Tourista04

The Search (1948)

2012-02-11T00:21:00.003-05:00

I just watched this movie and really think it did a great job in showing the plight of the displaced children after World War 2. It is about a young boy from Czechoslovakia (played by Ivan Jandl) who was in a concentration camp and how he searches for his mother (played by Jarmila Novotná) when the war ends - and at the same time how his mother searches for him. The boy doesn't remember anything about the camps and doesn't speak. An American soldier (played by Montgomery Clift) befriends him. The soldier learns from the number tattoo on the boy's arm that he was in Auschwitz and tries to find the boy's mother and nationality by writing the UN Office of Refugees - who write back that his mother was gassed. The soldier then teaches the boy English and wants to take him to the US with him but the boy starts remembering about his mother and the camps and eventually he finds her.
The movie is more about when and where it was filmed then solely about the story lines. It was filmed in Germany (amid the ruins of the bombed cities in the American Zone of Occupation) just 3 years after the war ended. Europe was full of displaced people and there are numerous movies and books dealing with them, but this is one of a few that I have found dealing only with the children who suffered. There is one scene at the beginning of the movie where the children are supposed to get into an ambulance so they can be driven to a better transit camp. The kids try to run away rather than get in and the female American soldier doesn't understand what the problem is until an interpreter tells her that the Germans used ambulances to gas people during the war. She finally convinces the children to get in the ambulance, but during the ride they think they smell gas and escape. The idea that children would have to even worry about being gassed is beyond normal comprehension.
Another fact I learned about the movie is that while it came out in the US in 1948 and in Allied Occupied Austria in 1949 it didn't come out in Germany until 1961. This is one of the movies that every German who was 18 or older in 1945 should have been forced to watch (along with real footage of the death and concentration camps.) It is one thing for a nation to kill men and women during a war and another entirely to target innocent children. This film gives a basic idea of what the children experienced in the war, but more importantly how it still affected their lives once they were free. There is a scene in the movie when an American boy hurts himself when eating soup and runs crying to his mother and she mentions what the little boy from the camps went through. The American boy was a little wimpy while the Czechoslovakian boy survived a death camp. The Germans especially targeted the children because they would grow up and seek revenge for their murdered parents and grandparents and also carry on their race. This movie gave light to a group of innocent people that have mostly been neglected. They lost their childhoods along with their parents, homes, countries and sense of security all because the Germans thought they were the master race and deserved everything. Watching this film, seeing the bombed buildings and then learning about what happened to the children in the camps makes you wish we had punished the Germans more than we did after the war (they got away with so much because the English, French and Americans were more concerned with the growing Soviet threat then the surrendered Germans.) Another scene from the movie has a little girl tell how she worked sorting clothes taken from those that were gassed and how one day she found her mother's blouse and knew she had been gassed. For a movie made in 1948 it is very detailed about the German war crimes and doesn't make excuses or show them (the Germans) as victims as many try to twist history nowadays.

Women In Combat

2012-02-11T00:14:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo:
"Restrictions Easing on Women in Combat"

The Pentagon on Thursday will propose rule changes that will allow more women to formally serve in jobs closer to the front lines. Defense officials say as many as 14,000 positions could be opened up, though the restrictions on women serving in infantry combat units will remain in place. The rule change reflects the ongoing reality that in a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, women were already dying in combat with the blurring of the traditional definition of front lines. Nearly 300,000 women have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and 144 of them have died in those conflicts. The rule change is included in a report required by Congress as part of last year's Defense Authorization Bill that has been overdue for months. The new rules likely will not go into effect until the summer if Congress raises no objections to the change. Women will still be barred from serving in infantry combat units, defense officials say, but the changes will formally open up new positions at the combat battalion level that, until now, have been off limits.
The new jobs opening up for female service members will be combat support positions, including communications, intelligence and logistical positions, defense officials add. Typically, these jobs have been made available at the combat brigade level, but not at the lower battalion level, which was deemed too close to combat situation. However, the insurgent nature of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has blurred the line for combat situations. That often meant that all units likely could be exposed to some combat, including units where women were allowed to serve.
The rules to be announced Thursday will apply to all of the military services, but will have the greatest impact on the Army, given the large number of ground combat units it has. A year ago, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission recommended that the military lift the ban on women serving in combat units. The advisory panel of current and retired military officers said that keeping women from serving in combat units was an obstacle to promotions and career advancement.

^ It seems the military continues to discriminate against women even after they were forced to stop discriminating against gays when "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed. Women who join the military - especially nowadays - know that they will probably see combat and they are willing to put their lives at risk, just like men, to protect the US. Women should be allowed to serve in any position they are qualified for even if it is on the frontlines. I also think that should there ever be another Draft - which is unlikely - then women should be included in that as well. Women serving fully in the US military is long over-due. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-lift-restrictions-women-combat-032355694--abc-news.html

Rude Railroads

2012-02-09T10:37:00.002-05:00

From Russia Today:
"Cashiers at railway stations to become polite at push of button"

Moscow's railway stations are installing special buttons at ticket-offices in a bid to make cashiers more polite. When passengers push the button, their conversation with the cashier will be recorded. The recordings can then be used to assess any complaints. Such buttons have already appeared at the Yaroslavl Station. Local staff say the number of complaints has fallen. Cashiers are also currently being enrolled on special programs to teach them how to be more polite. Russian Railways are not the first transport system aiming to improve its customer service. The Moscow Metro is also training its cashiers to be friendlier. The staff have been given instructions telling them how to communicate with customers. Cashiers in the metro, just like those at railway stations, have a particularly bad reputation for being rude.

^ I have used both the Moscow Metro and the Russian Railroads and know exactly what the article means about their bad customer service. Even if there is a long line a cashier will randomly put up a sign that says they are "on break" or "at lunch" and simply leave. This new program is a step in the right direction in combatting poor Russian customer service. People (in any country) will use whatever little authority they are given. In Russia it seems to be more overt in usage. By recording the transactions and, if needed, using those tapes to discipline a cashier on poor service is a great way - along with training - to stop the decades old Soviet/Russian mentality of "I'm better than you because I have power." This program should be expanded to all train stations, metro stations, Post Offices, etc throughout Russia. It has been 20 + years since the Soviet Union collapsed and it's time the Russians learned that without people using the services those with a little power will be without jobs and it's up to the ordinary person to demand they be treated fairly - especially when they are paying for a service. ^

http://rt.com/news/prime-time/railway-stations-polite-cashiers-833/

Downsizing Baghdad

2012-02-09T10:27:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"US to cut Baghdad embassy staff"

The United States is looking to cut the size of its embassy in Iraq - the largest and most expensive US diplomatic mission, officials say. A state department spokeswoman said the objective was to reduce the cost of the embassy, which employs about 2,000 diplomats and 14,000 contractors. The New York Times quoted officials as saying that the US was preparing to cut the number of staff by up to a half. The US military left Iraq in December, eight years after the invasion. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the US ambassador to Iraq, James Jeffrey, and other senior state department officials were reconsidering the size and scope of the embassy in Baghdad. It was originally thought that the $750m embassy, which sits inside the heavily-fortified Green Zone, and the huge diplomatic operation, which reportedly costs $6bn a year, were necessary to establish normal relations and help ensure Iraq became a stable democracy. However, diplomats now believe that approach was ill-advised, with many complaining an inability to leave the embassy because of security concerns and Iraqi obstructionism, according to the New York Times. The Iraqi authorities have reportedly made it difficult for supplies to be delivered to the embassy compound and for diplomats to get visas, and have launched a crackdown on security contractors protecting diplomats.

^ It's about time people in the US Government started to wake up. The only reason why we built the most expensive and largest embassy in the world in Baghdad was because we felt obligated to do so - there was and still is no other diplomatic reason to do so. Now that the Iraqis have begun to stretch their muscles (ie not giving American soldiers immunity under SOFA, harassing diplomats and contractors, etc) it is only fitting that we downsize out presence in the country. If the Iraqis think they can rule things in a stable country without us then let them - so far it isn't working and there are more Iraqi bombs killing Iraqis (at least it's no longer Iraqi bombs killing US soldiers.) I have the feeling that the Iraqi Government will eventually officially acknowledge that they need outside help and when they do I hope the US stands firm and refuses. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16946414

Elizabeth 2: 60 Years On

2012-02-06T09:32:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo Canada:
"Canada to mark Queen's Diamond Jubilee in a big way, ties to monarchy run deep"

When Princess Elizabeth succeeded to the British throne in 1952, Canada hailed her as the country's queen even before the declaration was issued in her homeland. Six decades later, royal watchers predict Canadian political and popular celebrations of her Diamond Jubilee will be among the most enthusiastic in the world. Revived political interest in the monarchy, coupled with residual glow from last year's blast of royal star power, has whet the country's appetite for months of festivities honouring one of the longest reigns in the institution's history. Royal commentator Rafal Heydel-Mankoo said Canada's long-standing love for its official head of state will also fan the flames of royal fervour in the coming months. "It's been absolutely remarkable to see this resurgence of support and enthusiasm for the crown," Heydel-Mankoo said in a telephone interview from London. "I think that's a sign of maturity ... A mature nation doesn't tamper with a tried, tested and proved formula which has given Canada stability and good government." Monday marks the 60th anniversary of the Queen's ascension to the British throne, which took place automatically with the death of her father King George VI. Heydel-Mankoo said Canada's privy council hailed her as the new sovereign hours before any other realm, including the United Kingdom. Her official coronation was held 16 months later to allow time for preparations and a period of mourning for the late king. Worldwide celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee will begin on Feb. 6 and continue for four months, culminating in a lavish ceremony in London on the anniversary of the coronation. Members of the royal family will fan out to various commonwealth countries to take part in global festivities. Canada will play host to Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, in May, and will also mark the occasion through smaller local ceremonies in the coming months. The Prince of Wales' visit is the third royal tour of Canada in as many years, following a glamorous nine-day sojourn by Prince William and his wife Kate last summer and a visit from the Queen herself in 2010. Canada's regular presence on royal itineraries, Heydel-Mankoo said, is a clear sign of the country's place in the family's affections. "In three successive years they've had the three biggest-ticket items in the royal family," he said. "I think that's clearly a sign of the regard with which the Canadian people are held."
Royal commentator Richard Berthelsen said Charles' May visit will be a lower-key affair than William and Kate's whirlwind tour, which saw crowds of several thousand strong descend on the newlyweds and shower them with praise. Charles and Camilla lack the novelty and glamour associated with the younger generation, but will have a driving purpose to their agenda, he said. "The Prince of Wales has been here many times since probably about 1970. Those visits to Canada have undergone various stages over the years," Berthelsen said. "It's going to be a tour that will have, in the background, the focus on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee." Such a focus seems appropriate for a monarch who is enjoying the second-longest reign in British history and who has had a front row seat to many seminal Canadian moments of the past half-century. The Queen attended the country's centennial in 1967, appeared at Canada's first Olympic games in Montreal eight years later, and has been present for numerous smaller celebrations over the years, Berthelsen said. Her frequent visits have bred a familiarity that spans many generations, he added. "For a lot of Canadians, I think she is sort of that great aunt figure who is in your family somewhere and who you like to see periodically ... Almost a third of the time the country's been in existence, she's been in this position," he said. Even the monarchy's detractors acknowledge the Queen's reign deserves some acknowledgment. Tom Freda, national director of Citizens for a Canadian Republic, said commemorative ceremonies are entirely appropriate for a woman of such prominence in Canadian cultural and political tradition. But such ceremonies, he argues, should not come with the multimillion-dollar price-tag the federal government has committed to. Ottawa has pledged $7.5 million to help fund four months worth of commemorative activities across the country, starting with flag-raising ceremonies in all provincial capitals on Monday morning. The government will also award 60,000 Canadians jubilee medals for their dedication to community service in the coming weeks.

^ I think that most Canadians respect and see Queen Eizabeth 2 as more of a grandmotherly figure than a Queen. She brings together English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians (with her fluent French.) I do not think Canadians (or other Commonwealth countries) feel the same about Prince Charles or Camilla and should he become King it will probably make more countries - like Canada - seriously think about becoming a republic. Although if Princes Charles lets Prince William become King instead then he will be just as popular a monarch as his Grandmother is today. I don't see Queen Elizabeth giving up the throne while she is alive though so things should be calm for some time. ^

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canada-mark-queens-diamond-jubilee-big-way-ties-091229728.html

Canada's Queen: 60 Years

2012-02-05T20:37:00.003-05:00

From The Governor-General of Canada:
"Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II/ Jubilé de diamant de Sa Majesté la reine Elizabeth II"

Message from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston,
Governor General of Canada, on the Occasion of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's
Diamond Jubilee

OTTAWA—Today is a very rare occasion seldom witnessed in the history of nations. Sixty years ago, on February 6, 1952, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of Canada. As the representative of the Queen in Canada, I am deeply honoured, on behalf of all Canadians, to congratulate Her Majesty on her Diamond Jubilee—60 years of dedicated service to the people of all Commonwealth nations. As we mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the Throne, we also honour her commitment to service by recognizing Canadians who—like her—have devoted themselves to the well-being of family, community and country. Today’s inaugural presentation ceremony of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal to recipients from across the country marks the beginning of our year-long celebration. Throughout 2012, 60 000 deserving Canadians from a wide range of fields and backgrounds will receive this honour.
Six decades ago, a young Queen began her reign, one focused on duty and service to others. It is my hope that we will use this milestone as an opportunity to strengthen the ties we have with each other and with the Crown, which helps to define our country and what it means to be Canadian.

David Johnston

Message de Son Excellence le très honorable David Johnston, gouverneur général du Canada, à l'occasion du jubilé de diamant de Sa Majesté la reine Elizabeth II

OTTAWA – Aujourd’hui, nous célébrons un événement très rare dans l’histoire des nations. Il y a 60 ans, le 6 février 1952, Sa Majesté la reine Elizabeth II devenait Reine du Canada. À titre de représentant de la Reine au Canada, je suis profondément honoré, au nom de tous les Canadiens, de féliciter Sa Majesté pour son jubilé de diamant — 60 années de dévouement envers les peuples de tous les pays du Commonwealth. En cette célébration du 60e anniversaire de l’accession au trône de Sa Majesté, nous honorons également son sens du devoir et rendons hommage à ceux qui, comme elle, se sont consacrés à l’amélioration du bien-être de leur famille, de leur collectivité et de leur pays. La cérémonie inaugurale de remise de la Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II à des récipiendaires de toutes les régions du pays marque, aujourd’hui, le début d’une année de célébrations. En effet, tout au long de 2012, cette distinction honorifique sera remise à 60 000 Canadiennes et Canadiens méritants issus de divers milieux et champs d’activité. Il y a soixante ans, une jeune reine entamait un règne axé sur le devoir et sur une vie au service des autres. J’espère que cet événement historique nous fournira l’occasion de raffermir les liens entre nous et avec la Couronne, laquelle aide à définir notre pays et à définir ce qu’est être Canadien.

David Johnston

^ It is pretty interesting to see how the different countries of the Commonwealth of Nations (ie Canada, the UK, etc) show their respect to the same woman - Queen Elizabeth 2 - Queen of Canada, Queen of the United Kingdom, etc. She has done a lot for the numerous countries under her power. Besides the UK -where she lives - she has travelled to Canada the most throughout the 6 decades of her rule. I guess that shows Canada's importance to both the Queen and the Commonwealth. ^

http://gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14412

Commonwealth Visits

2012-02-05T20:10:00.002-05:00

From Wikipedia:
"List of Commonwealth visits made by Queen Elizabeth II"

Below is a list of visits to Commonwealth countries made by Queen Elizabeth II. Since acceding to the throne on 6 February 1952, and simultaneously inheriting from her father the position and title of Head of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II has travelled to every country within the Commonwealth of Nations, except two of the most recent members, Cameroon and Rwanda. Canada is the most visited country, with 24visits (not including fuel stops).

1950s:

1952 Kenya; 4–6 February

1953–54 Bermuda; 24–25 November
Jamaica; 25–27 November
Fiji; 17–19 December
Tonga; 19–20 December
New Zealand; 23 December–30 January, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand
Australia; 3 February–1 April, in her capacity of Queen of Australia
Cocos Islands; 5 April
Ceylon; 10–21 April, in her capacity of Queen of Ceylon
Aden; 27 April
Uganda; 28–30 April
Malta; 3–7 May
Gibraltar; 10 May

1956 Nigeria; 28 January–16 February

1957 Canada; 12–16 October, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1959 Canada; 18 June–1 August, in her capacity of Queen of Canada

1960s:

1961 Cyprus (refuelling); 20 January
India; 21 January–1 February
Pakistan; 1–16 February (12–16 February Former East Pakistan, now Bangladesh)
India; 16–26 February
India; 1–2 March
Ghana; 9–20 November
Sierra Leone; 25 November–1 December, in her capacity of Queen of Sierra Leone.
Gambia; 3–5 December \

1962 Canada; June, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1963 Canada; 30 January–1 February, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.
Fiji; 2–3 February
New Zealand; 6–18 February, in her capacity of Queen of the New Zealand.
Australia; 18 February–27 March, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Fiji (refuelling); 28 March
Canada (refuelling); 29 March

1964 Canada; 5–13 October, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1966 Canada (refuelling); 1 February
Barbados; 1 February
Mustique (private visit); 2 February
British Guiana; 4–5 February
Trinidad and Tobago; 7–10 February, in her capacity of Queen of Trinidad and Tobago.
Grenada; 11 February
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 13 February
Barbados; 14–15 February
Saint Lucia; 16 February
Antigua (private visit); 17 February
Dominica; 18 February
Montserrat; 19 February
Antigua; 20–21 February
Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla; 22 February
British Virgin Islands; 23 February
Turks and Caicos Islands; 25 February
Bahamas; 26–28 February
Conception Island (private visit); 1 March
Jamaica; 3–6 March, in her capacity of Queen of Jamaica.

1967 Canada; 29 June–5 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada
Malta; 14–17 November, in her capacity of Queen of Malta

1970s:

1970 Canada; 2–3 March, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.
Fiji; 4–5 March
Tonga; 7 March
New Zealand; 12–30 March, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand.
Australia; 30 March–3 May, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Fiji (refuelling); 3 May
Canada (refuelling); 3–4 May
Canada; 5–15 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1971 Canada; 3–12 May, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1972 Singapore; 18–20 February
Malaysia; 22–26, 28 February
Brunei; 29 February
Malaysia; 2 March
Singapore; 5 March
Malaysia; 6, 8 March
Maldives; 13–14 March
Seychelles; 19–20 March
Mauritius; 24–26 March, in her capacity of Queen of Mauritius.
Kenya; 26 March

1973 Canada; 25 June–5 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada
Canada (for 2nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 31 July–4 August, in her capacity of Queen of Canada
Canada (refuelling); 15 October
Fiji; 16–17 October, in her capacity of Queen of Fiji
Australia; 17–22 October, in her capacity of Queen of Australia
Singapore (refuelling); 23 October

1974 Canada (refuelling); 27 January
Cook Islands; 28–29 January
New Zealand; 30 January–8 February, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand.
Norfolk Island; 11 February
New Hebrides; 15–16 February
Solomon Islands; 18–21 February
Papua New Guinea; 22–27 February
Australia; 27–28 February, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Singapore (refuelling); 28 February
Singapore (refuelling); 14 March 1974
Singapore (refuelling); 22 March 1974

1975 Bermuda; 16–18 February
Barbados; 18–20 February, in her capacity of Queen of Barbados.
Bahamas; 20–21 February, in her capacity of Queen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
Bermuda (refuelling); 1 March
Jamaica (for 3rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 26–30 April, in her capacity of Queen of Jamaica.
Hong Kong; 4–7 May

1976 Canada; 13–25 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1977 Western Samoa; 10–11 February
Tonga; 14 February
Fiji; 16–17 February, in her capacity of Queen of Fiji.
New Zealand; 22 February–7 March, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand.
Australia; 7–23 March, in her capacity of Queen of Australia
Papua New Guinea; 23–26 March, in her capacity of Queen of Papua New Guinea
Australia; 26–30 March, in her capacity of Queen of Australia
Canada; 14–19 October, in her capacity of Queen of Canada
Bahamas; 19–20 October, in her capacity of Queen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
Plana Cays and Inagua (private); 22–23 October
British Virgin Islands; 26 October
Antigua (private); 27 October
Antigua 28 October
Mustique (private); 30 October
Barbados; 31 October–2 November, in her capacity of Queen of Barbados.

1978 Canada; 26 July–6 August, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1979 Tanzania; 19–22 July
Malawi; 22–25 July
Botswana; 25–27 July
Zambia (for 5th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 27 July–4 August

1980s:

1980 Singapore (refuelling); 24 May
Australia; 24–28 May, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Singapore (refuelling); 29 May

1981 Singapore (refuelling); 26 September
Australia (for 6th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 26 September–12 October, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
New Zealand; 12–20 October, , in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand.
Australia; 20–21 October, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Sri Lanka; 21–25 October

1982 Canada; 15–18 April, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.
Singapore (refuelling); 5 October
Australia; 5–13 October (Closed the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane on 9 October), in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Papua New Guinea; 13–14 October, in her capacity of Queen of Papua New Guinea.
Solomon Islands; 18 October, in her capacity of Queen of the Solomon Islands.
Nauru; 21 October
Kiribati; 23 October
Tuvalu; 26–27 October, in her capacity of Queen of Tuvalu.
Fiji; 30 October–1 November, in her capacity of Queen of Fiji.

1983 Bermuda (refuelling); 13 February
Jamaica; 13–16 February, in her capacity of Queen of Jamaica
Cayman Islands; 16–17 February
Canada; 8–11 March, in her capacity of Queen of Canada
Cyprus; 9–10 November
Kenya; 10–14 November
Bangladesh; 14–17 November
India (for 7th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 17–26 November

1984 Cyprus; 25–26 March
Canada; 24 September–7 October, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1985 Belize; 9–11 October, in her capacity of Queen of Belize.
Bahamas (for 8th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 11–18 October, in her capacity of Queen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
Inagua (private); 20 October
Saint Kitts and Nevis; 23 October, in her capacity of Queen of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Antigua; 24 October, in her capacity of Queen of Antigua and Barbuda.
Dominica; 25 October
Saint Lucia; 26 October, in her capacity of Queen of Saint Lucia.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 27 October, in her capacity of Queen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Barbados; 28–29 October, in her capacity of Queen of Barbados.
Mustique (private); 30 October
Grenada; 31 October, in her capacity of Queen of Grenada.
Trinidad and Tobago; 1–3 November

1986 New Zealand; 22 February–2 March, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand
Australia; 2–13 March, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Hong Kong; 21–23 October

1987 Canada (for 10th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 9–24 October, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.
1988 Australia; 19 April–10 May, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
1989 Barbados; 8–11 March, in her capacity of Queen of Barbados.
Singapore; 9–11 October
Malaysia (for 11th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 14–21 October

1990s:

1990 Singapore (refuelling); 31 January
Australia (refuelling); 1 February
New Zealand; 1–16 February, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand.
Australia (refuelling); 17 February
Singapore (refuelling); 17 February
Canada; 27 June–1 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1991 Kenya (overnight stop); 7 October
Namibia; 8–10 October
Zimbabwe (12th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 10–19 October

1992 Australia; 18–25 February, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Malta; 28–30 May
Canada; 30 June–2 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1993 Cyprus (13th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 18–24 October

1994 Anguilla; 18 February
Dominica; 19 February
Guyana; 19–22 February
Belize; 22–24 February, in her capacity of Queen of Belize.
Cayman Islands; 26–27 February
Jamaica; 1–3 March, in her capacity of Queen of Jamaica.
Bahamas; 6–8 March in her capacity of Queen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
Bermuda; 8–10 March
Canada; 13–22 August, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

1995 South Africa; 19–25 March
New Zealand (14th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 30 October–11 November, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand.

1997 Canada; 23 June–2 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.
Pakistan; 6–12 October
India; 12–18 October

1998 Brunei; 17–20 September
Malaysia; 20–23 September

1999 Ghana; 7–9 November
South Africa (16th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 9–15 November
Mozambique; 15 November

2000s:

2000 Australia; 17 March–1 April, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.

2002 Jamaica; 18–20 February, in her capacity of Queen of Jamaica.
New Zealand; 22–27 February, in her capacity of Queen of New Zealand.
Australia (17th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 27 February–3 March, in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Canada; 4–15 October in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

2003 Nigeria (18th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 3–6 December

2005 Canada; 17–25 May, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.
Malta (19th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 23–26 November

2006 Australia (Opened the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne on 15 March), in her capacity of Queen of Australia.
Singapore; 16–18 March

2007 Malta; 20–21 November
Uganda (20th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting); 21–24 November

2009 Bermuda; 24–26 November
Trinidad and Tobago; 26–28 November (21st Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting)

2010s:

2010 Canada; 28 June-6 July, in her capacity of Queen of Canada.

2011 Australia; (22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) 19–29 October 2011, in her capacity of Queen of Australia

^ Queen Elizabeth 2 has to be one of the ost-travelled monarchs of all time. ^

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Commonwealth_visits_made_by_Queen_Elizabeth_II

Black Americans

2012-02-05T20:01:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Some blacks insist: 'I'm not African-American'"

The labels used to describe Americans of African descent mark the movement of a people from the slave house to the White House. Today, many are resisting this progression by holding on to a name from the past: "black." For this group — some descended from U.S. slaves, some immigrants with a separate history — "African-American" is not the sign of progress hailed when the term was popularized in the late 1980s. Instead, it's a misleading connection to a distant culture. "I prefer to be called black," said Shawn Smith, an accountant from Houston. "How I really feel is, I'm American." "I don't like African-American. It denotes something else to me than who I am," said Smith, whose parents are from Mississippi and North Carolina. "I can't recall any of them telling me anything about Africa. They told me a whole lot about where they grew up in Macomb County and Shelby, N.C."

^ I have been using the term "black" for many years now. It just seems and feels weird to say African American. No one calls me Caucasian-American. Hopefully the ultra PC of the 1990s and 2000s is over. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/blacks-insist-im-not-african-american-181257715.html;_ylt=AnY_Kc5WtYWu1ZG6AqYm6BpvzwcF;_ylu=X3oDMTNqaWgzN3ZoBGNjb2RlA2N0LmMEcGtnAzE0YzI2ZjJjLTM2ZjktMzcyYy1iNzU0LTdiZDNkNjFlZjkzZQRwb3MDNARzZWMDbW9zdF9wb3B1bGFyBHZlcgMyYWRhNGE0MC00ZjVjLTExZTEtYWZmNi0yMmM1M2U1NGFiYjg-;_ylg=X3oDMTFtdTQ1b3RjBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN1cwRwdANzZWN0aW9ucwR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3

The Falklands And Argentina

2012-02-04T14:14:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Argentines seek peaceful resolution in Falklands"

Despite weeks of overheated rhetoric, there seems to be zero hunger among Argentines for another "military adventure" no matter how much they want to reclaim the islands 300 miles off their southern shores. Every Argentine schoolchild is taught that the British stole the Malvinas, as Argentines call the islands, as well as the South Georgia and South Sandwich islands nearly two centuries ago, claiming along with them a huge expanse of the South Atlantic. But hardly anyone here wants to use force to recover them, least of all President Cristina Fernandez. She has ordered the declassification of the Rattenbach Report, a long-secret analysis of mistakes made as the 1976-83 military junta went to war with Britain in 1982. She said she wants it understood that her campaign to recover Argentine territory will remain one of diplomacy and economic pressure. Argentina's dictatorship invaded to cover up its torture and killing of political opponents and distract people from a devastated economy, Fernandez said. "They couldn't think of anything better to do than send unprepared boys to a suicidal war." A total of 649 Argentines and 257 Britons died in the 74-day war, humiliating the junta and hastening Argentina's return to democracy. Declassifying the report, which described the invasion as a poorly planned "military adventure," will show "it wasn't a decision of the Argentine people, but of a despotic government," Fernandez said. Almost three-fourths of Argentines, cutting across all ages and classes, say recovering the islands is important, and more than two-thirds said they support Fernandez's campaign, according to the Ibarometro polling firm. Nearly 79 percent of those surveyed favor diplomacy or negotiations to resolve the dispute. Fernandez has persuaded her South American allies to close their ports to Falklands-flagged vessels — itself a largely symbolic move because it doesn't include banning the fishing fleet that operates under Falklands government licenses. Fernandez also has suggested she might close air space to the weekly flight by Chile's LAN Air Lines to the islands.

^ The first part of the article makes Argentina out to be the victim and you feel sorry for them, but towards the middle and definately by the end you loose that apologic attitude. Argentina should accept the fact that they won't ever get the Falkland Islands back unless the British decide to give it back to them. No amount of imposed isolation or blockage will force the British to change their stance (just as the war in the 1980s was lost before it started.) If the Argentinian President really believes in a diplomatic solution to the Falklands then she isn't doing a good job so far. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/argentines-seek-peaceful-resolution-falklands-162857250.html;_ylt=Ag6Zw_hDHBDZWO8oPSpDY7xvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNrNnBsOHVvBG1pdAMEcGtnA2QxZTY1Mzk3LTQxNTktMzdmMi1hMWNmLTFkNzg5MGI0Yzg1ZQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbG5fTGF0aW5BbWVyaWNhX2dhbAR2ZXIDZTYxN2E2ZjQtNGY2MC0xMWUxLTk5YmYtZDRmMWRkMjdkMmYx;_ylv=3

Komen Reversal

2012-02-04T13:59:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Komen reverses move to cut Planned Parenthood funding"

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation backed down from its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and birth control services, following a massive outcry by supporters of the world's largest breast cancer charity. Komen's decision had thrust the group into America's deeply politicized debate over abortion rights and its apology on Friday may not satisfy the more vocal advocates on either side.

^ Money from the Komen Foundation should only be used for cancer screenings, education and treatment whether it is as Planned Parenthood or anyplace else. It is a cancer charity and should not get involved with anything else. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/komen-struggles-defuse-planned-parenthood-crisis-000134809.html

US Leaving Afghanistan

2012-02-01T14:48:00.002-05:00

From USA Today:
"Panetta: U.S. combat in Afghanistan to end next year"

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the U.S. and its NATO partners intend to end their combat role in Afghanistan next year, while keeping troops there in a support role through 2014. He told reporters traveling with him to Brussels on Wednesday that this switch from combat to training and advising Afghan forces would take place in mid- to late-2013. Panetta's remarks represented the Obama administration's most explicit portrayal yet of how the military mission in Afghanistan is expected to evolve. Panetta said no decisions have been made on how many U.S. troops would be needed once the combat mission ends. He was headed to Brussels for a NATO meeting to discuss this and other Afghanistan issues with U.S. partner nations.

^ I think Obama is trying too hard to make his lasting legacy one that the American public forgets all the bad programs/laws he created domestically to only remember that he was the one who ended the war in Iraq and soon to be in Afghanistan. It also seems that Pannetta and Obama are trying to scale-down the military way too fast which will leave the US in the same position it was in 1993 when Clinton did the same - unprepared for an attack. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-02-01/panetta-afghanistan-mission/52918656/1

Stupid Russian Site

2012-02-01T14:40:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Russia: A Kremlin Website Launched to Expose 'Stupidity'"

In the eyes of the Russian bureaucracy, having no legs is not enough to qualify for permanent disability. A legless citizen, apart from dealing with cities that are about as wheelchair accessible as an Amazonian rainforest, must stand in line every two years to file a document proving that he has no legs. Otherwise, the state apparently assumes that the limbs have grown back, stopping providing benefits. This absurd piece of red tape comes up repeatedly on the Kremlin's newest website, Russia Without Fools, which was launched over the weekend as a kind of register of bureaucratic inanity, or as President Dmitri Medvedev called it, a "stupidity contest." Apart from offering a rare bit of official self-criticism, the aim of the site is to provide a social steam valve at a time when it is badly needed. In December, Russia saw the biggest protests against the government since the fall of the Soviet Union, and the state has since been rushing to co-opt or placate the opposition. The latest attempt is Russia Without Fools, which gives people a chance to have their gripes heard online instead of taking them to the streets. In the first day of its existence, Jan. 22, the site got more than 135,000 visitors, about as many as attended the December demonstrations in Moscow, and two days later, more than 1,000 of them had posted stories of the government's ineptitude. "We had to plug in the backup servers to deal with the avalanche of stupidity," says Raf Shakirov, the director of the project. "I was like, Wow. We're going to have to hire more people."

^ I think that every country in the world needs one of these sites. This is not just a Russian problem, but a global one. Too many people are allowed to keep their jobs when they have no qualification to complete their work. This gets pushed on the public that has to deal with the unqualified person. It seems that in the past few decades basic common sense has been replaced by stupid people thinking up things and making them official practices. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/russias-latest-official-website-kick-us-were-stupid-075500955.html

London's Disabilty App

2012-01-31T19:17:00.003-05:00

From the BBC:
"Disability app designed by London terrorism survivor"

A severely injured survivor of the 7/7 bombings has created a smartphone app to help people with disabilities travel around London more easily. Daniel Biddle lost both his legs, spleen and left eye after a bomb exploded on a tube train in July 2005. His Ldn Access app details step-free access, ramps and usable toilet facilities at thousands of venues. Mr Biddle says he created it after finding that his wheelchair had made many venues become inaccessible. "What happened on 7/7 robbed me of the ability to just go anywhere," he said. "I can think of numerous instances where I've stopped somewhere to use the toilet or gone to a restaurant only to find it is impossible. There is such a lack of useful information for people in a wheelchair, those with learning difficulties or people with a visual or hearing impairment."
Venues covered by the program include hotels, theatres, restaurants, pubs and attractions. The app was created with the help of Mr Biddle's friend Tobi Collett. It works by using location-based technology to pinpoint where a user is, providing intuitive icons and simple terminology to make their choices from, breaking down bigger categories such as restaurants into smaller specific ones such as Chinese or Indian. Mr Biddle said: "We made the app very intuitive because someone with dexterity problems, or arthritis in their hands, may not be able to type out long words. It's just a simple push on a simple icon." The app also contains a section devoted to the Olympics, with accessibility information for each venue and nearby places to visit. It also works offline, meaning even being underground on the Tube is no barrier to knowing where it is possible to get off easily. The developers have plans to offer accessibility apps for other UK cities

^ This is a great idea. The more information that the disabled have to make their lives just a little easier is a great thing. London is at the forefront of disability accessibility (the taxis can hold wheelchairs inside) but there is still work that needs to be done. I would like to see the same kind of app made for cities around the world - like New York, DC, etc. It would be even better is local and Federal governments to do more to add the disabled. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16799242

Canadian Mandatory Voting

2012-01-31T19:11:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo Canada:
"Is it time for mandatory voting in Canada?"

The new session of parliament began Monday, with many on the left of the political spectrum spewing old arguments about the 'legitimacy' of the Harper majority.
After all, they argue, only 60 per cent of the population voted in the last election and of those only 40 per cent voted for the Conservatives. So essentially, about 25 per cent of the voting population gave the Conservatives their majority.
Regardless of the fuzzy math, maybe it's time for Canada to consider mandatory voting. In an article published in the Chronicle Herald on Sunday, political science professor Peter McKenna says Canadians have become political dropouts. "If voting is not an integral component of our democratic polity, as would seem to be the case as more and more Canadians choose to forfeit that right, then Canadians will most assuredly get the government that they don't deserve," McKenna, who teaches at the University of Prince Edward Island wrote. McKenna suggests that before it's too late, we need to follow the lead of other countries and introduce mandatory voting in Canada. "Before you dismiss this proposal, remember voting is already mandatory in over 30 countries. Liberal democracies like Australia, Belgium and Switzerland have well-established compulsory voting systems," he wrote. "Australia routinely garners voter participation rates of 95 per cent, which puts us to shame. Citizens there can be fined (about $20) for not voting without a sufficient reason or justification. And if the nominal fine is not paid after several warning letters, offenders could face possible jail time.

^ This is just plain stupid. I guess people are trying to say that the true face of democracy is forcing people to vote. I personally think that everyone should vote and that those that don't have no claim to make any comments (good or bad) about the government, but making people vote and punishing those that don't is not the way - regardless what they do in Australia. Canada (and countries like the US) need to find ways to get the public interested in politics and voting again - all the current political and economical problems are forcing people away the answer is not forcing them to vote, but fix the problems themselves. ^

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/time-mandatory-voting-canada-193733213.html

Universal Card Delayed

2012-01-31T19:04:00.002-05:00

From Moscow Times:
"Universal Card Delayed Until at Least 2013"

The universal electronic card demonstrated by President Dmitry Medvedev in the spring of last year is facing delays, with the rollout that was scheduled for this month being pushed to January of 2013. The card, which is supposed to serve as a combination of an electronic ID, driver's license, car insurance certificate, ATM card and migration document, among other possible functions, is the expected result of a project the government estimates will cost as much as 150 billion rubles to 170 billion rubles ($5.2 billion to $5.6 billion) to put in the hands of every citizen.
Limited initial use of the card was to take place beginning in 2012, but the law that set up the project was amended in December to allow for a one-year delay.
The Communications and Press Ministry set up the Universal Electronic Cards company, or UEC, to run the card program. A spokesman for UEC told The Moscow Times that the program will begin to function next year and that this year will be spent organizing the places that will receive applications for the card. Application sites are expected to be set up at post offices, banks, commercial centers and other locations.
A ministry spokesman confirmed that infrastructure for the project is just beginning to be created, and only four out of 83 regions having begun work on it.
The current card distribution plan foresees them being given out in the course of 2013 to those who apply for them. The following year they will be issued to all citizens, unless a person makes a written statement of refusal. There are concerns about the public's willingness to adopt the card. Medvedev said last year that the risk of identity theft was an issue for the universal smart card. The card's official website states that the universal electronic card will be safe, since the card itself does not hold any sensitive information. Such data will, as is done now, be stored in government databases so that even if the card is lost or stolen, there is no risk that sensitive personal information will be lost. The card is simply a faster more convenient way to access this information. This is scant reassurance in a country where classified government databases can be freely purchased online or at electronics markets. Sberbank, who own a 34 percent share in Universal Electronic Cards, says the smart card itself poses no security risk.

^ I don't think this is a very good idea. I can see Russia changing its internal passport from the booklet form it now uses to a credit card-sized document, but I don't think it should have all the other information that the government wants to put on it (such as a driver's license or ATM card.) The government should focus on the basic card first and get that perfect before adding everything else. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/universal-card-held-off-another-year/451901.html

100,000 US Soliders Dumped

2012-01-31T18:57:00.003-05:00

From the BBC:
"US to cut almost 100,000 troops"

The US will cut almost 100,000 troops as part of its plans for a "smaller, leaner" military, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has announced. Unveiling a restructure of the armed forces, Mr Panetta said the US would boost special forces and retain the ability to defeat "any enemy on land". The Pentagon is facing cuts of $487bn (£310bn) over the next 10 years. In five years, the Army will drop from a peak of 570,000 to 490,000, and the marines be cut by 20,000, to 182,000. Leon Panetta admitted this had been tough work, but he called this a strategic turning point, arguing the changes were necessary to meet 21st century challenges. A decade of war has seen ballooning defence budgets. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, it makes sense to take stock and see how best to reconfigure what is still the world's most formidable military. Focus would shift from large-scale conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan to areas of key national interest, he said, including a strengthened commitment in Asia. US special forces that were previously committed to Iraq will now be used around the globe, Mr Panetta said. Such elite teams have become a key part of US strategy, killing Osama Bin Laden last year and rescuing hostages this week in Somalia. Mr Panetta said there would be funding for a floating base that would serve special operations forces as well as drone units.

^ I don't see Panetta actually making the military into what he is trying to say it will be. It seems like Communism - good on paper, but not going to happen. Clinton kicked out soldiers from the military in the 1990s and did an awful job - which made us less secure. I get the feeling that Obama is going to do the same here. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16751973

Norway's Holocaust Apology

2012-01-27T16:14:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Norway apologises for deporting Jews during Holocaust'

The Norwegian prime minister has apologised for the role his country played in deporting its own Jews as Europe marks Holocaust Remembrance Day. "Norwegians carried out the arrests, Norwegians drove the trucks and it happened in Norway," Jens Stoltenberg said in a speech. It is believed to be the first time a Norwegian leader has been so explicit about collusion under Nazi occupation. More than a third of Norway's 2,100 Jews were deported to death camps. Others fled to neighbouring Sweden, which remained neutral during World War II. Norway acknowledged its role in the Holocaust in 1998 and paid some $60m (£38m) to Norwegian Jews and Jewish organisations in compensation for property seized. However, the payout fell short of a full apology. Mr Stoltenberg delivered his speech at the dock in the capital Oslo where 532 Jews boarded the cargo ship Donau on 26 November 1942, bound for Nazi camps."Today I feel it is fitting for me to express our deepest apologies that this could happen on Norwegian soil," he said in the speech, translated into English on the prime minister's website. "It is time for us to acknowledge that Norwegian policemen, civil servants and other Norwegians took part in the arrest and deportation of Jews." He added that he was sorry to see that the "ideas that led to the Holocaust [were] still very much alive today". "All over the world we see that individuals and groups are spreading intolerance and fear," he said. Paul Levine, a history professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, likened Norway's role during the war to that of the Vichy regime in Nazi-occupied France. "They implemented their own anti-Jewish laws, used their own manpower, confiscated property and discriminated against Jews before the Germans had demanded it," he told Reuters news agency.

^ I am glad that the government of Norway has finally officially apologized for its role in the Holocaust during the German Occupation. Every country occupied by the Germans during the war had collaborators (whether they were in service to their national government or not) that helped the Germans carry out their plans and policies and so every country occupied (along with Germany itself) is responsibile for the Holocaust in its own way and should admit their guilt, work to make things better for the few survivors still around and officially apoligize. It has been 67 years since the end of the war and this is long overdue. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16761558

Germans Mark Holocaust Day

2012-01-27T16:07:00.002-05:00

From Deutsche Welle:
"Germany marks Holocaust Memorial Day with an appeal not to forget"

Germany marked Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday with a special session of parliament and a call for the nation's citizens never to forget the danger posed by right-wing extremism. The president of the German parliament called on Germans to actively stand up to all forms of right-wing extremism, speaking on the 67th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. "It is these people who set an example and demonstrate courage," Bundestag President Norbert Lammert said in remarks commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Memorial Day falls on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945. His comments follow a move to set up a parliamentary inquiry into a series of murders of nine foreign immigrants and a policewoman by an underground neo-Nazi gang. This week, a survey conducted in Germany also found that 20 percent of Germans had latent anti-Semitic feelings. "That is 20 percent too many," said Lammert. In a moving speech in the Bundestag, the prominent Polish-born German literary critic, Marcel Reich-Ranicki, reminded parliament of the systematic torture and organized mass murder of European Jews launched by Germany under Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler. Reich-Ranicki, who is 91 and frail, grew up in a Jewish family and later survived the Nazi purge of the Warsaw ghetto. "They had only one goal; they had only one purpose - death," he said referring to Nazi claims at the time that they were simply resettling Jews. The Germans set up the Warsaw ghetto in November 1940, cramming hundreds of thousands of Jews into the district under appalling conditions. Most of those who survived that fate soon found themselves confronted with another: the transportation to death camps, like Auschwitz and Treblinka. The Nazis finally burned the Warsaw ghetto to the ground in April 1943. Prior to his appearance in the Bundestag, Reich-Ranicki told the Jüdische Allgemeine newspaper that he had mixed feeling about his speech. "I don't know if I can do it, if I am up to the task to talk about the fate of the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto. A day never goes by without thinking about it," he said.

^ It is good that Germany continues to officially recognize and remember the Holocaust since the Germans were the ones who planned and carried it out. This year more should be done regarding the government report that states that 1 in 5 Germans are anti-semitic. There are still thousands upon thousands of Germans alive today that were 18 or older in 1945 and helped (either actively or passively) the Nazis to carry out the murder of millions upon millions of innocent of men, women and children. While Germany has done a good amount in the past few years to bring former Nazis to trial more still needs to be done. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15699031,00.html

Holocaust Remembrance Day

2012-01-27T15:47:00.003-05:00

From Wikipedia:

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Here is a list of Holocaust Museums around the world.

Argentina
Museo del Holocausto de Buenos Aires (Holocaust Memorial Museum, Buenos Aires)

Australia
The Jewish Museum Holocaust and Research Centre(Melbourne, Victoria)
Sydney Jewish Museum (Sydney, New South Wales)

Austria
The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service
The Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial (Vienna)
Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial,(Mauthausen)

Belarus
The Pit, a memorial in Minsk

Belgium
The Jewish Museum of Deportation and the Resistance (Mechelen)

Brazil
Holocaust victims memorial at São Paulo cemetery (São Paulo)

Bulgaria
The Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria

Canada
The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre (Montreal)
The Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre (Toronto)
The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre[5] (Vancouver)

Croatia
The Memorial to the Holocaust of Murdered Serbs and Jews in Jasenovac (Jasenovac)

Estonia
Holocaust memorial at the site of Klooga concentration camp (Klooga)
Memorial at the site of Kalevi-Liiva (Jägala)

France
Musée départemental de Résistance et Déportation[6] (Agen)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Charente) (Angoulême)
Musée de la Résistance d’Anterrieux (Anterrieux)
Centre de la résistance et de la déportation du Pays d’Arles (Arles)
The Museum of the Resistance and Deportation (Besançon)
Musée de la Résistance, de la Déportation et de la Libération du Loir-et-Cher(Blois)
Musée de la Résistance de Bondues au Fort Lobau (Nord) (Bondues)
Centre Jean Moulin (Bordeaux)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de Bourges et du Cher (Bourges)
Centre National d’Etudes de la Résistance et de la Déportation Edmond Michelet (Brive-la-Gaillarde)
Mémorial de Caen(Caen)
Musée de la Résistance (Castellane)
Centre régional de la Résistance et de la Déportation de Castelnau-le-Lez (Hérault)(Castelnau-le-Lez)
Musée du souvenir de Châlons (Marne) (Châlons-en-Champagne)
Musée de la Résistance, de l’Internement et de la Déportation de Chamalières (Chamalières)
Musée de la Résistance Nationale de Champigny-sur-Marne (Champigny-sur-Marne)
Musée de la Résistance de Châteaubriant-Voves-Rouillé (Châteaubriant)
Mémorial du Vercors (Vassieux-en-Vercors)
Mémorial Charles de Gaulle(Colombey-les-Deux-Églises)
Mémorial de l’internement et de la déportation (Compiègne)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Fargniers)
Musée Départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation de Forges-les-Eaux (Forges-les-Eaux)
Musée de la Résistance, de la Déportation et de la Seconde Guerre mondiale (Frugières-le-Pin)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l’Isère (Grenoble)
Maison d’Izieu mémorial des enfants juifs exterminés (Izieu)
Musée départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Loiret) (Lorris)
Centre d'histoire de la résistance et de la déportation (Lyon)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Tarn-et-Garonne) (Montauban)
Musée Bourbonnais de la Résistance Nationale (Allier) (Montluçon)
Musée de l’histoire vivante (Montreuil)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Nantua)
Musée de la Résistance Henri Queuille (Corrèze) (Neuvic)
Centre de recherche et d’étude azuréen du Musée de la Résistance Nationale (Nice)
Centre de la mémoire d’Oradour-sur-Glane, village martyr (Oradour-sur-Glane)
Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque et de la Libération de Paris et Musée Jean Moulin (Paris)
Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération(Paris)
Centre de documentation juive contemporaine & Mémorial de la Shoah, (Paris)
Musée de la Résistance (Peyrat-le-Château)
Musée de la reddition de Reims (Reims)
Musée pyrénéen de la Résistance et de la Libération, dans l’Ariège (Rimont)
Centre Historique de la Résistance en Drôme et de la Déportation de Romans (Romans-sur-Isère)
Musée de la Résistance en Morvan (Saint-Brisson)
Mémorial de la Résistance et de la Déportation de la Loire (Saint-Étienne)
Musée de la Résistance bretonne (Saint-Marcel)
Le Centre européen du Résistant déporté au Struthof (Natzwiller)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation(Tarbes)
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de Picardie(Tergnier)
Musée Départemental de la Résistance (Thônes (La Balme-de-Thuy))
Centre Régional Résistance et Liberté (Deux-Sèvres) (Thouars)
Musée départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation(Toulouse)
Musée vauzélien de la Résistance Nationale (Nièvre)(Varennes-Vauzelles)
Musée départemental de la déportation et de l’internement (Varilhes)
Mémorial de la Résistance (Vassieux-en-Vercors)
Musée de la Résistance (Rosine Perrier) (Villargondran)

Germany
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Berlin)
Französische Kapelle des Oflag VI A (Soest)

Greece
Holocaust memorial outside of the archaeological site of Kerameikos (Athens)

Hungary
The Budapest Holocaust Memorial Center (Budapest)

Israel
The Ani Ma'amin Holocaust Museum (Jerusalem)
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority (Jerusalem)
The Forest of the Martyrs (Jerusalem)
The Ghetto Fighters' House (Western Galilee)
Massuah- Institute for Holocaust Studies (Tel-Yizhaq)

Italy
Museo della Deportazione (Prato)
Museo della Shoah (Rome)

Macedonia
Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia in Skopje

Netherlands
The Anne Frank House (Amsterdam)
The Hollandsche Schouwburg (Amsterdam)
The Jewish Historical Museum (Amsterdam)

Poland
The Auschwitz Jewish Center (Oświęcim)
Radegast railway station (Łódź)

South Africa
The Cape Town Holocaust Centre (Cape Town)
The Durban Holocaust Centre (Durban)
The Johannesburg Holocaust And Genocide Centre(Johannesburg)

Sweden
The Stockholm Holocaust Monument (Stockholm)

United Kingdom
Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre (Nottinghamshire)
The Imperial War Museum Holocaust Exhibition in London
The Institute of Contemporary History and Wiener Library (London)
The Hyde Park Holocaust memorial, in Hyde Park, London.

United States
The Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio[61](San Antonio)
The Kennesaw State University Museum of History and Holocaust Education(Kennesaw, Georgia)
The William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum(Atlanta)
The Baltimore Holocaust Memorial, (Baltimore)
The Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education & Tolerance (Dallas)
The Children's Holocaust Memorial and Paper Clip Project at Whitwell Middle School (Whitwell, Tennessee)
The Cybrary of the Holocaust
The Desert Holocaust Memorial (Palm Desert, California)
The El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center,(El Paso)
The Florida Holocaust Museum (St. Petersburg, Florida)
The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center(Philadelphia)
The Holocaust History Project
The Holocaust Memorial Center (Detroit)
The Holocaust Memorial on Miami Beach (Miami Beach)
The Holocaust Memorial at California Palace of the Legion of Honor (San Francisco)
The Holocaust and Tolerance Museum (Chandler, Arizona)
Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center (Skokie, Illinois)
The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Liberation (Holocaust memorial),New Jersey's Liberty State Park
The Museum of Tolerance (Los Angeles)
The New England Holocaust Memorial (Boston)
The New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum (Albuquerque)
The Nizkor Project
Oregon Holocaust Memorial (Portland, Oregon)
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (Los Angeles)
The Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation at University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C.)
The Virginia Holocaust Museum (Richmond, Virginia)
Museum of Jewish Heritage (New York City)
Holocaust Center of Northern California (San Francisco)
Holocaust Museum Houston (Houston)
Holocaust Memorial for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
Holocaust Memorial (Milwaukee)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Holocaust_memorials_and_museums

Germans Admit Anti-Semitism

2012-01-24T14:57:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"German anti-Semitism 'deep-rooted' in society"

Anti-Jewish feeling is "significantly" entrenched in German society, according to a report by experts appointed by the Bundestag (parliament). They say the internet has played a key role in spreading Holocaust denial, far-right and extreme Islamist views, according to the DPA news agency. They also speak of "a wider acceptance in mainstream society of day-to-day anti-Jewish tirades and actions". The expert group was set up in 2009 to report regularly on anti-Semitism. The findings of their report were that anti-Jewish sentiment was "based on widespread prejudice, deeply-rooted cliches and also on plain ignorance of Jews and Judaism". Clearly, Germany is a particular case when it comes to anti-Semitism because of its history. Some Jewish groups, though, praise the government for what they see as its unambiguous, loud condemnation. But anti-Semitism remains. One Jewish group in Germany greeted the latest report by saying: "We need new ways of dealing with the past. It is necessary for politicians and the education system in Germany to deal with the National Socialist past." They added that the chanting of far-right slogans at football matches was a regular occurrence. The report's authors put Germany midway in their assessment of other European countries in relation to the spread of anti-Semitism. They see extremely high levels of anti-Jewish sentiment in parts of Poland, Hungary and Portugal. Germany's Jewish population has experienced something of a revival since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Before 1989, the population was below 30,000 but an influx of Jews, mainly from the former Soviet Union, has raised the number to 200,000. Speaking on Friday to mark the anniversary of the 1942 Wannsee conference, when the Nazis' murder of millions of Jews was mapped out, President Christian Wulff pledged that Germany would keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and would never abandon the Jewish people

^ This is not surprising to me in the least after living and travelling around Germany. I'm not saying that every German is an anti-semite, but believe that large majorities (especially in eastern Germany) do not like foreigners and view Jews as foreign. The thing that did surprise me was that the German Government officially admits to the problem. That is the first and best step the country can do if they want to really crack-down on the problem. I hope that the situation improves for everyone - German, Jews and foreigner - within Germany. That won't happen until Germany and the EU fix it's unemployment and financial problems. When people have work and money they tend not to go after groups as scapegoats to their problems (the unemployment in Germany in the 1930s brought the Nazis to power.) ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16678772

Croatia's Yes To EU

2012-01-24T14:52:00.002-05:00

From USA Today:
"Croatia says 'yes' to joining European Union"

Croatia's state referendum commission says a majority of Croats have voted in favor of joining the debt-stricken European Union. Officials say that with about 30 percent of the ballot calculated, about 67 percent of those who took part in the referendum Sunday answered "yes" to the question: "Do you support the membership of the Republic of Croatia in the European Union?" About 32 percent were against, while the rest of the ballots were invalid. About 42 percent of eligible voters took part in the referendum, illustrating voters' apathy toward the 27-nation bloc. Croatia signed an EU accession treaty last year and will become its 28th member in July 2013 after all the bloc's states ratify the deal.

^ I can understand why some Croatians didn't want to join the EU right now since it seems to be imploding - especially the Eurozone (which Croatia would eventually be forced to join) - but it seems the majority want to be in the EU. Croatia will be the second former Yugoslav republic (after Slovenia) to be in the EU. I looked at the results for the different regions and saw that the referendum just passed in the Dubrovnik area. I was there in December 2010 and really liked the people and the area and was a little surprised to see that they didn't really want to be in the EU. Hopefully, when Croatia joins the EU next year things will be better and the country will prosper. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/story/2012-01-22/croatia-european-union/52744436/1

Wannsee Conference: 70

2012-01-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

From Deutsche Welle:
"German president says remembering Holocaust a 'national duty'"

Germany has marked the 70th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference, where Nazi officials planned the 'Final Solution.' Referring to a recent series of neo-Nazi crimes, President Christian Wulff vowed to fight xenophobia. Dignitaries from around the world gathered on Friday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nazi conference that planned the systematic murder of millions of Jews during World War II. Friday's ceremony was held at the villa on the Wannsee lake on the outskirts of Berlin, which is now a Holocaust memorial. It was there that 15 senior Nazi officials adopted the "Final Solution" on January 20, 1942 - a plan approving the organizational details of how to register and transport Jews from across Europe to be killed in concentration camps. President Christian Wulff referred to the plan as the "darkest chapter of German history" and called the memorial site, which opened as a museum in 1992, "a place of German shame." He assured visiting dignitaries, including Israeli minister without portfolio Yossi Peled, that modern Germany would come to the aid of Jews worldwide if they were facing persecution. Referring to the recent discovery of xenophobic crimes in Germany, Wulff promised that hatred towards foreigners would not be allowed to take root.

^ This is a somber anniversary - as most anniversaries dealing with Germany seem to be. It is widely known that the Germans were killing Jews, Gypsies, Gays, the Disabled, Communists and Soviet POWs long before the Wannsee Conference in 1942. I went to Babi Yar in Kiev and saw where the largest mass murder (around 33,000) of Jews in a single day of the Holocaust. At Babi Yar and at other sites throughout Eastern Europe the Germans and local collaborators shot each person. The Germans wanted a faster and "easier" way to kill people without having to shot them at close range. What makes the Wannsee Conference unique and horrific at the same time is that it was the first time in the history of the world that a government in power sat down and decided just how to kill millions upon millions of people in a short amount of time and in a cost-effective way. The result of the Conference is the second part of the Holocaust - the death camps. The idea of herding Jews into ghettos or labor camps and working them to death or shooting them at close range in a ravine was brushed aside as ineffective and the idea of large-scale gas chambers and crematoriums were put in their place. With all the German Government agencies (from the bottom - up) were involved in this process as the Wannsee Conference shows - so there is no doubt in my mind that the ordinary German did not know about the murder of the Jews and other "sub-humans." ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15681059,00.html

Wikipedia Editors Speak Out

2012-01-18T17:19:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo:
"Wikipedia editors question site's planned blackout"

Can the world live without Wikipedia for a day? The shutdown of one of the Internet's most-visited sites is not sitting well with some of its volunteer editors, who say the protest of anti-piracy legislation could threaten the credibility of their work. "My main concern is that it puts the organization in the role of advocacy, and that's a slippery slope," said editor Robert Lawton, a Michigan computer consultant who would prefer that the encyclopedia stick to being a neutral repository of knowledge. "Before we know it, we're blacked out because we want to save the whales." Wikipedia's English-language site shut down at midnight Eastern Standard Time Tuesday and the organization said it would stay down for 24 hours. Instead of encyclopedia articles, visitors to the site saw a stark black-and-white page with the message: "Imagine a world without free knowledge." It carried a link to information about the two congressional bills and details about how to reach lawmakers. It is the first time the English site has been blacked out. Wikipedia's Italian site came down once briefly in protest to an Internet censorship bill put forward by the Berlusconi government. The bill did not advance. The shutdown adds to a growing body of critics who are speaking out against the legislation. But some editors are so uneasy with the move that they have blacked out their own user profile pages or resigned their administrative rights on the site to protest. Some likened the site's decision to fighting censorship with censorship. One of the site's own "five pillars" of conduct says that Wikipedia "is written from a neutral point of view." The site strives to "avoid advocacy, and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them." Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales argues that the site can maintain neutrality in content even as it takes public positions on issues. "The encyclopedia will always be neutral. The community need not be, not when the encyclopedia is threatened," he tweeted.

^ I completely agree with the editors since it makes Wikipedia go against its own code of conduct and makes it no longer neutral. I haven't used Wiki at all today and have lived just fine without it. Maybe this little stunt will backfire on Wikipedia and will show people they can get their information from other places - like we did before Wiki. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/wikipedia-editors-sites-planned-blackout-225904304.html

Betty White @ 90

2012-01-17T23:53:00.002-05:00

Today Betty White turns 90. I have to say that I never really watched any of her early work on "Mary Taylor Moore," " The Carol Burnett Show" or any of the game shows she was on. I wasn't born when she was on those and didn't care for the reruns. I did like seeing her on "Mama's Family." I remember my Grandmom watching her on "The Golden Girls."
It seems that lately she has been on everything from SNL to commericals. I like her now more than before. She is pretty funny. I watched the her birthday special on TV yesterday - it was ok, but very rehearsed. After her special was a program about seniors pranking young people - that was very funny.
I hope that she continues being funny for many years.

Costa Concordia

2012-01-17T23:44:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Costa Concordia salvage to begin"

Salvage work is expected to begin later on Wednesday on the Costa Concordia, as hopes fade that any more survivors will be found on the striken cruise ship. Rescuers have been through almost all of the ship that remains above the water line and experts believe there is little risk of a major fuel leak. Eleven bodies have been recovered so far and 24 people are missing. The captain of the Italian ship, Francesco Schettino is under house arrest, accused of causing the crash.

^ This gives me one more reason why I never want to go on a cruise. At first it was just because of the confined location, the fear of being left on-shore, having to eat with a bunch of strangers and hearing about all the people who get food poisoning. I don't think I will think of taking a cruise anytime soon. As for the captain he should be charged with abandoning the passengers and his ship, for the deaths and for causing the accident. The crew also need to be investigated and see what they did wrong. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16606405

Wiki Block

2012-01-17T23:16:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Wikipedia joins web blackout in Sopa protest"

Wikipedia plans to take its English-language site offline on Wednesday as part of protests against proposed anti-piracy laws in the US. The site webmaster are opposed to the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa) being debated by Congress. Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, told the BBC: "Proponents of Sopa have characterised the opposition as being people who want to enable piracy or defend piracy. "But that's not really the point. The point is the bill is so over broad and so badly written that it's going to impact all kinds of things that, you know, don't have anything to do with stopping piracy." Sopa's supporters in the House of Representatives say the legislation is designed to stop revenue flowing to "rogue websites". A similar bill, Pipa, is making its way through the US Senate. On Saturday the White House issued a statement that appeared to side with critics of the legislation. It said: "While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet." Despite the hint of a presidential veto, Wikipedia said that the English site's administrators had decided to stage its first ever public protest because the bills "would be devastating to the free and open web".

^ Wikipedia may not like these proposed new bills, but it seems pretty dumb for them to force the English-speaking world that uses Wiki to stop using it for a day. There are more effective ways to voice your opinion about these bills and others. I don't think a day without Wikipedia will affect me or those I know, but will probably make some people go stir crazy. I really wish that the people who run Wikipedia had asked the opinions of users before they decided to speak for us. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16590585

Direct Air Links?

2012-01-16T17:12:00.002-05:00

Many countries (including the United States) have dependent territories around the world. I saw a news story on the TV that said the true way for a dependent territory to show its allegiance to the "mother country" in the 21st Century is whether they have direct air travel to the "mother country" or not. So I decided to look up a few and see whether they did or not.
Note: The "mother country" is in bold.

Australia:
- Christmas Island = Yes
- Cocos Islands = No
- Norfolk island = Yes

Denmark:
- Faroe Islands = Yes
- Greenland = Yes

France:
- Guadeloupe = Yes
- Martinique = Yes
- Mayotte = Yes
- Reunion = Yes
- French Guiana = Yes
- French Polynesia = Yes
- New Caledonia = Yes
- Saint Barthelemy = No
- Saint Martin = No
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon = No
- Wallis and Futuna = No

Netherlands:
- Aruba = Yes
- Bonaire = Yes
- Curacao = Yes
- Saba = No
- Sint Eustatius = No
- Sint Maarten = Yes

New Zealand:
- Cook Islands = Yes
- Niue = Yes
- Tokelau = No

United Kingdom:
- Anguilla = No
- Cayman Islands = Yes
- Gibraltar = Yes
- Montserrat = No
- Pitcain Islands = No
- Turks and Caicos Islands = Yes
- Saint Helena = No
- Ascension = Yes
- South Georgia = No
- Bermuda = Yes
- British Virgin Islands = No
- Falkland Islands = Yes
- Akrotiri = No
- Guernsey = Yes
- Jersey = Yes
- Isle of Man = Yes

United States:
- American Samoa = Yes
- Guam = Yes
- Northern Mariana Islands = No
- Puerto Rico = Yes
- US Virgin Islands = Yes

I don't know if you can show your allegiance by having a direct air link or if your geographical location helps to determine whether you have an airport and if that airport can accommodate a large plane needed to fly the distance to the "mother country." Regardless, you would think that if a territory wanted its independence then it could usually vote for it and gain it.

Bilingual Canada: Expensive

2012-01-16T16:58:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo Canada:
"Bilingualism costs taxpayers $2.4 billion a year"

Being a bilingual country doesn't come cheap. French language services (and English language services in Quebec), such as education, translation, and bilingual signage and forms cost Canadian taxpayers $2.4 billion a year, according to a new report released by the Fraser Institute. Provincially, Ontario spends the most - $623 million annually — the most among all provinces. New Brunswick has the second largest budget for minority language services, $85 million, followed by Quebec at $50 million. Of the remaining provinces, Alberta spends $33 million on bilingual services ($534.70 per francophone), B.C. spends $23 million ($426.90 per francophone), Nova Scotia spends $18 million ($540.10 per francophone), Manitoba spends $16 million ($410.20 per francophone), Saskatchewan spends $9.65 million ($640.50 per francophone), Prince Edward Island spends $5.1 million ($946.20 per francophone), and Newfoundland and Labrador spends $3.4 million ($1780.30 per francophone). The bulk of the provincial expenditures, 58 per cent, were earmarked for primary and secondary school instruction. The report comes at a time when the proportion of francophones is actually declining throughout Canada.

^ I go back and forth on whether I like bilingualism or not. In the case of Canada, I think it is important to give English-speakers English language services in Quebec and French-speakers French language services throughout the country. The varied French-British history created the country and so each group should be able to communicate in their own language. I think French-speakers should learn English and English-speakers should learn French. In the case of the US I do not support bilingualism and believe that English should be the official Federal language of the country. I do think Americans should learn a foreign language for when we travel or do business overseas, but do not think we should have to within our own country. While Canada and the US seem the same on the surface they are very different and so while I think bilingualism is good in Canada I don't like it in the United States. ^

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/bilingualism-costs-taxpayers-2-4-billion-173241373.html

Danish Queen: 40 Years

2012-01-16T16:53:00.003-05:00

From BBC:
"Denmark's Queen Margrethe marks 40 years"

"She's hopelessly old-fashioned and very Danish." The verdict of a local tabloid this week on Queen Margrethe II was not meant unkindly. She is a symbol of what we love about being Danish, the paper said. The queen is known affectionately as Daisy. Now 71, she is an accomplished artist and a heavy smoker. She does not use a mobile phone or the internet declaring herself "very happy" without them.Queen Margrethe remains very popular amongst Danes.But as the queen prepares to celebrate 40 years on the throne on Saturday, she has told the BBC that she is more convinced than ever that hereditary monarchy has a role to play in modern society. "We represent a very long story, and that's the story of our own country," she said. Opinion polls suggest strong support in Denmark for Europe's oldest continuous monarchy, and the Queen has made it clear that she has no intention of stepping down to allow her son, Crown Prince Frederik, to succeed her. "You are handed your job as the old king or queen dies," she said. "It is not a life sentence, but a life of service." In an interview in the Great Hall of the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Queen Margrethe also spoke of her lasting admiration for Queen Elizabeth, who celebrates 60 years on the British throne in a few months' time. "Right from the start, even before she was queen, she talked about dedicating herself to her nation," she said. "And I felt that very much 40 years ago, that day when I was proclaimed, that I must somehow understand that I must dedicate my life to my nation like she has done. And in that way she has been very important to me." The Danish jubilee will see a weekend of celebrations including religious ceremonies, a gala banquet and a coach ride through the streets of Copenhagen, with an escort by the Royal Danish Hussar Guard Regiment.
But while plenty of royal pageantry will be on display, the queen has also been given credit for making sure the monarchy changes with the times. "We can be very relaxed in our relationship with the Danish people," she said. "And I feel extraordinarily privileged."

^ It seems that in some countries having a monarchy enhances everything within that country. This seems to be the case in Denmark. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16537659

US-Burma New Ambassadors

2012-01-13T16:43:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"US to exchange ambassadors with Burma"

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced that Washington will start the process of exchanging ambassadors with Burma. The announcement came hours after the country's most prominent political dissidents were released from jail. US President Barack Obama described the move as a "substantial step forward". The move is seen as one of the key demands of Western nations before international sanctions can be eased. The US stopped short of lifting them. Mr Obama said he had asked officials to take "additional steps to build confidence" with Burma. "Much more remains to be done to meet the aspirations of the Burmese people, but the United States is committed to continuing our engagement," he said.

^ It seems that Burma wants to finally end its isolation with the international community. First Burma released political prisioners (many held since 1988) and on the surface seems to want to allow for a more liberal government. I hope these changes come about in real terms and not merely on paper. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16554415

Libya's Money: No Kadhafi

2012-01-13T16:37:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Libya withdraws notes bearing Kadhafi image"

The central bank of Libya said on Friday it is withdrawing from circulation the 50-dinar note which bears the picture of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi wearing tinted glasses. The bank's governor Al-Seddiq Omar al-Kabir told reporters that Libyans have until March 15 to hand the note in to banks, and the bills will in turn be forwarded to the central bank. Kabir said the central bank is attempting "to erase the bad traces of the dead tyrant's rule" by removing the note from the monetary system. It will also gradually withdraw the 20-dinar and one-dinar notes. On the 20-dinar bill, Kadhafi is shown standing with several heads of state, including Tunisia's ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. And the one-dinar note has a picture of a smiling Kadhafi wearing a headscarf and with one hand on his left cheek.
"The one- and 20-dinar notes will be phased out because these images remind the Libyans of the time of the dictatorship," the media manager of the central bank, Issam Buajila, told AFP.

^ It makes sense to get rid of the currency that has the old dictator's picture on it. One thing that I am a little confussed about is when it says that "Libyans will have until March 15th to hand the note to banks" but it doesn't say they will get anything in return for handing in the old bills. Hopefully it will be an equal exchange. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/libya-withdraws-notes-bearing-kadhafi-image-201329395.html;_ylt=AndaKaGh.b5jKFhY0L6PaF5vaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNlNWVwOWdpBG1pdAMEcGtnA2JhOTdjZWNlLWM1ODAtMzFhYi1hNGE1LWMxMzU0NjlkMmYwNgRwb3MDNARzZWMDbG5fQWZyaWNhX2dhbAR2ZXIDNWQzN2RlMDAtM2UyNS0xMWUxLWJkZWEtMTA5MThkYjdiMGY4;_ylv=3

US: Auf Wiedersehen Europa

2012-01-13T16:29:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"US to withdraw about 7,000 troops from Europe"

The United States plans to withdraw about 7,000 US troops of the 81,000 troops based in Europe, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. In an interview with the Armed Forces Press Service, Panetta said two brigade combat teams, or roughly 7,000 US troops, would be withdrawn from Europe, but rotational units would still maintain strong military presence in the region. The move is part of a 10-year defense strategy that President Barack Obama presented on January 5, giving strategic priority to the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.

^ What no one in Obama's government is saying about this is "What will happen to the 7,000 soldiers after they leave Germany?" The could be transferred to Asia or the Middle East. They could be sent back to the US for good or they could be discharged from the military. I can understand the first two choices, but not the last. Hopefully, the 7,000 soldiers and their families will be taken care of and continue to have a job once they leave Germany. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/us-withdraw-7-000-troops-europe-042706842.html

Royal Headscarf

2012-01-12T15:49:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Dutch Queen Beatrix calls headscarf row 'nonsense'"

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has dismissed as "real nonsense" a domestic political row over her wearing of a headscarf while on a trip to the Gulf. She was reacting to questions in parliament tabled by Geert Wilders's Freedom Party (PVV) which claimed she "legitimises the oppression of women". Queen Beatrix wore a gown and headscarf first on Sunday at a mosque in Abu Dhabi and again on Thursday in Oman.
During Thursday's visit to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the Omani capital, Muscat, the queen wore a red shawl over her hat while Princess Maxima who was accompanying her also had her head covered. Although the queen regularly speaks to the Dutch press at the end of a royal tour, her frank remarks about a domestic political party are being seen as unprecedented.

^ I am all for banning headscarves and things like that in the Western World, but if a Muslim country requires them than that needs to be respected by visitors - such as the Dutch Queen. There are several Muslim countries that ban headscarves and I think that it is a good thing, but if the people in a country that requires them do not stand-up against headscarves then I see no issues with them and if I did then I don't have to travel to that country. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16524897

Czech Religious Money

2012-01-11T20:38:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Czech govt OKs landmark religious compensation law"

Churches were seized, priests jailed or executed and those who were still allowed to lead religious services did so under the watchful eye of the secret police. More than 22 years after the fall of Communism, the Czech government agreed Wednesday to pay billions of dollars in compensation for property seized by the former totalitarian regime. But even in a country where indifference to religion is strong, the compensation plan — to be spread over 30 years — proved to be a win-win situation. The government will no longer have to pay the priests' salaries and religious groups will finally get some compensation after several previous attempts had failed. Under the plan, the country's 17 churches, including Roman Catholic and Protestant, would get 56 percent of their former property now held by the state — estimated at 75 billion koruna ($3.7 billion). They would also get 59 billion koruna ($2.9 billion) in financial compensation paid to them over the next 30 years, and the state will gradually stop covering their expenses over the next 17 years. It all harks back to 1948, when the Communists seized power in the small central European nation then named Czechoslovakia. The Communists confiscated all the property owned by churches and persecuted many priests. Churches were allowed to function only under the state's strict control and supervision and priests' salaries were paid by the state. After the 1989 Velvet Revolution brought in democracy, some churches and monasteries were returned, but the churches have since sought to get back other assets such as farms, woodlands and buildings. Czechoslovakia then split into Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993.

^ It seems the Czech Republic is trying to make up for what the Czech Communists did from 1948-1989. Countries in Eastern Europe need to look at their pasts and do more to make up for the mistakes that the Communists did. It has been 20 years and there are still many areas that need to be addressed. Some countries (such as the Czech Republic) are actively working to resolve many of the areas while others (such as Belarus) are trying to forget their past and at the same time keep their authoridarian rule. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/czech-govt-oks-landmark-religious-compensation-law-182000656.html;_ylt=AqLkMPkQUyKdeO86vhkLnJl0bBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTQ0a2hpMmliBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIEV1cm9wZVNTRgRwa2cDN2U0ODk5ZDUtM2MzZC0zYjZkLTkxZWItZjU5MDU0MWE3OGFmBHBvcwMzBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzJkNTg2YjkwLTNjODItMTFlMS05N2RjLWQwNmFmNmMxNTdiNg--;_ylg=X3oDMTIwZ2J1NzRyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxldXJvcGUEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

Poor Bosnia

2012-01-09T14:30:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Financial crisis grips Bosnia heritage sites "

Reading rooms in Bosnia-Hercegovina's National Library have opened without heating as a funding crisis grips the divided country's heritage sites. The institution in the capital Sarajevo is unable to meet its utility bills or pay its staff, deputy director Bedita Islamovic told the BBC News website. Other cultural institutions have closed completely as a result of disagreement over who should pay for their upkeep. The Dayton peace agreement which ended the 1992-95 war split the country into two parts, linked by a weak central government. The central government has no ministry of culture and no obligation to provide permanent funding for sites regarded as part of Bosnia-Hercegovina's national heritage. Bosnian Serbs largely oppose giving the central government control over the sites, with their politicians arguing that each of the country's ethnic groups should care for its own heritage. So deep are the continuing divisions that it has taken the sides 14 months to agree on the make-up of a new central government, after elections in October 2010. This week, the Historical Museum closed and the National Gallery shut its doors early in the autumn. The National Museum expects to close piece by piece in coming weeks as its power supply is cut off due to unpaid bills, director Adnan Busuladzic told the Associated Press news agency. Among other things, the National Museum's collection includes the Sarajevo Haggadah, an illuminated manuscript brought to Bosnia by a Jewish family expelled from Spain during the Inquisition and saved from Hitler's forces during World War II. The culture minister of the country's Bosniak-Croat Federation, Salmir Kaplan, reportedly pledged his government would provide funding to cover the unpaid utility bills of the National Museum. However, he admitted this was just a temporary solution, AP says. The Bosnian Serb Republic (Republika Srpska) has a culture ministry of its own.

^ This is sad. The central government of Bosnia is what the international community first notices about the country and to learn that the main places and institutions can't even pay for heat doesn't portray a good image as a united country. It has been 17 years since the end of the Bosnian War and the Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs living in Bosnia need to put their differences aside and work to bring their country into 21st Century Europe. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16440907

Greek Pedophiles Disabled?

2012-01-09T14:24:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Furor in Greece over pedophilia as a disability"

Greek disability groups expressed anger Monday at a government decision to expand a list of state-recognized disability categories to include pedophiles, exhibitionists and kleptomaniacs. The National Confederation of Disabled People called the action "incomprehensible," and said pedophiles are now awarded a higher government disability pay than some people who have received organ transplants. The Labor Ministry said categories added to the expanded list — that also includes pyromaniacs, compulsive gamblers, fetishists and sadomasochists — were included for purposes of medical assessment and used as a gauge for allocating financial assistance. But NCDP leader Yiannis Vardakastanis, who is blind, warned the new list could create new difficulties for disabled Greeks who are already facing benefit cuts due to the country's financial crisis. "What's happened is incomprehensible. I think there is some big mistake. The ministry should have a different policy on disability," Vardakastanis told the Associated Press. "The list contains major changes to disability quotients, which could effectively remove many people from access to benefits." The new list gives pyromaniacs and pedophiles disability pay up to 35 percent, compared to 80 percent for heart transplant recipients. "It's really not serious to grant Peeping Toms a 20-30 percent disability rate, and 10 percent to diabetics, who have insulin shots four or five times a day," said Vardakastanis. Greece has been fighting to avoid bankruptcy since 2009. Public spending on health and welfare programs has been sharply cut under austerity measures imposed as a condition for receiving emergency loans from the International Monetary Fund and other countries using the euro currency.

^ This is just plain stupid. The Greek Government has trouble paying for those who are really, truly disabled (ie the blind, those in wheelchairs, people who had heart attacks, strokes, the deaf, etc) without adding criminals to the mix. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/furor-greece-over-pedophilia-disability-174002476.html;_ylt=AgoOmT4cehRXJEg8Y5IyDSdvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNlYzNrc3RuBG1pdAMEcGtnA2QyY2VjYTEwLTZjMTctMzA3OC1iYjdlLTYyMTNhOGJlYWI4ZgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbG5fRXVyb3BlX2dhbAR2ZXIDOGY5M2UwZDAtM2FmNC0xMWUxLWI1N2ItNTMxNTJiMWNkNjc2;_ylv=3

Use Them And Loose Them

2012-01-05T18:22:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Obama unveils new strategy for 'leaner' US military"

The US military will become "leaner" while maintaining superiority as it switches focus to the Asia-Pacific, US President Barack Obama has announced. In a rare appearance at the Pentagon, he unveiled a far-reaching defence review under which thousands of troops are expected to be axed. The tide of war was receding and the US must renew its economic power, he said. The strategy is designed to accommodate at least $450bn (£290bn) in Pentagon cuts over the next decade. The defence budget could also lose another $500bn at the end of this year after Congress failed to agree on deficit reduction following a debt-ceiling deal in August. "So yes, our military will be leaner," Mr Obama told reporters, "but the world must know - the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats."

^ Obama has decided to use the "use them and then loose them" attitude with regards to the US military. He had no problem keeping soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan when he came into office and even expanded their numbers and now that we are out of Iraq he thinks he can simply do away with thousands of soldiers who he placed in harm's way because he is finished with them. This is just another example of why every President (male or female) needs to have served in the US military before they go into office - he/she is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and should know first-hand what the soldiers and their families go through before he/she sends them to fight and possibly die for their country. Maybe then they wouldn't be so quick to do what Clinton did and Obama is doing. The US Government has always treated soldiers and their families as second-class citizens and expected them to pay the ultimate sacrifice and those that survive are tossed away with little benefits. We should treat our veterans and current soldiers with the respect they have earned and deserve and not follow Obama's example of throwing them away with the trash. Hopefully, we will have a new President before these reductions take effect and the new one will have a military background and the common decency to treat veterans and soldiers correctly. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16430405

Belarus Correction

2012-01-05T18:14:00.003-05:00

From Deutsche Well:
"Contrary to reports, Belarus plans no Internet censorship"

Businesses selling goods online to consumers in Belarus will face a number of new regulations effective January 6, but contrary to media reports, Belarus has no plans to ban access to foreign websites. Several media organizations worldwide have picked up the report, claiming that Belarus was planning to curb Internet use and establish a new Digital Iron Curtain. Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko is known for his authoritarian rule. Last year, for instance, he tried to crack down on users of social media networks to organize anti-government protests. His muzzling of the opposition has been condemned by both the United States and the European Union. Keir Giles says that accusations of online censorship in Belarus are "complete fiction"But several observers say the new law will have no impact on how people in Belarus use the Internet. "The law says very specifically what the restrictions are," Giles told Deutsche Welle. "There is no mention whatsoever of not being able to browse foreign websites." Aleksey Ponomarev, a Belarusian IT lawyer, wrote in English on his blog on Wednesday that the new law, which takes effect on Friday, "has not brought any radical changes to the Belarussian online market or heavy limitations of human rights and freedoms. Neither visiting foreign websites is considered a violation nor has any of the foreign websites been blocked." Ponomarev added that Internet service providers will be required to identify users and technical devices providing Internet connectivity, pointing out that "this requirement does not differ from usual worldwide practices of data retention." Another Belarusian lawyer, Sergei Zikratsky, told Deutsche Welle that the new rules will, however, impact businesses with online shops. Under the legislation, businesses selling goods and services online to people in Belarus must be registered in the country. Those that don't register will face fines of around 100 euros ($128) for violating the law. "The sanctions are aimed mostly against Belarusian companies," said Alex Shablovsky, director of Elab Media. Some Belarusian websites hosted in Russia may be forced to come home. Today, many Belarus-based companies rent hosting services from Internet service providers in Russia to save money. With the new law, the government hopes to clamp down on this practice and create better controls for collecting tax revenue from e-commerce services.

^ Apparently the article that I posted a few days ago and which most of the world wrote about as being true was made up by some guy at the Library of Congress. Belarus has enough problems and doesn't need fake new stories to make itself look worse than it already is. I don't really see an issue with forcing Belarussian Internet companies actually being in Belarus. I would like the same for American companies being forced to have a US presence. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15648186,00.html

Dutch Apologize To Jews

2012-01-04T16:56:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Dutch urged to apologize for Jewish deportations"

Outspoken Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders called on the government Wednesday to apologize for the country's "passive" response to the mass deportations of Jews by Nazi occupiers during World War II. The move is likely to re-ignite debate about Dutch attitudes to the wartime persecution of the country's Jewish population. Of the 140,000 Jews who lived in the Netherlands before the war, more than 100,000 were deported and murdered. About 30,000 Jews live here now, out of a total population of nearly 17 million. Spokesman Chris Breedveld said the government would carefully study and respond to Wilders' questions. One of the former ministers, Els Borst, says in an interview for the book, "Judging the Netherlands" by Manfred Gerstenfeld, that she believes the response by the Dutch wartime government in exile would have been tougher had Nazis been deporting Catholics or Protestants. Borst, who as health minister was involved in negotiations in the 1990s on reparations for Jews, said wartime prime minister Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy and Queen Wilhelmina should have appealed from their administration in exile in London for Dutch people to do more to protect Jews. "The government's stance shows that they, along with many others, saw Jewish Dutch citizens as a special group and thought: 'We have real Dutch people and we have Jewish Dutch people,'" Borst said in an interview, a copy of which author Gerstenfeld emailed to The Associated Press. The Dutch government agreed in 2000 to pay $180 million in restitution to Jews and then-Prime Minister Wim Kok expressed regret for the way the Dutch treated Jews after the war. Ronny Naftaniel, director of one of the Netherlands' main Jewish groups, the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, said Jews would welcome an apology for the "passive" attitude of the monarchy and government in exile, though his group has not officially called for one. "The Dutch government in exile was terribly passive and the Dutch queen at the time, Wilhelmina, hardly spoke a word about Jewish suffering in the Netherlands," Naftaniel said.

^ I have to agree with Mr. Wilders in this case. The Dutch Government and Queen during the war should have placed emphasis on what was happening to ALL Dutch citizens. You would think that in the 21st Century countries would be willing to admit their World War 2 mistakes as the war ended 67 years ago. While the deaths of the Jews in the Netherlands during the war was caused by the Germans and some Dutch collaborators the fact that the Dutch Government-in-Exile and Queen Wilhelmina stood by and did nothing to stop the deporations and killing or alerting the world to what was happening makes them just as guilty. The Dutch Government and current Queen (Beatrix) owe it to the Dutch Jewish victims and survivors to admit the guilt and work to make sure this dark spot in Dutch history and resolved. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/dutch-urged-apologize-jewish-deportations-113037333.html

Belarus Restricts Internet

2012-01-04T16:47:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Belarus puts restrictions on foreign internet sites"

A new law in Belarus will restrict access to foreign websites and force internet clubs and cafes to report users visiting sites registered abroad. The law, which takes effect on Friday, says anyone selling goods or services to Belarus citizens on the web must use the .by Belarusian domain name. That would make it illegal for firms like Amazon or eBay to sell goods to customers in Belarus. Fines for breaking the law range as high as 1m Belarus rubles (£77; $120). The law says people offering internet services to the public - whether at a cafe, club or in their own home - will face fines if their customers visit foreign websites and such visits are not properly recorded and reported.

^ This is just one more step in Belarus tightening its complete control over its people that has been going on since 1994. Instead of fixing its economy and human rights record the Belarussian government simply want to make it harder for ordinary Belorussians to learn the truth from the outside world in the hope that they don't see how awful things are and seek change. This is another example of the strict control that exists in many countries of the former Soviet Union 20 years since its collapse. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16407235

War Horse 2012

2012-01-03T22:28:00.002-05:00

I saw this movie at the theaters yesterday and have to say I really liked it. Even though there wasn't anything surprising in the movie it was still one of those "feel good films." The movie takes place right before and then during World War 1 and follows a horse named Joey from his birth, separation from his mother, training with a farm boy, sale to the British Army, battles in France where he went back and forth with serving in the German and British armies, loosing his best friend to the end of the war.
One scene that I liked was when Joey gets cut in "no-man's land" between the German and British trenches and a British soldier and a German soldier come out to help him. The two soldiers, who were shooting at each other just a few minutes ago and who will shoot at each other again, stop and get to know each other as they free Joey from the barbed wire.
The film shows that anything is possible if you believe and are determined to make it happen.

TSA In 2012

2012-01-03T22:19:00.002-05:00

From the Huffington Post:
"12 New Year's Resolutions For The TSA In 2012"

Here are 12 things the TSA should stop doing in 2012.

No more body scans.

The TSA's pricey and controversial body scanners, which are being deployed across the country, are an invasion of privacy and an unacceptable health risk. Many American oppose their use. Isn't it time for the TSA to admit they're a failure and try something else?

Stay off our streets.

The TSA is here for one reason, and one reason alone: To stop another 9/11 from happening. Its expansion to subway stations and other public areas is a costly and unnecessary step that no one asked for. This is the year to end the ill-conceived VIPR program once and for all.

Quit pocketing money.

Harassed air travelers left a lot of loose change at checkpoints -- an estimated $376,480 in 2010. And guess who kept it? That's right, the TSA. But it isn't the agency's money (one Congressman wants to funnel it to the USO, which isn't a bad idea). It's your money. The TSA has no business taking it.

Stop calling screeners officers.

It's a little known fact that TSA employees have zero law enforcement authority and technically shouldn't be called officers. One Congresswoman wants to fix that. What a great idea.

Stop harassing grandma.

It isn't just Lenore Zimmerman, the 4-foot-11, 110-pound, grandmother who alleges she was strip-searched at JFK in late 2011. It's a whole stack of similar cases that have stirred public outrage. Stop frisking the grannies, TSA. You're better than that.

No more special lines.

TSA's new Pre-Check program, which selectively pre-screens certain passengers and lets them move through the security line faster, seems like a move in the right direction. But it isn't. The elite-level frequent fliers join a growing list of others, including members of the military and airport employees, who get special screening privileges. Shouldn't TSA be trying to find the bad guys instead of determining who the bad guys aren't? This process-of-elimination screening is not only expensive, but puts ordinary, law-abiding air travelers at a disadvantage.

End the liquid and gel restrictions.

There's no convincing evidence that our Starbucks lattes are going to blow up our early morning commuter flight. Let's stop this nonsense, which has been going on for way too long and hasn't prevented a single act of airborne terrorism. Let air travelers bring their harmless liquids on board.

Stop the shoe removals.

The TSA now allows kids 12 and under to leave their shoes on. Why not the rest of us? When's the last time the agency caught a terrorist with explosives in his insoles? How about never?

Don't prevent passengers from taking pictures.

Even though the TSA insists that taking snapshots of its screening areas is allowed, its "officers" apparently never got the memo. Here's what happened to Carlos Miller last week when he tried to tape his screening. Puh-leeze!

Stop hiring criminals.

TSA's hiring practices leave a lot to be desired. Its employees have gotten themselves into a whole lotta trouble in 2011, including some very disturbing crimes that leave you wondering: Where did they find these people? Come on.

Don't ignore the public you're trying to protect.

A recent White House website petition comes to mind. It only took about 30,000 verified signatures requesting the Obama administration eliminate the TSA, for Administrator John Pistole to offer a clueless rebuttal that suggests he has virtually no contact with real air travelers. How 'bout spending a little more time at the airport, John?

No more lies.

Time and again in 2011, the TSA has been caught telling lies and half-truths. They're exhaustively documented by Bill Fisher on the TSA News Blog. The scope of the TSA's misinformation is absolutely staggering. It's really amazing that we believe anything the agency tells us anymore, given its record of bending facts to suit its agenda. That needs to end.

As we look ahead to 2012, the TSA is poised to become a part of how we travel, whether we fly, drive, cruise or take the train. But the agency will not make any of these common-sense reforms unless it hears from you.

So if you think this federal agency needs to make a few changes, this is a good time to let your elected representative know about it.

^ I agree with many of these suggestions. The TSA needs to have checks and balances and what their website says is allowed needs to be followed at EVERY airport within the US and not change at a whim. The whole "innocent until proven guilty" has been changed to everyone is guilty until you prove yourself innocent and that is exactly how the TSA treats everyone. I applied, took all the tests, did the interview and was offered a job with the TSA and know how poor their hiring and testing really is. I did not accept the job as I was offered another one so I don't know what training they are given once they are hired, but after travelling around the country from NH to Alaska and in between for the past years and dealing with the TSA in countless airports I can guess what they are taught. It seems odd to me that airport security in other Western countries I have been to (the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, etc) in the past 10 years manage to treat passengers as people and yet still keep their skies safe. Maybe the TSA should take a look at those countries and get some hints. ^

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-elliott/new-years-resolutions-12-_b_1179288.html

The Euro: 10 Years

2012-01-01T20:26:00.002-05:00

From Deutsche Welle:
"Euro cash 'celebrates' tumultuous 10th anniversary"

On January 1, 2002, the euro single currency was introduced in 12 European countries. A decade later, views vary widely on whether the common currency has been a success or a failure. Exactly 10 years ago, the euro was introduced as a common currency in 12 European countries. Starter kits were handed out to people ahead of the euro introduction so that they could become familiar with the new coins. The euro notes and coins were formally launched as a currency in the eurozone on January 1, 2002. Anyone doing business in dollar-based regions or vacationing there, of course, is interested in the strength of the euro, but most people are concerned with its stability. Especially in Germany, the euro was viewed initially as a currency that pushed prices up. And it is still seen so today by many consumers, although the statics speak another language. In the 10 years of the euro, inflation in the eurozone has been lower than it was when the deutschmark was the official currency. Economists largely agree that the euro is also not the cause of the financial problems in several eurozone countries.

^ I remember flying to Russia from Amsterdam on KLM in January 2002 and buying something so I could use Euros for the first time. I have since been in many Eurozone countries and have used in many times without thinking. The Euro is a good idea, but was implemented wrong. There was no real oversight in which countries were ready and stable enough to change currencies (ie Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain, etc.) Now, 10 years later, what many European leaders had once said was unthinkable - a country leaving the Eurozone - now seems very possible in the near future. It will be interesting to see which countries are forced to leave and which ones leave on their own. A trip to a country that leaves the Eurozone will probably be very cheap for Americans and other non-Euro using countries. It will also be nice for me since I like collecting foreign currencies and there will be new ones for me to collect. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15612914,00.html

New Year's 2012!

2012-01-01T20:19:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"NYC, world ring in 2012, bid adieu to a tough year"

Revelers erupted in cheers amid a confetti-filled celebration in New York's Times Square to welcome in the new year, part of star-studded festivities and glittering fireworks displays around the world to usher in 2012. From New Zealand to New York, the world eagerly welcomed a new year Sunday and hoped for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil that many would rather forget. In New York, hundreds of thousands gathered at the crossroads of the world to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights that descended at midnight. Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-paneled ball drop. Revelers in Australia, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, which jumped across the international dateline to be first to celebrate, welcomed 2012 with booming pyrotechnic displays. Fireworks soared and sparked over Moscow's Red Square, crowds on Paris' Champs-Elysées boulevard popped Champagne corks at midnight. But many approached the new year with more relief than joy, as people battered by weather disasters, joblessness and economic uncertainty hoped the stroke of midnight would change their fortunes. Many expressed cautious hope that better times were ahead after a year in which Japan was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami, hurricanes wreaked havoc across the country and a debt crisis devastated Europe's economy. In Sydney, more than 1.5 million people watched the shimmering pyrotechnic display designed around the theme "Time to Dream." In London, some 250,000 people gathered to listen to Big Ben chime at the stroke of midnight.

^ I had a low-key New Year's. Last night I had homemade meatball subs and punch and watched the ball drop in NYC on TV. Today I put away all the Christmas decorations. Hopefully, 2012 will be a great year for my family and me. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-world-ring-2012-bid-adieu-tough-050238663.html

Loose A Day

2011-12-30T15:44:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Samoa and Tokelau skip a day for dateline change"

Samoa and Tokelau have skipped a day - and jumped westwards across the international dateline - to align with trade partners. As the clock struck midnight (10:00 GMT Friday) as 29 December ended, Samoa and Tokelau fast-forwarded to 31 December, missing out on 30 December entirely. Samoa announced the decision in May in a bid to improve ties with major trade partners Australia and New Zealand. Neighbouring Tokelau decided to follow suit in October. The change comes 119 years after Samoa moved in the opposite direction. Then, it transferred to the same side of the international date line as the United States, in an effort to aid trade. But New Zealand and Australia have become increasingly valuable trade partners for the country. Samoan Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi said he expected to see immediate benefits from the change, particularly for the tourist industry, as Samoans would now have five working days of continuous contact with counterparts in New Zealand and Australia. Local time up to 29 December had been 23 hours behind Auckland - but now it is one hour ahead.

^ Well, I hope it works out for them. A few years ago Samoa changed from driving on the right to the left because of Australia and New Zealand and now they change their time for them as well. I wonder how it will affect "Survivor" since most of the more recent seasons were/are filmed on Samoa. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16351377

Christmas Lies

2011-12-30T15:37:00.002-05:00

From the Stars and Stripes:
"Not everyone came home from Iraq by Christmas"

Although she is a relatively new Army wife, 23-year-old Andrea Thane understands things can turn on a dime when it comes to military life. But a recent Army pivot has left Thane and other spouses and soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Brigade miffed at their command and the White House. When announcing the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq by year’s end, President Barack Obama on Oct. 21 said the remaining 40,000 troops in Iraq would “definitely be home for the holidays.” “Ironhorse” brigade leadership also announced on the unit’s official Facebook page that soldiers would be coming home early. “I hope you all left the light on for us,” the Oct. 1 Facebook announcement read, “as the Ironhorse Brigade will be coming home sooner than expected.” But 1st Brigade didn’t make it home for Christmas. A new posting emerged on the brigade’s Facebook page Nov. 9, notifying troops and families that the brigade would instead go to Kuwait, filling out the second half of its tour doing security cooperation, joint training and exercises. This abrupt change led some soldiers and families to cry foul against the White House and brigade command for misleading the unit’s community and causing family members to think their soldiers would be home early. Some also expressed anger over the brigade leadership’s choice to use an informal system like Facebook to disseminate such an important message.

^I knew (and wrote about it) that Obama was full of it when he came on TV and said that all US soldiers from Iraq would be home for Christmas. This is just one more lie that Obama and his team have fed us. Of course Obama always has excuses when the things he promises don't come true - rather than taken the blame like a real man. Even couldn't even get things done when the Democrats ruled both houses of Congress. I really hope this is his last term in office. We do not need more lies, czars and useless committees. ^

http://www.stripes.com/not-everyone-came-home-from-iraq-by-christmas-1.164809

My Travels: 2011

2011-12-29T16:48:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again. Here are the places I travelled to in 2011:

January:
- Massachusetts

February:
- Massachusetts

March:
- Iceland

April:
- Massachusetts, New York

May:
- Massachusetts

June:
- Massachusetts, Alaska

July:
- Alaska

August:
- Massachusetts

September:
- No where

October:
- Massachusetts

November:
- No where

December:
- Colorado

I hope that next year we can go to many more places.

UK's Quarantine Law

2011-12-29T16:27:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Britain eases quarantine rules for visiting pets"

For a famously animal-loving nation, pet owning visitors to Britain have had it remarkably tough. Ever since the 19th century, new arrivals have had to bid a teary farewell to their cat or dog for six months while it sat in quarantine to prove that it did not have rabies. But no longer. As of January 1, Britain will allow animals from the European Union and listed countries such as the United States and Australia to enter with just a rabies vaccination given 21 days beforehand. Pets coming in from unlisted countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa will also need to have been vaccinated and take a blood test, but the subsequent quarantine has been halved to three months. The new measures will bring Britain in line with other EU nations while at the same time ensuring the risk of rabies entering the country remains "extremely low", according to officials. Announcing the change in June, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "The UK?s quarantine system was designed to combat the threat of rabies in the 19th century and has now been left far behind by scientific advances.

^ The UK may have needed these quarantine laws up until the Chunnel was opened in the 1990s. Before that it made since for the island-nation to have strict rabies rules. Nowadays it is baseless for pets coming from Western countries to have to be quarantined I'm glad these archaic rules are be done away with for many nationalities. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/britain-eases-quarantine-rules-visiting-pets-162947750.html;_ylt=AkbyXyo74WOU5woyEPwM_gN0bBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTQ1YW5xcjhiBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIEV1cm9wZVNTRgRwa2cDMmEzNzZhODgtZDRmZS0zZDc0LTkxMTUtODIzMGEwZGMwYTBlBHBvcwMxMARzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgNhZDA4MjY3MC0zMjNhLTExZTEtYmVmZC02YzcwNjQ0YTI5ZWU-;_ylg=X3oDMTIwZ2J1NzRyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxldXJvcGUEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

New 2012 Laws

2011-12-29T16:21:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Abortion, immigration changes among new 2012 laws"

- Alabama, with the country's toughest immigration law, is enacting a key provision requiring all employers who do business with any government entity to use a federal system known as E-Verify to check that all new employees are in the country legally.

- Georgia is putting a similar law into effect requiring any business with 500 or more employees to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of new hires. The requirement is being phased in, with all employers with more than 10 employees to be included by July 2013.

- Tennessee will also require businesses to ensure employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S. but exempts employers with five or fewer workers and allows them to keep a copy of the new hire's driver's license instead of using E-Verify.

- South Carolina law would allow officials to yank the operating licenses of businesses that don't check new hires' legal status through E-verify. A federal judge last week blocked parts of the law that would have required police to check the immigration status of criminal suspects or people stopped for traffic violations they think might be in the country illegally, and that would have made it a crime for illegal immigrants to transport or house themselves.

- California is also addressing illegal immigration, but with a bill that allows students who entered the country illegally to receive private financial aid at public colleges.

- Colorado, coaches will be required to bench players as young as 11 when they're believed to have suffered a head injury. The young athletes will also need medical clearance to return to play.

- Florida will take control of lunch and other school food programs from the federal government, allowing the state to put more Florida-grown fresh fruit and vegetables on school menus. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says the change will help children eat healthier.

- California law will add gays and lesbians and people with disabilities to the list of social and ethnic groups whose contributions must be taught in history lessons in public schools. The law also bans teaching materials that reflect poorly on gays or particular religions.

- New Hampshire, a law requiring girls seeking abortions to tell their parents or a judge first was reinstated by conservative Republicans over a gubernatorial veto. The state enacted a similar law eight years ago, but it was never enforced following a series of lawsuits.

- Arkansas, facilities that perform 10 or more nonsurgical abortions a month must be licensed by the state Health Department and be subject to inspections by the department, the same requirements faced by facilities that offer surgical abortions in the state.

- Federal laws, a measure Congress passed last week to extend Social Security tax cuts and federal unemployment benefit programs raises insurance fees on new mortgages and refinancings backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration by 0.1 percent beginning Jan. 1. That covers about 90 percent of them and effectively makes a borrower's monthly payment on a new $200,000 mortgage or refinancing about $17 a month more than it would have been if obtained before the first of the year.

- Nevada's 3-month old ban on texting while driving will get tougher, with tickets replacing the warnings that police have issued since the ban took effect Oct. 1. In Pennsylvania, police are preparing to enforce that state's recently enacted ban on texting, scheduled to take effect by spring.

- Rhode Island and Tennessee will require voters to present photo ID, a measure that supporters say prevents fraud and that opponents say will make it harder for minorities and the elderly to cast ballots.

- Ohio, a measure that creates one primary in March, instead of two that would have cost the state an extra $15 million, goes into effect later in January.

- Ohio is also one of eight states with automatic increases in the minimum wage taking effect Jan. 1. The others, with increases between 28 and 37 cents, are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.A few laws try to address budget woes.

- Delaware, new state employees will have to contribute more to their pensions, while state workers hired after Jan. 1 in Nevada will have to pony up for their own health care costs in retirement.

http://news.yahoo.com/abortion-immigration-changes-among-2012-laws-174958515.html

Deaths 2011

2011-12-29T16:07:00.002-05:00

January:
2nd - Richard Winters, 92, American army officer and World War II veteran, basis of book and miniseries Band of Brothers, Parkinson's disease
3rd - Jill Haworth, 65, English actress (Exodus, In Harm's Way, Cabaret, The Outer Limits), natural causes.
4th - Ali-Reza Pahlavi, 44, Iranian royal, son of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, suicide by gunshot.
8th - Peter Donaldson, 58, Canadian actor (The Sweet Hereafter, Emily of New Moon, Road to Avonlea), lung cancer
9th - Vítor Alves, 75, Portuguese soldier and politician, member of the MFA, responsible for the Carnation Revolution, cancer
10th 0 Bill Bower, 93, American aviator, last surviving pilot of Doolittle Raid, complications from a fall.
10th - John Dye, 47, American actor (Touched by an Angel), heart attack
11th - Audrey Lawson-Johnston, 95, American-born British RMS Lusitania passenger and last survivor
11th - David Nelson, 74, American actor (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), colon cancer
13th - Tuviah Friedman, 88, Israeli Nazi hunter.
23rd - Jack LaLanne, 96, American fitness and nutritional expert, pneumonia

February
5th - John Paul Getty III, 54, American heir and kidnapping victim, grandson of J. Paul Getty and father of Balthazar Getty, after long illness
5th - Peggy Rea, 89, American character actress (Grace Under Fire, The Dukes of Hazzard, Step by Step, The Waltons), heart failure.
27th - Frank Buckles, 110, American supercentenarian soldier, last living U.S. World War I veteran, natural causes

March
11th - Hugh Martin, 96, American songwriter ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") and film composer (Meet Me in St. Louis), natural causes
16th - Lloyd Oliver, 88, American veteran, World War II code talker
18th- -Warren Christopher, 85, American diplomat, Secretary of State (1993–1997), complications from kidney and bladder cancer.
19th - Knut, 4, German-born polar bear, drowned
23rd - Dame Elizabeth Taylor, 79, British-American actress (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Cleopatra, BUtterfield 8), heart failure
26th - Geraldine Ferraro, 75, American politician, U.S. Representative from New York (1979–1985) and 1984 Vice Presidential nominee, multiple myeloma

April
3rd - Amy Applegren, 83, American baseball player (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League).
24th - Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, 87, South Vietnamese First Lady (1955–1963), after short illness.

May
1st - Moshe Landau, 99, Israeli jurist, Chief Justice (1980–1982), presided over Adolf Eichmann's trial (1961).
2nd - Osama bin Laden, 54, Saudi founder of Al-Qaeda, planned September 11 attacks, shot.
27th - Jeff Conaway, 60, American actor (Grease, Taxi, Babylon 5
June
6th - John R. Alison, 98, American airman, launched the Allied Reoccupation of Burma during World War II
6th- Eleanor Dapkus, 87, American baseball player (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League), breast cancer
7th - Mietek Pemper, 91, Polish-born German Holocaust survivor, compiled and typed Oskar Schindler's list
12th - Geoffrey Fisken, 95, New Zealand World War II flying ace.
12th - Alan Haberman, 81, American grocer, first to use the barcode system, heart and lung disease
18th - Yelena Bonner, 88, Russian human rights activist, after long illness
23rd - Peter Falk, 83, American actor (Columbo, Murder, Inc., Pocketful of Miracles, The Princess Bride)

July
4th - Otto von Habsburg, 98, Austro-Hungarian royal and politician, MEP (1979–1999).
4th - Lawrence R. Newman, 86, American advocate for the deaf
8th - Betty Ford, 93, American First Lady (1974–1977) and co-founder of Betty Ford Center.
12th - Bolesław Gładych, 93, Polish World War II flying ace
17th - Joe Morris, Sr., 85, American Navajo World War II code talker
23rd - John Shalikashvili, 75, Polish-born American army general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1993–1997), stroke.
23rd - Amy Winehouse, 27, British singer-songwriter ("Rehab"), accidental alcohol poisoning

August
1st - Zhanna Prokhorenko, 71, Russian film actress (Ballad of a Soldier).
3rd - Rudolf Brazda, 98, German concentration camp prisoner, last known survivor of pink triangle homosexual deportation
3rd - Annette Charles, 63, American actress (Grease), complications of lung cancer.
14th- Albert Brown, 105, American veteran, oldest survivor of Bataan Death March
30th - Lou Zaeske, 69, American founder of English-only movement, advocate for Czech ethnic causes.

September

5th - Charles S. Dubin, 92, American film and television director (Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, M*A*S*H), natural causes
6th - Archduke Felix of Austria, 95, Austrian royal, last surviving child of Charles I of Austria
10th - Cliff Robertson, 88, American actor (Charly, Spider-Man, PT 109), natural causes.
15th - Dorothy Harrell, 87, American baseball player (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
16th - Kara Kennedy, 51, American television producer, daughter of Ted Kennedy, heart attack.

October
7th - Paul Kent, 80, American actor (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Three's Company), multiple myeloma
10th - Alan Fudge, 67, American actor (7th Heaven, Matlock, Hawaii 5-O), lung and liver cancer
12th - Patricia Breslin, 80, American actress (The People's Choice, Peyton Place, The Twilight Zone), wife of Art Modell, pancreatitis
20th - Jerzy Bielecki, 90, Polish social worker, survivor of Auschwitz concentration camp, Polish Righteous among the Nations recipient
20th - Muammar Gaddafi, 69, Libyan leader (1969–2011), shot
22nd - Sultan, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, 83, Saudi royal, Minister of Defense and Aviation (since 1962) and Crown Prince (since 2005).
28th - Ed Walker, 94, American World War II veteran and writer, last surviving member of Castner's Cutthroats.

November
4th - Andy Rooney, 92, American journalist, 60 Minutes correspondent (1978–2011), surgical complications
8th - Bil Keane, 89, American cartoonist (The Family Circus), heart failure
15th - Karl Slover, 93, Slovak-born American actor (The Wizard of Oz).
17th - Enric Garriga i Trullols, 85, Spanish Catalan independentist and defender of Occitan Nation.
22nd - Svetlana Alliluyeva, 85, Soviet-born American defector and author, daughter of Joseph Stalin, colon cancer
22nd - Danielle Mitterrand, 87, French activist, widow of François Mitterrand, First Lady of the French Republic (1981–1995).
30th - Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, 72, Albanian royal and politician, pretender to the Albanian throne (since 1961).

December
6th - Dobie Gray, 71, American singer ("The 'In' Crowd", "Drift Away").
7th - Harry Morgan, 96, American actor (M*A*S*H, Dragnet), pneumonia
8th - Nancy Hoyt, 56, American reality show contestant (The Amazing Race), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
17th - Kim Jong-il, 69 or 70, North Korean Supreme Leader (since 1994), heart attack.
18th - Václav Havel, 75, Czech playwright and politician, President of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992) and the Czech Republic (1993–2003).

Southwest And A Dying Boy

2011-12-28T22:44:00.003-05:00

From the Union Leader:
"Flight home a nightmare for parents of dying boy"

Nicholas Dainiak of Bedford was just trying to come home from what his parents said may have been the last trip the dying 8-year-old would ever take to Disney World in Orlando. The trip down to Florida on a Southwest Airlines flight last week, in which Nicholas, who is suffering from Batten disease, sat in a protective travel chair, had been no problem. But coming back on Thursday, the Dainiak family was told by Southwest staff that the boy would either have to forgo the protective seat or get off the plane because the chair was not compliant with Federal Aviation Administration rules. “It was a little shocking,” said the boy's father, Chris. “We flew down with this exact chair six days before.” They were trying to fly two days before Christmas, which is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Chris and his wife, Heather, had to make a quick decision — do they get off the plane and risk not being able to find a flight home or do they spend the three-hour flight with the two of them propping Nicholas in place in a standard seat? Given that this might be Nicholas's last Christmas alive, Chris said, they stayed on the plane to get him home in time for the holiday. “There was a high likelihood we'd be stuck in an airport with a very sick child for a very long time,” he said. “We knew that the chances of us getting off that plane and getting home in time for Christmas were pretty poor.” Nicholas got home safe, but in photos the family shared with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Heather is seen crying because she was so upset. “We felt frustrated,” Chris said. “You feel helpless because you can't protect your child the way he needs to be protected.” “We are working directly with the family after sincerely apologizing and issuing a full refund for their less-than-positive travel experience,” Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said Sunday night. “We certainly will take away any potential learnings from this experience in our constant evaluation of how to provide the best possible customer service, which is second only to the safety of every passenger.” Chris said he was particularly frustrated on the flight from Orlando because he was told that the decision to provide the family with the ultimatum about the chair was made not by the pilot or an employee on the plane, but by a customer service manager directing staff over the phone. “I know they were trying to follow the rules, but there was such confusion on their part,” he said. “It was somebody on the phone. I'm confused as to how the decision was made. “They put Nicholas in more danger than he had to be,” he said. “I really didn't want to cause any issues. We just wanted to come home.”

^ Southwest and everyone involved with this disgusting case (except for the family of course) should be severely reprimanded and forced to undergo extensive training on how to treat passengers as people - especially those with disabilities. There was no reason for the airline or its employees to treat the family in such a disrespectful and discriminating way. Right now I would be ashamed if I worked for Southwest - even if I wasn't involved in this directly. Southwest likes to portray themselves as a great airline that has the most volume of passengers and the lowest prices. I guess sometimes the cheaper tickets and quick turn-around is no substitute to poor customer service. Several years ago I had a complaint with Southwest and tried to complain at the airport only to be told there was no one available and so I complained to them by letter only to get condescending responses back. They are a pretty arrogant airline and I don't see why. They have had numerous incidents in the past few years that show their airline in a very bad light. Just by saying you are sorry doesn't fix everything. We give too much power to many people in the airlines and at the airports that do not deserve the authority and most abuse what little power they have. That seems to be the case here. Some stupid Southwest employee made the decision to discriminate against a dying boy and make his flight home with his family a terrible experience - BY PHONE! I really hope that this story stains Southwest's reputation for a while and that people start demanding that Southwest and other airlines treat passengers as people and not as cattle and learn how to deal with the disabled. ^

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111226/NEWS07/712269963

December 25, 1991

2011-12-28T10:09:00.002-05:00

I just finished this book - called "December 25, 1991: The Last Day of the Soviet Union" - (in one sitting) and really liked it. I got it for Christmas and thought I would start reading it because this is the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the USSR. I didn’t expect much from a book like this.
The book is about the last day the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics existed (hence the title.) It is divided in the different parts of the day for Gorbachev and Yeltsin. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Михаил Сергеевич Горбачёв) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991 and the first/last Soviet President from 1990-1991. Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (Борис Николаевич Ельцин) was the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) from 1990-1991 and the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. They were completely different men that worked to bring the collapse of the Soviet Union – whether they wanted to or not. Gorbachev worked to keep the USSR together but with liberal socialism while Yeltsin worked to give more power and autonomy to the RSFSR.
The book shows how one of the world’s two superpowers ended without much fan-fare. The 74 years of Soviet Communist experiment was dead. The once mighty and feared Union of Soviet Socialist Republics collapsed from within.
I have studied a great deal on the USSR and thought I knew everything major about the former country, but this book taught me even more. One thing I learned was that Gorbachev expected to resign as the first/last Soviet President on December 25, 1991 but that the Soviet Union wouldn’t officially dissolve until December 31, 1991. In fact, shortly after Gorbachev resigned Yeltsin had the Soviet Hammer and Sickle Flag lowered from the Kremlin and replaced with the Russian Tri-Color. You would think that a world superpower, the largest country in the world with an empire that stretched from Europe to Asia, which dominated world politics for almost 50 years and helped bring the world to the brink of nuclear disaster would have ended in a more dynamic way. In the end, after decades of immense military spending, the country was bankrupt. By the 1980s the ordinary Soviet citizen was forced to stand many hours each day in lines looking for food and basic supplies. There was rationing of most food products and consumer goods – when anything was available. In short, the everyday survival for the Soviet citizen was more important than what country they currently lived in or what its name was.
I can’t imagine what it must have felt like for a Soviet citizen in their 30s in 1991 to go from living in a superpower, Communist dictatorship to there being 16 independent countries and capitalism overnight. For over 70 years Soviets could move around the USSR (although there were controls) and in one night you could find yourself in a foreign, independent country. Ethnic Russians who enjoyed the most benefits within the Soviet Union were now second-class citizens in many of the former Soviet Republics (some countries don’t even consider them citizens at all even 20 years later.) While ethnic Russians had a difficult time even within the new Russian Federation it was all the other former Soviet people (ie the ethnic Ukrainians, Georgians, etc) who literally lost everything and had to start from scratch. The Russian Federation gained control of all the major former Soviet institutions (ie embassies, etc) and simply renamed them Russian instead of Soviet while the other 15 former Soviet Republics had to finance their own from the ground-up.
This book gives a very good, detailed account of what happened on the last day of the Soviet Union. While many people at the time probably didn’t notice or care about what happened – especially those in the former USSR – it is important to know what happened 20 years ago and see where the world has come since.

Christmas

2011-12-25T18:24:00.004-05:00

We just finished our Christmas dinner and I have to say this year was pretty good. We had an "early" Christmas in Colorado with my sister, brother and his family. It was nice that my whole family could be together and celebrate even if it was before December 25th.
Christmas Eve we had our traditional dinner of: pepperoni bread, meat pie, holly leaves, cheese and crackers and cookies. We also had a fire and opened presents. This year I got: 32 DVDs, 29 books, money, a historical newspaper, candy and several other things. I was lucky to be able to give my family and friends presents that I really think they all liked.
We also had a white Christmas. It snowed two days ago and then we got a little more today. It was nice just to be able to look outside and see everything white without having to worry about shovelling or driving anyplace.
Today I continued watching Christmas movies on TV and listening to Christmas music and then helped make dinner. We had our traditional meal of: roast beef (prime, prime rib), Yorkshire pudding,horseradish soup, mashed potatoes, spinach ans artichokes, brussel sprouts, rolls and pumpkin cheesecake.
I am so glad that things turned out so well this year. It was a really great Christmas.

Queen's Christmas Speech

2011-12-25T11:30:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"In full: Queen's Christmas Speech"

Here is the text in full of the Queen's 2011 Christmas message, which was recorded on 9 December - before her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was treated in hospital for a blocked coronary artery.

"In this past year my family and I have been inspired by the courage and hope we have seen in so many ways in Britain, in the Commonwealth and around the world. We've seen that it's in hardship that we often find strength from our families; it's in adversity that new friendships are sometimes formed; and it's in a crisis that communities break down barriers and bind together to help one another. Families, friends and communities often find a source of courage rising up from within. Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit. When Prince Philip and I visited Australia this year, we saw for ourselves the effects of natural disaster in some of the areas devastated by floods, where in January so many people lost their lives and their livelihoods. We were moved by the way families and local communities held together to support each other.Prince William travelled to New Zealand and Australia in the aftermath of earthquakes, cyclones and floods and saw how communities rose up to rescue the injured, comfort the bereaved and rebuild the cities and towns devastated by nature. The Prince of Wales also saw first-hand the remarkable resilience of the human spirit after tragedy struck in a Welsh mining community, and how communities can work together to support their neighbours. This past year has also seen some memorable and historic visits - to Ireland and from America. The spirit of friendship so evident in both these nations can fill us all with hope. Relationships that years ago were once so strained have through sorrow and forgiveness blossomed into long-term friendship.It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow. Of course, family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organisation or nation. The Commonwealth is a family of 53 nations, all with a common bond, shared beliefs, mutual values and goals. It is this which makes the Commonwealth a family of people in the truest sense, at ease with each other, enjoying its shared history and ready and willing to support its members in the direst of circumstances. They have always looked to the future, with a sense of camaraderie, warmth and mutual respect while still maintaining their individualism. The importance of family has, of course, come home to Prince Philip and me personally this year with the marriages of two of our grandchildren, each in their own way a celebration of the God-given love that binds a family together. For many, this Christmas will not be easy. With our armed forces deployed around the world, thousands of service families face Christmas without their loved ones at home. The bereaved and the lonely will find it especially hard. And, as we all know, the world is going through difficult times. All this will affect our celebration of this great Christian festival. Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in their voices: 'Fear not', they urged, 'we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 'For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.' Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves - from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person - neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive. Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God's love. In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, there's a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us we pray.

Cast out our sin

And enter in.

Be born in us today.

It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas."

^ Queen Elizabeth (Queen of Canada, the UK and other parts of the Commonweath) gave a good speech this year. Most years I just skimmed what she said, but this year I tried to really pay attention. She gave a good summary of what happened during the year and a good message of hope for the future. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16328899

USSR: 20 Years Later

2011-12-25T11:12:00.002-05:00

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Союз Советских Социалистических Республик) officially dissolved 20 years ago today. I was too young at the time to notice what was happening, but from what I have since learned it seems that no one (Soviet or Western) thought that the USSR would collapse. Now, 20 years later, Russia is rocked with protesters again calling on Putin to resign as Prime Minister and urging for free elections and real democracy. It seems not everyone - especially the young - are willing to let the status quo continue. While the old want the return of the Soviet Union and Communism the young are now starting to speak for real reform that has never come to Russia.
Since the break-up of the Soviet Union many things have changed. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are now all part of the European Union, the Schengen Area and NATO with Estonia also part of the Eurozone. There have been wars in: Tajikistan, Georgia, Russia, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan . There have been revolutions in: Kyyrgyzstan, the Ukraine and Georgia. The same people who ruled the former Soviet Republics in the dying days of the USSR are still in power which is one reason the people in the former Soviet Union are starting to call for real change in their countries.
I am surprised by what 20 years has not brought to most of the former Soviet Republics. You would think that if people wanted real change than it could be done in 2 decades or at least lay the foundations for real change. I have been to Russia and the Ukraine and from what I personally saw things on the surface seem to have changed very little. I hope that it doesn't take another 20 years to bring the countries of the former USSR into true democracies.

Christmas Greeting

2011-12-24T17:25:00.002-05:00

The traditional English greeting of "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" as it appears in other languages:

Albanian: Gëzuar Krishtlindjet dhe Vitin e Ri
Basque: Gabon Zoriontsuak eta urte berri on
Bulgarian: Весела Коледа и Честита Нова Година
Catalan: Bon Nadal i Feliç Any Nou
Chinese Simplified :圣誔快乐，新年进步
Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong & Taiwan): 聖誔快樂，新年進步
Croatian: Čestit Božić i sretna Nova Godina
Czech: Veselé vánoce a šťastný nový rok
Danish: Glædelig jul og godt nytår!
Dutch: Prettige kerstdagen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar
Estonian: Häid jõule ja Head uut aastat
Filipino: Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon
Finnish: Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta
French: Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
Galician: Bo Nadal e Feliz Aninovo
Georgian: გილოცავთ შობა-ახალ წელს
German: Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches/gutes Neues Jahr
Greek: Καλά Χριστούγεννα και ευτυχισμένος ο Καινούριος Χρόνος
Hungarian: Kellemes Karácsonyi Ünnepeket és Boldog Új Évet
Icelandic: Gleðileg jól og farsælt nýtt ár
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru
Irish: Nollaig Shona Duit
Italian: Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
Latvian: Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus un laimīgu Jauno gadu
Lithuanian: Linksmų šventų Kalėdų ir laimingų Naujųjų metų
Macedonian: Среќна Нова Година и честит Божиќ
Malay: Selamat Hari Krismas dan Tahun Baru
Maltese: Il-Milied Hieni u s-Sena t-Tajba
Mongolian: Зул сар болон Шинэ жилийн баярын мэнд хүргье
Norwegian: God jul og godt nyttår
Persian: کریسمس و سال نو مبارک
Polish: Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese: Feliz Natal e um Feliz Ano Novo
Romanian: Crăciun Fericit și La mulți ani
Russian: С Новым Годом и Рождеством
Slovak: Veselé Vianoce a Štastný Nový rok
Spanish: Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo
Swedish: God Jul och Gott Nytt År
Vietnamese: Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh
Ukrainian: Веселих свят! З Новим роком і Різдвом!
Urdu:آپکو بڑا دن اور نیا سال مبارک ہو

NORAD Tracks Santa

2011-12-23T23:47:00.001-05:00

The program began on December 24, 1955 when a Sears department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper which told children that they could telephone Santa Claus and included a number for them to call. However, the telephone number printed was incorrect and calls instead came through to Colorado Springs' Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. Colonel Shoup, who was on duty that night, told his staff to give all children that called in a "current location" for Santa Claus. A tradition began which continued when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) replaced CONAD in 1958]‹The template Better source is being considered for deletion.› NORAD relies on volunteers to make the program possible. Each volunteer handles about forty telephone calls per hour, and the team typically handles more than 12,000 e-mails and more than 70,000 telephone calls from more than two hundred countries and territories. Most of these contacts happen during the twenty-five hours from 2 a.m. on December 24 until 3 a.m. MST on December 25. Google Analytics has been in use since December 2007 to analyze traffic at the NORAD Tracks Santa website. As a result of this analysis information, the program can project and scale volunteer staffing, telephone equipment, and computer equipment needs for Christmas Eve. By December 25, 2009, the NORAD Tracks Santa program had 27,440 Twitter followers and the Facebook page had more than 410,700 fans.

^ I watch their website every year! ^

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORAD_Tracks_Santa

Christmas Giftgivers

2011-12-23T23:07:00.007-05:00

Christmas/New Year's Giftgivers Around the world:

Austria: Christkind = Christ child

Belgium: Père Noël (French) or Kerstman (Dutch) = Father Christmas on December 25th and Sinterklaas (Dutch) or Saint Nicholas (French) on December 6th

Bulgaria: Дядо Коледа (Dyado Koleda, "Grandfather Christmas"), with the Russian-borrowed version of Дед Мороз (Djed Moroz, "Grandfather Frost") being somewhat more widespread in Socialist times from the end of World War II until 1989 and still in favour nowadays.

Canada: Santa Claus (English)or Le Père Noël = Father Christmas(French)

Croatia: Djed Božićnjak ("Grandfather Christmas"), or Djed Mraz (Grandfather Frost) on December 25th and Sveti Nikola ("Saint Nichlaus")on December the 6th

Czech Republic: Ježíšek (diminutive form of Ježíš ("Jesus")

Denmark: Julemanden, ("The Christmas Man")

Estonia: Jõuluvana ("Old man of Christmas")

Finland: Joulupukki ("Yule Goat")

France: Le Père Noël ("Father Christmas")

Germany: Weihnachtsmann ("Christmas Man") or Christkind ("Christ Child") (in southern Germany) bring the gifts on Christmas Eve; Nikolaus is celebrated on December 6th.

Greece: Άγιος Βασίλης ("Saint Basil")

Hungary: In Hungary the Angels are bringing the Christmas gifts, or the child Jesus ("Jézuska or Kis Jézus "); note that Mikulás ("Nicholas") on December 6th

Iceland: Jólasveinar. In Icelandic folktales, there are 13 Santa Clauses.

Ireland: Daidí na Nollag ("Father Christmas")

Italy: Babbo Natale ("Father Christmas"), sometimes substituted by Gesù bambino ("Baby Jesus"), On the Epiphany, Jan 6th, La Befana, a very old lady who rides a broomstick brings candies and sweeties to children, and she puts them into the socks the children have prepared for her (and traditionally hung near the fireplace). In Trieste, because of Slovenian and Croatian influences, Saint Nicholas is also celebrated on the 6th December.

Latvia: Ziemassvētku vecītis

Liechtenstein: Christkind (Christ Child)

Lithuania: Kalėdų Senelis

Luxembourg: Klaussenhofer

Macedonia: Dedo Mraz (Father Frost)

Netherlands: Kerstman ("Christmas Man"), is recently celebrated by some people on Christmas Day; Sinterklaas is celebrated on December 5th.

Norway: Julenissen, a small, elderly man. a Christmas dwarf

Poland: Święty Mikołaj / Mikołaj ("Saint Nicholas")

Portugal: Pai Natal ("Father Christmas")

Romania: Moş Crăciun ("Old Man Christmas")

Russia: Дед Мороз (Ded Moroz, "Grandfather Frost").

Scotland: Bodach na Nollaig (Old Man of Christmas)

Serbia: Deda Mraz (Деда Мраз - Grandfather Frost) - renamed from Božić Bata (Божић Бата - Christmas Brother) during the communist times after World War II and moved from Christmas to New Year to prevent any religious connections

Slovakia: Ježiško (Refers to newborn(baby) Jesus); note that Mikuláš ("Nicholas" as Santa Claus) has a separate feast day earlier (6th of Dec), puts candy in kids' boots (which are to be polished and put in the window), but Mikuláš is never involved in Christmas

Slovenia: Bozicek

Spain: Papá Noel (Father Noel); the Tió de Nadal in Catalonia; Olentzero in the Basque Country. A more common and traditional Christmas present-giving figure in Spain are "Los Reyes Magos" ("The Three Kings"; "Magi").

Sweden: Jultomten ("The Yule/Christmas Gnome")

Switzerland: Christkind (Christ Child)

Turkey: Noel Baba ("Father Noel") Also, Noel Baba is widely thought to bring new year presents in Turkey due to the country's predominant Muslim population. Christmas is celebrated among the Christian communities.

Turkmenistan: Aýaz baba

United Kingdom: Father Christmas also known as Santa Claus though they were originally two quite different people, and Father Christmas did not originally bring gifts

United States: Santa Claus; Kris Kringle; Saint Nicholas or Saint Nick

Wales: Siôn Corn

Argentina: Papá Noel (Father Christmas), El Niño Dios (God Child)

Brazil: Papai Noel (Father Christmas)

Chile: "Viejito Pascuero" (Old man Christmas)

Colombia: El Niño Dios ("God child"), Papa Noel (Father Christmas)

Costa Rica: San Nicolás or Santa Clos (Santa Claus)

Dominican Republic: Santa Clos (Santa Claus)/Papá Noe (Father Christmas), The Three Kings (Los Tres Reyes Magos) on the Epiphany (January 6th) and not on Christmas.

Ecuador: El Niño Dios ("God child"), Papá Noel (Father Christmas)

Mexico: Santa Claus ("Santa Clos"); El Niño Dios ("God child,"Los Tres Reyes Magos (The Three Kings)

Peru: Papá Noel (Father Christmas)

Puerto Rico: Jesús (Christmas, Los Tres Reyes Magos (The Three Kings Day), Santa Clos (Santa Claus).

Venezuela: Niño Jesús ("child jesus"); San Nicolás ("Santa").

China: 圣诞老人

Hong Kong: 聖誕老人 ('The Old Man of Christmas')

Indonesia: Santa Claus or Sinterklas

Japan: サンタクロース (Santa Kuroosu, or Santa-san)

Korea: 산타 클로스 (Santa Harabeoji, or "Grandfather Santa")

Philippines: Santa Claus, the Los Tres Reyes Magos (The Three Kings)

Taiwan: 聖誕老人 or 聖誕老公公 ('The Old Man of Christmas')

Thailand: ซานตาคลอส (Santa Claus)

Vietnam: Ông Già Nô-en ('The Old Man of Christmas')

India: ಸಾ೦ಟಾ ಕ್ಲಾಸ್

Tatarstan: Qış Babay/Кыш Бабай (Winter Grandfather)

Uzbekistan: Ayoz Bobo (Frost Grandpa), Qor Bobo (Snow Grandfather)

Egypt: Baba Noel (Grandfather Christmas)

Afghanistan: Baba Noel (Grandfather Christmas)

Iran: Baba Noel (Grandfather Christmas)

Israel: סנטה קלאוס (Santa Claus)

South Africa: Sinterklaas; Father Christmas; Santa Claus

Australia: Santa Claus, Father Christmas and Saint Nick.

New Zealand: Santa Claus, Father Christmas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_gift-bringers_around_the_world

TSA's Disabled Helpline

2011-12-23T19:36:00.002-05:00

From TSA:
"TSA Announces Launch of TSA Cares Toll Free Helpline for Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Needs"

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the launch of TSA Cares today, a new helpline number designed to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions, prior to getting to the airport. Travelers may call TSA Cares toll free at 1-855-787-2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. “TSA Cares provides passengers with disabilities and medical needs another resource to use before they fly, so they know what to expect when going through the screening process,” said TSA Administrator John Pistole. “This additional level of personal communication helps ensure that even those who do not travel often are aware of our screening policies before they arrive at the airport.” When a passenger with a disability or medical condition calls TSA Cares, a representative will provide assistance, either with information about screening that is relevant to the passenger’s specific disability or medical condition, or the passenger may be referred to disability experts at TSA. TSA recommends that passengers call approximately 72 hours ahead of travel so that TSA Cares has the opportunity to coordinate checkpoint support with a TSA Customer Service Manager located at the airport when necessary.

^ Not sure how effective this helpline will be. I always read the updates on the TSA's website especially right before I travel and have found that what the TSA says online and how they act in person usually doesn't go together. The TSA needs to train and constantly re-train its people so they stay fresh and be able to treat passengers as people and still get their job done. I have seen only a few who could do both. ^

http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2011/1222.shtm

Demjanjuk Not American

2011-12-23T19:02:00.002-05:00

From USA Today:
"U.S. judge denies citizenship bid by Nazi guard Demjanjuk"

Nazi concentration camp guard John Demjanjuk has lost his bid to regain his U.S. citizenship, the Associated Press reports. The 91-year-old retired autoworker from suburban Cleveland was convicted of war crimes by a German court and sentenced to five years in prison. He is free pending appeal. Demjanjuk, who was born in Ukraine and served as a guard at the Sobibor death camp in occupied Poland, argued his citizenship should be reinstated because "a newly discovered document suggested that an incriminating document against him was a Soviet fraud," AP writes. He was stripped of his U.S. citizenship and deported in May 2009 to stand trial.

^ I am so glad that the US has decided to keep its decision to revoke his American citizenship. He is a war criminal and lied on his application. I hope he spends the rest of what little time he has left in a prison hospital (instead of the German nursing home he currently is in.) He helped kill: men, women, children and didn't discriminate between babies or the elderly and should not be shown any favors. ^

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/12/us-judge-denies-citizenship-bid-by-nazi-guard-demjanjuk/1

Tired Pilots Law

2011-12-23T18:56:00.002-05:00

From USA Today:
"FAA rules: Airline pilots must fly shorter shifts, rest more"

Airline pilots would fly shorter shifts and get longer rest periods under new rules the Federal Aviation Administration finalized Wednesday in a landmark effort to reduce potentially dangerous fatigue. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a new "pilot fatigue" rule Wednesday that will determine how much time off pilots have between work periods. The FAA developed the most sweeping changes in pilot rules in 50 years after a Colgan Air crash near Buffalo in February 2009 killed 50 people. "This new rule raises the safety bar to prevent fatigue," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. Existing rules dating to the 1960s were riddled with loopholes. Between overnight shifts of up to 16 hours, the eight hours of rest could include eating, showering and getting to a hotel. Carriers could extend the workday if a pilot was flying an empty plane.
Under the new rules:

•Flight-duty times would range from nine to 14 hours. For the first time, rather than just counting flight time and rest time, flight-duty time would count the time spent flying to the job, which is sometimes called dead-heading, as if the pilot were working.

•Flight-time limits will be eight or nine hours, depending on the time of day and number of flights flown.

•Minimum rest periods will be 10 hours between shifts. The pilot must have an opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep during that rest period.

• Pilots must have 30 consecutive hours of rest each week, a 25% increase over current standards.

Airlines have two years to meet the standards. The FAA estimated the changes would cost airlines nearly $300 million over 10 years. But Airlines for America, an airlines trade group, estimated it could cost $2 billion more each year. The FAA decided not to apply the rules to cargo pilots because of the costs to that industry, FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta said.

^ These changes do not seem to go far enough and airlines should not be allowed to wait 2 years to implement them. Who knows how many innocent passenger lives will still be in danger during those 2 years? The new rules should deal with commercial as well as cargo pilots and their work hours should include the time it takes to get to their job. If pilots and flight crews are given absolute authority in the air then they should be forced to sleep and relax while on the ground. ^

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011-12-21/FAA-rules-Airline-pilots-must-fly-shorter-shifts-rest-more/52139264/1

Child Kept In School's Bag

2011-12-23T18:51:00.004-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"School accused of putting autistic student in bag"

A 9-year-old autistic boy who misbehaved at school was stuffed into a duffel bag and the drawstring pulled tight, according to his mother, who said she found him wiggling inside as a teacher's aide stood by. The mother of fourth-grader Christopher Baker said her son called out to her when she walked up to him in the bag Dec. 14. The case has spurred an online petition calling for the firing of school employees responsible. "He was treated like trash and thrown in the hallway," Chris' mother, Sandra Baker, said Thursday. She did not know how exactly how long he had been in the bag, but probably not more than 20 minutes. Mercer County schools Interim Superintendent Dennis Davis said confidentiality laws forbid him from commenting. State education officials said they were investigating. Chris is a student at Mercer County Intermediate School in Harrodsburg in central Kentucky. The day had barely begun when his family was called to the school because Chris was acting up. He is enrolled in a program for students with special needs. Walking toward his classroom, Baker's mother saw the gym bag. There was a small hole at the top, she said, and she heard a familiar voice. "Momma, is that you?" Chris said, according to his mother. A teacher's aide was there, and Baker demanded that her son be released. At first, the aide struggled to undo the drawstring, but the boy was pulled out of the bag, which had some small balls inside and resembled a green Army duffel bag, Baker said. "When I got him out of the bag, his poor little eyes were as big as half dollars and he was sweating," Baker said. "I tried to talk to him and get his side of the reason they put him in there, and he said it was because he wouldn't do his work." Baker said when school officials called the family to pick him up, they were told he was "jumping off the walls." Days later, at a meeting with school officials, Baker said she was told the boy had smirked at the teacher when he was told to put down a basketball, then threw it across the room. At a meeting with school district officials, the bag was described as a "therapy bag," Baker said, though she wasn't clear exactly what that meant. She said her son would sometimes be asked to roll over a bag filled with balls as a form of therapy, but she didn't know her son was being placed in the bag. She said school officials told her it was not the first time they had put him in the bag. So far, almost 700 people have signed a petition on the website change.org. Lydia Brown, an autistic 18-year-old Georgetown University freshman from Boston, said she started it after reading a story about Chris. "That would not be wrong just for an autistic student. That would be wrong to do to anyone," Brown said.

^ This is just plain disgusting and everyone involved in doing this at that school should be fired and prevented from being around children forever. It doesn't matter that he is disabled - it should NEVER be allowed. That fact that he is disabled makes this case even more sick. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/school-accused-putting-autistic-student-bag-182229844.html

Flight Home

2011-12-21T13:14:00.001-05:00

The day (yesterday) that we were leaving it snowed – only about 3 inches. We said our good-byes and after having lunch drove the Denver to catch our flight. My sister drove us and came into the airport. There were a lot of people in line, but it moved pretty fast. We had to wait for a female TSA to come and screen my mom – even the male TSA people around us were getting fed-up with waiting so long. We took the train to our terminal.
We pre-boarded (the guy at the gate was not helpful or nice at all.) The head flight attendant and the one doing our section was very nice though. This time we had no delay and it wasn’t bumpy. We arrived in Manchester just after 11 pm and got our bags, took the shuttle to the Economy Lot, got our car, drove an hour to a McDonald’s that I knew was open 24 hours, had dinner there and then drove home – we got in around 2 am.
I am glad we went on the trip, but also glad that we are back. I have a long list of things to do in the next few days. The fact that we got a lot of ice last night and we can’t go anywhere today should help with that list. Hopefully we get everything done before the big Nor’easter they saw we are going to get comes.

My Family

2011-12-21T12:44:00.001-05:00

The purpose of the trip to Colorado Springs was to see my sister, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. I haven’t seen my sister since we went to Iceland last March, my brother since we were last in CO in January 2010, my sister-in-law since Thanksgiving 2010 and my niece and nephew since August 2010. It has been a lot longer for my dad since he was in Iraq.
Seeing everyone was good, but there were numerous issues and conflicts throughout the trip. I have to admit that I was partly to blame for some of them. I guess the hectic past month along with Christmas coming and the trip really got to me and made me more susceptible to a short-fuse. Of course, that doesn’t mean others weren’t at fault too.
While in CO, we ate at many great places – Red Robin, IHOP, Arbys Edleweiss German Restaurant, a Mexican place, etc. Since we chose places we don’t have here in NH it was a nice change. My parents had a date night where they went to the Melting Pot and my sister and me went to a Chicago Pizza Restaurant and Bar and then met up with a friend from when we lived in Germany (I hadn’t seen her in 15 years) and went to another bar.
That Saturday the women baked breads and cookies while the men (except me) went shooting. I hung out and colored with a 3 year old girl that my sister-in-law babysits for – she so well-behaved and fun.
We also had a whole family portrait done. We hit a snag when the first woman who was supposed to do it - something who takes the pictures for my brother’s unit – turned out to be stupid (she said she didn’t realize we were taking the pictures inside and didn’t have the equipment. Who takes family pictures outside in Colorado in December when it is below freezing?) My parents and sister found another person to take the pictures and the husband and wife team turned out to be very nice and too nice pictures. We are just waiting on the CD so we can make copies.
After our pictures were taken we had Sunday Brunch at a local resort. The food was really good. The only issue there was the waiter couldn’t get my drink order (Sierra Mist) right after two tries. We managed to have a good time together despite that minor issue.
One last thing we did as a family was open Christmas presents. The kids were too busy ripping through to see what they got to even notice if they were opening their gifts or not.
All in all it was nice to see my family and to have everyone together for the first time in years.

Colorado Springs

2011-12-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

This was my second time in Colorado Springs – both times in winter. I have to say that I don’t really care for the city. It is too spread out – you have to take the highway to get from one side to the other. Also the houses are very small and have no land. I saw more homeless in the city than I did in Manhattan – something you wouldn’t think. The people are also very strange. One minute they are very friendly even to strangers and say “Hello” to you and the next they act as though they march to their own “special” drum. It is very hard to tell how they will act from one minute to the next. Maybe it has something to do with the high altitude that messes with their brains.
I have lived and been to many military towns around the world and Colorado Springs doesn’t have the same feel as all the others – even though they have numerous bases including NORAD – I did keep an eye out to see if I see the Stargate, but I didn’t.
There are many Russians and Russian-speakers in the Springs (as locals call it.) Maybe it is because they are all spies for NORAD or maybe because it is a big training place for the Olympics.
One good thing about the city is that unlike here in NH most places were open 24 hours (here only gas stations and a few fast food places are.)
Despite the 24 hour stores and the mountains surrounding the city I don’t think I would ever want to live in Colorado Springs.

Going To Colorado

2011-12-21T12:25:00.001-05:00

On December 14th my parents and I left the house at 4 am. It was very dark and was snowing. We had breakfast at McDonald’s and then headed to the airport. We parked in the Economy Lot – our first time using it – and were picked up right by our car by the shuttle. We had no issues checking-in (I had already checked us in online, but had to d the bags and the chair. Then we went through security.
I usually don’t have any problems with the TSA at Manchester and didn’t this time except that they had 3 lanes opened and all had to go through 1 full-body scanner so we had to wait a long time. It would have been faster if they had only 1 or 2 lanes opened. There was one TSA guy who kept saying that he was sorry for the wait (to my mom and myself.)
We pre-boarded (which was good since we were flying with my dad – usually it is just my mom and me) and got seats close to the door. We had to wait at the gate with the door closed for an hour while they were fixing some bags – or so they said.
The flight was very bumpy the majority of the time. During the 4 ½ hour flight there was only 22 minutes that everyone (including the flight attendants) were allowed up. It was such a relief when we finally landed in Denver.
We got the chair quickly and then had to wait because one of the foot-rests was missing. We then took the train to the terminal and got our bags and met –up with my sister and sister-in-law and drove to Colorado Springs.

On The Go To CO!

2011-12-13T15:23:00.001-05:00

I am going with my family to Colorado to visit my brother and sister. I will update this when I get back.

New Canadians Unveiled

2011-12-13T15:17:00.002-05:00

From the Globe and Mail:
"Muslim women must show faces when taking citizenship oath"

A requirement for new Canadians to show their faces while taking the oath of citizenship puts the federal government on one side of a simmering debate over how far the state should go to accommodate minorities. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Monday that Muslim women who wear burkas or niqabs must remove the garments when they are becoming citizens. The decision comes as the Supreme Court of Canada considers whether a woman should be allowed to testify in court with her face covered. And Quebec is debating a bill to ban face coverings for people receiving some government services, and those providing them. Two federal Conservative attempts to ban veiled voting have stalled before becoming law in recent years. Speaking to reporters in Montreal, Mr. Kenney said showing one’s face while taking the oath is a matter of “deep principle” that strikes at Canadian values of openness and equality.

^ This is a step in the right direction for Canada. Hopefully, this will be expanded to include making it illegal to wear the veil in all public places. I have said it before, while many Western countries are starting to ban the veil in public there are several Muslim/Arab countries that do the same. It is not a question of religious discrimination, but of public safety and security. I would like to see the US make the same laws. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/no-veils-allowed-during-citizenship-oaths-kenney-says/article2267972/

Presidential Coins

2011-12-13T15:14:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Presidential dollar coins victims of budget crunch"

Sorry, President Chester Arthur. Nobody wants you. Searching for savings in a tough economy, the White House said on Tuesday that the U.S. Mint would scrap automatic production of millions of dollar coins bearing the image of deceased American presidents at a saving of $50 million a year. "As will shock you all, calls for Chester A. Arthur coins are not big," said Vice President Joe Biden, referring to the country's 21st president, who died in 1886. "I'm not commenting on his presidency, but it just is not very high." The U.S. Treasury estimates there are almost $1.4 billion worth of dollar coins sitting in the vaults of the Federal Reserve, with 1.6 billion more coins scheduled to be minted over the next five years.

^ This was a waste from the very start. The fact that most people had no idea about these coins in the first place shows no one will care that they won't be around anymore. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/presidential-dollar-coins-victims-budget-crunch-192510623.html

TAR

2011-12-11T22:10:00.002-05:00

Today was the season finale. The teams went from Panama to Atlanta. The other two teams thought Marcus and Amani would have an advantage because they live in Atlanta, but in the end they didn't. The teams had to land a plane in a simulator and Ernie and Jeremy did well there (it took Marcus many times.) Then they had to go to "The Dump" where Margaret Mitchell wrote "Gone With The Wind" and use an old typewriter to type their next clue. After that they had to go to a sports stadium and climb a giant map to mark the countries they have travelled on the Race. After the map they had to make it to the finish line. In the end, Cindy and Ernie won. I do not like Cindy (she has done nothing but complain and be snotty the whole time.)Jeremy and Sandy came in 2nd and Marcus and Amani last. It was a good race but didn't end how I would have liked it to. I would have liked to see the snowboarders win since they worked the hardest and stayed the calmest throughout everything.

Wreaths Across America

2011-12-10T21:09:00.001-05:00

From The Stars and Strips:
"Wreaths Across America: Honoring fallen troops with holiday tradition"

Volunteers converged on Arlington National Cemetery Saturday to lay more than 100,000 wreaths on the graves of fallen servicemembers, The Associated Press reported. According to The Associated Press, the tradition began 20 years ago with little fanfare. Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Co. in Harrington, Maine, and others laid 5,000 wreaths on headstones that first year to give thanks to the nation's veterans. Since then, it has grown into an organization called Wreaths Across America with ceremonies across the country every holiday season.

^ This is a good idea and one more way to show the soliders who risk their lives for us how much we appreciate them. ^

http://www.stripes.com/wreaths-across-america-honoring-fallen-troops-with-holiday-tradition-1.163056

New Holocaust Victims' Money

2011-12-10T21:03:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"16,000 Holocaust victims to get German pensions"

After a year of tough negotiations, Germany has agreed to pay pensions to about 16,000 additional Holocaust victims worldwide — mostly survivors who were once starving children in Nazi ghettos, or were forced to live in hiding for fear of death. The agreement announced Monday between the New York-based Claims Conference and the German government is "not about money — it's about Germany's acknowledgment of these people's suffering," said Greg Schneider, the conference's executive vice president. Of the new beneficiaries, 5,000 live in the United States. However, part of the agreement does not immediately cover survivors who were young Jewish children born in 1938 or later. "We will continue to press for greater liberalizations to ensure that no Holocaust survivor is deprived of the recognition that each deserves," Stuart Eizenstat, special negotiator for the conference, said in a statement. Germany will now pay reparation pensions to a total of 66,000 people who survived Nazi death camps and ghettos, or had to hide or live under false identity. Under the new rules, which go into effect Jan. 1, any Jew who spent at least 12 months in a ghetto, in hiding or living under a false identity, is eligible for a monthly pension of 300 euros (about $375) a month. For countries in the former Soviet bloc, that amount is 260 euros. Until now, the minimum time requirement for living under such duress was 18 months. The Germans established more than 1,000 ghettos for Jews while the Nazi leadership in Berlin deliberated the "Final Solution" — a plan to murder all European Jews. Some ghettos existed for only a few days, others for months or years, before residents were either shot in mass graves or deported to death camps. Germany also has agreed to offer pensions to those who are 75 or older and spent three months in ghettos like the one operated in Budapest, Hungary, from November 1944 to January 1945. That provision is expected to affect about 4,500 survivors next year and 3,500 more once they turn 75. In another new development announced this week, anyone who worked in the German-run ghettos during World War II may now receive a one-time payment of 2,000 euros (about $2,600) from the German government.

^ I don't understand why Germany is making it so difficult for Holocaust survivors to get the money they deserve for living through the hell the GERMANS created. Anyone who was alive during the Holocaust (even babies and the elderly) and who were in the ghettos, labor camps, death camps, mass graves, in hiding or fled the Nazis from 1933-1945 for even a day should get money from this fund. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/16-000-holocaust-victims-german-pensions-171915634.html

A Euro Fix?

2011-12-10T21:01:00.001-05:00

From USA Today:
"What's in the new deal to save the euro?"

Twenty-three European Union states agreed Friday to set up a new treaty, giving up crucial powers over their own budgets in an attempt to overcome a crippling debt crisis.

Q: Who's plans to be in it?

A: All 17 countries that use the euro, plus Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. Five of those six are likely to eventually adopt the common currency, and Denmark may as well. So it makes sense for them to subscribe to the new rules now.

Q: Who's not in it?

A: The U.K. gave a clear "no," while Hungary, Sweden and the Czech Republic left the door open to sign up at some point if their parliaments want them too.

In the euro zone
Countries that use the euro currency: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain

Q: Why did Europe need a new treaty?

A: For the past two years, the countries that share the euro have been rocked by a debt crisis that has recently threatened the survival of the currency. Germany and France in particular argued that only tough rules enshrined in a treaty would convince markets that all countries will be able to repay their debts and a similar crisis will never happen again.

Q: How will that be achieved?

A: Debt brakes in national constitutions: All 23 countries commit to keep their deficits below 0.5% of economic output. That cap can be broken to counteract a recession or in other exceptional circumstances. The European Court of Justice will make sure all states' debt brakes are effective.

— More automatic penalties for deficit sinners. In the past, governments often protected their partners from being punished.

The 27 European Union countries
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

— All states have to tell their partners in advance how much debt they plan to take on through bond sales.

Q: What else did they decide?

A: The eurozone, together with other willing EU states, will give as much as $264 billion to the International Monetary Fund to help it rescue troubled nations.

— The eurozone's permanent bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, will take over from the current rescue fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, one year ahead of schedule, in July 2012. Unlike the EFSF, the ESM has paid-in capital, similar to a bank, and is therefore more credible on financial markets.

— The ESM's decision-making process was simplified in emergency situations, allowing struggling countries to get financial help if an 85 percent majority of capital holders agree. That is meant to stop small countries from blocking or slowing down urgent rescues, as has happened in the past.

— The eurozone eased rules that have forced banks and other private investors to take losses when a country gets a bailout from the ESM. The previous push to inflict losses on bondholders has been blamed for exacerbating the crisis.

Q: What did they fail to agree on?

A) Eurozone leaders did not decide to boost the overall firepower of their own bailout funds, which is currently limited to €500 billion. They promised to reconsider that cap in March, shortly before the ESM comes into force.

— They did not agree to more intrusive powers for the European Commission over the fiscal policies of wayward states, as had been demanded by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and some nations. Instead, they promised to "examine swiftly" much more lenient proposals from the Commission.

— They did not allow the bailout funds to directly recapitalize failing banks. That could have prevented countries from taking on more debt when they have to bail out lenders.

Q: Will it work?

A: Stock markets and the euro rose modestly in reaction to the deal, but many details remain to be worked out. Much will depend on whether the stricter fiscal rules can persuade the ECB to unleash massive funds to buy up eurozone bad debt.

^ Hopefully these new rules and guidelines will help save the Euro and the EU. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/story/2011-12-09/euro-q-and-a/51760856/1

Russian Protestors

2011-12-10T20:50:00.003-05:00

From Deutsche Welle:
"Tens of thousands demonstrate against Russia's Putin"

For the first time since Putin rose to power, tens of thousands of Russians are protesting his immense power. Demonstrators braved freezing temperatures to voice their discontent with last weekend's elections. Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets Saturday to protest last weekend's alleged election fraud and demand an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's hold on power. In parliamentary elections last Sunday, Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev's United Russia party won an absolute majority that the opposition claims was exaggerated by ballot stuffing and other manipulation. Police estimated that around 25,000 protesters gathered in Bolotnaya Square, a large open space across the Moscow River from the Kremlin. Organizers and anti-Kremlin lawmakers claimed the number of protesters stood between 50,000 and 80,000, making it the largest protest day the country has seen since Putin came to power in 2000. Additional rallies took place in more than 50 other cities across Russia with at least 7,000 people taking to the streets in Russia's second city St. Petersburg. Organizers also reported 5,000 protesters in the industrial town of Chelyabinsk and up to 4,000 in nearby Yekaterinburg.

^ This is pretty interesting to watch. It is like what happened in 1991 and 1993 (which I was too young to remember.) I have seen small demonstrations - old Communists - but nothing to this scale. For twenty years Russia seems to have been existing rather than living and now ordinary Russians seem to want a change. I don't know if change will happen because of these protests, but hopefully some good will. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15592859,00.html

TAR

2011-12-08T16:17:00.002-05:00

This week the teams started in Belgium. The teams had to dress up and find out what character from Tintin they were. Then they flew to Panama. They were given a temporary tattoo that had a clue on it. From there they had to walk between two buildings to get another clue and then had to find their next clue on some dancing women. The snowboarders chose the wrong location. Most of the other teams chose the wrong location as well but one of the taxi drivers called the other taxi drivers and told them the correct location. Jermey and Sandy came in first with Ernie and Cindy in second and Amani and Marcus in third. Andy and Tommy came in last and were eliminated. I really wanted them to win - not only did they win 6 of the legs, but they managed to play the game in an honest, fun way. From the three teams left I would like to see Amani and Marcus win. I don't care for Sandy or Cindy. Next week is the season finale.

Japanese Sorry Canadians

2011-12-08T16:08:00.004-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Japan apologises to Canada for mistreating POWs"

Japan offered a "heartfelt apology" for the systematic mistreatment of Canadian prisoners during World War Two, helping to heal ties between the two nations, Ottawa said on Thursday. Thousands of Allied prisoners were forced by the Japanese Imperial Army to work as slave laborers during the war. Many were tortured or starved and died in captivity. Canada said Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney and a group of veterans received the apology in Tokyo from Toshiyuki Kato, Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs. "This important gesture is a crucial step in ongoing reconciliation and a significant milestone in the lives of all prisoners of war," Blaney said in a statement. Around 1,600 Canadians were captured in December 1941 after the fall of Hong Kong. "The Canadians were subjected to deliberate and systematic mistreatment at the hands of their captors," the statement said. "The prisoners of war were forced into backbreaking labour in construction sites, mines, shipyards and foundries, and were frequently beaten and starved." Some Allied survivors, angered by what they see as Japan's unwillingness to confront its wartime record, have in the past tried unsuccessfully to sue Tokyo for compensation. In 2005, Japan apologized for the suffering and pain its military inflicted on Dutch prisoners during World War Two. Tokyo made a similar apology to Britain in 1998.

^ I have said this before - Japan hasn't fully admitted and taken blame for all the horrible things the Japanese did during the war. Every now and then they say they are sorry to one group and leave out all the others. Not only does Japan need to admit all their wrong-doings to most of the people in Asia (especially the Chinese and Koreans) but to the Westerns (British, American, French and Dutch) both POWs and civilians. Germany has done a lot over the years to show how sorry they are for what happened during the war while Japan has been allowed to brush it off for the most part. It is good that Japan finally admitted it did bad things to Canadian POWs. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/japan-apologises-canada-mistreating-pows-151006701.html;_ylt=AhPaxpEhjsi.bjmf3Y4TGVCjbA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTQ0NzdvazEyBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIENhbmFkYVNTRgRwa2cDNzM1ZjZjYmItMDM1NS0zYzZmLWI1YWYtZjcxNDRmMWM2YWYyBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzQ3MjQyNGQwLTIxYWYtMTFlMS1iMzQ5LWU1MzkwMDFmZjAzMw--;_ylg=X3oDMTIwMGVqOXRjBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxjYW5hZGEEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

Austria Donates To Auschwitz

2011-12-08T16:01:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Austria donates $8 million to Auschwitz fund"

Austria's parliament has authorized a donation of €6 million ($8 million) toward helping to renovate a memorial to Holocaust victims who died at Auschwitz. The death camp in Poland was the most infamous of the string of death camps set up by Germany's Nazis. More than 1 million people, most of the Jews, died there, the majority in gas chambers. Many Austrians supported Hitler and some of the Nazi dictator's key associates were Austrians. The Austrian donation is part of a target of €120 million ($160.5 million) earmarked internationally to maintain the site. Germany, about 10 times Austria's size, has agreed to contribute €60 million ($80.26 million).

^ In the past few years Austria has moved away from claiming they were the first victims of Hitler to finally admitting they were actively involved with the Nazis. The fact that most of the Austrian Nazis were known to be worse than the German Nazis shows the commitment. It is good that Austria is going to donate money to help preserve the Nazi crimes at Auschwitz. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/austria-donates-8-million-auschwitz-fund-193325969.html;_ylt=Ar3z0VIgsk0TgIlcpeaUQnV0bBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTQ1ajkzZzFiBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIEV1cm9wZVNTRgRwa2cDMTdmOWZjYjQtMzk3MC0zMWU5LTlmMDctODY1OThmMWQ1OGU2BHBvcwMxMQRzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgM2ZDVlNDYzMC0yMTBhLTExZTEtYmQ3Zi1hMGY1ZmU2NmEyOTQ-;_ylg=X3oDMTIwZ2J1NzRyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxldXJvcGUEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

Pearl Harbor: 70

2011-12-07T23:37:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Nation marks 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor"

In wheelchairs and on walkers, the old veterans came Wednesday to remember the day 70 years ago when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. But FDR's "date that will live in infamy" is becoming a more distant memory. Fewer and fewer veterans who experienced the attack on Dec. 7, 1941, are alive to mark the anniversaries and most of them are in their 90s, many prevented by health problems from traveling to Hawaii. One survivors' group said it would disband because age and infirmity made it too difficult to carry on "People had other things that they wanted to do with the remainder of their lives," Pearl Harbor Survivors Association president William Muehleib said. "It was time." The 2,390 Americans who died in the attacks are not forgotten. Besides Pearl Harbor, there are remembrances elsewhere. In Phoenix, the goal every year is to draw 1,177 people — the number who died on the USS Arizona — to march through the city, but organizers don't come close to that anymore. Those who made it to Pearl Harbor were treated to a hero's reception. The 5,000 spectators whistled, shouted and applauded loudly as the 120 or so survivors stood to be recognized, and others asked for autographs and took photos with them. The association — founded in 1958 — has 2,700 members, he said. There are an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 Pearl Harbor survivors. President Barack Obama hailed the veterans in a statement proclaiming Wednesday as "National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day."

^ We should never forget what happened at Pearl Harbor. We may now be friends with Japan, but that doesn't mean the nearly 3,000 Americans that died that day did so in vain. They were serving in the US military and even though we weren't at war when we were attacked that fact isn't diminished. I think we should make it an official Federal holiday (just like we should 9-11.) ^

http://news.yahoo.com/nation-marks-70th-anniversary-pearl-harbor-010321602.html

Holiday Mail For Heroes

2011-12-02T02:43:00.003-05:00

From the American Red Cross:
"Holiday Mail for Heroes Program Overview"

The holiday season is just around the corner and it’s time again to start thinking about being part of the 2011 American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes. For a fifth year, American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are partnering to ensure all Americans have an opportunity to send a touch of home this holiday season to members of our U.S. military, veterans and their families, many of whom will be far away from home this holiday season. Starting this fall and throughout the holiday season, the Red Cross is working with Pitney Bowes, a mail stream technology company, to collect and distribute holiday cards to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world. The process is very simple and takes no time at all - All you need is a pen and piece of paper to share your appreciation for the sacrifices members of the U.S. Armed Forces make to protect our freedoms The Holiday Mail for Heroes mail box is open and ready to receive for your cards. Please send all mail to:

Holiday Mail For Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Sending a “touch of home” to American men and women who serve our country is the perfect way to express your appreciation and support during the holiday season.

Card Guidelines:
- Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.
- Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:
- All cards being sent in for 2011 Holiday Mail For Heroes program should be postmarked no later than Friday, December 9, 2011.
- Ensure that all cards are signed.
- Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
- Only cards are being accepted. Do not send letters.
- Do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
- Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
- We encourage participants to mail as many cards as they are comfortable sending. If you are mailing a large quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes or use a flat rate box from the post office. Each card does not need its own envelope, as cards will be removed from all envelopes before distribution.
- Please refrain from sending holiday cards with glitter. Many of these cards will be delivered to military and veterans medical facilities and the glitter could interfere with a patient's recovery

^ This is such a great program that I am only sad I just found out about it. I knew they had done these things in the past, but thought they had been stopped. It is so simple to do. I had bought a box of Christmas cards like I do every year and had some left over after I wrote to friends and family. I sent 15 cards - will you send 1? ^

http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail

Celtic Thunder

2011-12-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

Last night my mom and I went to see "Celtic Thunder" in concert. We bought the tickets several months ago and since then got numerous e-mails and one letter stating a bunch of changes (ie the show's start time and even what type of show it will be.) We went to the Olive Garden for dinner and tried their new special. It was really good and then we drove to the theater. We were lucky to find a parking spot block away.
When we were let into the theater we had to take an elevator down a floor to our seat. The ushers were pretty helpful. I was very shocked to see that the average age of the people at the concert was 80. I don't know if it was just this particular audience at this theater or if it just the group's demographic. Not only were they old, but they were also very loud and fairly large.
The show was good, but not the best. I don't care for two of the new members (Emmet and Daniel.) I would have liked to see the old group back together. While I still like the group's music I don't think I would ever go to another of their concerts. It was just a little too weird for me.

Survivor: SP

2011-12-01T17:32:00.002-05:00

This week Ozzy, Dawn and Whitney had to balance ceramic dishes until they fell and Ozzy won (Dawn and Whitney became members of the jury.) Then the rest of the tribe had an immunity/reward challenge. They had to first throw bags and have it land on three boxes and then they had to use a slingshot to hit three targets. Albert won and was told his reward was a massage and a shower. He chose Coach to go with him and then gave his spot to Cochran. At Tribal Brandon had another meltdown and in the end Cochran was sent to RI. I don't really have a favorite person I want to win, but I don't want Coach, Brandon or Albert to win.

Stalin's Daughter Dies

2011-11-28T22:23:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Stalin's daughter Lana Peters dies at 85"

Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's daughter, whose defection to the West during the Cold War embarrassed the ruling communists and made her a best-selling author, has died. She was 85. Lana Peters — who was known internationally by her previous name, Svetlana Alliluyeva — died of colon cancer Nov. 22 in Wisconsin, where she lived off and on after becoming a U.S. citizen, Richland County Coroner Mary Turner said Monday. Her defection in 1967 — which she said was partly motivated by the poor treatment of her late husband, Brijesh Singh, by Soviet authorities — caused an international furor and was a public relations coup for the U.S. But Peters, who left behind two children, said her identity involved more than just switching from one side to the other in the Cold War. She even moved back to the Soviet Union in the 1980s, only to return to the U.S. more than a year later. When she left the Soviet Union in 1966 for India, she planned to leave the ashes of her late third husband, an Indian citizen, and return. Instead, she walked unannounced into the U.S. embassy in New Delhi and asked for political asylum. After a brief stay in Switzerland, she flew to the U.S. Peters carried with her a memoir she had written in 1963 about her life in Russia. "Twenty Letters to a Friend" was published within months of her arrival in the U.S. and became a best-seller. Upon her arrival in New York City in 1967, the 41-year-old said: "I have come here to seek the self-expression that has been denied me for so long in Russia." She said she had come to doubt the communism she was taught growing up and believed there weren't capitalists or communists, just good and bad human beings. She had also found religion and believed "it was impossible to exist without God in one's heart." In the book, she recalled her father, who died in 1953 after ruling the nation for 29 years, as a distant and paranoid man. "He was a very simple man. Very rude. Very cruel," Peters told the Wisconsin State Journal in a rare interview in 2010. "There was nothing in him that was complicated. He was very simple with us. He loved me and he wanted me to be with him and become an educated Marxist." Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin denounced Peters as a "morally unstable" and "sick person." "I switched camps from the Marxists to the capitalists," she recalled in a 2007 interview for the documentary "Svetlana About Svetlana." But she said her identity was far more complex than that and never completely understood. "People say, 'Stalin's daughter, Stalin's daughter,' meaning I'm supposed to walk around with a rifle and shoot the Americans. Or they say, 'No, she came here. She is an American citizen.' That means I'm with a bomb against the others. No, I'm neither one. I'm somewhere in between. That 'somewhere in between' they can't understand." Peters' defection came at a high personal cost. She left two children behind in Russia — Josef and Yekaterina — from previous marriages. Both were upset by her departure, and she was never close to either again. Raised by a nanny with whom she grew close after her mother's death in 1932, Peters was Stalin's only daughter. She had two brothers, Vasili and Jacob. Jacob was captured by the Nazis in 1941 and died in a concentration camp. Vasili died an alcoholic at age 40. Peters graduated from Moscow University in 1949, worked as a teacher and translator and traveled in Moscow's literary circles before leaving the Soviet Union. She was married four times — the last time to William Wesley Peters, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. They were married from 1970 to 1973 and had one daughter. Peters wrote three more books, including "Only One Year," an autobiography published in 1969. Her father's legacy appeared to haunt her throughout her life, though she tried to live outside of the shadow of her father. She denounced his policies, which included sending millions into labor camps, but often said other Communist Party leaders shared the blame. "I wish people could see what I've seen," Lana Parshina, who interviewed Peters for "Svetlana About Svetlana," said Monday. "She was very gracious and she was a great hostess. She was sensitive and could quote poetry and talk about various subjects. She was interested in what was going on in the world." After living in Britain for two years, Peters returned to the Soviet Union with Olga in 1984 at age 58, saying she wanted to be reunited with her children. Her Soviet citizenship was restored, and she denounced her time in the U.S. and Britain, saying she never really had freedom. But more than a year later, she asked for and was given permission to leave after feuding with relatives. She returned to the U.S. and vowed never to go back to Russia. She went into seclusion in the last decades of her life. Her survivors include her daughter Olga, who now goes by Chrese Evans and lives in Portland, Ore. A son, Josef, died in 2008 at age 63 in Moscow, according to media reports in Russia. Yekaterina (born in 1950), who goes by Katya, is a scientist who studies an active volcano in eastern Siberia.

^ I have looked at Russian online newspapers (in both Russian and English) and the only mention of her death was from the BBC - in English and Russian. I remember when I was living in Russia and asked people about those that defected from the Soviet Union and most did not think highly of them. While those of us in the West see them as heroes who escaped a communist dictatorship to many Russians they are still traitors. Stalin's daughter defected twice. I am curious to see how ordinary Russians view her and her defections. I know there are still lots of people in the former USSR who think Stalin was a great man even though they admit he killed millions of people and deported and imprisoned millions more. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/stalins-daughter-lana-peters-dies-85-200721334.html

TAR

2011-11-28T22:13:00.002-05:00

This week they stayed in Belgium. Since there was no Pit Stop last time they kept on racing. The teams had to drive a mustang at a Ford Testing Center. Then they either had to make a raft and go down a canal or make 18 waffles. After that they had to track some pigeons that were released and get their next clue. The challenges were ok, but not really that interesting. In the end, Andy and Tommy came in first and Bill and Cathi were last and sent home. Cathi was very annoying throughout the Race and I'm not sorry to see her go. I also don't care for Cindy, Jeremy or Sandy. I would like to see Andy and Tommy win - they have done well throughout the Race. Next week they go to Panama where the final three teams will be announced.

Reduce Russian Draft

2011-11-26T14:28:00.002-05:00

From The Stars and Stripes:
"Medvedev: Russian military to sharply reduce draft"

The Russian military will rely increasingly on volunteer soldiers and sharply reduce the number of draftees, President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday. He said the conscripts' share will be brought down to 10-20 percent in the next five to seven years, with volunteers accounting for the rest. The pledge to reduce Russia's unpopular draft appears to be part of campaigning for Dec. 4 parliamentary elections, in which Medvedev leads the list of the ruling United Russia party, now that he has decided not to run for re-election so that Vladimir Putin can replace him as president. Medvedev's statement also reflects demographical problems that have made it increasingly difficult for the military to get enough draftees. Due to a population decline, the number of Russian men eligible for the draft has dropped, and most avoid it by signing up for college, being excused for health reasons or simply paying bribes. It wasn't immediately clear whether Medvedev was referring to the entire 1-million member military that includes about 220,000 officers, or was talking only about the enlisted men. Medvedev's pledge followed a statement by Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, who acknowledged last week that the military was struggling to fill the ranks and was aiming to eventually form an all-volunteer army. He didn't mention a specific time frame. Liberal politicians and military analysts have long urged the Kremlin to abolish the draft, which has been extremely unpopular due to the poor conditions and high crime rates within the ranks, particularly the vicious bullying of young conscripts by older soldiers. The government already has launched a sweeping military reform intended to trim the military and turn it into a more modern force. It also has promised to more than double officers' wages starting Jan. 1 and similarly increase salaries for volunteer soldiers.

^ As with most things in Russia this is going to take a very long time to complete. Out of all the Russians I know I have only met 1 who was in the Soviet/Russian military (he started as a draftee in the Soviet Army and ended in the Russian Army.) The majority of Russian men pay high bribes to get fake medical certificates so they don't have to serve. I don't blame them for doing that especially since the Russian Military is known for its poor conditions and abuse. Hopefully, the draft will be done away with completely sooner rather than later and the abuse and bad conditions will stop. ^

http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/E/EU_RUSSIA_MILITARY?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Anne Frank's Apartment

2011-11-26T14:24:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Anne Frank's apartment open to public for 1 day"

Paying guests are to be given a one-off chance to view the apartment where Jewish diarist Anne Frank lived with her family before they went into hiding from the Nazis during World War II, the housing corporation that owns it said Thursday. Ymere corporation said in a statement that a maximum of 300 people will next month be allowed to wander through the building where Anne lived from 1933 to 1942. The corporation bought the apartment on Merwedeplein, a street in southern Amsterdam, in 2004 and with the help of the Anne Frank Foundation restored it to 1930s style — "the same atmosphere as the Frank family left behind," Ymere said in a statement. A Dutch foundation now uses it for a writer-in-residence program for foreign writers who are oppressed in their home country. On leaving the apartment, the family moved to a small hidden apartment behind a canal house where Anne wrote most of the diary that turned her into a symbol of Jewish suffering during the Holocaust after it was posthumously published. Anne and her family were captured after two years in hiding. She died in a German concentration camp in 1945. The apartment will be opened on Dec. 10 with euro7.50 ($10.00) tickets sold at the nearby Jimmink bookstore. Spokesman Andre Bakker said the group would give preference "to people from the neighborhood."

^ The apartment should be opened more. I know people interested in Anne Frank and her family would want to visit it and the money they would give would help pay for the programs the Anne Frank Foundation does. I have visited the Anne Frank House and thought it was interesting. I would be interested in seeing where she lived before she went into hiding - especially since it is renovated to the way it was when she lived there. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/anne-franks-apartment-open-public-1-day-185542876.html

USPS Prices Rising - Again!

2011-11-26T14:19:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Postal prices going up for express, priority mail"

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service is raising rates for its more profitable express mail and priority mail shipping next year, part of its efforts to stave off bankruptcy. The new prices, which take effect Jan. 22, include the introduction of a new flat rate of $39.95 for overnight express mail boxes weighing up to 70 pounds that are sent domestically; the flat rate for express letters is being increased separately to $18.95. Previously, prices for the overnight service were $13.25 or higher based on package weight and distance. The prices for priority mail, which promises two-to-three-day delivery, also will increase by an average of 3.1 percent.
The post office said the rate hikes were partly aimed at keeping the ailing agency afloat while maintaining its pricing advantage in the shipping business. Private companies such as UPS and FedEx, which offer similar express shipping services, regularly adjust their prices and have posted modest profits in the sluggish economy.

Among the increases set for Jan. 22:

—Priority mail, small box, $5.35.

—Priority mail, medium box, $11.35.

—Priority mail, large box, $15.45.

—Priority mail, regular envelope, $5.15.

—Priority mail, legal-size and padded envelope, $5.30.

The new prices amount to an across-the-board increase of roughly 5 percent in postal shipping services. They are in addition to a previously announced 1-cent increase in first-class mail to 45 cents, also planned for Jan. 22. The independent Postal Regulatory Commission will review the proposed increases before they take effect.

^ This is just more "make them pay a higher price for less service" from the Post Office. It is clear the USPS has no idea how to run itself and make a profit. Most of the world's Post Offices have found ways to make money in the 21st century so I don't see why the US Post Office can not do the same. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/postal-prices-going-express-priority-mail-205103511.html

Heathrow Gridlock

2011-11-26T14:11:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Heathrow warns strike will cause 'gridlock'"

Passengers arriving at Heathrow may have to wait up to 12 hours for immigration checks as border staff join next week's strike over pensions, an airport official warned on Friday. Normand Boivin, Heathrow's chief operating officer, told the Daily Telegraph that travellers could even be held on aircrafts while huge immigration queues are cleared by a skeleton staff at the country's busiest airport on Wednesday.
"Modelling of the impacts of strike action on passenger flows at Heathrow show that there are likely to be very long delays of up to 12 hours to arriving passengers," Boivin said. "The delays at immigration are likely to be so long that passengers could not be safely accommodated within the terminals and would need to be held on arriving aircraft. "This in turn would quickly create gridlock at the airport with no available aircraft parking stands, mass cancellations or departing aircraft and diversions outside the UK for arriving aircraft," he added. As the airport's operator BAA held talks with the UK Border Agency and airlines in a bid to minimise the impact of the industrial action, reports emerged Thursday that the Home Office is roping in border agency staff who are not union members and civil servants from Whitehall to man immigration desks.

^ This is just plain disgusting. The strikers should be ashamed of themselves. The UK Border Agency is a Federal Department and its employees should not be allowed to strike - especially considering not too long ago the same Department at Heathrow was found to have lax policies. Heathrow Airport is one of the worst airports I have ever been to. It is too big and disorganized at every level. They is chaos from fog and snow storms, the company that is supposed to help the disabled are incompentent and rude. Heathrow should be closed down completely and a huge over-haul needs to be done (even if that means firing most of the people.) Heathrow could then hire new people, train them and reopen the airport. Maybe the threat of pink slips will force the airport employees( from the top-down_ to start doing their jobs correctly and start treating passengers as human-beings.) The fact that they always seem to do these types of things around the holidays just show how arrogant the unions and the strikers are. I would love to see all of them on the dole. Maybe then the airport would run more smoothly. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/heathrow-warns-strike-cause-gridlock-100005069.html

Nazi Bell War Memorial

2011-11-26T14:05:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"German war memorial features Nazi bell"

A German state governor is asking a tiny town to remove a bell adorned with swastikas and Hermann Goering's name from its memorial to Germany's war dead. The bell was donated by Goering himself to the town — which once bore the deputy Nazi leader's name and is now called Tuemlauer-Koog. News magazine Der Spiegel reported Friday the bell, which had hung in the town's belltower, was replaced in 2008 because it was too old to ring anymore and moved to the memorial site. A German tourist recently saw the bell and complained to Schleswig-Holstein governor Peter Harry Carstensen, who asked that it be removed. Area mayor Christian Marwig acknowledges a sign could better explain the bell's significance but says the Nazi past should be acknowledged and not swept under the rug.

^ It is one thing for the Germans to acknowledge what the Nazis did and another to allow their symbols on war memorials. I thought anything related to the Nazis was illegal in Germany? I guess not in all cases. There is a growing trend in Germany to join the Neo-Nazis. That trend won't go away unless the German authorities crack-down on Nazi symbols and organizations that are pro-Nazi. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/german-war-memorial-features-nazi-bell-143323068.html

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T19:12:00.004-05:00

Today is Thanksgiving. My mom and I were supposed to have driven to Upstate New York to make dinner for my Grandparents and Great-Aunt, but many things came up that made us cancel the trip. When something new came up we managed to find a way around it - we even decided to leave a day early when we heard about the big snow storm that was coming Tuesday night into Wednesday - we got 1 foot of snow. In the end we had to call it off.
I didn't expect much for Thanksgiving (especially after all the problems that started a week before), but we just had our dinner and I have to say it was GREAT! We made: turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, yams, artichoke and spinach, rolls and pumpkin cheesecake. We have way too much food for two people, but it was such a nice time. I only wish my dad could have been home from Iraq to celebrate with us - he will be home for Christmas.

Last Thanksgiving In Iraq

2011-11-24T14:51:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"US troops celebrate last Thanksgiving in Iraq"

American troops are marking their last Thanksgiving in Iraq with turkey, stuffing and an incoming rocket alarm. Fewer than 20,000 American troops remain in Iraq at eight bases across the country. All of the forces must be out of Iraq by the end of this year, and American troops have been busily packing up their equipment and heading south. Many of the bases no longer have civilian contractors making meals for them, so the troops have been eating prepackaged meals. At COS Echo in southern Iraq, the soldiers marked the occasion with a special meal including turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. But the noon meal was marred by an alarm signaling incoming fire at the base. It was unclear if anything hit.

^ My dad is still in Iraq and all he got for Thanksgiving was MREs. That is no way for our soldiers to spend a holiday - especially one about giving thanks. You would think the Military and Obama would have made sure that they were given real meals instead of packages that you add water to. All the planners should be ashamed of themselves for doing an awful job and treating American soldiers like this. While Congress, the President and those at the Pentagon sit down for a great meal of turkey with all the trimmings in their safe homes the soliders are away from their families, in a war zone, eating disgusting food from a package. It makes me sick just thinking about it. I'm sure this is not just happening in Iraq, but in Afghanistan and in many others remote places American soldiers are stationed. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/us-troops-celebrate-last-thanksgiving-iraq-185332889.html;_ylt=AvHUIHGwlcvihkxMoeVIzLYLewgF;_ylu=X3oDMTQ4YTRmcjlsBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIE1pZGRsZUVhc3RTU0YEcGtnA2VlZGRjNGZhLTc4OTEtM2NiNi1iMjBhLWZmZDVmYWY5Mjg4ZgRwb3MDMwRzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgNhMjllNzMwMC0xNmNmLTExZTEtYmE3Zi0zY2RiNTBmYWYwMTM-;_ylg=X3oDMTI1aGZjdmcxBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxtaWRkbGUgZWFzdARwdANzZWN0aW9ucwR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3

Poor Soldiers On Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T14:43:00.003-05:00

From the Stars and Stripes:
"Troops reach out for help feeding their families at Thanksgiving"

Hundreds of financially strained military families in the Washington area are lining up for turkeys and free groceries this holiday season, depending on the USO to help put food on the table, The Washington Post reported. The organization had to cap its annual “turkeys for troops” giveaway at 1,400 families this year, up from 150 before the economic downturn, a USO spokesman told the Post. The USO has set up food pantries at bases around the U.S. and teamed up with local food banks after seeing a surge in the number of military families seeking assistance in the past year, the Post said. Although military pay has risen faster than private-sector salaries since 9/11, spouses often have trouble finding work, and many servicemembers have found themselves upside-down on mortgages when they were unable to sell their houses after being transferred to new duty stations. Food-stamp use at commissaries has nearly tripled in the past four years.

^ This is the sadest thing I have heard. The idea that families separated on a holiday because their loved one is in a war-zone is one thing and to learn that they can't feed their families is just disgusting. Soldiers, veterans and their families should ALWAYS be taken care of. They are willing to give their lives for our country and should never have to worry about where their next meal will come from. It seems the Government is s willing to start wars, put the soldiers' lives at risk and yet do nothing to help their or their families. Most are too proud to ask for the basic things they need and deserve and they shouldn't have to ask. ^

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/troops-reach-out-for-help-feeding-their-families-at-thanksgiving-1.161538

Canadia's Visa System Review

2011-11-22T17:01:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Canada's visa system badly flawed: watchdog"

Canada could be admitting people who are security threats or carrying serious diseases because of a flawed visa system, a parliamentary watchdog warned on Tuesday.
The report by the auditor general is likely to bolster U.S. critics seeking much tighter controls on the U.S.-Canada border on the grounds that Ottawa is letting in terror suspects and militants who could one day attack the United States. Interim Auditor General John Wiersema said visa and security officials "need to do a much better job of managing the health, safety and security risks" of applicants." Wiersema said officials at the two main departments involved, Citizenship and Immigration and the Border Services Agency, were overworked, ill-trained, poorly supervised and were using outdated methods. "Visa officers are responsible for deciding whether to grant or refuse a visa to enter Canada. The system lacks basic elements to ensure they get the right information to make those decisions," he said in a statement. "We've been reporting some of these problems with visas for 20 years, and I find it disturbing that fundamental weaknesses still exist." In 2010, visa officers processed applications for 1.04 million people seeking temporary residence and 317,000 people seeking permanent residence. Canada, with a population of 34.5 million, is one of the few western nations actively encouraging immigration.

^ I knew about this long before I read this article. It seems Canada allows any Third World national to visit and live in the country while it makes it hard for Americans and other Western nationals to so (well it is easy for them to visit but not live.) I personally dealt with Citizenship Canada and something that should have taken 4 months took 2 years - the woman was a complete moron and lacked even basic skills. Canada should tighten its visa issuance to thoroughly screen and "weed-out" those that pose a security or health risk. I just hope it doesn't become too complicated and expansive like the American visa system. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/canadas-visa-system-badly-flawed-watchdog-155950323.html;_ylt=AgSqqB8wjohxsTRiK_A1hmqjbA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTQ0cmhvdjhwBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIENhbmFkYVNTRgRwa2cDYTRlYjA5NWQtYzRhYi0zMTk2LWFhOWItYjI2NmI2NDYyYjM0BHBvcwMxBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyA2EwNWUwMzYwLTE1MjMtMTFlMS1iNWRjLTk1NjdlZjBjZjNmOQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTIwMGVqOXRjBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxjYW5hZGEEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

Reagan's Polish Statue

2011-11-22T16:56:00.003-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Walesa unveils statue of Ronald Reagan in Warsaw"

Former Polish president and anti-communist leader Lech Walesa unveiled a statue of Ronald Reagan on an elegant Warsaw street on Monday, honoring the late U.S. president for inspiring Poland's toppling of communism. Though Reagan's legacy is mixed in the U.S., across much of central and eastern Europe he is considered the greatest American leader in recent history for challenging the Soviet Union. The moniker he gave it — the "evil empire" — resonated with Poles, who suffered greatly under Moscow-imposed rule. "I wonder whether today's Poland, Europe and world could look the same without president Reagan," Walesa said. "As a participant in those events, I must say that it's inconceivable." The 3.5-meter (11.5-foot) bronze statue depicts a smiling Reagan in a historic moment — as he stood at a podium at Berlin's Brandenburg gate in 1987 and said the famous words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." It sits across from the U.S. Embassy on Aleje Ujazdowskie, a street lined with embassies and manicured parks in the heart of the capital. Several statues of Reagan have gone up this year, the centennial of Reagan's birth. Most notably, monuments to him have been erected in London and in Budapest, Hungary, and yet another is to be unveiled later this week in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

^ I think President Reagan did a lot during his time in office. He strengthened US foreign policy and took on the USSR without weapons. He was a great man who deserves to have statues around the world. The last time I went to live in Russia was a few weeks after Reagan died and I remember talking about him with my Russian teacher (a woman in her 60s.) She thought he was a powerful leader who achieved many things - I agree with her. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/walesa-unveils-statue-ronald-reagan-warsaw-132226810.html

MHT's New Scanners

2011-11-22T16:51:00.002-05:00

From Union Leader:
"New-style scanners coming to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport"

Air travelers flying out of the state’s largest airport may be singing a new jingle next month — ‘All I want for Christmas is a full-body scan.’A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration said this week that at least one new full body scanner is expected to be delivered to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and installed prior to the end of the year, and likely in place by the Christmas holiday.
The new scanners will be of the next-generation type, which made their debut in late July in Tampa, not the ones that displayed what amounted to naked images of passengers as they passed through, although visible only to TSA agents. This new version presents a generic outline of a human, similar to a crime scene outline. Air travelers are able to view the same outline that the TSA officer sees.

^ I don't have an issue with the new full-body scanners since it is a generic outline of a person and not a complete X-Ray. I have gone through the old full-body scanners in Logan and then had to have a full pat-down because the TSA didn't have a clue what they were doing. Hopefully, at MHT it will be more efficient with better training. ^

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111121/NEWS10/711219969

Eurasian Union

2011-11-22T16:47:00.003-05:00

From BBC news:
"Russia sees union with Belarus and Kazakhstan by 2015"

Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have agreed to set up a Eurasian economic union, modelled on the EU, with a target date of 2015. The three countries already have a customs union but now aim to go further by removing trade barriers. Their respective presidents signed a deal to create an executive body similar to the European Commission. Earlier this year, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin denied the bloc would re-create the Soviet Union. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in particular are said to be looking at the project. In a newspaper article last month, Vladimir Putin insisted that there was no talk of reforming the USSR, arguing that it would be naive to copy what had been abandoned in the past. All three countries are still members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, along with eight other nations, including Ukraine.

^ i don't understand why they have to try and form a new union when they are already in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS.) Why can't the countries in the CIS just enhance the powers of that union like the European Union did (it used to be known as the European Community.) I don't think the Eurasian Union or the CIS will be effective or strong. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15790452

Canada's New Money

2011-11-20T21:55:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo Canada:
"Americans fascinated by new plastic Canadian $100 bill"

Americans have always been fascinated with Canadian money, even though their stores rarely accept it if you're buying anything while visiting across the border. In the land of the greenback, Canada's colourful bills are exotic. So it's no surprise that word Canada was phasing in polymer-based bills got wide play in American media. "This week, our friend to the north introduced the first in its new line of all-plastic notes - a cool $100 bill made out of a single sheet of plastic polymer and tricked out with all kinds of high-tech security features," the Los Angeles Times' technology section enthused. Reports on U.S. news sites usually riffed on the theme that paying with plastic in Canada no longer means using a credit card. The Bank of Canada this week released the plastic $100 bill, the first denomination in the gradual conversion to polymer currency from paper."Demonstrating the powerful connection between money and sex, The Canadian Press wrote last month that "a focus group mistook the depiction of a strand of DNA on the $100 bill for a sex toy, and most people thought the see-through window on the polymer notes was shaped like the contours of a woman's body." Mark Allen pointed out, as most of the news stories did, that Australia was the first country to switch to polymer bills in 1988.

^ I like the different colors of Canada's Dollar. I don't know if the new polymer bills are any good (I would have to see and feel one to make a final decision.) As most of the articles state Canada accepts US Dollars while most American stores do not accept Canada's Dollar. ^

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/americans-fascinated-plastic-canadian-100-bill-203809067.html

TAR

2011-11-20T21:46:00.002-05:00

This week they started in Denmark. They had to cite a Hans Christian Anderson poem in a dramatic way in front of a Danish guy who looked like he is a pedophile. Then they went to LegoLand where they had to put together a puzzle while spinning around on a ride. Then they drove to Hamburg, Germany and had to catch a train to Brussels. Ernie and Cindy lost part of their tickets, but decided to stay on the train and hope they didn't get caught - they didn't.
In Brussels they went to the European Parliament building to get a clue and then had to go to some building and perform at bodybuilding. It was a very boring challenge. The judges there are harder on the racers than anywhere else. So far only a few teams finished that challenge. Armani and Marcus came in first place and were told that the race is still going.
I don't really have a favorite team. Cindy cries and whine too much, Cathi is very annoying and Sandy is just plain dumb. I guess that leaves Andy and Tommy as the team I would like see win.

Airline Forces Money On Plane

2011-11-17T22:25:00.002-05:00

From the BBC:
"Comtel Air cancels Amritsar to Birmingham flights"

An airline accused of asking passengers to pay extra for fuel to fly home has cancelled UK flights at the weekend. A Comtel Air flight from Amritsar to Birmingham was grounded in Vienna on Tuesday by its Spanish carrier Mint Lineas Aereas due to financial issues. Passengers said they were "held to ransom" and asked to pay a total of £23,000 to continue their journey. The Essex-based company was registered with the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol), run by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK. The CAA said it would be stepping in to "assist repatriation for all customers", and estimated 200 Skyjet UK customers were currently abroad.

^ This is so weird. I guess it shows that even in the EU (where passengers have more rights than those in the US, Canada or the rest of the world) things can go bad. I hope there are criminal charges brought against everyone involved - from the airline to the ticket agents. It is just one more example of why I have no desire to ever go to India. Everything I read and see show India as a depressing, dirty, corrupt country. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-15775920

US Base In Australia

2011-11-17T22:12:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Seeking to Contain China, US to Establish Permanent Military Presence Down Under"

President Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday announced that the US military will begin a permanent presence Down Under — part of a greater Obama administration strategy to contain the rise of China in the Pacific. By mid-2012, a company-sized rotation of Marines, between 200-250, will be stationed at an Australian military base in the Northern territory. That will ramp up to a full force of 2,500 Marine personnel as part of a Marine, Air, Ground Task Force In addition, the US Air Force will be able to use Australian Air Force facilities significantly more than it does now.

^ I don't really understand how us having a base in Australia will stop a Chinese threat in Asia. If the troops we have in South Korea, Japan, Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii and the other places in Asia then how will a group Marines make much of a difference? I think someone just wanted a new base and decided that Australia would be perfect because of the weather and they speak English. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/seeking-contain-china-us-establish-permanent-military-presence-051940951.html

German Neo-Nazi Database

2011-11-17T22:04:00.002-05:00

From Yahoo News:
"Germany to create far right extremists' register"

Germany will create a national database as a clearing-house for information on far-right extremists amid mounting criticism because its security agencies failed to detect a deadly neo-Nazi terror group for years. Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said Wednesday the new database to be used by all federal and state-level intelligence and police agencies will be modeled on a similar registry for Islamic extremists created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

^ Databases are only good if you use them effectively. If you have a bunch of names with known extremists or terrorists on it and do not do anything with it then it is simply a program wasting government money and not saving lives. Germany should be good at making and using this database. The Nazis used a similar one to keep track of all its citizens (and those living in their occupied countries) as well as Jews and others they wanted to arrest. East Germany also used a similar program to control its citizens. It is a little ironic that a database program perfected by the Nazis is now going to be used to track Neo-Nazis. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/germany-create-far-extremists-register-154431692.html;_ylt=AvILvwQQSEN06oHajtEE3y10bBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTQ0Nzcyb3BqBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIEV1cm9wZVNTRgRwa2cDMjA2ZDljYWItNWFjNi0zODM3LWI3ODgtODcyNDQzNzliNzU0BHBvcwMxBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyA2IxZDhiZGIwLTEwODItMTFlMS05ZjVmLTBhNmRhNDcyOWUyOQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTFxNGdmMG5kBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAN3b3JsZHxldXJvcGUEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3