I just want the best for him and for him to come home safe.

His mother is being exceptionally strong knowing that her only son is likely going overseas to fight in this war.  I know that she wants the best for him just as I do, but she finds it easier to be honest about her feelings with him.

I on the other hand, try to justify his decision by saying to myself that millions of other peoples sons, husbands, and fathers have done what he has done throughout the ages so why should he be any different than them.  Their sacrifice is his sacrifice and for that I am proud of him.

To all of the other Fathers and Mothers out there...God Bless your sons and daughters who are sacrificing their lives for our freedom.

I for one am thankful for each and every one of you.  As for the rest of the news this day, I will leave that until tomorrow as this is what is most important to me at the moment.

Good Night!